Medical Sage

At the thought, Hales’s cold, aged eyes couldn’t help but narrow slightly. A Huaxia Array Master… It certainly sounds intimidating, not to mention that the little bastard is so young. To say he has no one behind him, no great power supporting him, is obviously impossible. So that must be the source of his confidence, mustn’t it?

But even so, he was Hales, the First Red Robed Bishop of the Holy Church of the Divine Holy Church, a peerless SS+ Level Ultimate Powerhouse. Not even a monster like ’Black Dragon’ Nemosin of the Ashford Family could be certain of suppressing him. Was his status somehow lower? If he were to compromise today, word would get out. Countless people would laugh their heads off, saying he, Hales, had no guts! That he was a spineless coward! For him, that was the real issue, a matter of face that was truly unacceptable! And now, this little bastard was being so arrogant! He captured my man and said what? ’If he says to release him, then he’s released’? Who does he think he is?

At this thought, the sense of humiliation in Hales’s heart grew stronger and deeper, twisting his face into a mask of pure fury. When had he, Hales, ever suffered such humiliation? Such blatant disdain?

”If you don’t release him… then by all means, try me!” Bishop Hales’s eyes, now tinged with red, fixed on Chen Fei as he ground the words out from between his teeth. A terrifying Power of Light surged from his body, and the murderous intent in his heart almost materialized into a physical force.

HISS!

As Bishop Hales’s icy voice rang out, the onlookers—Cariman, Ovilia, and even Paladin Peifen—instantly felt a chill shoot up their spines. Their scalps tingled with the urgent impulse to flee. The Paladin, in particular, knew his master well; he understood that the bishop was now truly, profoundly enraged.

Ovilia and Cariman also knew that as the First Red Robed Bishop of the Holy Church of the Divine Holy Church, Hales was even stronger than that monster, ’Black Dragon’ Nemosin of the Ashford Family. If he were to truly strike out in anger, the result would be absolutely terrifying. Their family’s ancient castle would likely be obliterated on the spot! For a powerhouse of that level, true anger meant one thing: destruction.

”Bishop Hales, please, calm your anger!” Ovilia felt a surge of panic. He knew more than the others. He knew that no matter how strong Bishop Hales was, even if he was considered invincible at the SS Level, he was no match for Mr. Chen! After all, Mr. Chen had dared to kill both Granny Doya and Nemosin. Could Hales truly be an exception?

If Hales were to die here, in the Brad Family’s domain, it would be a complete disaster! The Holy Church of the Divine Holy Church was a true titan of the Western Dark World, one of the supreme powers in all of Europe. They were stronger than the Nuo Weiya Family—several times stronger, in fact.

”Calm my anger? You’re telling me to calm my anger?” Upon hearing Ovilia’s words, Bishop Hales seemed to regain the composure befitting a top-tier expert. He glanced indifferently at Ovilia before his gaze settled coldly on Chen Fei. ”This little bastard dared to strike my follower right in front of me. How can you expect me to remain calm?”

He spoke as if he were entirely in the right, as if they hadn’t been the ones to start the trouble in the first place. If it weren’t for them, would I have even bothered to act? And even when I did, I held back and didn’t seriously injure anyone. But these self-righteous bastards still seem determined to push their luck.

Hales then adopted a lofty, condescending posture. His eyes swept indifferently over Chen Fei as he spoke in a tone of one granting a great favor. ”However, since the Brad Family has pleaded for you, I won’t be accused of being unreasonable. Release Peifen. Then, offer me a sincere, bowing apology. And finally, give up the Presidential VIP Room. Do this, and I can pretend your previous offense never happened.”

In truth, the Presidential VIP Room itself meant little. If it wasn’t available, so be it. But now, the right to stay in that last room had become a measure of face. That was the only reason he’d brought it up! This entire quarrel was simply about saving face. The older one gets, the more one seems to fight over such things.

A cold glint flickered in Young Master Chen’s eyes. He hesitated, wondering if he should teach the man a lesson he would never forget. But then he thought of the Brad Family… he didn’t want to make things difficult for them. His temper had been getting worse lately, but he still lived by a simple code: respect shown to him would be returned tenfold. A man had to have principles, after all.

”Hahaha, so it is Bishop Hales and Paladin Peifen in person! A great honor! Welcome, esteemed guests, welcome!” Just then, a distinctly old, weary voice echoed from the end of the nearby hallway. Following that, everyone heard the slow sound of footsteps approaching on the floorboards. TAP. TAP. Each step seemed to land directly on their hearts, and even Hales couldn’t help but turn his gaze.

Chen Fei’s expression remained cold, but he, too, shifted his gaze. At the end of the corridor, an old man with a stooped back was walking toward them. He had a bald head, small eyes, and shoulder-length hair parted in the middle, from which hung a pair of round, metal wire-framed glasses. The sight was slightly comical, yet no one, not even Chen Fei, dared to laugh.

Whether intentionally or not, the old man emanated an aura even stronger and more suffocating than Bishop Hales’s had been in his peak state of rage. Even Chen Fei narrowed his eyes slightly. There’s something about this old man, he thought. He doesn’t feel like a normal person at all.

”So it is Lord Beirut. Long time no see,” Hales said, his expression turning serious as he raised a hand in greeting. He certainly knew who this stooped old man was. He was the acknowledged number-two figure in the Brad Family—and in some ways, even more feared than the number one.

”Lord Beirut!”

”Lord Beirut!”

Ovilia and Cariman finally snapped out of their daze and bowed hastily to the stooped old man, their faces pale.

”Good, good…” The stooped old man, Beirut, waved a hand at Ovilia and Cariman before turning to Bishop Hales with a disarmingly simple smile. ”Thanks to your good fortune, Bishop Hales, I’m doing well. Quite well. It’s just... I don’t know if it’s old age or if I’ve been sleeping too much, but my ears have developed a minor problem recently. I can’t stand loud noises.” As he spoke, a strange light glinted in his small eyes.

Hales’s expression flickered. He understood the reminder perfectly. Nevertheless, his face remained cold as he said, ”Lord Beirut, it is not my wish to cause trouble within the Brad Family. But this little bastard... as you can see, even with your arrival, he continues to hold my follower captive!”

Indeed, even now, Paladin Peifen remained trapped by the Formation, beads of sweat covering his forehead. If he dared to move so much as an inch, the three Flame Serpents coiling around him would instantly erupt and devour him, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

At Hales’s words, the stooped old man finally seemed to notice Paladin Peifen’s predicament. A look of theatrical surprise appeared in his small eyes. His gaze then fell upon Chen Fei with a flicker of genuine astonishment before he spoke, maintaining his simple and honest demeanor. ”Young man, would you be willing to give an old man like me some face and release the man from your Formation?”

Upon hearing this, however, Young Master Chen neither spoke nor moved. He simply frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Beirut. Seeing this, Ovilia, who knew Mr. Chen’s ’true’ background, felt a shiver of fear. She reached out from behind him, tugged on his sleeve, and whispered in a pleading tone, ”Mr. Chen…”

With a helpless sigh, Young Master Chen shook his head. He gave a casual snap of his fingers, and the Formation binding Paladin Peifen instantly dispersed.

THUD.

The next moment, Paladin Peifen collapsed to the ground as if his bones had turned to jelly. He was drenched in sweat, looking as if he’d been pulled from a lake, his face deathly pale as he gasped for breath. As the one who had been trapped, only he understood how utterly hopeless and suffocating that experience had been.

Panting raggedly in a disheveled heap, he tried to look up at Chen Fei... but no. The courage failed him. The moment his head began to lift, some terrifying memory must have flashed through his mind, because he immediately ducked his head again. SWISH!

”Hmph!” Hales’s face turned livid as he snorted coldly, glaring at Peifen. The paladin’s pathetic display was no different from a vicious slap across his own face—and a very hard one at that.

”My-my apologies, Lord Hales,” Paladin Peifen stammered in a panic, finally realizing the gravity of his mistake.

Bishop Hales angrily flung his sleeve, his gaze landing on Chen Fei with a profound chill. ”Young man,” he said, his face twisting into a sarcastic smirk, ”to receive such special treatment from the Brad Family at your age, and to have the audacity to act so brazenly before myself and Lord Beirut… truly, as the ancient Huaxia saying goes, you are a ’promising youth’ indeed!”

The words were dripping with mockery, each one a thinly veiled insult.

Hearing this, Young Master Chen’s eyes narrowed. Thoroughly annoyed, his expression turned grim. ”If you’re truly unconvinced, then feel free to try me yourself. I’m standing right here. Why waste time with veiled insults? Don’t you find it embarrassing?” From the dawn of time, has empty posturing ever been anything but pathetic?