Chapter 106: On the Warship (Part-5)

Panic erupted across the Void Warship. Although most people had never heard the name before, the fact that even Elder Lu, a powerful Upper Exalt, treated them with such gravity was more than enough to inspire terror.

Candidates scrambled to find places to hide, though the sheer size of the ship and the number of people made true concealment nearly impossible.

Meanwhile, the experts of the Western Mansion gathered swiftly, faces tense and alert.

There were nearly a hundred Western Mansion warriors aboard, all at the Exalt level, along with examiners from the thirty-six cities, each possessing Upper Exalt strength. Together, this was a force comparable to that of a small or medium-sized sect.

Yet even so, they all looked grim.

The name “The Reaper Bandits” alone carried terrifying weight.

At that moment, Wang Zongyao hurried over to Ryan.

“Uncle Wang?” Ryan paused, surprised by his sudden appearance.

Wang Zongyao cast a brief glance at Wang Bi’er beside Ryan before speaking in a low, urgent voice. “Li Wei, the situation is critical. I don’t have time to explain everything. I only ask one thing. Please protect Bi’er. She is the only person I cannot let go of. If you can ensure her safety, then I, Wang Zongyao, will owe you a great favor.”

Ryan immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. Without hesitation, he nodded. “Uncle Wang, you can rest assured. I treat Bi’er like a younger sister. As long as I’m alive, she will be safe.”

“Good. That’s enough.” Wang Zongyao finally exhaled in relief.

He turned to Wang Bi’er and said earnestly, “Bi’er, no matter what happens later, stay by Ryan’s side. Don’t run around. Do you understand? Brother Li’s strength is extraordinary. He can protect you.”

“I understand, Father,” Wang Bi’er replied obediently. “Bi’er will listen to Brother Li. Father, you must also be careful.”

“I will.”

After a brief embrace, Wang Zongyao straightened and rushed toward the assembly point of the Western Mansion experts.

Once he left, Ryan’s expression turned serious. “Stay close to me. None of you are allowed to move around. Do you understand?”

“We understand, Brother Wei,” Li Wujie and the others answered at once.

Ryan then turned his gaze to Mu Xianling and Wang Bi’er.

“Bi’er promised Father she’d listen to Brother Li,” Wang Bi’er said quickly. “I won’t run anywhere.”

Mu Xianling, however, frowned and crossed her arms. “The enemy even scares Examiner Wang. Do you really think you can protect us? And why should I listen to you?”

Ryan paused, clearly not expecting resistance at such a moment. He narrowed his eyes at her.

It seemed this woman still had not fully grasped her position.

Very well. Since words were not enough, he would make it clear.

Ryan raised his hand and reached toward Mu Xianling’s shoulder.

Smack!

Ryan’s palm landed.

Mu Xianling’s body stiffened instantly. A sharp sting shot through her, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Ryan.

“You… you dare hit me?”

Since childhood, apart from her father, no man had ever laid a hand on her. Yet now, not only had Ryan touched her, he had treated her as if disciplining a disobedient child. Shame and anger surged together, her teeth clenched so hard they nearly cracked. If she had even the slightest chance of overpowering him, she would have already rushed forward to fight him to the death.

“It seems you still haven’t understood your current position,” Ryan said coldly. “Then I’ll make it clear who you belong to.”

Before Mu Xianling could react, Ryan’s arm wrapped around her, restraining her firmly. Another sharp sound rang out.

Mu Xianling’s mind went blank. Her body went weak, a mix of humiliation and rage flooding her chest. She struggled instinctively, but the difference in strength left her completely powerless.

The Li Clan members and Wang Bi’er beside them were stunned speechless.

They had never imagined Ryan would act so decisively.

The noise quickly drew attention. Nearby candidates from Fengyue City and other cities all turned to look, eyes wide with shock. In such a tense moment, no one expected to see a proud, immortal-like beauty being disciplined so bluntly.

Ryan ignored the surrounding gazes entirely. His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

“Do you listen now?”

Mu Xianling bit her lip hard, her head lowered, refusing to answer. The weight of countless stares made her feel as though she had nowhere to hide.

Another sharp sound followed.

“Do you obey, or not?”

“You… Li Wei, I’ll kill you!” Mu Xianling shouted through gritted teeth.

Her threat was met with yet another blow.

The last of her resistance finally collapsed.

“I… I obey! I obey!” she cried out, tears streaming down her face, her voice breaking with humiliation and fear.

The deck fell into a strange silence.

Mu Xianling, the aloof and untouchable beauty known throughout Fengyue City, was crying openly after being subdued by Ryan. The scene left many dumbfounded, some shocked, others furious, feeling Ryan had gone far beyond what was acceptable.

Most of them, however, did not know about the wager between Ryan and Mu Xianling, nor that she had already lost and become bound to him.

Even Su Sidao, who knew the truth, could no longer stand it.

He stepped forward angrily. “Li Wei, isn’t this too much? How can you treat Miss Mu like this?”

Ryan glanced at him coolly. “How I deal with her is none of your business.”

The situation was critical, and a single mistake could cost lives. Mu Xianling’s defiance, in Ryan’s eyes, was a risk he could not afford. Compared to that, this was already a restraint.

“You—!” Su Sidao pointed at Ryan, trembling with anger, but he knew he was no match. After a long breath, he could only snort and turn away.

Another candidate stepped forward. “Using force on a woman isn’t something a decent man should do.”

Ryan replied evenly, “This is my affair. Interfere again, and I’ll personally throw you off.”

The candidate scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “So you rely on strength to bully others?”

As murmurs spread, several candidates from Lingyuan City stepped out.

“What’s going on here? Why is no one from Fengyue City stopping him?”

“Exactly. Our Lingyuan City won’t just stand by. Brother Bi Ge will handle this.”

The candidates from Fengyue City exchanged strange looks, some even showing faint smirks.

Before anyone could explain, the Lingyuan City candidate named Bi Ge charged forward, reaching out toward Ryan as if to pull Mu Xianling away.

Ryan didn’t even look at him.

With a casual wave of his hand, as if brushing away dust, Bi Ge was sent flying.

Bang!

He crashed into several candidates behind him and lost consciousness on the spot.

A sharp intake of breath spread through the deck.

Bi Ge, a dignified five-star Upper Elite, had been sent flying by nothing more than a casual wave. The two sides had not even properly exchanged blows. That single scene was enough to chill the blood of the Lingyuan City candidates. Only now did they finally understand why the people of Fengyue City had not intervened earlier, and why some of them had even worn expressions that looked suspiciously like sympathy.

It was not that Fengyue City did not care. It was that Bi Ge simply was not qualified.

Who exactly was this man? How could he be so terrifyingly strong?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep