"Me?" Hai Chen lay on the ground, his leg throbbing from the forceful kick he had received. Bewilderment washed over him, mingled with a growing anger.3

It was true that he wanted to curry favor with Zhu Shang. After all, whether it was talent or family background, Zhu Shang was far superior to him. But flattering and currying favor was one thing. Being forced to kowtow and admit wrongdoing was another.1

The three disciples from the martial academy who had accompanied him were frozen in fear, barely daring to breathe. Wu Sheng and Luo He exchanged perplexed glances. Only Wu Yuan took a bite of his meal unhurriedly, watching Zhu Shang and Hai Chen's performance with an indifferent expression.0

"What do you mean 'me'?" Zhu Shang scolded, "Do you have any idea who Senior Brother Wu is? He is a special recruit of the Cloud Martial Hall, and among those select few, he is extremely strong. His status rivals that of the Cloud Heirs themselves!"6

"Now, apologize!" Zhu Shang delivered a 'ferocious' slap to Hai Chen's head.1

Upon hearing the words 'rival the Cloud Heirs', Hai Chen, who had been seething with anger and contemplating retaliation, felt as if a bucket of icy water had been dumped over him. 0

His entire...0