pdf-ebookys Chapter 103: Conflict
Chapter 103: Conflict
Yu Chen simply smiled and nodded, without directly pointing out the potentially huge gap in strength between the two teams.
Some things are better left unsaid; saying them aloud might actually damage morale.
Just then, a slightly abrupt sound came from not far away, attracting Yu Chen's attention.
"I'm so hungry... Does anyone have anything to eat? I'm starving..."
Not only Yu Chen, but the other students in Class Zero also looked in the direction of the sound.
At the edge of the crowd, a chubby little boy with a round face was looking around anxiously, asking passersby for directions, his face full of longing for food.
"Huh? Another 'foodie'?"
Xu Xiaoyan blurted it out unconsciously. Gu Yue and Xie Xie almost burst out laughing when they heard this.
Xu Xiaoyan immediately realized her slip of the tongue, quickly covered her cherry lips, stuck out her tongue, and looked at Yu Chen and Tang Wulin embarrassedly, since the two of them were well-known for their large appetites at Donghai Academy.
"Here, have this."
Surprisingly, Tang Wulin was quite enthusiastic about this chubby boy.
He strode forward, took out a homemade, high-protein, high-energy biscuit from his small bag, and handed it over.
This is a reserve of food that Tang Wulin prepared to prevent himself from getting too hungry during training or when he goes out.
"Thank you, brother! Thank you, brother!"
Upon seeing the fragrant dried fish, Xu Lizhi's eyes lit up instantly, and he gratefully accepted it, eagerly stuffing it into his mouth.
He ate extremely fast, almost choking several times, but didn't care at all, nodding contentedly as he chewed, although his eating manners were really not flattering.
Then, the two of them actually started chatting. They unexpectedly discovered that they both had a strong interest in food and were both quite innocent. The more they talked, the more they clicked, and they felt like they had known each other for a long time.
Finally, the two exchanged the numbers of their soul communication devices and became new friends.
"Hey chubby, what are you doing here? All you do is eat! It's almost our turn to perform!"
Just then, a pleasant female voice, but with a distinctly cold and impatient tone, rang out.
Yu Chen and the other two looked up at the same time. They saw a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes walking towards them.
The girl and Xu Lizhi were wearing the same style of sportswear, which accentuated their slender figures.
She looked to be around the same age as Yu Chen and the others, probably eleven or twelve years old, but she had a stern face and a cold, serious expression, like a little adult.
"This person... is Ye Xinglan?" Yu Chen raised an eyebrow as he looked at the girl walking towards him.
"Sister Xinglan! I was wrong... But I'm so hungry! You see, if I don't eat my fill, I won't have the energy to go on stage later, right?"
Upon seeing the girl, Xu Lizhi immediately became obedient, rubbing his stomach as he explained, his eyes still showing a hint of longing for the food.
Listening to Xu Lizhi's "excuses," Ye Xinglan sighed helplessly, clearly already used to her companion's gluttonous habit.
As she listened, her gaze swept over Tang Wulin and the others, including Yu Chen.
That gaze was scrutinizing, and even revealed a hint of...disdain?
"Alright, alright, let's go."
Ye Xinglan withdrew her gaze, her tone indifferent, and turned to leave. Before leaving, she added a sentence to Xu Lizhi, her voice not loud, but loud enough for Yu Chen and the others nearby to hear clearly.
"And you, from now on, don't eat just anyone's food. In this world, you can only know a person's face but not their heart; there are plenty of bad people. 'Always be wary of others,' remember that."
"Tsk,"
Xie Xie, the "king of verbal sparring," couldn't tolerate such veiled insults, so he immediately spoke in a deliberately "quiet" voice, just loud enough for the other person to hear.
"How arrogant and unreasonable! I really don't know which 'robber academy' could produce such a person; he's practically paranoid."
"Snapped!"
Tang Wulin covered his face in anguish, inwardly groaning, "It's over!"
He had just thought the chubby guy was a nice person and was thinking that he might be able to make friends with him, but Xie Xie's words completely ruined the situation.
I should have covered Xie Xie's mouth earlier! Being misunderstood won't hurt us!
"Da, da."
Ye Xinglan stopped in her tracks.
Immediately afterwards, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and a longsword with an exquisite design and a blade that shimmered with starlight appeared out of thin air—it was her martial spirit, the Star God Sword!
Without the slightest warning, she flicked her wrist, and a sharp, star-blue sword aura, accompanied by the sound of tearing through the air, slashed straight towards Xie Xie, who had spoken so rudely! The speed was astonishing!
「!?」
Everyone in Class Zero was stunned. No one expected that this seemingly cold girl would actually take action without warning, and that her attack would be so decisive and ruthless!
"Xie Xie! Get out of the way!" Tang Wulin shouted anxiously.
"clang--!"
A crisp sound of impact rang out!
Yu Chen's figure appeared like a ghost, blocking Xie Xie's path.
His right hand was instantly covered with fine, dark black dragon scales, and his five fingers transformed into dragon claws, firmly grasping the incoming sword energy without any deviation!
The star-blue sword energy struggled and flickered in his palm for a few moments before vanishing with a "poof".
"Is Xie Xie alright?!"
Tang Wulin rushed to Xie Xie's side to check on him, while glaring angrily at Ye Xinglan, "How could you do this?! You actually launched a sneak attack!"
"This is utterly absurd!" Xu Xiaoyan was also somewhat angry. She stepped forward and pointed at Ye Xinglan.
"You were the one who started this malicious speculation, Xie Xie was just retaliating with words! And you actually attacked us?!"
"I……"
Ye Xinglan had actually felt a pang of regret the moment she unleashed her sword energy, realizing she had been too impulsive and reckless. Faced with Tang Wulin's questioning, she was about to offer some explanation when she heard...
"Hmph! Just as I expected!"
Tang Wulin angrily interrupted her before she could speak.
"Xie Xie is absolutely right! Regardless of whether your academy is a 'bandit academy' or not, your teachers definitely haven't taught you how to conduct yourself properly!"
"..."
Ye Xinglan was speechless at these words, and the slight regret that had just arisen was instantly overwhelmed by anger.
The phrase "Bandit Academy" was already jarring enough, but Tang Wulin's subsequent statement, "The teacher didn't teach well," sounded to her like a blatant insult to Shrek Academy!
In Ye Xinglan's heart, Shrek Academy's glory was paramount. To criticize her teacher was to criticize Shrek Academy! And to criticize Shrek Academy meant to be an enemy!
In an instant, the emotion called "Shrek Glory" overwhelmed her mind, and the little rationality she had just had was thrown to the winds.
The atmosphere between the two sides suddenly became tense, as if the air itself was about to freeze.
Xu Lizhi was so anxious that he wanted to step forward and smooth things over, but when he saw the burning anger in Ye Xinglan's eyes, he ultimately shrank back and didn't dare to speak.
"Ha, insulting my academy is your fault! I'm not going to waste my breath on you now; you're not worthy to listen!"
Ye Xinglan's tone was cold and indignant, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Before she finished speaking, she raised the Star God Sword in her hand again, the tip of the sword pointing directly at Tang Wulin, who had just "spoke outrageous words"!
"Outrageous!" Yu Chen's eyes turned cold.