Medical Sage

”Heh, hello everyone. It’s been a long time.”

When Hales saw that everyone present was greeting him while completely ignoring the little bastard, he couldn’t help but feel a secret delight as a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, Beirut’s narrow eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately pulled Chen Fei’s hand forward and announced enthusiastically, ”All of you are esteemed figures in the Western Dark World, but you’re likely unfamiliar with the East, correct? Allow me to make a formal introduction. This is young Chen Fei, from Huaxia of the East. I suggest you don’t take him lightly, everyone.”

”So it’s young Chen Fei. A pleasure to meet you.” Although Beirut’s hint was quite clear, only a few in the crowd seemed to understand. Perhaps the others simply had no interest in this young Eastern Lad and looked down on him. Still, out of respect for Lord Beirut, they could only offer Chen Fei perfunctory greetings, many of them obviously reluctant.

Seeing this, Beirut resignedly shook his head but said nothing more. After all, even he didn’t know the true extent of Chen Fei’s strength, to say nothing of his youth... Gradually, he found himself placing less importance on Chen Fei as well.

Upon witnessing this, our Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, returned their greetings on the surface, but internally, he couldn’t help but curl his lip. Of course, I understand why these people look down on me. It’s because strength is what they respect. Heh, strength is what they respect...

”Heh heh...”

Seeing how indifferently everyone treated Chen Fei, the sneer on Hales’s lips grew even more pronounced. Serves him right, he thought. His gaze then swept across the hall, eventually landing on the black round table at the center, which had only eleven seats. He walked over and promptly sat down in an empty spot.

A slight stir went through the hall, and people cast odd glances his way, but the room quickly fell silent again. It seemed no one thought it was inappropriate for Hales to take a seat at that exclusive table.

At that moment, besides the newly arrived Hales, only two other people were seated at the eleven-seat round table. One of them, an old man with a sallow complexion wearing an ocher magic hat, squinted his eyes and smiled as Hales sat down. ”Hales, long time no see. It seems you’re living quite prosperously now. Looking well, are you?”

”...That’s none of your concern, Mardo.” Hearing the taunt, Hales, for once, didn’t fly into a rage. His face merely darkened as he spoke coldly, showing considerable wariness toward the old man. Seeing this, the crowd’s expressions were a mixture of surprise and understanding, as if it were only to be expected.

After all, the old man with the sallow complexion and ocher magic hat was Mardo Gille, the second-in-command of the Scorched Earth Sect—one of the two major dark guilds in the European Dark World. Known as the Scorched Earth Underworld King, his strength could rival that of a true sss Level entity. Not even Hales could guarantee he could match that, so it was only natural that his aura would be suppressed by the other’s.

”The two of you are just as the rumors say. The moment you meet, you start this... hmm?”

The other cloaked elder at the round table saw this and gave a meaningful, cold smirk. He was about to say something that others wouldn’t dare, but he suddenly paused. His gaze grew heavy, turning icy as he looked towards a seat to his right. He then questioned in a chilling tone, ”Boy, what do you think you’re doing!?”

Only then did everyone notice. The Eastern Lad, Chen Fei or whatever his name was, whom they had regarded as a mere servant or relative of some important figure, had walked right up to the eleven-seat round table, pulled out an empty chair, and was about to sit down.

Instantly, the hall broke into an uproar. Hales seized the opportunity to glare at Chen Fei, scolding him with a sneer, ”You little bastard, don’t you know the rules? Do you think just anyone can sit here?”

”Exactly! Do you really think you’re something special just because Lord Beirut casually introduced you? Get over here, now! You have no right to sit there!”

”Hmph! If it weren’t for Lord Beirut... I’d really like to teach this Eastern Lad his place and show him the immensity of heaven and earth!”

”That’s right! Heh, get over here! Otherwise, don’t blame us for what comes next, understand?”

...

Clearly, the seating arrangement in the hall followed a strict hierarchy.

The outermost layer had about twenty seats, mostly occupied by those with average ss+ Level strength.

In the ring closer to the center, there were about a dozen chairs, though less than thirty percent were occupied. All who sat there were ss+ Peak Powerhouses.

As for the centermost area, that was naturally taken by the eleven-seat round table, where only three people were securely seated. One was Mardo, the Scorched Earth Underworld King and second-in-command of the Scorched Earth Sect; one was Hales, the first Red Robed Bishop of the Holy Church of the Divine Holy Church; and the last was the cloaked elder, who seemed to be from the Nordic regions with an equally astonishing background, his strength having reached the ss+ Ultimate level.

In other words, one had to be at least ss+ Ultimate to qualify for a seat at that round table. But this Easterner, how old was he? The same age as their grandsons, at best. Yet he had the audacity to aim for a seat at the very center. Was he courting death? Or was his mind addled, leaving him unable to comprehend the situation?

Upon witnessing this, Beirut’s brows furrowed slightly, though he said nothing. He was known for his smooth dealings, but from his repeated interactions with Chen Fei, it was clear the Eastern Lad was indeed overestimating his abilities—or, one might say, was simply arrogant.

”Old Rascal, I suggest you shut your mouth right now. Otherwise, I don’t mind sealing it for you like I did before.” However, just then, an extremely cold and clear voice suddenly rose. It was our Chen Fei, Young Master Chen. His pitch-black, glass-like eyes stared deeply at Hales, a trace of coldness and unconcealed killing intent flowing from them as he spoke those utterly shocking words.

Then, his eyes fixed coldly on the cloaked elder as he spoke indifferently, ”He can sit, but I can’t?” Without any hesitation, he pointed at Hales, whose expression had changed drastically, and then coldly questioned the cloaked elder.

By now, he truly had a premonition that this damn meeting wouldn’t end without bloodshed.

Apart from himself, no one present knew that if he were truly provoked to the point of action, the dozen or so pitiful souls here wouldn’t be nearly enough for him to kill.

”Little bastard, are you really looking to die?” Reprimanded so harshly by Chen Fei, how could Hales possibly hold back? WITH A BANG, he shot to his feet, his eyes burning with rage. Simultaneously, a terrifying aura erupted from him, causing the hearts of the slightly weaker attendees to tremble.

This...

Instantly, the entire hall fell deathly silent. Whether they were ss+ Level powerhouses or those at the ss+ Peak, all of them stared with shock and disbelief at the cold-faced Easterner and the furiously enraged Bishop Hales, who had somehow restrained himself from attacking. They weren’t stupid. They understood, of course, that for Bishop Hales not to strike even after being so humiliated and called an ”Old Rascal”...

It had to be because he was actually wary of his opponent. But... but this...

Suddenly, everyone’s gaze toward Chen Fei changed. The faces of those who had just self-righteously joined Hales in ridiculing Chen Fei turned ugly, and they wished they could slap themselves. Those eleven seats at the round table were never going to be ours anyway, so why did we have to run our mouths? Great. Now we’ve offended someone terrifying.

Besides them and Hales, the person with the ugliest expression was the cloaked elder. After all, he was a senior figure from the Nordic Odin Shrine who had looked down upon the world for many years. Yet now, a young lad like Chen Fei was questioning him in such a tone. How was that any different from a harsh slap across his face?

Thinking of this, he looked at Chen Fei with a direct and icy demeanor, his tone extremely hostile. ”Bishop Hales is naturally qualified to sit here. You are not! Get lost!” Perhaps it was Chen Fei’s youth that made it so difficult to take him seriously. Even Hales’s earlier, telling hesitation didn’t change his mind; he was utterly convinced Chen Fei had no right to sit at the round table.

”Then how about both of you get the hell away from these seats? Do you really think you can pull rank just because you’ve got a few more years on you? You think I can’t kill you?” Chen Fei’s patience was finally wearing thin. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Beneath his feet, two points of light abruptly condensed into a pair of Yan Swords, which he aimed at Bishop Hales and the cloaked elder, his gaze chilling.

HISS!

This...

The people in the hall couldn’t help but suck in sharp breaths, their hearts pounding wildly with shock and astonishment. They simply couldn’t imagine that this boy would actually dare to make the first move. To point his swords at Bishop Hales, the first Red Robed Bishop of the Holy Church of the Divine Holy Church, and Lord Lorid, an absolute senior figure from the Nordic Odin Shrine, and even threaten to kill them? Was this Easterner out of his mind, or were they all dreaming?

This was just too audacious! Did he not fear that those two would actually retaliate?

BOOM!

Just as everyone was stunned into silence, a frost so cold it chilled one to the bone swept terrifyingly through the hall, shrouding it completely in seconds. The floor and walls were coated in a thick layer of solid ice. Many looked on in horror, their eyes locked on the center of the icy storm, upon the figure of the cloaked elder.

Clearly, this astonishing display was the work of Lord Lorid, the senior figure from the Nordic Odin Shrine who commanded the legendary power of ice and snow.

With his status and identity, when had anyone ever pointed a finger at Lord Lorid and threatened to kill him?

This was nothing short of a supreme insult. How could he not be furious?