Visitors from the City Lord's Mansion

Fang Ling was considering the possibility of facing two opponents alone when his teacher and Shimu suddenly brought him to Director Ou's office.

"What happened?" he asked, utterly confused.

Lin Tianyang said gravely, "We received word from an informant that someone from the City Lord's Mansion will come to kill you today."

"Because of that Life and Death Battle?"

"Yes."

After a moment of surprise, Fang Ling accepted it.

On the Douluo Continent, strength reigned supreme. Breaking one's word was nothing unusual.

"Kill me? How?" Contrary to their expectations, Fang Ling was not afraid. Instead, he found it especially novel. "I haven't left the Academy lately. Are they really daring enough to come into the Academy to attack me?"

"That's actually quite possible." Director Ou nodded slightly.

Fang Ling's expression stiffened at those words.

Director Ou continued, "Xu Chi isn't very talented and isn't favored in the City Lord's Mansion, but his mother, An Yufei, dotes on him greatly. She is currently rushing toward the Academy to avenge her beloved son."

"An Yufei is a flying Soul Ancestor. She can fly directly into the Academy."

"The City Lord has a grudge against the Principal. This could even draw out a Soul Emperor-level City Lord."

Fang Ling sucked in a sharp breath and was just about to ask whether he could run.

Then he recalled the background his teacher had never mentioned, and seeing that none of the three seemed particularly nervous, he suddenly realized something.

"Why does the Principal have a grudge against the City Lord?"

"Because Father once defeated him and two companions in a one-against-three fight. They're just background props for Father's record." Lin Tianyang smiled proudly.

So his teacher really was the Principal's son, and a powerful Soul Emperor.

The three of them had been teasing him in perfect unspoken coordination. They really had the leisure for that...

Fang Ling did not know what to say. Then inspiration suddenly struck, and his eyes brightened slightly.

"Has Shigong returned?"

"After the Life and Death Battle ended, we sensed that something might happen, so we sent someone out that very night. Judging by the time, he should be back any moment now."

"The City Lord is just a background prop~" With that assurance, Fang Ling's thoughts immediately became more active.

He could understand Xu Chi's mother wanting to avenge her son, but he could not accept it.

Did her son not deserve to die while everyone else's did?

She probably really thought that way.

That was good.

He would not blame her for anything. After all, that was simply how the world worked.

This was actually a good opportunity. He still did not have a Storage Soul Tool.

Keeping things was far too inconvenient, and nowhere was safer than on his person.

But even the cheapest ones in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's shops cost tens of thousands. He could not afford one.

And he did not dare buy the crappy, half-broken ones.

What if it suddenly exploded while he was using it?

Now, wasn't someone delivering one right to his door?

The City Lord's side was entirely in the wrong. If he extorted a sum from them, he would have everything he needed.

It would also serve as compensation for frightening him.

Honestly, it would be best to kill anyone who dared harbor murderous intent toward him.

But this was Fang Ling's own matter. There was no need to drag his teacher and the others into it.

Once he became strong enough in the future, he could settle all the accounts at once.

"Are there any defense-type Soul Ancestors in the Academy?" he quickly asked.

Lin Tianyang and Shu Manyun had yet to catch on.

A flicker of amusement flashed through Director Ou's eyes when he heard that. Realizing something, he asked, "There are two. You mean...?"

Fang Ling interlaced his fingers and smiled shyly.

"I don't have a Soul Tool, and my pockets are empty, so I can't afford one. Isn't this the perfect chance to extort a higher-grade one?"

Director Ou liked Fang Ling even more for knowing when to advance and retreat, on top of his outstanding talent.

"Good lad! Ignore your teacher and Shimu, those two slow-witted fools. Let's plan this out properly."

They could not simply capture and kill the person outright. That would mean an endless feud with the City Lord.

They were not afraid, but there was no need for that.

It would be best if they could squeeze out more compensation. Fang Ling taking the initiative to suggest it showed that he had considered every angle.

They were still plotting.

At that moment, a strange carriage combining ruggedness and luxury slowly came to a stop at the academy gates.

It bore an emblem centered around a jet-black longsword.

The Black Gold Sword—anyone with even a little knowledge knew that it was the City Lord's martial soul.

That emblem naturally belonged to the City Lord's Mansion.

The two guards at the academy entrance recognized it at once, utterly baffled.

What were people from the City Lord's Mansion doing here?

Could it be because of that recent matter at the Great Soul Arena?

Fang Ling and Xu Chi's battle had been spectacular. Both were talented figures who had won dozens of consecutive Life and Death Battles.

It had plenty of hype, was packed with spectacle, and the course of the fight had been full of twists and turns.

People had talked eagerly about that battle, so naturally the two guards knew of it.

But in a Life and Death Battle at the Great Soul Arena, once one stepped onto the stage, life and death were left to fate.

That was a rule everyone knew.

The City Lord's Mansion actually dared to bring their personal grievance here?

"Move aside! I'm going in to kill that little bastard who murdered my son!"

A shrill female voice came from within the carriage.

There was a hint of hoarseness and brokenness in it, and her words revealed that she was Xu Chi's Mother.

The guards did not know about the grudge between the academy Principal and the City Lord, but the academy had treated them well. They would not simply let her pass.

They summoned their martial souls and watched the carriage before them warily. A yellow halo appeared around each of them—they were clearly two One-Ring Spirit Masters.

"Madam, please return. This is War King Academy, not one of your subordinate institutions."

Upon hearing this, a woman in a fitted black outfit leapt directly down from the carriage.

She had chestnut hair, delicate features, and a curvaceous figure.

Though already forty, she looked only around thirty due to how well she had maintained herself.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her eyelids slightly swollen, and tear stains still lingered at the corners of her eyes. No one knew how long she had been crying.

Hearing the guard's refusal, the last thread of her reason snapped. Her fury reached its peak, and she did not even notice her nails digging into her flesh.

Or rather, her rage had soared to the heavens, causing her to ignore the pain entirely.

With a cold snort, red light flickered between her brows. Vermilion feathers began to cover her body, atop her head.

A mid-to-high-grade martial soul—the Red Feathered Crane.

A fire-attributed Beast Martial Soul. More importantly, it could fly.

Feathers densely covered her entire body, while a pair of long wings marked with black patterns unfurled from her back.

Four spirit rings of the optimal age configuration appeared around her.

The Yellow Spirit Ring in the second position flashed. With a sweep of her wings, she sent out two blasts of hot wind that directly knocked the two guards to the ground.

Then, under the horrified gaze of the carriage driver, she flew straight into the academy.

"Second Madam!" the carriage driver cried out anxiously.

A squad of soldiers rushed over from behind the carriage.

"Little sister!" the person in the lead shouted, but received no response.

"An Yufei!" Calling her by name did no good either. His expression shifted slightly, and he slammed his fist against his thigh. "How could she be so reckless!"

After steadying himself, he pointed at the carriage driver. "You, hurry back and inform the City Lord of the situation here."

"Tell him that the Madam was desperate for revenge and charged into War King Academy."

After saying that, he quickly assigned another person a task.

"Li Er, take my command token and deploy one... no, two Spirit Master squads here."

"Yes!"

"Wait." The man glanced at the two injured guards lying at the entrance and fell silent for a moment. "Also bring a Healing Spirit Master to treat these two."

The guards themselves were not important. What mattered was War King Academy's dignity.

They could not allow their injuries to worsen.

If they died, things would become much more troublesome.

It would have been fine if the City Lord—his brother-in-law—could defeat War King Academy's Principal.

But he could not.

Hopefully, the teachers inside the academy could stop her.

Otherwise, if someone was injured—or even killed—there would be serious trouble.

"The rest of you, follow me into the Academy now and rescue Second Madam!"

"Yes!"

Actually, it would be more accurate to say they were going in to capture her, but that didn't sound very nice.

The one who had forcibly barged into the Academy was his younger sister, and also the City Lord's wife. As nobles, they had to keep up appearances.

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Thank you all for your support.

A friend's Douluo fanfiction—his first novel was very well written. If you're interested, feel free to check it out.