Ma Hongjun Calls for Reinforcements? Shui Bing'er: Can I Say I Was Forced?

With a "bang," the courtyard gate was pushed open.

In the yard, a chubby, red-haired youth stood beside a stone table with an impatient expression, facing a middle-aged couple dressed in simple, kind-looking attire.

"Who is it! Pushing the door with such force..."

Ma Hongjun cursed as he turned his head, but his voice came to an abrupt halt the moment he saw who had arrived.

"Little Yan?!"

The middle-aged couple was stunned for a moment, then rushed forward with faces full of pleasant surprise.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back."

The coldness on Huang Yan's face instantly melted into a gentle smile as he stepped forward quickly.

Ma Min grabbed Huang Yan's hand in excitement, her eyes turning slightly red: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! You child, why didn't you send word ahead of time... and who are these two?"

Huang Yan turned to the side and introduced them: "Dad, Mom, this is my teacher. And this is my friend, Shui Bing'er."

Upon hearing that he was a teacher from Martial Soul Hall, Huang Ran and Ma Min hurriedly prepared to bow: "Oh my, my lords..."

Azure Luan Douluo raised his hand slightly, and a gentle wave of soul power lifted the two of them up, his tone uncharacteristically mild: "You two have raised a fine son; there is no need for such formalities. I am Azure Luan, and I have merely accompanied Little Yan back for a visit today."

Watching Huang Yan bring people home, a flicker of jealousy crossed Ma Hongjun's eyes, but he still stiffened his neck and shouted: "Huang Yan, you've come back just in time! Your parents' business has grown thanks to the backing of Martial Soul Hall; since we're all from Poultry Village, what's wrong with helping out a genius like me? My teacher Flender is a Soul Saint! Once I become a Title Douluo in the future, do you think I'd treat your family poorly?"

Huang Yan turned around, the gentleness on his face vanishing completely as he stared at Ma Hongjun with icy eyes: "Help you out? My parents work hard from dawn till dusk for their money—why should they give it to you to squander in the brothels of Suotuo City?"

Hearing the word "brothel," Shui Bing'er frowned, a look of undisguised disgust flashing in her eyes: "So that was what you were about to say earlier... you go to places like that? Truly disgusting."

Exposed in public, Ma Hongjun flew into a rage, and a turbid, purplish-red flame suddenly surged from his body: "What do you know! I do that to suppress my Evil Fire! Huang Yan, don't think you're so great just because you went to Martial Soul Hall; I am a monster genius of Shrek Academy! If you push me too far..."

"Monster? Genius?"

Huang Yan scoffed, interrupting him with eyes full of contempt. "You can't even control your own martial soul and are instead dominated by the desires of your lower body—do you really think you deserve to be called a genius?"

"You're courting death!"

Ma Hongjun roared in anger, waving his fist wreathed in murky flames as he prepared to charge.

Huang Yan stood his ground, not even bothering to release his martial soul; he merely narrowed his eyes.

A pure, incredibly domineering aura of dark-red Evil Fire erupted from his body, transforming into an invisible pressure that bore down directly on Ma Hongjun.

"Thump!"

The purplish-red flames within Ma Hongjun's body seemed to encounter a terrifying superior, instantly suppressed and forced back into his core.

Ma Hongjun's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, breaking out in a cold sweat as he stared at Huang Yan in sheer terror.

"You... you..."

Ma Hongjun's teeth chattered, unable to even form a complete sentence.

Huang Yan looked down at him from above, his tone calm yet laced with a bone-chilling coldness: "Get lost."

"If you ever dare to step foot in my home again, or dare to ask my parents for even a single cent, I will cripple that impure Evil Fire of yours along with your martial soul."

Ma Hongjun scrambled up from the ground, his obese body trembling uncontrollably with fear.

But once he ran outside the courtyard gate and felt a bit safer, he couldn't help but turn back and shout a threat at the top of his lungs:

"Huang Yan!

You just wait!

I'm going to go get my teacher, Flender, right now!

He is a level 78 Soul Saint!

When he gets here, you'll see what's coming to you!"

Huang Yan, who had already gathered a wisp of ultimate Evil Fire at his fingertips intending to teach Ma Hongjun a profound lesson, actually laughed upon hearing this.

Huang Yan dispersed the flame at his fingertips, crossed his arms over his chest, and said with great interest:

"Fine, I'll wait.

You'd better bring that Flender fellow here quickly; don't make me wait too long."

Twelve years ago.

The moment Huang Yan awakened his martial soul, he had been targeted by Flender.

Huang Yan still remembers the way Flender acted—arrogant and condescending, as if only he could solve the problem, carrying an air of bestowing charity.

If Flender really does come, it will be the perfect chance to see if he can still be as arrogant as he was back then.

Seeing Huang Yan so fearless, Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth, turned around, and vanished in a flash.

Having chased away the fly, Huang Yan turned around, the coldness on his face melting back into a gentle smile.

"Father, Mother, don't pay any mind to that piece of trash.

Let me formally introduce you."

Huang Yan gestured toward the Azure Luan Douluo beside him and said respectfully:

"This is my teacher, the Third Offering of Martial Soul Hall, Azure Luan Douluo."

"Dou... Douluo?!"

Huang Ran and Ma Min were startled, their legs going weak as they prepared to kneel again.

Azure Luan Douluo helplessly used his soul power to support them once more and said gently:

"There is no need for such formality; you may simply call me Elder Azure Luan.

Little Yan is a child of extraordinary talent and great respect for his teacher; I should be the one thanking you for bringing him into this world."

Huang Ran and Ma Min nodded repeatedly, flattered and overwhelmed.

Subsequently, Ma Min's gaze fell upon Shui Bing'er, who had remained silent the entire time.

Looking at Shui Bing'er's stunning beauty and cold, noble temperament, Ma Min's eyes lit up. She grabbed Shui Bing'er's hand, beaming from ear to ear:

"Oh my, this girl is truly beautiful!

Bing'er, is it?

Are you and our little Yan really just ordinary friends?"

Shui Bing'er's body stiffened slightly, and she smiled somewhat unnaturally:

"Auntie, we are..."

"Oh, Mother understands, Mother understands!

Young people are just shy!"

Ma Min interrupted her directly, enthusiastically promoting her son:

"Bing'er, although our little Yan can be a bit blunt at times, he is absolutely reliable!

He's been sensible since he was a child, and now he's a genius of Martial Soul Hall; he's bound to have a great future!

If you stay with him, you will never be wronged!"

Huang Ran also chimed in with a simple-minded chuckle:

"Yes, yes! Little Yan is a man of his word and a fine young man worth entrusting your life to!"

Listening to the undisguised matchmaking from Huang Yan's parents, Shui Bing'er felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Worth entrusting her life to?

This man had just mercilessly crushed Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian at Skywater Academy.

He had even half-forced her to return to Martial Soul Hall with him.

But looking at the simple, warm-hearted couple before her, Shui Bing'er couldn't bear to expose the complicated reality of their relationship. She could only bite the bullet and smile awkwardly:

"Uncle, Auntie... Huang Yan is indeed very outstanding."

"Hahaha, I knew it!

Come, come, let's not stand in the courtyard anymore, let's go inside and sit!

Mother is going to go make you something delicious right now!"

Ma Min happily pulled Shui Bing'er toward the house.