Glancing at the expensive-looking jade accessory with the word "Lei" engraved on the provoker's waist, Jiang Shiqin courteously responded.
"Is there something young master Lei would like to tell me?"
A satisfied smirk immediately appeared on the youth's face. "Good, good, at least you recognize this distinguished one. Listen well, foreigner. Sister Dai is the goddess of our hearts. Nobody can take her away, and certainly not a girlish man like you!"
Such an insult was rather extreme, as Jiang Shiqin, though refined, was far from being girlish. As the crowd slowly gathered around to watch the spectacle, some of them clicked their tongues in distaste.
The polite expression worn by the true target of the insult was unaltered, however.
The air stetch taut with tension as people held their breaths, waiting for the refined-looking young man to respond.
"Sister Dai's beauty is as magnificent as blooming hibiscuses and more stunning than the purest of rubies. It is my honor to have caught even a glimpse of this beauty, and every moment that she blesses me with her presence makes me intoxicated."
The audience was dumbfounded at the unexpected words.
Young master Lei frowned. "If so, then know your place."
"Alas," a wistful expression appeared on Jiang Shiqin's face. "Though Qin wishes for this grace to last forever, what abilities does Qin have to keep her in one place? Young master Lei, you must understand my sadness." He stared at the youth in dejection.
"Every morning, I would pray for this period of euphoria to last a bit longer, for the illusion to remain unshattered and my heart unbroken. Compared to the great geniuses of the Distant Lands" - his gaze inadvertently swept through the surrounding cultivators and finally landed on the youth surnamed Lei, "my meager abilities and ordinary appearance could not hold a candle to their brilliance. I dare not compete with these shining stars, and could only devote myself my present fortune."
"Young master Lei, I live in fear of the day the favor bestowed on me would disappear, leaving me an empty shell devoid of hope."
Jiang Shiqin slightly turned his head, as if trying to contain the sorrow within his eyes.
"If so... let me enjoy this short-lived utopia a bit longer," he ended with a sigh. So genuine and heartbroken were his words that the scenery appeared a tad gloomier.
A half-wiled leaf landed on the man's faintly trembling shoulders.
Unknowingly, somewhere in the process, young master Lei had changed to a sympathetic expression as well. In his mind, he thought of this pitiful man as a fellow admirer whose only desperate desire was for the goddess to take notice of him.
What rights did he have to take away his remaining days of happiness, then?
The young master watched silently as the man walked away, casting a lonely shadow onto the ground. Perhaps, one day, he would be like the man as well - receiving favor from the goddess once and unable to forget her for the rest of his life.
Of course, not everyone was as idiotic as that love-struck youth to have actually believed in Jiang Shiqin's performance. Opinions were rather divided. A great majority felt that putting oneself so low was offensive to the pride of a cultivator, while some were impressed by the way Jiang Shiqin had resolved the conflict, especially when he was well-aware of his status as a non-local without a concrete background.
It was not their business, however. In fact, from Jiang Shiqin's standpoint, it was not his business either, as long as he did not rashly offend any of the powers here before making his move.
Strangely, the ones most intrigued were two cultivators glancing at Jiang Shiqin's fading figure as they discussed the implications of his actions.
One of them, a firm youth with thick eyebrows, lowered the corners of the lips in obvious disdain.
"Even when humiliated like that, he still flattered the culprit so easily. Isn't he afraid of such utter disgrace?"
In contrast to his companion, the other person was calmer in his evaluation.
"He has a way with words."
This sentence only made the one who had first spoken furrowed his brows harder. "Those flowery words were pleasant to hear, but..."
"Have you noticed that not once in his speech did this Jiang Shiqin praise young master Lei or truly disparage himself?" The other youth interrupted.
Seeing his companion's confused expression, he explained further.
"The majority of his speech was about how gorgeous Su Dai is, and he might have exaggerated his devotion to her, but this is similar behavior to all men's utterance when pursuing a romance. His exact words were 'compared to the great geniuses of the Distant Lands', but did he call out young master Lei's name directly? Such a generalized statement doesn't amoun to anything! His narrative about being untalented and undeserving of the girl seems moving, but looking at it from another angle, he was simply being modest, and anybody who actually regards this modesty as his true sentiments is a fool."
Slowly shaking his head, the youth said in grudging admiration. "It was his behavior which misled everyone. Every single one of his gestures, from the shifting of his head to the emotions welling in his eyes, was on point. His reputation will definitely take a hit, but those who were not present today, as long as the conversation is recounted in a precise manner, will be more likely to side with him. As for the girlish insult - "
The youth huffed in amusement.
"- not retaliating is a sign of maturity, not cravenness. In my opinion, Jiang Shiqin couldn't be bothered with this Young Master Lei. That's why he made that speech to shut him up and leave without further inconveniences."
"In short," he concluded, "somebody in the shadows wanted to stir up trouble. However, whoever that cooked up this scheme designed it for hot-blooded, reckless idiots, which probably made up ninety percent of those under twenty-five in this city. Jiang Shiqin just happens to fall into the other ten percent."
He then proceeded to walk towards the gate, clearly dusting off the entire incident.
The other cultivator was speechless. The analysis was rather deep and insightful, but the gist of it... Wasn't his junior martial brother directly implying that that he was one such "hot-blooded, reckless idiot"?
"Wait a moment, why are you so sure that it's a scheme by someone?" As he ran forward to catch up with his junior brother, a tangled mess of black-and-white talismans fell from his pouch. The other person silently turned back and started picking them up, and after finishing, handed a much neater stack over.
"This city is under the direct governance of the five great sects. Who would suddenly cause trouble in public for no reason? If not instigation, then subtle manipulation."
His eyes gleamed with an indescribable light.
"Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spot."
"There's a reason," a chilling smile twisted his lips, "why this strategy has lasted for hundreds of years."