The midday sunlight was a little blinding. Under the blazing sun, the garden's exotic flowers and plants drooped listlessly, but its rockeries, flowing water, and winding paths leading into secluded corners lent it a tranquility all its own.
Like a little bird let out of its cage, Ning Rongrong skipped ahead, turning back now and then to urge him on. "Hurry up, Little Feifei! There's a pavilion up ahead. It's nice and cool!"
With both hands in his pockets, Zhang Fei followed at a leisurely pace, looking utterly helpless.
Rounding a rockery, they came upon an open stretch of grass with a pavilion at its center.
Several boys stood in front of the pavilion.
Their leader was about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a sumptuous white-and-gold brocade robe, with an expensive jade pendant hanging at his waist. His features were reasonably handsome, but arrogance and overbearing pride lurked in his eyes.
Four or five boys of the same age followed behind him, all in fine clothes. Clearly, this was some prince with his entourage.
It was none other than the fourth prince, Xue Beng.
Xue Beng was idly kicking pebbles on the ground when he looked up and spotted Zhang Fei and Ning Rongrong approaching in the distance.
His gaze lingered on Ning Rongrong for a moment before settling on Zhang Fei.
As the prince firmly backed by Prince Xue Xing, Xue Beng had spent years playing the fool and pretending to be a wastrel, all to lull Xue Qinghe into complacency.
But an act was an act. His fear and resentment of his elder brother, the Crown Prince, had long since seeped into his very marrow.
Now, seeing someone from Xue Qinghe's side, he naturally redirected that resentment.
"Well, where did this country bumpkin come from?" Xue Beng folded his arms and blocked their path, looking Zhang Fei up and down with a sneer. "I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's some nameless bastard."
Zhang Fei stopped, his brow furrowing.
Ning Rongrong's expression changed. "Xue Beng, watch your filthy mouth!"
"What's this? Young Lady Ning is here too?" Xue Beng scoffed. "Did I say anything wrong? Who in Heaven Dou City doesn't know that His Highness the Crown Prince picked an orphan off the street and has been raising him like some precious treasure? What, did he bring him into the palace today to show Father how merciful he is?"
He took two steps forward and leaned close to Zhang Fei, lowering his voice, though his words grew even more vicious. "You dress like a proper person, but underneath it all, you're just a lowborn bastard without a father or mother. You think you deserve to stand in the imperial palace?"
Zhang Fei's fists clenched instantly, his knuckles cracking.
He stared at Xue Beng's arrogant face as a blaze of anger flared in his chest.
But he took a deep breath and forced it down.
This was the imperial palace, and Xue Beng was a prince. If he attacked him here, he would inevitably cause trouble for Xue Qinghe.
"What? Not happy?" Seeing his silence, Xue Beng assumed he was afraid and grew even more smug. He reached out to pat Zhang Fei's face. "Come on, call me Fourth Prince. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll reward you with a couple of bones to gnaw on..."
Zhang Fei tilted his head out of reach and said coldly, "I suggest you stop asking for trouble."
"Trouble?" As though he had heard the funniest joke in the world, Xue Beng turned to his lackeys with a laugh. "Did you hear that? A beggar without a father or mother thinks he can cause trouble for a prince?"
The boys joined in the mocking laughter.
"The fourth prince is right. Who does someone like him think he is?"
"I heard His Highness the Crown Prince keeps him at his side every day. Who knows what he sees in him..."
"Maybe he's the Crown Prince's little boy toy! Hahaha!"
That last remark drew an even more grating burst of laughter.
Zhang Fei's heart gave a sudden jolt.
Holy shit, did he actually stumble onto the truth?
No, now isn't the time to think about that.
Xue Beng doubled over with laughter, pointing at Zhang Fei's nose. "Yes, yes, a boy toy! I wondered why the Crown Prince treated you so well. So that's it!"
Smack!!!
A crisp, ringing slap cut Xue Beng's words short.
Xue Beng's head snapped to one side, leaving him utterly stunned.
Clutching his burning cheek, he turned back in disbelief and met Zhang Fei's frost-cold gaze.
"You... you dare hit me?!" Xue Beng's voice cracked, his left cheek visibly swelling.
"You're exactly who I'm hitting." Zhang Fei swung his hand and slapped him again. "You can insult me, but you don't get to insult His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Get him! Beat him to death!" With his right cheek swollen too, Xue Beng screamed hysterically.
The lackeys behind him froze for a moment, then summoned their martial souls and rushed forward together.
These boys were all twelve or thirteen, most with soul power around rank twenty. They routinely threw their weight around at their academy on the strength of their family backgrounds, but their actual combat experience was pitifully scant.
Zhang Fei sneered.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Golden dragon scales instantly covered his arms, his pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and a faint draconic aura spread outward.
In a flash, he charged straight at them.
Thud!
A straight punch slammed into the leading boy's stomach. He folded like a shrimp and flew three meters backward, landing on his belly and dry-heaving.
Crack!
Zhang Fei sidestepped a feeble straight punch, caught his opponent's wrist, and twisted it. The crisp sound of a joint popping out of place rang pleasantly as the boy screamed and dropped to his knees.
"Stay away! Ah!"
The third boy had only just released his martial soul when Zhang Fei's whipping kick swept into the backs of his knees. He fell to his knees with a thump, then took a kick to the backside that sent him tumbling into the nearby flowers.
The remaining two went pale with fright and turned to run. Zhang Fei caught up in one bounding stride, striking left and right with chopping blows to the backs of their necks. Both grunted and crumpled to the ground.
The entire exchange took fewer than ten breaths.
Xue Beng watched, dumbstruck, his legs carrying him backward despite himself.
Zhang Fei turned and walked toward him one step at a time, his golden, slit-pupiled eyes gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
"Y-you stay away! I'm a prince! If you lay a hand on me, even the Crown Prince won't be able to protect you!" Xue Beng shrieked, all bluster and no courage.
Zhang Fei grinned, baring his white teeth. "You had plenty to say just now, didn't you? Go on."
"I..."
Thud!
Zhang Fei drove a fist into his left eye.
"Ah!" Xue Beng screamed, clutching his eye as he staggered backward.
"That punch was for me."
Thud!
Another punch struck his right eye, instantly giving Xue Beng a pair of panda eyes.
"That punch was for my being without a father or mother."
"Stop hitting me! Stop!" Xue Beng covered his head and scurried like a rat.
Thud!
Zhang Fei kicked him in the backside. Xue Beng fell flat on his face, like a dog diving into shit.
"That kick was for His Highness."
Zhang Fei crouched, seized Xue Beng's collar, and hauled him up before delivering another two slaps, one from each side.
Xue Beng's face was bruised and swollen, smeared with tears and snot. Not a trace of princely dignity remained.
"Stop! Stop at once!"
Urgent footsteps and shouts came from the distance.
Still not quite satisfied, Zhang Fei released Xue Beng, stood up, and dusted off his hands.
Xue Beng collapsed on the ground like a puddle of sludge and began to sob.
Nearby, Xue Qinghe, Prince Xue Xing, Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others hurried into the garden.
Clearly, a guard had seen things going badly and rushed to report it.
The instant Xue Beng saw Prince Xue Xing, he looked as though he had found his savior. Scrambling and crawling, he threw himself toward him. "Uncle! Uncle, save me! This lowborn wretch is trying to kill me!"
At the sight of Xue Beng's face, swollen like a pig's head, Prince Xue Xing's expression turned livid. He glared at Zhang Fei. "How dare you! You would commit violence in the imperial palace!"
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