Ma Hongjun often followed behind Dai Mubai, loitering in brothels, but the two of them were never truly from the same world.
As a prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai may have left his homeland, but he still carried with him a fortune in gold and jewels. He never had to worry about money, and even the women he found were always the finest.
Ma Hongjun was different. Born in a village where all the spirits were third-rate, he was a commoner through and through. Most of his income came from the stipends given out by Spirit Hall.
Though the coins from Spirit Hall were generous, Ma Hongjun was tormented by his evil fire and had to burn through large sums daily in brothels. Combined with the steep tuition of Shrek Academy, he was constantly strapped for cash. He could only afford the cheapest brothels, and wearing patched clothes was already considered luxury for him.
Ye Zhiqiu, even with a black turtle as his spirit, could still easily spot a pushover. Among the group, the foul-mouthed, sloppily dressed fat guy was clearly the weakest. If he didn't beat him, who else would he beat?
Without another word, he walked straight to Ma Hongjun and began pounding on him with fists and kicks enhanced by frost.
Water restrains fire. Under the attacks of an ice-type Spirit King, Ma Hongjun spewed blood like a faucet, staining the ground red in moments. Ye Zhiqiu's blows sent him rolling across the floor, blood splattering everywhere, forcing the surrounding spectators to back away in alarm.
To be fair, phoenix spirits truly were exceptional. In such a short time, Ma Hongjun had vomited out what looked like two basins of blood. Any ordinary spirit master would've been half-dead by now. But Ma Hongjun's screams were still loud, as if he were perfectly fine.
Zhao Wuji, who had been hiding in the crowd, had just been mulling over how to coax Ning Rongrong back to Shrek after Oscar's romantic hopes were dashed. When Ma Hongjun's howls grew louder, he suddenly snapped back to attention.
Realizing that someone from his academy was being bullied, Zhao Wuji rushed out from the crowd and stopped in front of Ye Zhiqiu, roaring, "You old turtle! Picking on the weak like this, you dare strike my student so hard? You better start thinking about how you want to die!"
Faced with this short but stout man's threat, Ye Zhiqiu sneered coldly, "You're the teacher from Shrek Academy, aren't you? Your student insulted us from Canghui Academy without restraint. I'm just giving them a lesson, so they learn not to provoke those they shouldn't."
"A lesson? You think I need you to teach my students a lesson? Canghui Academy is trash. Whatever your students say doesn't count as an insult!" Zhao Wuji never played by the rules. Facing someone over twenty levels below him, he didn't even see them as a threat.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Wuji activated his spirit. Covered in thick brown fur, his height grew from just over 1.6 meters to a towering 2.5 meters. Seven spirit rings danced under his feet—his Spirit Sage pressure fully unleashed.
Ye Zhiqiu, only a Spirit King, staggered backward in fear and collapsed to the ground. Regret filled his heart. 'If I'd known, I wouldn't have acted so recklessly. Provoking a Spirit Sage… I might not survive this.'
"That student insulted us first, and these injuries are just flesh wounds for spirit masters. Consider it a small price for the lesson. Let it go, Fudo Ming Wang."
A calm voice rang out. Yu Tianming stepped in, stopping Zhao Wuji from making a move.
Zhao Wuji, already fuming, turned sharply to glare. "Kid, who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"
He had long been annoyed by this guy. Since Ning Rongrong joined Shrek, the teachers had been pushing her toward Oscar—making her life difficult to humble her, while Oscar was set up to act like her savior. The plan was working well. They were this close to drawing in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Then this kid came out of nowhere and ruined everything. Now he was even defending that turtle? Zhao Wuji redirected his Spirit Sage pressure straight onto Yu Tianming.
Yu Tianming looked at him calmly and even smiled slightly. 'This guy may look like a brute, but he's not just brawn. He's probing for my background before acting.'
Before he could respond, Ning Rongrong hurriedly said, "He's a direct disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. You can't just make a move!"
In her days at Shrek, all she'd seen was Zhao Wuji being a thug. She truly thought he was just a brute, unaware he was a cunning snake who played his cards based on the situation. So she quickly mentioned Yu Tianming's identity, thinking it would deter him.
What she didn't know was that Shrek only dared to train her so harshly because they were backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's name wouldn't make Zhao Wuji back off—it'd only piss him off more.
When Zhao Wuji heard "direct disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," a glint appeared in his fierce eyes. He knew very well that the dean's old buddy, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, was the son of the clan leader. He glanced over at Oscar, who looked dejected, and immediately got an idea.
He strode up to Yu Tianming, Spirit Sage aura in full force, and bellowed, "If you're from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I count as your elder. Since you lack respect, I'll teach you a lesson today!"
Everyone's attention had now shifted to them. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Zhiqiu and the other Canghui students quietly slipped away.
Dai Mubai, his face swollen from frostbite, tried to warn Zhao Wuji, but his words were too slurred and drowned in the noise. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's cold expression nearby, the prideful Dai Mubai couldn't hold it in anymore and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Sage pressure weighing down on Ning Rongrong made her legs tremble, even though she stood firm. She was only around level 20, after all.
Seeing her like that, Oscar anxiously said, "Teacher Zhao, Rongrong can't take your aura anymore. Since you know someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, why not let it go?"
Zhao Wuji's face darkened. Oscar had been raised by Flender, and Zhao Wuji had been teaching at Shrek for ten years—he'd practically watched the boy grow up. If Flender saw Oscar like a son, then Zhao Wuji was just as fond of him.
He'd started this whole show to help Oscar woo Ning Rongrong—putting Yu Tianming in his place to make Oscar look good. But now Oscar was stopping him? 'Hopeless!' Zhao Wuji thought, frustrated.
Still, he wouldn't lash out at Oscar. Instead, he stomped up to Yu Tianming and raised his hand. "I'll teach you what respecting your elders means!"
Yu Tianming, only a Spirit King, didn't flinch. He gently moved Ning Rongrong behind him and said calmly, "The great Fudo Ming Wang, a wanted criminal, a stray dog… and you dare to call yourself my elder?"
Just like when Ma Hongjun called Ye Zhiqiu an old turtle, calling him a stray dog struck a nerve. Zhao Wuji's eyes turned red, and under his control, the gravity around Yu Tianming intensified, cracking the ground.
But Yu Tianming stood there, shorter and without activating his spirit, completely unfazed. Still smiling, he said, "A Spirit Hall bounty must fetch quite a bit, right?"
As the words fell, his Mountain Dragon King torso bone skill—Earth Element Control—activated. The gravity around Zhao Wuji suddenly surged.
Zhao Wuji's brute strength was no match for the Mountain Dragon King's gravitational mastery. The ground under him caved into a semicircle, and the pressure overwhelmed him instantly.
Panicked, Zhao Wuji tried to escape, but he couldn't move an inch. The ground below transformed into a pit and then slammed shut—burying Zhao Wuji alive, leaving only his bear-like head exposed.
The spectators, seeing the fearsome Zhao Wuji defeated in an instant, lost interest and dispersed. Only Yu Tianming and the Shrek group remained.
With his head sticking out of the ground, Zhao Wuji saw the killing intent in Yu Tianming's eyes and immediately dropped the act. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's heir! Yu Xiaogang is my brother! I didn't recognize Mount Tai, please just treat me like a fart and let it go!"
Yu Tianming laughed aloud. This Zhao Wuji was something else. He'd just pummeled a level-50 soul master, but now he was using his connection to Yu Xiaogang to play humble. Classic bully—cowardly toward the strong and vicious to the weak.
Too bad Yu Xiaogang had a terrible reputation in his own clan, and his relationship with Yu Tianming wasn't exactly friendly.
Yu Tianming decided to toy with him. He withdrew his killing intent and smiled, "Since you said so, let's call it a misunderstanding. Come, let's head back to the hotel and talk things over."
The ground rippled like water and spat Zhao Wuji back out.
Having clearly seen the murderous look in Yu Tianming's eyes, Zhao Wuji now drenched in sweat, quickly laughed along. "Yes, yes… no hard feelings…"
At Yu Tianming's gesture, Zhao Wuji and Oscar gave Ma Hongjun some basic healing, then hurried back to the hotel.
Just outside the hotel, they spotted Tang San looking around anxiously.
Seeing Zhao Wuji return with Dai Mubai, Tang San quickly said, "I was attacked by a Canghui teacher just now along with Boss Dai. I came back to the hotel to find help. I'm glad he's okay now."
Hearing that, Dai Mubai let go of his earlier resentment. "Thanks, little San. Teacher Zhao got there in time. I'm not badly hurt."
Covered in blood, Ma Hongjun rolled his eyes but didn't speak—he didn't have the status to complain.
Zhao Wuji, still annoyed, just waved Tang San off and opened the door for Yu Tianming like a doorman, bowing and scraping.
Seeing this, and the way Ma Hongjun rolled his eyes, a strange glint flashed in Tang San's eyes. He seemed to be deep in thought.
After the Canghui incident, no one had eaten. Zhao Wuji specially asked the innkeeper for a private room. Nine people sat around the table.
Zhao Wuji picked up the menu, looked at Yu Tianming, and said with a smile, "How should I address you, sir? This meal is on me. Order anything. I hope you'll forgive us for any poor hospitality."
Yu Tianming didn't take the menu. He leaned back and said calmly, "Just call me Yu Tianming. I only want one bowl of beef noodles."
Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "You're the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! That makes Yu Xiaogang your uncle. Truly, we fought without knowing each other!"
Yu Tianming ignored his attempts at flattery and smirked. "Because of you picking a fight with Canghui, my beef noodles were wasted. How about you, Fudo Ming Wang, personally make me another bowl?"
Zhao Wuji's smile stiffened, but he nodded quickly. "Of course, of course. I should make another to apologize."
Then he scurried off to the kitchen.
Now only Yu Tianming and the Shrek Seven remained in the room.
Faced with Yu Tianming's dominance, aside from Ning Rongrong, the others all sat with lowered heads, too intimidated to speak.
Yu Tianming looked at the swollen-faced Dai Mubai and chuckled, "You're the third prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai, right?"
"That's all in the past. Now I'm just a Shrek student." Hearing his former noble title mentioned, Dai Mubai didn't show joy—only more gloom.
Seeing his dejected look, Zhu Zhuqing's expression also darkened. Yu Tianming remarked with intent, "I know your brother quite well. You two really do look alike."
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, Go Check It Out.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.