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On the bustling street, Meng Yiran pointed at the handkerchief in Ning Rongrong's hand and sneered, "Boss, what do you mean? I clearly saw this handkerchief first. Why are you letting her have it?"
The shopkeeper was a perceptive man. The pendant hanging from Ning Rongrong's waist was the emblem of a disciple from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and her elegant attire clearly marked her as the offspring of a high-ranking member of the sect.
Meng Yiran was the cherished gem of the Long She Family and acted like a little tyrant in Balak City—no one dared to offend her.
Though the saying went that even the strongest dragon wouldn't suppress the local snake, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had grown so powerful that, aside from the Spirit Hall, no other force on the continent could stand against them without backing down.
When gods fight, the mortals suffer.
Realizing this, the shopkeeper decided to play dumb and wait for the two women to resolve their argument before collecting payment for the item.
"Hey, hey, hey! What do you mean? I'm the one who paid first!" Ning Rongrong tucked the handkerchief behind her back and sneered.
Meng Yiran crossed her arms over her chest and coldly laughed. "This boss hasn't accepted your money yet, has he? So why don't you hand it over? Are you trying to force a purchase here?"
"No matter who you are, this is the Balak Kingdom. Breaking the law will result in punishment."
Ning Rongrong placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "Hoho, I'll just stand right here. Let's see if Balak Kingdom's law enforcement dares to arrest me."
This wasn't Ning Rongrong throwing her weight around.
She hadn't broken any laws. Even if she were an ordinary villager, the Balak Kingdom's law enforcement couldn't arrest her—let alone the young miss of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
In the crowd of onlookers, Ning Tianchen finally pushed his way to the front.
Well, looks like he didn't need to search anymore—Ning Rongrong was right here.
Seeing Ning Rongrong's indignant expression, he couldn't help but chuckle. Though he didn't know the full details of what had happened, her puffed-up demeanor looked incredibly cute in his eyes.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ning Rongrong caught sight of Ning Tianchen watching the commotion. At first, she wasn't sure, but after another glance, she confirmed it was him.
Before she could say anything, the gawking crowd, eager for more drama, shouted, "Aren't you both soul masters? Why not settle this with a duel?"
Meng Yiran, of course, didn't object. Smiling, she said, "Little sister, don't blame me for bullying you. You can choose anyone to fight on your behalf."
Ning Rongrong's face flushed red, and she angrily retorted, "I'm an auxiliary-type soul master!"
As things were spiraling out of control, Ning Tianchen quickly stepped forward.
He knew that these two were the prized daughters of their respective factions. If they actually came to blows, it might spark a war between the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Long She Family. Many lives would be lost in such a conflict.
"Rongrong, what exactly happened?"
"Tianchen big brother!" Ning Rongrong tearfully walked behind him and recounted the events.
She didn't exaggerate, and her version of events was acknowledged by Meng Yiran as well.
"Little brother, are you planning to stand up for this little sister? I wonder if you have the strength to back it up." Meng Yiran chuckled lightly, her snake staff martial soul materializing in her hand.
Ning Tianchen had no intention of fighting her.
Not only was this a crowded marketplace, but Balak City was also the territory of the Long She Family. Engaging in a fight here would bring him no benefits.
"Lady, since you don't object to Rongrong's account, it proves that the events unfolded as she described."
Meng Yiran nodded. "Correct, I did see this handkerchief first."
Ning Tianchen smiled faintly and turned to the crowd. "Everyone, when you buy something, doesn't the item belong to you only after you've paid for it?"
The onlookers chimed in agreement. "That's right! Only after paying does the item become yours."
With this statement, Ning Tianchen turned his gaze to Meng Yiran. "Lady, you just admitted that you merely saw this handkerchief. Meanwhile, Rongrong has already paid the shopkeeper."
"Whether by the rules of trade or the laws of the empire, this handkerchief now belongs to Rongrong. Can we interpret your actions as attempting to seize it by force?"
Meng Yiran, still fuming, lacked Ning Tianchen's calm reasoning. She angrily retorted, "But this shopkeeper didn't accept her money!"
Ning Tianchen countered, "However, the shopkeeper also didn't refuse the sale or return the money. Therefore, the transaction is complete, and the handkerchief belongs to Rongrong."
"If you're too slow, you lose—understand?"
With his clever argument, Ning Rongrong immediately felt emboldened and raised her head to look at Meng Yiran.
Ning Tianchen had taken the moral high ground, and the crowd agreed with his reasoning. Even though Meng Yiran was unwilling, she had no choice but to swallow her frustration.
Unable to bear the jeers of the bystanders, she huffed and stormed off.
Ning Tianchen bowed slightly to the onlookers. "Everyone, please disperse."
"Tianchen big brother is amazing! That nasty woman was no match for you at all," Ning Rongrong said, clinging to his arm with a grin.
In truth, she didn't care much about the handkerchief—it was more about standing up to the other girl's arrogance.
Meng Yiran had indeed seen the handkerchief first, but she had deliberately nitpicked the shopkeeper to haggle. Ning Rongrong's actions were partly to defend the shopkeeper.
"You did well, but don't do this again," Ning Tianchen said with a sigh.
Ning Rongrong shrugged it off. Seeing him arrive, especially at such a critical moment to save her, filled her with joy. "Big brother Tianchen, I thought you weren't coming. I've been worrying myself sick."
Ignoring her chatter, Ning Tianchen quickly asked, "Rongrong, do you have all your belongings with you?"
Unaware of the gravity of the situation, Ning Rongrong giggled and replied, "Daddy always told me that when I'm in an unfamiliar place, anything I can store in my soul-guidance device should never be left in the room."
She proudly tapped her soul-guidance ring.
Ning Tianchen countered, "Do you know why Uncle Ning told you that?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head, puzzled.
Ning Tianchen explained, "Keeping everything on you allows for a quick escape. Otherwise, you'd have to go back and pack, which would delay your departure."
"What does that have to do with us?"
"Rongrong, do you really not know who she is? She's the young miss of the Long She Family. We just publicly 'humiliated' her in front of all those people. Do you think she'll let it slide and not send someone to teach us a lesson?"
Ning Rongrong dismissed it. "So what if she's from the Long She Family? Are they a match for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Ning Tianchen reminded her, "Don't forget, we ran away secretly. There are no sect disciples with us. If we're killed, no one in the sect will know who did it."
Ning Rongrong immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and hurriedly pulled Ning Tianchen toward the city gates.
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