"Who the hell threw that?" Such humiliation sent
"Whoosh" — but before he could even finish, another plate came flying through the air. With a sharp clang, the plate didn't just smash against Shen Lang's face, shattering into pieces; it sent blood streaming down his face and knocked his nose crooked. In an instant, a once handsome young man had his face disfigured.
"Heavens, who was that?!" At that moment, everyone spotted the person responsible — especially
Everyone was stunned, because they all knew Shen Lang. They knew exactly who he was — one of the most renowned prodigies in the Southern Sea Region. But Chu Feng? Nobody knew him.
Yet Chu Feng's earlier strike had been clean and decisive, utterly merciless at that. It dawned on them that Chu Feng was no ordinary character.
Still, no matter what, Shen Lang's fearsome reputation loomed large in their minds. So regardless of who Chu Feng was, just thinking about what he had just done — knocking Shen Lang flat on the ground — they still found it hard to believe.
However, just as everyone sat there paralyzed by shock, Chu Feng looked down at the blood-soaked, wretched figure of Shen Lang sprawled on the ground and said: "When I'm eating, keep your damn voice down. Say one more word and I'll cut out your tongue."
Having said that, Chu Feng sat back down as if nothing had happened, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and resumed feasting with great relish. As if deliberately trying to provoke Shen Lang, he started smacking his lips loudly — the sound of his eating was practically unbearable, an ear-splitting racket.
Yet despite all of this, not a single person dared say a word. In fact, everyone present stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Chu Feng as he ate, their faces a mixture of shock and fear.
After a long pause, Shen Lang finally recovered. He climbed to his feet, touched his cheek, and stared at the blood that coated his hand. His body trembled with fury.
But he said nothing more. Instead, he pointed at Chu Feng and said: "You've got guts. You just wait for me."
With that, Shen Lang bolted out of the hall. The scene was unexpected — after all, Shen Lang's fearsome reputation in the Southern Sea Region was legendary, and today's behavior had truly cost him face.
But if Shen Lang's behavior was surprising, what came next was even more so — and even somewhat pathetic.
Shen Lang returned not long after, but this time he brought an elder with him. This was an elder from the Southern Forest of Azure Wood. So it turned out Shen Lang had run off to tattle.
"Who hit him?" The elder strode in, his expression stern, pointing at the blood-covered Shen Lang as he demanded in a harsh tone.
In that instant, everyone present fell silent. They slowly lowered their heads — not one of them dared answer. Not a single person even dared glance at Chu Feng, as though they feared that exposing his crime would lead to his retaliation. Cowardice and spinelessness were displayed on them in full measure.
"I was the one who hit him." Yet despite nobody daring to speak up, Chu Feng rose to his feet and admitted it frankly.
Once Chu Feng stood, the elder extended his Mental Power, enveloping Chu Feng to probe his cultivation. But as only a fifth-level Martial King himself, how could he possibly discern Chu Feng's true cultivation?
Although he failed to determine Chu Feng's level, the elder's eyes brightened. He realized Chu Feng was no ordinary figure. At the very least, compared to everyone else here, Chu Feng was someone who stood head and shoulders above the rest — not only in cultivation but in his composure and attitude. That calm, unshaken gaze in the face of danger was something none of the others present possessed.
Therefore, the elder did not act against Chu Feng. Instead, he asked calmly: "Why did you hit him?"
"While we were eating, he took issue with someone else's eating sounds being slightly loud. He struck the person, then forced him to eat food off the ground. I couldn't stand it, so I taught him a lesson." Chu Feng pointed at the man kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and recounted what had happened.
"Is this true?" After hearing Chu Feng's account, the elder turned to Shen Lang.
"I… well…" Shen Lang hesitated, unsure of how to answer.
"Slap!" Just then, the elder swept his sleeve and a resounding slap cracked across Shen Lang's cheek.
The blow was no light tap — it spun Shen Lang around three full times before he finally collapsed to the ground with a thud. He clutched his face with one hand while looking at the elder who had struck him with an expression of grievance, wanting to argue but not daring to.
"The villain sues first. Dares to act but won't take responsibility. Has the ability to cause trouble but not the spine to bear the consequences — a useless waste." The elder pointed at Shen Lang on the ground, spat out those harsh words, and swept out of the hall.
As for Shen Lang, he didn't dare utter another word. He climbed to his feet, deciding not to linger any longer, and prepared to leave.
"Stop." But to everyone's surprise, Chu Feng let out a sharp shout.
"You… what do you want?" By now, Shen Lang had realized that Chu Feng was no simple character. Even the elder had sided with him — what could he possibly do? So upon hearing Chu Feng's command, he was frightened.
"Pick up every last piece of food off the ground and eat it clean before you leave. Leave a single grain and I'll smash your head open." Chu Feng spoke those words in an indifferent tone, then paid no more attention to Shen Lang. He simply sat back down and continued eating.
Watching Chu Feng's calm and leisurely demeanor, Shen Lang hesitated for a long time. In the end, he didn't dare walk out. Instead, he returned to the table he had knocked over earlier, gathered up every last bit of food from the ground, and began devouring it ravenously.
He ate at a furious pace — in the blink of an eye, that enormous pile of food was gone. Afterward, he wiped his mouth, cast a vicious glare at everyone, and roared: "What are you looking at? Never seen someone eat before?"
Only after that did Shen Lang turn around and stride briskly out of the hall.
Seeing Shen Lang leave, Li Lei hurriedly scurried over to the spot where Shen Lang had been eating. After a careful inspection, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, growing more delighted the longer he laughed. All the while, he called out to Chu Feng:
"Brother Chu Feng, that was incredible! Shen Lang actually ate every last bit — he didn't dare leave a single grain of rice behind!"
"Heh." Hearing Li Lei's words, Chu Feng simply smiled faintly, gently wiped the grease from his lips, and said: "Everyone, stop gawking. If you don't eat now, the food's going to get cold."
After saying that, Chu Feng walked over to the man who had been bullied by Shen Lang earlier and helped him to his feet. Then he headed out of the hall. Seeing this, Li Lei hurriedly followed close behind.
Once Chu Feng and Li Lei had left, the others exchanged glances before sitting back down to resume their meal. Only now and then would someone glance in the direction Chu Feng had departed, their eyes filled with reverence.