The male student from the Red River Tribe rapidly shook his head, his face now displaying a blend of fear and anxiety.
He was just an ordinary student hailing from the Red River Tribe, not affiliated with any of the three major divisions.
The Red River Tribe was relatively powerless, and no one dared to provoke individuals a.s.sociated with the three supermonasteries.
Moreover, he was a first-year student who had only recently entered the academy. He had no desire to stir up trouble within the inst.i.tution.
The individual who had knocked over someone else's soup bowl wore an unyielding expression, pus.h.i.+ng the Red River Tribe's student roughly. "Do you believe that a mere apology suffices?"
"Ba Shu," Xu Youniang admonished with a furrowed brow, calling out to the burly man, "Quit fooling around and return here."
The man known as Ba Shu glanced back at his superior and, seeing that his Lord hadn't uttered a word, begrudgingly made his way back.
Xu Youniang understood her Lord's sentiments all too well.
At a time like this, their Lord had no interest in engaging in needless banter with anyone.
He had concealed himself so thoroughly to avoid drawing attention, but this imbecile Ba Shu had managed to create a commotion over a trivial matter. He seemed intent on diverting everyone's focus toward their group and further tarnis.h.i.+ng their reputation.
"Hey! Isn't this His Highness Li, the Crown Prince of the Ultramarine Province?" Suddenly, an audacious individual emerged from the crowd, slapping Rong Li, the Crown Prince of the Ultramarine Province, on the shoulder with a familiar tone.
Rong Li's expression froze. When this individual slapped him, he "accidentally" dislodged the tightly wrapped hood that concealed his ident.i.ty.
As a result, His Highness Li's visage, which had been so swollen that his original appearance was barely recognizable, was now boldly exposed for all to see.
"Pfft." A student on the left couldn't contain their laughter, and even the grains of rice in their mouth seemed to burst forth with amus.e.m.e.nt.
"What's with that smirk? Are you asking for trouble?" Ba Shu straightened up, his voice thundering.
"Oh dear, heavens no! Your Highness Li, what happened to your… your appearance?" The individual exclaimed, blinking in feigned surprise. They even placed a hand over their mouth as if to convey their astonishment and confusion convincingly.
"Ming Bao!!" Rong Li hissed these words through clenched teeth. His nearly invisible, narrowed eyes bore into the young man before him, who sported a mischievous grin.
"Hmm?" Ming Bao playfully tugged at his ear, rubbing his chin as he regarded Rong Li with a look of shock. "Your Highness Li, you're not suggesting you were in a brawl, are you?"
"Who would dare to brazenly attack His Highness Li?" Ming Bao exclaimed with apparent shock, repeating, "Goodness gracious!"
"Wah wah wah, Va.s.sal Prince Liu, Va.s.sal Prince Liu, hurry and come see this! His Highness Li has been beaten so badly he can't even recognize himself!"
This elicited involuntary twitching of mouths from the bystanders.
On the sidelines, Va.s.sal Prince Liu, who had been called out to by Ming Bao, raised a hand to rub his forehead in exasperation. He turned to face Mo Lian and his group before stepping forward to offer a respectful bow. "I am Mo Liu, extending my greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Chen Prince."
Mo Lian nodded in acknowledgment and appraised this handsome and refined cousin.
As a Va.s.sal Prince, this monarch of Yong'an was evidently on a different level from the Va.s.sal Prince of Jianping, showing greater promise than the Va.s.sal Prince of Jianping, that young Viscount.
"Hey, hey, hey, no need to be so formal. We're all family here. We're in the academy, not the royal court. No need for such stuffiness," Ming Bao, the joker, chimed in, moving forward to pull Va.s.sal Prince Liu. "Ah Liu, Ah Liu, take a look!"