Leon blocked the middle of the road. His two lackeys stopped behind him as well, folding their arms and watching Chen Fan with mocking expressions.
In their eyes, ordinary local students from the Nine Provinces were no different from ants.
Whenever they wanted, they could find some excuse to get them expelled, or even make them disappear.
After all, those people always stood on their side.
"I asked you a question. Are you deaf?" When Chen Fan said nothing, Leon grew even more arrogant. "Su Wan is mine, and you dare touch her? Kid, you'd better know what's good for you and stay away from her, or you'll have a bitter fruit to swallow."
Chen Fan folded his arms and spoke unhurriedly. "Yours? Since when did Mysterious Spirit Academy become your family's backyard? Have the students become your private property too?"
Leon froze for a moment, then sneered. "Kid, do you know who I am? I'm an exchange student from the Holy See, and my uncle is a cardinal. Cross me, and you won't be able to stay at Mysterious Spirit Academy-or anywhere in Jingzhou City!"
Every other word out of his mouth was the Holy See or his cardinal uncle. He clearly treated them as an imperial sword of authority, one that never failed him.
It was not as though no one had ever resisted him before. But once he invoked his Holy See connections and had Vice Principal Hu apply pressure, they all obediently backed down in the end.
As far as he was concerned, this shabby local student would be no exception.
"Is a cardinal so impressive?" Chen Fan raised an eyebrow, his tone flat. "This is the Immortal Palace's Nine Provinces, not the Freedom Divine Domain, much less the Holy See. Never mind a mere cardinal's nephew-even if the pope himself came here, he would have to follow the Immortal Palace's rules."
"Insolence!" Leon's expression darkened. He had never met a local student who dared speak to him like this. "A mere low-level cultivator dares disrespect the Holy See? You must be tired of living!"
The lackeys behind him immediately stepped forward, looking ferocious as they prepared to attack.
Chen Fan stood perfectly still, his eyes filled with mockery.
"What, you can't win an argument, so you want to throw punches?" Chen Fan raised his voice a little, deliberately drawing the attention of those nearby. "In broad daylight, on academy grounds, foreign exchange students openly provoke trouble and assault a student of this academy. Is this what Mysterious Spirit Academy teaches you?"
A few students happened to be passing nearby. Hearing his voice, they stopped and looked over.
When they saw Leon and his companions, indignation appeared on their faces, but none dared approach. They only watched from a distance.
Everyone knew Leon had powerful connections and that crossing him never ended well.
But resentment had long since piled up in their hearts.
Seeing the onlookers, Leon did not restrain himself. Instead, he grew even more smug.
He wanted everyone to know that at Mysterious Spirit Academy, he, Leon, called the shots.
"So what if I provoke trouble?" Leon sneered, his face full of arrogance. "So what if I beat you? Go report me. See whether the academy believes you or me."
Chen Fan remained perfectly still and began slapping labels on him one after another.
"Leon, first, this isn't a personal dispute with me. You're challenging the Immortal Palace's bottom line, damaging the image of international students, and disrupting the broader framework of educational and diplomatic exchanges."
"Second, threatening me with 'who the academy believes' puts the academy in the position of shielding unlawful conduct involving foreigners. You're creating a risk of foreign-related public controversy and gambling with the academy's reputation. This is a serious misjudgment of the situation."
"Third, I warn you: do not underestimate the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall's determination to handle foreign-related incidents. Do not mistake courtesy for a blessing, and do not escalate this matter. Rein in your horse at the precipice. Do not say you were not warned."
Leon's face alternated between red and white. He pointed at Chen Fan, unable to force out a complete sentence for a long while, then flung his hand and squeezed three words through his teeth:
"You are arrogant!"
Pointing at Chen Fan, he shouted angrily, then raised his hand and swung at Chen Fan's face.
In his view, he could send a local Qi Refining Realm student flying with a single slap.
But the next instant, his wrist was caught in an iron grip.
Chen Fan's hand clamped around his wrist like iron pincers, not budging an inch.
Leon's expression changed. He struggled with all his strength, but his wrist did not move. He was at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, yet he could not break free from a Qi Refining Realm student's hand?
Chen Fan tightened his grip slightly, and Leon immediately bared his teeth in pain and let out a miserable scream.
He stepped forward, unleashing his presence, every word ringing out with weight:
"You are overbearing. This is the Immortal Palace, the land of the Nine Provinces. Never mind exchange students like you-even the domain lord of your Freedom Divine Domain or the pope of the Holy See would have to follow the Immortal Palace's rules and behave obediently upon setting foot on its territory."
"Who gave you the right to run wild here?"
The words rang out with weight.
The surrounding students were stunned, then felt an indescribable rush of satisfaction.
That felt so good!
These international students had been arrogant for so long, and someone had finally dared stand up and confront them!
And he was absolutely right! This was the Immortal Palace's territory. Why should they indulge a bunch of outsiders?
"Well said!"
Someone shouted first, and voices of agreement immediately rose one after another.
"Exactly! This is the Immortal Palace, not somewhere you can run wild!"
"Haven't you bullied us enough already? Do you really think no one can deal with you?"
"Go back to your Freedom Divine Domain!"
The crowd's emotions ignited, and resentment pent up for more than half a year erupted all at once.
Leon's face flushed crimson with rage. In pain and fury, he said, "You... you dare speak to me like that! Just you wait! I'm going to Vice Principal Hu right now! I'll have him expel you! I'll ruin your name and standing!"
"Vice Principal Hu?" Chen Fan sneered and released his hand. "Perfect. I wanted to see him too. I'd like to ask whether this is how Mysterious Spirit Academy's vice principal lets foreign students bully his academy's own students. Is this how he uses the Immortal Palace's resources to raise a pack of ungrateful wolves?"
"Stop spitting blood at me!" Leon shouted, fierce in appearance but inwardly weak. "You were clearly the one who hit me first!"
"Did I hit you?" Chen Fan spread his hands in a little-bear shrug, looking utterly innocent. "Everyone saw what happened. You attacked first, and I merely defended myself. What, you're allowed to hit me, but I'm not allowed to block? Is that the Holy See's idea of reason?"
The surrounding students immediately chimed in:
"That's right! We all saw it. Leon attacked first!"
"He only blocked the blow! He didn't hit him at all!"
Everyone spoke up, one after another, all taking Chen Fan's side.
The resentment they had bottled up for so long finally had an outlet.
Faced with a crowd whose anger he could not defy, Leon felt a little panicked, but he still refused to back down. "You... all of you, just you wait!"
Leaving that threat behind, he turned and left, his two lackeys hurrying after him.
As he left, he shot Chen Fan another vicious glare, clearly going to fetch reinforcements.
"Hey, you should leave!" A kindhearted girl stepped forward and urged Chen Fan anxiously, "Leon must have gone to Vice Principal Hu! Vice Principal Hu always protects them. You'll be in trouble!"
"Yes, hurry and leave! Vice Principal Hu is a mighty Body Integration Realm cultivator. He can expel you with a single word!" another male student advised.
Chen Fan smiled and reassured them. "It's fine. I'm not leaving. I'd like to see just how biased this Vice Principal Hu can be."
Not only did he stay, but he found a clean stone slab and leisurely sat down.
He had been wondering how to approach this vice principal. Now, conveniently enough, the man was delivering himself right to his door.
That saved him a trip.
The surrounding students were a little bewildered by his composure.
Curious, none of them left. They all stayed to see what would happen next.
Deep down, they faintly hoped that this young man who dared confront the international students head-on could truly put a stop to Leon and Vice Principal Hu's crooked ways.
Sitting on the stone, Chen Fan rubbed the reserve token inside his clothes with his fingertips.
Before long, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance.
A large group marched over, led by a stern-faced, middle-aged cultivator in brocade robes, his cultivation unfathomable. It was none other than Mysterious Spirit Academy's vice principal-Hu Zhongyuan.
A group of teachers and security guards followed behind him. Leon walked beside him, saying something with an aggrieved expression and occasionally pointing toward Chen Fan.
When Hu Zhongyuan saw that Chen Fan actually dared remain seated there waiting, his face immediately darkened.
What audacity!
Some wet-behind-the-ears brat from who knew where dared lay hands on his honored guest, on his own turf?