Just as Aaron was mulling over the meaning of Albert's words, a sudden, raucous commotion erupted downstairs.

"Sir, we're completely full right now, perhaps you could..."

"You dare make us wait? Don't you know who we are? Believe it or not, we'll tear your shop down!" a brutal voice bellowed.

The waiter was so frightened he ran off to find the owner.

"Brothers, let's go upstairs to the second floor; it's too noisy here. We made good coin this time; we absolutely must have a serious drinking spree!" a rough voice declared, leading the way up the stairs.

The others said nothing, following him up to the second floor.

As this group arrived, they instantly drew the attention of everyone present. Naturally, Zhong Shenxiu noticed these fellows too!

There were five men, burly and thick-set, their faces heavy with coarse features, and each had a broad iron sword strapped to his waist. Pinned to the chest of each one was a strange emblem, resembling two crossed axes—the standard of the "Twin Axes Mercenary Group."

"It’s rare that the Captain is absent today; we must drink until we drop! We agreed: whoever passes out first pays the bill," said the man speaking, whose name was Yālìdà, a Swordsman already possessing the strength of a High-Rank Swordsman. This man had a distinct trait: immense brute strength, said to rival that of a Gold Swordsman.

"Done! I’ll tell you, I’ve never lost a drinking contest," retorted the man with the scarred jawline, whose name was Fred. His greatest trait was his incessant bragging.

"Oh, come on, you? Which time wasn't you the first one passed out?" Yālìdà scoffed dismissively.

"This time is different; even if I can't outdrink others, I can certainly outdrink you!" Fred shot back.

"Fine, then let's see which of us crawls first!"

Before a single drink was poured, two of them were already squaring off. The other three began chiming in with encouragement.

At that moment, the waiter, accompanied by the owner, ascended to the second floor. The owner was young, perhaps only in his mid-thirties or early forties, outwardly appearing utterly ordinary—neither a Swordsman nor a Magician.

Facing these five menacing figures, not only was the waiter trembling, but the middle-aged owner also wore an expression of clear unease and embarrassment.

"Sir, as you can see, we are genuinely at full capacity..." the middle-aged owner said, bowing obsequiously.

"Full capacity?" Fred questioned with a strange tone, his eyes beginning to sweep across the room.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he strode directly toward Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

Fred’s voice carried a distinct smugness as he said, "Aren't there two people about to leave? Why say it’s full capacity then!"

As he spoke, he kicked the table where Zhong Shenxiu was seated, the message unmistakable: This table is mine. If you know what’s good for you, leave quickly before I have to use my hands.

"Brothers, over to this table! Great spot, good view too," Fred called out to Yālìdà and the others, then turned to glare at Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, who were watching him. "You little brats, what are you looking at? Be smart and scram. Don't spoil our mood. Since I’m in a good mood today, hurry up and vanish!"

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Fred as if he were an idiot, then calmly returned to sipping his plain boiled water. Truthfully, it wasn't that Zhong Shenxiu refused their tea out of choice; it simply didn't look like something meant for human consumption.

Robin, meanwhile, stared coldly at Fred from start to finish, his gaze the unwavering lock of a falcon on its prey.

Silence!

For a moment, the entire second floor fell quiet. Some watched with the appetite of spectators waiting for a show, while others maintained a detached stance of non-involvement. In the end, not a single person stepped forward to mediate.

"Uncle Albert, should we go over and help?" Aaron suddenly whispered.

"Let's watch a bit longer. I think those two kids have eaten enough. As long as they concede the seats, I doubt they’ll make things hard for them. Better safe than sorry for us," Albert advised.

Since Albert had spoken, Aaron reluctantly suppressed the urge to show off.

"Hey, are you two little runts deaf? Didn't you hear me talking to you! I told you both to get lost, did you hear me or not?" Fred asked, a flicker of anger entering his voice.

Two little runts daring to show off in front of me. I think they don't want to live anymore, Fred thought.

Under normal circumstances, other children would have been terrified and fled as far as possible. But today, the world had turned upside down; these two children hadn't taken his threats to heart in the slightest, remaining motionless, treating his words as nothing more than flatulence.

Silence!

At this moment, the surroundings grew even quieter.

All eyes converged on the triangle formed by Zhong Shenxiu, Robin, and Fred. Everyone knew that a good show was likely about to unfold.

Fred hadn't expected to run into two such reckless whelps today, and curiosity prompted him to examine them closely. He wondered if they were some sort of nobles?

But they didn't look like it. Their attire, their meager possessions, screamed the words: I am a peasant.

Just as Fred was trying to gauge their background, Zhong Shenxiu finally spoke.

"You are an eyesore, you know that? Get back wherever you crawled from before I get angry!" Zhong Shenxiu’s voice carried no emotion and left absolutely no room for negotiation.

This statement landed like a thunderclap on dry ground, stunning everyone watching the spectacle! They were all silently speculating:

Damn, who is this kid! To speak like that, he's bold, truly bold! Bold? I’ve never seen a child this audacious! This kid has character; I like it! Has this kid simply lost his desire to live? Why be so reckless?

Even Albert, who had been closely monitoring the situation, felt a small tremor deep in his core after Zhong Shenxiu’s words. He thought to himself, Is this child mentally deficient? How dare he speak like that? Isn't he afraid of provoking them!

Let alone him, even the usually unflappable Anthony was momentarily bewildered, his mind a blank slate. He genuinely couldn't comprehend how such words could issue from a child so young—it was too incredible. How old was the opponent? Six? No, perhaps even younger. Heavens! Someone tell me, am I seeing an illusion?

Aaron, however, was experiencing a different kind of astonishment: Holy hell! Did this kid just pop out of a rock? How can he be this fearless? I thought I was arrogant, but compared to him, I’m pure garbage!

Ignoring what others were thinking, let’s focus on Fred. Upon hearing those words, rage immediately flared in his heart, overriding all caution. He raised his hand and swung it toward Zhong Shenxiu’s face.

Damn you, little brat, see if I don't beat you to death!