Night was growing dense.
Zone 51, though the newest district to be formed, was no less prosperous than Zone 1 of the Empire.
The colorful street lights rushed backward past the car window.
After getting out of the taxi, Xia Feng hurried toward the villa. It was almost eight o'clock, and that dumb stay-at-home, Mushroom, probably hadn't even had dinner yet. He needed to hurry.
However, he had just reached the corner when his phone suddenly popped up with a message.
[Don't come back yet, Yan Xujia is here]
"Brother Yan~ this little guy is not being honest."
At the same time, a woman's light laughter faintly came from not too far away.
"Face-slapping."
Yan Xujia's indifferent voice came, and Xia Feng's pupils dilated as he rushed forward with heavy steps.
The petite Mushroom, a curly-haired girl, was wearing a bear pajama; her hair was pulled high, pupils filled with fear and panic.
"Alright~" Under the streetlight, the woman's fingernails flashed with a disturbing bloody light as she swung her hand high.
"Fuck your mother!!"
Bang!!! Just as the woman's hand had swung halfway, accompanied by a murderous cold shout, a shoe sole directly kicked onto her face. Under the tremendous force, her surgically enhanced cheekbone twisted instantly, the heavily made-up skin collapsed, and droplets of saliva flew as her head skewed violently—
The woman was flung through the air and crashed onto the metal pole of a streetlight with a thud, disheveled hair falling as she vomited fresh blood.
But before she could recover from the searing pain, her long hair was once again yanked up by a man.
"Xia Feng!!" Mushroom saw the newcomer and instantly felt relieved, her mind relaxed, but the next moment she became tense again, her gaze filled with worry and unsureness.
Xia Feng turned back and glanced at Mushroom's right face, where a faint scratch was oozing blood, then looked down at the woman coldly.
The woman's lips were bloody, her expression ferocious, her voice shrill, "Commoner! Do you know who I am?!"
"Slap—"
The woman's cheek was twisted to the right as a bloodstained tooth flew through the air in a perfect parabola, landing with her on the ground, screaming in pain.
The Church Knights around her looked at each other, their expressions changing.
"Commoner, you stop it right now!!"
Yan Xujia snapped back to reality amidst the shock, his expression displeased as he yelled. Although this woman was just the daughter of a minor noble attached to a Marquis, she wasn't someone just anybody could bully.
"Yan Xujia, do you know what dog shit is?"
Xia Feng kicked the woman on the ground aside, dusted off his hands, and walked toward Yan Xujia, "Make sure on your way home, some cunning dog shits don't try to rub up against my feet."
"..."
Yan Xujia's expression darkened abruptly. "Xia, what do you mean by that?!"
"Don't rush, eh? I was talking about dog shit, not you."
"!!!!!" Yan Xujia's forehead veins bulged with anger. He wanted to retort but didn't know how to respond. His eyes flashed with a cold murderous intent, he took a step forward as a powerful Spiritual Pressure quietly spread out.
The shadows behind him seemed to grow even more ominous, as Yan Xujia watched the black-haired man indifferently: "Xia Feng, do you want to have a go with me?"
"Fight with you? No, no, no—" Xia Feng grinned, leaning close to Yan Xujia's ear, his voice low with a cold laugh, "After all, you don't hit a dog before looking at its owner. Go ask your master if a stupid dog sent a puppy to bite me in the Evil Dragon Forest, should I make a big deal out of it or not?"
Yan Xujia's pupils shrank, his neck stiffened instantly. He had already investigated the incident through 'Time Shadow,' though there had been only a second of footage, it was clear that the bald guy died being consumed by the Black Hole Disaster in an unknown territory, not by Xia Feng's hand. So how could this guy possibly know it was an assassin he had sent?
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This matter, if left unknown, would be fine; but once exposed, even though he was the son of a noble Marquis and could avoid the death penalty and had many immunity privileges, it would still be very troublesome.
Now was a crucial time in the competition for the Holy Daughter, and as a Guardian Knight, he could not afford to have any blemishes.
Furthermore, today was not like the past when lie detection technology in the form of Spiritual Clothes did not exist. With the continuous innovation of lie detection Spiritual Clothes, the interrogation of low-level Spirit Masters had become extremely simple.
"Weiyang Academy is affiliated with the Imperial Holy Department, a Second Level military organization. I wonder if a Priest harming Weiyang students should be tried by a military tribunal or the Black Moon Court?"
Xia Feng patted Yan Xujia's right cheek with his hand, "Of course, if you, a piece of trash, have the courage, kill me right now!"
"Insolence!!"
The four Knights behind him saw Xia Feng's audacious disrespect and their faces changed color as they were about to draw their swords and step forward.
But Yan Xujia suddenly raised his hand, gritted his teeth, and sternly whispered, "Stand down!"
The four Knights hesitated, sheathed their swords, and stepped back.
"Xia Feng, what exactly do you want?"
Yan Xujia realized that Xia Feng did not intend to expose him; naturally, he did not want the matter exposed either. After all, once exposed, not only would his eligibility as the heir to the title be affected, but it might also deepen his master's disdain for him.
What do I want? Xia Feng smiled. Of course, he would not expose Yan Xujia. Exposing him would result in nothing more than some inconsequential punishment for the foolish man—unable to kill the opponent.
However, this did not mean there were no ways to kill the man.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Xia Feng's gaze suddenly became fixated on the half of a pocket watch peeking out from Yan Xujia's chest pocket, and a suspicion arose in his heart.
The pale-gold case of the watch bore the small characters "Ping Mountain" on the upper right side.
"Looks familiar, Ping Mountain..."
These two characters were like a switch, instantly awakening the mysterious dream tucked deep within Xia Feng's brain.
Biohazard, daughter, unborn wife, Ping Mountain...
"Yes, I remember now, the unborn wife in the dream was in Ping Shan Hospital!"
His thoughts raced like lightning and he looked no further at the pocket watch.
He quickly confirmed the best plan to kill Yan Xujia and looked up,
"It's simple. In five days, it will be Weiyang Academy's monthly open day for a Justice Duel. I will challenge you to a Justice Duel."
"Ha," laughter came from the Knights behind Yan Xujia as soon as Xia Feng finished speaking.
Yan Xujia, too, curled the corner of his lips, raised his eyebrows with interest, and said, "Oh? And what about the wager for this Justice Duel?"
Although both were First Rank Spirit Masters, not to mention the disparity in the number of Spiritual Clothes, let's talk about the Spiritual Artifact. Xia Feng hadn't even awakened his Spiritual Artifact, whereas his, the "Forest Wand," was reputed to be unbeatable at the same rank.
Relying on the Forest Wand, he had not suffered a single defeat in duels over the past years.
Yan Xujia truly couldn't understand and found it somewhat laughable, how could Xia Feng dare?
"The stake is simple. After signing the Justice Contract, the loser leaves Zone 51. Of course, not to the Northern Territory, but to the Southern Border! And may not leave the Southern Border for ten years."
Hearing that the wager involved going to the Southern Border, Yan Xujia frowned and was very reluctant at heart. As a noble from the Northern Territory, he had always disliked such barbarous places.
But it wasn't much of a big deal, after all, there was no way he could lose. This fellow named Xia Feng was amusing himself, having no clear understanding of his own capabilities.
Pathetic yet pitiable.
Yan Xujia glanced over the black-haired youth before him, shook his head in resignation, and couldn't comprehend why his lord had ever taken a liking to Xia Feng, a brainless, ignorant commoner.
"Fine, I hope you have the guts to come to the battlefield and duel me in five days." With a click of his tongue, Yan Xujia turned around and waved his hand, "Let's go."
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