When Wang Taiyuan asked that question, everyone around exchanged confused looks. Clearly, none of them knew who those few people were.
Most of them had just arrived from the Horn Constellation Realm, so even though Yang Cheng's name had long shaken the entire Wasteland Realm, they really had no idea who he was.
"Young Master Wang, they came here together with Miss Lu," Gong Yi quickly explained, seizing the moment.
"Oh?"
Wang Taiyuan and the crowd all turned their gazes toward Lu Lingyi.
Lu Lingyi herself was surprised. She hadn't expected Chu Xianyin to be that familiar with Yang Cheng.
Thinking again about how differently Chu Xianyin treated Wang Taiyuan and Yang Cheng, a faint sense of regret crept into her heart. It dawned on her that she might have made a very wrong choice.
She had already been feeling remorseful before, but now that feeling deepened sharply.
"I recognize someone among them. That's Xu Letian from the Xu clan," said another person.
Someone else added, "They should be from the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy like Miss Lu, right?"
"So they're disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy," the others murmured, suddenly understanding.
Wang Taiyuan let out a cold laugh.
Disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy?
To him, that was nothing. Not to mention the Dao Academy's disciples—even the Academy's own Masters meant little in his eyes.
Wang Bingrou watched Wang Taiyuan's face darken, a hint of pleasure flashing in her eyes.
She had always envied Chu Xianyin's talent and proud temperament. Seeing Wang Taiyuan get angry now, she immediately stepped in with a soft, flattering tone.
"Young Master Wang, Miss Chu is, after all, a zither prodigy. She's always been a little free-spirited. Maybe she just found those disciples from the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy interesting and chatted with them a bit more. But…"
Her voice suddenly shifted, her tone laced with deliberate hesitation.
"This Wasteland Realm is a messy place. Even though the Dao Academy's disciples may have clean backgrounds, who can say for sure they're not just using the Academy's name to get close to Miss Chu on purpose? After all, Miss Chu's reputation is quite famous even back in our Horn Constellation Realm."
Her words sounded like she was defending Chu Xianyin, but every sentence subtly fanned the flames.
She hinted that Yang Cheng and his companions might have ulterior motives, mocked Chu Xianyin for her poor judgment, and reminded Wang Taiyuan that the woman he fancied was actually cozying up to a group of unknown strangers.
Sure enough, Wang Taiyuan's face grew even darker.
He had already been annoyed by how kindly Chu Xianyin treated Yang Cheng, and now, with Wang Bingrou's provocation, his anger was barely restrained.
He gave a cold snort and stepped toward Yang Cheng's group. The arrogant young nobles behind him immediately followed, their imposing presence drawing everyone's eyes in an instant.
On the other side, Gong Yi saw Wang Taiyuan's reaction and quickly turned his frustration toward Lu Lingyi. He lowered his voice and hissed angrily, "You useless woman! Always ruining everything! If it weren't for the people around you, how would Young Master Wang be upset right now? If he takes it out on me, you'll pay for it!"
Lu Lingyi's heart froze with regret.
She watched as Wang Taiyuan and his men closed in on Yang Cheng. Then, recalling the way Chu Xianyin had treated Yang Cheng so differently earlier, she suddenly realized how foolish she'd been—she had pushed away a priceless jade and thrown herself toward a pile of glittering trash.
But it was far too late for regret.
All she could do now was watch helplessly as the situation spiraled out of control.
From a distance, Chu Xianyin saw Wang Taiyuan leading people toward them, and her face stiffened slightly.
She knew full well what was on Wang Taiyuan's mind—and she knew his family background even better.
The Wang clan held enormous power in the Horn Constellation Realm, far beyond anything a mere zither master like her could contend with.
Before, she could still manage polite distance and avoid him when possible. But now, seeing his clearly hostile approach, she instinctively edged closer to Yang Cheng, her heart pounding like a drum.
"Miss Chu, you seem to be in high spirits," Wang Taiyuan said coldly.
Wang Taiyuan walked forward, his gaze sweeping over Yang Cheng and the others before finally settling on Chu Xianyin. His tone carried an unmistakable weight of authority as he said, "And who might these people be? Your friends? Why not introduce them?"
The arrogant young nobles behind him all wore mocking smiles, as if they were watching a group of toads that had wandered into a swan lake.
Chu Xianyin clenched her sleeves tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm. "Young Master Wang, this is Yang Cheng. He's half my teacher and half my friend. The others are his companions, fellow disciples from the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy."
Xu Letian and the others stood behind Yang Cheng, barely daring to breathe.
They had heard of the Wang clan's power in the Wasteland Realm, but none of them had ever imagined they would run into Wang Taiyuan himself in a place like this.
Seeing the arrogance in his eyes only made their palms sweat even more.
"Yang Cheng?"
Someone standing beside Wang Taiyuan muttered the name under his breath, frowning slightly. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it before.
After all, they had just arrived in the Wasteland Realm, and to them, the name "Yang Cheng" was still just a vague rumor, not a legend carved into the heavens.
Wang Taiyuan, however, didn't care at all. His gaze, sharp as a blade, sliced across Yang Cheng, filled with disdain and the superiority of one used to commanding others. "So, you're the one Miss Chu calls her teacher and friend. I'm curious—where are you from?"
Yang Cheng's expression didn't change. His voice was calm and even. "The Wasteland Realm."
"The Wasteland Realm?"
Wang Taiyuan let out a sharp, mocking laugh that pierced the air. "So you're a native from the wastelands. I'm really curious—how did filth that belongs rolling in the mud manage to crawl its way into this place?"
To him, the Wasteland Realm was a barbaric land, its people unworthy even to carry the shoes of cultivators from the Horn Constellation Realm.
Xu Letian quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands respectfully. "Young Master Wang, there's been a misunderstanding. We were brought in by Brother Gong Yi!"
He said that while glancing toward Gong Yi, silently pleading for support.
But Gong Yi, desperate to distance himself, snapped immediately, "Nonsense! When did I ever bring you in? You filthy nobodies must have snuck in on your own! Using my name—how dare you!"
He waved to the guards surrounding them. "Men! Throw these intruders out!"
"Gong Yi, you—"
Xu Letian was stunned and furious. He hadn't expected Gong Yi to turn on him so completely, denying him without hesitation.
As the guards stepped forward to carry out the order, Yang Cheng moved.
No one saw how he acted.
All they heard was a crisp "pa!"—a sound like thunder cracking across the banquet hall.
The next moment, Gong Yi's entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut. He crashed hard into a stone pillar, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips as one side of his face swelled grotesquely, puffed up like a pig's head.
Yang Cheng calmly withdrew his hand, his gaze cold as ice as he looked down at Gong Yi. "A small fry like you dares to stir up trouble in front of me?"
The room went dead silent.
Everyone froze, staring in shock—including Wang Taiyuan.
No one had expected that this seemingly ordinary youth would actually dare to strike Gong Yi right here, in front of everyone.
After all, Gong Yi might be worthless, but he was still one of Wang Taiyuan's followers. Hitting Gong Yi's face was the same as slapping Wang Taiyuan across the face.
Wang Taiyuan's expression turned pitch-black. His eyes locked onto Yang Cheng, then flicked toward Chu Xianyin. His voice dripped with fury, cold enough to freeze the air. "Miss Chu, this is the kind of friend you keep? Such audacity!"
Chu Xianyin trembled all over, her face drained of color. Her lips quivered, but not a single word came out.
Yang Cheng took a step forward, placing himself between her and Wang Taiyuan. His gaze met Wang Taiyuan's head-on, calm and unshaken, his voice low and icy.
The air went utterly still.
Everyone held their breath, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
A youth from the Wasteland Realm had actually dared to stand against Wang Taiyuan—right to his face.
Was he insane?