"Yes! That very wastrel! Interesting? Look at that detestable appearance of his—how could that be interesting? He's arrogant, conceited, and completely devoid of manners. Not an ounce of cultivation to be seen. Just looking at him makes one feel nauseous." Princess Ling Meng stared at Jun Mo Xie, her chest puffed out in anger. There was one thought she dared not voice: How could Xiao Yi possibly fancy a hooligan like him!

Princess Ling Meng knew the danger of speaking that thought aloud, understood her Imperial Father’s sensitivities, and thus kept the words locked away.

"One man’s opinion is another’s," the person in the black robe said meaningfully. He showed no change in demeanor based on Princess Ling Meng’s words; rather, he fixed his gaze even more intently on Jun Mo Xie’s retreating back, deep in thought.

This grandson of Jun Zhan Tian was truly remarkable. The Third Prince had clearly intended to cause trouble, yet Jun Mo Xie had completely dismantled his footing with just a few carefully chosen words, delivering a swift counter-strike that dissolved the entire issue into nothingness. While the method might have been slightly underhanded, it was the decisive way to cut through entanglement—a clean, sharp solution.

Besides, any other approach would likely have dragged the situation out indefinitely. To engage in protracted debate with the Third Prince would have guaranteed no resolution whatsoever. As a father, how could he possibly be ignorant of his third son’s true nature? If he hadn't been born into royalty with the title of a Prince, he would likely be nothing more than a useless freeloader, surviving entirely on his father's reputation, lacking any ability of his own!

Whatever the means, as long as it was effective in the shortest possible time, it was the best, the optimal strategy! And Jun Mo Xie had clearly employed the optimal strategy!

This infamous wastrel—meeting him in person proves the rumors didn't do him justice...

The person in the black robe frowned slightly, musing over something unknown.

Under Jun Mo Xie’s solicitous greetings, the contingent from the Imperial Family finally entered the Noble Hall. However, each person was permitted to bring only two others inside; all other attendants were required to remain outside.

But when it came to the Second Prince, he insisted on bringing three people. Jun Mo Xie noted that one was Fang Bowen, the Second Prince’s chief strategist, who naturally had to accompany him. The second was slender with delicate features; his eyes fixed on Jun Mo Xie, harboring palpable hatred. Ah, a familiar face—it was Miss Yue'er from the Rainbow Pavilion of Misty Lake, the one who claimed to sell her art but not her body. No wonder; the Second Prince’s confidante naturally had to be brought along.

And the third was Cheng Decao...

Young Master Jun unceremoniously extended his hand, blocking Cheng Decao. "My apologies, Young Master Cheng. Each distinguished guest holding an invitation is allowed only three companions. His Highness the Second Prince’s party is now complete; you cannot enter. Please wait outside; we will send refreshments from JL shortly."

"Why can’t I enter?" Cheng Decao glared, his eyes looking as if they might devour someone. Why was this fellow stopping everyone else but making a point of confronting him? Did he look down on him?

The Second Prince and his two companions walked ahead, but they turned back at this point. Among these three, the Second Prince could hardly abandon any of them; Cheng Decao represented a certain faction, so the Prince had to brace himself and bring him along, assuming that with his royal status, bringing one extra person would just be overlooked, a small matter brushed aside. He never expected that scoundrel Jun Mo Xie would deliberately stir up trouble like this—did he have no regard for this Prince’s face?

Truthfully, had it been anyone else, Young Master Jun might indeed have blinked and let it slide. But this person was Cheng Decao... absolutely unacceptable!

Never mind that they were violating the rules of this venue; even if they hadn't broken any rules, he would have found a way to make them break one just to cause trouble for them!

Just the unlucky and ridiculous sound of that name alone grated on his nerves, let alone the person himself!!!

"I regret to inform you, your party is full!" Jun Mo Xie stretched his neck out, looking at Cheng Decao with the detached gaze one reserves for monkeys in a zoo. "What? You want to fight? You have violated the rules of this Hall, and I am enforcing those rules. Naturally, you cannot enter! If anyone could arbitrarily destroy these regulations, what credibility would this Hall retain?!"

"On what grounds?" Cheng Decao grew agitated.

If he hadn't tried to enter in the first place, it would have been fine. But now he had been escorted this far, just one step from entry. To turn back now would make him a laughingstock! What would others think of him? "I am with His Highness the Second Prince. Why am I the only one barred?"

"Eggs?" Jun Mo Xie deliberately twisted the meaning, letting out a scoff and nodding mockingly: "What you said makes perfect sense.

"To use an analogy: a penis and testicles are often together, but in some places, the penis can enter, but can the testicles? You are such an intelligent person, why are you quibbling so nonsensically?! Unless your testicles are somehow special and capable of entry? If such a marvel were allowed in, it would certainly be a worthwhile sight!"

Cheng Decao was instantly dizzy and infuriated by the Great Master’s twisted logic! He nearly spat blood! To be compared like that—it was an unprecedented, profound humiliation!

The two black-robed men behind Princess Ling Meng could not help but burst into loud laughter upon hearing this. After a couple of guffaws, they seemed to realize the inappropriateness of the moment and fell silent, but their bodies continued to shake violently, their shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

The First Prince, Third Prince, and others who could hear the remark also struggled to suppress their laughter, their faces turning crimson, as if they had all been injected with chicken blood. They certainly didn't mind—the more embarrassment for the Second Prince's faction, the happier they were!

It was just that this fellow Jun Mo Xie was too adept at metaphors, mischievously wicked to the point of death. To compare the dignified Second Prince to a penis and Young Master Cheng to testicles... Only the Second Prince’s trio remained silent. On the contrary, the Second Prince’s mouth and eyes were twitching with rage, his face stern. "Jun Mo Xie, do not push your luck too far!" Cheng Decao gasped for breath, his eyes wide and bloodshot with fury, clearly on the verge of exploding.

"I'm pushing you, so what? Bite me? Do you really think your testicles are beyond reproach!" Jun Mo Xie leaned back on his heels, looking at him arrogantly. Suddenly, he twisted his hips, swinging his lower body back and forth rhythmically: "I'm bullying you, bullying you! I want to bully you! Because your testicles aren't allowed in..."

Pfft!

Young Master Cheng violently spat out a mouthful of blood. He fixed Jun Mo Xie with a deep, hateful glare, turned around, and bolted!

"What huge eyeballs! Like a donkey's eyes! Trying to scare me? Threaten me? Bah!" Jun Mo Xie scornfully spat, then turned to face the Second Prince's murderous gaze, offering a dry laugh as an explanation: "Uh... Your Highness the Second Prince, please don't misunderstand. That... penis just now was definitely not referring to you; it was merely an analogy..."

That explanation was more infuriating than no explanation at all...

The Second Prince let out a heavy grunt, his face icy, and swept his sleeve forward before entering. Everyone followed suit, but as they walked, some could not help but let out suppressed chuckles, which they quickly stifled with coughs...

This phenomenon was most pronounced among Princess Ling Meng's two "attendants." These two were completely uninhibited... This immediately caught Jun Mo Xie’s attention.

Jun Mo Xie then noticed with surprise that Princess Ling Meng had brought two men in black robes this time, and they appeared to be middle-aged... Princess Ling Meng hadn't brought any handmaidens!?

What was going on?

Young Master Jun’s keen senses immediately locked onto this matter. On the surface, however, he remained composed, chatting jovially and speaking in affected tones with everyone while quickly taking stock.

These two men had disguised themselves!

And both men had beards; therefore, they were definitely not eunuchs!

Princess Ling Meng was not being coerced! This meant Princess Ling Meng knew who these two men were!

Furthermore, Princess Ling Meng treated these two with great respect! It was a reverence that came from the depths of her soul! These two were absolutely not simple characters!

Another surprising detail: Ye Guhan was not by Princess Ling Meng’s side! In fact, there was no trace of Ye Guhan within dozens of yards of her vicinity! What reason could possibly exist for Ye Guhan to leave the Princess?

Given Ye Guhan's temperament, who in Tianxiang City would be the person he feared most? Baffling! Baffling! Perhaps the answer to unraveling this entire mystery lay with these two individuals? If he could just determine who they were, everything would become clear!

Jun Mo Wu suddenly recalled the rumors about Ye Guhan and the Empress being childhood sweethearts, and his heart lurched. Could it really be true? Had this minor affair of burning incense accidentally attracted a colossal figure? But why two of them?? If it was him, everything made sense, but who was the other one? There seemed to be no data available on this second person!

Young Master Jun continued to ponder...

Ahead lay the auction hall specially prepared by the Noble Hall. Two enormous golden osmanthus trees stood symmetrically, their branches lush, their golden flowers showing no sign of wilting, blooming magnificently. Their rich fragrance permeated the entire courtyard like a pervasive mist.

As the hall doors opened, the guests discovered the space inside was enormous... incredibly vast, practically a miniature plaza!

The Great Master had put considerable effort into creating this hall, connecting almost all adjacent rooms and replacing load-bearing walls with great marble pillars carved with winding dragons and phoenixes!

Inside, exactly one hundred tables were arranged neatly, no more, no less. Behind each table was only one chair. Further back were two brocade stools accompanied by a small tea table; placed on either side of every table were delicate potted landscapes, their leaves verdant and flowers vibrant. The distance between each table was at least nearly ten feet, and the spacing was uniform, forming perfectly straight lines both horizontally and vertically. Of course, if a person as exceptionally large as Tang Yuan happened to occupy one of those lines, that would be another matter entirely, but given that fatty's unique physique, it was almost unheard of.

Over three hundred people filed into the hall, yet it did not feel crowded at all; rather, it felt somewhat sparse. The windows above had long been opened, and the air was exceptionally fresh, never stuffy. Entering this hall was more refreshing and spirit-lifting than stepping into a garden in springtime.