Chapter 405: Not Somebody, Just Trash!

Those invited by Jiang Shiliu to this gathering were, without exception, figures of considerable background.

Among them, the most prestigious were three men and one woman, members of some of the top-tier families in Xia Country. Though not quite on par with the super clans like the Wan and Jiang families, they still stood at the peak just below that level and formed the core of this event.

The young man in the purple suit, with a carefree and irreverent expression, was named Wu Donglai. The fair-skinned young man in the red suit, flamboyant in appearance, was Nangong Hao. The one with brownish-yellow dyed hair, a single earring, and a sharp look was named Li Chengkun.

Lastly, there was the beautiful woman in a tight black dress, her figure curvaceous and alluring. Her name was Liu Wan.

When Jiang Shiliu introduced Liu Wan, Lin Xiao suddenly felt she looked familiar, like someone he’d seen before. He glanced at her a few times.

Liu Wan noticed his gaze, covered her mouth, and laughed, then threw him a few flirtatious looks.

Lin Xiao gave a faint smile and looked away.

“This gentleman standing with Miss Wan, who is he, young master Jiang? Did you forget to introduce him?” Liu Wan asked, pointing at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao wore a dark blue suit. He was tall and upright, his demeanor calm and composed, with deep, quiet eyes. Although his appearance was ordinary, he radiated a sense of poise and steadiness.

Even standing beside the breathtakingly beautiful and noble Wan Caixuan, Lin Xiao appeared perfectly composed, not overshadowed in the least. This drew no small amount of attention from the surrounding girls. It was no wonder Liu Wan showed interest.

Jiang Shiliu had deliberately skipped over Lin Xiao, waiting for someone to ask. Hearing Liu Wan’s question now, he was secretly pleased.

Outwardly, he feigned an apology and said, “Ah, my apologies, everyone. I forgot to introduce this gentleman. He’s a friend of Miss Wan, and his name is…”

At this, Jiang Shiliu frowned, racking his brain but failing to recall the name. He could only shrug and say, “Sir, would you mind introducing yourself? I don’t actually know your name.”

Lin Xiao raised his eyelids and gave Jiang Shiliu a calm glance before speaking composedly, showing no discomfort at being ignored, “My name is Lin Xiao.”

“Lin Xiao?”

Everyone exchanged looks. None of them recognized the name.

But Lin Xiao’s extraordinary composure and the fact that he stood beside Wan Caixuan led them to assume he had significant status. No one considered otherwise—until now.

“Is there a Lin family among Xia Country’s great clans?” Wu Donglai leaned toward Nangong Hao and asked in a low voice.

Nangong Hao furrowed his brows, thought carefully, then shook his head with certainty. “No.”

“If he’s not from a noble family, then maybe he’s a disciple from a martial sect?” Li Chengkun speculated, sizing Lin Xiao up.

“Instead of guessing blindly, why don’t we ask him directly? Anyone who can be close with Miss Wan surely isn’t ordinary. I’ve never heard of Miss Wan being close with any man before,” said Nangong Hao, his eyes flashing as he raised his voice, addressing Lin Xiao, “Mr. Lin, may I ask what family you come from?”

There was a hidden trap in his question. Wan Caixuan’s expression turned cold, about to speak up, but Lin Xiao’s glance stopped her.

Lin Xiao calmly replied, “Sorry to disappoint you, I am but a commoner. No family, no clan.”

At this, murmurs rose among the crowd. The way they looked at Lin Xiao changed, laced with disdain and contempt.

Jiang Shiliu smiled. This was exactly what he wanted.

First, humiliate Lin Xiao in front of everyone by exposing his humble origin, then trample his pride underfoot—only then would Jiang feel satisfied.

“Then, which sect are you from, Mr. Lin?” Nangong Hao asked again.

“No sect, no school.”

The whispers grew louder.

Wu Donglai frowned. “Then what exactly is your identity, Mr. Lin? Why are you at this gathering?”

Jiang Shiliu stepped in with false concern. “My friends, I forgot to mention. This Mr. Lin is actually Miss Wan’s bodyguard. I initially asked him to wait outside, but he insisted on joining us. Out of respect for Miss Wan, I couldn’t drive him away.”

He lied without blinking, his petty malice fully on display.

“Oh? So just a bodyguard,” Nangong Hao sneered. “And what right does a mere bodyguard have to stand among us?”

Li Chengkun narrowed his eyes at Lin Xiao, a look of disgust on his face. “I thought he was someone important, but just a bodyguard? For Miss Wan’s sake, he should wait outside. How could we mingle with someone like him?”

These sons of noble families, prideful and arrogant, began mocking Lin Xiao mercilessly once they learned his true identity.

Even Liu Wan, who had shown interest earlier, now frowned in distaste.

Wan Caixuan’s pale fists clenched unconsciously, her chest heaving. She was on the verge of exploding. Hearing people mock Lin Xiao like this, even though she didn’t know why it made her so furious. She felt as if she could explode from anger.

The angrier she felt, the colder her expression became. Her gaze swept across the faces of everyone who spoke, memorizing them all. She silently vowed to make them pay for this on Lin Xiao’s behalf.

And Lin Xiao, the one at the center of it all, remained calm and composed. Only when the commotion quieted did he speak slowly: “You all seem to look down on me quite a bit.”

“That’s right, we do look down on you.”

Wu Donglai lifted his chin, looking at Lin Xiao through his nostrils. His tone was arrogant to the extreme. “Look at our status, and then look at yours. Just because you’re Miss Wan’s bodyguard doesn’t mean we’ll be polite to you. The difference between us…”

He pointed to the sky, then to the ground: “Is like heaven and earth.”

“Well said.”

“Bravo, Young Master Wu. That line hit the nail on the head.”

People began clapping and cheering.

Among them, Jiang Shiliu stood with arms crossed, a smug smile on his lips, watching the scene with great satisfaction.

The more they looked down on Lin Xiao, the more pleased he felt.

“I remember not long ago, someone with the surname Wan thought the same as you. He looked down on me, thought he had me completely under control.” Lin Xiao continued unhurriedly. Though his voice wasn’t loud, it silenced the crowd. “He had dozens of bodyguards, a mercenary squad, even a peak Dark Force martial artist. He was arrogant and overbearing. But when I took down all of them and grabbed him by the throat, he cried and begged me to spare him.”

As Lin Xiao spoke, the murmuring gradually faded.

His calm, indifferent gaze swept across every face. His tone grew colder, “At first, he tried to suppress me with status. Then he tried to buy me off. And finally, he tried to threaten me with his family’s name. And what became of him in the end? I think you all already know who I’m talking about. That’s right, his name was Wan Shixuan.”

At that moment, the entire place fell silent.

“Now tell me, how do your status and influence compare to Wan Shixuan’s?”

Lin Xiao’s eyes suddenly turned razor-sharp, his body erupting with overwhelming killing intent. “Even Wan Shixuan meant nothing to me. And you, hiding behind your family names and throwing your weight around, what are you? No, you’re not even something. You’re trash.”