The lion-nosed middle-aged man had actually produced a sect token — this escalation changed everything.
Jiang Chen and Consort Dan were relatively unfazed. They weren't members of the Treasure Tree Sect, so the token meant nothing to them. They certainly didn't feel the Treasure Tree Sect had any right to bully them.
Crown Prince Ye Rong, though not a member of the Treasure Tree Sect either, would probably find it very difficult to maintain a tough stance in the face of a Treasure Tree Sect token.
Zhou Gui and Tian Shao were both members of the Dragon Tooth Guard, and to a certain extent, their attitude aligned with Ye Rong's.
As for Shi Xiaoyao and Fei Xuan — they were the controllers of the Treasure Tree Sect's outer branch, technically under the sect's jurisdiction. Seeing the Treasure Tree Sect's token was like seeing the sect's own decrees.
A token one rank higher was enough to crush a person!
Even someone as fierce as Shi Xiaoyao, upon seeing the token, wore a deeply ugly expression. His lips moved, but he ultimately glanced helplessly at Jiang Chen and wisely shut his mouth.
Palace Mistress Ning's face was likewise filled with caution and wariness. The way she looked at the lion-nosed man now carried a notably more submissive edge.
The several sect disciples, meanwhile, were thoroughly pleased with themselves. They flanked the lion-nosed man on either side, radiating smug superiority, looking down their noses at everyone, their faces practically brimming with arrogance.
This kind of flustered reaction from others was exactly what they, as Treasure Tree Sect disciples, had grown accustomed to seeing. This was how these worldly ants were supposed to behave!
Going up against the Treasure Tree Sect was sheer overreach!
Liu Chengfeng's spirits surged back as if he'd been infused with boundless energy. He threw his head back and laughed: "Elder Fei, weren't you just being cocky? Weren't you just being arrogant? Weren't you speaking awfully tough just a moment ago? Let's see how tough you can be now — can you be tougher than a sect decree?"
An official one rank higher could crush a person. Within the Treasure Tree Sect, the hierarchy was strict, and being one rank higher could doom someone utterly and completely!
Liu Chengfeng saw how the Honored Elder's token had silenced the entire room, and he was absolutely delighted. He couldn't help but admire his own shrewdness — it had been a brilliant move to bring Elder Tie into this, to secure the backing of someone as important as Honored Wang! Sure enough, the moment the token appeared, everyone was cowed!
This felt so good — truly exhilarating!
But then Liu Chengfeng caught the faint trace of a smile lingering at the corner of Jiang Chen's mouth, and his heart burned with fury. He knew Jiang Chen wasn't a member of the Treasure Tree Sect — this was someone who'd even dared to offend Elder Tie. It was understandable that the kid wasn't intimidated by the token.
Still, in the current situation, without Elder Fei and Shi Xiaoyao and the others backing him up, no matter how arrogant Jiang Chen acted, he had no real leverage.
Liu Chengfeng suppressed his irritation toward Jiang Chen and addressed Palace Mistress Ning: "Palace Mistress Ning, you see — even Elder Tie has taken a personal interest in the matter of the marriage between Xiao Yu and Miss Qingyan. Otherwise, why would he send someone as important as Honored Wang to serve as a witness?"
Honored Wang, thoroughly flattered by Liu Chengfeng's words, addressed Palace Mistress Ning with an air of superiority: "Palace Mistress Ning, let's stop dragging your feet on this. Once it's settled, this seat will return to the Treasure Tree Sect to continue cultivation."
Palace Mistress Ning understood that this was the Honored Elder of the Treasure Tree Sect delivering an ultimatum. If she kept stalling, she would likely face the Honored Elder's wrath.
Once the Honored Elder became angry and used the sect decree against her, things would get very troublesome. At best, she would be stripped of her position as Palace Mistress. At worst, she could be killed outright!
Helplessly, she glanced at her daughter. At this point, she didn't even have the strength to look toward Jiang Chen's side, afraid that he might stir up yet another complication and further damage her standing in the Honored Elder's eyes.
Ning Qingyan's eyes reddened, and tears spilled over.
"Haha, so that means Palace Mistress Ning has no objections!" Liu Chengfeng burst into hearty laughter, then swept a triumphant gaze toward the opposing side. "And the rest of you — I trust none of you have any objections either?"
These words were, without question, a show of force — a mockery.
Elder Fei suddenly cracked a grin, revealing an odd smile. He stuck a finger in his ear, picked at it lazily, and drawled, "Liu Chengfeng, are you declaring victory all by yourself? That's a rather one-sided celebration, wouldn't you say?"
Liu Chengfeng's brow furrowed. "Elder Fei, in the presence of a Patron's sect token, do you really dare cause trouble?"
"A token? So what if there's a token? Who knows whether it's real or fake?"
"A sect token — who would dare forge one?" Liu Chengfeng flew into a rage.
Patron Wang You also raised an eyebrow. "Elder Fei, you dare desecrate a sect token?"
Elder Fei let out an odd laugh. "A sect token represents the sect itself — I, old Fei, wouldn't dare desecrate that. However, if you're going to use a sect token to intimidate people, couldn't you at least bring out a slightly more impressive one?"
What?
A slightly more impressive one?
A Patron-level token — and it couldn't even keep a mere Outer Gate supervisor in line?
Liu Chengfeng seething with fury, slammed the token down in front of Elder Fei and barked, "Open your dog eyes and look closely — this is a Patron token! Elder Fei, you're nothing but the Valley Master of Qingyang Valley — do you have any concept of rank and hierarchy?"
The Patron token landed right in front of Elder Fei.
His smile didn't waver in the slightest. He glanced at it with casual indifference, then flicked it aside with a sweep of his hand — like brushing away a piece of trash.
"Such a low-grade token, and you bring it out to embarrass yourself?"
This move left Liu Chengfeng utterly stunned. Palace Mistress Ning and Shi Xiaoyao were equally dumbfounded!
Fei Xuan had just swept a Patron token aside like garbage! That was an outrageous desecration of sect law — it would absolutely bring the sect's enforcement disciples down on his head!
"You... Elder Fei, you actually desecrated a sect token?! You're courting death!" Liu Chengfeng's face was a mask of horror. He lunged forward, snatched the token up, and wiped it again and again with his sleeve, his expression like he'd just seen a ghost.
Wang You was also thoroughly incensed. He slammed his palm on the table. "Elder Fei, desecrating a sect token means you are opposing the entire sect! Do you have any understanding of rank and hierarchy? Do you have any concept of sect hierarchy?"