Jiang Chen glanced at the spirit beast.
The creature looked perfectly fine — sharp eyes, powerful limbs, its entire body brimming with explosive strength.
"Arena Master Shao, I've heard you scored heaven-defying results in the selection for Grand Arena Master at the Hall of Purifying Flame. Grand Master Wang Xuetong had nothing but praise for you. His own arena is out of the question, but he said that if anyone at the bounty arena could handle my task, it would absolutely be you. I've been wondering though — you're about my age, so how capable can you really be, to make old Wang Xuetong praise you like that? What did you feed him — some kind of love potion? Or are you his illegitimate son or something?"
There was no denying it — this kind of rich playboy was insufferable. Not only was he arrogant, but he also had the foulest mouth, with absolutely no concept of watching his tongue.
Jiang Chen's expression was indifferent. "Are you here to seek medical treatment, or to run your mouth?"
The playboy burst out laughing. "Can't take a joke? Fine, fine, I misspoke. So why don't you take a look and tell me what's wrong with my Cloud-Gulping Tiger? It looks like it's in peak condition, but every day I get the feeling something's off."
Jiang Chen flashed a contemptuous smile. "You can leave."
The playboy froze, his expression turning ugly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to serve you — is that a problem?" Jiang Chen truly had no fondness for people with this kind of spoiled temper.
Of course, he could tell that this playboy must hold an extremely high status in Pillfire City — likely enough that even the people at the Hall of Purifying Flame had to show his family some face.
Seeing Jiang Chen's attitude, the playboy flew into a rage. "Listen here, boy — while you're sitting here, I'll call you Grand Arena Master. The moment you leave, you're nobody. In Pillfire City, are you really trying to pick a fight with me?"
Had the man been civil, Jiang Chen would have been perfectly amenable — he was the type to respond to kindness but bristle at aggression. But this particular brand of arrogance was precisely the kind Jiang Chen despised most.
"Scram!" The single word rolled from Jiang Chen's mouth, but it carried the weight of a thunderclap — sharp as metal striking metal — and the entire bounty arena went dead silent.
When the commotion drew attention, the Hall of Purifying Flame personnel responsible for maintaining order rushed over. Seeing that the playboy and Jiang Chen had locked horns, they hurried to intervene.
The playboy was clearly the type who thrived on an audience. Seeing everyone looking his way after being shouted down by an outsider, he felt his face had been thoroughly stripped away.
Enraged, he jabbed his finger repeatedly at Jiang Chen. "Fine, fine, fine — you're called Shao Yuan, right? I'll remember you."
The Hall of Purifying Flame representative quickly stepped in. "Young Master Nangong, this is the Bounty Arena. Please keep your composure."
The playboy was a notorious troublemaker in Pillfire City. Once his stubborn streak kicked in, he didn't even care about giving face to the Hall of Purifying Flame.
"Keep calm, my ass! What's this guy's background? How does your Hall of Purifying Flame even select arena masters? How did some ill-mannered good-for-nothing waltz in here? And he's hogging two Grand Arena Master seats? This boorish animal dares to be rude to me — so tell me, how are we going to settle this score?"
The Hall of Purifying Flame official hastily said, "Young Master Nangong, please calm down, calm down. Do me a favor — do the Hall a favor."
"Bullshit! I do you a favor — who's going to do me a favor?" Nangong Ping's face was dark as a thundercloud, and from the looks of it, he had no intention of letting this go.
At that moment, higher-ups from the Hall of Purifying Flame were making their way over. Vice Hall Master Gao, upon hearing that something had happened at the bounty arena, came rushing over.
"Nephew Nangong, what's going on here?" Vice Hall Master Gao was on good terms with the patriarch of Nangong Ping's family — their relationship was quite cordial.
This was precisely why Nangong Ping felt emboldened to act out here. He was certain Vice Hall Master Gao would side with him.
"Uncle Gao, where did this country bumpkin crawl out from? He's got no skill, but he's got plenty of nerve. He actually dared to shout at me. Tell me — when has Nangong Ping ever been treated like this in his life? Telling me to scram? There aren't many people in Pillfire City who can tell me to get lost. Who do you think you are?"
Nangong Ping was truly the type who escalated with an audience. Seeing Vice Hall Master Gao arrive, he grew even more insufferable, shouting at Jiang Chen once more and looking ready to start a physical confrontation at any moment.
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow but, surprisingly, said nothing. Instead, he gave Vice Hall Master Gao a cool look. He wanted to see how the organizers of this bounty arena would handle someone crashing their event.
Vice Hall Master Gao forced an awkward smile. "Nephew Nangong, if there's an issue, let's discuss it privately. This bounty arena is a grand event for all of Pillfire City. If you keep causing a scene here and your father finds out, he won't be pleased either. Why don't we step aside and talk?"
"Uncle Gao." Nangong Ping's face darkened at these words. "What are you saying? Whose side are you on? This guy humiliates me, and you're going to pretend you didn't see it?"
Vice Hall Master Gao wasn't taking Jiang Chen's side — it was simply that, in this situation, there was nothing else he could do. The man was, after all, a Grand Arena Master selected by the Hall of Purifying Flame — a genius who held two seats at once, no less.
Moreover, Vice Hall Master Gao was quite wary of Jiang Chen's suspected ties to Myriad Abyss Island.
At this point, both officially and personally, he couldn't afford to take any action against Jiang Chen. Otherwise, he'd chill the hearts of every Grand Arena Master present.
After all, from the various whispers and intelligence circulating among the crowd just now, it was clear that Nangong Ping had been the one with the terrible attitude from the very start — spouting nothing but filth the moment he opened his mouth.
Vice Hall Master Gao knew Nangong Ping all too well. He was no saint, which was all the more reason not to join him in this nonsense.