No Connections, Bullied. Powerful Connections, Still Bullied. What Good Were They?!

Dean Yan was already nursing a headache over the mess involving Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi.

Then he learned that his beloved disciple Ma Xiaotao had lost control of her Evil Fire again and rushed out of the Inner Court. He hurried after her with a group of people, only to learn that she had already entered the Outer Court.

As a Super Douluo, he could have stopped Ma Xiaotao at once. Instead, he ordered the news sealed off, hoping to keep the incident under wraps.

Everything he did was to protect Ma Xiaotao's reputation.

As for whether her out-of-control Evil Fire might hurt students in the Outer Court?

It was hardly the first time Yan Shaozhe had handled something like this.

Whether he soothed them afterward or offered compensation, as long as no one died, he could always bury the matter.

Those Outer Court students should count themselves blessed by their ancestors if he personally came to placate them.

But he had never imagined that, when he arrived, he would see Tang Qi send Ma Xiaotao flying with a single hammer blow.

In that instant, rage shot straight to the crown of Yan Shaozhe's head.

Bei Bei had lived in his home since childhood, but their bond could not compare to the one he shared with Ma Xiaotao.

His deepest affection for Bei Bei came from his teacher, Mu En. Ma Xiaotao was different. Orphaned as a child, she had been raised by Yan Shaozhe himself.

What was more, both their Martial Souls were phoenixes. They were not father and daughter, but they might as well have been.

"Do you... do you know who she is?"

Yan Shaozhe jerked his head up and glared at Tang Qi with bloodshot eyes.

Tang Qi put away the Clear Sky Hammer and brushed nonexistent dust from his clothes.

"I do. An Evil Soul Master."

"Rubbish! Didn't you know she came from the direction of the Inner Court?" Yan Shaozhe roared, beside himself with fury.

"What are you babbling about?" Tang Qi shrugged, looking innocent. "How would a little first-year student like me know anything about the Inner Court?"

"I thought Shrek had defied the Sea God's will and was secretly keeping an Evil Soul Master."

"What a sharp-tongued brat!" Yan Shaozhe trembled with anger, his eyes red and his breathing as heavy as an ox's.

"The teacher specifically told me a few days ago that he thought highly of you."

Yan Shaozhe's voice sank. "But Xiaotao is gravely injured. I have no heart to judge right from wrong now. I won't take your life, but you won't escape the lessons you deserve."

The moment he finished speaking, vast Soul Power surged from him like mountains toppling and seas overturning.

"Third Soul Skill: Holy Light Feathers!"

Behind Yan Shaozhe, the Bright Phoenix beat its wings. Countless feathers burning with golden sacred fire shot toward Tang Qi like a torrential downpour.

He deliberately restrained his Soul Power to avoid killing Tang Qi in a single strike.

"Clear Sky Body Protection!"

Tang Qi gave a low shout, his wrist spinning rapidly.

The Clear Sky Hammer whirled before him, weaving a barrier without a single gap.

Internal energy flowed down his arm into the hammer, then spread outward, knocking the feathers aside one by one.

Clang, clang, clang! The crisp ringing went on without pause as sparks flew.

Yet for some reason, the sight of the Clear Sky Hammer spinning before Tang Qi sent an inexplicable chill through Yan Shaozhe's heart.

Something about that Clear Sky Hammer isn't right!

"Dean Yan! What are you doing?!" Mu Jin looked utterly incredulous, his voice trembling.

"Tang Qi only acted to protect his classmates. You attacked a student without even sorting out what happened. Is that how Shrek does things?"

Beside him, Ning Tian pressed her pink lips together, torn. Then she made up her mind and stepped forward. "Dean Yan, could you spare Tang Qi for the sake of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"

"Tian Meng, can you help Brother Tang Qi?"

Huo Yutong had woken at some point. Watching the one-sided battle ahead, she was frantic with worry and could only pin her last hope on Tian Meng.

"..."

"I'd be discovered! Besides, I'm no match for him either. And... and Tang Qi has a trump card."

"But... Tian Meng, is there really nothing you can do?"

All Huo Yutong knew was that Tang Qi was a Soul Elder under attack by a Titled Douluo.

Tian Meng closed her beautiful eyes. After a long moment, she muttered furiously, "Bastard Tang Qi! Always playing the pig to eat the tiger! If you don't take me to the Divine Realm someday, I'll see how you like having my foot shoved in your mouth!"

Just as Tian Meng was about to possess Huo Yutong, an aged voice rang out.

"That's enough, Yan Shaozhe."

Yan Shaozhe froze mid-movement, and the Holy Light Feathers dissipated. He slowly turned toward the person who had appeared behind him without his noticing.

It was an old man with disheveled hair.

His white robe had been stained gray-brown by who knew what, and several holes had been torn in it. He looked as though he had crawled out of a rubbish heap.

It was the "Stomach" Douluo, Xuan Zi.

Holding a gleaming, greasy chicken leg in his right hand, Xuan Zi took a huge bite as if no one else were there. "Come on. Take Xiaotao back to the Inner Court."

"But—"

Yan Shaozhe had barely opened his mouth when Soul Power so immense it felt solid bore down on him. Xuan Zi stared straight at him with those cloudy eyes.

Xuan Zi might bungle his work, and his mind might often wander into muddle. But that did not mean his strength was as useless as his wits.

As Shrek's strongest fighter in the public eye, he had the right to breathe down anyone's neck except Mu En's.

So Yan Shaozhe could only take it.

Besides, Mu En had noticed Tang Qi long ago. What Yan Shaozhe had done was outright defiance, giving Xuan Zi every right to breathe down his neck.

Yan Shaozhe let out a heavy sigh and carefully lifted the unconscious Ma Xiaotao into his arms.

Before leaving, he swept a cold gaze over Tang Qi and the students of Class Nine. "No one is to speak of what happened today. Anyone who does will be expelled!"

With that, he followed Xuan Zi in a single step. In the blink of an eye, they vanished.

Only the students of Class Nine remained, looking at one another.

The air stayed quiet for a long while.

Then everyone crowded around Tang Qi, talking over one another.

"Vice class monitor, that was incredible!"

"Vice class monitor, you were amazing!"

"Tang Qi, don't worry. Wu Feng has decided to ask her grandfather for help."

Ning Tian came closer. "Wu Feng's grandfather is a Titled Douluo. I'll contact my sect too. Shrek will definitely owe you an explanation."

As if sensing Tang Qi's gaze, Wu Feng gave a huff and turned her head away. "Don't think I'm doing this for you. Ning Tian kept nagging me about it, so I agreed."

Tang Qi gave a faint smile and nodded to them both. "Thanks, but I can handle this myself."

Then he turned and gently rubbed Huo Yutong's head. "Take Xiao Xiao back to the dorm and get some rest. Don't worry about me."

As for Xiao Xiao, all that jostling from Tang Qi earlier had already left her limp and unconscious.

Finally, Tang Qi looked at Mu Jin.

Mu Jin opened his mouth, but no words came out. His entire view of the world had crumbled.

Tang Qi spoke calmly. "Teacher Mu Jin, I'd like to take the afternoon off and go out."

Mu Jin froze, then nodded without thinking.

Tang Qi said nothing more. He turned and headed out of the academy.

As the saying went, a gentleman could wait ten years to take revenge. But Tang Qi, who went around invoking the "path to death," was no damn gentleman.

If he had no connections, he could swallow the insult. But if he had connections and still took it lying down, what was the point of having them?!