The elites and geniuses among the new students appeared without end. Most of the audience was focused on them, to the point that Ye Zichen and the others’ little spat mostly went unnoticed.
The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Ye Zichen pressed his lips into a smile, stepped right into the middle of it, and said, “What’s all this about? Everyone has their own ambitions. Although Brother Luo and Brother Li were once part of your Grizzly Bear Society, that doesn’t mean they have to stay there forever, does it?”
“You brat! To think you’d really show up here!” Chen Yinian pointed at him and cursed him out.
“Why shouldn’t I come? I’m an ordinary student too.” Ye Zichen shrugged casually, but his icy gaze locked onto Chen Yinian’s finger. “I hate nothing more than others pointing at me.”
“You think you’re tough? You sniped our members, and no you even dare talk to me like this? I’m not just going to point at you! I’m going to beat you up!” Chen Yinian clenched his hands into fists.
Luo Zi and Li Hu took a step forward, and their divine power silently coursed through their bodies. Ye Zichen’s pupils constricted, and he was now completely alert. However, his gaze landed on Pang Zheng, not Chen Yinian.
Chen Yinian wasn’t the leader of the Grizzly Bears. It was up to Pang Zheng whether he’d attack or not.
By now, the other students at the ceremony gradually started paying attention to what Ye Zichen and the others were up to. Quite a few were staring right at them. Even the teachers on stage were watching.
“Pang Zheng, what are you doing?” asked a teacher.
Even after hearing the teacher’s question, Pang Zheng fixed his gaze on Ye Zichen. There was no trace of fear or withdrawal in his eyes. Before long, though, a smile tugged at his lips. “We’re not doing anything. Please, carry on with what you were doing.”
He bowed to the teacher as befitting for a student. However, his expression was dark. He turned to his companion and said, “Come back, Yinian.”
Chen Yinian rose from his crouch and returned to Pang Zheng’s side. Luo Zi and Li Hu backed off as well and took up position beside Ye Zichen.
“Brother Ye, I knew you were out of the ordinary when I first met you,” said Peng Zheng. “Actually, over the past few days, I’ve learned a lot by watching you put your expertise in action.”
By ‘expertise,’ he naturally meant to the way Ye Zichen had lured away his subordinates. Dozens of titled officers and even two platoon leaders had all left. This was no small blow to the Grizzly Bear Society. Moreover, over twenty percent of their ordinary members had left for Anti-Upheaval. This represented a sharp drop in their overall strength.
Although Pang Zheng looked as if he didn’t care, he had an intense longing for power and control. There was no way for him to truly disregard these losses.
“Society Head Pang, you’re exaggerating.” Ye Zichen shrugged, laughed, then glanced at Sun Jialing. “Platoon Leader Sun, I seem to recall you placing a bet against our Society Head. You lost!”
Sun Jialing had, in fact, lost the bet.
According to their agreement, she ought to strip naked, take the stage, and perform in front of everyone. However, even now, she’d shown no indication of following through.
When she heard Ye Zichen bring this up, she lowered her head.
Pang Zheng smiled warmly and patted her on the shoulder. “I came here tonight specifically because of my cousin’s bet with Society Head Xue.”
“You’re cousins?” Ye Zichen arched his brows.
Never mind him; not even the long-time students knew that this was the nature of Pang Zheng’s relationship with Sun Jialing.
No wonder she’d become a Grizzly Bear Society platoon leader! Earliest, most of the students just assumed she’d slept her way into the position.
“That’s right, she’s my little cousin.” Pang Zheng nodded. “I heard of her bet with Society Head Xue. She really did lose, however, the terms of the bet are a little cruel, especially for a girl. Girls care deeply about their reputations. If she performs naked in front of so many people, how will she live on?”
“How interesting!” A hint of disdain flashed through Xue Mo’s eyes. “Sun Jialing set those terms herself. Now that she’s lost, she’s concerned about her reputation? Tell me, Society Head Pang: would you still be saying all those righteous words if I’d lost?”
“Society Head Xue, I brought proof of our sincerity,” said Pang Zheng, his expressions dark.
“Well then, out with it. What kind of ‘sincerity?’” asked Xue Mo.
“How about we just forget about our bet?” said Pang Zheng. “After all, although you won, it wasn’t a glorious victory, was it? All your recruits were sniped from our Grizzly Bear Society! If you let this bet go, I won’t make trouble for you on account of the manpower you stole.”
“Wah! How amazingly sincere!” jeered Ye Zichen.
“Then what do you want? Coming here is already a show of respect. Otherwise, I’d just stay home, and Sun Jialing wouldn’t carry out her bet. What could you do about it?” said Pang Zheng with an arrogant laugh. “Do you think just the few of you can touch our Grizzly Bear Society? Or rather, do you want to offend the Northwestern Pang Family?”
“Society Head Pang, you’re showing your true colors,” Ye Zichen laughed.
Pang Zheng always acted modest and polite, without fighting or arguing….
What he’d just said was in stark contrast with his usual performance!
“Is the Pang Family strong?” Despite Pang Zheng’s threats, Xue Mo simply rubbed her nose. Her gaze carried hints of mockery.
When he saw how calm she was, Pang Zheng’s heart sank. As expected, she really is from that place!
The Northwestern Pang Family was a force to be reckoned with on the Northern Divine Mountain, but compared to that place… Well, they weren’t even comparable.
Was she really one of them?
Pang Zheng inwardly calculated, then sighed lightly. “What do you want me to do, Society Head Xue?”
Better to be overcautious than under cautious.
If Xue Mo really was one of them and he offended her, his entire family combined would be no match for her.
“Ye Zichen, what do you think we should do?” Xue Mo cocked her head to look at him.
“If you ask me, I’d of course like to see Sun Jialing carry out the terms of the bet,” said Ye Zichen, scanning Sun Jialing’s “important places” with no effort to conceal his interest. “This would ‘benefit’ the entire student body!”
Just as Pang Zheng’s expression darkened, Ye Zichen changed course. “However, she’s still Pang Zheng’s little cousin, after all. As the old saying goes, you can disregard a monk, but you can’t disregard a Buddha. Society Head Pang showed up himself, so let’s give him face. Otherwise, what would I do if he sent his family to kill me? I’m but a poor, humble fellow. I can’t afford to offend that… what was it? The Northwestern Pang Family, right? That’s right, that…. That… massive family clan… just saying their name has me so scared, my legs are like jelly.”
Even Xue Mo and the others couldn’t quite stomach his blatant mockery. Pang Zheng’s face had gone completely ashen, but out of consideration for Xue Mo’s background, he could only clench his fists and endure.
“As for what to do…” Ye Zichen rubbed his chin, then inexplicably pulled a jade slip from a spatial pouch and tossed it to Pang Zheng. “Just act in accordance with those instructions!”
