Chapter 156
Wang Jin raised an eyebrow.
Verify my identity?
I am truly not Xi Yao, but this body is indeed Xi Yao's. How does this person plan to verify it?
Moreover, let Pan Shulin do the verification?
Wang Jin was certain that his elder brother, Xi Ning, had always despised Pan Shulin for his underhanded tricks. Even if Xi Ning genuinely suspected Wang Jin was an imposter, he would never let Pan Shulin deal with him.
This person is definitely playing tricks.
While subtly patting Yuan Heng's hand to comfort him, Wang Jin asked with great interest, "How do you want to verify it?"
Pan Shulin said, "It's simple. Everyone in Ning'an City knows that the Xi family bloodline can control beasts. If you are the real Xi Yao, you must be able to control beasts."
After he spoke, someone behind him brought forward a large cage from the rear. Inside the cage was a wolf beast.
The preparations had been made quite thoroughly.
The wolf beast remained fierce and showed no signs of lethargy, seeming like it hadn't been captured for long.
"Xi Yao, you enter this cage. If you can make this wolf beast obey you, then the beast control is successful, and you are the real Xi Yao," Pan Shulin said from the side.
Enter?
Go inside the cage?
Ha!
Wang Jin laughed. Who in Ning'an City didn't know that Xi Yao had a childhood shadow related to beast control and had never been able to control beasts normally.
Knowing full well that Xi Yao couldn't control beasts normally, he wanted to lock the supposed 'Xi Yao' together with a wolf beast for a verification test. Pan Shulin's intent to murder was just too obvious.
The fire inside Wang Jin burned hotter and hotter. He looked around; aside from Pan Shulin, Zhao Yu, and Zhao Shan, many present were people he had occasionally encountered and greeted when entering or leaving Xi Ning's palace, some were prominent youths he had seen at the night banquet, and others were wealthy young masters who had patronized his clothing store. These people had actually all come with Pan Shulin and the other two to join the commotion.
Their faces showed indignation and ferocity, as if they were looking not at Ning'an City's City Lord's younger brother, but at a impostor swaggering around in Ning'an City.
Moreover, in their eyes, this impostor would either fail to control the beast and be eaten by the wolf beast, or be killed by them.
Wang Jin gave a cold laugh. He glanced at Yuan Heng beside him, whose expression was dark but who had clearly restrained his imposing manner after Wang Jin's reassurance, then quietly withdrew his hand.
He decided it was necessary to let these people understand that he, Wang Jin, also had someone protecting him.
Yuan Heng sensed Wang Jin's tacit approval for him to act, and immediately ceased restraining his presence and no longer held back his anger.
He moved forward, placing himself protectively in front of Wang Jin. His light-colored eyes darkened and intensified, fixing on Pan Shulin with the piercing focus of an eagle. A chilling aura of death emanated from him, as if he had returned from the depths of hell.
Pan Shulin's body stiffened. He felt like prey being hunted, pinned under an unrelenting stare. An insidious, deathly cold seemed to seep from all directions, threatening to pull him into the underworld. He retreated several steps, his face turning pale.
The others weren't much better off. The aura of the ancient beastman was even more formidable than that of Ning'an City's city lord. The pressure bearing down on them made their legs tremble, and they wished they could immediately kneel and submit to the person before them.
Even Zhao Yu and Zhao Shan supported each other, stubbornly resisting the pressure.
Zhao Yu, lips trembling, gritted his teeth and shouted, "Xi Yao, Yuan Heng! This is the city lord's intention. Are you determined to oppose the city lord?!"
Using City Lord Xi Ning to intimidate me? Did they think I, Wang Jin, was still the former Xi Yao who would believe every word they said?
Just as Wang Jin was about to speak, he heard Yuan Heng's deep voice spread out: "The city lord is the ger's older brother. He dotes on the ger immensely, how could he possibly do this."
Wang Jin let out a soft chuckle. If even Yuan Heng could see the situation this clearly, how could these people assume he wouldn't?
Was it because the original owner had been too easily deceived in the past, making them believe such a clumsy scheme would work on him? Or had Pan Shulin simply run out of options, with no escape left, and was now throwing caution to the wind?
Zhao Shan, steeling himself, gritted his teeth and said, "Even so, we are all people of Ning'an City, under the city lord's protection. My father is still the deputy city lord of Ning'an City. Yuan Heng, if you injure everyone, the city lord will not let you off!"
This person spoke more cleverly.
Noticing Yuan Heng's slight hesitation, Wang Jin moved closer to him and spoke in a low, fierce voice. "Brother Heng, don't listen to him. They are falsely claiming elder brother's orders. If you hurt them, you'll actually be helping elder brother remove internal threats. Strike them—especially those three in front. It wouldn't even matter if you beat them to death."
"Xi Yao!" Pan Shulin roared angrily, "Are you sure it's a good thing? Even if we are guilty, the city lord should personally deal with us. What is Yuan Heng? If he deals with us privately, isn't that despising the city lord's authority?! Moreover, we are acting on the city lord's orders."
"After all this, Pan Shulin, are you still stubbornly clinging to the claim that you're acting on my elder brother's orders?" Wang Jin's fury spiked sharply. He fixed his glare firmly on Pan Shulin, the question grinding out from between his clenched teeth.
Pan Shulin's expression froze momentarily before he straightened his posture defensively and retorted, "Naturally, this has been the city lord's will from the start. If you're not concerned about damaging your relationship with your elder brother, then feel free to try."
These words carried a strong threat. Wang Jin was taken aback.
Wang Jin immediately grew wary. What was Pan Shulin implying? Did he have another scheme? If Wang Jin took action against them now, did Pan Shulin have some other method to spread malicious rumors in front of Xi Ning and sabotage the relationship between the two brothers?
Wang Jin became cautious. Just as he was pondering, suddenly a male voice came from behind.
"How do you plan to make Yao'er fall out with me?"
Everyone looked over and saw Xi Ning, accompanied by Zhao Qi and Cheng Bai, walking over with cold expressions.
"Ci... City Lord..."
Pan Shulin's legs gave way, and he collapsed into a seated position on the ground. The servants standing behind him were similarly frozen in place.
Zhao Yu and Zhao Shan also wore expressions of despair, dropping to their knees where they stood.
Yuan Heng withdrew his intimidating aura. The crowd of people behind the three instigators exchanged uneasy glances before finally bowing towards the city lord.
Cheng Bai stepped forward, his eyes immediately finding Wang Jin, and he hurried over. However, Yuan Heng moved to block his path, and Wang Jin used the opportunity to shift further behind Yuan Heng.
Cheng Bai's face fell with disappointment.
"Elder brother." Unable to stand Cheng Bai's expression, Wang Jin dodged the two and walked up to Xi Ning, intimately linking arms with him.
Xi Ning's expression softened slightly. He looked Wang Jin up and down, and seeing he was fine, felt slightly relieved. Then he turned his gaze to the scene before him.
He scanned the surroundings, his eyes finally landing on the wolf beast locked in the cage, his brows furrowing. "You... want Yao'er to control this beast?"
Zhao Yu and the other two didn't dare speak. Instead, someone from behind tremblingly replied, "City Lord, wasn't this your order?"
"Who said it was my order?" Xi Ning asked sternly.
Some people looked at Zhao Yu and Zhao Shan, others looked at Pan Shulin.
Xi Ning stared at the three and laughed coldly. "So now my deputy city lord, his son, and temporary Incense Hall master in Ning'an City can falsely transmit my orders?"
Everyone was stunned and asked, "Then... they really were falsely transmitting orders?"
"Of course not," Xi Ning stated coldly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Is this how I typically issue orders?" He recognized them as a motley crew of minor local figures who held no real authority in the city.
"......" The crowd couldn't grasp the city lord's underlying meaning, just said loudly, "We heard this young master might be an impostor and wanted to share the city lord's worries, so we came along."
"Good intentions leading to bad deeds. My Yao'er is naturally my biological younger brother, why would verification be needed?" Xi Ning said coldly.
Everyone bowed their heads in silence. Wang Jin felt a warmth in his heart.
A wave of warmth washed over Wang Jin. Xi Ning had never once doubted him... even though his true younger brother was already...
But precisely because of this, he needed to be even better to this elder brother, to fulfill the original owner's duties on his behalf.
Xi Ning said, "Each of you return to receive your family discipline, reflect on your actions behind closed walls, and pay a fine of one hundred taels of silver."
"Yes."
Everyone responded dejectedly. Despite their compliance, their expressions clearly showed they were not fully convinced. Wang Jin, observing this, his lively eyes moving, tugged at Xi Ning and said, "Elder brother, what you advised me before I went to sea, I actually took it to heart."
"?" Xi Ning was somewhat puzzled.
Wang Jin pointed at the caged wolf beast, suddenly concentrating. In a moment, the wolf beast deftly opened the cage door and walked out. The panicked crowd watched as Yuan Heng silently positioned himself not far from Wang Jin.
But they saw the wolf beast slowly walk up to Wang Jin and obediently sit down, its tail wagging left and right... completely obeying Wang Jin's command.
"!" The crowd was astonished, staring at the wolf beast in disbelief. For a time, the scene fell silent.
After a prolonged silence, a voice finally broke the stillness, tremblingly shouted, "The young master has controlled the beast!"
The scene boiled over like water, noisy sounds spreading to every corner. Finally, everyone knelt before Wang Jin, their faces full of apology.
Wang Jin gave Xi Ning a sweet smile, showing a cute little dimple.
Xi Ning finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes widening in astonishment. "Yao'er... you can...?"
"So, I actually can control beasts, I just didn't want to show certain people," Wang Jin interrupted Xi Ning, looking towards certain people.
Zhao Yu and Zhao Shan's faces darkened with dismay. Pan Shulin stared in utter disbelief, his voice trembling as he stammered, "Impossible... Ever since you were a child, you've..."
"Have what?" Wang Jin said sarcastically.
Pan Shulin suddenly fell silent. Wang Jin said, "If you won't say it, I'll say it for you."
"You thought I couldn't control beasts, so you deliberately used this to make things difficult for me, wanting me to die either in the mouth of the fierce beast, or by being mistakenly killed by those who misunderstood, right?"
"I..."
"Don't speak. You'll definitely try to excuse yourself, but I don't want to hear it." Wang Jin interrupted Pan Shulin and continued, "On the ship, you deliberately pushed me into the sea, nearly drowning me. Everyone concealed the news of Brother Heng and Cheng Bai going to sea from me. It was you who bribed the ger in my pavilion to relay this news to me. That letter was never sent by Brother Cheng; it was sent by you. I guess you probably used Cheng Bai's safety as a reason to successfully persuade Brother Cheng to help you conceal this matter..."
"......" Pan Shulin's face turned ashen, his whole body trembling.
Wang Jin laughed and said, "I have to thank you. Because you pushed me into the sea, I struggled on the brink of death several times, and that's how I comprehended the art of beast control, remembered everything from before, and also learned that you had already tried to kill me once a long time ago."
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