Because of the Peerless Great Emperor's intervention, the matter was handled cleanly and decisively. By comparison, the Burning Purification Temple's way of dealing with things left everyone secretly feeling it was a bit wishy-washy.
In an instant, the Peerless Great Emperor's popularity surged even higher.
And in Jiang Chen's heart, his favorable impression of the Peerless Great Emperor rose yet another level. He could tell that this Peerless Great Emperor was truly a man of genuine character, someone with the bearing of a senior.
Just look at how the Burning Purification Temple handled this affair — dawdling, shuffling, endless squabbling. The Peerless Great Emperor, on the other hand, didn't waste a single word. He simply tossed the fellow out without the slightest hesitation.
That seemingly overbearing but decisively clean way of handling things was, without a doubt, far more likely to win people's favor.
Jiang Chen was a man who understood propriety. He said gratefully, "Many thanks, Senior Peerless, for stepping in."
"Even if I hadn't intervened, that spoiled young master would still have suffered at your hands. But playing the villain — better left to this old man." The Peerless Great Emperor had a sharp eye; he could naturally see that Nangong Ping was, in this young man's eyes, hardly worth worrying about.
But the Peerless Great Emperor also knew that this young man had come to Pill Fire City alone. If he really were to deal with Nangong Ping, the aftermath would be troublesome to sort out.
That was precisely why the Peerless Great Emperor had acted decisively — to play the villain himself. In Pill Fire City, even Nangong Ping's family was nothing more than a minor player in the Peerless Great Emperor's eyes.
In Pill Fire City, even those Great Emperor-level powers were unwilling to go against an independent Great Emperor like the Peerless Great Emperor, let alone Nangong Ping's family.
"Set your mind on the Bounty Arena. As for everything else — with this old man around, there's no need to worry." A true powerhouse was a true powerhouse; every word and deed left people thoroughly convinced.
King Qingfeng Alchemist gave Jiang Chen a meaningful glance but said nothing more.
It was Wang Xuetong who, gazing at Jiang Chen, showed an extra measure of interest in his eyes. Once everyone had returned to their own territory, Master Wang Xuetong actually made his way over to Jiang Chen's side.
"Young brother, I truly am sorry. Old Wang here seems to have landed you in trouble this time. Had I known that Nangong Ping was such a scoundrel, I would have sent him packing. I saw that his bounty commission was rated quite high and thought I'd bring him to your arena… I never expected… Sigh. In any case, this old man is truly sorry about the whole affair."
Wang Xuetong genuinely regretted what had happened. He had actually known that Nangong Ping had a wretched personality, but he'd figured that at a Bounty Arena event, even Nangong Ping wouldn't dare cause real trouble. So he had directed him to Jiang Chen's arena.
His intentions had been good — he wanted to help Jiang Chen earn money and make a name for himself.
Of course, it was also because Wang Xuetong was curious about Jiang Chen and wanted to test just how capable he really was.
Who could have guessed it would end up like this? Master Wang Xuetong was known throughout Pill Fire City for his warm-heartedness and enthusiasm. Now, having turned a good deed into something bad, he felt rather guilty.
"Master Wang, this isn't your fault. Spoiled brats are all the same the world over — they lord their small bit of status over everyone and act like they own the place. I'm just as grateful for Master Wang's good intentions." Jiang Chen truly bore no ill will toward Master Wang Xuetong.
After all, he could see that the man had mostly meant well.
"That's good to hear, that's good to hear." Master Wang Xuetong felt somewhat relieved upon hearing Jiang Chen say that. After a moment's thought, he added, "Still, you ought to be careful around Nangong Ping. That fellow is one of Pill Fire City's most notorious rich young masters — petty, vindictive, and someone who never forgets a slight. But with the Peerless Great Emperor backing you up, you don't need to be afraid of him. It never hurts to stay on your guard, though."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Thank you for the reminder, Master."
Wang Xuetong nodded, then suddenly thought of something else. He leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Young brother, come to think of it — Nangong Ping's Cloud-Gulping Tiger, what exactly was wrong with it? I looked it over from every angle and couldn't spot a thing. It seemed perfectly lively."
Jiang Chen's brow twitched slightly, and he looked Wang Xuetong straight in the eye. "Master, you truly believe that's a Cloud-Gulping Tiger?"
Wang Xuetong was taken aback by the question. "If it's not a Cloud-Gulping Tiger, then what is it? Those stripes, that build — it's definitely a Cloud-Gulping Tiger."
Jiang Chen was speechless. He hadn't expected that Wang Xuetong genuinely didn't recognize this spirit beast and had mistaken it for a Cloud-Gulping Tiger.
But after a moment's reflection, he understood. Master Wang Xuetong's greatest expertise lay in the domain of formations. When it came to spirit beasts, if you weren't a specialist, misidentifying one was only natural.
Most importantly, this spirit beast did look remarkably like a Cloud-Gulping Tiger — at least ninety percent similar.
"Young brother, could it be that you have a different take on it?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "This isn't a Cloud-Gulping Tiger. As for what kind of spirit beast it actually is, I haven't examined it closely enough to draw a conclusion."
In truth, this was merely Jiang Chen's way of deflecting. He had of course recognized exactly what this spirit beast was. He simply didn't want to reveal it just yet.
Wang Xuetong saw the confident expression on Jiang Chen's face and found himself at a loss for how to argue.
Come to think of it, this young man came from the Myriad Abyss Island. Wang Xuetong might be a respected senior in Pill Fire City, but the study of spirit beasts was truly not his forte.
In the end, Wang Xuetong didn't have the courage to press the matter.
He let out a soft sigh and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder. "That young man has the temperament of a spoiled brat. If he'd simply asked you properly, he might well have gotten his answer, and everyone would have been happy."
After Wang Xuetong left, all order was fully restored.
Jiang Chen noticed Lin Yanyu sending him a concerned look and transmitted a thought: "Yanyu, don't let yourself be distracted."
Seeing his master so calm and composed, Lin Yanyu's heart settled as well.
The little episode hadn't dampened the excitement of the Bounty Arena one bit. Nangong Ping hadn't come back to cause more trouble — whether he was truly scared or simply chose to bide his time for now, no one could say.
But Jiang Chen didn't let his guard down. He knew exactly how the spoiled young masters of this type operated — they were never the kind to swallow their pride and stay quiet.
Even if Nangong Ping didn't come to cause trouble openly, he would certainly scheme behind the scenes to stir things up.
Sure enough, that very afternoon, the arena at Jiang Chen's station suddenly became bustling. In a flash, four or five bounty commissions arrived all at once — and every single one was a ninth-level bounty.
A ninth-level bounty — the reward was in the tens-of-millions range.