Chapter 1691: Welcomed Personally

"Liu Zhijian, you don't have to welcome me. The person you should be greeting is Childe Chen!" Ao Liancheng said, sounding irritated.

Liu Zhijian dismissed him. "Childe Lian, you really are humorous! There is no such person as a Childe Chen here. Isn't that the nobody from the elimination round? People might even mistake him for your attendant!"

"Liu Zhijian! You better treat Childe Chen with a little more respect!" Ao Liancheng was really angry now.

"Why... Why should I?" Liu Zhijian snorted. "My duty is to welcome qualified sons of nobilities! Why should I have to bother myself with irrelevant people?"

Ao Liancheng hissed, "If you're not blind, you can probably see the token in Childe Chen's hand!"

"Hehe, Childe Liancheng, are you joking around with me?" Liu Zhijian chuckled. "That brat is here today just to join in the fun! Even a fool knows that there is no way he could get his hands on 100 jin of Earth-God materials! Considering he's unable to pass the first elimination round, he will automatically lose his place in the betrothal contest. Why can't I refuse to show him respect?"

"I dare you to say that again!" Ao Liancheng reached out a hand and grabbed Liu Zhijian by the throat, squeezing a hard choke.

"Childe... Liancheng... What are you doing... Don't kill me... hack hack... Don't..." Liu Zhijian choked.

With Ao Liancheng's cultivation, killing Liu Zhijian would be easier than killing an ant.

From the start, Chen Xiaobei merely watched from the side, hands tucked into his pants pockets with not a word uttered.

As Liu Zhijian said, people would have indeed mistaken him for Ao Liancheng's attendant.

But the truth was, Ao Liancheng was Chen Xiaobei's attendant instead!

In fact, Chen Xiaobei had become the savior of the merpeople, their superhero, and their god.

It was not an exaggeration to say that as of now, Ao Liancheng had already become one of Chen Xiaobei's disciples.

Ao Liancheng wouldn't hesitate to kill Liu Zhijian for being disrespectful to Chen Xiaobei.

"Childe Liancheng! What are you doing?" An unemotional voice called out from behind.

The stolid voice belonged to a middle-aged man in a royal robe, with a flank of a hundred escorts in well-ironed military uniforms.

"Eighth Wangye, help me... Eighth Wangye save me..." Liu Zhijian let out a shrill scream.

The person was none other than Saint Duke's Eighth Wangye, Luo Shanhe who also happened to be Liu Zhijian's master!

"Childe Chen! You have to consider who the owner of the dog is before you hit it!" Luo Shenhe's smile was unfriendly. "This is Saint Duke's imperial city. My dog may be in the wrong but could you not let him go this once for the sake of my face on such an auspicious day?"

"Consider yourself lucky!" Ao Liancheng hissed before dropping Liu Zhijian to the ground.

He had no choice but to defer to Luo Shanhe, the Eighth Wangye, or he would have a hard time in Saint Duke Imperial City.

"I will toast to your magnanimity later, Childe Chen!" Luo Shanhe smiled.

"Eighth Wangye, you are too kind!" Ao Liancheng replied. "By the way, why have you come to the portal yourself?"

Luo Shanhe's smile broadened into a grin, "Most of the people who joined the betrothal contest before the first elimination round are just fillers to make up for the numbers! But this time, those who are able to bring the 100 jin Earth-God materials are honored guests that are worthy of nothing less but a personal welcome from me!"

When he used the term 'fillers', Luo Shanhe's eyes mockingly lingered on Chen Xiaobei - he clearly did not believe that Chen Xiaobei would be able to present 100 jin of Earth-God materials today.

To him, the people who couldn't even pass the first elimination round were just token members!

Only those who could were worthy of Luo Shanhe's attention.

Ao Liancheng did not notice Luo Shanhe's gaze. "Since you're here, I should just inform you beforehand that I did not gather enough Earth-God materials. That's why I'm forfeiting..."

"Forfeiting?" Luo Shanhe nodded. "Understood! The Neptunes have been facing adverse conditions of late. It makes sense that you can't take out any surplus resources! I respect your decision!"

Each of the nine starfields had their own intelligence division. Although Neptune, which was under the threat of the Demonic Beast was highly classified, it could not be kept secret from the authorities of the nine starfields!

Of course, with Chen Xiaobei's help, the threat had been successfully eliminated yesterday.

The intelligence division of these starfields had yet to be made known this latest piece of information. Otherwise, Luo Shanhe and Liu Zhijian would not have treated Chen Xiaobei with such contempt.

"Thank you for understanding, Eighth Wangye!" Ao Liancheng did not mention the Demonic Beast. "Although I've forfeited, I would still like to enter the palace to observe. Would I be welcomed too?"

"Why not?" Luo Shanhe said craftily. "We may not be fated to become a family, but as good neighbors, and long-time friends, I am more than happy to welcome Childe Liancheng's attendance!"

Buzz...

Suddenly, several silhouettes appeared against the light of the portal.

Chen Xiaobei remembered the two people walking in the front - on the left was the young master of number one faction of Royal Dome, sixth on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard, Ximen Shuoxue, and the one on the right was the young master of the number one faction on Saint Duke, ninth on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard, Yuwen Yuanqin!

The people who were behind them were their attendants.

"Childe Shuoxue! Childe Yuanqin! Welcome back to Saint Duke Imperial City!" Luo Shanhe's greeted with a warm smile.

It was plain to see that Luo Shanhe and Ao Liancheng's personal relationship was just ordinary, a polite courtesy.

But the way Luo Shanhe treated Ximen Shuoxue and Yuwen Yuanqin was with genuine warmth. He obviously fostered good and close relations with these two factions.

After the exchange of greetings, Ximen Shuoxue and Yuwen Yuanqin walked up to Ao Liancheng.

"Childe Chen! Good to see you again!" Yuwen Yuanqin smiled broadly.

Ximen Shuoxue, on the other hand, merely nodded coldly towards Ao Liancheng.

"Good to see you again too!" Ao Liancheng smiled politely.

"Hey, what Earth-God materials did you bring?" Yuwen Yuanqin asked.

"Liancheng! Come over here for a moment!" Chen Xiaobei called out.

"I'm sorry, both of you. I'll be back in a minute!" Ao Liancheng quickly hurried to Chen Xiaobei.

Ximen Shuoxue and Yuwen Yuanqin frowned at this.

Yuwen Yuanqin was really unhappy. "Who is that brat, that Ao Liancheng would leave us for him?"