"Hmph! Ya Fei, you're merely an acting elder, yet not only did you condone the theft of our auction house's property and help an outsider cripple my grandson's Dou Qi, but now you dare speak to me in such a tone!"
"It seems your time as an acting elder is at its end! When the Council of Elders convenes, I will report this matter and have your position stripped from you!" Lei Ou snorted coldly.
Ya Fei's face turned somewhat pale. It wasn't because she might lose her position as an acting elder. Rather, it was because she knew that if this matter reached the ears of the upper echelons, very few of them would stand with her. And the ones with the ultimate say, the Great Elder and the Clan Head, would, for the sake of the clan's stability and interests, cement the accusation that Zhou Changqing and his companion were thieves!
The Dou Qi Continent was not some peaceful society with a perfect legal system, but a cruel world where the strong were revered and the weak scraped by. No matter how many arguments you had, if your strength was insufficient, whatever the powerful said was law. If they said you were a thief, you were a thief. No one would doubt it, nor would they dare to!
"Alright, Sister Ya Fei, you've seen how shameless these two are. Words are useless. Let me handle this."
Seeing the time was right, Zhou Changqing stood up and patted Ya Fei's fragrant shoulder with a light smile.
Without waiting for her to agree, he pulled her behind him with one hand.
Ya Fei could only give up helplessly. Changqing was no fool. To be so confident, he must have something to rely on. She could only wait and see how he handled it. If he failed, then she would have to…
Lei Ou looked at Zhou Changqing as he stepped forward, a flash of fiery greed in his eyes. If he succeeded this time, with a little maneuvering, he could get his hands on that Monster Core Armor! By then, his status within the clan would likely rise to a whole new level!
As for Lei Le, he stared at Zhou Changqing's handsome face with a venomous and vicious glare, his mind already plotting how to torture the man to vent his hatred. His talent had been decent, and with the resources from his grandfather, he had finally broken through to the Dou Shi level. Now, it was all destroyed. Whether he could even cultivate in the future was now a question. If not for his grandfather's plans, he would have tortured this pretty boy to death to sate his immense hatred!
"Boy, surrender obediently, and this old man can spare you some physical suffering." Just as Lei Ou made his threat, certain of victory, a voice spoke softly in his ear.
"Annoying."
Zhou Changqing's figure blurred, and before anyone but Medusa could react, he was standing right in front of Lei Ou.
Looking at this old man who coveted his refining techniques, Zhou Changqing knew he couldn't be spared. Against such a person, showing even a hint of magnanimity or mercy would only make them press their advantage, constantly testing your limits and plotting against you. It would lead to endless trouble in the future. Although the man posed no real threat to him, he was like a toad on one's foot—not biting, but disgusting. Besides, Sister Ya Fei had to remain with the Mittel Clan. If this man used some underhanded tricks, it would be a huge headache for him.
So, the best solution was to eliminate him!
With that thought, Zhou Changqing raised his hand and delivered a massive slap!
Boom!
Smack!
His palm carried a terrifying force, cutting through the air with a powerful gust that triggered a sonic boom! A crisp slap echoed through the room!
Lei Ou felt an intense pain in his cheek as his head was uncontrollably slammed into the ground!
Bang!
His head hit the ground, directly smashing a hole in the bluestone tiles. A spiderweb of cracks spread out from the impact point! A section of the floor even caved in slightly from the violent collision! Stone fragments flew everywhere, slicing through the armor of several guards and leaving long, bleeding wounds! Lei Le himself was cut across the cheek by a piece of stone, and blood quickly welled up!
Stunned!
Everyone, except Medusa, was utterly stunned. They stared blankly at Lei Ou, whose body was twitching on the floor, his head bleeding and half-buried in the bluestone tiles! From the look of it, he was breathing more out than in. He wasn't going to make it!
After a long moment, everyone finally snapped back to reality, their gazes shifting in horror to the nonchalant Zhou Changqing, who was shaking his hand.
"Tough old bastard, his face is pretty thick."
"You! You! How can you be so strong!"
"Impossible! My grandfather is a Dou Ling expert! You're just a pretty boy!"
The most terrified of all was Lei Le. He had just watched his grandfather, who had always been powerful and domineering, a Dou Ling expert, get slapped to the ground, his life hanging by a thread. His entire worldview shattered in an instant!
Gazing at the disbelieving and terrified Lei Le, who was being supported by a guard, Zhou Changqing said flatly, "You idiot. Shouldn't you have investigated my background and strength before trying to make a move on me? It's hard to imagine that an imbecile like you is from the same clan as a brilliant woman like Sister Ya Fei."
"Well, your grandfather is about to pass on. I can't bear to see you two separated, so I'll send you to join him."
"You... stay away from me! You can't kill me! You've already killed my grandfather! If you kill me too, the clan will never let you go!"
"I said you were an idiot... Forget it, I can't be bothered to explain. You're not worthy of hearing it."
Without any hesitation, Zhou Changqing pointed a finger, and a ray of golden energy shot out, speeding toward Lei Le's forehead! With a squelch, the ray pierced his brow and exited through the back of his head. The look of terror on Lei Le's face froze, and he slumped limply against the guard supporting him.
"Aahh!"
The guard let out a terrified scream, his mind snapping. He scrambled frantically toward the door!
The scream jolted Ya Fei out of her shock. She had taken so long to recover not because her will was weak, but because she knew Zhou Changqing better than anyone else! That was why she understood what it meant for him to knock a Dou Ling expert to the ground, critically injured and near death, with a single slap! The shock was as profound as if she herself had suddenly become a Dou Ling expert through some stroke of dumb luck. It was utterly unbelievable!
Seeing the chaos in the reception hall and the fleeing guard, Ya Fei's mind raced. Her expression changed, and she moved to stop him!
But Zhou Changqing stopped her, taking her small hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Sister Ya Fei, don't worry about them. Just sit down and take a moment. I'll handle whatever comes. Let me tell you a secret. I'm not the same as before. I'm no longer that weakling who had to flee after offending a few Da Dou Shi-level factions. I'm terrifyingly strong now. So, all you need to do is sit back and watch the show."
This matter was far from over. He had just killed an elder of the Mittel Clan; they wouldn't let this go easily. Although he could leave immediately to avoid trouble, Ya Fei was still here. If he left, the Mittel Clan would likely pin part of the blame on her, and her small shoulders couldn't bear that burden. Besides, with his current strength, there was no need to lie low. Aside from Hai Bodong, who had yet to return, the strongest expert in the Mittel Clan was merely a Dou Wang. If the Mittel Clan dared to be unreasonable, he would show them the meaning of a Dou Wang's wrath!
This time, as part of his future plans, he intended to make a high-profile announcement of his presence in the imperial capital! At the same time, he wanted to send a message to all the higher-ups in the Mittel Clan who were eyeing his refining techniques. Ya Fei was under his protection!
Ya Fei, being as intelligent as she was, instantly guessed Zhou Changqing's intentions. He was worried that after he left, she would be punished by the clan. Staring at the gentle yet domineering and slightly childish young man before her, a certain part of Ya Fei's heart was deeply touched and softened. With a shimmer of moisture and a strange light in her beautiful eyes, Ya Fei could only nod helplessly, letting him do as he pleased. "Little Changqing is being so overbearing. What can I do?"
Neither of them noticed that, to the side, Medusa's jade-like hand tightened around her teacup, which groaned under the pressure. Watching the affectionate young man and the mature beauty, Medusa felt an inexplicable surge of irritation, finding the sight of them increasingly unpleasant. Suddenly, Medusa realized that her current state was not quite right. She quickly suppressed the extraneous emotions, her shapely brows furrowing slightly.
"Why is this happening? Could it be... Impossible!" Thinking of a certain possibility, Medusa's brows knitted even tighter as she immediately rejected it! "This Queen simply doesn't want such a talent to fall into the hands of others. He should join my Snake-Person Tribe; otherwise, our tribe will suffer a great loss!"