Lin Kong and Wu Yunsheng wore bewildered expressions as they threaded through the banquet and came to the main table.
Wu Yunsheng spoke respectfully. "Headmaster, what did you need me for?"
"Something to celebrate! You've done very well this school year. Keep up the good work!" The headmaster offered a perfunctory remark, then turned his attention to Lin Kong. After looking him over a few times, surprise appeared in his eyes.
Was... was this really that skinny little boy from a few days ago?
Absorbing a soul ring had changed him this much!
At that moment, the headmaster already believed that Lin Kong had absorbed a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring. In his view, only an exceptionally suitable and powerful hundred-year soul ring could have brought such enormous changes to Lin Kong. After all, among the many students in the Soul Hunting party, others had absorbed hundred-year soul rings, but not a single one had changed so dramatically.
It was practically as though he had become a different person!
The headmaster quickly recovered and nodded in satisfaction. "Lin Kong, well done. I heard you absorbed a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring?"
At that moment, Wu Yunsheng's heart lurched. Frantic and terribly worried that his lie would be exposed, he spoke first. "That's right! Lin Kong is really something. I couldn't believe it myself when I first heard, but then I thought about how his martial soul is Dark Blue Silver Grass. His innate soul power might be a little low, but absorbing a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring should still be no problem. Mm-hmm, no problem at all!"
Everyone knew that a Blue Silver Grass martial soul had a relatively easy time absorbing a Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring.
Then what would happen when a Dark Blue Silver Grass martial soul absorbed a Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring?
No one knew!
There really was no one who knew.
And so, even trying to pick holes in the theory seemed impossible!
Shen Zhinian rose from his chair and glared defiantly at Lin Kong, issuing a challenge. "How about we have a match?"
He couldn't stand it. He truly couldn't stand it anymore. He was clearly this year's most outstanding graduate, so why had a Lin Kong suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Why was the soul ring he had absorbed the same age as his? Why did he get the headmaster's attention? Why did he seem about to steal his limelight?
The Shen family head's expression shifted slightly, and he tugged at Shen Zhinian's sleeve. But Shen Zhinian jerked it away and remained standing, glaring at Lin Kong as he spoke again. "Let's have a match! Fight me one-on-one! Do you have the guts to fight me?"
The atmosphere froze, spreading from their spot to the rest of the banquet. One person after another looked over, noticing Shen Zhinian and Lin Kong standing in a confrontational standoff.
Finally, the entire hall fell silent!
Lin Kong's eyes flickered, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He looked at the headmaster, then his teacher, swept his gaze over the others at the main table, and finally settled on the Shen family head's face. Their eyes met. The family head turned his face away and released his grip on his son's arm, saying instead, "It's perfectly normal for young people to have a bit more spirit!"
With his father's encouragement, Shen Zhinian grew even more unrestrained. He pointed at Lin Kong and raised his voice further, deliberately making sure everyone attending the celebration banquet could hear. "Lin Kong, do you dare fight me one-on-one? If you win, it'll prove you really obtained a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring. If you lose, you'll tell everyone here that you're a liar."
He had even laid out the stakes!
Wu Yunsheng regretted it. He regretted it to death. How could he possibly have expected that a lie he had told just to gain a little face in front of that fellow Luo Enqi would offend Shen Zhinian and ultimately lead to this challenge?
What have I done?!
Wu Yunsheng slapped his own thigh in regret, then gritted his teeth and took the initiative to admit his mistake. "Well... I'll be straight with you. I'll confess. I admit I was wrong. Lin Kong didn't obtain a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring. I took it upon myself to have someone write that. I... it was all my fault. It had nothing to do with Lin Kong."
Wu Yunsheng didn't know what Lin Kong's first soul ring was. But he did know something else: Shen Zhinian's martial soul was Savage Wolf, and he had absorbed a three-hundred-year Fire Howling Wolf Soul Ring, which added flames to his wolf claws. His first soul skill was called Wolf Flame Blast, a ranged fire-attribute soul skill. Wu Yunsheng had seen its power firsthand, and it was quite impressive.
Then there was Lin Kong, whose martial soul was Dark Blue Silver Grass. Plants inherently feared fire, and the dark attribute was likewise countered by the fire attribute. Whatever his first soul ring was, his chances of winning against Shen Zhinian were very low.
However he looked at it, Lin Kong couldn't win!
That was why Wu Yunsheng took everything upon himself. He would merely lose some face. That was nothing. He couldn't let Shen Zhinian beat Lin Kong up!
He was a teacher. He couldn't let a student suffer because of his mistake! Otherwise, wouldn't he be a beast in human skin?
Wu Yunsheng said, "Everything was my fault. It had nothing to do with Lin Kong!"
The person involved had spoken!
The matter was already clear.
So... that should have been the end of it!
Everyone thought the matter would pass just like that, but unexpectedly, Shen Zhinian clung to it and refused to let go. Still pointing at Lin Kong, he said, "Why are you keeping your mouth shut? Aren't you going to admit your mistake and apologize?"
Wu Yunsheng took a step forward, shielding Lin Kong behind him. "My fault. It was all my fault."
A teacher apologizing to a student like Shen Zhinian over something like this carried more than enough weight!
"Get out of the way. I want Lin Kong to apologize to me."
Hiss-
Quite a few people inwardly sucked in a breath of cold air!
Wasn't refusing to let this go taking things too far?
At the end of the day, wasn't this just a matter of face?
What need was there to keep blowing it out of proportion?
Anger appeared on Wu Yunsheng's face too. He took a deep breath to suppress it. "This was my fault..."
"Teacher Wu, you really were wrong..." Lin Kong suddenly spoke.
At those words, quite a few people's hearts skipped a beat.
What was going on?
With Wu Yunsheng defending Lin Kong like this, Lin Kong was actually attacking Wu Yunsheng?
What was happening?
Wu Yunsheng's face instantly went pale.
"My soul ring really isn't a three-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring..." Lin Kong shook his head, the smile at the corners of his mouth growing ever brighter. His burning gaze turned toward Shen Zhinian, seemingly carrying a trace of pity.
Shen Zhinian didn't understand. Hearing Lin Kong's words, he thought Lin Kong was about to admit his mistake and apologize to him. Wild delight appeared on his face.
The next second...
"My first soul ring is a four-hundred-year Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring."
The entire hall erupted!
Almost everyone was stunned by Lin Kong's reversal, then understood a second later.
A counterattack. A fierce counterattack!
You refused to let it go just now, didn't you?
Then it's my turn to refuse to let it go!
Your first soul ring is a three-hundred-year Fire Howling Wolf Soul Ring. Mine is a four-hundred-year Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring. I'm better than you!
That was exactly what Lin Kong was doing!
He wasn't apologizing or admitting fault; he wasn't shifting blame or backing down. He was stomping right back, hard. When someone refused the face offered to them, they deserved to be stomped on hard!
"Y-you, you..." Even the hand Shen Zhinian pointed at Lin Kong trembled nonstop. He had absolutely no idea how to respond. His mind had been filled with scenes of Lin Kong bowing his head and admitting fault, leaving himself open to Shen Zhinian's mockery and ridicule. He had never expected a counterattack, so his mind went blank, his speech became incoherent, and he stammered, "Y-you, you..."
The Shen family head sighed, stood, and pressed Shen Zhinian back into his chair, giving Lin Kong another meaningful look.
"I..." Shen Zhinian intended to continue his outburst.
"Sit down!" the Shen family head bellowed, his voice exceptionally loud. It cowed Shen Zhinian at once, and he sat obediently, not daring to make another sound.
Wu Yunsheng blinked. Only at that moment did he understand the whole sequence of events and realize that he had won. With Lin Kong's sudden explosive move, he had won, stomping a foot right back into Shen Zhinian's face.
Wu Yunsheng was overjoyed. The corners of his mouth lifted, and he smiled very happily.
Fuck!
What a beautiful counterattack! I offered you face, and you wouldn't take it. Now you've landed yourself in this position, and you deserve every bit of it. Well done, Lin Kong!
Just as everyone thought the matter was over, Lin Kong spoke again. "To prove one thing-that I obtained a four-hundred-year Netherworld Bamboo Soul Ring-I'll give you a chance to fight me!"
"I don't care what soul ring you obtained. I'll beat you into the ground!" Shen Zhinian sprang from his chair, fire blazing in his eyes.