Lin Chen is Truly a Blockhead

Three burly men stood at the shop entrance, their faces twisted into menacing scowls as they loomed over Uncle Li, who had fallen to the ground.

The leader spoke in a savage tone, "Listen here, Li. A wise man submits to circumstances; there isn't a soul on this street who doesn't pay protection money to me, Guang Long."

Interrupted by a sharp reprimand from Lin Chen, he paused, then turned with a mix of impatience and malice, his gaze locking onto Lin Chen and his companions.

It would have been better if he hadn't turned around, for only then did Lin Chen, Gu Yuena, and the others get a clear look at the leader's appearance.

The man was hulking and fierce, with a lock of hair deliberately draped over his forehead to cover one eye—a flamboyant hairstyle that was somewhat laughable.

Standing in a "Thunderous" pose, he narrowed his eyes, sizing up Lin Chen's group with a sinister gaze while tilting his thick neck, radiating arrogance and tyranny.

Watching Guang Long, Lin Chen couldn't help but feel that this guy's face looked a bit like that... what was it? A broken-faced grenade king?

Guang Long let out a cold sneer, "It seems this street is truly empty if even little kids are out here trying to show off. Get lost, I don't hit children."

Tang Wulin, born to a commoner family, despised bullying the weak. He immediately stepped forward and scolded, "How can you treat Uncle Li like this? Do you have any humanity left?"

Guang Long merely scoffed, his face full of disdain and barbarity, "Humanity? Can you eat that? If you're smart, get lost and don't delay my business."

Before the words had even faded, he raised a thick hand and shoved directly toward Tang Wulin, clearly intending to push the ignorant brat aside.

A golden glint flashed in Tang Wulin's eyes; he clenched his right fist and smashed it forward to meet the palm.

With a loud bang, Guang Long stumbled back, his face instantly contorting with rage.

Seeing Tang Wulin at a disadvantage, Xie Xie flashed forward in an instant.

Lin Chen took a step, moving to Gu Yuena's side to shield her behind him.

Caught off guard, Guang Long felt Xie Xie's hand press against his throat as the boy said coldly, "Apologize to Uncle Li and pay for the damages, or I will kill you." His eyes were locked onto Guang Long.

The two lackeys nearby wanted to step forward to intervene, but Guang Long raised a hand to stop them. He swept his gaze over Xie Xie, a mocking sneer curling his lips.

"A Spirit Master, are you? A mere one-ring, daring to act tough in front of me? I've been running this street for a long time; do you really think I have no tricks up my sleeve?" His tone was dripping with contempt.

"Careful," Lin Chen frowned, immediately calling out a warning to Xie Xie.

Guang Long's fist was already slamming toward Xie Xie, and beneath his feet, one white and one yellow spirit ring rose as his entire body became covered in iron-gray scales.

Xie Xie reacted quickly, flipping backward to narrowly dodge the strike.

Two spirit souls, one small and one large, appeared on Guang Long's shoulders—one was an earthy-yellow lizard, and the other was an iron-gray lizard matching his scales.

The savage grin on his face grew more arrogant as he swept his gaze over the group, "I didn't expect you brats to all be Spirit Masters. No wonder you dared to meddle in my business."

Before he finished speaking, he lunged forward, charging straight at Tang Wulin, clearly intending to subdue the kid who had been showing off first.

In that split second, before Tang Wulin or Xie Xie could react, a streak of cyan lightning tore through the air.

Cold light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes as his deep, powerful voice rang out, "First Spirit Skill, Thunderous Might."

Violent cyan lightning erupted from his palm, transforming into a swift thunder dragon that surged forward with world-shattering momentum, slamming directly into the charging Guang Long.

Accompanied by a roar, the violent lightning struck Guang Long, shattering his iron-gray scales instantly. He was slammed heavily into the ground, and after a few struggles, he lost all power to resist.

Xie Xie walked quickly to Lin Chen's side and thanked him, "Lin Chen, thanks for stepping in just now."

Lin Chen draped an arm over Xie Xie's shoulder and replied, "What's there to thank? It would have been troublesome for you two to face him. Let's help Uncle Li up first."

Hearing this, Gu Yuena and Xie Xie stepped forward, carefully helping the injured Uncle Li to his feet.

On the other side, Tang Wulin straightened the overturned stove and instinctively glanced at where Guang Long had fallen, but the spot was empty. Clearly, the two lackeys had taken advantage of the distraction to carry Guang Long away.

"Oh no, that guy ran away," Tang Wulin frowned and called out.

Seeing this, Xie Xie gritted his teeth and said indignantly, "That bastard! He broke things and hurt people, then ran off without paying!"

Lin Chen shook his head, his expression calm as he said, "Let's head back for now."

After the four of them bid farewell to Uncle Li, Lin Chen and Gu Yuena exchanged a look. Each took out some money and quietly tucked it under the table where the stool had been knocked over, and Xie Xie also slipped some cash to Uncle Li to help him out.

After parting ways with Uncle Li, the four turned and walked toward Eastsea Academy.

Gu Yuena tilted her head, a trace of worry in her brow, and asked softly, "Since that Guang Long was beaten like that, will he hold a grudge and come back to trouble Uncle Li?"

Xie Xie waved his hand, "Probably not. He was beaten so badly by Brother Lin Chen. But just to be safe, I'll make a call later and ask my family to look out for Uncle Li."

When the group returned to Eastsea Academy, night had completely enveloped the campus.

Lin Chen stopped, looked at Xie Xie and Tang Wulin, and said calmly, "Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, you two go ahead. I'm going to chat with Na'er for a bit."

Xie Xie and Tang Wulin exchanged a look, a hint of mischievous laughter flashing in their eyes. Xie Xie deliberately drew out his tone, teasing with a sour edge, "Alright, Brother Lin Chen, you two take your time chatting then."

Lin Chen's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and faint, crackling cyan electricity began to swirl around him—he was clearly quite irritated by this guy.

Seeing this, Tang Wulin's heart tightened. Fearing Xie Xie would continue to add fuel to the fire, he grabbed his arm and bolted toward the dormitory without looking back.

In an instant, only Lin Chen and Gu Yuena remained.

The evening breeze brushed through the forest leaves, creating a soft rustling sound, and the atmosphere grew quiet and gentle. Gu Yuena lowered her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly, and a faint blush crept up her ears.

Gu Yuena turned her face slightly, her voice soft and carrying a hint of imperceptible anticipation, "Lin Chen, what did you want to talk to me about?"

She thought to herself, Is Lin Chen planning to confess his feelings to me? Xie Xie's teasing from earlier surfaced in her mind, causing her heart to beat a little faster, and she subconsciously slowed her breathing.

But the next second, Lin Chen looked at her with a straight face and asked, "It's just... I'm a bit curious, what did you guys talk about when I went out to buy drinks earlier?"

As the words fell, the anticipation on Gu Yuena's face froze instantly, and the blush on her fair cheeks solidified.

She froze for a moment, then felt both angry and embarrassed. Her long eyelashes fluttered violently, and the tiny trace of shyness in her heart vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of vexation.

She turned her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach as she muttered, "We... we weren't talking about anything, that guy Xie Xie was just cracking jokes."

The two chatted casually about the details of their recent spar and trivial matters around the academy, the evening breeze gentle and the atmosphere relaxed.

After bidding each other farewell, they both returned to their respective dormitories.

Gu Yuena's dormitory had always been occupied by her alone, and the room was so quiet that not a single sound could be heard.

She threw herself onto the bed, burying her face into the soft quilt. Thinking back to the anticipation she had felt just moments ago, and the way Lin Chen had looked so serious, she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

She clenched her small fists, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she grumbled indignantly under her breath, "Honestly, and here I was getting so excited—what a blockhead."

As her voice trailed off, the young girl buried her head into her pillow, the tips of her ears turning a faint, uncontrollable shade of red.