Chapter 299
Provocation!
Ma Hongjun's reaction was the most direct and enthusiastic.
His small eyes instantly flashed with a hungry wolf-like light, locking onto the only girl among the eight people, and he couldn't look away.
The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a slender figure, wearing a well-fitting moon-white Soul Master robe that outlined her budding curves.
She had a pretty face, fair skin, and almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with girlish charm and the pride of someone just entering the world of Soul Masters.
She is indeed of above-average appearance and exudes youthful energy.
"Tsk...tsk...tsk..."
The fat man couldn't help but smack his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing, his eyes seemingly glued to the girl.
"Boss Dai, look, look! That girl... tsk tsk tsk, she's really something! That figure, that face... Canghui Academy, right? Their food must be pretty good!"
His voice was deliberately lowered, but in the quiet restaurant, it sounded exceptionally clear against the contrast with his physique, filled with blatant drooling and appreciation.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong are all beauties, but they are only twelve or thirteen years old. Their bodies have not yet fully developed, and their temperament still carries the immaturity of young girls.
The girl from Canghui Academy in front of him was in the prime of her life, and her feminine beauty and charm were beginning to blossom. For a boy like Ma Hongjun, who was also troubled by evil fire, her attraction was fatal.
Dai Mubai was holding a glass of ale when he heard this. He glanced sideways at the group from Canghui Academy and let out a clear, short snort.
"Humph!"
"It's just a small Canghui Academy. A bunch of chickens pretending to be phoenixes, dressed up like human beings, do they really think they're something special? A third-rate academy on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, with a few fancy robes, thinks they can put on airs in front of us? What a load of rubbish!"
Dai Mubai's voice was not lowered at all; in fact, it carried a hint of deliberate provocation and echoed clearly throughout the restaurant.
His words were like a boulder thrown into a temporarily calm pond.
Instantly, the entire restaurant fell completely silent.
All the diners stopped what they were doing, their eyes scanning back and forth between Shrek Academy's table and the group from Canghui Academy.
An invisible tension suddenly tightened in the air, filling the air with a strong smell of gunpowder.
The group from Canghui Academy naturally heard Dai Mubai's merciless sarcasm.
The middle-aged teacher at the head of the group instantly darkened his face, and his meticulously combed hair seemed to stand on end in anger.
The young men behind him were visibly shocked, their eyes instantly turning sharp and angry. In particular, several hot-blooded male students clenched their fists instinctively and glared fiercely at Dai Mubai.
The girl being stared at by Ma Hongjun blushed, then felt a surge of shame and anger, and glared fiercely at Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai.
"teacher!"
A rather burly young man from Canghui couldn't help but step forward, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
"them……"
The middle-aged teacher raised his hand, stopping the student's impulsive act.
His eyes swept over the Shrek Academy members with a sinister gaze, his gaze lingering for a moment on Dai Mubai's striking blond hair and imposing presence, and on Ma Hongjun's lewd face.
When his gaze swept over Lin Xia, who seemed detached from the situation at the end of the table, his eyes paused slightly, as if he sensed a subtle but elusive danger, but it was quickly overshadowed by an even stronger rage.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to lash out. Clearly, he didn't want to make a move in a restaurant, as it would be beneath his dignity, but the Shrek Academy members' disrespect, especially Dai Mubai's insult of calling it a "third-rate academy," had completely ignited his anger.
"You ignorant brat."
The middle-aged teacher's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, icy and chilling, carrying an undisguised threat: "Starfall Town may be small, but it's not a place for you to run wild. When you're out in the world, be careful what you say... or you'll bite off more than you can chew!"
He deliberately emphasized the last few words, his gaze sweeping over Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun like a knife.
Dai Mubai scoffed, completely unafraid, even defiantly meeting the other's gaze, the corners of his mouth curving into a thick mockery.
"Their tongues are too stiff; no need to bother. But some people, just because they wear a skin, really think they're dragons? How laughable!"
He deliberately emphasized the word "dragon," clearly alluding to the silver thread pattern on the other person's academy robe.
"you!"
The youths of Canghui could hardly contain themselves, and their soul power fluctuations were faintly emanating from their bodies.
Tang San frowned, his hand under the table clenching quietly, his Blue Silver Grass martial soul poised to unleash its power.
Xiao Wu nervously grabbed Tang San's arm.
Oscar instinctively shrank back.
Ning Rongrong glanced at Lin Xia beside her. Seeing that Lin Xia was still calmly cutting a piece of tender meat on the plate, as if the conflict in front of her had nothing to do with him, she felt a little relieved, but her small hands still unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
Only Ma Hongjun seemed completely unaware that he was one of the triggers, still clicking his tongue and stealing glances at Cang Hui's girl, oblivious to the fact that his lewd gaze was making her even more ashamed and indignant.
Just as conflict was about to erupt, and the air in the restaurant seemed to freeze solid—
"Ding……"
A faint yet crystal-clear metallic clang, like an ice bead thrown into a calm lake, abruptly shattered the tense silence.
The sound came from the end of the table.
Lin Xia kept his head down, his gaze fixed on the knife and fork in his hand, as if the crisp sound just now was merely an accidental touch of the cutlery. The silver coin, gleaming with a cold light, had reappeared between his slender fingers.
The silver coin wasn't spinning; he was simply playing with it casually between his fingers.
Sunlight streamed through the window, dancing on the smooth surface of the silver coin and reflecting a dazzling, cold arc of light that swept precisely across the eyes of the middle-aged teacher at Canghui Academy.
The middle-aged teacher subconsciously squinted, his heart suddenly tightening.
That cold light, carrying an invisible sense of oppression, instantly pierced through his anger, making him feel as if he were locked onto by the vertical pupils of a venomous snake. He looked in the direction of the light and saw only Lin Xia's lowered eyelashes and the cold metal that was faintly visible between her fingers.
Lin Xia remained silent, without even raising her head.
He simply used his fork to slowly pick up a piece of cut meat, brought it to his lips, his movements elegant and focused, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the food in front of him.
The silver coin lay quietly between his fingers, yet it was like a sharp sword hanging over everyone's heart.
Zhu Zhuqing's figure seemed to get even closer to Lin Xia, her icy gaze sweeping over Cang Hui and the others as if it were a tangible presence, silently conveying a warning.
You could hear a pin drop in the restaurant.
Even the fat man's smacking of his lips disappeared.
The middle-aged teacher from Canghui Academy took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the inexplicable tremor in his heart and the even greater anger.
He glared at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, his eyes filled with even more threat, but ultimately did not lash out immediately. (End of Chapter)