Li Yundong’s roar truly felt like a clap of thunder on a clear day, silencing everyone on and off the stage into stunned quiet.

Yan Hua was utterly dumbfounded, unable to react for a moment.

The entire sports ground fell into an unprecedented hush, but it was quickly shattered by an earth-shaking wave of laughter.

Teachers and students alike on the field were laughing until they were breathless; some instructors nearly choked, and even the Vice Principal and Vice Mayor, who usually maintained rigid decorum, could not stop the twitching in their faces.

Ignoring the uproar below, Li Yundong turned to Yan Hua and asked, "Do you object or not?"

Yan Hua, having been too smug moments before, had now stumbled right into Li Yundong’s trap. He was so tongue-tied he couldn't utter a word.

Li Yundong then shouted down to the students: "Do you object or not?"

The students roared back, laughing hysterically, "We wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!"

Who among them would dare object?

Li Yundong snorted, glanced at Yan Hua, and stated, "By that logic, I won. Are you convinced or not?"

No one in their right mind would be convinced, yet Yan Hua couldn't dare say he wasn't, because this was the very rule he had proposed. To backtrack now would mean immediate contempt, likely earning him the scorn of every student present. His face flushed deep red. With an angry snort, he offered no reply and bolted directly down from the rostrum, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Seeing him leave, Li Yundong shifted his gaze to Feng Na behind him, who was bent double with laughter, and shot her a sharp look: "Don't ever pull stunts like this again. Do you think I don't have enough on my plate?"

With that, he stepped off the stage himself, pointedly ignoring the Vice Principal and Vice Mayor, and strode directly toward Su Chan and the others.

He approached the group of little and big foxes, first glaring at Su Chan, then saying with a solemn face, "Follow me!"

Su Chan, not noticing the anger darkening Li Yundong’s eyes, wiped away tears of mirth and obediently trailed after him. Cao Yi and the others, however, did notice. Cao Yi murmured, "This is bad. The Sect Master is angry!"

Liu Yuehong and Zhuang Yating whispered low as well, "What should we do?"

The three senior foxes exchanged glances, each offering a wry smile. "We follow. It seems we achieved the goal but created a disaster."

Zhou Qin saw them all follow Li Yundong and sighed softly before joining the procession.

Li Yundong marched ahead, his face dark, speaking not a word. The atmosphere was heavy and suppressed. Trailing him was a sweeping throng of stunningly beautiful women—from Su Chan to Zhou Qin, from the senior foxes like Cao Yi down to the younger ones—each one an unparalleled beauty.

This entourage of lovely women followed Li Yundong in a grand procession, every head bowed low, resembling dutiful young wives who had misbehaved, an astonishing sight to behold.

Students who recognized Li Yundong gasped aloud, sighing over his incredible fortune with women.

But Li Yundong knew his own burden. He understood that if he didn't discipline this group immediately, he was destined for a life of endless darkness, constantly cleaning up their messes without a moment's peace.

Li Yundong finally stopped in the pavilion situated in the rear mountain garden, seating himself with a commanding posture. The carefree Su Chan started to move toward him, but Li Yundong sharply called out, "Who told you to sit? Stand!"

Su Chan jumped, her eyes wide, staring at Li Yundong as if she couldn't grasp what she had done wrong.

Li Yundong looked at the little girl’s expectant gaze; the sight was truly endearing. In any other circumstance, he would have instantly pulled her into his arms for affection, but not now.

He knew that as the Sect Master of the Fox Zen Sect, every word and action was being watched by a large group of people. If he failed to handle this situation correctly, he would never gain control over these fox spirits. Therefore, he decided to make an example of the person closest to him.

Li Yundong maintained his stern expression and demanded of Su Chan, "Do you know why you are standing?"

Su Chan had never seen Li Yundong’s face so set, nor heard him speak to her with such sharp severity. Her delicate face went instantly pale. She shook her head frantically but could not speak.

Li Yundong’s heart softened; he nearly let the matter drop. But then he glanced at the pavilion crowded with all the elder and younger fox spirits, and his resolve hardened again. He commanded, "You don't know? Then keep standing until you do, and then tell me!"

Su Chan gasped inwardly, and tears began to stream down her face, falling like drops of rain. Yet, she dared not cry out loud, fearing she would displease Li Yundong further, so she simply stood silently in the pavilion.

Zhou Qin, standing beside her, opened her mouth as if to defend Su Chan, but Li Yundong’s sharp glance shot toward her, a clear warning to keep silent. Zhou Qin immediately clamped her mouth shut, daring not to make a sound.

The other younger fox spirits in the pavilion, having witnessed the close relationship between Li Yundong and Su Chan, had harbored their own ambitions. Each believed her beauty and allure were no less than Su Chan's, and Li Yundong was not only young and handsome but also possessed formidable cultivation and was their savior. Many held the thought: "If Su Chan can be the Sect Master's companion, why can't I?"

With such thoughts active, their minds became restless, and their gazes betrayed a sense of eagerness. But seeing Li Yundong administer such a severe public reprimand to the person closest to him, without giving her any deference, instantly bleached their faces white, their hearts pounding erratically. If Su Chan could be scolded like this, what awaited them?

The restless hopes of the younger foxes immediately subsided, replaced by anxiety and unease.

Cao Yi and the others knew Li Yundong was killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, but they hadn't expected him to use Su Chan as the example. In that moment, they realized that though their new Sect Master was young and usually appeared mild and easygoing, he possessed profound strategic depth, decisive authority, and wielded both tender chivalry and an iron fist.

Li Yundong, his face ashen, turned back to Su Chan: "I can overlook your acting up around me, I can accept the trouble you cause when it’s just us. But now you’ve brought your martial aunts and senior sisters along to cause a scene. Do you know where we are? Do you know who those people on the platform are? They are government officials! Even minor officials have more authority than you or I! Do you think this is Tianlong Mountain? Do you think this is the Fox Zen Sect? Do you realize how disastrous it would be if this escalated? Do you think brute force solves everything? No matter how strong I am, can I raise my hand against ordinary mortals? Yan Hua, a simple student, managed to corner me into accepting a challenge in front of everyone. Do you truly believe I am the Jade Emperor, supreme above heaven and earth?"

Though these words were aimed at Su Chan, every sentence was clearly meant for Cao Yi and the others. Su Chan understood this perfectly, yet she couldn't bear being lectured so publicly, and tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken string.

Cao Yi, Liu Yuehong, and Zhuang Yating exchanged glances. Cao Yi stepped forward and said, "Sect Master, it was my reckless decision to bring them down here. This has nothing to do with Chan'er. If you wish to punish someone, punish me."

Saying this, she moved to kneel before everyone.

Li Yundong quickly rose to support her. "Martial Aunt Cao Yi, what are you doing?"

Cao Yi replied, "Sect Master, just as a nation has laws and a family has rules, our Fox Zen Sect has its precepts. You are correct; this was my rash action, failing to consider your circumstances. Please mete out your punishment."

She started to kneel again.

Li Yundong supported her, but Liu Yuehong spoke up, "Sect Master, we also have our difficulties. We were all afraid that after you took over the Fox Zen Sect, you would see us as a burden and abandon us, leaving us to wait for death. So, we came down the mountain hoping to secretly help you, but we ended up making things worse. I was the one who first approached the Sixth Junior Sister. If you must blame someone, blame me."

With that, she also began to kneel.

Li Yundong quickly extended his other hand to steady Liu Yuehong, but Zhuang Yating interjected, "Sect Master, you are kind-hearted and possess great chivalry; we deeply respect you and wish for you to lead this Sect for a long time. Chan'er is not at fault; the mistake is ours. Please punish us."

With a soft thud, Zhuang Yating knelt down.

Li Yundong could only steady Cao Yi and Liu Yuehong with his two hands, unable to restrain Zhuang Yating. He repeatedly urged, "What are you doing? All of you, stand up!"

Seeing the three senior martial aunts kneeling, the other younger fox spirits dared not remain standing. They dropped to their knees one after another. In an instant, the pavilion floor was covered with kneeling beauties.

Some onlookers who had come to watch the spectacle stared, their eyes glazed over, murmuring, "Good heavens, what kind of background does this young man have? Not only is he involved with so many beauties, but he's also orchestrating a master-servant dynamic? That’s unbelievable!"

Seeing Cao Yi and the two other longest-serving martial aunts kneel down despite their dignity, Li Yundong’s anger subsided considerably. He spoke with a deep voice, "Everyone, please rise. I understand your concerns. Though I accepted the role of Fox Zen Sect Master under duress and by necessity, my word is my bond. Since I agreed to be the Sect Master, I will not go back on my promise, nor will I abandon this duty halfway."

This statement brought immense joy to Cao Yi and the others. They looked up and proclaimed in unison, "Boundless fortune! This is truly the greatest blessing for our Fox Zen Sect!"

Li Yundong continued, "However, you must also agree to a few conditions, or even if you kneel until the stone slabs wear through, I will not remain Sect Master."

Cao Yi and the others quickly asked, "What are they?"

Li Yundong stated, "First, no unauthorized actions. You must consult me before taking any steps."

Cao Yi and the others quickly agreed, "Everything follows the Sect Master's lead; that is a given!"

Li Yundong added, "Second, no descending the mountain without permission, unless there is an external invasion that we cannot repel!"

They nodded again, "That is only reasonable."

Li Yundong concluded, "Third, stop kneeling at the slightest provocation in the future. The times have changed; that custom is outdated. That’s all—just these three rules."

Cao Yi and the others were surprised. "That's it?"

Li Yundong nodded. "Indeed. How long are you all planning to stay kneeling? Get up! If people see this, they’ll assume I’m somehow abusing you!"

Cao Yi and the others burst into laughter and stood up, praising him, "The Sect Master truly has a heart of compassion. We expected extremely strict rules, but these are far more lenient than under the previous Sect Master."

Seeing that Cao Yi and the others had agreed to his terms, Li Yundong smiled. "I am not a demon king returned to earth, why make such a fuss? If you have nothing else to do, you should return to the mountain now. Look at what you're wearing—aren't you afraid of attracting reporters? Tomorrow, many people will film you with their phones and post the videos online. Then, the Fox Zen Sect won't have the option of staying obscure!"

Cao Yi chuckled. "Yes, the Sect Master is right. We will leave now."

With that, she signaled, bid farewell to Li Yundong along with the assembled foxes, and the entire group bustled out of the pavilion.

Once they departed, the pavilion instantly felt empty. Zhou Qin, who had remained silent beside them, also spoke up, "Master, I need to attend to something; I will return to find you later."

Li Yundong knew Zhou Qin was giving him and Su Chan a chance to be alone. He gave Zhou Qin a grateful smile, and after watching her disappear from sight, he gently pulled Su Chan close and murmured, "What's wrong, feeling wronged?"

Su Chan’s eyes were misty, her lower lip pouting high. She gave Li Yundong a little shove: "You're mean! You scared me stiff just now! I thought you were going to expel me from the sect!"

Li Yundong said softly, "How could I? How could I bear to? But you saw the situation just now. If I didn't make an example, I fear my tenure as Sect Master would be endless trouble. Cao Yi and the others are your martial aunts, and you have so many senior sisters your age here. I had to save face for them; if I don't show respect to elders in front of juniors, those juniors won't respect me later. So, I had to vent on you. If you feel wronged now, hit me, scold me, take it out on me."

Su Chan forced a smile through her tears, bit her lip, and stared at Li Yundong with feigned anger, her mouth puffed out. "Then close your eyes, I need to teach you a lesson!"

Li Yundong smiled and closed his eyes. "Go easy on me, don't..." Before he finished speaking, he felt a soft, damp lip brush against his own.

Li Yundong jol