Swordholder

The constables outside exchanged glances, and one of them quietly turned around and went back to fetch someone.

Chen Yuan saw all of this but didn't care at all. He continued to eat heartily until his face was shiny with oil and he felt full and satisfied before slowly putting down his chopsticks.

Just then, a series of heart-wrenching cries and pleas for mercy suddenly pierced the bustling street outside the tavern, instantly attracting the attention of everyone inside.

Even Chen Yuan and his two companions, who had just put down their chopsticks, turned their heads and looked at the tavern door with suspicion.

A group of young men dressed in brocade robes, leading a group of henchmen wielding sticks, were seen surrounding an elderly couple dressed in tattered hemp clothing.

Several burly men wielding knives had fierce eyes. They mercilessly punched the eyes of the old man and woman lying on the ground until their eyes burst open, blood flowed freely, and they howled in agony.

Another girl knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy, crying loudly, her forehead already bloodied and mangled from the repeated kowtows.

The streets were lined with onlookers, pointing and whispering without a trace of sympathy.

Instead, he wore a playful smile, as if watching two old dogs being bullied, looking on with amusement.

"Hmph, you dare to stare at a nobleman of Manchu descent with your filthy eyes?"

One of the young men, dressed in a blue brocade robe, spoke coldly, his face full of arrogance, "This is a grave offense of disrespect!"

Blinding you is your punishment!

He roared at his men, "Fight! Keep fighting!"

Blind those two old geezers in their other eye too! Let them remember who they can't afford to offend!

"Ah... esteemed sir, we were just passing by and only glanced at you by chance. Please, have mercy..."

"Waaah... Have mercy! Please spare us!"

"We really didn't mean it, please have mercy..."

"Father! Mother! Waaah... Please don't hit my parents!"

"Please, I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow to you, isn't that enough?"

The two elderly people lay on the ground, wailing and begging for mercy while banging their heads against the ground.

His forehead was quickly smashed open and bleeding profusely, and with one eye blinded, he looked extremely miserable.

Although their daughter was dressed in tattered linen clothes, she had a beautiful figure. At this moment, a corner of her clothes was torn open, revealing a patch of skin, which instantly aroused the interest of the young men in fine clothes.

"Hahaha, Young Master Liu, this little girl is quite pretty. Why don't you have some fun with her?"

One of them stared at the girl, his eyes shining, his tone flippant.

"Excellent, excellent! Her parents offended you, Young Master Liu. Why not have their daughter apologize and serve you to your heart's content?"

"Haha, you're right!"

Although they are of the common people, Young Master Liu, you are of the noble Manchu rank, a darling of heaven and earth.

They offended an important person and deserved to be punished. Making their daughter apologize is already letting them off easy!

The young men laughed and joked, their tone full of arrogance and pride, as if they could decide the life, death, and dignity of others with a single word, enjoying the thrill of controlling the fate of others.

The young man referred to as Young Master Liu was Liu Gongquan, the young master of the Liu family in Huaishan County.

He was dressed in white, holding a folding fan, and looked elegant, but there was a hint of lewdness in his eyes.

Hearing his subordinate's words, he slowly walked up to the girl, bent down, pinched her chin, and forcibly lifted her head.

What came into view was a face streaked with tears.

Though covered in dust, it couldn't hide his delicate features; his youthful face was filled with fear and helplessness, evoking pity in those who saw him.

"Hmm, not bad, she's a lovely little thing."

Liu Gongquan's eyes gleamed green, and a strange innate power flowed around him, transforming into a strong sense of lewdness.

"Alright, all of you form a circle and watch carefully how I, this young master, punish a lowly wretch who dared to offend a nobleman!"

"Don't think that just because you've entered the register of all living beings, you're really a human being!"

Before this nobleman of high rank, you commoners are nothing but lowly playthings!

Liu Gongquan spoke arrogantly, reaching out to pull at his belt as he spoke.

In an instant, a burst of laughter and cheers erupted around them. Not a single onlooker stepped forward to stop them; instead, they showed even more expectant expressions, their eyes filled with filth.

After all, in this Great Xiang Empire, all living beings are ultimately inferior to nobles.

Even though they are nominally human, they are still regarded as lowly people!

They were bullied and ignored by everyone.

The sounds of clothes being torn, Liu Gongquan's arrogant lewd laughter, the girl's desperate cries, and the old couple's heart-wrenching pleas for mercy intertwine to depict the dirtiest and cruelest side of the lower echelons of the Great Xiang Empire.

In the tavern, Chen Yuan and Li Wei's gazes instantly turned cold. The food they had just eaten seemed to lose all flavor in an instant, and an indescribable anger and sorrow welled up in their hearts.

They originally thought that as long as they were registered as sentient beings, they could achieve equality among all sentient beings.

This was said by the High Priest of the Divine Court himself!

But what they saw shattered their illusions.

No matter where you are, the class divide is insurmountable.

Faced with the high and mighty nobles, the people at the bottom of society can only become objects to be preyed upon and manipulated.

Forget about dignity and respectability; they can't even control their own life and death.

This is the tragedy of the lowest of the low, the most powerless despair in this chaotic world.

"When facing someone who is full of signs, one must never look directly into their eyes!"

Otherwise, it would be considered a grave disrespect, punishable by having one's eyes gouged out.

Chen Zhaoning's eyes showed resentment as he said in a low voice, "Furthermore, all those of commoner status and slaves must kneel and prostrate themselves whenever they see a nobleman of Manchu ethnicity or above. Those who disobey will be punished accordingly."

Chen Yuan and Li Wei exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly.

I thought that once humans were included among all living beings, life would be a little easier.

But in the presence of higher classes, they are nothing more than despised by a lowly title.

No wonder the yamen runners watched with indifference, even enjoying the spectacle.

It turns out that it was just the nobles humiliating the common people, even though they had no right to interfere.

Chen Yuan's expression gradually turned cold, and a hint of ferocity appeared in his eyes.

"A-Yuan, what are your plans?"

Li Wei asked in a low voice, his eyes seemingly blazing with fury.

"There are several reasons why we have refrained from taking action. Firstly, these individuals are all nobles of the Manchu ethnic group, and they are surrounded by countless beasts that despise humans!"

Secondly, moreover, this place is located in the heart of Huai Shan County. Once a move is made, all the yamen runners and law enforcement guards in the city will swarm in, and it might even alarm the Wuxiang Sect's Wuxiang cultivators.

Chen Zhaoning spoke softly, analyzing the pros and cons for Chen Yuan.

"I only need one reason to take action."

Chen Yuan grabbed an empty bowl from the table and threw it violently outwards!

Snapped!

A crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out as the empty bowl shattered, scattering shards everywhere, abruptly interrupting the noisy shouting outside the street!

Liu Gongquan, who was about to commit an illicit act in the street, paused for a moment and immediately began to curse loudly in all directions.

"Who? Who dares to ruin my plans? They're tired of living!"

"You scoundrel! My father is Liu Qingyuan of the Liu family, the head of the Wuxiang Sect in Huaishan County!"

"Who threw that bowl? Show yourself if you dare!"

Liu Gongquan's unbridled shouts rang out, and the onlookers were all horrified and fell silent!

Countless onlookers quickly stepped back several paces.

The officials watching from the sidelines changed their expressions drastically, and some of them immediately turned and rushed back to report the news.

Liu Qingyuan's name was renowned throughout Huaishan County, and he wielded immense power.

After all, he was the head of the Wuxiang Sect and a powerful figure at the Huangting Daoist realm.

Immediately, someone pointed to Chen Yuan and his two companions inside the tavern, stating that the bowl was thrown from there.

Liu Gongquan narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning sinister as he looked into the tavern.

His friends and accomplices also looked into the restaurant, revealing amused expressions.

In their view, anyone who could sit down in a tavern and order a table full of fine wine and food must have an extraordinary background.

Inside the tavern, Chen Yuan completely ignored the scrutinizing and almost predatory gazes of the people outside the door, and turned to look at Chen Zhaoning.

He lowered his gaze slightly and continued his previous words:

"Seeing such vile and evil deeds makes me feel uneasy!"

Let's just flip this mess and get to the bottom of it!