"Sun, don't you dare push your luck! You accepted that mission of your own volition—what does that have to do with me? And in the end, didn't your regiment complete it? Instead of showing gratitude, you'd repay kindness with enmity?"
Despite Vice Commander Qi's brutish appearance, his glib tongue was something to behold—twisting truth with alarming ease.
Sun Jie, a man of simple and direct temperament, flushed crimson with rage. If not for those restraining him, he would've already pummeled Qi's despicable face into the ground.
"You bastard Qi! I swear I'll crush your damn skull!"
Fury blazing, Sun Jie's body faintly emanated a flickering blue light.
Qi, knowing full well he was no match, cunningly slipped behind Shao Yan.
"Oh my, Vice Commander Sun—such swagger! Do you really intend to strike someone down right in front of the Guildmaster? Did your commander give you the courage to act so recklessly?"
When facing Gu Qingli earlier, Qi had been belligerent and arrogant—his judgment clouded by jealousy and disdain for the seemingly weak father-daughter pair. But now, in front of a clearly superior opponent, he had transformed into a conniving coward.
A textbook example of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
His words dripped with provocation, and had Shao Yan been a petty man, such insinuations might have stirred resentment.
"Sun, what are you so proud of? A mere one-star Martial King—do you think that's worth flaunting? If you dare issue a formal challenge to our Wolf Fang Regiment, we'll gladly accept. We'll pit our forces against yours—with the commanders excluded. Whoever doesn't show up is the coward!"
Qi's smugness made Sun Jie seethe. Just as he was about to erupt, Gu Zhan grabbed his arm.
"Vice Commander, don't fall for it. Other than our commander, you're the only one who can match him. But they have two nine-star warriors—we only have one. Their overall strength still surpasses ours. He's baiting you."
Sun Jie's eyes burned red with suppressed fury. The last lesson had been a brutal one—he dared not charge in blind again.
"But what—are we just going to let that bastard strut around unpunished?"
Gu Qingli burst out laughing, her eyes gleaming with contempt as she fixed her gaze on Vice Commander Qi.
"Do you think the rest of us are fools? A match between fighters of unequal rank? That's no contest—it's a farce."
Qi ground his teeth at the sight of her, his hatred for the Snow Tiger Regiment almost eclipsed by his loathing for this brazen girl.
"Damn… little wretch. Even if it's between equals, do you think the Snow Tiger Regiment has anyone at my level?"
"Coward! Then why don't you find someone to face me one-on-one!"
Sun Jie took a step forward; Qi instantly retreated a pace.
"Don't forget, Sun! Our Wolf Fang Regiment isn't to be trifled with! Are you prepared for what happens when this grudge explodes into open war?"
Cowering behind Shao Yan, Qi hurled threats like a rabid dog, baring his fangs from the safety of a shield. Not only was Shao Yan visibly exasperated, but even the bystanders were beginning to sneer at Qi's cowardice.
"I'm not afraid of a damn thing! You little bastards—send one and I'll kill one! Send two and I'll butcher them both!"
Sun Jie's temper flared like wildfire, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Guildmaster Shao, you're really starting to look like the tiger lending its prestige to a fox."
Gu Qingli's sudden remark caught Shao Yan off guard.
"Heh, little one, I'm no tiger," he said, shaking his head with a faint smile. "But as Guildmaster, I've always stood by one principle—I do not interfere in personal vendettas between regiments."