"Stupid Ling Feng, listen up! The first thing I want you to do is to help me get rid of these annoying flies!"
Qin Wanwan's words immediately quieted the crowd.
It wasn't because Qin Wanwan had actually insulted these genius teenagers as flies, but because this stunningly beautiful girl seemed to have some kind of agreement with a boy named Ling Feng!
Ling Feng cursed himself again for agreeing to Qin Wanwan's three conditions. This first one almost made him a public enemy !
Nevertheless, he had made a deal, so he reluctantly pushed his way through the crowd and approached Qin Wanwan. Though he remained silent, his actions conveyed his stance.
His gaze was sharp as a sword, and his aura, enhanced by the half-step slaughterous sword will, was intimidating and fierce.
The surrounding busybodies couldn't help but shiver. How can this boy exude such a terrifying aura!
However, many people found Ling Feng, who was only at the sixth level of the Pulse Formation Realm with six meridian gates open, extremely displeasing.
This rookie! Weakling! Worthless toad!
And he dares to consider himself a protector?
"Yo, who do we have here? It's none other than the renowned chief of the East Court!"
A grating voice rang out in the crowd.
Ling Feng was not unfamiliar with this voice. It was He Zhonglei, whom he had thoroughly taught a lesson in the sword fighting arena that day.
Since then, He Zhonglei had indeed stopped bothering Zhou Yun, but that didn't mean he respected Ling Feng.
Tonight, with his elder brother He Zhongjie, a sky-tier student, by his side, He Zhonglei naturally felt emboldened enough to taunt Ling Feng.
"What's this? Haven't had enough from last time? Looking to relive the past today?" Ling Feng's lips curved into a smirk as he glanced menacingly at He Zhonglei.
Instantly, He Zhonglei felt a faint pain on his cheeks. He recalled how he had been humiliated in the sword fighting arena and ended up looking like a pig. Even if someone gave him three times his courage, he wouldn't dare to spar with Ling Feng.
"Big Brother, you have to stand up for me this time!"
Knowing he was no match for Ling Feng, He Zhonglei turned to his elder brother for help.
Narrowing his eyes, He Zhongjie, still simmering from the incident with Gu Tengfeng in the cafeteria, wasn't inclined to let Ling Feng off easily even without He Zhonglei's plea.
"Ling Feng, initially, your and Zhonglei's fight in the arena was understandable. But..."
He Zhongjie fixed his gaze on Ling Feng, his voice turning cold. "Hitting someone is one thing, but hitting Zhonglei's face is tantamount to insulting the family of the commandant of justice! If I don't settle this for our family, people will think that our family is timid and useless!"
As it turned out, the brothers, He Zhonglei and He Zhongjie, were sons of the commandant of justice. Although not as prestigious as the Three Lords, the judiciary held significant power in the empire.
"I'll use my fists to teach you how to respect the family of the commandant of justice!" Cold determination flashed in He Zhongjie's eyes.
"Hahaha! You're just finding an excuse to punish me!" Ling Feng burst into laughter, tilting his head back. "If you want to throw down, I'm ready anytime!"
Ling Feng himself was curious about his progress during this time and whether he could match up against a sky-tier student like He Zhongjie.
"Ling Feng, calm down!"
Qin Wanwan's eyebrows furrowed. Matters involving sky-tier students were no trivial affair.
In her view, no matter how skilled Ling Feng was, he couldn't possibly be a match for a sky-tier student.
Moreover, He Zhongjie wasn't just any sky-tier student; he had the backing of the commandant of justice!
With a clench of her teeth, Qin Wanwan unexpectedly stood in front of Ling Feng, gritting her teeth. "He Zhonglei, you're shameless! Unable to win in a fight, you bring up your family's influence! Fine, if hitting someone doesn't involve hitting the face, then what about when you hit my cousin's face back then? Is the Liu family of the Eastern Capital so easy to bully? Cousin, I'm here!"
As soon as Liu Yunfei heard Qin Wanwan call his name, he knew he couldn't escape. He reluctantly stepped forward, offering a fist-and-palm salute to He Zhongjie. "Senior Brother He, it's true that He Zhonglei once struck me. If we follow your logic, the disrespect from your family to our Jiangling royal family might not hold up either."
He Zhongjie frowned, surprised to encounter someone from the Liu family of Jiangdu on his path.
The Liu family's ancestor was bestowed the title of Jiangling King, enjoying generations of ancestral favor and being able to rule Jiangdu as a king. Though not holding any tangible official position, in name, they were equivalent to royal nobility.
While the family of the commandant of justice held significant influence, the Jiangling royal family held even greater prestige!
However, Qin Wanwan's action astonished the surrounding students who were merely bystanders.
To think that this stunning girl would step forward for Ling Feng and invoke the Jiangling royal family to pressure He Zhongjie and his brother!
"Liu Yunfei, are you sure you want to obstruct me for the sake of this kid?"
He Zhongjie fixed his gaze on Liu Yunfei, exuding a terrifying fierceness that made Liu Yunfei step back three paces.
Although their statuses were similar, there was a considerable gap in their cultivation levels.
"Big Brother, it seems this little troublemaker is determined to defend Ling Feng. Hmph, I thought she was some virtuous lady, but turns out she's entangled with this wild brat from who knows where. Judging by their intimacy, they've probably... tsk tsk..."
He Zhonglei sneered, resorting to vulgar language and malicious insinuations.
He Zhonglei's outburst was met with a chorus of jeers from the bystanders.
"Probably what? Hehe..."
"Hehe... No need to say more, it's that kind of thing!"
"Didn't expect Ms. Qin to be so open-minded!"
A crisp slap resounded, silencing everyone instantly.
A blood-red handprint was forcefully imprinted on He Zhonglei's face, sending him flying and knocking down a group of shameless onlookers who were egging him on.
While Ling Feng had never been fond of Qin Wanwan, for a woman of the Tianbai Empire, reputation was undoubtedly paramount.
He Zhonglei's slanderous remarks had reached an unacceptable level of depravity.
"Words have consequences. This is the second time, after what happened in the cafeteria. Three strikes, and no one can save you!"
Ling Feng's gaze emitted a chilling intent as he spoke, every word carrying weight. "I mean what I say!"
Everyone was stunned!
In front of everyone, under the watchful eyes of all!
Ling Feng had dared to slap He Zhonglei in front of his brother, He Zhongjie!
"I doubt anyone can save you today!" He Zhongjie trembled with rage. He had initially intended to settle the matter peacefully, but Ling Feng's audacity in laying hands on his brother, especially in front of him, had enraged him!
He Zhongjie stared at Ling Feng, his gaze sharp as a dagger and his voice seemingly emanating from the depths of hell, bone-chilling.
"Kid, if you've got the guts, come with me to the sword fighting platform! Let’s fight to the death!"