"Young Master, he's the little bastard I mentioned to you."
Looking at Tuoba Wenhao as he approached, Zhang Family head Zhang Wei spoke respectfully, though his eyes remained fixed on Bai Feng with a murderous glare.
Tuoba Wenhao gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over Bai Feng with undisguised contempt and disdain.
Then, stepping forward, he demanded sharply, "Did you cripple Zhao Heilong? Do you have any idea that he is my sparring partner?"
Tuoba Wenhao's aura at that moment was terrifyingly oppressive, sending cold shivers straight down the spines of the heads of the various Fengcheng families present.
"A mad dog bites people, so its teeth get knocked out. Is there a problem with that?"
Bai Feng's tone remained completely calm as he looked back at the young man roughly his own age.
Swish!
Whether it was the heads of the Fengcheng families, or Zhang Wei standing beside them, or even Zhang Family elder Zhang Nanbo, who had also come out to the reception hall, their expressions changed instantly.
Faced with Tuoba Wenhao—a martial arts prodigy and the foremost young master of Ning Province—Bai Feng was as arrogant and domineering as ever.
"Even a dog must be judged by its master. Zhao Heilong possesses Earth Realm strength, and the fact that you managed to cripple him proves you have some meager skills. Now, if you kneel to apologize to the Zhang Family and agree to serve as my dog and sparring partner, I'll grant you a chance to survive."
Unfazed by Bai Feng's defiance, Tuoba Wenhao merely frowned. He showed no sign of outright anger, but his tone brooked no refusal.
Hearing that Tuoba Wenhao intended to spare Bai Feng, Zhang Wei and Zhang Family elder Zhang Nanbo panicked. They had intended for this little bastard Bai Feng to be sent straight to hell. Even if this little bastard yielded and knelt before the Zhang Family to beg for forgiveness, it would never be enough to extinguish the hatred burning in their hearts. Besides, once this little bastard became a dog and served as Tuoba Wenhao's martial arts sparring partner, the Zhang Family would never be able to suppress him. For them, that was the worst possible outcome.
"Young Master... this little bastard..."
In his anxiety, Zhang Family elder Zhang Nanbo hurried to speak, but upon catching Tuoba Wenhao's cold glance, he snapped his mouth shut, his face turning an unsightly shade of gray.
Seeing this, the heads of the various Fengcheng families turned their gazes toward Bai Feng.
It was like pie falling from the sky! The kid had struck gold—what incredible luck!
Such thoughts raced through the minds of the Fengcheng family heads, their eyes burning with envy and jealousy. In their eyes, Bai Feng would undoubtedly accept the offer from Tuoba Wenhao, the foremost young master of Ning Province. After all, becoming Tuoba Wenhao's sparring partner didn't just mean staying alive; it might even open doors to guidance from the Tuoba Family's two Heaven Realm Martial Artists, and it would easily solve the Xu Family's troubles as well. It was a windfall of benefits! Even a fool would know how to choose!
"The Zhang Family claims this pendant belongs to them. Now, all you need to do is tell me whether you know its origins, and then get the hell out of here. I won't hold your barking against you. Do you understand?"
Boom!
As Bai Feng spoke leisurely, the room erupted.
The onlookers stared at Bai Feng as if he were a lunatic, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
"You little bastard, how dare you refuse the Young Master! You've got a death wish!"
After a few seconds of bewilderment, Zhang Family elder Zhang Nanbo snapped back to reality and roared furiously, though he couldn't entirely conceal the wild joy surging deep within his eyes.
"Young Master, this little animal relies on his status as an Earth Realm Martial Artist to look down on everyone!"
Beside him, Zhang Family head Zhang Wei felt an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter. He suppressed it with all his might, the effort leaving him feeling utterly suffocated.
For the members of the Zhang Family, Bai Feng's action was nothing short of a divine intervention—a truly unexpected blessing.
"You are the first person in Ning Province who has ever dared to tell me to get lost. Splendid, simply splendid."
Tuoba Wenhao had never expected to face a refusal. Fueled by the incitement of Zhang Wei and Zhang Nanbo, a towering fury ignited within his chest.
"Young Master, this little bastard is cunning and deceitful. Heilong was only crippled because he was ambushed. You mustn't lower your guard."
Seeing Tuoba Wenhao's expression turn icy cold, Zhang Family elder Zhang Nanbo hastened to offer a reminder.
"Elder, you don't understand. Although Zhao Heilong often spars with me, I can defeat him within twenty moves every single time without exception. As for a disobedient dog, one strike is enough to finish it."
Tuoba Wenhao gazed coldly at Bai Feng, radiating an overpowering domineering aura as his meaning became abundantly clear. In his eyes, ending Zhao Heilong's worthless life would take only a single blow, and Bai Feng was nothing more than a dog he could trample beneath his feet at any moment.
It was settled! Completely settled now!
The little bastard Bai Feng had thrown away his only chance at survival; he was a dead man.
Hearing Tuoba Wenhao's words, Zhang Nanbo and Zhang Wei exchanged a glance, smiles blooming in their eyes as they let out long sighs of relief. The dark clouds weighing on their hearts were instantly swept away!
"Brat, I, Tuoba Wenhao, stepped onto the path of martial arts at the age of five. I have always had Heaven Realm Martial Artists guiding me, and I can advance to the Heaven Realm at any moment. Becoming a Grandmaster is also just around the corner. I saw that you had some spirit—young as you are, you've already reached the Earth Realm—and realizing that the waters of the martial world are too deep for you to grasp, I felt pity and offered to let you be my dog."
Tuoba Wenhao adopted the tone of an elder. The only reason he had originally planned to spare this dog before him was because the fellow had managed to cripple that good-for-nothing Zhao Heilong. Once he reached the Heaven Realm or even became a Grandmaster, having such a formidable dog by his side would only elevate his own status. But since this wretch refused a toast only to drink a forfeiture, he deserved to die like a dog!
"So much nonsense."
Seeing Tuoba Wenhao close the distance and throw a punch straight at him, Bai Feng lashed out with a direct backhand slap.
Crack!
The crowd first heard a crisp, clear snap, followed by a blurred figure sent flying backward.
"The Young Master was kind enough to spare a wretched dog like you, yet you throw away his kindness and fail to appreciate..."
"Indeed, refusing the Young Master's grace makes you a dead man, you little beast."
Just as they saw Tuoba Wenhao launch his fierce punch at Bai Feng and heard that crisp sound, Zhang Nanbo and Zhang Wei spoke up in unison—only for their voices to cut off abruptly mid-sentence.
Because the blurred figure flying backward was not Bai Feng, but someone else entirely.
Thud!
Tuoba Wenhao crashed heavily into the ground, the impact instantly knocking the wind out of him.
"Impossible..."
Zhang Nanbo and Zhang Wei shouted in unison once more, their faces contorted with horror, their voices filled with rage and disbelief.
"Did I see that wrong?"
The heads of the various Fengcheng families fell into a collective stupor, blurting out questions in frantic disbelief as they completely forgot where they were.
When they saw Bai Feng step forward and place his foot directly upon Tuoba Wenhao's body, everyone snapped back to reality. Eyes bulging wide, they held their breath, their expressions profoundly shaken.
A martial arts prodigy with lifelong guidance from Heaven Realm Martial Artists, capable of advancing to the Heaven Realm at any time—Tuoba Wenhao, the foremost young master of Ning Province who could kill Zhao Heilong with a single move, had just been slapped away like a fly by the very "dog" he despised, and was now pinned beneath that dog's foot.
The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded. For a moment, they felt as though they must have mistaken their identities—after all, since when could a human be trampled under a dog's foot?
What kind of joke was this!
"What are you doing? Let go of the Young Master immediately!" Zhang Nanbo's body shuddered violently as he roared in a harsh voice.
As for Zhang Wei, he was too terrified to speak, standing frozen in place with his mind completely blank.
Tuoba Wenhao had been publicly slapped away and trampled underfoot right inside the Zhang Family estate—and they were the ones who had invited him here. Yet this was how things had turned out.
Caught completely off guard, the Zhang Family found themselves standing on the precipice of an abyss!
"Ah... You dog bastard, you're asking for death..."
Finally catching his breath, Tuoba Wenhao was consumed by furious humiliation, unleashing a roar that shook the ears of everyone present.