Chapter 96: A Beast in Human Clothing

On the bustling street, Shen Chen held Dantai Wannings hand and weaved through the crowd.

Today was the "Qingyuan Festival" in Qingyuan County, and the street was exceptionally lively. However, with Shen Chen leading the way, the young girl was not jostled by the crowd. They soon arrived at a wide stone bridge.

"Really beautiful..."

Standing by the stone bridge railing, Dantai Wanning gazed at the lanterns floating on the river below. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, reflecting the flickering flames like countless stars. Her long eyelashes trembled gently in the evening breeze, making her look like a celestial being admiring the beauty of the mortal world.

The young girl's exquisite beauty even made Shen Chen a bit dazed, his mind momentarily lost. No wonder this girl always covered her face with a light veil; such a beautiful face was indeed too much for ordinary men to bear...

As his mind wandered, Shen Chen also looked out over the Qingyuan River. The river was long and winding, stretching far into the distance. It was about ten to twenty feet wide, and now, lanterns were floating on the water, their lights reflecting in the dark river, creating a rare and beautiful scene!

In such a beautiful moment, with a beautiful companion, even a rascal like Shen Chen became more composed. He stood quietly behind the girl, a faint smile on his face, and his mood relaxed.

As time passed, the night grew deeper, and more lanterns appeared on the river. A clean, silver moon hung high in the sky, its reflection shimmering in the clear, dark water, complementing the red glow of the lanterns, making the scene even more beautiful.

Moved by the scene, Shen Chen couldn't help but recall the past when he had pulled the girl to a lantern festival in Mocheng, causing a commotion at the Man Yue Tower. Back then, he was ignorant and had mediocre cultivation, yet he had turned the most famous place in Mocheng, where many talented people gathered, into chaos. Many young people in Mocheng were very angry with him, and even the ladies and young misses regarded him as a rascal, a spoiler of the scene. Eventually, they were very embarrassed and were driven out of the Man Yue Tower.

Thinking about it now, it seemed like a different world. The once innocent little follower had now grown into a graceful young woman, her every smile and frown exuding a transcendent charm, making her seem like a celestial being...

"Hehe, if you like the lanterns so much, how about I go down and fetch one for you?"

In a daze, Shen Chen's former impulsiveness surged again. He laughed and, without caring about the reactions of the people around him, leaped off the high bridge like a fish, touched the water with his toes, and flew back with a lantern in his hand.

The lantern was made of colorful paper, clearly crafted by a skillful young woman. It had been particularly eye-catching on the river, like a lotus flower, and many people had applauded it.

But now, the object of their admiration had been scooped up by an unromantic guy and presented to the girl. Such a spoiling act naturally drew a chorus of curses. The people on the bridge all looked at him with disdain, calling him shameless!

"Where did this guy come from? Doesn't he know that once a lantern falls into the water, it's a desecration to scoop it up?"

"Too shameless! He must be a bumpkin from outside, to do such a thing that offends both gods and humans!"

"Look, he's even giving the lantern to a young lady. Damn, he's a real rogue..."

Not only were the people on the bridge furious, but even those on the riverbanks were shouting. The lantern was intricately made, with gold thread and jade, and even the lamp oil contained high-quality fragrance, clearly the work of a noble lady from Qingyuan County.

People had been discussing whose creation it was, but now, a spoiling rogue had appeared, how could they not be angry?

"Brother Shen Chen, you..." Amid the curses, Dantai Wanning's face turned red, feeling both angry and amused, but also a bit warm in her heart.

"Do you want it or not? If you want it, take it quickly; if not, I'll throw it back!" Shen Chen rolled his eyes, acting as if he didn't care, completely ignoring the curses around him.

Clearly, this kind of troublemaking was something he had done many times in Mocheng, and now he was just repeating it...

"Brother Shen Chen, thank you..." Dantai Wanning took the lantern, which was still dripping with water, and whispered, her face turning even redder, the thin veil on her face looking like it had been powdered, white with a hint of red.

At that moment, the girl's heart was racing. At her age, there was undoubtedly a rebellious sprout in her heart. Seeing Shen Chen do such a shocking act in front of everyone, she was not angry but delighted, like drinking honey, her eyes sparkling with light, as if a celestial being had suddenly fallen into the mortal world, beautiful beyond measure.

"Hehe, this young man is indeed charming. In such a beautiful scene, he still manages to win the lady's heart. I, Liu Qi, am truly impressed!"

But at that moment, an out-of-place laugh suddenly came from one end of the bridge, breaking the girl's mood and making Shen Chen's face slightly unpleasant.

They both turned to look, and saw a man in white, accompanied by several attendants, walking towards them. He held a fan with calligraphy and paintings, swaying it like a scholar.

That man... was none other than Liu Qi, who had appeared at the county office earlier!

The crowd quickly made way for Liu Qi, their eyes filled with respect. The young ladies on the riverbanks were even more excited, losing their previous restraint.

"That's Master Liu Qi... He's here too..."

"In such a beautiful night, Master Liu Qi naturally would come. But walking alone in the crowd, he seems a bit lonely. It would be better if he had a beautiful companion..."

"I heard Master Liu Qi is still unmarried. I wonder what kind of graceful lady could match him. I'm really looking forward to it..."

It had to be said that Liu Qi's appearance was very attractive to girls. Some girls, who thought they were quite beautiful, were not shy about speaking out, whispering words they usually wouldn't dare to say, hoping to catch the attention of the county magistrate's son.

Moreover, Liu Qi was already more famous in Qingyuan County than his father, Liu Hong, and was already the object of many girls' admiration. His appearance instantly made him the focus of the stone bridge.

Even the people on the riverbanks soon turned their attention to him, and the shameless Shen Chen, who had just caused a commotion, was ignored.

Standing by the railing, Shen Chen and Dantai Wanning both spat lightly at the approaching white-clad man.

"Putting on airs!" Shen Chen sneered.

But the girl was even more direct, her brows furrowed with anger, and she gritted her teeth, cursing, "A beast in human clothing!"

Such a description made even Shen Chen, who had no good feelings for the guy, a bit speechless. He didn't expect the girl to be so resentful, her eyes not tolerating any sand. After just two encounters, she had already labeled him as a beast in human clothing. For a moment, Shen Chen felt a bit sympathetic for the "elegant" young master, and couldn't help but sigh: "Women's hearts are as deep as the sea, the ancients were not wrong!"

"Brother Shen Chen, let's go, don't pay attention to him!" This time, the girl took the initiative to come over, holding Shen Chen's hand, her anger not yet subsided, as if she didn't want to stay a moment longer.

Shen Chen, seeing this, smiled and shrugged, following Dantai Wanning.

Actually, the girl was so angry for a reason. Just now, Shen Chen had handed her the colorful lantern in front of everyone, and in her mind, there should have been more to come. She thought her "Brother Shen Chen" might have something to say, making her heart race and her face blush, and she had a small hope in her heart...

But who would have thought that the appearance of that despicable guy would instantly shatter her hope!

Even Dantai Wanning herself didn't realize that she had never been this angry before. In just over an hour, she had been so angry that she wanted to draw her sword and kill someone, as if someone had taken her precious treasure...

At the other end of the bridge, seeing them about to leave without a word, Liu Qi's eyes narrowed, a trace of anger appearing in his eyes. In Qingyuan County, there was no one else who dared to treat him like this!

However, in front of so many people, Liu Qi, as the leader of the law enforcement team, didn't want to lose his composure. He coldly ordered, "Let's go, follow them!" and quickly led his attendants to catch up.

"Master, since that girl is so disrespectful, why don't we follow them and see where they live? We can find some good hands and take her at night, and present her to you. As for that boy, hehe, just kill him..."

On the way, the attendants behind Liu Qi all had unfriendly expressions. The attendant who had helped Liu Qi find Shen Chen and Dantai Wanning earlier was particularly ruthless, coldly suggesting a plan to Liu Qi.

"Hehe, Jin Biao, you don't understand. Conquering a woman is much more enjoyable than forcing her. That little girl is only thirteen or fourteen, and I've never failed with such a young girl. Hahaha..." Liu Qi waved his fan, the lust in his eyes growing stronger.

...

"Hum! Indeed a beast in human clothing. We ignored him, but he's still following us like a ghost!"

On the bustling street, Shen Chen and Dantai Wanning soon realized they were being followed. Before Shen Chen could say anything, Dantai Wanning huffed angrily.

"Hehe, just a bunch of clowns. With your status, why should you care about them?" Shen Chen smiled faintly, but his smile was slightly cold. He had already guessed Liu Qi's intentions. On the bridge, he had seen the greedy look in Liu Qi's eyes when he looked at the girl. With his experience from two lifetimes, how could he not know what Liu Qi was planning?

For some reason, when he felt someone looking at the girl with such greed, a strong urge to kill surged in Shen Chen's heart. It was like an instinct, and even Shen Chen himself didn't realize how overreactive he was, after all, strictly speaking, Liu Qi had no real conflict with him...

"Yes, they are just a bunch of clowns, but they shouldn't... they shouldn't..." On the other side, Dantai Wanning was still sulking, pouting and muttering to herself. But halfway through her words, she seemed to realize something and stopped.

"What shouldn't they do?" Shen Chen looked puzzled, his ears very sharp.

"Nothing, nothing..." Dantai Wanning's face turned