No one had ever attended Lu Wu's parent-teacher conferences, and to this day, no one had seen any sign that he had a powerful background.
He had even worked temporary jobs to earn money in middle school.
Now, after his Magic Awakening, he often skipped class. Liu Tong was certain Lu Wu had gone off to work temporary jobs.
That would make Lu Wu's cultivation progress much slower.
Liu Tong had never forgotten those times he had been beaten. He had been yearning for revenge.
"The Dongfang Family?"
"That's right. I'm with the Dongfang Family now." Liu Tong was extremely pleased with himself. Ever since he had latched onto the Dongfang Family, he had started acquiring lackeys.
Even barehanded, Lu Wu definitely couldn't be his match.
"Oh." Lu Wu looked as though he understood.
Actually, Lu Wu felt somewhat conflicted. This Liu Tong had become unbearably jealous after he and Mu Nujiao had wanted to get acquainted and become friends.
When he had come looking for Lu Wu before, he had not only threatened him but tried to hit him too. Who was going to indulge that?
Lu Wu had simply given him a sound beating.
Now he seemed to have gotten involved with the Dongfang Family and had come looking for Lu Wu again.
"Oh? The Dongfang Family and the Mu Family are both powerful magical families in Magic City. Don't fail to appreciate what's good for you. Leave Mu Nujiao alone."
Seeing that Lu Wu didn't seem to care, and wasn't even the slightest bit afraid, Liu Tong was furious.
"Stop bringing up the Dongfang Family with every breath. Since when has the Dongfang Family fallen so low that they'd even take a dog like you?" Lu Wu said with a smile. "As for Jiaojiao, well, the reason I haven't returned to school for the month or so since term started was that I was off having fun with Jiaojiao."
Seeing that Liu Tong wanted to pick a fight, Lu Wu simply called Mu Nujiao Jiaojiao.
Mu Nujiao was somewhat speechless. What filled these guys' heads? Why did they start crossing swords the moment they met?
And with what Lu Wu was implying, she would definitely have spoken up to contradict him if there hadn't been outsiders present.
"You... you actually dare insult me? A guy adopted by some stinking old man on death's door dares disrespect the Dongfang Family?" Liu Tong had never imagined Lu Wu would be even bolder than he had thought.
He didn't even respect the Dongfang Family.
Liu Tong had investigated him long ago. Although Lu Wu lived in the city and sometimes stayed in the outskirts, an old man had taken him in.
He hadn't found any useful information about that old man. He seemed to be a retired old man without even any relatives around him, and that was all.
"Actually, I didn't want to beat you up before. After all, once we've awakened our magic, we can't fight privately. Unfortunately, you insist on barking insults and biting people like a dog." Lu Wu's expression had already turned serious.
This guy was still entertaining ideas about Mu Nujiao. It would have been one thing if he had kept those thoughts to himself, but coming to make trouble for Lu Wu was his mistake.
Worst of all, he had even insulted Grandpa Shen!
If Grandpa Shen ever stopped keeping a low profile, even your Dongfang Family would have to put on flattering smiles.
"Until we become mages, we aren't bound by the Magic Convention," Liu Tong sneered. "You scored so high on the high school entrance exam. Don't tell me you cheated?"
"Jiaojiao gave me special tutoring every day. It would've been hard not to do well."
"You-get him! Beat him up!" Liu Tong exploded with rage and led the other two straight at Lu Wu.
He completely failed to notice that Lu Wu's expression had darkened.
Watching the three charge over, Lu Wu prepared his magic.
Under the Mage Convention, mages weren't allowed to engage in unauthorized private fights, especially in urban areas, so he would have to control himself carefully and avoid killing or seriously injuring them.
It would have been one thing if they were outside with no one watching or enforcing the rules, but this was a school.
The convention also restricted mages from attacking ordinary civilians. Judging by how quickly these three charged at him, they definitely hadn't successfully controlled their stars yet.
"Don't act rashly. It won't be good for you if this blows up," Mu Nujiao reminded him from the side.
This Liu Tong really had no eyes.
Across the entire Magic City Seventh Magic High School, even the older second-year students might not be able to beat Lu Wu.
After all, even Nangong Pei and Zu Yanzhi acknowledged that their Fire Element fell short of Lu Wu's.
Besides, failing to appreciate what was good for him was one thing, but insulting Master Shen? Wasn't that just asking Lu Wu to smack him?
"It's fine. Just a little punishment. The convention says mages can't casually attack ordinary civilians, but that doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves, right? With so many people watching, those three are clearly the ones trying to hit me. Two fists can't beat four hands, so naturally, I have to rely on magic."
Having said that, Lu Wu was about to release the magic he had prepared, but Mu Nujiao grabbed him.
"After that month of physical tempering, haven't your reflexes and agility become incredibly high?" Mu Nujiao reminded him. "You can avoid more trouble that way too."
Lu Wu nodded. "Good point. Then I'll send these three to the infirmary!"
Pushing off the ground, Lu Wu moved several times faster than Liu Tong and the other two, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
Without another word, Lu Wu raised his foot and kicked Liu Tong.
Bang!!
Liu Tong had never expected Lu Wu to be so fast. He had been charging forward, but before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
An enormous force struck his chest, and the crack of breaking bone rang out clearly.
As his body flew backward, excruciating pain filled Liu Tong's chest, and he struggled to breathe.
After kicking Liu Tong away, Lu Wu clenched his fists and hammered the other two wildly.
The force of the impacts rebounded through his arms. After taking several blows, the fattest one bared his teeth in pain and tried to fight back.
With sharp eyes and quick hands, Lu Wu dodged the man's fist, leaped up, and drove an elbow straight into his head.
That elbow strike sent the man's eyes rolling back, and he collapsed to the ground.
The other man landed a punch on Lu Wu, but it barely tickled. Lu Wu grabbed his fist with his left hand and delivered an uppercut with his right.
This one couldn't take a beating at all. One punch to the chin sent him flying, his mouth full of blood as he scrabbled for his teeth across the ground.
"Ah, ah, it hurts! My teeth! I can't find my teeth!"
His lackeys weren't the only ones in pain. The pain in Liu Tong's chest hadn't eased even after a long while. He had nearly lost his breath entirely and could barely make a sound when he tried to wail.
Only when he saw Lu Wu walking toward him did he barely manage to catch his breath.
The intense pain in his chest left Liu Tong unable to get up. Seeing one lackey unconscious and the other searching the ground for his teeth, Liu Tong suddenly felt cold all over.
"You... don't come any closer!!" Liu Tong hadn't expected Lu Wu to be even more terrifying now than before.
Although he hadn't been able to beat him before, he had at least left Lu Wu with a bruised nose and swollen face.
But now, he hadn't even had time to react before Lu Wu sent him flying.
Was that the kind of strength a normal person could possess?
Under Liu Tong's terrified gaze, Lu Wu crouched down and looked at him. "Liu Tong, never learning your lesson before was one thing, but now you've gone and insulted Grandpa Shen. You brought this suffering on yourself. I won't make things difficult for you now. Just take a trip to the infirmary."
Actually, even Lu Wu hadn't expected to become this strong after a month of physical tempering.
Although he still fell far short of Demon Beasts, his physical toughness was already impressive.
"No, don't! Lu Wu, I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai-ah!!!"
Before Liu Tong could finish, Lu Wu punched him straight in the bridge of the nose, sending blood splattering everywhere.
Ignoring Liu Tong's wails, Lu Wu forcefully pinched the spot above his upper lip, afraid he might pass out, then threw another punch, knocking out several of his teeth.
"Damn, that actually hurt."
Lu Wu discovered that the last punch had left his own hand aching slightly, and he cursed under his breath.
The people around him looked at Lu Wu as though he were a freak. When he stood up, he noticed that the hateful gazes directed at him had decreased by at least half.