A Farce

He had been so tired yesterday that he had fallen straight into bed when he got back, barely paying any attention to what was happening around him.

He had no idea what they had been thinking, going off to confront the regular students without calling him.

He crossed the campus, and before he reached the little grove behind the school, he heard angry shouts and the explosive clash of weapons.

"Hm? Have they started fighting already? That was fast."

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng and the other work-study students were surrounded,

and a large crowd had gathered around them to watch the spectacle.

Blood stained the corner of Wang Sheng's mouth, his left arm hung limply at an unnatural angle, and his face was covered in scrapes.

The other work-study students were all injured too; not one had escaped unscathed.

Xiao Chenyu stood across from them, his Martial Soul already possessing him and a white Soul Ring flickering behind him.

"You work-study students think you're worthy of eating in the same cafeteria as us? Hmph, looks like it's been so long since we reminded you that your skin's itching for a beating. You insist on settling who's right and wrong today? How are we supposed to keep you in line after this? Wang Sheng, I'll ask you one last time: do you submit or not?"

Wang Sheng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "No chance."

Xiao Chenyu's face darkened. "You won't drink a toast, so you'll drink a forfeit. Everyone, get him. Don't stop until he knows he was wrong."

The regular students swarmed forward, attacking from every direction.

The others were also knocked to the ground one after another.

Xiao Chenyu strode up to Wang Sheng and half-crouched, looking down at him. "Tsk, tsk, look at the sorry state you're in. If you'd submitted earlier and become our lackey, would you be like this today? I'll give you one last chance. Apologize, and I'll let you off this once. How about it?"

"Pah..." Wang Sheng spat at Xiao Chenyu's feet.

"If the boss were here, you lot wouldn't get a chance to throw your weight around!"

Xiao Chenyu's face turned cold in an instant. "Boss? Well, well, I was wondering why you were so defiant. So you've found yourself a backer. But let me tell you this: you're just work-study students, and I don't take you seriously. Even if your boss showed up, I still wouldn't be afraid!"

With that, he raised his right hand, intending to give Wang Sheng a hard blow.

But just then, a voice reached his ears.

"Oh? Really?"

!!!

"Who's there?"

Xiao Chenyu reacted quickly, turning around the instant he heard the voice and swinging his cocked right fist as he did.

"Smack-"

To his surprise, the blow that had seemed so powerful to him was caught with one hand, his opponent's fingers closing around his fist.

"Heh, my name is Lin Qingchen. I'm the boss Wang Sheng was talking about."

Lin Qingchen looked coldly at Xiao Chenyu, feeling rather speechless.

He hadn't expected a kid who hadn't even grown all his hair yet to be so eager to fight and prove himself. He wondered who he had inherited that from.

Still, since he had come across this, he might as well teach him a proper lesson.

Hearing that, Xiao Chenyu immediately tried to pull his arm back, but somehow, the other boy's hand was like an iron clamp. Even using all his strength, he couldn't pull free.

And his opponent hadn't even used his Martial Soul!

Xiao Chenyu was horrified. Knowing he was no match for his opponent, he hurriedly shouted, "What are you all standing around for? Get him!"

Everyone froze, then hurriedly charged at Lin Qingchen.

Lin Qingchen glanced at them, then tightened his grip, swung Xiao Chenyu up, and hurled him straight at the students charging over.

"Ugh, argh-"

"Ow..."

Liu Long and several other students scrambled to catch Xiao Chenyu, but the powerful impact still knocked them to the ground, drawing a chorus of screams.

Lin Qingchen ignored them and walked over to Wang Sheng first, glancing at his injuries. "How is it? Can you still stand?"

Wang Sheng froze for a moment, his lips moving. "Boss... why are you here?"

"If I hadn't come, who knows how badly you'd have been beaten this time?"

"We just didn't want to wake you up, boss," Wang Sheng said with an awkward smile.

Seeing how carefree he was, Lin Qingchen patted him on the shoulder, exasperated. "Tsk, I'm not the kind of person who takes it out on others when he's woken up. Is that really how you see me?"

"All right, you guys rest for now."

Lin Qingchen glanced at the others' injuries, then turned to face the people opposite him. His gaze turned cold in an instant.

Xiao Chenyu had just gotten back to his feet. Meeting Lin Qingchen's gaze, he was a little afraid, but still forced himself to say, "What, trying to play the hero? You're all alone-"

Before he finished speaking, he unleashed his Soul Skill.

That's right, it was a sneak attack.

Lin Qingchen raised his right hand and immediately let the Five Elements Qilin Martial Soul possess him.

Five-colored light gathered in his palm, forming a fan-shaped wall of light.

Xiao Chenyu's Soul Skill struck at that very moment, a gray wolf shadow rushing straight at him with a blast of wind.

The wolf shadow struck the five-colored wall and melted away instantly, without leaving so much as a trace of Soul Power.

Xiao Chenyu's smile froze on his face. "Wha-"

Lin Qingchen stepped forward and swept out with the Five-Colored Divine Light. The curtain of light swept over the ground in front of Xiao Chenyu, dissolving all the remaining Soul Power around him.

Xiao Chenyu's Martial Soul Possession was forcibly undone, and he fell to the ground, his face deathly pale.

Then Lin Qingchen kicked him squarely in the chest.

Xiao Chenyu spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale.

The surrounding regular students all froze, none daring to move.

Lin Qingchen lowered his hand and said evenly, "Get lost. If you make trouble for Dorm Seven again, you won't get off with just a few injuries."

Xiao Chenyu gritted his teeth and was helped up by the people beside him, his face turning alternately ashen and pale.

He stared at Lin Qingchen for several seconds, but in the end, he didn't dare say anything more. He turned and started to leave with his people.

"Stop."

Xiao Chenyu halted. The two people supporting him didn't know what to do either, so they could only stand there in a daze.

"You lot, find a few people to carry them to the school hospital," Lin Qingchen ordered.

He was naturally referring to Wang Sheng and the others.

The regular students didn't dare delay. After all, even Xiao Chenyu had been defeated by a casual move from him. How could they, who weren't even as strong as Xiao Chenyu, dare say anything?

So they could only send some people to find stretchers or something else they could use to carry the injured.

Wang Sheng collapsed on the ground, panting. "Boss... thanks."

The other work-study students chimed in their thanks.

Lin Qingchen crouched down and looked at Wang Sheng's shoulder. "All right, those people will carry you to the infirmary in a bit. Your arm is dislocated at the very least, so don't move it."

Wang Sheng grinned. "Yeah! That's our boss for you. You're amazing! I bet the whole academy will be following your lead from now on."

Lin Qingchen stood up. "We'll talk about that later. Get your injuries treated first."

Before long, the students returned carrying stretchers, and together they carried the injured work-study students to the school hospital.

He was just about to leave when a voice suddenly rang out.

"Tsk, tsk, Qingchen, you really got to show off this time, kid."