What was wrong with Plant Spirit Pets?!
What was wrong with Plant Spirit Pets?!
Huohuo seemed to hear the contempt in Song Shao's words and immediately furiously swung its vines in his direction.
At the same time, the vines holding Zhou Lu tightened, expressing its displeasure toward Song Shao.
If Huohuo had vocal organs by now, it would have roared at Song Shao long ago.
But after lecturing his own team members, Song Shao acted as if he did not care at all. He skipped right over Zhou Lu and walked toward Xu Wuhu.
He had not used this as an excuse to put on airs and reprimand Zhou Lu. He genuinely thought so.
Plant Spirit Pets—at least first- and second-rank Plant Spirit Pets—were not even qualified to stand before him.
Besides, he could not be bothered to truly stand up for two useless underlings. That would only make him seem too cheap.
Using this as an excuse to make a post and stir up trouble was merely meant to deliberately provoke an incident, drawing Xin'an's School Team into a Beast Taming match.
Song Shao intended to use this match to establish his authority and confirm his leadership among this batch of School Team members.
Win people over?
That phrase did not exist in his eyes. It had always been others currying favor with him.
"Although these two couldn't even beat a Plant Spirit Pet..."
"No, Captain! That guy had no martial virtue! Those Muscle Mushrooms..."
"Shut up!" Song Shao coldly glanced at the tall, thin man, his voice filled with rage.
The tall, thin man shuddered and immediately shrank back.
Only then did Song Shao's expression ease as he looked at Xu Wuhu. "But they are, after all, students of our Linzhou Beast Taming Academy. They were bullied like this, and I cannot simply stand by."
What he spoke of was the cause of this Beast Taming match, but he was not saying it for Xu Wuhu to hear. He was saying it for the school reporters in the crowd.
Everything needed a cause—that was righteous justification. As long as he waved the banner of students being bullied for no reason, his challenge would be justified.
Song Shao's disregard made Huohuo even angrier.
Feeling Huohuo's emotions, Zhou Lu sighed softly.
He had not wanted to get involved in this matter. Though he had never planned to lie low until becoming invincible, he was ultimately not someone who liked standing in the public eye.
But with Huohuo in this state, he had to find a way to ease its feelings.
Spirit Pets were like children.
You had to let them know that all their efforts would be rewarded, so they could train better afterward.
Relying solely on the bond between master and pet was like relying only on parental affection to make a child study hard and earn good grades. It worked, but it would not last.
Huohuo was so furious because Song Shao's contempt and disregard made it feel that all its efforts these past few days had been in vain.
No matter how hard it worked, Plant Spirit Pets were still synonymous with weakness in other people's eyes.
Huohuo was already very unhappy. It had only held back because it did not want to cause trouble for its master.
But Zhou Lu knew very well that if he did not stand up for Huohuo this time and prove its strength, this little blade of grass would suffer a severe blow to its motivation.
It would no longer know what it was striving to become stronger for.
Its future training would also be affected by its mindset.
It was like during the initial combat assessment, when Yu Fei had the Gale Wolf continue fighting even after Zhou Lu could have passed the test, following his apology.
Spirit Pet and master fulfilled each other.
Neither side was the other's tool. They were partners who lived and fought together.
Zhou Lu raised a hand and tapped Huohuo's shell atop his head. "Prepare for battle."
Huohuo instantly understood its master's meaning, and wild joy filled its emotions.
After soothing Huohuo with a single sentence, Zhou Lu's gaze fell upon Song Shao.
All things under heaven required righteous justification.
If Song Shao had directly mocked him, that would have been easy. Zhou Lu could have challenged Song Shao on the grounds that his reputation had been damaged.
But Song Shao had skipped right over him and started talking to Xu Wuhu. Challenging him now would instead make it seem as if Zhou Lu had been stepped on the tail and lost his composure.
Disregard was the greatest contempt.
A young noble heir sneering in one's face was certainly hateful, but true contempt was ignoring your existence for one's entire life, as though you were not a person living in this world, but a lowly animal.
Feeling Huohuo's surging battle intent, Zhou Lu knew this fight had to happen.
Since you would not give me righteous justification, then I would create it myself.
His gaze landed on the tall, thin man, who was holding his face with a dejected expression.
After spending too long arguing online in his previous life, he had gradually come to understand one principle.
If you wanted to stand on the moral high ground and point fingers, then every word you said had to pivot toward political correctness!
Classmate, lend me your future.
"Song Shao." Having thought it through, Zhou Lu slowly spoke.
His words directly interrupted Xu Wuhu, but Xu Wuhu was not angry. He looked curiously at Zhou Lu.
Zhou Lu looked at Song Shao and said with righteous indignation, "Song Shao, campus bullying is not encouraged."
"???"
Zhou Lu's words directly left Song Shao dumbfounded.
Was this guy insane? He had not even gone looking for trouble with him, yet he jumped out to accuse him of campus bullying?
The guy I slapped has no complaints, but you're the one taking issue with it?
Song Shao's expression immediately darkened.
Yet Zhou Lu seemed to be cloaked in righteousness. Pointing at the tall, thin man whose face still bore a slap mark, he said to Song Shao, "I think you should apologize to this classmate."
"Fuck! Don't spout nonsense!" Seeing Song Shao's drastically changed expression, the tall, thin man was nearly in tears.
If he offended this young master, how was he supposed to survive in the Beast Taming Academy from now on?!
Wasn't it just that I attacked you in the secret realm? You already beat me up once—are you still trying to retaliate against me?!
"Where is the bullying?! Who bullied anyone?!" the tall, thin man shouted. As he spoke, he gesticulated wildly at the surrounding students. "Captain Song Shao never bullied me! He didn't!"
Wait...
With a slap mark Song Shao had just left on your face, were you shouting that to explain yourself or to mock him sarcastically?
Feeling the strange looks from those around him, Song Shao trembled with rage.
"You!"
The moment he opened his mouth, Zhou Lu beat him to it and loudly declared, "Classmate! You do not need to cover for this bully! With me here today, I absolutely will not let him keep bullying you!"
The tall, thin man completely broke down upon hearing Zhou Lu's words.
Come on, brother, don't do me like this!
You're pushing me straight into a pit of fire!
Your words today sound righteous and awe-inspiring, but you're not even from Linzhou Beast Taming Academy!
You may be helping me vent my anger today, but tomorrow Song Shao is going to kill me!
Zhou Lu did not care what the tall, thin man thought.
Anyone capable of acting so arrogantly in the secret realm was no good person anyway.
Zhou Lu felt not the slightest psychological burden about feeding on this man's blood-soaked buns.
Zhou Lu assumed the most standard challenge stance toward Song Shao. "I will not turn a blind eye to such evil occurring on campus! Fight me, Song Shao."
"Good! Good! Good!" Song Shao laughed in extreme anger. "You do have guts! You dare challenge me with a Plant Spirit Pet—and a first-rank Plant Spirit Pet at that! Then let me see whether you truly have the ability."
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