Lin Beiya slowly opened his eyes, spread his hands, and looked straight at Demon Bear Douluo as he said:
"I haven't had many Soul Fighting matches myself, and I had no idea Soul Elders were so frail. I'll be more careful with my strength next time."
Those words made Demon Bear grit his teeth in fury. He gently laid Xiong Chumo on the ground, then strode over to Lin Beiya.
"You sharp-tongued little brat. I'll teach you a lesson on the Pope's behalf and show you what humility means."
As he spoke, Soul Power wrapped around Demon Bear Douluo's fist, and he prepared to strike Lin Beiya.
Seeing that Demon Bear Douluo was truly willing to cast aside his dignity and attack a child, everyone at the academy—students and staff alike—turned pale with shock. The Pope had only just announced the day before that Lin Beiya was her disciple. If he got hurt at the academy, what then?
The principal was nearly in tears. Relying on his Soul Saint strength, he hurried down from the raised platform, but it seemed too late. He couldn't get between the two before a Titled Douluo struck.
Unlike the anxious crowd, Lin Beiya seemed utterly unconcerned. The corner of his mouth even curled into a faint smile.
His extraordinary perception had already sensed someone approaching.
Sure enough, just as Demon Bear Douluo's fist was about to land, a woman's voice, full of authority, rang out among them.
"Elder Xiong, when did I ever say you could discipline my disciple on my behalf?"
"Uh..."
Demon Bear Douluo's fist froze in midair, and cold sweat began to bead on his brow. He was sure his cultivation was currently higher than Bibi Dong's, but the killing intent she directed at him still filled him with dread.
"Y-Your Holiness..."
Turning his head mechanically, Demon Bear Douluo met Bibi Dong's icy gaze, devoid of the slightest emotion. He had no doubt that if he couldn't offer a reasonable explanation, she would attack him on the spot.
Even if he didn't think he would necessarily lose, everyone still believed Bibi Dong had the Worship Hall backing her.
He wouldn't dare incur the wrath of those worshippers.
Strength wasn't all it took to rise to the position of an elder. Tact and people skills were essential, too.
"Your Holiness, please calm your anger. Since you're here, I'll leave it to you to discipline your disciple for recklessly injuring someone. I won't overstep."
In just a few words, he shifted the blame onto Lin Beiya. The surrounding students looked at the grandfather and grandson with even greater disdain. Who couldn't see what the boy was up to? Who would believe Demon Bear hadn't approved of it?
"Oh? Is that so?"
Bibi Dong slowly withdrew her killing intent and looked toward her nominal disciple with an expression that seemed to ask for an explanation.
Lin Beiya shrugged and said, completely unconcerned:
"Teacher, the moment I arrived at school today, Xiong Chumo stopped me and provoked me. He insisted on dragging me to the Soul Fighting Arena for a match."
"Everyone here can vouch for that, even the watchdog at the academy gate."
"You can't punish me just because my opponent was too weak."
"Besides, you know how powerful my moves are. If I'd used the same force as last time in the Reception Hall, it wouldn't just be Xiong Chumo—the entire platform would've been gone!"
Lin Beiya's words quickly won the students' support. They all called out that Xiong Chumo had been the one to provoke him.
Demon Bear Douluo kept his face dark throughout. He knew he and his grandson had no choice but to swallow this humiliation.
Bibi Dong bit her lip, fighting back a laugh.
She hadn't known her nominal disciple could be so vicious with his words. He was practically twisting the knife.
But she had only just ascended to the throne and wasn't ready to make too many enemies. She believed Lin Beiya wouldn't mind her decision, either.
"I've more or less got the full picture. Elder Xiong, you should keep a closer rein on your grandson. I believe he's been studying at the Martial Soul Advanced Soul Master Academy for two years now. Why was he at the Martial Soul Primary Academy today?"
"This..."
Bibi Dong's question left Demon Bear at a loss for words. For a long while, he couldn't utter a sound.
"Enough. We'll leave things there for today. I won't hold Elder Xiong's grandson responsible for disrupting classes. Find a healing Soul Master to treat your young master's injuries first."
"Yes. Thank you for your understanding, Your Holiness."
Having lost both face and the fight, Demon Bear Douluo had no reason to linger. He grabbed his grandson and flew out of the academy.
Before leaving, however, Demon Bear Douluo turned and shot Lin Beiya a furious look. He had clearly taken a grudge against him.
Lin Beiya felt a little helpless. He wasn't sure whether this attempt to scare the others by making an example of one person had been a good idea. Never mind whether it had put the others on their guard—he'd ended up offending a Titled Douluo.
"Ah, so much for keeping a low profile."
With no more excitement to watch, the principal breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly told everyone to disperse. Then he greeted Bibi Dong before quietly taking his leave.
That left the master and disciple staring at each other.
Once there was no one else around, Bibi Dong shot Lin Beiya a glare.
"You really know how to cause trouble for me."
Lin Beiya wore a polite, perfectly composed smile, but his meaning was clear.
How is it my fault this trouble came looking for me? Wasn't it because you used my name to shore up your position? If I'd just stayed in Douluo Hall to cultivate, none of this would've happened.
Bibi Dong clearly understood what his eyes were saying. She gave an awkward cough but didn't intend to reprimand him for his rashness.
In fact, she preferred Lin Beiya this way. A disciple unmatched among his peers could bring her an immeasurable boost in reputation.
It was much like how Tang Hao, as the youngest Titled Douluo, had brought prestige to the Clear Sky Sect. True, Spirit Hall had shattered that prestige to pieces less than two days later, but it had still shaken the entire continent at the time.
"Enough. You did well this time. If anyone else comes looking for trouble, you needn't hold back. Just defeat them all."
"Your teacher will have your back. Even if those people aren't happy about it, all they can do is swallow their anger."
Lin Beiya nodded. Whether Bibi Dong was sincere or not, her promise was all he needed.
He might like to keep a low profile, but he had no habit of cowering like a turtle when someone provoked him.
"Then thank you for backing me up, Teacher. I won't let you down."
The peculiar form of address made Bibi Dong's pretty face darken at once. Could this young man not speak properly? She was only thirty-five. Who called someone that age an old lady?
"Seems like you've got too much energy and nowhere to spend it. Once I'm done with my official duties today, we'll have a good spar. I can give you some pointers, too."
"..."
If you want to beat me up, just say so. This mother and daughter are exactly alike—they both love coming up with a pile of high-minded excuses for what they do.
Swallowing his frustration, Lin Beiya silently vowed never to run his mouth again. Outwardly, he could only put on a grateful expression.
"Really? Then thank you, Teacher."
"No need. Pay attention in class. Meet me behind the Pope Hall tonight."
A breeze swept past, and Bibi Dong vanished from Lin Beiya's sight.
With a soft sigh, Lin Beiya—fairly confident he could take a beating—slowly headed for class, thinking about how he would beat her back once he'd grown strong enough.
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