Though there was genuine confusion in Fatty Zain's tone, it sounded like pure mockery in Javier's ears.
"You damn pig! You dare make fun of me!"
Seeing that his shoulder squeeze wasn't having the desired effect, Javier punched at Fatty Zain, but Fatty merely sidestepped his attack and gently pushed Serina away. His resolve was unsteady, but there was now some fighting spirit in his eyes.
Despite being from a side branch of the Stucho clan, Javier was still an inner sect disciple, so he knew how to fight. He pounced at Fatty Zain with a straight right punch to the chest, but even though his fist made contact, it immediately bounced off Fatty's body.
"What?!"
"Hahaha! So, that's it. That's how it is!"
While Javier stared at Fatty Zain with shock and apprehension, Fatty Zain laughed boisterously as he came to a realisation. The one he had feared for so long was now much weaker than the image he had of him. He didn't like those who could only bully the weak, but he had no reservations about taking that role in this case.
"What's so funny, Riot Clan's pig?!"
"Too bland! Is that the only insult you know? Don't they have books to read in the Stucho Clan? Or are you too stupid to read them?"
"You—, fatty!"
"Tsk tsk, I guess that's the best you can do. On account of your slow mind, this young master will overlook your transgressions if you kneel and slap yourself ten times."
Though he didn't have the same charm, Serina could tell that Fatty Zain was trying to mimic Shui's style and tone, so she could barely hold back her laughter. Other spectators also found his acting humorous, but Javier thought they were laughing at him. Though Fatty Zain's strength had him concerned, he refused to be embarrassed in public like this.
"Die!"
Without holding back, Javier fired a fire spell at Fatty Zain with the full might of his fourth level of the Soul Realm cultivation. Unarmed combat was one thing, but even if he won, he would face serious consequences for using spells in an unsanctioned fight on sect grounds. Even so, Javier didn't care about what would happen after this; all that mattered was reminding this pig of his place.
"Hmph! Audacious!"
Against the burning fist heading towards him, Fatty Zain unleashed his fifth level of the Soul Realm aura and cast a wind spell by blowing at the flame. The gust from his mouth extinguished the flame and blew Javier off his feet. After getting back up, Javier hesitated as he recognised that Fatty Zain surpassed him in cultivation and tried to turn back, but the decision to leave was not in his hand.
"Wait right there!"
Fatty Zain blocked his path with an earth spell and then squeezed his shoulder after catching up with him. Javier gritted his teeth to hold back the scream of pain, but his knees still buckled under the power of Fatty Zain's grip.
"Kneel!"
Once Fatty applied more weight on Javier's shoulder, his knees were forced to touch the ground.
"No! This can't be!"
In Pemacreba, being forced to submit was considered worse than death. Even while he was being bullied, Fatty Zain might have been flung to the ground, but his bullies had never been able to get him to kneel. Now, however, the tables had turned, and Javier was the one being humiliated before his fellow disciples.
"Hahaha! Bear this day in mind, young Javier. It doesn't matter how many wins you have in the beginning if you can't win in the end."
Seeing the pale, despairing expression on Javier's face, Fatty Zain felt the worries lift from his shoulders and fly off. It was difficult to perceive him as the initial victim given how much he gloated, but Serina was glad to see him back to his normal self.
"Zain, can we go now?"
Although it was good that Fatty Zain got his revenge, Serina wanted to leave the area before any more trouble came their way.
"Yes. I'm in a good mood, so let's head to the Treasure Palace. Perhaps they have an artifact that can match my status."
If Shui was here, he would probably tell Fatty Zain to get his head out of the sky, but Serina tolerated his boasts with a smile.
Word of Fatty Zains's return and victory against Javier of the Stucho clan quickly spread throughout the sect. Although not as intense in recent years, the Stucho and Riot clans were always antagonistic, so while spats between them were common, they were still a source of entertainment for most disciples.
As Fatty Zain continued guiding Serina around the sect, the eyes that looked at him changed from before. Instead of disdain and ridicule, he received admiration and respect.
'I could certainly get used to this.'
Feeling a bit hungry, Fatty Zain suggested that they visit the Delicacy Dome, which served many dishes made using special ingredients that could benefit one's cultivation. The contribution points required for a single meal were heart-wrenching for disciples from poor backgrounds, but as a member of the Riot clan, Fatty Zain could eat there for free once a month. It was initially four times a month, but whenever he hid from his bullies in the Delicacy Dome, he got into the habit of eating as much as he could each time, so his father restricted his access.
"You're that fatty from the Riot Clan, right?"
On the way there, Fatty Zain suddenly found his path blocked by three core disciples. He didn't recognise the two on the sides, but he immediately identified the one directly in front of him as Marco of the Stucho clan's main branch. Although the four cities were generally weaker than Silver City, Marco had entered the Earth Realm while being under the age of 30, so he would stand out even among the top disciples from Silver City. Although Fatty Zain knew that defeating Javier would make the Stucho clan come after him, he hadn't expected that the one to confront him would be one of the top three of their younger generation.
"What do you want?"
Fatty Zain shielded Serina from the three of them, but he didn't think he could do much to protect her. He was confident they wouldn't kill him, so he could only hope that they would be satisfied with just him.
"I heard you did a number on my little cousin. So I just thought I'd pay you back for that."
Marco could see that Fatty Zain's strength had improved greatly compared to when he last saw him, but that only made him more intent on crushing him before he got too confident. He couldn't kill him, but breaking a couple bones was well within his range.
Fatty Zain tried to land a surprise attack, but he couldn't move his body under Marco's mental control.
"Serina, run."
Fatty Zain wished that Serina would be spared from this incident, but he could sense that she was in the same position as him, so she couldn't run even if she wanted to. Fatty Zain gritted his teeth while lamenting his powerlessness as Marco's two hangers-on approached, but suddenly those two were knocked back.
"As expected of the Stucho Clan, there's nothing you do better than going after the weak. Why don't you pick on someone your own size, Marco?"
"Kane!" Serina exclaimed.
When his older brother, Kane, appeared, Fatty Zain felt relief, but he didn't forget the shame of needing to be rescued.
"Sorry, big brother."
"You did what you could. Leave the rest to me."
Kane had the handsome face and well-groomed moustache, along with a tall, muscular physique that Fatty Zain admired, while also being a talented core disciple in the Earth Realm.
"Kane."
Marco furrowed his brows when he saw Kane appear. The two had fought many times before, but Marco wasn't sure of winning against him, so he clicked his tongue and walked away. As the three departed, Fatty Zain released the tension in his body.
"Thank you, Kane. But how did you know that we were in trouble?" Serina asked.
"After hearing that Zain beat up that kid from the Stucho clan, I figured they would retaliate, so I had some friends keep an eye on them. They probably won't confront you again, but you shouldn't linger around the sect for too long."
Fatty Zain didn't like the idea of running away, but he trusted his big brother's advice.
"Okay. We'll stop at the Delicacy Dome and then head home."
"Good. And well done, Zain."
Fatty Zain felt proud as Kane patted him on the shoulder, but he swore to get stronger so that he could rely on himself in the future.