Chapter 539: The Evening Ball
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Sun Sieha and Ye Chong presented themselves at the back door of the Prince's mansion, Prince Desnio and his two companions were already there waiting.
Sun Sieha looked at the three of them with their heads bowed low, and nodded, "No need to announce us." The three of them nodded in an understanding. When they saw the cold man standing beside their King, the three of them felt unsettled.
"This is … Erm … Master Ye Chong. He's a master weaponsmith, and a close combat expert," Sun Sieha briefly introduced Ye Chong.
The three of them realized then that the man was an excellent weaponsmith. No wonder the King treated him well. They ignored the part about him being a close combat expert. There were no Masters in close range combat anyway. The King was probably just being nice to the man.
Sun Sieha turned to Ye Chong and introduced their audience, "This is Prince Desnio, my uncle. This is Duke Warren, Home Secretary. Hmm, you can contact him if you need anything."
Duke Warren laughed and said, "Anything you need, Master Ye, just drop me a message." He was not a fool. If the King made this offer to the man, he must be a very important man to the King. It was only appropriate to curry his favour, or at least be on good terms with the man.
"This is Ming Diao, Legate of the 1st Legion," Sun Sieha pointed at Ming Xiao and said. Ming Xiao nodded at Ye Chong with a smile.
"This is the most exclusive evening ball in Eastern Cloud, where nobles and aristocrats liked to congregate. Hehe, of course, there are also many beautiful ladies. Getting to know nobles will be beneficial for you."
"I see," Ye Chong nodded and turned to leave.
When Duke Warren and the other two men saw Ye Chong, they knew instantly who he was. They thought it strange, the way His Majesty spoke to that man. A popular rumour sprang to their minds – that the young man was actually the King's illegitimate son. They all knew how strict the King was. He rarely spoke to anyone with such cordiality.
Nevertheless, they dismissed the thought immediately. Prince Desnio, as the host, took care of his guests. He quickly asked the man, "Do you need a servant to show you the way?"
"No," Ye Chong replied crisply, not mincing words.
Sun Sieha flashed a mysterious smile, but quickly reverted to his royal solemnity and said to the other three men, "All of you, meet me in the study." He then led the way himself, having been familiar with place due to his long stay with the Prince when he was younger.
Duke Warren, Ming Xiao and the Prince understood that the King had matters to discuss with them, and quickly followed him.
Ye Chong went the evening ball alone. This was a freeform function. Aside from invitation card, everything else about the evening ball was not restricted in any form. Dainty dishes and excellent liquor were served in every corner of the function room. There were also some quieter corners with plush sofas and tasty finger food, more suitable for conversation. At the centre of the room was an empty clearing, which served as the dance floor.
Ye Chong had attended events like this with the Shang Family. That experience was not particularly a pleasant one, but unlike last time, Ye Chong at least knew how to conduct himself this time.
Ye Chong took a glass of wine from one of the waiters and headed towards a quiet spot in the ballroom.
The truth was, Ye Chong had no idea what the plan was for today. However, since Sun Sieha had actually went to his place, he decided to go along with his plan. Ye Chong did not understand Sun Sieha, but he knew that the man was not one to do anything unnecessary.
There were a few people sitting in the corner where he was. They were mostly talking in a low voice, but with Ye Chong's excellent hearing, he could hear exactly what they were saying. Some of the noble ladies had their pet dogs in their laps as they sat around in a circle, chatting about minor affairs.
Suddenly, Ye Chong noticed someone approaching him.
A young man with a glass of red wine in hand approached Ye Chong, seated on his sofa, and greeted him, "Hey, man, are you bored, sitting alone by yourself? Haha, I'm feeling bored too. I don't know why these people all look so excited, don't they get tired too?"
This young man was obviously from one of the noble families. His skin was fair and smooth, and his demeanour was friendly and inviting. He sat down naturally beside Ye Chong and sighed comfortably.
"Hah, I still don't know your name. Mine's Yise," the young man spoke warmly to Ye Chong.
"Ye Chong," Ye Chong replied succinctly.
Suddenly, Yise nodded towards the dance floor and asked, "Say, Brother Ye, what do you think of that lady in the centre of the dance floor?"
Ye Chong followed Yise's direction and saw a beautiful woman dancing joyfully at the centre. The woman had long, flowing hair down her back. She had charming eyes and an innocent smile. A white dress wrapped tightly around her thin waist, and flowed downward and out like a flower. Even Ye Chong, who did not appreciate aesthetics, could see that she stood out from the crowd.
Nevertheless, Ye Chong was not interested in the topic. He looked away and said, "She looks alright."
"Oh, my goodness! That's Miss Man'er – Su City's number one beauty, Shu Man'er. She's the goddess to many of our young elite men! If you're not interested in her, could it be …" Yise gave Ye Chong an odd look.
Shu Man'er. The name reminded Ye Chong of Shu Mo'er. Perhaps they were related. Ye Chong turned back to look at her, but could not quite decide on the matter.
"Haha, brother, now you see her! You said she's just alright, but look at you now! Hehe, your eyes betrayed your thoughts. I know that look in you. Of all the people in Su City, 80 percent of them will look like that when they saw Shu Man'er. Of the other 20 percent, 10 are women," Yise said, pleased with himself.
"What of the last 10?" Ye Chong got interested at that.
"They're blind," Yise declared.
Ye Chong suddenly had an idea, and began to study Yise. He was surprised to the find man's build suitable for combat. His figure was well balanced; his bones were strong and thick; his movements were coordinated. However, one look at his smooth skin and Ye Chong and could tell that the young man had never suffered in any way.
"What're you looking at me like that for? Let me tell you, I'm not interested in men," Yise said with an odd tone.
Ye Chong turned away.
Suddenly, the dance floor erupted into chaos. Ye Chong heard a barking sound coming from there. Everyone in the ballroom turned to look.
When the barking sounds began, Yise looked shocked, "D*mmit! Which b*stard brought a snowhound in here? This is going to be very dangerous!"
"Snowhound? What's that?" Ye Chong asked.
Yise replied anxiously, "It's not a thing, but a species of wild animal. They're small, like a dog, all furry and adorable. But if it suddenly goes mad, things go south very fast. The animals are quick and aggressive. Someone probably thought it's just a cute pet."
"I see."
"We're in trouble now. They don't allow weapons in here. All the guards are outside," Yise looked panicked.
Suddenly, the barking sound got slower and slower to Ye Chong. Yise paled. He saw the mad snowhound now, and it was heading straight towards them.
Ye Chong saw the animal too. It was no larger than the small pet dogs that the noble ladies had on their laps. It's body was covered with thick fur, which made it look a snowball, but its eyes were now red. The adorable little mouth was now salivating menacingly.
Ye Chong's eyes turned cold. He had his fair share of dealing with wild animals, and this one was definitely classified as a threat.
The four limbs hidden underneath the animal's thick fur were powerful. The snowhound moved too quickly to be captured. It had already bit into the throats of three servants now.
"No no no –" Yise was trembling all over.
Ye Chong picked up a butter knife from the table. As Yise watched with hopeless eyes, the butter knife slipped through his fingers and shot out.
Swish! Crack! Both sounds were heard almost simultaneously.
The snowhound was pinned down on the floor by the butter knife. The knife had entered at its throat. Blood spluttered out along the knife. The glow in the animal's red eyes gradually faded. Its four limbs struggled in vain as it gurgled through the blood in its throat.
Everyone was shocked by this sudden turn of events. Many of them looked at the now innocent and adorable snowhound with pity. Some of the noble ladies even tossed a look of hatred towards Ye Chong. No one bothered with the three dead servants, who were now being removed quietly by the other servants from the ballroom.
"Thank goodness you struck out so quickly! Brother, you saved my life! By the way, that attack was way too cool, can you teach me?" Having survived the danger, Yise was now getting excited.
"Snowy!" A lady's voice cried out with grief.
The young lady approached the snowhound, stuck to the floor. Tears sprang out from her eyes. She crouched on the floor, caressing the now lifeless snowhound and began to sob.
Ye Chong recognized her as Shu Man'er, the lady who was at the centre of the dance floor.
A few energetic young men soon appeared beside Shu Man'er. They were enraged what caused Shu Man'er to cry so pitifully.
"Which m*therf*cker did this? Come the f*ck out!" the young man yelled to the crowd.
"Han, how many times have I told you, we nobles should curse! I'll forgive you this time though. Humph, some fool is feeling very daring tonight," a young man with pointy eyes said in an androgynous voice.
Both of them flanked a handsome young man whose charisma shined like the sun. This young man had a solid, angular face, like it was carved out or marble. He had an air of authority about him. The young man looked around at the crowd. As the other people quickly lowered their gaze, the young man finally found his eyes on Ye Chong.
Of all the people around him, Ye Chong was the only who held his gaze.
"Did you do it?" the young man asked slowly but confidently.
Ye Chong nodded, "Yes."
Standing beside Ye Chong, Yise panicked and whispered to Ye Chong, "That's the son of the 2nd Legion's Legate. His name's George. A young man, but already a Level 6 shooter. He's always been interested in Miss Shu Man'er, and the most likely candidate to become Shu Man'er husband. However, according to my sources, Miss Shu Man'er did not seem interested in him."
"The dog is Man'er's beloved pet, why did you kill it?" George asked firmly.
"A dog? That's a snowhound!" Yise could not help but spoke up from beside Ye Chong.
George flashed him a sharp look, and Yise quickly shut up.
"As long as you apologize to Miss Man'er, I'll let the matter go. What do you say?" George looked at Ye Chong.
Yise did not expect the situation to be so easily resolved. He was overjoyed and was about to agree with the young man when Ye Chong gave a reply that made his heart sank.
"No," Ye Chong replied firmly.
George and his two companions looked surprised. The two friends of his were about to throw insults when George lifted his hand to silence them. He asked lowly, "Will you not give face?"
Ye Chong looked at George with cold eyes. He could not understand why the man's logic was so bad. He had only acted as protector, so why should he apologize to the lady?
Just then, Shu Man'er, who had been sobbing all the while, stood up abruptly with tears all over her face and approached Ye Chong. She bowed down gracefully and said, "Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't know that Snowy was a snowhound. I'm really sorry for terrifying you."
Shu Man'er apology was like a slap to George's face. George's expression looked terrible right now. He did not think that Shu Man'er would make it so awkward for him.
His eyes flashed ruthlessly as he said, "So it's just me who wants this after all, I understand! However, I cannot let things stand as they are. I request for a duel with this man!"
The crowd burst into an uproar upon his announcement.
"George, are you crazy? This is between you and me, don't get anyone else involved. This is not his fault. I didn't know that Snowy was a snowhound, and that led to this terrible mistake. I'm the one to blame!" Shu Man'er said in a panic, and shot an apologetic look at Ye Chong.
Ye Chong thought it strange. Why would his opponent waste time with words? He should have just acted, like he was about to do now.
Ye Chong closed the gap between him and George so quickly that the crowd only saw him when he appeared before the other man.
Georged looked startled and was about to react when he felt a tight grip on his throat. His feet left the ground.
Ye Chong held onto George's throat and lifted him up easily.
The entire ballroom went silent immediately. Everyone looked at Ye Chong with horror. George was the son of the 2nd Legion's Legate! Was he suicidal? As for the combat experts amongst them, they were shocked because Ye Chong had moved so quickly!
Was this the limit of human speed?
At the moment, the entire ballroom was dead silent.
Splash! Crash! The guests dropped their glasses. The crowd panicked again, knocking down tables and chairs and cutlery and even other people.
"Let him go! Don't hurt the man!"
"Do you want to die? How dare you do something like this?"
"Young man, think carefully about this. Don't do anything stupid. You have to think about the consequences, think about your family …"
…
"What's going on?" Prince Desnio's low voice managed to silence the crowd once again.
The guests saw the man standing behind the Prince and were all startled. They quickly bowed and greeted, "Your Majesty!" When did the King arrive? Some of them immediately thought of the young man who started this whole incident.
Suddenly, everyone was down on their knees, leaving only Ye Chong holding onto George's throat.
"What happened? Isn't that Aliz's son?" Sun Sieha saw Ye Chong lifting George off the ground and asked incredulously.
"He asked for a duel," Ye Chong briefly explained the situation.
George, that idiot! Sun Sieha cursed the troublesome man inside. Had it been anyone else, he would have just let the matter slide, but this was the son of the 2nd Legion's Legate.
"He's no match for you," Sun Sieha said with a smile, "Just let him go. Don't mind his antics."
The guests were surprised by their King's words. They all knew that His Majesty was a Level 8 shooter. If even His Majesty thought that George was no match against the young man, then the latter must be very strong indeed! On the other hand, the King had sided with the young man immediately without asking for details of the incident. This implied that the young man was greatly favoured. Who in the world was this young man?
"Switch," Ye Chong said, and held out five fingers. Ye Chong was not impressed with Sun Sieha. He had attended this evening ball without understanding why, and now he had to deal with this nonsense.
Sun Sieha could see that Ye Chong was not happy. He looked at the five outstretched fingers and felt helpless and pained, but still he nodded, "Alright." Inside, he cursed Aliz again for having that useless son. He will get the money from Aliz to settle this.
None of the guests understood the exchange between Ye Chong and Sun Sieha. Only Duke Warren had a glimpse of the story behind it. He lowered his head and felt deeply unsettled.