"You say, how can a waste like you have such taboos?" Young Master Yun had a puzzled expression as he lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
"Oh, I see now," Young Master Yun said with great confidence.
"What is it? Young Master Yun, let us know too," a thinner follower asked.
"That's right, Chu Hanyun, you should tell us and let us know too," came the voices of several young boys who were slightly older than He Lian Wu Ji, each accompanied by one or two followers.
"Because," Chu Hanyun intentionally teased everyone, keeping them in suspense, while He Lian Wu Ji couldn't help but feel a strong sense of discomfort from his expression.
"Come on, Chu Hanyun, tell us. Don't keep us guessing. If you have any requests, just say it. We'll agree if it's reasonable."
"That's right."
"In that case, I'll say it. How about each of you giving me ten gold coins?" Chu Hanyun looked at the crowd and said.
"Um, okay."
"Okay, ten it is."
The others all nodded and agreed, but they all wore pained expressions. Hearing their agreement, Chu Hanyun revealed a triumphant look on his face.
On the Qing Ming Continent, for an ordinary family, ten gold coins would be enough to live comfortably for three months as a family of four. Families like the He Lian family, after the level test, would receive a monthly allowance of only five gold coins for cultivation practice, whereas much larger families like the Ma Xie family, which was bigger than the He Lian family, could receive allowances ranging from thirty to fifty gold coins each month. Just this alone showed that the families behind them were much larger than the He Lian family.
"That's because his mother, that lowly maid, acted haughty like that and seduced the He Lian family head, which is why he exists. But he's a disappointment, a waste. So, he learned a trick from his mother, pretending to be silent to attract everyone's attention. Haha, am I right?" Chu Hanyun laughed dismissively.
"Young Master Yun is truly insightful. He can see the truth even in such matters," commented one of the slightly heavier followers.
"Oh, I see now. Haha!"
Everyone laughed at the same time.
"Chu Hanyun, don't push your luck," He Lian Wu Ji said in anger.
"If I want to push my luck, I'll do it today. Will you hit me?" Chu Hanyun pointed at He Lian Wu Ji and continued, "Did your mother also seduce the He Lian family head like this to have you?"
Although He Lian Wu Ji had encountered people saying things about him and his mother before, none had insulted his mother in this way. His anger flared up rapidly, and he almost lashed out earlier, even if he couldn't win. But now, it seemed that Chu Hanyun was taking things too far, pointing at his head and forcing him to admit to those defamatory words. A burning rage started to consume He Lian Wu Ji's rationality.
"Remove your dog's paw," He Lian Wu Ji said while staring at Chu Hanyun with venom in his eyes.
Seeing this gaze, Chu Hanyun felt a little uneasy, but he quickly suppressed it. After all, he was a third-tier swordsman, so he wouldn't be afraid of a waste like He Lian Wu Ji. He found it laughable.
"If I don't remove it, what can you do? Bite me like a dog?" Chu Hanyun taunted.
But at that moment, the furious He Lian Wu Ji suddenly calmed down. He stood lazily in place.
"Yes, it was a whim of the He Lian family head that led to my existence, but at least I know who my father is. As for you, you don't even know how many nobles your mother slept with. So, whose child are you?" Noble life was decadent and full of affairs between nobles, sometimes even involving changing mistresses, all to enhance the benefits and "friendship" between families. As a result, determining the true lineage within large families was often quite convoluted, and some people spent their whole lives without knowing who their real parents were.
"Haha, look at him," everyone laughed at He Lian Wu Ji's words. However, when they heard the latter part, each person looked at him with extreme anger. This was not a well-kept secret among the nobility; everyone knew, but they all consciously refrained from bringing it up. It was a disgrace for the new generation, a shadow in their lives.
"You..." Chu Hanyun was left speechless with anger. His face turned red, and he glared at He Lian Wu Ji, looking resentful.
"Do you know who your biological parents are?" He stared at those before him and continued in a tone that echoed Chu Hanyun's arrogance earlier. "It's laughable and pitiful that you can't even determine your own parents' identities. As sons, you're still putting on airs here. If I were you, I'd have already killed myself."
He Lian Wu Ji laughed without reservation, leaving everyone present shocked.
"There are three forms of unfilial acts, and being unfilial to one's parents is one of them. You all have everything you need, and you even have people attending to your every need, so you naturally don't care," he continued.
Just as He Lian Wu Ji was about to finish his sentence, a fist, tinted with pale red, struck hard on his chest. He was sent flying several meters, crashing onto the ground.
He Lian Wu Ji felt an intense pain in his chest, and blood welled up in his throat. He spat out a mouthful of blood and looked back at Chu Hanyun, who was standing where he had been before, with a malevolent expression.
He struggled to his feet. The pain in his body far surpassed the shame he felt. If it weren't for his self-restraint, he might have struck back, even if he was weaker. But now, to his surprise, Chu Hanyun was pushing it further, pointing at his head and demanding he acknowledge those slanderous words. A surge of anger quickly overwhelmed He Lian Wu Ji's usual composure.
"Remove your dog's paw," He Lian Wu Ji said, staring at Chu Hanyun, his tone cold.
"Don't make me give you a chance, or you'll all die," a voice that sounded as though it came from hell, filled with intense hatred and malice, reached the ears of Chu Hanyun and the others, making their hearts shudder. A chilling fear ran from their feet to their souls.
"What are you doing?" Just as Chu Hanyun was about to speak, a calm but authoritative voice came from the crowd.
"Are you trying to protect him?" Chu Hanyun said angrily.
"I won't protect a waste, especially after what he just said about all of us. I don't mind if he's killed, but I won't protect him."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you forget the rules among nobility?"
"Rules?" Chu Hanyun thought for a moment
, his face suddenly breaking into a cold sweat.
"Do you want to spare him like this?"
"The nobility's rules stipulate that we can't kill each other until we've gone through the coming-of-age ceremony."
"In that case, what can we do?"
"Hehe, the rules state that we can't kill each other, which means we can't take each other's lives," Chu Hanyun said halfway and stopped. Upon hearing this, Chu Hanyun was overjoyed.
"Alright, someone, come here and beat him, beat him hard. As long as you don't kill him, I'll take responsibility for all consequences," Chu Hanyun said, turning to his followers behind him.
Seeing the two followers coming toward him, He Lian Wu Ji instinctively stepped back, but there was a wall behind him, and he had nowhere to escape. In the Qing Ming Continent, low-level Qi cultivation techniques were quite common, and most ordinary people practiced them to some extent, reaching at least the level of a second-tier swordsman. So, He Lian Wu Ji had no way to avoid them.
His arms, legs, back, chest, and head were all subjected to waves of excruciating pain. He ended up lying motionless on the ground, unable to utter a sound of agony throughout the process. His eyes were filled with hatred and intense murderous intent, fixed on those surrounding him.
"Stop!" Looking at He Lian Wu Ji lying on the ground, staring at the others with hatred, Chu Hanyun felt extremely uncomfortable. He walked over, and with his right foot, he stepped on He Lian Wu Ji's face.
"Beg me, beg me, and I'll let you go," Chu Hanyun said as he exerted force with his foot. The pain from his face was nothing compared to the humiliation He Lian Wu Ji felt.
"Don't give me a chance, or you'll all die," a voice, as if from hell itself, passed from under Chu Hanyun's foot and reached the ears of those around him, sending a shiver down their spines, making their hearts quiver.
"What are you doing?" Just as Chu Hanyun was about to speak, a voice came from the crowd, old but full of authority. The crowd quickly made way.
"High Priest Otofu," Chu Hanyun hastily lifted his right foot from He Lian Wu Ji's face and turned to face the voice with a smiling and respectful demeanor.
High Priest Otofu was a cleric in the church established by the Bright Church in Kelton City. He was also a seventh-tier Light Mage. In Kelton City, Otofu held more authority than the city lord. That was because in Kelton City, anyone who fell ill or got injured would have to go to the Bright Church to seek Otofu's treatment. Light magic was known as the best healing magic in the world.
"Today is Kelton City's annual day of assessment, and people from various major families in Kelton are watching. What are you all doing? Disperse, disperse," High Priest Otofu said.
"Yes, we'll disperse. We'll let you off today, He Lian Wu Ji, but after the coming-of-age ceremony next year, that will be your death sentence," Chu Hanyun warned.
At this point, He Lian Wu Ji had blood coming from his mouth, nose, and even the corners of his eyes. His entire body was soaked in his own blood, and his hair was a mess.
"Mountains don't move, water flows. I will repay this humiliation tenfold," he said as he walked away, limping, leaving behind Chu Hanyun and the others.
Otofu, the High Priest, watched He Lian Wu Ji's receding figure with a tremor in his heart. He wasn't sure whether it was for the young man's determination or his intense hatred.
"If this young man can cultivate, he will become a great talent. Such strong hatred… in the future," he said, glancing at the young people who had been intimidated by He Lian Wu Ji's words earlier, shaking his head in frustration.