How Dare You Bully My Brother!
"Wulin, I'm back!"
Yao Xuan's voice rang out, bright and casual, as he pushed open the dormitory door. He stopped short, his eyes scanning the scene of disarray—clothes strewn across the floor, a furious Tang Wulin, and a smug-looking Zhou Changxi. He feigned wide-eyed surprise. "What's going on here?"
"Brother Xuan!" Tang Wulin's voice was thick with indignation and a touch of hurt. "That Zhou Changxi bullied me! He dumped all my things on the floor and called me a country bumpkin!"
Yao Xuan's previously relaxed expression instantly frosted over. His gaze, calm and sharp, settled on Zhou Changxi. "Oh? Is that so? Zhou Changxi, you have some nerve, bullying my little brother."
"Bully your little brother? So what if I did?" Zhou Changxi retorted, his face twisting into a mocking sneer. He looked Yao Xuan up and down with contempt. "If this kid's a little country bumpkin, then you, as his big brother, must be a big country bumpkin, right?"
"Fine. Very well, then." Yao Xuan's voice was dangerously soft, his demeanor unchanging. "I'll give you one last chance. Pick up Wulin's things, put them away neatly for him, and then bow to both of us and apologize."
"Give me a last chance? Hahahaha! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Zhou Changxi jabbed a thumb at his own chest, puffing it out. "Kid, you'd better remember this: in this dormitory, I'm the one who makes the rules!"
"Very well. Then don't blame me for being ruthless."
With those words, Yao Xuan's right hand snapped into a fist. He took a single, fluid step forward, the movement deceptively simple, and drove his fist straight toward Zhou Changxi's chest.
"Hmph, a cheap trick!"
Zhou Changxi wasn't completely unprepared. Anticipating a fight, he brought his own arm up in a block, attempting to deflect the incoming blow.
BAM!
A sound like a heavy sack of grain hitting a wall echoed through the small room. To the astonishment of onlookers, Zhou Changxi's body was lifted off its feet and thrown backward, crashing heavily against the dormitory wall with a sickening thud. The impact shook the entire room, sending a fine dust of plaster drifting down from the ceiling.
"You... you little punk, you've got some strength!" Zhou Changxi gasped, scrambling to his feet, his chest heaving. A flicker of rage and humiliation crossed his face. "But now I'm getting serious! Hercules Ape, possess me!"
With a roar, white soul power erupted from his body, materializing into the form of a massive, brown-furred ape with bulging, rock-like muscles. The Hercules Ape martial soul shimmered and then merged directly into Zhou Changxi's body.
The transformation was immediate. Zhou Changxi's skeleton seemed to expand, his height and bulk increasing by nearly twenty percent. The muscles on his arms and legs swelled, rippling under his skin, turning him into a compact, powerfully built figure.
"Take this!"
He roared again, kicked off from the ground with newfound power, and launched himself forward, his fist, now larger and denser, aiming a vicious blow at Yao Xuan's head.
'It seems I didn't use enough force with that last punch,' Yao Xuan thought, a trace of regret in his internal monologue. His expression, however, remained impassive. 'Well then, let's get a little more serious.'
With a base strength of 2,300 kilograms, if Yao Xuan had truly unleashed his full power, even the skull of a Great Soul Master would have likely been pulverized. Zhou Changxi wouldn't have stood a chance. But that wasn't his goal. Killing or maiming a fellow student would mean immediate expulsion and likely a life sentence. His aim was calculated: to teach a lesson, assert dominance, and create a pretext for being reassigned to Class 5. His first punch had utilized a mere five percent of his strength. Even that had been enough to send Zhou Changxi flying.
An ordinary child would have been writhing in pain, unable to continue. But Zhou Changxi's Hercules Ape martial soul granted him physical attributes and resilience far beyond his years, allowing him to stay in the fight.
But what did it matter? He had only used ten percent of his power this time.
Seeing the enraged charge, Yao Xuan met it with another cold, precise punch.
WHOOSH!
The air whistled around his fist. Their knuckles collided in mid-air with another loud BAM!, followed immediately by a faint but distinct crack from Zhou Changxi's hand. His body was thrown backward once more, crashing heavily onto the hard floor.
"Are you convinced now?" Yao Xuan asked, his tone flat and devoid of emotion as he looked down at the groaning figure on the ground. "Apologize."
"I... I still refuse to accept this! I haven't even used my soul skill! Come on, Hercules Fist!"
Shaking, Zhou Changxi pushed himself up from the floor. His right hand was already swelling, and pain was etched on his face, but his eyes still burned with stubborn defiance. He channeled his soul power again, and the first white soul ring behind him flared to life.
A pale white glow enveloped his uninjured left fist, augmenting its speed and power. He lunged forward once more, aiming a furious, soul-empowered strike at Yao Xuan's face.
"Commendable courage," Yao Xuan remarked, his voice still chillingly calm. "But unfortunately, you're just too weak."
His response was the same—a simple, direct punch that met Zhou Changxi's glowing fist head-on.
BAM!
For the third time, Zhou Changxi was thrown back. But this time, Yao Xuan didn't let him hit the ground and recover. In a blur of motion, he stepped forward, his right foot coming down to press firmly on Zhou Changxi's back, pinning him to the floor.
"Zhou Changxi, this is your absolute last chance," Yao Xuan said, his voice low and firm. He applied just enough pressure to be felt. "Do you submit? If you do, then you will obediently pick up Wulin's things and apologize to both of us."
"I submit! I submit! Big brother, I was wrong! Please, get your foot off me, I can't breathe! I was wrong! I apologize to you and Wulin right now!"
The pressure on his back and the struggle for air finally shattered Zhou Changxi's bravado. Panic set in, and he began begging for mercy, his words tumbling out in a desperate stream.
"A wise man knows when to yield. Since you've admitted your mistake, you may get up." Yao Xuan lifted his foot, his demeanor unchanging. "If you knew it would come to this, you should have apologized sooner. It would have saved you this trouble."
"You're right, big brother! You're absolutely right!" Zhou Changxi scrambled to his feet, bowing deeply again and again. The fear in his eyes was now unmistakable. "Big brother, I was wrong to offend you and Wulin. Please, forgive me!"
"Very well. I forgive you." Yao Xuan gave a slight, regal nod. "Now, apologize to Wulin properly."