Before the words had even faded, Meng Shenji's face darkened like clouds gathering before a storm.
Did that clueless idiot want them dead even faster?
"Shut up!" Meng Shenji roared, cutting off the other man's tirade.
"That was then. This is now!"
"I was deceived by you and thought you'd suffered some terrible injustice."
"Who knew you scoundrels were the ones who started trouble, and still had the nerve to accuse others first!"
Bai Baoshan and Zhilin glared at them, faces full of fury.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy will never take in people of such poor character."
"Take your people and get out of here!"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun covered their faces and shakily climbed to their feet.
Even with ten times their courage, they wouldn't dare vent their anger on Poison Douluo or the three Education Committee members.
All their resentment and indignation instantly focused on the young man leisurely sipping his tea.
Dai Mubai glared at Qin Feng, his back teeth grinding.
This bastard was to blame!
If he hadn't meddled, how could Shrek have ended up in such a predicament?
Sooner or later, he'd repay this debt tenfold, a hundredfold.
Ning Rongrong stood rooted to the spot, clutching her communicator in both hands.
Her little mouth hung open, her clear eyes filled with shock.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the alarm in each other's eyes.
He'd actually guessed it right!
The group leader's words from earlier—"You'll be driven out soon"—now rang in their ears like a thunderclap.
They'd thought it was just a joke. Who could have imagined it would come true in the blink of an eye?
Just what terrifying means did this "Douluo People Don't Deceive Douluo People" have?
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red, the veins in his neck bulging.
His indignation drove him to keep arguing.
"You can't do this to us. We Shrek..."
Before he could finish, a dangerous aura locked onto his throat.
Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, his green eyes radiating bone-chilling cold.
The terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo bore down on Yu Xiaogang, leaving him gasping for breath.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
His cold voice echoed through the hall, laced with undisguised killing intent.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were scared out of their wits and didn't dare utter a single threat.
They scrambled away, like a pair of stray dogs.
Overcome by terror, Yu Xiaogang could only flee the East Palace in disgrace with the others, his tail between his legs.
He was afraid that if he took one step too slowly, the vicious Poison Douluo would kill him on the spot.
At last, the hall was cleared of all the riffraff.
Meng Shenji and the other two wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and let out long breaths of relief.
Then they quickly put on ingratiating smiles and hurried over to Qin Feng.
"Young master, we're truly sorry about what just happened."
"We old fools nearly let those scoundrels deceive us."
"Thanks to your righteous intervention, the academy's reputation was saved."
The three elders, men of high standing in the Heaven Dou Empire, now spoke obsequiously to a young man.
Qin Feng set down his teacup, lifted his eyelids slightly, and glanced at the three old men.
His expression was calm, his tone tinged with amusement.
"Don't be."
"Weren't you putting on quite a show just now?"
"I liked you better when you were acting all high and mighty. Why not go back to that?"
These unabashed jibes caused the three Education Committee members' smiles to freeze on their faces.
Meng Shenji's cheek twitched, his heart full of frustration.
As a Soul Douluo, he would normally have struck back at anyone who mocked him to his face like that.
But now, they couldn't even bring themselves to show their displeasure.
This young man was a favorite of the Crown Prince, and he was also connected to Poison Douluo.
With connections like those, they wouldn't dare offend him even if they had ten times their courage.
No matter how angry they were, they could only swallow their rage and keep up their awkward smiles.
Off to the side, Dugu Yan stared at Qin Feng without blinking.
His domineering display just now, and his composure in the face of the three Education Committee members, had both deeply captivated her.
A blush rose on her cheeks, and her eyes brimmed with undisguised admiration.
Qian Renxue sat in the seat of honor, taking in Dugu Yan's infatuated expression.
A surge of jealousy flared in her heart.
What kind of magic did this guy have? How did he manage to attract women wherever he went?
He'd only just arrived at Heaven Dou Royal Academy today. He hadn't even warmed his seat, and he was already cozying up to Poison Douluo's precious granddaughter.
"..."
Looking at Qin Feng's handsome profile, Qian Renxue felt waves of sour jealousy. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became.
Dugu Bo stood nearby, his cloudy yet sharp eyes sizing up Qin Feng without restraint.
This kid had remained calm and respectful before the three Education Committee members, and hadn't so much as flinched under Dugu Bo's gaze.
He certainly had some guts.
Qin Feng met his scrutinizing gaze, still as steady as a mountain.
But inside, he'd already begun complaining to himself.
Old Poison looked fierce, but deep down, he was an honest man.
It was just too bad he wasn't very bright. In the future, Tang San would fleece him until he didn't have a pair of pants left, even turning that precious medicinal garden into a wedding gift for someone else.
The atmosphere in the hall grew ever stranger, and Qian Renxue's irritation mounted.
It was all that trash from Shrek's fault. Now so many people were watching.
"Ahem!"
Qian Renxue deliberately cleared her throat, her face assuming some of the Crown Prince's authority.
"Education Committee member Meng Shenji, you have no further business here. You may leave."
"As for Guest Elder Dugu, please wait a moment."
"This palace will arrange for you to catch up with this young master shortly."
At this blatant dismissal, Meng Shenji and the other two froze.
They exchanged startled glances, waves crashing in their hearts.
The Crown Prince had actually dismissed them in front of everyone for this young man.
Just what terrifying identity did he have?
Looking at Qin Feng's devastatingly handsome face and recalling the rumors that the Crown Prince had remained unmarried for years, an absurd thought began to take shape in their minds.
Could it be...
The Crown Prince had fallen for this young man?
Gasp!
All three Education Committee members sucked in a sharp breath, their backs turning cold.
They couldn't afford to learn about the royal family's peculiar tastes.
"Yes, we'll take our leave!"
The three scrambled around and fled the hall in a flash.
Dugu Bo watched the old men's pathetic retreat, and his own thoughts took a strange turn.
Damn!
Could the Heaven Dou Crown Prince really have that kind of preference for men?
At the thought, Dugu Bo sucked in another breath and looked at Qin Feng with a complicated expression.
He'd thought the kid would make a good grandson-in-law, but now it seemed best to steer clear of this mess.
And thinking about how his granddaughter had been mistreated earlier only fanned the anger in his heart.
Those little brats from Shrek probably hadn't made it out of Heaven Dou City yet.
There was no point staying here. He might as well go after those fools who didn't know what they were getting into and teach them a lesson.