Xue Qinghe's Indulgence

Xue Qinghe did not so much as glance at Xue Beng. He walked straight up to Zhang Fei and reached out to take his right hand.

"Did you hurt your hand hitting him?"

His voice was gentle, filled with genuine concern.

"Uh..." Zhang Fei was momentarily speechless, staring blankly at him. "...It's fine, it's fine."

The entire gathering fell silent.

Even Xue Beng's sobs caught in his throat. He widened his eyes, swollen into slits, his face full of bewilderment.

What? Are you kidding me? I'm the one whose face got beaten into a pig's head!

You aren't concerned about the person who got beaten?

Instead, you ask whether the person doing the beating hurt his hand? Is there any justice left? Any law?

Prince Xue Xing's face went from green to black, then from black to purple-a truly spectacular display.

Xue Ye knitted his brows and asked heavily, "What happened?"

A guard who had witnessed the whole affair hurriedly dropped to his knees and recounted everything in full.

From how Xue Beng had blocked the way and mocked Zhang Fei, calling him a beggar, an orphan, and a male lover, to how Zhang Fei had struck back, he concealed nothing.

As Xue Ye listened, his expression grew darker and darker.

Xue Qinghe slowly turned around, his gaze settling on Xue Beng. His eyes were so cold that he might as well have been looking at a dead man.

"Xue Beng, your usual arrogance was bad enough. I never imagined you would now cease to show even me, the Crown Prince, any respect."

His voice was quiet, yet carried a bone-piercing chill.

Xue Beng shuddered all over, only then remembering what he had said.

He had called Zhang Fei Xue Qinghe's male lover! On the surface, he had insulted Zhang Fei, but in truth, he had dragged Xue Qinghe into the mire as well!

"I-I didn't..." Xue Beng stammered, trying to defend himself through his swollen face.

"Enough!" Xue Ye slammed his hand against the stone table beside him. With so many imperial allies present, he naturally could not shield his son. He immediately thundered, "You disgraceful son! Insulting your elder brother in public with such vulgar, filthy language-what sort of conduct is that?"

He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and looked at Zhang Fei, his tone softening somewhat. "Zhang Fei, Xue Beng was at fault here. I offer you an apology on his behalf."

Zhang Fei hurriedly bowed. "Your Majesty, you are far too gracious."

Xue Ye snorted coldly and turned to Xue Beng. "Starting today, you are confined to your residence for three months and will copy the Imperial Laws one hundred times. In addition, you will compensate Zhang Fei with ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Now, apologize immediately!"

Xue Beng felt as though lightning had struck him. But beneath Xue Ye's piercing gaze, he dared not resist. Holding his swollen face, he could only walk up to Zhang Fei and force a few words through clenched teeth. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Louder! Have you not eaten?" Xue Ye snapped.

"I'm sorry!" Xue Beng shouted, his voice thick with tears.

Zhang Fei nodded expressionlessly, accepting the apology.

Prince Xue Xing stood to the side, his expression so dark it could have dripped water. But Xue Ye had spoken, and his imperial word was final. He dared say nothing more and could only support Xue Beng as they slunk away.

Ning Fengzhi shook his head and sighed, while Chen Xin remained expressionless, as though he had seen nothing at all.

Dugu Bo glanced at Zhang Fei with interest, then looked at Xue Qinghe and merely shook his head.

Ning Rongrong hid behind Ning Fengzhi, covering her mouth as she snickered. When Zhang Fei looked over, she even gave him a thumbs-up.

Everyone returned to their seats, as though the farce had been nothing more than an insignificant interlude.

Xue Qinghe stepped beside Zhang Fei and reached out to straighten his slightly disheveled collar. In a low voice, he said, "Next time something like this happens, don't hold back. Just beat him up."

Looking at his profile so close at hand, Zhang Fei felt his heart inexplicably skip a beat.

Xue Qinghe's fingers paused ever so slightly. Under the blazing sun, the tips of his ears took on a blush that only Zhang Fei could see.

By the time the banquet ended, the sun had already begun sinking westward.

Outside the palace's main gates, carriages and horses formed a winding dragon as the dignitaries departed in twos and threes.

Ning Fengzhi stopped and turned toward Xue Qinghe with a warm smile. "Qinghe, don't take today's incident to heart. Xue Beng is spoiled and willful. It was time he learned a lesson."

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Teacher." Xue Qinghe inclined his head slightly, his tone calm.

"Not at all." Ning Fengzhi waved a hand, his gaze sweeping discreetly over Zhang Fei beside him, a measure of appreciation in his eyes.

Ning Rongrong made a face at Zhang Fei. "Little Feifei, come play with me at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect next time!"

The corner of Zhang Fei's mouth twitched. He took half a step back, his face full of wariness. "No thanks, no thanks. Nothing good ever happens when I'm with you."

"Tch, cheapskate." Ning Rongrong pursed her lips.

Everyone chuckled and cupped their hands in farewell. Ning Fengzhi took Ning Rongrong into the carriage, and the rumble of its wheels faded into the distance.

Once the carriage vanished around the street corner, Zhang Fei finally let out a long breath, as though he had just sent off a little plague god.

Xue Qinghe tilted his head toward him, the corners of his lips lifting. "What's this? Rongrong is so adorable, yet you can't get away from her fast enough?"

"Adorable?" Zhang Fei rolled his eyes and muttered, "She's got a belly full of wicked schemes. Who knows how she'll trick me next time? She's my personal star of calamity."

Xue Qinghe chuckled and naturally reached out to take his hand. "Come on. Let's head back to the Crown Prince's Residence."

The warm, soft touch of his fingers against Zhang Fei's palm made Zhang Fei's heart miss half a beat.

We're already this old, and you still keep holding my hand. Do you have some kind of fetish?

Still... his hand really is soft.

After they returned to the Crown Prince's Residence, life seemed to slip back into its familiar tracks, yet something was different.

Zhang Fei discovered that he really had changed.

In the past, whenever She Long hauled him out from under his covers at dawn, Zhang Fei wanted to fight him for three hundred rounds.

Unfortunately, his strength was too meager. He could only swallow his anger and run laps while drawing little circles of curses in his mind.

Now, Zhang Fei woke naturally before daybreak and headed to the Training Ground in the rear courtyard of his own accord.

After fifty warm-up laps, he actually felt an indescribable sense of ease. Sweat dripped from his chin, and every cell in his body cheered and leaped for joy, yearning to grow stronger.

It's over. I've been successfully manipulated.

One morning, Zhang Fei stared at the ceiling beams after waking, and the sudden thought startled even him.

But on second thought, in a world where fists did the talking, growing stronger was hardly a bad thing.

Besides, that feeling of power surging through him really was addictive.

This peaceful training continued for roughly half a month.

That morning, Zhang Fei was grimacing as he lifted a Stone Lock taller than himself, his arms shaking like a cafeteria lady's hand as she ladled out food, when She Long strolled over with his hands behind his back.

He was not carrying a bamboo whip.

That surprised Zhang Fei somewhat. His hands loosened, and the Stone Lock hit the ground with a boom, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Grandpa, what's going on today?" he asked cautiously, wondering whether some new trick was in store for him.

She Long gave him a sidelong glance. "Starting today, your training plan is changing."

Zhang Fei froze. "Changing?"

"Mornings stay the same: endurance and strength. In the afternoons, you'll go to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena." She Long's tone was level.

"The Great Soul Arena?" Zhang Fei's eyes lit up, and his heartbeat quickened.

"A Soul Master can't spend forever training behind closed doors, building a cart without seeing the road." She Long's expression turned serious. "How do you use Soul Skills in an ever-changing battle? How do you identify your opponent's weaknesses? How do you find a chance of victory in a desperate situation? These things can only be honed through actual combat."

He paused, then added, "The Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena has every sort of Martial Soul, and you'll encounter opponents of every fighting style. For a young Soul Master, it's an excellent whetstone. And your life won't be in danger."