Zant looked up sharply, his face instantly flushing crimson. The very people he most dreaded seeing had just appeared before him!

"Young Master Viter, what a coincidence! I never expected to run into you here!" the youth who had spoken earlier said again, his gaze dripping with contempt as he looked at Viter, as if regarding nothing more than scum.

This man was named Yorl, and not far from him stood several other youths, all watching the scene with the air of spectators enjoying a fine show!

Viter wanted no part of this entanglement and turned to leave immediately, but Yorl grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Young Master Viter, squandering provisions like that isn't very proper, is it?" Yorl sneered, a malicious grin spreading across his face. "The Ninghuan Clan may be wealthy, but they shouldn't allow wastefulness by good-for-nothings!"

Although the "Ninghuan Clan" ranked low among the numerous families of the "Winter Moon Empire," within the "City of Dream Dusk," it was unquestionably the foremost noble house. Its main enterprise was the operation of auction houses; the grand auction Faraday had mentioned earlier was indeed hosted by the "Ninghuan Clan."

In addition to their auction houses, the "Ninghuan Clan" also maintained several antique shops and jewelry emporiums, occasionally acting as agents for the sale of magical armaments!

No one would have guessed that Viter was a young master of this very "Ninghuan Clan," while Yorl was merely the son of a steward within the family!

Perhaps the sight of a steward's son speaking to his master with such tone and attitude baffled observers?

There was, in fact, a reason. Viter's mother had been a low-status maidservant, and Viter was the unintended result of his father's drunken indiscretion.

This in itself shouldn't have been a major issue; despite his mother's humble origins, he was, after all, a legitimate young master. By rights, he should never have been treated with such disrespect by servants!

However, the crux of the matter lay in Viter’s inherently peculiar constitution: he could neither cultivate Battle Qi nor wield magic! For the "Ninghuan Clan," this was an utter disgrace. Consequently, even though Viter held the title of young master, he was openly mocked and bullied even by the household staff!

Observation: Many protagonists make their debut as innate failures—a young master enduring constant scorn and bullying, vowing to grow strong and change his fate, perhaps this has become a trope. Thus, a character like this has been subtly included here. While Viter shares a similar destiny, he is not the protagonist of this novel, so readers need not fret!

Among the youths observing Yorl’s display were several from the "Ninghuan Clan." One of them was also a young master, named Willie. Unlike Viter, Willie’s mother was the daughter of a prominent house, officially married to Willie's father, granting her considerable status within the estate. Moreover, unlike Viter’s innate uselessness, Willie possessed remarkable talent!

These individuals frequently tormented Viter within the manor, often treating him like a mere servant. To Viter’s dismay, they showed no intention of stopping now that they were at the academy!

"Young Master Viter, you haven't eaten yet, have you? The floor looks quite spacious down there—why don't you enjoy your meal right here!" As he spoke, Yorl applied force, abruptly shoving Viter onto the ground.

The food, which had already spilled, now smeared directly across Viter’s face!

Viter endured it, keeping his lips tightly pressed together! Stubbornly, he uttered not a single complaint!

Yet, Yorl viciously used his boot to press down hard on Viter’s head, preventing him from lifting it.

"Young Master Viter, how does it taste? Is the academy food better than what you have at home?" Yorl chuckled triumphantly, glancing over at the trio watching from a distance, his expression seeming to communicate, Look how well I’ve handled him this time!

The three youths smiled wordlessly, but their eyes betrayed unmistakable delight!

Willie inwardly seethed: Dream on if you think you’ll ever stand as my equal! In my eyes, you’re less than swine. Just watch—sooner or later, I will play you to death, and your mother along with you!

The commotion drew the attention of other students, but not a single person stepped forward to intervene; they merely watched with cold detachment!

However, a few could not stomach the sight. Wayne and his companions, finally snapping out of their shock, dropped their bowls and utensils and charged forward!

Wayne was genuinely furious. Though he had occasionally bullied others in the past, he had never encountered anyone as utterly repulsive as the person before him!

"Get your hoof away!" Wayne's voice rang out before he even arrived!

Yorl turned to see a fist hurtling straight for his face. Due to the speed and suddenness of the attack, Yorl could not react in time and took the blow squarely. He staggered back several paces, his nose immediately beginning to bleed!

Wayne ignored Yorl, instead bending down to help Viter up from the floor!

"You... You dared to hit me?" Yorl erupted when he saw his own blood.

"I hit a beast like you!" Wayne was known for his quick temper, and seeing a classmate treated this way, he could no longer restrain himself!

Enraged, Yorl stopped wasting breath and swung a fist toward Wayne!

But he had overlooked one crucial detail: Wayne was not the only one advancing. Paul and the others, seeing Yorl move, met the charge head-on without a word.

Yorl was quite capable; his admission to the "Secluded Magic and Martial Arts Academy" was based on genuine merit, not backroom deals. But one fist cannot fight four hands, especially in the cramped space, which hampered his movements. He was quickly overwhelmed!

"Don't hold back, everyone! Beat the scum until he can't move!" Wayne's punches were the fiercest.

Just as Yorl seemed on the verge of collapse, Willie and the others who had been watching suddenly struck with a surprise attack, knocking Wayne and his group to the ground.

Seeing the tide turn, Yorl immediately joined in beating the fallen! The group already held a significant advantage over Wayne's party, and now that they were on top, they viciously pummeled Wayne and his friends until they were rolling on the floor!

It was at this critical moment that several angry shouts cut through the air: "Stop! All of you, stop this instant! I ordered you to stop, do you hear me!"

Subsequently, several men in distinctive uniforms forced their way through the crowd. They were the security detail assigned to maintain order in the cafeteria and had rushed over upon hearing the disturbance. As soon as they arrived, these men physically pulled Yorl's four associates away.

"What is going on here? Why the fight?" a man who appeared to be the leader asked sternly.

"They started it!" Yorl rushed to interject.

"Bullshit! You started it!" Wayne cursed back fiercely.

"Say that again if you have the guts!" Yorl's eyes flared red again.

"Silence, all of you!" The figure in charge suddenly commanded, then turned to his subordinates. "Take them all away!"

This afternoon, Zhong Shenxiu, in a rare mood of leisure, decided to visit his assigned class. It remained to be seen what reaction he would have upon learning that his students had been involved in a brawl and subsequently taken away.

Someone, he mused, was surely going to pay dearly for this.