“I…”
Hong shi’s face darkened.
He didn’t expect that the other party would be so vicious, intentionally bringing out all their treasures first before cornering him.
The other three had taken out gifts of extremely high quality, yet he hadn’t prepared anything at all. He couldn’t take out anything even if he wanted to!
While not giving a gift might not have a decisive impact on the slot allocation, granted that everyone had given a gift and he didn’t, this might incur Wu shi’s displeasure and thus the crown prince’s in turn!
Besides, the other party was already clearly mocking him. He couldn’t possibly just sit still and allow the other party to ridicule him, right?
“What’s wrong? It can’t be that you didn’t prepare anything at all?”
“Are you serious? I told you this afternoon that Wu shi and the others would be attending the banquet, and I thought the reason why you arrived late was so you could prepare something. Was I mistaken?”
“You knew that we’re meeting esteemed guests and yet you came empty-handed, where are your manners?”
Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu gloated upon seeing Hong shi’s face slowly darkening.
They had indeed told Hong shi about the four esteemed guests, but of course, they left out the part regarding the gifts.
“Hmm?”
As expected, upon hearing the words of the trio, Crown Prince Ye Qian frowned in displeasure.
While he didn’t think too much of the gifts, he did feel that it was improper for Hongfeng Empire to come empty-handed when the others had brought such valuable gifts.
“I’ve just arrived today, so the item is still…”
Feeling the gazes on him growing more and more intense, and the questioning tone becoming sharper and sharper, Hong shi’s face flushed, stifled. He was just about to say that the gift wasn’t ready yet when a nonchalant voice sounded beside him.
“Of course, our Hongfeng Empire has prepared our own gift as well…”
Hearing those words, Hong shi panicked and hurriedly turned to look at the origin of the voice. It came from the young man sitting beside him, Zhang Xuan.
“Zhang shi, I didn’t prepare anything at all…”
Hong shi’s face immediately twitched, and he hurriedly sent a telepathic message to stop Zhang Xuan.
It was one thing to be mocked for not having prepared anything, but to claim that they had prepared something and yet be unable to produce it, that would only be even more embarrassing!
One must know that the gifts of the previous three had already set the stage. If they were to take out something that paled in value right now, they would still only be embarrassing themselves.
“Oh? Since you’ve prepared something, why don’t you take it out so that we can take a look?”
Hearing the one with the lowest cultivation interjecting in their conversation, Luo Zhao harrumphed coldly.
“Take it out?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I’m afraid that it’ll be a little difficult now.”
Hearing that Hongfeng Empire couldn’t take out their gift at the moment, Luo Zhao sneered coldly, “Difficult? What do you mean by that? Are you trying to make a fool of His Highness and Wu shi?”
Hong shi’s body also swayed weakly, and he suddenly felt his head spinning.
To claim that they had prepared a gift and yet be unable to take it out. Big Brother, how do you intend to wrap this up?
If they were really unable to produce anything at this point, not only would Wu shi be offended, the crown prince would surely be displeased with them as well. With this, even a fool could tell how the slots for the Cleansing Lake would be distributed later on.
The crown prince and Wu shi glanced at one another with a deep frown etched on their foreheads.
Just the fact that a fellow in his early twenties could get into the top three placing had already left them slightly bewildered. Yet, at this very moment, the very same fellow claimed that they had something prepared but couldn’t take it out at the moment. This had left them dumbfounded. They had no idea what the other party was up to.
The same went for Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan as well.
They had been with Hong shi the entire afternoon, and they knew better than anyone whether there was a gift prepared or not. If they couldn’t take anything out at this moment, wouldn’t that put them in a difficult position?
“I’m just a humble 4-star master teacher from Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even if someone were to inflate my guts, I would dare not to make a fool of Your Highness and Wu shi!”
Ignoring the puzzled gazes from the crowd, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly and turned to Luo Zhao. “Luo shi, you’ve already taken a good look at the gift which Hong shi prepared with great difficulty. Isn’t it about time for you to return it?”
“Ah?”
Stunned, Luo Zhao’s complexion immediately darkened. “What did you say? What do you mean by taken a good look? When did I take Hong shi’s gift?”
“I knew that you wouldn’t admit to it…”
Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He stood up and clasped his fist toward the crown prince and Wu shi. “I hope that Your Highness and Wu shi can redress Hong shi’s grievance!”
“Redress Hong shi’s grievance? As long as you can prove your case, we’ll be more than willing to bring justice to Hong shi!”
Instead of the crown prince, Wu shi was the one who chuckled and replied to Zhang Xuan’s words.
“You have my deepest gratitude…”
Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Luo Zhao once more. “Since Wu shi has already agreed to redress our grievance… Luo shi, do you dare to match statements with me?”
“Match statements? Why would I dare not to?”
Seeing how confident the young man before him was, Luo Zhao was stupefied.
While he was acquainted with Hong shi, the both of them governed different territories and rarely came into contact. So, how could he have taken the other party’s item?
Yet, this fellow confidently ran up to the crown prince and Wu shi for them to judge this case. What was he up to?
Honestly speaking, even Hong shi himself was feeling a little frenzied at the moment.
When did Luo Zhao take my stuff? Why am I not aware of it?
“Good!”
Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan smiled. “May I confirm if Hong shi went over to your living quarters to look for you earlier today?”
“That’s right!”
Luo Zhao nodded.
Hong shi had walked into his living quarters openly, so it wouldn’t be too hard to check on this matter. He wouldn’t be able to hide it even if he wanted to. Besides, the other party had only come to look for him. This couldn’t serve as any conclusive evidence that he had taken the other party’s gift!
“Did you challenge Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation?”
Just as Luo Zhao was perplexed as to where this was going, the other party’s voice sounded once more.
“This… That’s right!”
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Zhao nodded.
After seeing Hong shi pummeling Feng shi, he felt angry and indignant for Feng shi, so he challenged Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation.
Given that a Master Teacher Confrontation required one to activate their emblem through their blood and send a request to the headquarters beforehand, it wouldn’t be too difficult to look into the matter. Thus, there was no need to hide it.
“It’s good that you’ve admitted to it. I don’t have to elaborate any further then!”
Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned to the crown prince and Wu Zhen, and clasped his fist. “Luo shi has already admitted to the matter, so I believe I need not continue on!”
“What are you talking about? You’d better clarify things right now…”
Luo Zhao clutched his hair in frenzy.
What the heck is this fellow up to? Halfway through the questioning, he simply stops and says that I’ve already admitted to the crime, so he needs not speak any further?
What in the world have I admitted to…
Hong shi was even more lost. Zhang shi’s jump in logic was simply too big that even he couldn’t comprehend what was going on.
“I think it’ll be best that you clarify your words!”
Ye Qian and Wu Zhen glanced at one another and coughed.
“Alright. Since I’ve been asked to clarify my words, I hope that I won’t be punished on the accounts of from insubordination for speaking up against a higher rank master teacher!”
At this point, Zhang Xuan’s eyes suddenly brimmed with indignation and wrath, as though he had suffered an indescribable grievance. “Actually, Hong shi told me not to speak of it, but I simply can’t watch quietly as he is getting wronged…”
“Ah?” Hong shi widened his eyes in shock.
I told you not to speak of it?
Speak of what?
“Hong shi is a kind and honest person who is weak with words. For the sake of Huanyu Empire’s reputation, he intended to keep the matter a secret. However, as his junior, I can’t watch quietly as he gets wronged like this…” Zhang Xuan continued.
Hearing those words, Wu Zhen’s face twitched.
Kind and honest, I can’t really say anything about that… but weak with words? You are clearly lying through your teeth! It’s not like I didn’t see how Luo Zhao and the others nearly fainted from anger just now.
On the other hand, Luo Zhao was trembling in fury. The more he listened the young man’s words, the more furious he became. Eventually, his rage hit the point of eruption.
“Stop pulling out all of this nonsense and get straight to the point!”
“Fine, if you say so…”
As if mustering his determination and courage, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth in indignation and said, “Earlier this afternoon, Hong shi went over to discuss some things with the other three pavilion masters. However, not only did the three of them collaborate with one another to beat Hong shi up… they even stole the gift he prepared beforehand!”
“Th-the heck! What did you say? We beat Hong shi up?”
Luo Zhao staggered and nearly spewed blood.
Beat your head! Hong shi rejected my Master Teacher Confrontation, remember? Besides, when did we collaborate to beat him up? Not to mention, steal his gift? Steal your head!
Even if you want to lie, at least choose something more believable than this!
Three master teachers beating up another in the courtyard… Do you think that we are some kind of ruffians?
Not giving Luo Zhao a chance to explain himself, Zhang Xuan pushed on.
“Since you won’t admit to it, let me ask you. Earlier this afternoon, not only did you challenge Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation, Feng shi also did the same as well, am I right?”
“This…” Luo Zhao was taken aback. “The both of them did fight one another in a Master Teacher Confrontation, but…”
Feng shi did fight one another in a Master Teacher Confrontation… but it was a one-sided pummeling from Hong shi’s side, alright?
“But what? Just the fact that the battle happened proves everything!”
Zhang Xuan uttered furiously, “Hong shi and Feng shi are both 5-star low-tier master teachers, Transcendent Mortal 6-dan primary stage cultivators… I believe no one here has any qualms in agreeing that they’re equally matched, right?”
The crowd nodded.
As fellow master teachers of the same cultivation realm, there was indeed not much of a disparity in their fighting prowess.
“Given that they are of equal cultivation and had undergone a Master Teacher Confrontation, and looking at how badly Feng shi was beaten up, how well do you think Hong shi would fare?”
Zhang Xuan questioned on.
The crown prince and Wu Zhen suddenly froze.
“Luo shi, let me ask you again. After Hong shi and Feng shi fought with one another, did you immediately apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation? And did Hong shi say that he had suffered grievous wounds, and he won’t be capable of fighting for the next ten years or words similar to that?”
Zhang Xuan pressured on.
“He did say such words but…”
Luo Zhao froze once more. He tried to explain himself, but he found himself interrupted by the young man once again. “How gravely injured must a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan cultivator, be to be unable to fight with anyone for the next ten years?”
The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the more agitated he became. “But even so, Luo shi still insisted on challenging Hong shi to a Master Teacher Confrontation… How could Hong shi possibly be a match for him under such a state? Naturally, the gift that he prepared in his storage ring ended up being taken away as well…”
At this point, Zhang Xuan looked so angry that if he were to continue speaking, indignant tears might just start flowing from his eyes.
“Screw you… When did I beat him up and take his gift? You better stop lying…”
Luo Zhao’s body swayed weakly, and he nearly burst into tears.
It was obvious that Hong shi was the one who went over to beat Feng shi up! How did it suddenly turn into Feng shi and Hong shi being equally injured in a duel, and I became a despicable person who struck in his time of weakness?
Not to mention, I even took his stuff on top of that…
Is your mouth capable of uttering even the slightest truth?
To be lying blatantly like that, are you certain you are a master teacher?
Where’s your pride?
