The students who had been jeering and verbally attacking Ke Xin and her companions were drawn by the sudden voice. Some began to look around for its owner. Moments later, their gazes collectively turned towards the dense forest.
Two figures slowly emerged: one was a man with a half-mask covering his face, and the other a youth of similar age to them. The newcomers were Di Wuhe and the missing Lu Fei.
Di Wuhe's injuries had improved to the point where he no longer needed Lu Fei's support. He stepped forward, each stride appearing incredibly arduous. The observing students, unaware that Di Wuhe was pushing through his injuries, perceived his steady and powerful steps as if they were resonating within their hearts.
The crowd instinctively parted, creating a path. Everyone fell silent, as if struck by a chilling fear, not even daring to meet Di Wuhe's eyes, lest he remember their faces.
Lu Fei trotted along behind Di Wuhe, enjoying a moment of borrowed authority. *Impressive, Brother He, a noise suppressor...* Lu Fei's heart surged with emotion. Di Wuhe's earlier words reminded him of a classic line: "My rules are the rules!"
On their way back, Di Wuhe had suddenly informed him that he had completed the S-rank mission and intended to contact the organizing committee to credit the points to his team. Lu Fei was initially bewildered but quickly understood. He recalled that the S-rank mission for this trial was to "protect an unknown creature." It wouldn't take much effort to connect this to the black egg in his spatial ring – it was clearly the deliverable for the S-rank mission!
This unexpected surprise made Lu Fei overjoyed, though he feigned humility, saying it wasn't necessary. Ultimately, with such "earnest persuasion," he reluctantly accepted the ten thousand points. However, he pondered how to convince others that his team had completed an S-rank mission. His team consisted of underdogs; how could they possibly accomplish such a high-level task? Should he reveal the black egg?
Di Wuhe's answer was simple: "With me here, there's no need to worry!" A single sentence, brimming with a sense of security! It was even more reliable than his own supposedly sworn brother!
The two walked towards the main stage. As the crowd dispersed, Ke Xin and her group, who had been the center of attention, finally saw clearly again. Ke Xin looked in the direction of the ongoing discussion with a puzzled expression. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, her entire face flushing visibly as an irrepressible smile spread across it.
"Lu Fei!" Ke Xin cried out in surprise.
After returning to the plaza, Lu Fei had been looking around for his companions. Hearing Ke Xin's voice, his heart leaped with joy. Their shared trial experience had forged a strong bond, even with Zhou Shuyi. He had initially thought the young lady would cause trouble, but it turned out her true nature was pure and kind.
However, Ke Xin's subsequent action startled him greatly. She lunged into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck! It was as if a fragile wife, having suffered a grievance, had found her lover to pour out her troubles. Lu Fei's face instantly turned crimson. He considered himself thick-skinned, but as a young man, how could he withstand such an embrace from the pure and adorable Ke Xin? It was an instinctive physiological reaction; even a "steel straight man" could be swayed!
Everyone present was dumbfounded. Tang Ao whispered, "When did they start dating?" Huang Huang scratched his head, utterly confused. "I don't know!" Zhou Shuyi crossed her arms. "Hmph, shamelessly brazen! This can lead to pregnancy!"
...What?
All eyes turned to Zhou Shuyi. After a long moment, Ke Xin finally released him. Amidst her rambling, Lu Fei realized that his sudden disappearance had led them to believe he was in danger, hence her emotional outburst. His heart warmed. He reached out and gently stroked her head, a pure gesture of comfort for her agitated spirit, with no other intentions. However, the now-composed Ke Xin was overjoyed, lowering her head shyly, her demeanor constrained.
The surrounding onlookers averted their gaze. Faced with this unexpected decree, they might have wanted to resist further, but Di Wuhe was a lunatic, a man to be feared. A few students who knew of Di Wuhe began to whisper about his past acts of madness. Years ago, a high-ranking official from Wenmin City had publicly bullied commoners using his influence. Even the police, called to maintain order, could only offer mild advice due to the official's power, but the official, feeling he hadn't had enough, assaulted the person again in front of the police. It was at this moment that Di Wuhe passed by. Without a word, he broke the official's arm. The official's family refused to let the matter drop, escalating it further and even alarming the councilors of Tianhang City. However, the final outcome was that the Wenmin City Public Security Bureau presented Di Wuhe with a plaque for bravery. To everyone's surprise, Di Wuhe smashed the plaque on the spot, coldly stating, "If the Public Security Bureau is useless, then disband it." Subsequently, the Wenmin City Public Security Bureau was indeed disbanded and rebuilt!
Di Wuhe slowly ascended the main stage. Chen Fei instinctively moved aside. She lowered her head, and even without looking at her mentor's face, she could feel the chilling coldness emanating from him.
"Your handling of this matter has left me very unsatisfied," Di Wuhe stated calmly. Chen Fei's heart sank, and cold sweat trickled down her back, filling her with an urge to prostrate herself. She knew what Di Wuhe was referring to. He had already informed her about the updated points rankings, yet Chen Fei had not prevented the students' dissatisfied expressions of anger, allowing the situation to escalate. However, she had her own considerations; after all, it was such a weak team, and they hadn't even seen the mission deliverable. It was difficult for her to be convinced, let alone the students.
"Teacher, I..." she began, intending to explain.
"No need to explain," Di Wuhe interrupted. "Announce the final result, then disband. I need to go back and recuperate." Di Wuhe stated crisply, his tone as cold and emotionless as before. Chen Fei, with a stomach full of unspoken grievances, nodded. She looked out at the plaza, gazing at the students below, and took a deep breath before saying solemnly:
"Because Ke Xin's team from Cang Town Beast Taming Academy has completed the S-rank mission, achieving 10,800 points, their team will be ranked first in this trial, with all other teams moving up one position!"
As her words fell, Chen Fei clearly felt the overwhelming fury of the students below. Their faces were etched with unconcealed dissatisfaction, yet they dared not utter a sound. Bai Qianqian and Zhou Tao were also stunned. They knew the strength of Ke Xin's team all too well; how could they have completed an S-rank mission? Moreover, no one knew what the S-rank mission was.
The most dejected and furious among them was Tu Tian! His face was ashen, his fists clenched. He had already discussed with the sisters in his battle team that if they won first place in this trial, they would agree to him "hitting a home run" with all of them, but now the duck was cooked! Finally, unable to contain his inner rage, he pointed at Di Wuhe on the stage and shouted:
"This is a training ground, not a place for you to wield power! Why should I compromise just because of your single word!"