Chapter Fourteen: Turmoil in the Dining Hall

Xu Lan taught in the Xuan Division, but his residence was not within its quarters.

The Lingzhan Pavilion had been meticulously planned, with a dedicated area for instructors’ lodgings, and Xu Lan owned a house there. When Xu Lan left, he had provided his address, so Chu Feng and Xu Yan found him without difficulty.

In the past three days, Chu Feng and Xu Yan had only visited the Newcomers’ Camp once, mainly to collect their uniforms, as training was about to commence.

The rest of the time, they either stayed at Xu Lan’s residence or rode out from the Lingzhan Pavilion to explore the surrounding areas.

For Chu Feng, these days were a rare respite—opportunities for such relaxation would become few and far between.

During these few days, one thought kept recurring to Chu Feng: he wanted to find Long Yue.

Long Yue had been gone for four years, and Chu Feng never stopped thinking about her, wondering how she had fared all these years, wishing he could see her as soon as possible.

Yet the Lingzhan Pavilion was vast, with more than a million students enrolled. To locate someone in a short time was like searching for a needle in a haystack—an almost impossible task.

Moreover, Xu Lan had just begun his teaching duties at the Lingzhan Pavilion and was swamped with work, so Chu Feng refrained from disturbing him.

Reunions are always brief. That evening, Chu Feng and Xu Yan bid farewell to Xu Lan and left his residence, as training would start the following day.

Before leaving, Chu Feng could not help but speak of Long Yue and asked Xu Lan to help inquire about her. He truly yearned to see Long Yue soon.

“Who is Long Yue?” Xu Yan asked curiously on the way.

“A relative,” Chu Feng replied. At the mention of Long Yue, countless memories stirred in his heart, and the happy days they once shared appeared vividly before his eyes.

He remembered clearly the sound of Long Yue’s laughter, her delicate face always tinged with a rosy flush.

Back then, when Chu Feng was striving to achieve spiritual transformation, Long Yue was often by his side.

When he sweat, Long Yue wiped his brow for him.

When he was thirsty, she fetched him water.

When he was hungry, she handed him a steamed bun.

When his clothes tore, she mended them.

When his clothes were dirty, she washed them…

Seeing Chu Feng lost in thought even as he rode, Xu Yan understood that Long Yue must hold a very special place in his heart.

“Twelve years old and already spiritually transformed, not unlike myself. She must be sixteen now. Most likely, she’s in the Xuan Division,” Xu Yan speculated.

Chu Feng remained silent; his thoughts mirrored Xu Yan’s. For now, he endured patiently and waited. If need be, he resolved to use the Sacred Lingzhan Token to find Long Yue, no matter what.

“I truly hope I can find her soon,” Chu Feng thought to himself.

When Chu Feng returned to his dormitory, he found the others already there.

They looked at Chu Feng without any particular reaction, merely nodding in acknowledgment, saying nothing. Clearly, they had learned about him from the other seven.

The dormitory was quiet; no one seemed inclined to speak much.

Chu Feng understood this was because he was present; in their eyes, he did not belong to their world.

Yet Chu Feng did not care. For him, it was enough if everyone could coexist peacefully and walk their own paths.

He lay down early, his mind awhirl with thoughts.

He had never imagined he would enter the Lingzhan Pavilion in such a manner. Tomorrow, a different path would begin for him.

How far he could go on this road, he did not know—all he could do was persist without yielding.

Lost in thought, Chu Feng soon drifted into a deep sleep. A new day arrived swiftly.

At dawn, the entire Newcomers’ Camp came alive.

The first day of training had officially arrived!

Chu Feng rose early, donned his student uniform—an elegant silver robe that lent him an air of effortless grace.

After tidying up, he followed the flow of people to the canteen of the Twentieth Division.

The food was simple: steamed buns, pickled vegetables, soy milk, and eggs. The scions of noble families, used to a life of ease, were unused to such fare; the canteen resounded with complaints.

For Chu Feng, however, this was a feast. In the past, even coarse bread was a luxury; he had never tasted refined steamed buns, let alone eggs and soy milk.

He was perfectly content, collecting seven steamed buns, three eggs, two bowls of soy milk, and a small dish of pickles.

“Hey, savage, over here!” As Chu Feng scanned the hall for a seat, a familiar voice called out—Xu Yan.

He turned to see Xu Yan waving at him from a table, accompanied by three other girls—her roommates, no doubt.

With a slight smile, Chu Feng made his way toward them.

He had only taken a few steps when someone blocked his path—Qin Hao, flanked by five other boys, all with a provocative air.

In recent days, Qin Hao had drawn many to his side through various schemes. Now, spotting Chu Feng, he was eager for revenge.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of those nearby.

Xu Yan and her companions noticed at once. “Big Sis, shouldn’t we go help him?” one girl asked.

Xu Yan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “No rush—the savage is too arrogant. I want to see him eat a little humble pie. This is going to be good; let’s enjoy the show.”

“Big Sis, you’re awful. If your sweetheart gets beaten up, don’t be too upset!” another girl teased.

“Shut up!” Xu Yan glared at her, then focused again on the scene unfolding.

Surrounded by Qin Hao and his five allies, Chu Feng understood their intent—revenge, nothing more.

Back in Gulin City, Qin Hao had caused trouble, and even killing him would not have been excessive. Last time, Chu Feng had spared him, but now the boy seemed determined to court death.

Chu Feng had no reason to be polite.

He glanced over the group, then picked up a steamed bun from his tray, took a bite, and said, “A good dog doesn’t block the way.”

Qin Hao’s face darkened with rage, but before he could speak, one of his companions sneered, “Arrogant, aren’t you? But arrogance comes at a price.”

Chu Feng smiled. “The six of you seem far more arrogant to me.”

Qin Hao then said in a harsh tone, “Chu Feng, I told you before: this is the Lingzhan Pavilion. Do you think you can act wild here?”

Chu Feng put down his bun, his gaze turning sharp and cold as he stared at Qin Hao. “Best not to provoke me.”

The intensity of Chu Feng’s look made Qin Hao flinch and step back involuntarily, startled by the force of his presence.

Shame flushed Qin Hao’s face. His companions were equally taken aback; Chu Feng’s aura was formidable, not something ordinary people could muster.

But then they remembered: Chu Feng had only recently undergone spiritual transformation. Could he really be a match for six of them together?

Qin Hao steadied himself, stepped forward, and barked, “Chu Feng, who do you think you are? Today, we’ll show you that people like you can’t afford to offend certain others.”

The other five boys bristled, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Chu Feng, though unable to transform, possessed extraordinary physical strength. Even Wang Ze, after years of training and spiritual transformation at the Lingzhan Pavilion, could only fight him to a draw. These six newcomers, no matter their numbers, were no match for him.

Facing these bullies, Chu Feng was utterly unfazed. He set his tray on a nearby table, stepped up to Qin Hao, and said coldly, “If you’re not convinced, try me.”

It was the same bold challenge as days before—intense and domineering. For years, Qin Hao had longed for revenge but never succeeded. Now, burning with hate, his eyes seemed to blaze.

“We’ll see whether your fists are as tough as your mouth,” Qin Hao spat. He cared nothing for the shame of six against one; all he wanted was to grind Chu Feng under his heel.

“Why waste words on the lowly?” one of Qin Hao’s friends sneered. “He really thinks he’s something.”

The six spread out, surrounding Chu Feng. In an instant, all six activated their spiritual powers, their auras rising sharply and stirring the spiritual energy around them.

“What’s going on here!” Suddenly, a thunderous voice rang out, startling everyone in the hall—thousands of people froze. The six boys’ fighting spirit vanished instantly.

A middle-aged man appeared, clad in grey with a bristling beard, his face broad and fierce. Even without anger, his expression was intimidating.

With a cold glare, he strode over and said, “You little brats, what’s the racket? Starting fights in my canteen, are you? If you don’t want to eat, get out!”

The six boys quickly realized this was Cai Cheng, the canteen supervisor—not someone to cross. They dispersed at once. Qin Hao shot Chu Feng a venomous look and said, “You got lucky today. Next time, it’ll be different!” With that, the six slunk away.

Chu Feng ignored them, smiled at Cai Cheng, and cupped his hands in salute. “No need for anger, uncle. They’re just small fry—I could’ve sent them packing myself even if you hadn’t stepped in.”

At these words, the retreating six were so enraged they nearly exploded, glaring daggers at Chu Feng. Yet they dared not act out, leaving through gritted teeth.

Cai Cheng, the man in grey, was thoroughly amused. In all his years, no youngster had ever spoken to him that way.

To his mind, this boy was truly something—arrogant, yet oddly respectful; brash, yet somehow sincere.

Cai Cheng looked Chu Feng over and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Chu Feng.”

Cai Cheng clapped him on the shoulder and nodded. “Interesting. You’ve got guts!” With that, he turned and left.

Chu Feng took his breakfast, unconcerned by the stares around him, and went to sit at Xu Yan’s table.

As he sat beside her, he noticed Xu Yan’s look of disappointment. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

A girl beside Xu Yan grinned and said, “She’s just upset you didn’t get beaten up.”