City Lord Turmoil, Borrowing a Knife to Kill

"Move aside."

Xiao Wu reached out to push Tang San. "He's bullying us now. I'm kicking him down the stairs today."

Tang San stopped her. "I'll do it."

Xiao Chenyu laughed when he heard that and came down the stairs carrying a tray. "You? A freshman who just entered the academy, and you dare stand up for the Seventh Dormitory?"

Wang Sheng quietly warned him, "Boss, he's the city lord's son. His martial soul is a wolf, and he's almost level eleven."

Xiao Wu said impatiently, "So what if he's the city lord's son? Does getting beaten not hurt just because he's the city lord's son?"

The older students behind Xiao Chenyu immediately started jeering.

"Boss Xiao, this little girl sure has a sharp tongue."

"And this newcomer—heard he only got his soul ring yesterday, and he's already got his tail in the air."

"Let him learn who calls the shots at Notting Academy."

Tang San ignored those voices and looked only at Xiao Chenyu. "If you want to fight, fine."

"But don't drag the other work-study students into this."

Xiao Chenyu shoved his tray into a nearby student's hands and rolled his wrists. "Fine. I'll beat you first."

Xiao Wu was about to speak when Tang San turned back to look at her. "Watch from the side."

Xiao Wu glared at him. "Don't ask me to save you if you lose."

Tang San said, "I won't lose."

Ji Yuan, hidden beneath his shoe, scoffed at that.

Without Ji Yuan holding back, Tang San naturally wouldn't lose.

But for this fight, he did not intend to merely let Tang San win.

He wanted to test the demon vine's new poison.

The trace hallucinogenic toxin extracted from the Datura Snake and Xiao Wu's essence had not yet been used on a soul master.

Xiao Chenyu was just right.

Not too strong, and his status was troublesome enough.

Beating him too lightly would be no fun, but beating him too badly would draw the city lord's manor in.

It would be best if he made a fool of himself.

Xiao Chenyu raised his hand and released his martial soul. A gray wolf shadow rose behind him; his fingernails lengthened, and his face took on a more beastly cast.

The students on the first floor all retreated.

Wang Sheng gritted his teeth. "Boss, be careful. He's fast."

Tang San nodded. Blue Silver Grass emerged from his right palm, and a yellow soul ring lit up.

Xiao Chenyu had originally wanted to mock Blue Silver Grass, but when he saw the hundred-year soul ring, his expression changed.

"A hundred-year soul ring?"

Tang San said, "Scared?"

Xiao Chenyu could not save face. Clenching his teeth, he said, "Blue Silver Grass is still Blue Silver Grass. Even with a hundred-year soul ring, it's still a useless martial soul!"

He kicked off the ground and lunged at Tang San.

Ji Yuan clung to the ground from beneath Tang San's shoe. Demon vine roots slipped out through the cracks in the sole and released several wisps of colorless poison along the gaps between the stone slabs.

There was not much poison, but it rode the airflow stirred up by Xiao Chenyu's charge and entered his nostrils.

Xiao Chenyu's fist had already reached Tang San, yet when he exerted force, his wrist suddenly went limp. His punch veered aside and grazed Tang San's shoulder without hitting.

Tang San seized the opening. With a turn of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Xiao Chenyu's lower leg.

Xiao Chenyu stomped and snapped half the grass blades, roaring, "Is that all the strength you've got?"

Tang San frowned slightly.

His Blue Silver Grass truly was somewhat weak.

If Xiao Chenyu's punch had not gone off course just now, he might not have dodged so easily.

Ji Yuan gave him no chance to think further.

A second wave of hallucinogenic toxin spread through the cracks in the floor toward Xiao Chenyu's lackeys.

One older student was just about to step in and help when Tang San before his eyes suddenly became two people. He threw a punch, only to smash it straight into the shoulder of the companion beside him.

That companion cursed in pain. "Liu Qiang, why the hell did you hit me?"

Liu Qiang was baffled as well. "I was hitting him!"

Another person rushed over to break them up, but after inhaling the poison, his vision turned chaotic too. He lifted a foot and tripped Liu Qiang, and the two of them rolled into a heap.

The cafeteria first fell silent, then someone could not help laughing.

Xiao Wu slapped the table and shouted, "Nice one! Beating up your own people—is that all noble students can do?"

Xiao Chenyu's face flushed red. "Everyone, stop!"

After roaring that out, even his vision swam.

Tang San's figure darted left and right before his eyes.

Xiao Chenyu gritted his teeth and lunged again, his wolf claws slashing toward Tang San's chest.

Tang San did not retreat this time. Blue Silver Grass coiled around Xiao Chenyu's wrist from the side, while the mechanism of his sleeve arrow clicked into place in his palm.

He did not want to kill anyone.

But if Xiao Chenyu continued to strike viciously, he would not mind making him suffer a little.

Ji Yuan sensed the sleeve arrow and immediately tightened the roots near Tang San's heart meridian, making his chest constrict.

Tang San's movements slowed, and the sleeve arrow did not fire.

Ji Yuan coldly withdrew the roots.

Idiot.

Using a hidden weapon to shoot the city lord's son in the academy cafeteria would only bring trouble down on the body of his host.

For this performance, fists and feet were enough.

As Xiao Chenyu rushed close, Tang San tugged with the Blue Silver Grass and drove his knee into Xiao Chenyu's abdomen.

Xiao Chenyu doubled over in pain. Before he could recover, Tang San struck his back with a palm and pinned him to the ground.

Several lackeys tried to rush forward to save him, but the poison had affected them, leaving them shoving and stumbling into one another.

One student spotted the plate of meat on the floor and mistook it for Tang San's hidden weapon. Frightened, he kicked it away, splashing meat broth all over Xiao Chenyu's head.

The laughter on the first floor of the cafeteria grew even louder.

Xiao Chenyu lay sprawled on the ground, his Wolf Martial Soul nearly impossible to maintain. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Tang San, you dare humiliate me!"

Tang San stepped on his wrist, his tone turning cold. "You were the one who humiliated the working students first."

Xiao Wu walked over and crouched in front of Xiao Chenyu. "What about that piece of meat just now? Didn't you tell us to pick it up?"

Xiao Chenyu trembled with rage. "Just wait. My father won't let you off."

Xiao Wu raised her hand to slap him.

Tang San stopped her. "Enough."

Xiao Wu was dissatisfied. "He's still threatening us."

Tang San looked at Xiao Chenyu. "If you're not convinced, we can keep fighting."

Xiao Chenyu wanted to get up, but the pain in his abdomen came in sharp spasms, and his vision kept blurring.

He had no idea why he had performed so badly.

Tang San was clearly just a Blue Silver Grass soul master. His own strength and speed had obviously been superior, yet every time he attacked, he fell just short.

Ji Yuan quietly recorded everything from inside the sole of the shoe.

The poison took effect quickly but did not last long. It caused mild hallucinations and weakened reactions. It was especially effective on students with low soul power.

Its drawback was that it could not withstand changes in wind direction. Enclosed environments were better.

This batch of lab rats had performed adequately.

Hurried footsteps sounded from the cafeteria entrance.

An academy teacher rushed over. The moment he saw Xiao Chenyu sprawled on the ground, his expression darkened. "What happened?"

Xiao Chenyu immediately raised his head. "Teacher, Tang San ambushed me!"

Xiao Wu jumped up. "Bullshit! Everyone here saw it—you were the one who started trouble!"

Wang Sheng also forced himself to step forward. "Teacher, Boss Xiao was the one who used the meat to humiliate us first."

Xiao Chenyu snapped, "Wang Sheng, you dare speak for him?"

Tang San removed his foot and said calmly, "Teacher, you can ask everyone in the cafeteria."

The teacher swept his gaze around.

Quite a few students lowered their heads, too afraid to speak.

Not everyone dared to offend the city lord's son.

Seeing this, Ji Yuan sent the last trace of poisonous vapor beneath Liu Qiang's nose.

Liu Qiang's mind was still muddled. Pointing at Xiao Chenyu, he shouted, "Boss Xiao was the one who told us to beat Tang San! Why are you saying he ambushed you now?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.

Xiao Chenyu's face turned green. "Liu Qiang, have you gone crazy?"

Soft laughter rose through the cafeteria again.

At last, the teacher's expression changed.

He could favor Xiao Chenyu, but he could not openly twist black into white in front of so many students.

"Everyone, come with me to the Academic Affairs Office."

Xiao Wu immediately objected. "Why? They were clearly the ones who started it!"

Tang San held her back. "We'll go."

He could tell this matter wouldn't end in the cafeteria today.

But he had won.

The work-study students of Seventh Dormitory looked at him differently now. Even Wang Sheng stood a little straighter.

Ji Yuan had no interest in such empty prestige.

What concerned him was that after Tang San finished fighting, the soul power circulating within him sped up, his emotions rose, and the internal energy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill began actively replenishing what had been spent.

That was the true reward of victory.

As Tang San headed toward the Academic Affairs Office, Ji Yuan quietly drew away a portion of the freshman's internal energy, then pressed the information on hallucinogenic toxins into the demon vine's main body.

Tang San's steps grew slightly heavier. He assumed he had simply expended too much energy in the fight.

Xiao Wu moved closer and asked, "Are you alright?"

Tang San shook his head. "I'm fine."

Xiao Wu pouted. "You say that every time."

Supported by two lackeys, Xiao Chenyu walked ahead of them. He turned back and glared viciously at Tang San.

"This isn't over."

Before Tang San could reply, an unfamiliar yet gentle voice suddenly came from the end of the corridor.

"Who is Tang San?"

Everyone turned.

An elderly man in the robes of a Spirit Hall deacon stood at the stairway, with the academy director behind him.

The anger on the director's face had already been replaced by politeness. "Tang San, Master Matthew Nuo has come personally to conduct your advancement assessment."