Chapter 416 - 266: Losing Reason?

In their eyes, offending Yang Haoyu right after entering Courtyard Nine was truly unwise.

Newcomers without any backing had all endured this kind of suppression. Breaking the status quo was easier said than done.

Failing to recognize the situation meant losing even the hope of surviving it.

Take Zou Feng, for example. If he was tormented like this for a long time, his Cultivation would be delayed. How could he possibly break through to the Spiritual Energy Realm within ten years and get promoted to the Inner Sect?

It would be better to just give in for now and pay for some peace...

"A bunch of people with the souls of slaves..." Back in his D-grade room, Zou Feng shook his head repeatedly, thinking of the other Outer Sect Disciples’ derision.

As the saying goes, when you’ve been kneeling for so long it becomes a habit, you can never stand up again.

The other residents of Courtyard Nine actually treated being exploited by Yang Haoyu as a natural, unwritten rule.

It was one thing that they didn’t dare to resist, or lacked the ability to do so.

But to look down on those who *did* dare to fight back was just ridiculous...

As for Zou Feng’s solution to break the stalemate, it couldn’t have been simpler.

’Kill Yang Haoyu!’

Although Yang Haoyu wasn’t on the List of Gods yet, his oppressive tactics were obstructing Zou Feng’s Immortal Path. For that alone, he deserved to die.

’But I can’t just attack him directly. It has to be within the limits of the sect’s rules...’

At the same time, Zou Feng also wanted to use this opportunity to make a small profit.

’Otherwise, acquiring Immortal Fate through normal channels is just too damn slow.’

Su Qingyu and the others had agreed to invest in him because they, too, were willing to take a gamble.

「The next morning.」

Just as the area was bustling with the most Outer Sect Disciples, Zou Feng marched menacingly up to the A-grade room and bellowed, "Yang Haoyu, get out here!"

He shouted again and again, ensuring not only that the disciples of Courtyard Nine heard him, but also that disciples from other courtyards passing by would hear him too.

By the fifth shout, Yang Haoyu still hadn’t appeared, but Qiu Lan rushed out from another room.

"Zou Feng, what are you screaming your head off for!"

Zou Feng sneered. "Screaming? Yang Haoyu abused his power for personal gain. Am I not allowed to demand justice?"

"This has nothing to do with you, woman. Tell Yang Haoyu to get his ass out here!"

At this moment, Zou Feng perfectly played the part of someone who had been targeted so viciously yesterday that he’d stewed on it, gotten angrier and angrier, and finally lost his mind and come seeking an explanation.

But his true intention was to make Yang Haoyu, and all the gawking onlookers, believe that he had indeed lost his mind...

His words had barely faded and before Qiu Lan could rebuke him further, Yang Haoyu slowly emerged from the A-grade room, that same false smile plastered on his face.

"Abuse of power? Junior Brother Zou, if I were really abusing my power for personal gain, you could simply go and report me to the Law Enforcement Hall."

"But if the Law Enforcement Hall investigates and finds this to be a baseless accusation, that would be the crime of slander, which is punished severely by the sect’s rules," Yang Haoyu responded at his leisure.

He wasn’t flustered in the slightest. After all, there had been plenty of newcomers in the past who, pushed to their breaking point by his extortion, had openly come out to raise a fuss.

But it was completely useless.

After all, none of his schemes technically violated the rules of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect.

Demanding two points of Immortal Fate from Zou Feng every month was framed as tuition for learning the skills of a Spirit Chef, and a contract would even be signed. It was all perfectly within the rules.

When Zou Feng refused, Yang Haoyu didn’t resort to physical force. He simply had his underlings give the newcomer some extra "special attention."

As for the workload assigned by Dining Hall Steward Wu Cong, or the ostracism from his coworkers—these were all things the Law Enforcement Hall would find little fault with.

There was also another, more crucial point.

Everyone knew that he, Yang Haoyu, was a member of the Inner Sect’s Purple Cloud Association, an organization founded by a True Disciple.

Without concrete evidence, how could the Outer Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall possibly dare to cause trouble for the Purple Cloud Association?

The other disciples who had gathered to watch the spectacle all shook their heads. They felt that not only was Zou Feng’s public tantrum useless, but it would only make his life even more difficult from now on.

Yang Haoyu’s smug, fearless posture, as if daring Zou Feng to go to the Law Enforcement Hall, seemed to make Zou Feng even more furious, and a "troubled" expression indeed crossed his face.

He looked like he wanted to press the issue but was powerless to do so—a picture of utter frustration.

Seeing Zou Feng, who had been so aggressive just a moment ago, now seemingly at a complete loss, Yang Haoyu couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

’How could a brainless idiot like this get into the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect?’

’It just goes to show, the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect’s policy of accepting any Martial Artist who shows up from the Outer Realm should have been scrapped ages ago.’

"Alright, alright. You’re new to the Immortal Sect and haven’t adjusted to our ways yet. As your senior, I can understand."

"Go on back. I won’t hold this against you this time..." Yang Haoyu waved his hand dismissively.

He put on a magnanimous air, publicly "forgiving" the newcomer’s rash behavior.

But whether he had truly forgiven him in his heart, or if he would now "up the ante" with his punishments, only he knew.

But unexpectedly, Zou Feng seemed to be completely set off by these words. He gritted his teeth, raised his head, and roared, "Yang Haoyu, do you dare face me on the Dao Discussion Platform!"

The scene fell silent for a moment, then erupted with sounds of mocking laughter.

’He’s lost it. The newbie has really lost it...’

The reason Yang Haoyu was the boss of Courtyard Nine was, of course, because his strength made him the boss!

People like Yang Haoyu could have already attempted to break through to the Spiritual Energy Realm and enter the Inner Sect.

But in order to work for the Purple Cloud Association and accumulate contributions—which would ensure a smoother path for him after entering the Inner Sect—he had deliberately suppressed his Realm, temporarily remaining in the Outer Sect to lay the groundwork for his future.

It was, as the saying goes, sharpening the axe without delaying the woodcutting, as long as the process didn’t take more than ten years.

So, in everyone’s eyes, this was nothing more than a suicidal challenge born of desperation, like a cornered dog leaping over a wall.

This time, Yang Haoyu was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Zou Feng, I’ll say it one last time. I won’t hold this against you. Go back!"

"You don’t dare?" Zou Feng cackled.

"You..." Yang Haoyu’s eyes glinted.

Zou Feng waved his hand impatiently. "Cut the crap. If you don’t dare, you don’t dare! Fine. Since you want to be my grandson, then call me ’Grandpa’ in front of everyone, and we can forget this ever happened."

This, of course, was something Yang Haoyu could not endure.

If he tolerated this, his reputation would be ruined.

"Good! Good! Good!" Yang Haoyu spat out the words, his face dark as he pulled out his Token. "Since Junior Brother Zou is so determined to die, I’ll grant your wish!"

’He took the bait!’

’Just as smooth as I predicted.’

To fight on the Dao Discussion Platform, both parties had to give their consent on their Tokens.

That was why Zou Feng had pretended to lose his mind and act out of desperation, challenging him in public.

This was the only way to put Yang Haoyu in an inescapable position where he couldn’t back down, without making him overly suspicious.

Otherwise, if he had simply gone to Yang Haoyu’s door and demanded a duel on the Dao Discussion Platform, the guy would have either gotten suspicious or just refused, thinking it a waste of his time.

Furthermore, by making such a public scene, someone in the Outer Sect was bound to open a betting pool, creating a wager that many Outer Sect Disciples would jump in on.

After all, a reckless brute who had been in the Immortal Sect for only three days and hadn’t even reached the First Grade Spirit Body Realm, suicidally challenging a veteran, prospective Inner Sect Disciple like Yang Haoyu—it was a spectacle with plenty of appeal.

Someone would absolutely open a betting pool right away.

"Very good. Since you won’t be my grandson, I’ll see you at the Dao Discussion Platform at Noon!"

After Zou Feng made the challenge on his Token, a murderous-looking Yang Haoyu accepted it. Only then did Zou Feng truly relax.

Setting the duel for Noon instead of immediately was, of course, a way to let the news of the fight brew a little longer, drawing more disciples into the betting.

It was less than an hour until Noon, not a long wait, so Yang Haoyu didn’t think twice about the time Zou Feng had set.

’It would give him time to consider how to make Zou Feng’s death all the more gruesome.’

Having said his piece, Zou Feng turned and headed back to his D-grade room, looking for all the world like he was going to make his final preparations for the duel.

Back in his room, Teng County and Gongsun Jinghong both hurried over to greet him. Naturally, the two of them had known about his plan all along.

Teng County had been constantly checking her Token for information from Taian Mountain.

"Brother Feng, the odds are out! It’s five-to-one on you to win!"

"That low?" Zou Feng had thought that as a newcomer, a ’reckless fool’ making a ’suicidal’ challenge against Yang Haoyu, the odds should have been at least ten-to-one.

’It seems the bookmakers must have quickly investigated my last fight on the Dao Discussion Platform against Tang Jingqiang,’ Zou Feng thought. ’That’s why they didn’t dare make the odds too outrageous.’