Chapter 642: Zhang Xuan's Grief and Anger

"I..."

Elder Hong's face turned ashen.

He hadn't expected the other party to be so ruthless. After giving their gifts, they immediately trapped him, leaving him speechless.

The other three had presented extremely valuable gifts, but he hadn't prepared anything in advance and had nothing to offer! Although not presenting a gift wouldn't be decisive for the later allocation of spots, everyone else had given one. If he alone hadn't prepared anything, not only would Wu Zhen be displeased, but the Crown Prince would also feel embarrassed! Furthermore, the opponent's verbal provocation had cornered him. He couldn't just shrink back and let himself be ridiculed, could he?

"What? You haven't prepared anything, have you?"

"Seriously? I told you this afternoon that Master Wu and the others would also be attending the banquet. I thought you were late today because you were preparing. Was that not the case?"

"This is your first meeting as the host, and you haven't brought anything at all. Are you doing this on purpose?"

Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, Feng Yu, and the others, seeing his troubled expression, gloated. They had indeed told Elder Hong earlier that day about the four Masters attending, but they hadn't mentioned it was a welcoming banquet. Thus, Elder Hong naturally hadn't known to prepare gifts.

"Hmm?"

As expected, with the three's instigation, Crown Prince Ye Qian also frowned. While he didn't particularly care about gifts, if everyone else presented one and only the Hongfeng Empire didn't, it would inevitably cause him to lose face.

"I just arrived today, and my things haven't..."

Elder Hong's face flushed as he saw everyone's gaze growing more intense and the questions becoming sharper. He was about to say that his gift wasn't ready when a faint voice beside him spoke up.

"Elder Hong's gift has naturally already been prepared..."

Elder Hong quickly looked. It was Zhang Xuan, who was sitting next to him, speaking.

"Master Zhang, I haven't prepared anything..." Elder Hong's face twitched as he saw Zhang Xuan speak and claim he had prepared a gift. He quickly sent a telepathic message. If he hadn't prepared one, then he hadn't. At worst, he would be ridiculed. But admitting he had one and then being unable to produce it would be even more humiliating! Besides, he had plenty of ordinary treasures, but if their value was inferior to what the others had presented, wouldn't bringing them out be even more embarrassing?

"Oh? If it's prepared, then bring it out!"

Luo Zhao scoffed and waved his hand, seeing that this fellow, the one with the lowest cultivation, dared to speak up.

"Bring it out?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I'm afraid it can't be brought out right now."

"Can't be brought out? What do you mean? Do you have nothing and are deliberately playing a trick on the Crown Prince and Master Wu?" Hearing him say it couldn't be brought out, Luo Zhao coldly smirked.

Elder Hong on the side swayed, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted. First saying there was a gift, then saying it couldn't be brought out. "Big brother, how are we going to end this?" If he truly couldn't produce anything, not only would Master Wu be displeased, but the Crown Prince would definitely be offended. As for the later allocation of spots, even an idiot would know the outcome.

The Crown Prince and Master Wu exchanged glances, their brows furrowing. A guy around twenty years old becoming one of the top three had already puzzled them. Now, he was claiming to have something that couldn't be brought out, which instantly filled them with curiosity, wondering what scheme he was concocting. Even Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan were completely bewildered. They had been with Elder Hong all afternoon and knew perfectly well whether he had looked for treasures or not. If he said he had one but truly couldn't produce it, wouldn't that be terrible?

"I am just a four-star master teacher, and I come from a small place like the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance. Even if I had ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare to play tricks on the Crown Prince and Master Wu!"

Ignoring the strange looks from everyone, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, lifting his eyelids to look at Luo Zhao. "On the contrary, Master Luo, the treasure Elder Hong painstakingly prepared—you've seen it, and you've taken it. Isn't it time to return it?"

"Ah?"

Luo Zhao was stunned, his face sinking. "What are you talking about? What seeing and taking? When did I ever take anything from Elder Hong?"

"Sigh, I knew you wouldn't admit it..."

Sighing, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He clasped his hands together in a salute to the Crown Prince and Master Wu, who were seated in the middle, and stood up. "Since the Crown Prince and Master Wu are here, you are naturally to be respected. I wish to ask the two of you to uphold justice for Elder Hong. Would you be willing?"

"Uphold justice? Alright, as long as it's justice, we are certainly willing!" Master Wu said with a smile, while the Crown Prince remained silent.

"Thank you..."

Zhang Xuan nodded, then looked at Luo Zhao, who was not far away. "Master Wu has agreed to uphold justice. So... Master Luo, do you dare to confront me?"

"Confront you? Why wouldn't I dare?"

Seeing this fellow's confident assertion, Luo Zhao was utterly bewildered and confused. Although he and Elder Hong knew each other, they each guarded their own regions and had barely interacted, let alone taken anything from each other. What was this guy trying to do, being so confident and even having the Crown Prince and Master Wu as witnesses? To be honest, not just Luo Zhao, but Elder Hong on the side also felt a little frantic. *When did Luo Zhao take something from me? I don't even know, so how do you know?*

"Good that you dare?"

Zhang Xuan smiled and looked up. "Today, Elder Hong went to your residence to find you. Is that true?"

"Indeed!"

Luo Zhao nodded. Elder Hong had gone to find them openly. This matter could be easily ascertained by anyone who inquired, so there was no point in trying to hide it. Besides, it was just a visit; it didn't involve any treasures, did it?

"Between you, there was a plan to conduct a Master Teacher Challenge... Is that true?"

As Luo Zhao was still puzzled, he heard the other party's questioning continue.

"This... yes!"

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Zhao nodded. He had seen Elder Hong mercilessly beat Master Feng and, feeling indignant, had proposed a Master Teacher Challenge. Master Teacher Challenges, activated by blood on a badge, would send information to the headquarters, which was easy to verify. There was no need to conceal it.

"Good that you've admitted it; it saves me from having to explain further!"

Zhang Xuan nodded, turned to the Crown Prince and Wu Zhen, and clasped his hands in salute again. "Both of you have seen it. He has already admitted it, so I don't need to continue, do I?"

"Don't need to say what? Explain yourself clearly..." Luo Zhao scratched his head, looking frantic. What was this guy playing at? He asked half a question, spoke half a sentence, deliberately being mysterious... *What did he admit? What didn't need to be said? What was going on? What did I admit...*

Elder Hong was even more bewildered. *Master Zhang's line of thought is too complex, isn't it? Even I can't understand him!*

"You'd better explain it clearly!" Ye Qian and Wu Zhen exchanged glances and couldn't help but cough.

"Alright, since both of you want me to explain clearly, then I will risk offending a five-star master teacher as a four-star one!"

As Zhang Xuan spoke, his eyes filled with indignation and anger, and his face showed indescribable grievance and sorrow. "Actually, Elder Hong didn't want me to say this, but I'm truly indignant, so I must speak out..."

"Ah... hmm?" Elder Hong's eyes widened. *I didn't want you to say it? What didn't I want you to say?*

"Elder Hong is kind-hearted and not good with words. For the sake of the Illusionary Feather Empire's reputation, he didn't want to mention it, but as a junior, I simply cannot stand by and watch..."

Zhang Xuan's voice continued. Hearing this, Ye Qian and Wu Zhen's faces twitched. Whether Elder Hong was kind-hearted or not, they didn't know, but... "not good with words"? That was clearly an outright lie! They had just witnessed him speak, almost making Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and the others choke. They hadn't missed that scene.

"Stop beating around the bush! What is it? Speak quickly!" Seeing him rambling on, Luo Zhao couldn't hold back anymore.

"Alright then, I'll say it..."

As if making a difficult decision, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth, full of indignation. "This afternoon, Elder Hong went to find the three of them to discuss something. As a result, the three master teachers not only ganged up and beat Elder Hong, but also... snatched the treasure he had already prepared!"

"I... What the hell! What did you say? Beat Elder Hong?"

Luo Zhao staggered, almost spitting blood. "Beat your sister! Elder Hong was the one who *didn't* fight me, alright? Besides, when did we gang up on him? And steal treasure? Steal what?! Even if you're going to lie through your teeth, at least make it sound plausible! This is utterly preposterous! Three master teachers beating another master teacher in the courtyard... How does that sound? Like thugs?"

"Of course you won't admit it now. Then let me ask you: This afternoon, not only did you and Elder Hong undergo a Master Teacher Challenge, but did Master Feng also undergo one?"

Without waiting for an explanation, Zhang Xuan continued to ask.

"This..." Luo Zhao was stunned. "Yes, he did, but..." Master Feng had indeed undergone a Master Teacher Challenge with Elder Hong, but... he was the one who got beaten, wasn't he?

"But what? As long as a challenge took place, that's good!"

Zhang Xuan was full of righteous indignation, unable to express his anger. "Elder Hong and Master Feng are both five-star master teachers in the early stage and experts at the early stage of Mortal Enlightenment 6-dan. Their strengths are similar... I believe everyone agrees on this, right?"

Everyone nodded. They were all master teachers of the same rank, so their combat strength naturally wouldn't differ much.

"If their strengths are similar, and Master Feng was beaten to such a state during the Master Teacher Challenge, how much better do you think Elder Hong could have fared?"

Master Zhang continued. The Crown Prince and Wu Zhen were both taken aback.

"Master Luo, let me ask you again: After the challenge between Elder Hong and Master Feng ended, did you immediately apply for a Master Teacher Challenge? And did Elder Hong say something about being severely injured and unable to fight for ten years?"

Zhang Xuan asked again.

"He did say that..."

Luo Zhao froze again. Just as he was about to explain, he was interrupted again. "As a five-star master teacher, an expert at Mortal Enlightenment 6-dan, to what extent must one be injured to be unable to fight for ten years?"

Zhang Xuan became more and more agitated as he spoke. "Even so, this Master Luo was relentless, insisting on challenging him, insisting on fighting him... Just imagine, how could Elder Hong possibly be his opponent? The treasure he had already prepared was naturally snatched by him..."

By this point, Zhang Xuan's indignation was uncontrollable. It seemed if he continued, tears would start to flow.

"What the hell... When did I ever hit him? When did I ever snatch anything? Explain yourself clearly..."

Luo Zhao swayed, almost crying on the spot. "It was clearly Elder Hong who went there and beat Master Feng up! How, in the blink of an eye, did it turn into both of them suffering mutual injuries, and me taking advantage to ambush him? And not just ambushing, but also stealing things... Can you please speak properly? To lie so brazenly... Are you really a master teacher? Where is your dignity?"