Xiang Chang was just regaining his feet with the help of Guo Ru when he heard what Ji Kang said and he instantly erupted in anger.

“You clearly ran into me! I didn’t even have a chance to speak and you’re already demanding such ridiculous compensation!” Xiang Chang stepped forward and pointed directly at Ji Kang’s nose. “I’ll tell you now, I don’t know your Young Master, but I am a direct disciple of Elder Geng Yazhu and even if I did commit a sin I wouldn’t need to fear someone like you.”

Ji Kang’s eyes shone with mischief, “Indeed you need not fear one so lowly as I, but my Young Master is Lu Wu, the beloved young son of Lu Wuji, the overlord of Jidong city! What do you have to say to that? Ha! You have eyes but couldn’t recognize Mount Tai!”

By now Xiang Chang was so angry he felt like spitting fire and he quickly retorted.

“Hahaha, here I was a little worried over nothing. Relying on a mere mortal family to intimidate me? We are cultivators, in the future I alone will have the strength to be able to walk without care through the house of such a puny character!”

Lu Wu’s family was the source of his arrogance, even the smallest slight against them would be unbearable for the haughty young man, let alone such blatant disregard. This had already crossed over Lu Wu’s bottom line.

Ji Kang stepped out from between the other two boys, his work was done here. Lu Wu took two steps forward and quickly leaned back. Xiang Chang clearly felt the other boy’s intent to fight and he balled his fists, about to rush forward and give him a beating, but before he could take a step, Lu Wu’s right leg snapped up and his foot squarely hit Xiang Chang’s advancing face.

Xiang Chang’s forward momentum lended power to Lu Wu’s kick, almost making it a one hit knockout. Xiang Chang stumbled forward while his head whipped back before his instincts from a lifetime of martial training kicked in and he hurriedly stepped back, ducking and covering his head with his arms.

This quick return to his senses narrowly saved Xiang Chang from what would have been a truly devastating follow up left hook from Lu Wu. Xiang Chang clearly felt the wind from the passage of his opponent’s fist as it ruffled his short hair.

Xiang Chang had been trained in his family’s martial art from the time he could walk, if he hadn’t been so angry from all the provocation he never would have been so foolish just now. But Lu Wu had also received martial training since young, having learned from several tutors. He wouldn’t let Xiang Chang regain his footing and make a comeback.

Lu Wu quickly advanced with a flurry of fast attacks, meant to force Xiang Chang to continue defending and lose the opportunity to grasp control of the tempo.

Guo Ru made to move forward and interfere, but Ji Kang blocked her before she had taken a second step.

“Hahaha, my Young Master is feeling quite hotheaded today, but I’m sure Sect Sister Guo understands that disputes between youngsters should be resolved by the parties involved.” Ji Kang cupped his fists with a sly smile on his face.

“Hmph! Such nonsense spoken like wisdom!”

Guo Ru was unconvinced and reached out to push Ji Kang aside. She knew that she had been at the sect for longer than Lu Wu’s trio and assumed her extra month’s cultivation would easily give her victory in any confrontation.

Ji Kang snatched her wrist and twisted her arm while using the leverage to turn her around and step behind her. He had learned this particular arm hold courtesy of one of the older messenger boys back when he was trying to carve out a niche for himself in that profession.

With Guo Ru in this position, Ji Kang could dislocate her shoulder if he should wish to.

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In truth, all of them were at the very beginning of their cultivation journeys and the difference between one and a half months and five months didn't make a very big difference in combat strength. At this point they were more similar to regular mortals than they were to true cultivators, and Ji Kang had plenty of experience fighting people marginally stronger than him.

“I hope Sect Sister will be kind enough to accompany me in observing the fight as it comes to its natural conclusion.”

Ji Kang continued speaking as if they were two elders who shouldn’t interfere in their juniors' squabbles. He also backed up his words by increasing the rotational pressure on Guo Ru’s arm and lifting her wrist so she was forced to either bend over or force herself to remain standing and allow her shoulder to be twisted out of its socket.

It only took a moment for Ji Kang to subdue Guo Ru, but Lu Wu’s fight with Xiang Chang was already winding down.

After suffering a heavy hit to the head at the very beginning, and being given no time to rest or recuperate by Lu Wu, Xiang Chang was never able to regain his footing in the fight and was soon knocked on his back.

Lu Wu stood over Xiang Chang and put his hands on his hips, looking immensely proud of himself… and also out of breath.

Taking a moment to catch his breath first, Lu Wu then pointed down at Xiang Chang and loudly scolded him.

“Truly you don’t understand the immensity of the heaven and earth! There is always a mountain taller than a mountain, an expert greater than an expert. Acting arrogantly merely because you have A grade talent was asking for a beating. You shouldn’t beat yourself up though, losing to me, the great Lu Wu, is your greatest honor.”

Ji Kang felt second-hand embarrassment as well as exasperation while listening to Lu Wu’s tirade. Such a poor choice of words was just asking for Lu Wu’s own words to be thrown back in his face later, when Xiang Chang’s greater talent inevitably gave him the strength to trample on Lu Wu.

Although it was embarrassing from start to end to have taken part in this, Ji Kang’s goal of inciting outright conflict between the two was achieved and he had also made himself useful and hopefully gained a measure of Lu Wu’s trust.

“Come along Ji Kang, let’s join Yu Shuren in line, there’s nothing worth seeing here.” With a final parting verbal jab, Lu Wu swept away to enter the administration center.

Ji Kang released Guo Ru, who ran over to make sure Xiang Chang wasn’t badly hurt, before he followed Lu Wu inside.

As much as Ji Kang disdained Lu Wu, he was aware that Lu Wu wasn’t actually an idiot. He did have intelligence, it was just that he was often blinded by pride or hampered by his fragile ego. Given twenty years or so, Lu Wu would mature and gain life experience, by then he would be a much more formidable foe for Ji Kang.

Just now Lu Wu had established his reputation in the sect by beating up an A grade talent and he hadn’t made it obvious to anyone other than Ji Kang that that’s what he was intending to do from the start.

In this world an intelligent and ambitious young cultivator would know not to take action without a cover of righteous justification, lest he leave a bad impression on any seniors who heard of the incident later.

The sect elders’ opinions of the inner disciples was incredibly important for a disciple’s future. If the sect elders thought the disciple was a mindless thug with no conception of how to conduct themselves, how could they possibly trust the disciple with important missions or delicate matters? And if a disciple wasn’t trusted to handle such things how could they possibly make any achievements?

Without achievements they would never receive the best resources and they would fall behind their peers’ cultivation.

Acting without justification to suppress and put pressure on Xiang Chang would effectively ruin Lu Wu’s future prospects. That he recognized this fact demonstrated he wasn’t an unthinking fool, and so warned Ji Kang about Lu Wu’s future potential.

Ji Kang silently reaffirmed his decision to get rid of Lu Wu before he could grow up. If he waited too long he would lose his chance forever.

Back inside the administration center Yu Shuren had almost reached the front of the line and they quickly joined him and collected their stipends before leaving.

Xiang Chang and Guo Ru had already disappeared by the time they stepped back out into the open air.

Back at their master’s manor, Ji Kang, Lu Wu and Yu Shuren went their separate ways. It was getting close to dusk, and they all had aspects of their cultivation to work on.

Back in his room, Ji Kang studied techniques until late into the night, when it was time for his nightly meditation session to take in yin aspected Primeval Qi.