As Kai and Mae Ling dashed through the first-floor corridor, their eyes widened in surprise at the sight that awaited them. A large crowd of students had gathered outside a classroom, their voices buzzing with excitement and anticipation.
"Whoa! Is he seriously going to fight?"
"Yeah, it looks like it! Isn't he scared at all?"
"Look at Wang Mang's face. He looks really pissed!"
Mae Ling's worry deepened as she heard these comments, pushing her way towards the crowd of people. Kai hurriedly followed suit, both of them weaving their way through the sea of onlookers. Just as they inched closer, Mae Ling spotted her friend, Lu Fang Er, who seemed to be purposely obstructing the view, preventing Mae Ling from witnessing her brother getting beaten up.
Kai placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, I've got this." His voice exuded confidence, causing Mae Ling to plead with him, tears welling in her eyes.
"Please, Senior Brother, help him!"
In that moment, a notification chimed, presenting Kai with a random quest.
Ding! [Random Quest: Help Mae Ling's Brother]
Reward: [Legend] Dual Cultivation Method.
The room was filled with a bustling crowd, but Kai cut through them effortlessly, forcing them to give way. Pushing his way towards the source of the commotion, he entered a room to find a skinny young man, his face full of bruises and his uniform tattered. Despite the fear in his eyes, there was an undeniable sense of determination emanating from him.
Standing in front of him was a tall, bald youth who seemed way too mature for a first-year high school student. The bald guy's neck resembled a tree trunk, with muscles and bare hands that could easily intimidate anyone. Throw in his collection of tattoos, and he looked downright terrifying. In comparison, the skinny youth looked like a puny shrimp.
The bald man's veins bulged in anger as he confronted Xia Chen, taunting him. "What's the matter, Xia Chen? You wanna fight?" he sneered.
Xia Chen clenched his teeth, fear evident in his eyes as he stared at Wang Mang's intimidating face. Then, he mustered up the courage to speak. "You disrespect my mom, you asshole!" his voice quivered with anger.
The crowd gasped in shock, finding it hard to believe that Xia Chen would dare to stand up to Wang Mang. Whispers of disbelief filled the room.
Meanwhile, Kai's interest was piqued. He had his own share of struggles in the past, and he knew what it was like to break free from shackles. Observing the determination in Xia Chen's eyes, despite the obvious physical difference between them, Kai felt moved. He didn't immediately intervene as he wanted to see how Xia Chen would react. Would his determination crumble when faced with such an overwhelming disadvantage, or would he grit his teeth and fight back?
Wang Mang scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Did your head get kicked by a donkey? You really think you can fight me?" He continued to taunt Xia Chen, hitting a nerve with his next insult. "No wonder your father left your whore mother."
Suddenly, Xia Chen felt something snap inside him. Wang Mang had struck a raw nerve by insulting his mother. Without a second thought, he lunged towards Wang Mang, aiming for a tackle. Wang Mang was caught off guard, too slow to react.
Bang!
A loud bang echoed through the classroom as Xia Chen's tackle connected. However, Wang Mang didn't even budge. The room fell silent, the students stunned by the turn of events.
Wang Mang woke up in shock, his expression twisted with a mix of amusement and malice. He stared at Xia Chen, a malevolent spark in his eyes.
"Haha! Is that all you've got? You've got guts, I'll give you that," Wang Mang said, his voice dripping with sinister delight.
The crowd started to buzz again, the onlookers realizing the gravity of Xia Chen's mistake. Whispers and snickers filled the air.
"What was that guy thinking, huh? Trying to take on someone who's almost six feet tall and built like a tank? Talk about a stupid move," they whispered to each other, struggling to contain their disbelief and amusement.
Kai, growing irritated by the crowd, spoke up in a deep voice. "Shut your traps! What about you all? Can any of you throw a decent punch or even stand up to that guy?" He pointed a finger in the direction of Wang Mang, who was clearly intimidating.
Some students fell silent, realizing just how terrifying Wang Mang looked. But there were a few who thought they could still mouth off to Kai. Yet, when they locked eyes with him, they gulped down their biting remarks, realizing that the handsome guy standing before them was even scarier than Wang Mang.
Ignoring the onlookers, Kai focused his attention back on the unfolding scene. Mae Ling, unable to contain herself any longer, entered the room accompanied by her friend.
"Brother!" Mae Ling called out, a desperate urge to rush to her brother's aid evident in her voice. However, Kai stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't worry. I won't let him get hurt again. Just watch," Kai assured her, flashing a reassuring smile.
"B-but–"
"It's okay. I promise. Just stay here," Kai said, gently patting her head.
Kai had no intention of intervening just yet. He wanted Xia Chen to experience the bitterness of powerlessness. This would also serve as an opportunity for Xia Chen to yearn for strength. Since they were now brothers and Mae Ling was already his woman, Kai would help Xia Chen rise to new heights so that no one would ever look down on him again.
"Let's see if this experience will break or shape your determination," Kai muttered.
Wang Mang clearly heard Mae Ling's shout and turned his head towards her direction. His eyes instantly lit up and he licked his lips in a creepy manner. With a sinister smile, he wanted to attack Xia Chen emotionally once again. "Your sister is pretty cute. She's so petite, I wonder what kind of voice she would make when she moans while I pin her down -"
Before he could utter another word and Xia Chen could even react, someone suddenly grabbed Wang Mang's jaw, forcefully covering his mouth. Xia Chen took this opportunity to distance himself from Wang Ming and looked at the figure's back with astonishment. Despite being smaller in size than Wang Ming, this senior brother treated him like a child.
Wang Mang struggled fiercely, trying to break free from the person's grip, but it was in vain. His bulging muscles became decorations compared to the slim arms of Kai, tightly clutching his face.
"Who the hell are you? This doesn't concern you!" Wang Ming exclaimed, still attempting to break loose.
"Doesn't concern me?" Kai responded in a deep voice, tightening his grip on Wang Ming's face.
"Ahh! Stop! Do you have any idea who I am? I am –" Wang Ming tried to shout, but before he could finish, Kai tightened his grip even more, causing a sickening cracking sound.
Crack!
"Ahhh!" Wang Ming screamed, and Kai forcefully slammed him to the ground.
Bang!
Wang Ming coughed up a bit of blood, almost losing consciousness from the pain.
Kai squatted down, glaring at Wang Ming. In return, Wang Ming looked up at Kai, his expression filled with fear. It seems like he kicked the rock this time.
"You can do whatever you want and act all tough towards the weak, but don't you dare use that filthy mouth of yours against my woman," Kai said, his voice sending shivers down Wang Ming's spine and the entire crowd that was eavesdropping.
Mae Ling's heart trembled upon hearing Kai's words. She was shocked when Kai suddenly moved, but seeing how he dealt with Wang Mang like a helpless child, she couldn't help but feel overjoyed. She was right in accepting Kai. Not only was he incredibly handsome and cool, but he was also undeniably strong. On top of that, she could sense his overwhelming protectiveness towards his woman. In her eyes, he truly was a knight in shining armor, the kind she had only read and dreamed about in fairy tales.
Her friend Lu Fang Er was also shocked hearing Kai's declaration. She knew that her friend and this senior only just met this early in the morning.
'Did something happen while I wasn't looking for Mae Ling?' Lu Fang Er was deep in thought as she looked at her friend and at Kai. She was also scared earlier when she saw Kai dash towards the scary delinquent, but it changed immediately to awe when she saw how strong Kai is.
Xia Chen, who was standing nearby, wanted to ask his senior for confirmation of his declaration, but he didn't dare to say anything. Instead, he just stared at Kai's back with a determined expression in his eyes.
'Maybe I can be like Senior if I work hard. I need to become stronger to protect my sister and my mother,' Xia Chen thought to himself, feeling inspired by Kai's powerful display.
The crowd didn't dare to utter any words when they saw the scene. They all just swallowed their saliva as the scene before them was utterly unbelievable.