Chapter 4608 — Best Be Mentally Prepared

"More capable than you!" Seeing the look on Wei Zhao's face, Ma Dangfeng felt at once as though he had punched at empty air and was about to cough up blood; the little spark of delight that had just risen in him vanished without a trace. Tugging at the corner of his mouth, he sneered, "Are you playing dumb or are you just dumb? Don't tell me I've frightened you witless already, and you can't even tell the difference between our levels? Or does a mere peak early Nascent Soul cultivator like you fancy you've got what it takes to put on airs before this lord?"

"Oh, so that's what you meant. I thought you knew me better than that. Turns out you haven't even heard of my most basic specialty, and yet you dare pick a quarrel with me. Have you never heard the saying 'Know your enemy and know yourself'? Did you never go to school?" Wei Zhao laughed carelessly.

"Specialty?" Ma Dangfeng froze for a moment, then snorted coldly. "I've heard all about it. Everyone says you, the former rookie king, are quite the one for putting on airs. Are you admitting yourself that you're the king of airs? Heh heh, but for the sake of our shared sect, let me offer you a word of kindness: putting on airs is for those with real strength; without it, you're just a fool. The title of 'king of airs' doesn't suit a weakling like you. Let me grudgingly take it off your hands, hahahaha!"

"Heh, I didn't expect such a warm heart. Since you want it so badly, take it—I couldn't care less about titles and the like anyway." Wei Zhao smiled faintly, then went on, "But since you've called us fellow disciples, I'll warn you too, out of moral duty, so you can't say I'm using my size to bully the small."

"Oh? Then I'll give you the chance. Say whatever fine-sounding words you've got, and be quick about it, so you can't say later that I don't respect my elders and wouldn't even give you this much. You're a former rookie king after all—even if you're past your prime, I suppose I ought to give you a little face." Ma Dangfeng put on an air of magnanimity.

Rookie king this, rookie king that—clearly the boy had made up his mind to use him as a stepping stone. Wei Zhao saw Ma Dangfeng's intent plain as day. Unfazed, he smiled and said, "What I'm really best at isn't putting on airs—it's fighting above my level. So let me say this plainly first: never mind mid Nascent Soul, I've even killed Xuan Sheng cultivators. You'd best be mentally prepared."

Xuan Sheng?! The whole crowd was stunned for a moment, then drew a sharp collective breath. Some among them had never even heard of that realm, let alone seen it face to face—and Wei Zhao claimed he had killed even Xuan Sheng experts? Was he joking?

Ma Dangfeng was dumbstruck for a good while, like everyone else. A moment later he burst into wild laughter, pointing at Wei Zhao and gasping for breath. "Hahahaha! I don't think you're any king of airs—you're the king of braggarts! Even a braggart usually drafts his lines first; there's a limit to self-deception, you know. Killing Xuan Sheng experts—they didn't die at your hands, they died laughing at you!"

It wasn't only Ma Dangfeng and the onlookers; even Lu Bianren and the others at his side could not help finding Wei Zhao's words a little fantastical. They did believe his strength could take down a mid Nascent Soul expert, but a Xuan Sheng expert? That was far too great a gap...

Little did they know, Wei Zhao was speaking the honest truth. He had never been one to reveal his strength in public. Now that he had actually told the truth for once, it was taken for a joke—truly a case of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But this was exactly the effect he wanted. If everyone would take him seriously, he would never have revealed such depths in public; feint and thrust, that was the true way.

Seeing Wei Zhao's unmoved, utterly certain expression, Ma Dangfeng, who had laughed for quite a while, suddenly turned cold. Pointing straight at Wei Zhao's nose, he said, "Fine. Since you're so capable, I challenge you right now—do you dare? You can kill even Xuan Sheng experts, so surely you won't be afraid of a mere mid Nascent Soul expert like me?"

Every eye fixed on Wei Zhao; each person craned his neck, waiting for his answer. Spectators never mind a big scene—they would have loved to accept on Wei Zhao's behalf. But Wei Zhao disdained it entirely and merely curled his lip. "Not interested. Go play somewhere else."

Ignored—ignored again. The taste of it set Ma Dangfeng seething once more. He could tell that the contempt in Wei Zhao's words was not put on; the man simply could not be bothered with him.

Ma Dangfeng exploded with rage. Just a washed-up rookie king at the peak of early Nascent Soul—what right did he have to look down on me?!

"Don't tell me you're afraid?" Ma Dangfeng was not about to let it go. His gaze turned ugly as it swept over Lu Bianren and the rest. "If you truly won't nod no matter what, there's nothing I can do. But I've always had a poor temper, and to vent my spleen I might just kill a few people. I rather think that Bitter—what's his name—and Lu Bianren, all these idiot underlings of yours, would make fine targets for my anger. What do you say?"

Wei Zhao's eyes went cold at once. He truly had not wanted to bother with trash like this; to him, Ma Dangfeng was nothing but a clown not worth the stage.

The North Island was not the chaos-ridden South Sea after all, and Wei Zhao could not go around killing as he pleased—especially not Ma Dangfeng, the so-called top rookie king. If he really killed him in public, there would surely be no end of trouble afterward, and Wei Zhao had no time to waste on such nonsense.

But while Wei Zhao himself could ignore such a clown, he could not fail to consider the brothers at his side. Ma Dangfeng dared to threaten Senior Brother Bitter and the others—however troublesome it might be, Wei Zhao could no longer stand idly by.

"Now that you mention it, I remember. You were the one who attacked Senior Brother Bitter and the others earlier, weren't you?" Wei Zhao said, watching Ma Dangfeng with a calm expression.

"That's right, it was me. So now you remember to stand up for them?" Ma Dangfeng sneered, secure in his impunity. "Oh, and one more thing I can tell you—last time, if someone hadn't interfered midway, those few would already be dead at my hands. If you don't believe me, ask Bitter, ask him whether the wound on his thigh has fully healed. Hahahaha!"

"Is this true?" Wei Zhao turned and asked.

Senior Brother Bitter and the others exchanged glances and nodded. It was a shameful business, but there was nothing to hide—least of all from Wei Zhao. He would find out sooner or later anyway.

"Good. I understand. Then as you wish." A sudden chill entered Wei Zhao's bearing. Since the other man had once nearly killed Senior Brother Bitter and the whole group, he could no longer be counted a mere clown, but an enemy through and through—and with enemies, there was no need for courtesy.

"Hahahaha, good, that's more like it. But this is the only moment you'll get to be tough!" Ma Dangfeng laughed loudly. (To be continued...)

...R640