Chapter 306
You know the consequences!
Ma Hongjun let out a strange cry, his fat face full of disdain, and crimson flames rose around him.
"The few of us are enough to deal with you!"
Although the Soul King's pressure made it difficult for him to breathe, he couldn't afford to lose in verbal combat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Soul Masters! I beg you! Please have mercy!"
The shop owner's shrill voice, choked with sobs, pierced the tense atmosphere. He scrambled to the middle of the two groups, his face a picture of utter despair, as if he were bankrupt.
"This is a small business, it can't afford any more trouble! If you want to fight, then please go outside and fight! I bought these tables, chairs, and dishes with borrowed money..."
He bowed humbly, his gaze shifting fearfully between Ye Zhi Qiu's black tortoise and Dai Mu Bai's white tiger.
Dai Mubai frowned, his evil eyes flashing with golden light, ignoring the shop owner's pleas.
In a conflict between Soul Masters, some damage is inevitable; who has time to choose where to go?
Tang San's hands had already quietly touched the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon at his waist. The cold touch calmed him down a little, and his Purple Demon Eyes locked onto Ye Zhi Qiu's possible weakness.
The opponent is a Soul King, far surpassing the combined strength of the three of them. Only a surprise attack with hidden weapons might create a sliver of hope.
We must strike with absolute certainty! This old tortoise is no soft-hearted Teacher Zhao!
Just as Dai Mubai and his group were poised to attack, and Ye Zhi Qiu was preparing to use his Soul King power to forcefully suppress his opponent, the shopkeeper let out a desperate wail—
"Ding."
A crisp, cold sound, like the metallic clanging of a drop of cold spring water falling onto a jade plate, was extremely faint, yet exceptionally clear, piercing through all the noise and soul energy fluctuations, striking precisely on everyone's eardrums.
The sound came from a table in the corner that seemed isolated from the world.
Lin Xia finally put down her knife and fork. The silver cutlery lightly touched the rim of the rough earthenware plate, producing a crisp sound that ended all the noise.
He picked up a clean white napkin and slowly wiped his mouth, his movements elegant and utterly unassuming.
His deep gaze, as if piercing through ice, swept lightly over Dai Mubai, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and the menacing Ye Zhi Qiu.
Time seemed to have been paused throughout the tavern.
The shopkeeper's plea stuck in his throat, Ye Zhi Qiu's gathered soul power faltered slightly, and Dai Mu Bai and the other two were instantly frozen as if by an invisible cold current!
Lin Xia's gaze finally fell back on the almost empty plate in front of her. Her voice was calm and even, yet it carried an absolute command that seemed to freeze the soul.
"If you want to fight, go outside and fight."
Lin Xia paused, and his fingertips picked up the silver coin that shimmered with a cold, eerie light again. The coin turned silently between his slender fingers, reflecting the dim light from the roof and drawing streaks of chilling glints.
"What if we destroy the things here..."
Lin Xia's voice remained calm, without raising it even slightly, but every word felt like an icicle piercing the listener's heart.
"Or, you've disturbed my meal..."
Lin Xia slightly raised his eyes. His unfathomable eyes were devoid of any emotion, yet everyone whose gaze swept over him, including Soul King Ye Zhi Qiu, felt a chill originating from the depths of their souls.
"...You know the consequences." *Hiss—*
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Ma Hongjun all gasped almost simultaneously!
My body shuddered violently, uncontrollably!
The brilliant purple soul ring beneath Dai Mubai's feet flickered violently, like a candle burning in the wind!
Tang Sanfu's fingers, which were resting on the Twenty-Four Bridges under the bright moonlight, instantly turned icy cold and stiff!
The evil fire surrounding Ma Hongjun suddenly dimmed and contracted with a "poof," as if it had been doused with a bucket of ice water!
You know the consequences!
These six seemingly insignificant words were a hundred times more terrifying than the oppressive aura of Ye Zhi Qiu, the Soul King!
It instantly awakened the deep-seated fear within them, a fear branded by Lin Xia's inhuman methods!
All those past events flashed uncontrollably through my mind!
They had no doubt that if a single drop of soup were to splash onto Lin Xia's clothes, or a splinter of wood were to fly toward his plate, what awaited them would be far more terrifying than facing ten Ye Zhi Qius!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through Dai Mubai's inner shirt.
He forcibly suppressed his surging blood and the muffled groan that almost escaped his lips. The golden light in his evil eyes carried a hint of barely concealed fear. He quickly glanced at the terrifyingly calm figure at the end of the table, and when he looked at Ye Zhi Qiu again, that arrogance had been replaced by a more complex anxiety, an eagerness to escape the oppressive atmosphere of this place.
Tang San took a deep breath, forcibly retracted his Purple Demon Eye, and slowly lowered his hand that had been resting on the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon.
Faced with Lin Xia's will, any resistance would be futile and might even lead to more terrible consequences.
He subtly tugged at Xiao Wu, who was also tense beside him.
Ma Hongjun was like a duck with its neck being choked; all his strange cries and provocations were swallowed back. His chubby face turned pale, and his small eyes were filled with lingering fear. He subconsciously shrank his neck, wishing he could disappear from the spot immediately.
Ye Zhi Qiu took in the sudden change in expression and the undisguised fear on the faces of the three Shrek students, and a huge wave of emotions surged in his heart!
He looked again incredulously at the young man at the end of the table, the one he had always been vaguely wary of but had never really taken seriously.
Just one sentence!
A flat statement without any fluctuation of soul power!
These three little monsters, who were just moments ago so arrogant and domineering, even daring to defy him, a Soul King, were instantly terrified, like birds startled by a bow!
The cold silver coin that was twirling between the young man's fingers seemed to exude an ominous, curse-like aura in Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes.
Who exactly is this young man?
What do the consequences he mentioned mean?
A strong sense of unease, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around Ye Zhi Qiu's heart, even temporarily suppressing his anger as a Soul King and his impulse to get revenge.
The shop owner was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected that his pleas and crying would be useless. This seemingly quiet young man's words had instantly calmed the two sides who were on the verge of conflict, although a more suffocating fear permeated the calm.
"Humph!"
Ye Zhi Qiu forcibly suppressed the surprise and doubt in his heart, and snorted coldly to cover up his momentary loss of composure.
He knew that it was impossible for him to establish his authority by making a move in this tavern today.
His sinister gaze swept over Dai Mubai and the other two, finally lingering on Lin Xia for a moment, filled with deep apprehension and scrutiny.
"A sharp-tongued brat! He thinks he's so great just because he has a little talent!"
Ye Zhi Qiu's voice carried a forced sense of authority, and the black light of the Xuan Turtle shell behind him surged.
"Since someone is so ungrateful and has disturbed our peace, then so be it! The open space outside is spacious enough for me to teach you a good lesson on behalf of your teacher! Come out with me!"
He uttered those harsh words, then turned and strode out of the tavern, each step causing a slight tremor in the ground, attempting to regain control of the situation. (End of Chapter)