“Oh? So looking at cute girls is wrong? Is this part of Martial Hall Palace’s rules?” Xiang Shaoyun sarcastically remarked as he glanced at the youth beside him.

“Looking at people isn’t against the rules at all. However, if you look at somebody who you shouldn’t be looking at, it’ll be very easy to offend others. Wouldn’t this then be a sin?” the youth proudly said, a know-it-all expression filling his face.

Xiang Shaoyun pondered a while before laughing, “Haha, you have a point there. How should I address you, brother?”

“Looks like you’re very wise indeed. My name is Xia Liuhui,” the youth replied.

“Obscene? A distinguished name indeed,” Xiang Shaoyun applauded as he raised his thumb to show his approval.

“NO! It’s the ‘Xia’ character of ‘summer’, the ‘Liu’ character of ‘flowing water’ and the ‘Hui’ character of ‘waving Swords’,” the youth unhappily emphasized.

“I understand, yes I do. There’s not much difference there though; one glance at you and I see that you exemplify the word ‘obscene’! You truly live up to your name!” Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed as he patted the youth’s shoulder like they were the best of friends[1].

“I can’t be bothered to argue with you. I’m heading to the canteen for food now. Otherwise, all those wild beasts will have eaten it all,” the youth replied as he dashed in a particular direction.

Xiang Shaoyun was not slow either and quickly caught up to him. “Will the canteen really not have food for us to eat?”

“There will be, but there’s limited food! We have about a hundred people here. If half of us are able to fill our stomachs, then it’s already considered good!” Xia Liuhui answered as he continued to pick up the pace. Just then, Xiang Shaoyun also noticed cultivating youths from all directions sprinting like locusts towards the canteen.

“What on earth is this? Are these hungry ghosts incarnate or something?” Xiang Shaoyun incredulously asked.

“Hehe, you’ll become one of those hungry ghosts soon enough,” Xia Liuhui, who was already far from Xiang Shaoyun, laughed and replied.

Xiang Shaoyun began feeling a little uneasy and likewise increased his pace. When he arrived at the canteen, he immediately understood everything that Xia Liuhui had told him. One could only see mountains upon rivers of cultivators madly fighting for food. Everybody was pushing up on each other, and some had even started fighting with one another—all this in order to be able to line up right at the front to get the food that the attendants were giving out.

“This spot is mine, quickly get lost.”

“Screw your mother, you dare to snatch my spot? Come, let’s fight!”

“Bastard, which motherf*cker wants to fight for my spot? I swear I will not let him off today!”

“I haven’t had my fill in a very long time. Please give me a portion of pity food!”

The place was filled with a cacophony of noise as if it were a battlefield. It did not give one the impression that this was a canteen within Martial Hall Palace at all. The attendants who were distributing food apathetically watched the whole scene unfold before them. They did not mind it at all; rather, they were already used to the scene of carnage before them. 

Xiang Shaoyun was thoroughly astounded. A split second later, he regained his senses and charged straight into the sea of people.

Peng Peng!

“Ouch!”

Just as he had entered into the massive crowd, fists came flying at him from all sorts of directions. Helpless to resist, he was thrown out of the crowd almost at once. Both his eyes were swollen, and from his nose flowed fresh blood. Touching his face, the initially delicate and smooth skin had turned coarse and hideous. 

“Go to hell! You guys dare touch my handsome face? All of you deserve to die!” After he finished speaking, he rushed into the crowd, looking for revenge on those who had hit him. Alas, what happened next was a repeat of the previous scene: being thrown out of the crowd. His fifth-stage Basic Realm cultivation was the lowest of the low here. Frankly speaking, it was impossible for him to get a queueing spot.

This was the first time Xiang Shaoyun found getting a meal difficult.

“A man once said that those who toil for meals will cherish every grain of rice. Ain’t that the damn truth!” The learned Xiang Shaoyun sighed deeply to himself.

“Young Master Wu is here, quickly get out of his way!” A sharp voice rippled through the crowd.

Upon hearing those words, the originally boisterous crowd quickly settled down. A tall and slender youth surrounded by several other youths made his way into the canteen. This young man could be considered to be handsome, but his arrogant disposition made it seem like he did not put anyone within his sight, casting displeasure in those looking at him.

A few female disciples, however, were throwing glances at this youth, their bodies seemingly about to go and stick to him. This was because apart from being extraordinary in terms of talent, he was a person with an enviable background.

He was Wu Mingliang, a disciple who was certain to enter the inner court. Although he was three months shy of fourteen, his cultivation was already at the ninth stage of the Basic Realm; his future could be said to be limitless. More importantly, he was the seventh child of the town head of Wu Town, adding an irresistible charm to him. 

Other outer court disciples had to fight for their food. As for Wu Mingliang? Once he made his appearance, everybody would obediently make way for him, allowing him to get his meal first. This was the privilege of the mighty. 

The youth who announced Wu Mingliang’s arrival acted like a servant and gestured to Wu Mingliang, “Young Master Wu, if you please.”

“Yes,” Wu Mingliang said, satisfied. He started making his way toward the now-empty queue where everybody used to be.

After taking a few steps, he turned his eyes and saw Xiang Shaoyun lying flat on the ground. He showed a very curious expression and asked, “Eh, isn’t this the genius who had attracted the power of five stars? How on earth did you get into this state?”

Although it seemed like Wu Mingliang was genuinely concerned for Xiang Shaoyun on the surface, the mocking expression on his face was unquestionable. After he brought it up, the eyes of various outer court disciples fell on Xiang Shaoyun.

“Eh, it really is him! I thought he would’ve gotten special treatment from the Purple Lightning Marquis. Instead, he’s here to fight with us for food!”

“Haha, could it be that he was the person I beat up just now? Being able to thrash these kinds of so-called geniuses is what I live for.”

“He wants to fight with us for food at merely the third stage of the Basic Realm? He can dream on!”

“Looks like he’s doomed to starvation. I can’t imagine he’ll survive for more than three days. Will the Purple Lightning Marquis be sad if he dies?”

Various youths who were envious of Xiang Shaoyun’s talent sent scathing remarks one after another. Xiang Shaoyun’s face slowly darkened. He never imagined that being briefly mentioned would attract unending revile and sarcasm, a feeling that nobody would want.

“Mr. Genius, would you like to follow this young master? This young master will be sure to feed you, so you won’t go hungry,” Wu Mingliang let out an expression proud beyond belief.

“I’ll have to decline. This young master only knows how to take in slaves and has no experience in being one,” Xiang Shaoyun sarcastically rebutted.

“Insolence! Not showing Young Master Wu any respect! Quickly kneel down and apologize to Young Master Wu; otherwise, don’t ever dream of getting a single meal in the canteen ever again!” the “loyal dog” following Wu Mingliang shouted.

This loyal dog’s strength was not weaker than that of Xiang Shaoyun. On the contrary, it was higher than his by two stages at the seventh stage of the Basic Realm. His name was Gou Zi.

“Heheh, you speak as if this canteen was owned by your family,” Xiang Shaoyun dryly laughed.

“It may not be operated by my family, but not allowing you to have a meal isn’t hard at all,” Wu Mingliang said then faced the crowd of disciples and proclaimed, “From today onward, whoever dares to let this brat have a spot to fight for meals will be an enemy of me, Wu Mingliang!” After he finished speaking, he no longer looked at Xiang Shaoyun and went to get his meal.

“Bastard!” Xiang Shaoyun shouted, emitting killing intent.

“Daring to curse Young Master Wu? Beat him!” Gou Zi commanded.

Pow Pow!

1. Both summer flowing and obscene sound like Xia Liu in Chinese.