Chapter 13

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Su Ye lifted the hem of his long robe and wiped the blood off his right hand as he stared into Lawrence’s eyes. Then he gave the man a radiant smile and said, “Loan receipt.”

“You don’t understand what you are doing.” The flames of the torches seemed to burn deep within Lawrence’s eyes.

Su Ye released the section of his robe he had used to clean off his fist, then lifted his right hand in front of him to have a look. He clenched his fist tight, then opened it again, repeating the action twice. He then raised his head again and walked toward Lawrence, one step at a time.

Su Ye looked up at Lawrence, who was a full head taller than himself. He took out a spellbook from his belt and opened it slowly.

The moving spellbook from the Plato Academy became the brightest thing in the bar.

Many people stretched their necks to get a better view. Their eyes widened at the sight, filling with envy.

They looked at the book with even more lust than they had directed at the golden coins.

“After you left, the assistant of the dean of Plato Academy, the respectable Fairy Mage, arrived at my house on Rainbow Horses. He personally handed me the notice for the new semester.” The notice floated into the air after Su Ye spoke.

Exclamations rang out around him, voices filled with envy they couldn’t hide.

Lawrence’s silent expression didn’t change, but the eyes of the crowd behind him began to look fearful when they saw the spellbook.

The people who had been to Su Ye’s house had seen this spellbook, but no one had dared to touch it. Similarly, no one had dared to touch the three divine statues.

They didn’t know what a Rainbow Horse was, nor did they know about a Fairy Mage. However, the assistant of the dean of Plato Academy would definitely be a far more powerful being than the average noble.

Su Ye closed the spellbook and placed it back in his belt. He raised his head to look at Lawrence and said with a gentle tone, “What you thought previously wasn’t wrong. I’m just a poor student, and the teachers of Plato Academy wouldn’t even care if I died without a trace. However, now, the assistant of the dean would definitely remember me. I have sent a magic message detailing what had happened over the past few days to each and every one of my classmates. I certainly don’t think that all of them would help me, but all I would need is one, just one! If I die, and even one of my fellow students talks about this, it would be enough to incite the fury of all the mages in the city of Athens.”

“The noble mages wouldn’t care about the death of a poor student. In fact, they might not even concern themselves with a band of thieves. However, do you know what it means for a student to die on the eve of a new school term, within the city of Athens, so close to the Plato Academy?”

Su Ye paused for a few seconds, then said with sudden ferocity, “You would be challenging the authority of every mage in the city of Athens! I’m not the one who doesn’t understand what I am doing. You don’t understand what you are doing!”

Su Ye pointed toward the Plato Academy after he spoke.

“The eyes of the dean of Plato Academy are turning toward you.”

Su Ye’s voice spread throughout the bar.

Lawrence’s face trembled fiercely. His centipede seemed to writhe and thrash against his skin.

The men behind Lawrence were terrified. This was the thing that haunted their worst nightmares. They hadn’t expected Su Ye to expose them in front of the crowd.

“Even if they weren’t paying attention before, their gazes will definitely reach this place now.” Su Ye’s tone once again regained its calm.

However, because of his level tone, his words became even more jarring.

Everyone felt their bodies turn rigid. It was as if they were truly sensing the gaze of Master Plato.

Master Plato had once killed three Legendary Oceanic Magical Beasts outside of Piraeus Harbor with his strength alone. His feats had been witnessed by tens of thousands of people.

The atmosphere in the bar suddenly became tense.

Su Ye pointed his right index finger toward his heart, then stared into Lawrence’s eyes and said slowly, “I have lost my family, my parents, and my wealth. Not too far in the future, I might even lose my right to be a student from Plato Academy. All I have left is my life.”

Su Ye turned his right hand around and pressed his index finger forcefully against Lawrence’s chest.

“You wish to obtain fortunes, power, and authority. You want a life where you won’t be humiliated by anyone. You wish to surpass your identity as a commoner. So you trained hard to become a Bronze Warrior and a leader that your underlings could trust and fear, and you achieved enough power to do anything you want in the slums. After coming all that way, do you want to sacrifice everything you’ve achieved just to kill a sixteen-year-old child like me? You’re a thug; you don’t fear death. But if we both die together, I would have the better end of the deal. Now, ask yourself, is it worth it?”

Su Ye had unmasked derision in his eyes. He tapped heavily on Lawrence’s chest twice with his index finger.

Lawrence was extremely familiar with the gaze being directed toward him. It was the same expression that Lawrence himself had when he was looking at someone dumb.

Lawrence balled his fists and gritted his teeth. His heart felt as though it had turned into a volcano that was about to erupt at any moment.

When he had been threatening Su Ye with his strength that afternoon, he never would have guessed that the young man would return the humiliation to him that night, tenfold.

No, a hundredfold!

If he lowered his head now, then the feared Centipede Lawrence would become the laughingstock of everyone in the slums!

His underlings might spit on the dirt at his feet and turn to work for someone else.

Lawrence’s gaze turned trance-like. He had once licked the shoes of nobles, men who had stepped on his back to mount their horses. He had once knelt and begged for mercy against a more powerful warrior. He had been humiliated countless times.

However, he had never been humiliated by someone who was weaker than him.

Furthermore, Su Ye was a youth he could kill with one hand.

Lawrence could feel the scorching gazes of every onlooker landing on his face. These people were the commoners of the lowest rung of society. On an average day, they wouldn’t dare to look straight at him. In his eyes, they were less than wild dogs.

He clenched his fists tightly. His Divine Power pulsed around his body like a raging river.

But if he didn’t lower his head…

Ultimately, Lawrence didn’t move.

Hark’s right hand was on his sword.

Both of the guards were gripping their swords as well.

Su Ye took two steps back and extended his hand.

“Loan receipt.” Su Ye’s voice once again regained its calm.

“You don’t know who your enemy is.” Lawrence seemed to have collected himself again, but the centipede on his face twitched continuously.

“Loan receipt.” Su Ye looked peacefully at Lawrence.

Lawrence took a deep breath and brought out the loan receipt. He threw it toward Su Ye.

Everyone stared in disbelief.

A ruthless lord of the slums had submitted to a teenager.

The paper danced for a moment on a gust of wind, then eventually landed on the ground.

Su Ye bent over to pick it up, then rolled it and stuffed it into his belt.

Su Ye grabbed the front of his robe and loosened it with a shake, as if he were brushing away the entire experience of this bar.

The crowd stared at Su Ye. They noticed that this action was both impressive and dignified.

“I hope that we do not meet again in the future.” Su Ye smiled and nodded, then turned to walk outside.

The crowd naturally parted for him, like hair being brushed aside by one’s fingertips.

They paid close attention to Su Ye, the teenager who had managed to bend Lawrence to his will.

“He is either a noble or a powerful mage…” The same thought rose in everyone’s hearts.

Hark followed behind him.

Behind Hark, one of the two soldiers gripped Koror’s feet and walked forward as if he was lugging along a dead pig.

The man’s body left behind a long streak of blood.

After Su Ye left the slums and said goodbye to the two soldiers, he and Hark returned to Su Ye’s house under the darkness of the night.

Hark handed over the last bag of coins.

“Thank you, Mr. Hark,” Su Ye said.

Hark nodded. Su Ye hesitated for a moment, and Hark was about to leave when the young man said, “You had to believe in Lawrence’s foresight and my brains.”

Hark’s expression suddenly twitched. Su Ye wasn’t sure if he was smiling or if it was just a trick of the torchlight.

“Think carefully about how you are going to spend the night.” Hark left quickly after he finished his sentence.