A young, childish voice rang out.
Everyone except Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan visibly paled.
Several people in the crowd even left immediately, no longer interested in staying to watch the show.
Xiao Fan looked toward the voice and saw a girl in a white dress squeezing through the crowd.
"Why is she here?!"
Standing to one side, Lin Yan hesitated when he saw Zi Yan. Then he glanced at Xiao Fan and decided not to flee, though he did edge a little closer to him.
"Zi Yan?"
Surprised to see Zi Yan here, Xiao Fan smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Cultivating, of course!"
Zi Yan rolled her eyes at Xiao Fan, then walked up to him with a serious expression. Raising her chin at Liu Qing, she said with a swagger, "What, were you going to bully Xiao Fan?"
A trace of wariness crossed Liu Qing's face when Zi Yan appeared. He had never expected the Brute Force King to step forward and protect Xiao Fan.
Frowning, Liu Qing forced a smile and said, "Senior Zi Yan, you've misunderstood. This was just a little misunderstanding."
The tall, powerfully built young man, who had looked so fierce and imposing moments ago, was now respectfully addressing a girl who barely reached his waist and looked only twelve or thirteen as his senior.
He even wore a fawning smile. Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan watched in amazement.
Yet the students around them seemed to take it all for granted. No one thought there was anything wrong with Liu Qing's attitude.
Even Yao Sheng, whose tone had been full of admiration for Liu Qing earlier, had shrunk into the crowd at the sight of Zi Yan, not daring to show his face.
"Hey, didn't I tell you that you're under