'Is this kid... insane?'
Someone looked at Lu Xuan with pity in their eyes. The young man's clothes were a bit shabby, and he wore a pair of patched cloth shoes. But overall, he looked clean and pleasant, making it easy to take a liking to him.
'What a pity.'
An old-timer at the Inspectorate sighed and stated with certainty:
"That kid's not long for this world."
A young man beside him, somewhat displeased, said resentfully:
"The kid isn't wrong. First come, first served is just common sense. Would that White Elephant Hall Master really dare to kill someone here?"
"Why wouldn't he dare?" the old-timer retorted.
"Because, because..." The young man was at a loss for words.
"Cultivators are the great masters, transcending the Federation's laws. As long as they don't do something so outrageous that it draws the attention of the North Palace or an even stronger expert, who else can sanction them?"
The young man fell silent.
Meanwhile, at the front desk, the White Elephant Hall Master watched the young man before him with indifference. He wasn't angry; on the contrary, he started to laugh:
"Excellent, excellent. Just excellent... I've always said there should be a law. Mortals should kneel when they see a Cultivator. But those people wouldn't have it, they refused. And now look, even a little vermin dares to speak to me like this!"
After a pause, the White Elephant Hall Master said coolly to Lu Xuan:
"Little one, have you ever considered how you're going to die?"
Lu Xuan cupped his hands and said earnestly:
"I have not."
"Then how about I tell you how you're going to die?"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man leaned forward slightly, as if about to strike. Lu Xuan, however, just frowned and asked curiously:
"Sir, are you planning to beat me to death inside the Inspectorate Building?"
Chen Xiaoyu frantically waved her hands at Lu Xuan, trying to get him to bow his head and apologize. He might be able to save his life that way. She was filled with regret. 'I shouldn't have said anything!'
'But... how is this boy even more dense than me? I've been waving at him for so long, and he hasn't reacted at all...'
The White Elephant Hall Master, however, just laughed. He looked down on Lu Xuan, speaking with the condescending air of someone toying with their dying prey:
"And so what if I am? Cultivators are not bound by the Dharma Scripture; nothing is forbidden to us. Didn't you know that, little vermin? You've succeeded in making me laugh. So, I'll give you a chance. How about you choose your own way to die?"
Lu Xuan didn't answer. He simply bowed slightly again and asked in all sincerity:
"Even if you kill someone, there are no consequences?"
"If there's a grudge, it doesn't matter. Otherwise, how could we lord it over you vermin?" The White Elephant Hall Master grinned. "And by getting in my way, you've created a grudge... Alright, that's enough of this."
As he spoke, he calmly extended his palm, about to bring it down on Lu Xuan!
In the hall, both the young man and the old-timer sighed softly and turned their heads away, unable to bear watching what would happen next.
One staff member turned and ran to the janitor's closet, planning to get a mop to clean up the blood that would soon stain the floor.
Chen Xiaoyu, meanwhile, covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror and regret, just about to cry out in alarm!
Suddenly.
"White Elephant Hall Master, how about you give the Inspectorate some face?"
A steady voice rang out. The White Elephant Hall Master's movement paused, and a look of delighted surprise appeared on Chen Xiaoyu's face:
"Director!!"
The newcomer was also a middle-aged man, dressed in an Inspectorate uniform and carrying a natural air of authority.
The White Elephant Hall Master narrowed his eyes slightly and offered a very reluctant bow:
"Greetings, Grandmaster Ji. However, Grandmaster Ji, this matter doesn't seem to fall under the Inspectorate's jurisdiction, does it?"
Director Ji, striding forward, said coolly:
"That's why I said you should give the Inspectorate some face. Outside, I don't care what you and the Martial Arts Alliance behind you do. But under my nose, it's best to behave."
He paused, then smiled.
"Of course, you can choose not to give me, or the Inspectorate, this face. But when that time comes, we'll see if your Martial Arts Alliance is willing to pay the hefty price to protect you."
"Are you threatening me, Grandmaster Ji?" The White Elephant Hall Master cupped his hands again. Some of the onlookers exchanged glances, understanding that this incident had now escalated into a confrontation between the Inspectorate and the Martial Arts Alliance!
Director Ji looked calmly at the White Elephant Hall Master:
"I am indeed threatening you. Don't you enjoy the strong bullying the weak? Right now, I am the strong one, and you are the weak one. So what if I threaten you?"
The White Elephant Hall Master's expression was grimly uncertain. After a long moment, instead of getting angry, he laughed.
"Fine, fine, fine. Since Grandmaster Ji himself has spoken, it would be wrong of me not to give this face."
He paused, then glanced sideways at the shabbily dressed young man:
"The moment you leave the Inspectorate, you will die a sudden, violent death. Afterward, I will find your friends and family... Don't misunderstand. I'm not a bloodthirsty person; a massacre would only bring great trouble upon myself. But if they were to have some sort of 'accident,' well, that would have nothing to do with me."
Clearly, the White Elephant Hall Master was taking his anger out on Lu Xuan.
Before Lu Xuan could speak, Grandmaster Ji spoke again:
"Young man, would you be willing to join my Inspectorate? You could take a clerical position. Then, anyone who dares to attack you would be provoking the entire Inspectorate."
The White Elephant Hall Master's expression immediately turned ugly:
"It seems Grandmaster Ji is determined to oppose me, and to oppose the Martial Arts Alliance?"
"And what if I am?"
An onlooker clicked their tongue in amazement:
"Hmm, isn't this a blessing in disguise for that kid? Not only is his life saved, but he also gets to join the Inspectorate. You could say he's hit the big time, right?"
"It's hard to say," another person said, shaking their head. "Now the little guy is caught in the vortex between the Inspectorate and the Martial Arts Alliance. If he can get through this, the sky's the limit. But if he can't, won't he just end up dead?"
"At least he has a chance. He looks like a clean-cut kid, and I have a good feeling about him. I really couldn't bear to see him die right here and now."
As the onlookers whispered among themselves,
Lu Xuan suddenly bowed to Director Ji:
"Thank you for your kind offer, sir, but there's no need. I will not be joining the Inspectorate."
As his words fell, the hall was once again plunged into dead silence.
Chen Xiaoyu staggered. The onlookers were all dumbstruck. The exact same thought flashed through all their minds.
'This kid... he really is a fool, isn't he??'
Director Ji frowned and was about to say something more, but the White Elephant Hall Master burst out laughing:
"Grandmaster Ji, the man himself looks down on your Inspectorate. There's no need to force the issue, is there?"
He paused, about to speak again, but was interrupted by Lu Xuan.
"Sir, he just said that for Cultivators, avenging a grudge—even by killing—is not a crime. Is that true?"
Director Ji was taken aback for a moment, then nodded instinctively:
"There is such a rule."
"That's good to know." Lu Xuan bowed once more, then turned to the White Elephant Hall Master, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. "From your words and deeds, sir, I can see you are no good man. You are, in fact, a menace."
Chen Xiaoyu's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Director Ji also narrowed his eyes, a flicker of interest ignited within him. 'What is this young man planning to do?'
'Truly, a newborn calf does not fear the tiger...'
The White Elephant Hall Master's expression darkened. Suppressing the urge to strike, he said coldly:
"For the sake of you rejecting our dear Grandmaster Ji, I was going to spare your life. It seems you don't cherish it."
Lu Xuan did not reply. He only cupped his hands again and let out another sigh:
"Why must you force my hand, sir? Since it has come to this, I invite you to your death, and in doing so, rid this world of a menace."
"You..." The White Elephant Hall Master was about to curse him out when he saw the young man stomp the ground and shoot into the air. As tiles and stone shattered, Lu Xuan raised both fists over his head in the shape of holding a great bell and smashed down!
A tremendous force vibrated outward, and a shockwave exploded in all directions!!