Nine years old, One-star Dou Zhe? (Seeking follow-up reads)

"Wu Ming, if you're a man, do you dare to fight me?"

Xiao Wu looked toward the gloomy-faced youth in the floral robe amidst the crowd and issued a provocative challenge.

"..."

He had come here to fulfill the instructions given by his big brother Xiao Ling, so he didn't care about the consequences. He would say whatever sounded the most offensive; after all, he had big brother Xiao Ling backing him up.

He wasn't afraid of a damn thing.

As for whether he might die in this fight, he hadn't even considered it. Even if he died, he would drag his opponent down with him. He wanted big brother Xiao Ling to know that he, Xiao Wu, was no coward and would not bring shame to the Xiao Clan.

"Holy crap, has this Xiao Clan junior lost his mind?"

"How does he dare to challenge a student of Jianan Academy right in front of them? Isn't this a slap in the face to Jianan Academy?"

"I think this Xiao Clan junior is truly insane. It's not like no one has ever caused trouble during the Jianan Academy enrollment period before, but they never end up well. Does he actually think his Xiao Clan can stand against Jianan Academy?"

"Exactly, and I wonder what the leader of those Xiao Clan juniors is thinking, not even stopping him?"

"..."

"Heh, I'm actually curious if that Jianan Academy student named Wu Ming will dare to accept the challenge."

"That's right, I think Wu Ming should accept it. After all, someone has brought the fight to his doorstep. If he doesn't accept, I suspect Jianan Academy will be the first to not let him off..."

"Not necessarily. After all, if he wins this fight, it's expected, but what if he loses? Wouldn't Jianan Academy be sticking their face out for this Xiao Clan junior to slap? And the kind of slap that rings out loud, too."

At this moment, the crowd in the plaza was in an absolute uproar over Xiao Wu's words. Some called Xiao Wu a fool, some were just there to watch the chaos, and others were analyzing the situation rationally. Various discussions instantly drowned out the Jianan Academy enrollment plaza.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ling, who was sitting at the entrance of a breakfast shop, watched the commotion not far away while leisurely eating a steamed bun. The stir caused by this challenge was entirely within his expectations.

What he wanted was to use the mouths of the crowd to thoroughly sever the protective bias of Jianan Academy.

"Brother Xiao Ling, that... will Xiao Wu be alright?"

Beside him, Xiao Yu set down her soy milk and asked with concern.

It wasn't that she had a crush on Xiao Wu; her heart and body belonged solely to her brother Xiao Ling. It was just that they were both from the Xiao Clan and had been raised by Xiao Ling since they were young, so they shared a special bond.

They called it brotherhood.

"Don't worry, he won't."

Xiao Ling swallowed the food in his mouth and replied casually.

Of course, he wouldn't actually let anything happen to Xiao Wu... at the critical moment, even if it meant exposing some of his strength, he would intervene...

Xiao Yu: "..."

At this moment, in the center of the plaza, Xiao Wu looked at the commotion his words had caused and couldn't help but grin. He looked at the murderous Wu Ming in the crowd with a provocative gaze and laughed loudly.

"Wu Ming, you kid have no guts. I advise you not to go to Jianan Academy; a mongrel like you going there would purely be a disgrace to Jianan Academy..."

"Enough!!!"

Wu Ming suppressed his extreme rage, his voice icy as he interrupted the provocation.

He never expected that this guy Xiao Ling would play so dirty and be so ruthless, sending a small fry to provoke him. Was he not afraid that he would slaughter this Xiao Wu?

Or was it that he was waiting for him to make a move and kill the guy, just so he would have an excuse to attack him?

Or perhaps he had some means to break through his defenses?

A series of thoughts flashed through his mind. Although Wu Ming couldn't be certain of the opponent's true plan, there was one thing he was sure of: that Xiao Ling wouldn't dare to kill him.

Otherwise, he would have made a move himself instead of sending a small fry with only nine levels of Dou Power to his death.

After all, he wasn't alone; he had the Xiao Clan behind him. If he angered Jianan Academy, his Xiao Clan would be finished in a heartbeat...

Thinking this, Wu Ming clarified his short-term plan. He intended to completely eradicate the entire Xiao Clan once he returned from Jianan Academy.

Especially that Xiao Ling, who dared to look down on him. Once he slaughtered him, he would take the two women by his side...

As for now, he would slaughter this small fry who dared to provoke him right in front of Xiao Ling, letting him understand the gap between nine levels of Dou Power and a three-star Dou Zhe.

Following this, Wu Ming took a step forward, but just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Alright, you two stop causing trouble here. Both of you go back to what you were doing, and Wu Ming, you go back too."

At this moment, a young girl wearing a goose-yellow dress, with a dainty appearance and a bit of baby fat, walked out from a tent in the center of the plaza. She was walking toward them with an angry expression.

However, given the girl's appearance, even though she was angry, she didn't seem annoying at all; on the contrary, she was quite cute.

"Senior Sister Bai Zhi."

The few Jianan Academy students beside Wu Ming bowed their heads respectfully and called out when they saw the girl in the goose-yellow dress walking toward them.

Bai Zhi ignored these junior students and instead turned her head to look at Xiao Wu, who was isolated in the center of the plaza. She furrowed her playful willow-leaf brows and said seriously.

"Your name is Xiao Wu, right? I don't care what grudges you have with Wu Ming, how about we end this today?

You can resolve it privately; I won't interfere with that.

But today is my Jianan Academy's enrollment, and I won't allow you to disturb it.

Otherwise, you are just making enemies for your Xiao Clan.

My Jianan Academy has always remained neutral, but we aren't so magnanimous that we won't strike back when provoked. You understand what I mean, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caused quite a stir in the plaza; it was clear that the crowd had not expected the leader of this Jianan Academy delegation to be so capable.

With just a few sentences, she had pinpointed the entire issue.

If the younger generation of the Xiao Clan were to continue their provocations now, it would be an act of disrespect toward Jianan Academy, and she would be fully within her rights to mobilize the surrounding troops to suppress them or take action herself without anyone being able to find fault.

Xiao Wu was also stunned for a moment; hearing the discussions among the surrounding students, the imperial troops, and the crowd, he felt a twinge of trepidation in his heart.

But it lasted only a second before his respect for his big brother Xiao Ling suppressed it, and he said in a muffled, stubborn voice.

"I, Xiao Wu, began practicing Qi at three, reached the ninth stage of Dou Power at eight, and this year, having just turned nine, I am a one-star Dou Zhe. This time, I, Xiao Wu, do not represent the Xiao Clan; I represent only myself in challenging Wu Ming, with no regard for life or death."

"Could it be... that your Jianan Academy actually recruits a piece of trash like Wu Ming?!"

As he finished speaking, Xiao Wu took a step forward, and the aura of a one-star Dou Zhe surged from his body, leaving those in the surroundings who had been ready to watch a joke frozen in their tracks.

"You..."

Bai Zhi was just about to fly into a rage upon hearing this.

But when she felt the Dou Zhe aura rising from the boy, she also froze in place, though she quickly snapped back to reality, grabbed a junior student beside her, and said anxiously.

"Go quickly and invite Instructor Ruolin; tell her I have discovered a nine-year-old Dou Zhe student."

Junior student: "???"