Before Ning Chen could say anything, three men came in through the door.

The one in front was a young gentleman in fine brocade, his face flushed scarlet with drink, the smell of it all over him, his feet unsteady.

Two men in short working clothes came behind him. Household men, by the look of them.

“Where do you think you’re running? Little miss, come back with me… This young master will see you eat well and drink better.”

He came toward Ning Chen with a leer on his face.

“Sir, save me. Help me, I’m begging you.”

She was shaking all over, weeping so that it hurt to look at her, clutching at Ning Chen like the last straw there was.

Ning Chen looked at Xuan Hong. Xuan Hong’s brows had drawn together and he did not look pleased.

“Little miss, come here now, come back with me… Serve this young master well enough and there’ll be plenty in it for you.”

The wine was on his breath as he said it, and his face was pure lechery.

The woman pleaded with him bitterly. “Sir, I beg you, let me go. I am already betrothed… I beg you to spare me.”

“Betrothed, so what? Break it off… Who dares refuse a woman this young master has taken a liking to?”

“Come along quietly… Otherwise one word from this young master and by tomorrow your parents and every brother and sister you have will be in a cell.”

He said it and grabbed for her, meaning to drag her over.

Ning Chen stood up and put himself between them.

The man looked sideways at him. “Where did this worthless thing come from, standing in this young master’s way? Do you want to die?”

Ning Chen put on a smile. “Sir, why make trouble for a girl? Why not sit down and have a cup instead? If it’s a woman you want, I’ll take you to a pleasure house afterward. Take your pick of the girls there. How’s that?”

“And what are you? Playing the hero for a pretty face? Do you know who I am?”

One of the household men took it up, swaggering. “Boy. Our young master’s rank is far above anything the likes of you can afford to offend… Take some advice. If you don’t want to die, get out of the way.”

Ning Chen’s face darkened. Just then Xuan Hong came over and said quietly in his ear, “Lan Xing. Leave this alone. This is not a man we can afford to provoke.”

That startled him. Xuan Hong was a young prince. Even he couldn’t afford to provoke the man?

“Who is he?”

Xuan Hong lowered his voice. “He is the Fifth Prince.”

Something contracted hard behind Ning Chen’s eyes. That rank was frightening enough.

“He behaves like this and His Majesty does nothing about it?”

Xuan Hong explained under his breath. “Who would dare? Even if it were carried to His Majesty, the most that comes of it is a reprimand… And afterward the Fifth Prince takes his revenge, and nobody can stand up under that.”

“Lan Xing, listen to me… Leave it. Neither of us can afford him.”

“Offending the Fifth Prince over a woman who is nothing to you is not worth it.”

Ning Chen’s face was dark and he said nothing.

He could not, in fact, afford to offend the Fifth Prince.

“Young Master Xuan, I know your own rank is high… Could you not help this girl?”

Xuan Hong shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve met the Fifth Prince a handful of times. I could hardly say I know him… I can’t help her.”

Ning Chen’s face stayed dark. You can’t help her? No. You don’t want to offend the Fifth Prince.

“Someone. Take her away.”

The Fifth Prince said it with the leer still on him.

His two men stepped up, took the woman by the arms, and pulled her toward the door.

She was slight and soft and no match at all for two big men. They dragged her along bodily.

“Sir, save me. Sir, please help me, please…”

She was looking at Ning Chen the whole time she begged.

Xuan Hong said it again. “Lan Xing. Don’t do anything rash. This is beyond us… It would cost the Fifth Prince nothing at all to destroy the pair of us.”

In the end she was pulled out through the door.

Xuan Hong said, “Lan Xing. Go on eating… Let’s say nothing happened.”

“The woman is no relation of ours and no friend of ours. There’s no reason to throw yourself in after her.”

Ning Chen’s face was livid and he said nothing.

The look in her eyes as they dragged her out kept flashing in his head.

Then he let out a long breath, like a man who had settled something.

“Young Master Xuan, take your time. I’ve eaten enough. Good day.”

He said it and walked out with long strides.

On his way down the stairs he pulled a rag off a waiter’s shoulder in passing and had it over his face in a second.

“Urgh—”

The rag stank so fucking badly that Ning Chen nearly threw up.

He had no attention to spare for it. He came off the stairs and went straight for the entrance.

A gorgeous carriage stood at the door of the Heavenly Blessing Tower.

The Fifth Prince’s two men were forcing the woman toward it.

“Hey. Hold on.”

The Fifth Prince turned without thinking to look.

Ning Chen came at a dead sprint and drove an elbow into the center of his chest.

The old classical fighting arts. The elbow driven at the heart.

THUD.

The sound of it was heavy and dull. The Fifth Prince went off his feet backward, hit the carriage wheel, bounced off it, and came down hard on the ground.

People passing in the street screamed.

Before either of the two men could react, Ning Chen had a fistful of the Fifth Prince’s hair in his left hand and hauled his head back, drove a knee into his spine, and laid a dagger across his throat.

It was the dagger Xuan Hong had given him. He had not expected to find a use for it so soon.

“Stop—”

“You have some nerve. Do you know who that is?”

The two men had caught up at last, and they shouted it with nothing behind it.

Ning Chen smiled coldly. “Don’t move. One light pull and his life is over… However high his rank, he still only has the one.”

“Let her go, or I finish him now.”

The two men looked at the Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince was shaking from head to foot and his teeth were going. He got it out furiously. “What are you standing there for? Let her go.”

They let go of her.

Ning Chen called out. “Run, miss.”

She looked at him, her whole face full of worry.

“Don’t stand there. Run.”

“Take care of yourself, sir.”

Gratitude flooded her face. She bowed to him deeply, then turned and ran, stumbling as she went.

The Fifth Prince’s voice shook. “Boy. Do you know who I am?”

Ning Chen rapped him hard on the head with the dagger several times.

“Of course I know who you are. You’re an animal. You’re a beast. You’re a jackass. Whatever you are, you’re not a man.”

Then Ning Chen asked, “Do you know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

Ning Chen knocked the dagger against his skull again. “What the fuck does it matter who I am? A beast has no business in the affairs of men.”

“Boy. Do you know what the consequences of this are?”

Ning Chen’s grin turned savage. “One more word out of you and I’ll send you down to hell right now. Try me.”

He had thrown himself all the way in. The catastrophe was already made and it was too late to regret it… So he might as well cut himself loose and finish it.

He had crossed over into this world. He was a man who had already died once… The worst that could happen was dying again.

“Boy. Offending me over a woman you’ve never met. Is it worth it?”

“It’s worth it if I say it’s worth it.” Ning Chen said the rest of it one word at a time. “If there is no justice among men, I will take up a blade and be the King of Hell.”

The Fifth Prince ground it out through his teeth. “Boy. I’ve let her go. Isn’t it time you let go of me?”

She’s far off by now. They won’t catch her.

Ning Chen stood up all at once, kicked the Fifth Prince hard in the head several times, and took off running.

The kicks nearly put him out. His face came down on the flagstones, both front teeth snapped clean out, his lip turned inside out, his mouth full of blood.

“After him. Don’t let him get away.”

“Boy. Stop running. You can’t outrun us…”

The Fifth Prince’s two men went after him at a run.

“Don’t chase him. Both of you, come back.”

The Fifth Prince shouted it, and the words whistled through the gap in his teeth.

(End of Chapter 28)