Guo Zhi spun around to see the person who spoke and then his body instantly stiffened. The anger on his face dissipated like a puff of smoke but he failed to smile.
A person wearing a golden-yellow robe embroidered with eight mighty yellow dragons strided towards him. It was none other than Duan Wuhen, and he had a group of the Institute's top students behind him.
The lackeys who were standing behind Guo Zhi and Guo Fei turned ashen with fright when they saw Duan Wuhen, immediately falling to a salute: "Greeting to His Second Imperial Prince Highness!"
Duan Wuhen's expression looked frosty as he stopped in front of Guo Zhi, "What did you say just now?"
Fear and trepidation rose in the hearts of the brothers and their lackeys.
"Misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding, that is, just now was a misunderstanding!" Guo Zhi forced a smile while waving his hands frantically, "I did not realize it was you. If I knew, how would I dare?! I wouldn't!" He did feel that the voice sounded familiar, but he did not link it to Duan Wuhen. If he honestly knew earlier, even if he was dealing with the pain of a gallstone, he wouldn't dare snap at Duan Wuhen.
Duan Wuhen's eyes were like sharp blades as they swept across both brothers' faces. And before Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's frightful faces, he walked over and came to a stop in front of Huang Xiaolong.
In front of Huang Xiaolong, the difference on Duan Wuhen's expression was like night and day. He then asked Huang Xiaolong with a blooming smile: "Brother Xiaolong, are you alright?"
Brother Xiaolong, are you alright!!
Everyone around felt like they were struck with heavenly lightning from the ninth heaven, each person turning dazed and stiff.
Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's eyes were wide-eyed with shock as they stared at Second Imperial Prince Duan Wuhen with disbelief. What did the Second Imperial Prince Duan Wuhen say just now? Brother Xiaolong? He, he actually called Huang Xiaolong… brother?!
Duan Wuhen's voice sounded again, "They did not frighten you, right?" Just as the question came out, Duan Wuhen hurried to explain himself, "No, no, no, what I meant was, did they disturb you?"
Watching the flustered manner Duan Wuhen displayed while trying to explain to Huang Xiaolong, the Guo Brothers felt their knees become so weak that it was as if they were about to blackout.
All the while the rest of the people in the surrounding area, including the top students who arrived with Duan Wuhen were stunned, their faces agape.
What situation was this?!
Duan Wuhen was Duanren Empire's Second Imperial Prince, and Huang Xiaolong? If comparing identities, Huang Xiaolong was only an ordinary new student of the institute!
Everyone's minds went blank, unable to figure out what was happening right in front of them.
"I'm alright." Huang Xiaolong said to Duan Wuhen.
In the next moment, the crowd saw Duan Wuhen seemingly breathe in relief at Huang Xiaolong's answer.
Initially, Duan Wuhen wanted to refer to Huang Xiaolong as 'Young Noble' as per his father, Duanren Emperor's order, but Huang Xiaolong was concerned it would be too shocking if others heard it. Hence, he suggested Duan Wuhen call him brother when in public. Even so, it was enough to jarr Guo Zhi and Guo Fei to the core.
"Brother Xiaolong, in your opinion, how shall we deal with them?"
The eyes of the crowd couldn't help but look at Huang Xiaolong while Huang Xiaolong looked at Guo Zhi and Guo Fei, causing the brothers' hearts to tighten with unease.
Huang Xiaolong strode slowly towards the frightful brothers.
"Huang, Huang, Huang!" Guo Zhi panicked, stammering as he tried to speak yet no words seemed right. After all, Duan Wuhen called him brother, and it didn't seem as though he was qualified to call Huang Xiaolong 'brother' the same way Duan Wuhen did.
Guo Fei wasn't faring much better than Guo Zhi.
Stopping before them, Huang Xiaolong's words were icy, "I already gave you a chance yesterday."
The color drained from Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's already pale faces.
But in the next moment Guo Zhi suddenly fell to his knees sobbing, "Brother Xiaolong, it's our wrong. Please give us another chance!"
"Right, right, we won't dare antagonize you anymore in the future!" Guo Fei followed suit and fell on his knees, begging desperately.
"Pity, it's too late." Huang Xiaolong's cold voice cut through the sobbing cries.
Guo Zhi and Guo Fei froze, then when they wanted to say something more, Huang Xiaolong's palm snaked out and struck squarely on their chests. The Guo Brothers wailed as their body arched in the air then fell to the ground, rolling until they crashed into two ancient looking trees one hundred meters away.
A deafening 'boom!' resounded; both ancient trees shook and swayed as if they were about to fall.
The two ancient trees gave out a few breaths later and fell onto the two people beneath them.
"Young Lord!" The Guo Brothers' lackeys cried out. However, when they rushed out to help, a terrifying sword intent slashed in their path, cutting a long, thin rift on the ground.
The lackeys jumped back swiftly in fear.
The terrifying sword intent came from Duan Wuhen. Retrieving his hand, Duan Wuhen stated coldly: "Whoever dares to approach any closer, die!"
Die!
Since that was the case, none of the Guo Brothers' lackeys dared to move forward.
"My Qi Sea!" The Guo Brothers, pinned under the two ancient trees, suddenly screamed shrilly.
Huang Xiaolong's earlier palm attack struck accurately and affected their Qi Sea, crushing them.
Battle qi was stored and gathered within the body in the Qi Sea. The damaging consequences would not be hard to imagine if the Qi Sea was crushed!
By this point, the crowd had finally discovered that Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's Qi Sea had been crippled. This result increased the budding fear in the brothers' lackeys.
Even as he watched the shrieking Guo Zhi and Guo Fei, Huang Xiaolong's face was unperturbed.
A deadly air filled the area.
"Brother Xiaolong, we… ?" At this time, Duan Wuhen came up and inquired.
"Let's go."
Duan Wuhen was stunned, but inwardly, he sighed in relief. He thought Huang Xiaolong was really going to kill both of the Guo Brothers. Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's identities differed from those of the average Guo Family disciple. If both of them really died, the troubles that followed would not so easily be resolved.
Only after Huang Xiaolong and Duan Wuhen had left did Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's lackeys scramble to their sides and bring them away to seek help.
Before long, the news about Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's Qi Sea being crushed by Huang Xiaolong had spread like wildfire at Duanren Institute.
This news rattled the Institute like a tsunami in less than a day.
"You heard it right; the Second Imperial Prince actually referred to Huang Xiaolong as a brother!"
"What is this Huang Xiaolong's real identity? Didn't they say he comes from a small family within the Luo Tong Kingdom? Also, his bodyguard, Zhao Shu, was someone with strength infinitely close to the Saint realm!"
"Now that Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's Qi Sea has been crushed, I wonder how the Guo Family will react?"
Voices from discussions echoed in almost every corner of Duanren Institute. As time passed, the big families of the Duanren Empire also came to receive this news.
Yao Mansion.
Hearing Xiao Teng's report, Yao Fei was also slightly taken aback, but it wasn't because Huang Xiaolong crushed Guo Zhi and Guo Fei's Qi Sea. Rather, it was because Duan Wuhen called Huang Xiaolong brother.
"Young Noble, it seems this Huang Xiaolong's identity is not so simple." Xiao Teng broached the subject, hanging in the air.
Even with Duan Wuhen's identity and status, he had actually called Huang Xiaolong brother. Anyone would surmise there was more to Huang Xiaolong's identity.
Yao Fei broke out in a sudden laugh when hearing the remark, "Isn't it more meaningful that way? It would be extremely dull if everyone was weak and useless."
"Where has the Huang Family reached now?" Yao Fei suddenly asked.
"They should be arriving in Grand Beginnings Kingdom in another two days." Xiao Teng answered.
"Grand Beginnings Kingdom." A light gleamed in Yao Fei's eyes.