Chapter 84: A Conspiracy Strikes 1

“This is my brother, Le Kai. From now on, he will be one of us, living and learning alongside everyone here. I hope you’ll all look after him,” Rambo introduced Le Kai simply. Under the pressure of his newly established dominance, no one dared to voice any objections, yet the response was rather lukewarm.

Before long, someone from the infirmary arrived to carry away the hefty boy. Another brought in a new chair, and everything soon returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened—only now, there was a new face. Where the fat boy once sat, Rambo now occupied the seat, with Le Kai to his left and Wu Qingyi to his right.

No one dared to dispute the change in seating.

Although struggles among the students at the noble academy were commonplace, and what had happened on the sports field and in Class 3 was hardly out of the ordinary, it still drew the attention of a few keen observers. At the same time, assessments of Le Kai’s strength were being delivered into the hands of certain individuals.

“Utter insolence! An insignificant wastelander dares to be so arrogant? Hmph! Lanscar, don’t think I’m blind to your schemes. Do you really believe you’ve struck gold and can win by relying on some lowly wastelander? It won’t be that easy.” Slamming his hand down upon the desk after receiving the report, the Minister of Finance, Xi Tianfeng, fumed, “The true murderer of my son stands brazenly before us. If I can’t avenge him, what kind of father am I? Someone, come in!”

“My lord, your orders?” the butler entered meekly, head bowed.

“Arrange for the best. I want this lowborn wastelander to never see the sun rise again!” Xi Tianfeng barked, opening the virtual screen and pointing to Le Kai’s image with gritted teeth.

“As you command, my lord. A wastelander who has reached the pinnacle of the warrior’s initiation—such talent is rare. Still, even if he’s exceptional among his kind, he’s no match for our experts. Sending a peak-level fighter will suffice; you needn’t worry,” the butler replied, glancing at Le Kai’s information. He could not help but be surprised by the youth’s abilities—such prowess at such an age was unheard of among wastelanders. Yet, for a family with deep resources, this level of strength was laughable; any expert they sent could easily crush him.

“Don’t be careless. Fighters from the wilds can’t be measured by common standards. The captain of the city police force already tested the little wastelander with his family’s best bodyguard—after unleashing a life secret technique, he nearly reached expert level, but still died on the spot,” Xi Tianfeng said grimly.

“In that case, send several experts to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

“No, that won’t do,” the butler cautioned. “The little wastelander is Lanscar’s chosen piece. We can’t openly break with him yet. After all, the Lan family has no shortage of their own experts. If they retaliate against Xi Bao, things could spiral out of control. We’ll need to find outside help—at the very least, nothing can trace back to the Xi family.”

“That’s simple enough. The ‘Blood Fiend’ mercenary squad that accompanied Chief Steward Li last time is currently on a mission in the wilds and will soon return to Central China City. These mercenaries care for nothing but profit; all of them are at the pinnacle of their craft, hardened by years of slaughter. As long as we pay them in Wolf Coins, they’ll do the job. Even if Lanscar suspects us, without proof he’ll have nothing to pin on us,” the butler said, his eyes gleaming with cunning. In an instant, he’d selected the perfect candidates for the assassination and arranged a way out should things go awry.

Xi Tianfeng pondered, then nodded. “Excellent. Money is no object. But I’ve changed my mind. Killing him outright is too merciful. Capture him—I want to use that little wretch as a living sacrifice to my son, to see him tortured and die before Si’er’s grave.” A pained expression flickered across Xi Tianfeng’s face; clearly, the loss of Xi Runsi had struck him deeply.

After all, what scion of privilege was not utterly spoiled by their parents? Xi Tianfeng had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that someone in Central China City would dare to kill his beloved son in public. Now, after painstaking efforts to unmask the true culprit, how could he not seek vengeance?

Yet, aside from Xi Runsi, he had another child—a true prodigy, the hope of the entire family... Xi Bao!

Every year, the “War God Academy” talent selection was fiercely competitive, representing the hope of every family. To stand out meant honor and glory, ensuring the family’s prosperity for generations. If fortune smiled upon them and they advanced to the final selection on Wolf God Star in the capital, the family’s rise would be unstoppable.

It had taken generations for the Xi family to produce a talent like Xi Bao. They would nurture him at all costs. If he himself broke the rules first by targeting the Lan family’s chosen seedling, it would give the Lan family an excuse to dispatch their own experts against Xi Bao. Should anything happen to Xi Bao, Xi Tianfeng would be branded the family’s greatest sinner.

The grief of a lost child is irreconcilable, and Xi Tianfeng could not swallow this humiliation. His eyes narrowed as he said, “Though the Xi family can’t act openly, Central China City is vast and full of nobles. For a mere second-class citizen to attend a noble academy is an insult to the Empire itself. I’m certain many nobles resent this. If, during some conflict, the little wastelander were to be ‘accidentally’ beaten half to death or crippled, Lanscar wouldn’t be able to do a thing.”

“My lord is wise. I hear Lanscar has already declared that as long as challenges are fair and open, he won’t interfere,” the butler responded, a vicious glint in his eyes. “Rest assured, my lord, I will see to it at once.”

As the butler withdrew, Xi Tianfeng slammed his palm against the virtual image before him, as if the figure before him could truly feel his wrath. “Le Kai, I will never let you have a moment’s peace!” he snarled.

With a crash, he seized his wristwatch and smashed it to pieces on the floor, his eyes reddening with unshed tears.

“Boss, things are bad. The fight you had on the sports field this morning has spread throughout the school. A lot of upperclassmen are saying they’re going to give Le Kai trouble. They claim a lowly wastelander has insulted noble dignity, and only his death in the arena can wash away the shame,” Wu Qingyi whispered anxiously to Rambo at noon, as classes let out.

Rambo flew into a rage. “Outrageous! Le Kai is an official student and should enjoy all the rights that come with it. Besides, this was personally authorized by the mayor! How dare they question the mayor’s decision? Hmph, I’d like to see which idiot dares come looking for trouble with us.”

Le Kai, meanwhile, lay with his head on his desk, dozing as if oblivious to it all. This only deepened his classmates’ contempt. Most assumed the little wastelander didn’t even know what a school was. To be suddenly placed in the first year—how could he possibly keep up? No wonder he’d spent the whole morning napping. Useless and hopeless; aside from his slightly charming looks, what could possibly have earned him Rambo’s favor?

Wait—could it be that Young Master Rambo has a taste for his own gender?

All morning, the rumors multiplied. Nearly every student concluded that Le Kai must have “offered himself” to win Rambo’s favor, and that he was nothing but a worthless nobody.