C22 There Is Only One Zi Family in Linhai City

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound and saw a girl in a school uniform, whose beauty was so striking it seemed almost unreal, standing between Ye Luo and a group of thirty-some burly men.

Her face, as finely crafted as a jade bracelet, coupled with a figure that the school uniform did little to hide, managed to quell the hostility of the tough-looking men.

"It's Ziyuan, the campus beauty! Oh my god, what's she doing here?" someone exclaimed in awe.

"Hey, it really is her! But isn't she from the Fashion Institute? What's she doing here? And it looks like she's coming to Ye Luo's aid," whispered some students who were watching from a distance.

"Could it be that she's involved with Ye Luo? They're not... dating, are they?"

"No way, Ye Luo already has a girlfriend, Ann Xin, who's also one of Linhai University's top ten campus beauties, just like Ziyuan. Plus, Ziyuan is famously unapproachable. Countless wealthy heirs have tried to woo her, only to be turned away. How could she possibly take an interest in Ye Luo?"

"Then why is she here?"

"Who knows? Maybe she can't stand seeing outsiders bully one of our own. I've heard Ziyuan has quite the powerful backing, which explains her confidence," speculated another student.

The surprise wasn't limited to the onlookers; Ye Luo himself was equally astonished.

"Ziyuan? Mu Ziyuan?" he murmured, recalling a past encounter. He had met Ziyuan in his previous life, but not here—it was in the Martial Arts Realm, and her name was Mu Ziyuan.

This was curious. It seemed his rebirth had indeed changed the fates of many.

True to form, the head of the tough guys hesitated after Ziyuan spoke.

"The Zi family?" he asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "Which Zi family?"

"In Linhai City, there's only one Zi family," Ziyuan responded with a cool, commanding presence.

"The Zi family..." The man mulled it over. "Are you with the Zi family from the southern estates?"

"Do you think anyone would dare impersonate a member of the Zi family?" Ziyuan replied, her voice tinged with frosty indifference.

Pang Cheng fell silent. As a close confidant to Gu Xianchang, president of Xiangshi Group, he was intimately familiar with the intricate web of power within Linhai City.

In Pang Cheng's memory, there were no more than five families or powers in Linhai City that the Xiangshi Group would think twice about crossing, and the Zi family from the southern estates was definitely one of them.

"Excuse me, I need to clear this with my superiors," Pang Cheng said, careful not to disrespect the Zi family, yet also not ready to simply walk away defeated. He planned to seek advice from Gu Xianchang.

However, as he was about to make the call, he noticed Ye Luo stepping forward.

"Are you here to stand up for Gu Jun?" Ye Luo asked, his tone detached and steady, as if he hadn't even noticed the thirty strong men backing Pang Cheng.

"What do you mean?" Pang Cheng was startled, not expecting Ye Luo to confront him before he could even make his call.

"Ye Luo, I'll take care of this. Don't be impulsive," Ziyuan quickly said, taken aback by Ye Luo's assertiveness and trying to calm the situation.

Ye Luo gave Ziyuan a brief look. "Thanks, but I'm not familiar enough with you to involve you in my matters. I can handle them myself."

"You..." Ziyuan was perplexed by Ye Luo's brusque attitude, even though she was only trying to help.

"Ye Luo, I know you're capable, but these men are not like the students you faced yesterday. They're on a different level, and you could be at a disadvantage," Ziyuan continued.

"Thanks for the concern, but I know what I'm dealing with," Ye Luo responded, then turned back to Pang Cheng. "First off, I have no ties to the Zi family, so your plans don't involve them. Also, you haven't answered my question yet. Are you here to defend Gu Jun?"

"Ye Luo, have you lost your mind? Can't you see when someone is trying to help you?" Ziyuan exclaimed in exasperation, stepping aside. "I'm done with you." She watched Ye Luo, her frustration reaching a boiling point. She had never been treated with such indifference by any man, especially when she was only offering her assistance. It was a blatant disregard for her goodwill.

"This Ye Luo is completely senseless, a fool who doesn't know he's flirting with disaster. Without Ziyuan's help, he's going to be in trouble. Just wait until he gets his limbs broken, then he'll regret it," Little Qin remarked disdainfully, standing beside Ziyuan.

"Hmph, he'll learn to restrain himself after he's suffered the consequences, the fool," Ziyuan muttered, her mouth twisted in a pout, looking every bit like a wife who had been slighted.

Pang Cheng couldn't help but laugh. He had intended to inform Gu Xianchang, taking into account the influence of the Zi family. There was a chance Gu Xianchang might have spared the boy for the Zi family's sake. But unexpectedly, Ye Luo had preemptively disassociated himself from the Zi family.

"You've injured our Young Master Gu; you should have known what to expect," Pang Cheng said with a cold sneer.

"Since you've admitted it, that simplifies matters. You can save yourself the phone call," Ye Luo responded, his tone unnervingly calm yet filled with murderous intent.

For individuals like Zhu Jian and Liu Qi, Ye Luo could overlook the matter as a minor disagreement, not worth holding a grudge over, and simply move on after a fight.

However, in the case of Gu Jun, Ye Luo considered him an irreconcilable foe. In his previous life, Gu Jun had been responsible for Ann Xin's death, and Ye Luo harbored a deep-seated hatred for anyone who supported Gu Jun.

"What are you getting at?" Pang Cheng's face darkened with a threatening glint, and the thirty-odd men behind him tensed up, ready to engage.

"My point is, you don't need to make any calls. Even if you had any reason to let me off, I wouldn't do the same for you," Ye Luo stated firmly.

Without another word, Ye Luo took the initiative, throwing a punch directly at Pang Cheng's chest.

"Hmph, naive. I'm not one of those feeble students you can bully. You're not experienced enough to challenge me," Pang Cheng scoffed, surprised yet dismissive. A retired mercenary of elite status, his sheer strength could unleash a punch with the force of 800 kilograms, ranking him in the mid-Houtian level. Even among mercenaries, few could contend with his strength, especially not a wet-behind-the-ears student.

Furthermore, Ye Luo's punch was so slow that Pang Cheng had more than enough time to raise his hand and prepare to block it.

Thus, Pang Cheng also lifted his arm, launching a punch to intercept Ye Luo's oncoming fist.

"Heh, this kid actually thinks he can stand up to Brother Cheng in a fistfight? That's beyond naive," a burly man behind Pang Cheng commented with a smirk.

"Yeah, isn't this just asking for trouble? That poor guy's fingers are probably as good as gone. What a waste."

"What's there to pity? He hit Young Master Gu. Losing some fingers is just the beginning. Next, he'll have to worry about both his hands and feet, and even his 'fifth limb' won't be spared. To be honest, deploying so many of us just for one student seems excessive. In my opinion, any one of our brothers could have taken care of him easily."

"Couldn't agree more."