Tang Wulin and Xie Xie instantly widened their eyes at those words, their faces filled with shock.
The War God Hall!
That was one of the most powerful forces on the Douluo Continent!
Lu Chen was actually a member of the War God Hall!
No wonder he was so formidable. No wonder he had such confidence!
Tang Wulin stood to one side, listening to their conversation and watching Lu Chen's calm, confident smile, and the sense of dejection in his heart deepened.
How could the gap between people be so enormous?
Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps rang out.
Everyone looked up to see Long Tianwu striding toward them with several soldiers in military uniform.
His steps were steady, his presence imposing, and his uniform immaculate. Everything about him carried the unmistakable bearing of a soldier.
Long Tianwu's gaze passed straight over the nearly charred Guang Long on the ground and landed on Lu Chen, his face full of concern. "Lu Chen, are you all right? Are you hurt?"
He did not spare Guang Long so much as a glance, as though what lay on the ground were nothing but a heap of rubbish.
That was reality.
Guang Long believed soul masters stood above ordinary people, so he could bully Uncle Li without restraint and throw his weight around collecting protection money.
But in the eyes of the War God Hall and the military under its control, Guang Long and his older brother, Guang Biao, were not worth mentioning.
One was a future Divine Craftsman with limitless prospects.
The other was merely a lowly Soul Emperor and the captain of a mecha battalion, with the end of his road already in sight.
There was simply no comparison between the two.
Besides, Guang Long had been the one in the wrong to begin with.
He had collected protection money and bullied people first. Lu Chen had merely acted in self-defense and taught him a lesson.
Even if Lu Chen had beaten him to death, the War God Hall could still protect him.
"Take this brat away. Send him to the military hospital and get his injuries treated first!" Long Tianwu pointed at the half-dead Guang Long on the ground, then instructed the soldiers behind him, "You few, stay and help this shopkeeper clean up his shop. Charge everything that was damaged to the military!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers answered in unison. They swiftly carried Guang Long away, while others took out tools and began clearing up the mess on the ground.
A crafty gleam flashed through Lu Chen's eyes. He quickly walked over to Long Tianwu, tilted his head slightly, and murmured a few words into his ear.
Anyone with eyes could discern the calculation in his tone.
He clearly intended to use Guang Long as bait to fish out his Soul Emperor brother, Guang Biao.
After all, words alone were no proof. Convicting a mecha battalion captain solely because Guang Long had collected protection money was simply impossible.
Only by catching him in the act could they leave him unable to defend himself even with a hundred mouths, with no chance of ever turning things around!
After hearing him out, Long Tianwu's eyes lit up. He could not help patting Lu Chen's shoulder, his eyes full of appreciation. This kid was young, but his thinking was remarkably meticulous!
He immediately nodded, then turned to add to his subordinates' orders. "Wait! Send someone to catch those two lackeys of Guang Long's who slipped away! Also, once Guang Long is in the military hospital, don't post any guards outside his ward, and don't deliberately suppress the news. Make certain his brother Guang Biao learns where he is!"
"Understood!" the soldiers acknowledged again, a gleam of comprehension flashing through their eyes. They were luring the snake out of its hole!
Lu Chen and Long Tianwu exchanged a glance and smiled in tacit understanding.
Only after everything was settled did Lu Chen scratch his head a little sheepishly and look at Long Tianwu. "Brother Long, it's so late. Could I trouble you to take us back to school?"
"That's no trouble at all!" Long Tianwu waved his large hand and laughed heartily. "Come on! I'll take you back!"
With that, he led Lu Chen and the other three toward a military vehicle parked nearby.
The vehicle was jet-black, with sleek lines, and one glance was enough to tell it was no ordinary machine. It was countless times more luxurious than the teachers' cars at the academy.
"Wow!" The moment Tang Wulin saw it, his eyes lit up. He could not resist reaching out to stroke its smooth body, his voice filled with undisguised longing. "So cool! I want to join the military someday too! I want a car like this!"
Long Tianwu smiled faintly at his words and said casually, "Joining the military is certainly a good choice. You can defend your homeland and hone yourself too. But you need to think it through. This isn't an easy road. Either you face dull, monotonous training day after day that can work you until you fall apart, or you go onto the battlefield, where your life could be in danger at any moment."
Yet Tang Wulin nodded firmly, his eyes full of determination. "I'm not afraid! I want to become stronger!"
Long Tianwu smiled and said no more. He opened the door and let all four of them get in.
The interior was spacious and comfortable, with soft seats, completely unlike its stern exterior.
The vehicle started, moving at astonishing speed while remaining perfectly smooth.
Before long, it came to a steady stop outside the gates of Eastsea Academy.
Long Tianwu lowered the window, waved to the four of them, and reminded them:
"Remember to tell your teacher, Wu Zhangkong, about what happened today when you see him tomorrow. Otherwise, if any misunderstandings arise later, explaining things will be a hassle. All right, hurry inside."
"Will do! Thank you, Brother Long!" Lu Chen replied with a smile, his voice full of gratitude.
The four got out and waved to Long Tianwu. Only after watching the vehicle slowly drive away did they turn and return to their dormitories, chatting and laughing.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the four went to class as usual. Lu Chen listened especially attentively, occasionally exchanging a few words with Gu Yue and Xie Xie. Tang Wulin also put aside his distracting thoughts and focused intently on the teacher's lecture.
Soon, the morning classes were over.
That afternoon, Wu Zhangkong appeared at the classroom door right on time.
He was still dressed entirely in white, his expression indifferent, yet he carried an invisible pressure.
"First-year Class Five, everyone, come with me." Wu Zhangkong's voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Lu Chen and the other three exchanged a glance and immediately followed.
Students from the other classes also came to watch the match out of curiosity.
After all, as far as they knew, Class Five normally could not defeat Class Four. Yet they had won this time, and reportedly in immensely satisfying fashion.
Wu Zhangkong led them straight toward the sports field.
They had only just reached the edge of the field when a gentle, graceful figure approached them.
The newcomer was an attractive woman. A pale pink dress accentuated her gentle elegance, and a soft smile touched her eyes and brows.
She took the initiative to extend her hand, her voice clear and pleasant. "Hello, Teacher Wu. I'm the homeroom teacher of first-year Class Three, Ye Yingrong."
Wu Zhangkong merely nodded slightly, his voice as cool as ever. "Hello."
He did not even reach out to shake her hand. The icy air around him that warned strangers to keep their distance stood in stark contrast to Ye Yingrong's gentle warmth.