"Come on!"
Li Fengyuan said lightly, his tone as casual as if nothing had happened. His words were meant for both Zhao Dazhu and Jia Hao.
But Jia Hao straightened, brushing off his sleeves with a sharp, dismissive motion.
"I didn't need your help," he muttered, his voice cold.
Zhao Dazhu frowned.
"Jia Hao, don't be like that. We're classmates. There's no need for hard feelings."
Jia Hao's head snapped toward them, his eyes blazing—not with gratitude, but with pent-up anger.
"Hard feelings? You don't understand."
His fists trembled at his sides as his voice rose, raw and bitter.
"This is how it always is! Nobles trampling over commoners, using their status to decide who deserves respect and who doesn't. To you all, we're nothing!"
His glare flickered to Li Fengyuan, burning with unspoken resentment.
"And you—don't act like you're any different. You're the same as them. You nobles walk around flaunting your lineage, looking down on everyone else as if we're insects. Tell me, Young Master Li, when have you ever truly cared about someone beneath your station?"
The air grew tense.
Zhao Dazhu opened his mouth to defend his friend but hesitated, caught off guard by the truth in Jia Hao's words.
But it was not like it was his fault, just the way things were.
Li Fengyuan, however, didn't bristle or retort.
"Well, true! But you forgot to add that I also don't care about those above my station as well."
Li Fengyuan said with a smirk.
Jia Hao was stunned by Li Fengyuan, who instead of getting angry, replied in such a humorous way.
And indeed, it was true that Li Fengyuan dismissed not only commoners but also nobles—including those from the great clans.
He only cared about Shen Yuyan.
(Arguing with a lovestruck fool was my fault anyway!)
He thought after recognizing who he was arguing with.
If it was for Shen Yuyan, Li Fengyuan wouldn't hesitate to wield his status, power, or anything else to drive away rivals.
Even someone like Xiao Mei—despite her superior background—would earn his annoyance and a sharp warning not to interfere.
But outside of matters concerning Shen Yuyan, he rarely cared about anything. Most of the time, he simply lazed around, too indifferent to stir trouble.
In that sense, he did use his status far too much, yet he never went out of his way to bully those who had nothing to do with Shen Yuyan.
So, was he better—or worse? Well, that was a question only the so-called "victims" could answer.
Inside, Jia Hao was grateful that they helped him, but seeing that they were nobles, his pent-up frustration just refused to let him show any gratitude.
He wanted to say those words to others but couldn't—yet he ended up blurting them to the ones who had actually helped him.
However, instead of getting angry or ignoring him, the two of them still treated him well.
Jia Hao stood there for a long moment, his chest still heaving from the rush of emotions.
His clenched fists slowly loosened, and his expression softened just a little.
Finally, he lowered his head.
"Sorry, I was rude."
His voice was quieter now, rough with guilt.
"I… shouldn't have said that. The truth is… thank you. Both of you. If not for you, I'd have been beaten into the dirt just now."
Zhao Dazhu waved his hand dismissively, grinning wide.
"Don't sweat it! Anyone would be frustrated in your shoes. Besides, we're classmates, aren't we? What kind of classmates would we be if we didn't look out for each other?"
Jia Hao blinked at him, startled by the sincerity in his tone.
Then, to his surprise, Li Fengyuan gave a faint nod.
His usual smirk remained, but there was no mockery behind it—only a calm, almost knowing acceptance.
It seems like the two of them hadn't taken those words at heart.
"Come, you two. Today I am going to teach you something good."
Li Fengyuan said.
Zhao Dazhu followed without question while Jia Hao was left confused, but he ended up following too.
They came back to the Heavenly Path Academy and went to the cultivation ground.
"Oh ho, Young Master Li, you want to cultivate?"
Zhao Dazhu asked.
Li Fengyuan just nodded and told them,
"But before that, I want to give you two cultivation techniques suitable for you."
Li Fengyuan announced.
???
Zhao Dazhu didn't know what came over Li Fengyuan today, suddenly now wanting to teach them cultivation techniques.
Cultivation techniques—each noble clan had their own, while other powerful clans might possess several—but they were never to be taught to outsiders.
"Li Fengyuan, while I like your intentions, you know that you can't teach your clan's cultivation technique to others, right?"
Zhao Dazhu said, while Jia Hao nodded.
While Jia Hao was tempted by the cultivation techniques of noble clans, he also knew that the consequences Li Fengyuan would face were close to death.
As a commoner, the cultivation techniques he could access were the lowest of the low—barely enough to become powerful.
Either you had to buy a good one at a ridiculous price or pray to find one in some ancient ruin, because the powerful clans weren't going to share theirs.
And those who did leak their cultivation techniques were either killed, crippled, or expelled.
"I'm not going to start teaching those pieces of garbage. What I have is a thousand times better than those!"
Li Fengyuan said.
Compared to all the cultivation techniques he had studied after the destruction of Liangzhuo, those in Liangzhuo City weren't worth mentioning.
Those words once again stunned Zhao Dazhu and Jia Hao, as both knew about the Li Clan's superior cultivation technique, which was even said to rival the great clans'.
But Li Fengyuan dared dismiss it as garbage?
They thought he was just putting on airs and would end up teaching them another mediocre technique.
Well, they didn't voice their thoughts and just waited for Li Fengyuan to show them.
"Firstly, it will be you, Jia Hao."
Li Fengyuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he gestured.
"Extend your hand."
Jia Hao hesitated, his pride urging him to refuse. But after a moment, curiosity won over his stubbornness. He stretched out his hand.
Li Fengyuan placed two fingers against Jia Hao's wrist, his expression calm. But within moments, his brows lifted ever so slightly.
A faint ripple of Qi stirred beneath Jia Hao's skin, faint but… different.
(Hoh? This is…)