Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Luo Tian’s Identity (Part 1)

The men dressed as adventurers were momentarily stunned by Luo Tian’s aura, then burst out laughing. The one who had been harassing the girl said sinisterly, "Hah, that’s quite an aura you’ve got there. The scion of some noble family? Oh, I’m so scared! You look much more frightening than a porcupine!"

Porcupines were a fairly common type of wild beast. They were very timid and would flee at the first sight of a person. However, their meat was delicious, making them a favorite among gourmands.

But comparing a person to a porcupine was a clear insult. After speaking, the man grinned at the tall and beautiful Kaelin, waggling his eyebrows with a lewd and frivolous expression.

Kaelin slammed a hand on the table, shot to her feet, and pointed at him, cursing, "Are you blind, you bastard! You filthy degenerate!"

The other adventurers all roared with laughter. One of them, a man in his forties, looked at the indignant Kaelin and said with a sneer, "Tough words. I wonder if you’re this feisty in bed... Haha! Wake up, little beauty! This is Cameron Town, a long way from the Imperial Capital. You’re not at home anymore!"

Kaelin snatched up a plate still half-full of soup and hurled it at them. The adventurers scrambled to their feet to dodge as the plate smashed to pieces on their table. Soup splattered over several of them, and they became instantly enraged. Sneering, they started walking over, paying no mind to the four lavishly dressed youths.

’Look at them, all soft skin and tender flesh,’ they thought. ’Just a bunch of delicate flowers from a greenhouse. What’s the harm in roughing them up a bit?’

Just then, the shop’s owner, an attractive woman in her thirties, came out. She smiled apologetically. "Gentlemen, let’s talk this out. Please, no fighting. This is a small business; I can’t afford this kind of trouble. Besides, the Defense Army patrols at night... It wouldn’t be good if they found you!"

"The Defense Army?" one of the adventurers sneered at the proprietress. "Don’t you try to scare me with the Defense Army, lady! Do you know who I am? The Deputy Commander of the Defense Army is my brother-in-law!"

The proprietress grew flustered at his words. In Cameron Town, the local hooligans, ruffians, adventurers, and mercenaries weren’t the ones to fear. The truly terrifying ones were the members of the Defense Army.

The Defense Army here was comprised of genuine soldiers who were rotated out annually. Even the weakest among them was a Tier One Great Sword Master. Cameron Town’s tax revenue made up a significant portion of the Empire’s finances, so it had always been taken very seriously by His Majesty the King. As a result, the defensive forces here were incredibly strong. Even large Mercenary Corps had to abide by the rules when they came to Cameron Town. After all, no matter how powerful a mercenary group was, it was no match for the might of the state.

The proprietress said, troubled, "But..."

"No buts! This doesn’t concern you, so butt out!" the adventurer bragging about his connections said with a smug look. He then sneered at Luo Tian and the others. "Don’t think you’re so special just because you’re nobles. Here in Cameron Town, the Defense Army calls all the shots!"

Luo Tian’s expression remained calm. "Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you saying this land isn’t part of the Empire?"

The adventurer chuckled darkly. "So what if it’s the Empire’s territory? You think His Majesty the King can manage things all the way out here? Haha, you’re too naive, kid. Just look at the annual taxes, for example..."

"That’s enough!" The middle-aged man in his forties cut his companion off. "Stop spouting nonsense!"

The corner of Luo Tian’s mouth twitched, but his expression quickly returned to one of indifference. He turned to Ling Xiao. "Brother, let’s go."

Ling Xiao gave a slight nod. He truly had no interest in dealing with bullies who threw their weight around. ’They’re just scum,’ he thought. ’You can find people like them everywhere.’

"Trying to leave?" The Deputy Commander’s brother-in-law was surprisingly agile, flashing in front of them to block their path. His beady eyes were fixed on Kaelin, gleaming with greed and lust. He stroked his thin mustache and said arrogantly, "Give us one hundred gold coins, or leave these two little ladies behind to keep us... AHH!"

A greatsword as wide as a man’s palm had suddenly appeared in Luo Tian’s hand. Still in its sword scabbard, he used it to viciously slap the adventurer across the face with a dull THUD.

The adventurer spat out a mouthful of blood and a few teeth, then roared, "You dare hit me? Motherfucker, you dare to hit me in Cameron Town! You must be tired of living! Someone get... Ugh!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the wide sword scabbard press against his throat. Even through the sheath, he could feel a bone-chilling killing intent. ’There’s no rule that says a sword has to be unsheathed to kill,’ he thought in terror. ’A Great Sword Master’s Sword Qi could easily pass through the scabbard and end my life.’

Seeing the commotion, people from the surrounding stalls started to gather, including many from the Imperial Academy. A shrill voice cut through the crowd from the outside. "Ling Xiao? You again! Can’t you go a single day without causing trouble? You’ve brought nothing but shame to the Imperial Academy!"

As the voice spoke, Long Xiang pushed through the crowd with an ugly expression on his face, loudly rebuking Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao’s brow furrowed, but he remained silent. Luo Tian, however, shot a cold glance at Long Xiang and said, "Teacher Long Xiang, didn’t you see that I was the one fighting? What does this have to do with Ling Xiao?"

An awkward expression flashed across Long Xiang’s face. He turned on Luo Tian. "I was getting to you! Put that sword down! How can you so casually start a conflict when we’re traveling? Don’t you know this reflects badly on the Academy?!"

As soon as Long Xiang spoke, many in the surrounding crowd looked at him with contempt. The story of what had happened the other day had already spread through the various teams. Long Xiang’s behavior had been appalling. Chasing a beautiful woman was one thing, but it was infuriating that he had invoked the Academy’s name during a personal dispute.

Most unacceptable of all, he had shrunk back in the face of danger. That was hardly the action of a man, let alone an Imperial Academy teacher. It was utterly shameful.

And now he was lecturing Ling Xiao and Luo Tian for the very mistake he himself had made. ’How does he have the nerve?’ many of the students wondered.

Seeing that the students’ teacher had arrived only to scold them, the adventurers were instantly emboldened. The sleazy man with Luo Tian’s sword at his throat yelled, "What are you waiting for? Let me go! You’re finished, kid! I won’t let you get away with this!"

Luo Tian shot a dismissive glance at Long Xiang and uttered a single word: "Scram."

"You... You have some nerve, Luo Tian! Do you think I can’t punish you just because I’m not your regular teacher? Or do you dare look down on me because your father is a Count? I’ll have you know, I’m one of the lead teachers on this trip, and I have every right to discipline you..." Long Xiang’s face flushed red as he glared at Luo Tian. He was desperate to repair the damage to his reputation from the other day, and seeing Ling Xiao here, he impulsively seized the opportunity to humiliate him.

Long Xiang had spent the last few days stewing in regret and hadn’t been paying attention to the shifting dynamics. In his mind, Ling Xiao was still the disgrace of the Imperial Academy. ’Why would anyone defend him?’ he thought. He had no idea that the tables had turned; far more people disliked him now than they did Ling Xiao.

A few more people approached the edge of the crowd. It turned out that Shangguan Yutong and Su Embroidery had just come out for a meal, and Long Xiang had shamelessly tagged along. The other teachers had seen Ling Xiao’s group walk past earlier, but since the inn was full, they hadn’t said hello. Long Xiang, however, had been paying attention. The moment he saw trouble, he had feigned concern and rushed over, leaving Shangguan Yutong and Su Embroidery behind.

Luo Tian smiled coldly. He knew Long Xiang always loved being the center of attention at the Academy. A graduate himself, Long Xiang had stayed on to teach the junior classes. It was true that Luo Tian’s official file, which was quite detailed, listed his father as a Count. What no one knew was that the file was a forgery. Luo Tian was no Count’s son, and as such, he had zero goodwill for a snob like Long Xiang.

Seeing the crowd continue to grow, Luo Tian glanced at Kaelin. She had suddenly become meek and quiet; you would never guess she was the same person who had just been throwing plates. "Luo Tian," she said softly, "just let it go."

Luo Tian gave the men one last, hard look. "If you still have a problem," he said in a low voice, "you can have the Defense Army find me at the Splendid Inn." With a flick of his wrist, the massive sword vanished. Gasps rippled through the crowd. ’He has a Space Ring! That kid must be rich!’

Ling Xiao saw Shangguan Yutong and gave her a reassuring smile to show he was alright. Then, without sparing Long Xiang so much as a glance, the group turned and walked away. The crowd automatically parted to let them through.

Seeing that their opponents had the advantage in numbers and power, the adventurers didn’t dare say another word, though their eyes were filled with malice. The beady-eyed man claiming to be the Deputy Commander’s brother-in-law pushed through the crowd and vanished, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of blood and a few teeth on the floor.

Long Xiang wanted to shout and stop them, but as he watched the crowd disperse, his face flushed and paled with extreme anger.