Chapter 13: The City Lord's Son, Part 2
The sycophant who had advised Xiao Lie earlier looked exasperated. It was clear to him that the son of the city lord had a hopelessly clumsy tongue, so he had no choice but to step in himself.
"Hmph. Why are we here?" he sneered, eyes narrowed in disdain. "We're here to teach you peasants your place and remind you who truly rules this academy. How dare you lowly commoners go about without bowing in respect to the nobles! Where is your sense of rank and hierarchy? Look at this man before you this is Lord Xiao Lie, son of the city lord, top of the sixth grade here at Notting Academy, and a mighty 12th level spirit master!"
At this, the lackey turned his head high, emphasizing Xiao Lie's status, while Xiao Lie stood tall with a haughty air, his chest puffed out in smug satisfaction. The look on his face seemed to say, "Why aren't you all bowing yet?"
Ye Wen watched the display, unimpressed by the typical arrogance of the nobility. Calmly, he interjected, "Pardon me, but… are you the city lord's eldest son?"
Xiao Lie froze. Regardless of the world, noble children couldn't all inherit noble status; succession followed strict rules. Ye Wen happened to know that the city lord of Notting had already sent his eldest son to a mid level academy in the city of Suotuo. This left Xiao Lie, the second son, unlikely to inherit the title or position. For a minor skirmish among children, bringing in adult back up would only tarnish the nobility's reputation.
Not to mention, as the city lord's lesser favored son, Xiao Lie would likely find no one stepping in for him if things went south unless he was overwhelmed in a group attack.
Seething with rage, Xiao Lie shouted, "I challenge you to a duel! Let's settle this the way spirit masters do!"
It was clear his home life was rough. With an older brother ahead of him, he had little favor in the family, and being a concubine's child only made things worse. Constantly oppressed by the city lord's wife, Xiao Lie was filled with resentment, and Ye Wen's remark had struck a nerve.
"You want to settle this as spirit masters? Hm… I don't mind that," Ye Wen replied, rubbing his chin as if contemplating. "If I lose, Dorm Three will recognize you as our leader. But what will you put on the line if you lose? You certainly can't just promise not to hassle us anymore you haven't managed to do much to us anyway since the start of the semester."
"What do you want?" Xiao Lie asked, visibly irritated.
"Well…" Ye Wen mused. "There's nothing you could offer that I really need. But, tell you what if I win, you recognize me as your leader."
Xiao Lie clenched his teeth at the audacity of this proposal, but his sense of pride convinced him of his inevitable victory. "Fine," he agreed through gritted teeth.
"Ye Wen, 11th level spirit master, spirit: Black Cloth."
"Xiao Lie, 12th level spirit master, spirit: Flame Wolf!"
As they announced themselves and summoned their spirits, Xiao Lie wasted no time. The moment his spirit was unleashed, he charged. His hundred year old spirit ring glowed as he shouted, "First spirit skill Flame Body!"
With that, flames erupted around him, encasing him like a walking bonfire. Though Ye Wen had the advantage in power, he lacked an offensive spirit, so he dodged and analyzed Xiao Lie's ability.
"Flame Body… a typical enhancement skill. How much strength it adds would depend on his spirit quality," Ye Wen pondered. "Flame Wolf, not a top tier beast spirit, but still reasonably formidable. Wolves are most dangerous in packs; with a pack led by a ten thousand year Flame Wolf King, even a Soul Sage would avoid the fight. But this guy's spirit quality and cultivation are both weak… 13 year olds at only level 12 are laughable. Even Shrek Academy wouldn't admit him."
Ye Wen then thought back to the original story's city lord's son, Xiao Chenyu, who was only at level 11 with a white spirit ring. Compared to him, Xiao Lie seemed decent, but still far too weak. His attacks were uncoordinated, his footwork unsteady a guaranteed loss.
After dodging several attacks, Ye Wen had thoroughly assessed Xiao Lie's weaknesses. His eyes sharpened, and he wrapped his spirit Black Cloth around his hand.
As Xiao Lie lunged forward with another sloppy strike, Ye Wen sidestepped and struck out with a sweeping kick, knocking Xiao Lie off balance and sending him to the ground. Then Ye Wen's fist shot toward Xiao Lie's face, stopping mere inches from impact.
Staring into Ye Wen's unmoving fist, Xiao Lie froze in shock. Even though Ye Wen had stopped just short of hitting him, Xiao Lie's mind went blank with fear.
"You've lost. From now on, I'm your leader," Ye Wen declared coolly before retracting his spirit and turning back to head toward the dorms.
Xiao Lie remained on the ground, watching Ye Wen's steady, unshaken figure in a daze. When he saw Ye Wen reach the dorm's entrance, it was as if a light went off in his head.
"Why are you so strong?" he shouted, a desperate edge in his voice.
Ye Wen stopped at the door, glancing back at him with mild disinterest.
"The world of spirit masters has no place for tears. Sweat from hard work is the only thing a spirit master can rely on in this world," he replied. "But why am I even telling you this? Just go back. I made you call me your leader, but it doesn't mean I expect anything from you. To me, you're just a stranger. I don't have time to waste I'm focusing on my training while I'm still in my prime."
With a wave of his hand, Ye Wen dismissed him and walked back into the dorm to continue his meditation.
Ye Wen's words pierced Xiao Lie's heart like a nail. As a concubine's son, he had no right to inherit any noble title. His innate spirit talent was better than his elder brother's, but he'd been deprived of resources, and his cultivation was frequently interrupted by the city lord's wife. The lack of life pressures had led him to a slothful lifestyle, and he was left with a mere 12 levels of soul power at his age.
Ye Wen's words, however, had awakened something within him. In this world of spirit masters, nobility meant nothing. If he wished to change his life, he had to grow stronger. He knew what life was like for low level spirit masters. If he didn't want to be one of them, he had to put in the effort and reach new heights.
In the brutal world of Douluo, only the strong had a voice, and now, he was but a weakling.
With renewed determination, a glimmer of resolve lit up Xiao Lie's eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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