Ganging Up

Cao Feng clenched his fists tightly.

Wang Feng was right. The academy's rules held little deterrent for Noble Students, but for Work-Study Students like them, they were iron laws that they absolutely dared not defy.

They had no money and no family background. If they wanted what they desired, they had to rely on hard work.

But hard work alone was not enough to become a powerful Soul Master.

Four years had passed since his Martial Soul Awakening, yet his Soul Power Level had only reached level seven. It was not because he had failed to work hard, but because his talent had its limits.

A Soul Master's innate talent determined their future.

No matter how hard he worked, it would be difficult for him to catch up to those nobles and children from Soul Master families with inherited legacies.

He had once believed that becoming a Soul Master would allow him to change his fate. Yet after truly becoming a Soul Master with soul power, he realized that this was merely the first step of his climb.

There was still a long way to the summit.

Soul Masters also had ranks. Low-level Soul Masters could only submit before high-level Soul Masters. This was not something status could easily change.

Even nobles did not dare casually offend an expert at the Soul Saint or even Soul Douluo level.

Cao Feng knew very well that, given his talent, becoming a Soul Saint was nearly impossible. Soul Master cultivation only grew more difficult the further one progressed.

The academy's teachers all had countless ties to the nobility. The headmaster himself was a noble. Even if he was only a baron, a baron was still a noble—not someone they could aspire to approach.

Wang Feng did not want to waste any more words and directly told his younger brother to make a move.

Wang Ming smugly stepped forward, joining the other two to attack Cao Feng from both sides. The three tacitly chose not to summon their Martial Souls.

Faced with the pincer attack, Cao Feng could only defend passively. Before long, he was knocked to the ground.

The Work-Study Students watching from afar immediately tossed aside their tools and ran to call for help.

On the academy's main road, Huangfu Ji and the other two were taking a leisurely stroll. Zhao Yuan still held a chicken leg in his hand, while Liu Erlong chatted with Huangfu Ji.

The three of them laughed and talked.

A Work-Study Student rushing to spread the news dashed past them with a panicked expression, startling Zhao Yuan so badly that the chicken leg fell from his mouth onto the ground.

"Are you blind? Can't you see people here?" Zhao Yuan shouted angrily at the person as he looked at the chicken leg on the ground.

However, the person acted as though he had not heard him, shouting as he ran.

"Han Laoda, Cao Feng was beaten up by Wang Feng and his men!"

After he shouted several more times, over a dozen Work-Study Students soon rushed out from all directions. Then, led by a youth at the front, they charged toward the training grounds.

Seeing the anxious Work-Study Students, Zhao Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Damn, the Work-Study Students are mobilizing as a group."

"There's definitely going to be a show."

Combining that with what he had just heard about Cao Feng being beaten, Zhao Yuan came to his own conclusion.

Liu Erlong frowned.

"Cao Feng?"

"You know him?" Huangfu Ji asked.

He had been busy cultivating all this time and did not know a single Work-Study Student, so he had no idea who Cao Feng was.

Liu Erlong nodded.

Zhao Yuan said, "This Cao Feng is the one Wang Feng's younger brother had his men beat up yesterday—the guy Erlong saved."

Huangfu Ji immediately understood. So this was retaliation. That morning, Wang Feng had brought people to the cafeteria to look for Liu Erlong. Since he himself had been there, and fighting was not allowed in the cafeteria, Wang Feng had not retaliated against Liu Erlong.

Now it seemed Wang Feng had turned to Cao Feng instead.

"I'll go take a look." Liu Erlong turned and ran toward the training grounds.

Huangfu Ji rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before telling Zhao Yuan to gather people, just in case.

"I'll go get some people right away." After Zhao Yuan left, Huangfu Ji headed for the training grounds.

On the training grounds, Cao Feng had already been beaten until his face was swollen and bruised. Blood flowed from his nose and the corner of his mouth. If the Work-Study Students had not arrived in time, he would likely have been in even worse shape.

Facing more than a dozen Work-Study Students, Wang Ming and the others showed no fear whatsoever. They stood behind Wang Feng.

Wang Feng arrogantly looked at the youth leading them.

"Han Shuo, you filthy commoners, do you want to make enemies of me?"

Han Shuo stepped forward and glared fixedly at Wang Feng.

"We have never offended you. We are all classmates, so why do you keep bullying us?"

"Heh." Wang Feng sneered disdainfully.

"Classmates?"

"You lowly commoners think you're worthy of being classmates with us nobles? Why don't you piss in a puddle and take a good look at yourselves? Just because you attend the same Junior Soul Master Academy, you think you can climb the social ladder?"

"Let me tell you: lowly commoners will always be lowly commoners. Even if you become Soul Masters, you're still lowly commoners."

"If you want to stand on equal footing with us, become a Soul King first."

"Do you even have that talent?"

Wang Ming and the others looked provocatively at Han Shuo's group. More than a dozen Work-Study Students were furious, some even wanting to make a move, but Han Shuo raised a hand to stop them.

His hands clenched into trembling fists with rage, but Han Shuo did his best to suppress the anger in his heart.

He knew very well that they Work-Study Students were no match for the Noble Students. Though there were only four of them now, once they called their companions over, dozens or even hundreds would immediately appear.

"I hope you can apologize to Cao Feng. As nobles, you should conduct yourselves with noble dignity. What kind of ability is bullying others?" Han Shuo said coldly.

Wang Feng rolled his eyes. Asking him to apologize to a Work-Study Student would be impossible unless the sun rose in the west. Besides, he had not deliberately come looking for trouble. He stepped forward a few paces and lightly patted Han Shuo's cheek.

"You think you're worthy of making me apologize?"

He did not forget to spit as well.

Faced with such humiliation, Han Shuo could no longer endure it.

"Bastard!"

He raised his right fist and violently swung it at Wang Feng.

Completely unprepared, Wang Feng took the punch squarely on the cheek. Teeth flew out along with blood.

Lying on the ground and clutching his swollen cheek, Wang Feng could hardly believe it.

"Y-you actually dared to hit me." His swollen face made his speech somewhat slurred, but his words were still mostly understandable.

The moment he finished speaking, more than a dozen Work-Study Students rushed forward in a swarm, ready to give them a thorough beating.

Wang Ming was startled and hurriedly ran off to call for help. Wang Feng and the others, however, were out of luck, as the dozen-plus Work-Study Students surrounded them and beat them up.

When Liu Erlong arrived and saw the scene before her, she did not know what to say.

She had originally come to help, but now it seemed there was no need for her at all.

When Huangfu Ji saw this, he burst out laughing.

"Looks like you aren't needed here."

Liu Erlong pursed her lips and said nothing.

Just as they were preparing to leave, they suddenly saw dozens of students hurrying over from the distance.

"This is going to be trouble." Huangfu Ji immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The commotion on the training grounds was too great and directly alerted the teachers. Some had initially intended to reprimand the students, but the moment they saw Yuan Ling, they did not dare make a sound and could only let them carry on.

After arriving, Yuan Ling first glanced at Huangfu Ji before directly ordering them to attack.

Dozens of students closed in, completely surrounding Han Shuo and the others.

Just as they were about to make their move, Liu Erlong shouted.

"Stop!"

Everyone looked her way.

Liu Erlong pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Han Shuo and the others. Though she was not very tall yet, she appeared incomparably towering in the eyes of the Work-Study Students.

After all, at a time like this, someone was still willing to stand up for them—and she was even a girl.