"Ah!"
Ma Hongjun only felt a mosquito bite on his thigh, and then a piercing pain bloomed. The Phoenix Fire Line collapsed, and Ma Hongjun clapped a hand to the sudden bulge on his leg and screamed.
*Swish!*
A black figure blurred into his vision. In Ma Hongjun's suddenly unfocused eyes, the world ahead dissolved into black.
"Puff!" A violent impact slammed into his belly, followed by a searing agony that stole his breath.
Ma Hongjun doubled over like a shrimp, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Blood and bitter stomach acid spewed from his mouth.
'Thank heavens I skipped breakfast,' he thought dimly, 'otherwise, that would have been a waste.'
Ye Qiu's knee had driven into Ma Hongjun's abdomen, lifting him momentarily off the ground. Ma Hongjun curled into a fetal position, the pain a silent scream trapped in his throat.
Ye Qiu hadn't gone too far and hadn't allowed any spirit-induced thorns to sprout from his knee. He'd even held back a significant portion of his strength. But he hadn't been gentle either.
Ma Hongjun, after all, was notoriously thick-skinned.
"Swish!" Ye Qiu's hand shot up, his elbow arcing down with brutal force onto Ma Hongjun's back.
"Ah——!" Ma Hongjun's scream tore through the air, a fresh gush of blood erupting from his mouth. His body, briefly lifted by the knee strike, slammed back to the earth with sickening finality.
Had Ye Qiu truly intended to kill, that blow to the head would have been the end.
"Stop fighting! Please, stop fighting!"
Witnessing Ma Hongjun's wretched state – curled on the ground, twitching uncontrollably, his hands flailing between his stomach and back – Cuihua rushed forward, her face etched with distress. She knelt beside him, her voice laced with concern.
"Hongjun! Hongjun, how are you?" She gently shook his body.
The fiery aura that usually clung to Ma Hongjun had long since vanished. His face was a mask of agony, contorted and pale, smeared with blood. He couldn't even manage a whimper.
"What in the world is wrong with you two?" Xiao Wu's voice held a sharp edge of confusion as she observed Cuihua's obvious worry for the fallen Ma Hongjun.
"It's…complicated feelings," Ye Qiu said with a hint of displeasure, the dark energy that had briefly shrouded him receding and his appearance returning to normal.
Ning Rongrong stared at Ye Qiu, a flicker of surprise in her violet eyes.
Tang San, however, was visibly trembling. His gaze was fixed on Ye Qiu, his eyes shining with an almost fanatical excitement as if he were beholding a treasure beyond compare.
He had seen it! The eighth-ranked hidden weapon of the Tang Sect, the Dragon Beard Needle!
'Where on earth did Ye Qiu acquire such a thing?! Just as Tang San was about to step forward, his questions burning on his tongue, a surprised voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
"Ye Qiu? Fatty? What's going on here?"
Ye Qiu turned towards the sound. He saw that Dai Mubai, impeccably dressed in a white suit, his golden hair neatly swept back, was striding towards them, a frown creasing his handsome features as he took in Ma Hongjun's battered form.
Xiao Wu immediately snorted, her arms crossed. She quickly recounted Ma Hongjun's earlier reprehensible behavior towards a defenseless girl.
A peculiar smile flickered across Dai Mubai's face.
He explained. "Xiao Wu, I believe there's been a misunderstanding. He's one of our Shrek Academy students. It's…due to his inherent evil fire…" He elaborated on Ma Hongjun's unique constitution and its unfortunate side effects.
Even after Dai Mubai's lengthy explanation, Xiao Wu remained unconvinced, her sense of justice unwavering. "Even if that's the case, it's no excuse for him to force himself on a girl."
Dai Mubai conceded inwardly that Ma Hongjun's actions were indeed inexcusable. The situation should have been handled with respect and understanding. He hadn't anticipated Ma Hongjun's blatant lack of shame in persistently harassing a simple village girl.
He cast a brief, disdainful glance at the groaning Ma Hongjun before turning to Cuihua, his expression apologetic. "Miss Cuihua, you've endured quite a bit during this ordeal. I sincerely apologize on Fatty's behalf."
Cuihua offered a gentle shake of her head. She helped the dazed and whimpering Ma Hongjun to a sitting position and then assisted him over to Dai Mubai.
Leaning close, she whispered, her voice tinged with a sad finality, "Hongjun, deep down, I believe you're a good person. Let's end this peacefully. Goodbye."
Having delivered the ultimate "friend zone" declaration, Cuihua turned and fled, her figure disappearing quickly into the surrounding area.
This time, Ma Hongjun remained silent and still, utterly defeated and powerless to stop her departure. His small, bean-like eyes, filled with a mixture of pain and resentment, flickered towards Ye Qiu.
The unseen Dragon Beard Needle continued to twist the muscles within his thigh, making coherent speech an agonizing impossibility.
"Dai… Boss Dai… you have to… help me… Fatty… get revenge!" he finally managed to croak out, his voice thick with pain.
Ye Qiu tilted his head, a playful yet subtly dangerous glint in his eyes as he regarded Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai's face hardened, a shadow of annoyance darkening his features. He already held a less-than-favorable opinion of Ma Hongjun's gluttonous nature and ungainly physique. This latest display of boorish behavior only solidified his distaste.
He quickly hissed a warning. "Fatty, how can you be so utterly brainless? You're practically asking for a death wish! Remember what I told you about the two Soul Masters already enrolled in our academy?"
"W-what…? You… you mean…!" Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in dawning horror.
He stared at Ye Qiu with disbelief, a nervous gulp betraying his sudden realization. He hadn't even registered Ye Qiu's spirit rank in his rage!
"Ahem. That's right. Him… and Xiao Wu," Dai Mubai confirmed with a pointed cough and a nod towards the petite girl beside Ye Qiu.
He added awkwardly, "Alright, Fatty, we're all going to be classmates from now on. Let's just… let this go. Consider it a rough introduction, a case of not knowing each other before the… misunderstanding."
With that, Dai Mubai pointedly ignored Ma Hongjun's protests and turned to Ye Qiu, seeking his agreement to smooth things over.
"Ye Qiu, what do you say?"
"I have no problem with that," Ye Qiu replied with a casual shrug. The fight was over as far as he was concerned. If Ma Hongjun proved to be a slow learner, further lessons could always be arranged.
"Haha! Excellent! If you're amenable, then let's move on. I'll take you to the cafeteria. My treat." Dai Mubai offered a conciliatory smile, eager to defuse the lingering tension.
He supported the still-indignant Ma Hongjun, practically dragging him towards the Shrek Academy grounds. Ye Qiu, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu followed behind.
Tang San's gaze remained fixed on Ye Qiu, a strange mixture of awe and curiosity swirling within him. He was still waiting for Ye Qiu to retrieve the seemingly innocuous needle.
As they walked, Ma Hongjun's resentment continued to simmer. He had never endured such a humiliating defeat in silence.
"Boss Dai… is this really just… over?"
Dai Mubai's brow furrowed, and he shot Ma Hongjun a sharp glare. Lowering his voice, he hissed, "What exactly do you want, Fatty? Xiao Wu gave me a worse beating than this last time, and you didn't see me whining about revenge. If you have any self-preservation instincts, you'll swallow your pride and shut up!"
Ma Hongjun's memory flickered to Dai Mubai's battered state after his encounter with Xiao Wu – several cracked ribs and a bruised ego. The fat on his body wobbled slightly. The burning desire for revenge cooled considerably, replaced by the insistent throb in his leg.
"Hiss! Boss Dai… go slower… it hurts."
Dai Mubai glanced down at the struggling Ma Hongjun, confusion etched on his face. "Fatty, what's wrong now?"
"My… my thigh feels… swollen and… tight." Ma Hongjun's legs were not cooperating, forcing him to lean heavily, almost entirely, on Dai Mubai for support.
Hearing Ma Hongjun's pained whimpers and noticing Ye Qiu's continued inaction, Tang San finally stepped forward, intending to offer his assistance in removing whatever was causing the discomfort. However, Ye Qiu moved with surprising speed, intercepting him.
"Hold on a moment. I almost forgot to take that out for him." At Ye Qiu's words, Dai Mubai and the others halted.
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened with apprehension as Ye Qiu approached. His already substantial frame seemed to shrink further as he instinctively tried to burrow into Dai Mubai's side.
"Damn it, Fatty! Keep your greasy self away from my suit!" Dai Mubai exclaimed, pushing Ma Hongjun away with a grimace as a smear of dirt transferred to his pristine white jacket.
Under Tang San's intensely curious gaze, Ye Qiu offered a disarming smile. He casually placed his hand on Ma Hongjun's injured thigh and subtly channeled a thread of spirit power into the seemingly invisible Dragon Beard Needle, causing it to subtly expand within the flesh.
Ma Hongjun's muffled cry of agony echoed through the air, his body convulsing.
"Ah… Boss Dai… it's… excruciating."
"Fatty, if you utter one more of those pathetic noises, I swear by my White Tiger spirit, I will personally finish what Ye Qiu started!" Dai Mubai's temples throbbed, his patience wearing thin. He was also acutely aware of the disgusted looks he was receiving from Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.
Ye Qiu suppressed a chuckle.
With another almost imperceptible flick of his spirit power, he retracted the Dragon Beard Needle, dragging it slightly across the inflamed muscle as it withdrew.
The small, golden barb tore through the irritated flesh. "Awoo! Boss Dai!" Ma Hongjun howled, his voice cracking with pain.
"Fatty, you have truly reached the limit of my tolerance!" Dai Mubai growled, his fists clenching.
Ye Qiu opened his palm. Resting there was a single grain of golden sand. As his spirit power dissipated, the intricate form of the Dragon Beard Needle dissolved back into its innocuous state.
Tang San's brow furrowed in disapproval. Ye Qiu's method, while effective, had been unnecessarily brutal, inflicting further, albeit minor, injury on Ma Hongjun.
"Alright, all sorted," Ye Qiu announced, turning his palm over to conceal the golden sand. He stood up, brushing his hands together with an air of finality. Seeing Ma Hongjun slumped against Dai Mubai, sweating and shivering, a small, satisfied smile played on his lips.
He had indeed made Ma Hongjun's punishment linger just a little longer.