Chapter 126: Subjected to Discrimination

On the quiet road outside Wuan City, the sound of galloping hooves rang out, accompanied by intermittent shouts.

"Young Master, please slow down..." Yu Guang shouted with great difficulty, trailing far behind. Having lived a life of luxury for so many years, it had been a long time since he had ridden so recklessly.

Wei Wuji and his men rode ahead, galloping with abandon. The morning sun was brilliant, and the air was filled with the wild, unbridled spirit of youth. Wei Wuji spurred his horse forward, the wind catching the long tassels on his topknot and making them dance.

"Is that the sound of water ahead the Feiyun Stream?" Wei Wuji slowed slightly, turning his head to ask Yu Guang.

Summoning his remaining breath, Yu Guang shouted back, "The Young Master is sharp; that is indeed Feiyun Stream!"

Just as Yu Guang was about to catch up to describe the scenery of the stream, the sound of hooves intensified once more. Riding at full speed, Wei Wuji soon left Yu Guang behind, disappearing from sight.

"Sigh," Yu Guang sighed, then spurred his horse to follow as best he could. However, his mount was not a warhorse like those of Wei Wuji’s party. After such a long ride, the animal was exhausted, and no matter how hard Yu Guang lashed it, it could not pick up speed.

Leaving Yu Guang behind, Wei Wuji and his men rode even more joyfully.

"Dali, how do you feed these horses? Why are they so sluggish?" Wei Wuji asked, glaring at Zheng Dali beside him.

"Young Master, this horse is running perfectly fine, how can you call it sluggish?" Zheng Dali thought to himself in frustration, wondering why everything always ended up being his fault. In truth, the current speed was, in his opinion, already quite exceptional—far from the sluggishness Wei Wuji complained about.

Wei Wuji paid no mind to the retort. He was in a mood for pure indulgence and simply wanted someone to pick on. Naturally, Zheng Dali was the perfect target.

"Perfectly fine? Then why are we still here? At my original pace, we should have arrived long ago..."

"Young Master..."

"Don't talk back! If it weren't for your innate laziness, we would have..."

Ignoring Zheng Dali’s attempts to interject, Wei Wuji continued his lecture, leaving the other guards stunned.

As they rode on, the scenery was indeed as beautiful as Yu Guang had described, eventually calming even Wei Wuji’s restless spirit. He slowed his horse, the thundering hooves suddenly feeling jarringly intrusive in such a place, giving him a strange sense of guilt.

"Truly a land of beautiful mountains and clear waters!" Wei Wuji searched his mind for a better description but could only come up with that, feeling quite ashamed.

However, Zheng Dali’s response restored his confidence.

"Aye! Young Master, it’s damn beautiful!" Zheng Dali bellowed in his coarse voice, immediately resorting to profanity.

Seeing the look of disdain on the Young Master's face, Zheng Dali’s smile vanished; the memory of his recent scolding was still fresh.

Before long, Wei Wuji spotted pavilions and towers hidden amidst the mountain forests. Shrouded in mist, the architecture took on an ethereal, immortal quality.

"Hurry, hurry! Pick up the pace! Let’s go soak up some of that spiritual energy!" Wei Wuji was eager, his curiosity piqued.

But when they reached the entrance, they encountered trouble.

The guards patrolling the entrance spotted them approaching. A sub-leader barked, "Halt! Who goes there?"

Seeing the party did not slow down, the guards were instantly on alert. At their commander's order, thirty or forty guards drew their swords, eyes locked on the approaching riders. Today, the gathering at the Xiangling Hall was attended by children of the great clans—virtually every young master in Wuan City was present—and security could not be taken lightly. Given Wei Wuji’s reckless charge and refusal to answer the initial challenge, the guards were ready for a fight.

Seeing the standoff as he approached, Wei Wuji finally signaled his men to slow down.

"Who are you, and what is your business here?" a guard captain demanded sternly as they drew near.

Before Wei Wuji could speak, Zheng Dali stepped in. "My master is a Young Master of the Great Wei. Step aside!"

"A Young Master..." the captain murmured, his tone dropping from its initial arrogance. "So it is a Young Master... May I ask, do you have... an invitation?"

It wasn't that the captain was looking for trouble; it was simply that the man on the horse looked nothing like a typical nobleman. Furthermore, having served here for a long time, he was familiar with all the usual guests, and there was no such person as Wei Wuji among them.

The question of the invitation stumped Wei Wuji. He had none; he had expected Yu Guang to lead the way.

"Our invitation is still with someone trailing behind. We shall wait here a moment until it arrives," Wei Wuji said with a dry laugh, hoping Yu Guang would arrive soon.

To the captain, however, this was an old story. It was clearly another case of someone trying to sneak into the Xiangling Hall by waiting for an opportunity. The captain despised such social climbers.

"Young Master, this is not a place for idle people. I suggest you leave at once," the captain said coldly. Their only instruction for such people was to drive them away.

"Who do you think you are, showing such disrespect to my master!" Zheng Dali, already irritable from being scolded by Wei Wuji earlier, seized the chance to vent his frustration.

The captain was unfazed by Zheng Dali’s bluster; he even seemed eager for a fight. "If you continue to be insolent, do not blame me for being ruthless," he said, his expression darkening.

*Heh... my temper!* Zheng Dali started to roll up his sleeves, ready to thrash the bastard, but before he could dismount, the captain spoke again. "I advise you all to leave. Impersonating a Young Master of the Imperial Court is a capital offense..."

Hearing this, Wei Wuji realized that an invitation wasn't the only requirement for entry. But being questioned about his identity was something he could not tolerate. He held Zheng Dali back and said, "They don't believe our identity. Show them something that proves it."

Zheng Dali looked blank. He had nothing to prove their identity—he couldn't exactly pull out a guard's badge! "Young Master... we really don't have anything..." he whispered, fearing further provocation.

As expected, Wei Wuji’s face darkened, his gaze turning sharp. "What have you been doing all day? Why aren't you carrying the seal or any credentials?" He launched into another lecture, leaving poor Zheng Dali looking utterly aggrieved.

On the other side, the captain was losing patience. If this scene dragged on and disturbed the guests inside, he would be the one to suffer. "Take your quarrel elsewhere! If you disturb the peace of the gentlemen inside, you won't be able to leave at all!"

Wei Wuji didn't care; in fact, he hoped to disturb someone important enough to recognize him. Seeing himself ignored, the captain felt humiliated in front of his subordinates, his face flushing with anger. "If you don't leave now, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Fine!" Zheng Dali finally turned to him. "If you continue to be impolite, don't blame us for being impolite." As he spoke, his hidden aura flared, momentarily startling the guards.

"Insolent fool! You are the one being rude, yet you dare threaten us? You deserve to die!" The captain turned to his men and shouted, "Go! Seize that ugly wretch!"

Wei Wuji heard the command clearly. "Dali, it’s been a while since we stretched our limbs. Are you still up for it?" He was here to cause trouble, and since they were offering it on a silver platter, he might as well begin.

"Don't worry, Young Master. Taking care of these weeds is nothing," Zheng Dali said lightly, though Wei Wuji could see the tension in his eyes.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, a clear, beautiful female voice rang out from nearby:

"Wait."