The way Xiao Xuan was shouting would have made even an ordinary person flare up in anger, let alone a local power like the Fallen Heaven Society.
Underground factions operated beyond all law and reason. Compared to official powers, underground factions were far more extreme — they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
An underground faction couldn't care less about reputation.
Any method that worked was a good method. It didn't matter whether it followed the rules, and it didn't matter whether people would scorn them for it.
The moment Xiao Xuan's words left his mouth, a large crowd of fully armed thugs poured out from within the Fallen Heaven Society's headquarters.
"Where did this little brat come from, screaming his lungs out at our doorstep?" The Fallen Heaven Society was surprised — and infuriated — to discover that the one doing the shouting was a young man who still looked wet behind the ears.
The Fallen Heaven Society was the undisputed local power in Frost Moon City. Ordinarily, it was only they who lorded over others. No one had ever dared to cause trouble right in front of them.
Today, someone was actually throwing a tantrum at their doorstep. It was like poking a tiger right on the forehead.
The moment Xiao Xuan heard the word "brat," his expression darkened. He was of the pure, uncorrupted bloodline of the True Dragon Clan — not a single drop of impurity in his veins.
He despised those two words with every fiber of his being.
His face went cold, and suddenly, like a gust of wind, he lunged directly at the one who had shouted.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Xiao Xuan's hands moved in a blur, delivering seven or eight resounding slaps in rapid succession, all landing squarely on the man's face.
The fellow didn't even have time to scream before his face had swollen up like a pig's head.
"You… you dare hit someone at the Fallen Heaven Society's doorstep?" The other Fallen Heaven Society fighters stood there in disbelief.
Jiang Chen stepped forward, his tone mild. "Go fetch someone from your Fallen Heaven Society who actually has the authority to speak."
Xiao Xuan's approach was guaranteed to make enemies. Though Jiang Chen hadn't stopped him, he didn't want things to escalate into a deadlock right away.
Xiao Xuan looked aggrieved. "I haven't even finished venting yet!"
"Brother Long, that's enough for now. We're here on business. When it's really time to fight, you can go all out. Just rest up for now."
Seeing these two young men chatting casually, calm and composed as if nothing were amiss, the Fallen Heaven Society guards realized that these two probably weren't ordinary characters.
Someone had already dashed inside to report.
Before long, a larger group of Fallen Heaven Society members surged out from within.
At the head of the group walked a yellow-browed old man whose bearing was utterly ferocious. He radiated killing intent, his face twisted with a sinister gloom. Clearly, having heard that his people had been beaten, this yellow-browed elder was not one to sit still.
Behind him followed several people of imposing presence — unmistakably upper echelon members of the Fallen Heaven Society.
The yellow-browed old man strode forward, his sinister gaze sweeping over Jiang Chen and Xiao Xuan.
"Is it you two?" The yellow-browed elder's tone was arrogant as he stared them down with cold contempt.
Jiang Chen's voice was calm. "And who might you be?"
"Hmph! Kid, you don't even recognize our Fallen Heaven Society's Grand Elder, and yet you dare cause trouble at our doorstep? I'd say you're tired of living."
"Exactly — how dare you hit our people! Elder Ke, just give the word, and we'll all move in and finish them off first!"
The yellow-browed Elder Ke raised a hand, signaling for everyone to fall silent.
"Young men, state your names. Let's see whether the Fallen Heaven Society can afford to cross you!" The yellow-browed elder's voice was chilling.
Clearly, if words failed to resolve this, blades would follow.
"Elder Ke, my brother was a bit rash earlier, but your Fallen Heaven Society people aren't entirely without fault either. We've come here to do business with the Fallen Heaven Society. Elder Ke — which do you think is better: making peace and prospering together, or continuing these meaningless pissing contests?"
"Well, well — 'doing business,' are we?" Elder Ke laughed through his fury. "The Fallen Heaven Society has been doing business for years, and I've truly never seen anyone with the gall to beat our people right at our own doorstep. Spare me the nonsense — until this matter is settled, what business is there to discuss?"
"Hit them, did we? So what are you going to do about it?" Xiao Xuan shrugged nonchalantly and shot Elder Ke a smile dripping with mockery.
That did it. The entire Fallen Heaven Society contingent was pushed past the point of no return.
Elder Ke's cold laughter came in rapid succession. "Good, good, good — truly, heroes come from among the young. I've seen it all today. In that case, don't blame the Fallen Heaven Society for showing no courtesy."
Jiang Chen's brow furrowed. "Elder Ke, do you really want to blow this out of proportion?"
"Kid, you can have the silver tongue of a bodhisattva — today, I'm still going to strip three layers of skin off you!" Elder Ke was no easy mark.
In an instant, the Fallen Heaven Society's upper echelon members behind him moved out, surrounding Jiang Chen and Xiao Xuan in a tight circle.
It had to be said — virtually every high-ranking member of the Fallen Heaven Society who was present at headquarters had come out.
Their cultivation was quite impressive. The weakest among them were at the ninth stage of the Saint realm, quite a few were at the half-step Emperor realm, and several had even reached the early Emperor realm.