Ning Chen looked down at Xiao Tianle from the saddle. His voice was flat. "You know what's good for you a great deal better than that so-called Young Master Marvel did."

The color changed in every Great Beginning Pavilion face.

Ning Chen had brought up Young Master Marvel himself. He had not come in friendship.

Ning Chen smiled and went on. "Who says a woman is not the equal of a man? Young Master Music is worth a good deal more than that pig-brained Young Master Marvel."

Young Master Music's face froze.

Ning Chen looked at her. His voice was flat. "Lift your head."

Young Master Music lifted her head and looked at him.

"Has Young Master Music heard of this prince?"

Young Master Music said, "My lord prince's name is famed everywhere. It has rung in my ears like thunder."

"And has your Great Beginning Pavilion's master heard of this prince?"

Young Master Music nodded. "Of course."

Ning Chen laughed, cold. "This prince has ranged across the battlefields and walked through every state, and the rulers of those states go cold with fear at this prince's name. And your Great Beginning Pavilion's master sends one woman down to meet this prince. That is a great deal of self-importance."

Young Master Music lost control of her face at once.

It had not occurred to her that he could see she was a woman.

Only a few of the Pavilion's elders knew. Nobody had ever seen through it, and he had done it at a glance.

Ning Chen's voice stayed flat. "Young Master Music's face-changing is good. But you seem to have forgotten that this prince learned from the Ghost-Shadow Sect, and the Ghost-Shadow Sect's face-changing has no equal under heaven.

The Great Beginning Pavilion's Young Master Marvel threw in with traitors, and now this slight to this prince on top of it... Young Master Music, would it be out of line for this prince to have the army level the Great Beginning Pavilion?"

The blood went out of Young Master Music's face.

"General Bai."

Bai Long came over at a…