The King of Urban Mercenaries

"Therefore, I announce that this unconscious disciple will be punished with isolation for two years. If there is no remorse after two years, it could be ten, twenty, or even a hundred years!" Elder Yang declared.

"What?!"

The crowd was shocked, exclaiming in disbelief. How could this Elder support outsiders instead of his own?

"What’s wrong? Do any of you have any objections to my punishment?" Elder Yang asked, addressing the disciples around him.

Upon hearing Elder Yang’s question, the disciples began to discuss among themselves, but no one voiced any objections. After all, Elder Yang was the second-in-command responsible for managing punishments, known for his strict impartiality, though he was sometimes very protective. However, this incident was unexpected for everyone; Elder Yang wasn’t being protective this time.

"I’m telling you, you little brats, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re disciples of Qianhuang Peak. Although Qianhuang Peak is powerful, it cannot be unfair. The same principle applies as ’even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the commoners’, so you’d better watch yourselves!" Elder Yang’s words left many of the disciples exchanging glances.

Lin Fei looked at the Elder in confusion. Lin Fei could tell that what the Elder said surprised many people, which meant this behavior was out of character for him. But if the Elder acted like this now, it indicated that he must fear someone.

Certainly, Lin Fei didn’t think it was himself, as he wasn’t qualified yet. The only one who could make the Elder cautious, besides the young lady Xiao Qing by his side, was no one else.

From the beginning, Lin Fei noticed that the disciples around showed great respect towards the young lady Xiao Qing. When Elder Yang arrived, seeing his demeanor and manner of handling affairs, Lin Fei was sure that this Elder wasn’t a regular Elder—it was very likely he managed punishments. Therefore, Lin Fei paid more attention.

An Elder who managed punishments still had to put on airs before the young lady Xiao Qing. Her identity must not be ordinary, which made Lin Fei more curious.

What could the identity of this young lady Xiao Qing be? Lin Fei was truly puzzled.

However, if she didn’t reveal it, Lin Fei decided he would choose not to know. After all, everyone had their secrets they didn’t want to share, hoping their privacy wouldn’t be exposed. So, in the end, Lin Fei decided not to dwell on it.

After Elder Yang finished speaking, he continued, "Alright, alright, disperse now. You two, carry this disciple back and inform him of his punishment so he can accept it!"

Two nearby disciples had no choice but to step forward, pick up Zhang Huan, and carry him away. The crowd also scattered, leaving only three people: Lin Fei, the Elder, and the young lady Xiao Qing.

"Young lady Xiao Qing, is the matter resolved to your satisfaction?" Elder Yang asked.

"Satisfaction? Dissatisfaction? I was just here for the show. Now that there’s no more to see, let’s disperse." Xiao Qing said, turning to leave. Lin Fei found it truly strange. Who exactly was this young lady Xiao Qing? Why did she help him?

Or was she simply a passerby wielding justice?

In any case, the matter was resolved. Lin Fei looked at Elder Yang in front of him, bowed slightly out of respect, and said, "Elder Yang, may I leave now?"

Elder Yang snorted coldly and said, "You may go, but let me tell you, not just anybody can bully our Qianhuang Peak disciples, so you’d better be careful."

Lin Fei nodded, "Understood, Elder. I’ll be careful, don’t worry." After saying this, Lin Fei turned and walked away. Since everything had concluded, there was nothing more to say.

However, as Lin Fei walked, he saw a group of disciples coming towards him. Among them, Lin Fei spotted two familiar people: Li Qing and Yang Yuxiang.

But after seeing them, Lin Fei didn’t greet them. After all, Lin Fei had just caused trouble. If he recognized Li Qing and Yang Yuxiang at that moment, it might trouble them, so Lin Fei decided against it.

However!

This scene—Lin Fei passing by Li Qing and Yang Yuxiang without acknowledging them—was seen by the young lady Xiao Qing. She immediately snorted, "As expected, a liar. It’d be best if I never see you again!"

Young lady Xiao Qing’s anger was justified because Lin Fei claimed to know Li Qing and Yang Yuxiang, but the three of them passed by each other without any recognition, indicating that Lin Fei lied, hence her anger.

At this time, Yang Yuxiang and Li Qing returned home and saw young lady Xiao Qing, greeting her, "Young lady Xiao Qing, you’ve emerged from seclusion?"

"Of course. I have a question for you two: do you know that person?" Young lady Xiao Qing asked, pointing at Lin Fei’s back.

Yang Yuxiang and Li Qing looked at Lin Fei’s back and, puzzled, said, "We don’t know him. Who is he? He doesn’t seem like one of our Qianhuang Peak disciples."

"Probably not. I don’t know him," Li Qing said.

Hearing this, young lady Xiao Qing clenched her fists and said, "How infuriating! So he really did deceive me. I even intervened for him, and he turned out to be a liar. It’d be best if I never saw you again; otherwise, I definitely won’t let you off."

Hearing young lady Xiao Qing’s anger, the two didn’t know what had happened, but they chose not to ask further, keeping silent.

After all, young lady Xiao Qing wasn’t someone they could afford to offend. She was indeed a formidable person!

"Alright, this matter doesn’t concern you two. Go do whatever you need to do." Young lady Xiao Qing said, then looked at Lin Fei’s back with a furrowed brow, seemingly contemplating how to deal with Lin Fei the next time they met.

As for Lin Fei, he smoothly left the Qianhuang Peak disciples’ residence and returned to his own place.

They had about three days to rest here before preparing for the competition, waiting for some important guests to arrive.

Thus, three days of waiting was necessary, so Lin Fei could only wait quietly, as there was nothing he could do otherwise. In the end, he had to wait patiently for the event to begin.

He wasn’t someone in a high position, so deciding when to start was beyond his capability.

However, for Lin Fei and the others, two or three days would pass in the blink of an eye, so...

Three days later...

Today was the competition day. Lin Fei and their group of a thousand headed towards the enormous arena.