93: A sudden battle

"Wouldn't it have been better to say that earlier?" Xie Ning clapped his hands and complained, making everyone's mouths twitch. Fei Shanqiu, in particular, almost choked on his breath.

Xie Ning didn't care about their reactions. He grabbed Fei Shanqiu by the collar and hauled him up. "With such meager strength, how did you manage to collect protection fees? Who are you even protecting?"

Fei Shanqiu initially didn't want to answer, but seeing Xie Ning's fist raised again, he hurriedly spoke up in a panic, "Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'll talk..."

"My strength actually isn't that bad... I mean, compared to the students in the Beginner Class. So collecting protection fees is very nor— no, abnormal..."

Under Xie Ning's 'tyranny,' Fei Shanqiu tremblingly recounted his story. Every time he habitually started to brag, he was scared into correcting himself by the shadow of the fist.

By the time Fei Shanqiu finished speaking slowly, all the students who heard him were dumbfounded. From the dozens of people in the three-way standoff to Xie Ning on the stage, everyone couldn't help but sigh—this kid was a damn genius.

There was no doubt that Fei Shanqiu's strength was trash, but his mind was very sharp.

Taking advantage of the new students' arrival when they hadn't established themselves and didn't know the truth about him, he first used threats and intimidation to make them hand over protection fees. Then, he found some students from the Intermediate or Advanced classes and handed over a portion of the collected fees in exchange for their protection of the Beginner Class students.

So, if a freshman was beaten, they could seek help from those few in the Advanced Class;

And when a freshman realized they had been cheated and wanted their money back, he would push the blame onto the Intermediate and Advanced students who had taken the cut, dragging them down with him.

He had mastered this trick of 'making something out of nothing' to perfection.

He was practically a middleman for protection fees.

"That's how it happened. I've said everything I should. Don't you think it's time to..."

Xie Ning grinned and said, "Of course. But since you took money from my classmates, shouldn't you return it?"

"Uh..." Fei Shanqiu's mouth twitched, his eyes darting around. "Buddy, brother, how about we make a deal? She's not your girl anyway. Why don't we go fifty-fifty? We can cooperate in the future and split the money down the middle?"

Bang!

Xie Ning kicked him and said, "You've got some nerve, still trying to play tricks on me? Trying to recruit me as your subordinate? You really need a lesson! Hand over the money, or I'll beat you for another few hours!"

"Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'll give it!" Fei Shanqiu bit his lip and took out a light green feminine purse, handing it over with trembling hands. His eyes looked as if Xie Ning were taking his very lifeblood.

Xie Ning snatched the purse and tucked it away.

"The money has been given to you. Can I..."

"Of course."

After saying that, Xie Ning stepped off the stage, and the protective barrier vanished.

Fei Shanqiu lay on the ground resting for a few seconds to recover his strength before propping himself up to slowly climb to his feet. He muttered resentfully, "Damn guy, Fatty won't let this go... Uh..."

A shadow loomed over him. He looked up to see a crowd of people surrounding him, every Face one he remembered.

They were all freshmen who had been forced to pay protection fees... Xie Ning ignored the chaos on the stage. He greeted Lu Bingyun and the others, chatted for a bit, and watched the girls leave before preparing to head out himself.

Right then, sensing something, he turned his head.

A burly man standing 1.9 meters tall walked toward him, with Tiger Zhao following closely behind, wearing a smirk of smug satisfaction.

As the burly man approached, a sense of pressure washed over Xie Ning. He looked down at Xie Ning and said calmly, "You're the one who snatched my brother's Profound Grade Medium Grade Beast Taming Skill? Hand it over, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Though his words were calm, they carried an unquestionable arrogance, as if he were commanding a subordinate.

"Heh, he lost because of his own lack of skill, and now you're making false accusations." Xie Ning looked at the sinister-faced Tiger Zhao and snorted coldly, secretly gathering his strength.

The burly man shook his head. "I know you won it, but you shouldn't have taken it. Hand it over. I don't want to waste words."

Xie Ning: "I refuse."

"Very well!"

The burly man finished speaking and swung a large saber down at Xie Ning's head!

Clang~

A simple black sword blocked his attack.

"The Zhao family is as overbearing as ever. What kind of achievement is it to steal from a freshman?" Mu Tian held the black sword, his expression cold.

"Mu Tian? Good timing!" With that, the burly man used one hand to press down hard on the saber's hilt, locking strength with Mu Tian, while his other hand reached out with fingers splayed, aiming straight for Xie Ning.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He flipped his large hand and grabbed Tiger Zhao, who was trying to sneak-attack Xie Ning from the side. "You are not to interfere in my battle!"

Saying this, he withdrew his saber and slashed again, forcing Mu Tian back, before reaching out for Xie Ning once more.

Flames rose from Xie Ning's body. He narrowly dodged the incoming hand, lunged past the burly man, and charged toward Tiger Zhao behind him.

"Brat, how dare you!" The man raised a leg and kicked directly at Xie Ning's abdomen.

Just as Xie Ning was being forced back, he suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a thick stream of purple-red fire. It swept over Tiger Zhao, instantly eliciting a scream of pain.

"You have some skill!" The burly man didn't even glance at Tiger Zhao; he simply narrowed his eyes. "Watch the blade!"

Xie Ning took a deep breath, suppressing his pain. Fire flared up behind him like a torch. Just as he was about to exert his power, a flash of light flew from a distance, knocking the large saber away and continuing its trajectory to strike the burly man.

Bang!

The previously unstoppable burly man was suddenly sent flying over a dozen meters. He clutched his chest, his Face turning a purplish-blue.

"Private fighting is prohibited within the academy. Violators will Face the consequences."

A cold voice drifted from a distance, reaching everyone's ears.

Mu Tian immediately sheathed his sword and stood straight as if nothing had happened. Xie Ning recognized it as Yan Ruyu's voice and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

The girl in purple who had been watching from the sidelines also disappeared.

Even someone as overbearing as the burly man didn't dare to be reckless now. He gave Xie Ning a serious look, then scooped the burned Tiger Zhao off the ground and strode away.

The battle settled with Yan Ruyu's appearance. Only then did the others react, crying out in surprise. They hadn't expected a private fight to break out in broad daylight.

Xie Ning watched Zhao Long's departing back with a deep frown, lost in thought.

Only when they were no longer in sight did he turn around and say, "Thank you, Big Brother Mu."

Regarding Xie Ning's words of gratitude, Mu Tian gave a gentle smile. "You're welcome. My Mu Family and his Zhao family have never gotten along. Helping you is also helping myself."

Seeing Xie Ning's confusion, Mu Tian explained, "In Lingnan City, there is a saying of 'One Academy, Two Sects, and Three Families,' referring to the top powers in the city. The three families are the Mu Family, the Ruan Family, and the Zhao Family."

Mu Xiaolong added, "The person who fought you just now is called Zhao Long. He and the Tiger Zhao you defeated are biological brothers, but their personalities are completely different. Zhao Long is overbearing, disdains schemes, and acts decisively. Tiger Zhao, on the other hand, is much more cunning and even harder to deal with than Zhao Long."

"I see. But isn't he afraid of being punished by the academy for private fighting?"

"He is, after all, a favored genius of a major power in Lingnan City. Being an academy instructor is just a job; they have to think twice before punishing him. Aside from your own instructor, there really aren't many instructors left who dare not to give the Zhao Family Face."

After Mu Tian finished speaking, Xie Ning nodded seriously.

After a brief chat, the two groups parted ways under the watchful eyes of the many students.

As Mu Tian and Mu Xiaolong walked along, Mu Xiaolong couldn't help but ask, "Brother, why did you step in just now? Wouldn't it be better to let Xie Ning and the Zhao family become complete enemies?"

Mu Tian first looked at Mu Xiaolong, and seeing him lower his head, only then did he say, "I know you still have some issues with him, but I must remind you not to play any tricks on him."

Seeing his confusion, Mu Tian continued, "You must remember that no matter what you do, you should consider more than just dealing with your enemies; you must also maximize your own interests."

In this battle, whether our Mu Family acted or not, Xie Ning and that madman from the Zhao family would have formed a grudge. Our feud with the Zhao family is also long-standing. Since that's the case, why not lend a hand and pull the enemy of our enemy into our own camp?"

At this point, Mu Tian paused and said with a serious expression, "Furthermore, he is not just a Demon Tamer with Excellent talent, but also an Intermediate Cultivator. I don't need to tell you what it means to bring an Intermediate Cultivator into our camp."

Mu Xiaolong scratched his head and said, "So that's how it is. Brother, you really are amazing."

"You are both in the Beginner Class. Try to interact with him more in the future and repair your relationship."

"Uh... I'll try."

"You rascal."