The matter of the secret realm will be put aside for now.
The few people settled their personal belongings and took a short rest in the dormitory.
As the sun set and dusk began to fall, their door was knocked upon.
Duan Chen and Jun Ci exchanged a glance.
Duan Chen stepped forward to open the door.
Outside was a boy they didn't recognize.
Yes, a boy.
He didn't look very old, nor was he tall, probably just over 1.6 meters. His face was exceptionally youthful, making it hard to tell if he had a baby face or was simply underage.
Despite potentially being underage, he carried himself with extreme arrogance. He strode in uninvited, carrying his own suitcase, surveyed the surroundings, and his gaze landed on Jun Ci, who was sitting in the living room reading.
The corner of his mouth suddenly curled upwards.
"I knew it, the moment I entered this place, I felt incredibly uncomfortable. Turns out there are fleas here."
"Long time no see, Jun Ci. I didn't expect you, you little bastard, to still be alive. Oh, and my useless sister too. Are you two still together?"
Qin Nanyuan was originally in her room.
But perhaps because she heard the commotion outside, her door suddenly burst open, and she emerged, her expression turning intensely fierce and gloomy.
She crossed her arms and leaned casually against her doorframe.
A sarcastic smile suddenly played on Qin Nanyuan's lips.
"I was wondering why I could smell a foul stench even from inside my room. Turns out it's you, you son of a bitch."
"Qin Wuji, haven't you been flushed down the toilet and drowned yet?"
"Since when did the Qin family start a charity?"
Undoubtedly, Qin Nanyuan's words were incredibly sharp.
The little boy, whom she addressed as Qin Wuji, his face instantly contorted in rage.
He clenched his fists tightly.
Duan Chen, standing nearby, could hear the cracking sound of his knuckles.
Qin Wuji roared in anger.
"Who the hell are you calling that?"
Qin Nanyuan, no longer as grim, leaned against the doorframe and tossed her hair back.
She smiled carelessly.
"Whoever it concerns, that's who I'm talking about."
"Qin Wuji, are you really planning to make a scene here? Don't forget whose territory this is."
Qin Nanyuan walked forward slowly, approaching Qin Wuji.
Duan Chen glanced at Qin Nanyuan.
Although he didn't believe they were particularly close, they were teammates nonetheless. He wouldn't embarrass a teammate at a time like this.
Not only him, but the others also slowly walked to the opposite side, behind Qin Nanyuan and Jun Ci.
Qin Wuji's face instantly turned extremely unpleasant.
"I can't believe you've made friends after wandering outside for so many years and being cast out. I truly underestimated you."
A malicious smile suddenly spread across Qin Wuji's face. He pointed at Qin Nanyuan and said.
"Don't tell me you guys were fooled by her looks?"
"Let me tell you, this woman is an illegitimate daughter of our Qin family. Her mother was a promiscuous woman, and she's not exactly a pure soul."
"She thinks hooking up with someone from the Jun family will guarantee her safety, but this blind fool doesn't realize she's only hooked up with a bastard from the Jun family."
Qin Wuji looked condescendingly at Qin Nanyuan, whose expression had suddenly turned exceptionally grim.
He pointed his finger accusingly.
"A degenerate like her, and a bastard like him, are you sure you want to continue teaming up with them?"
Qin Nanyuan gritted her teeth, preventing herself from acting irrationally.
She knew perfectly well why Qin Wuji was saying this.
It wasn't because he wanted to save his future teammates from suffering. He simply didn't want her to participate smoothly in the special training competition.
This special training explicitly required participants to be in teams.
Without a team, one might be assigned to a randomly formed group during the training.
If she couldn't find a suitable team, the Jun and Qin families would undoubtedly interfere.
It was possible that, apart from herself and Jun Ci, the other three teammates would all be assassins sent by her own two families, aiming to eliminate them during the special training and "cleanse" their respective houses.
A violent emotion suddenly surged within her.
Why wouldn't these two families leave her alone?
She hadn't chosen to be an illegitimate daughter.
Furthermore, since she grew up, she had never used a single resource from the Qin family or enjoyed any convenience brought by their status.
Instead, she had suffered a lot because of this identity. Her mother hadn't wanted this either. If not for that damned father forcing himself on her mother, she might not have been born and become a nominal stain on her mother's reputation.
Her mother might have had a better future...
Why were they so relentlessly pursuing her?
Qin Nanyuan's pupils began to turn a little bloodshot, on the verge of going berserk.
Just then, Duan Chen stepped forward.
His expression was exceptionally serious, even cold.
Along their journey, whether it was Yuan Qingqing or Yuan Yuan, or later Qin Nanyuan and Jun Ci, none of them had ever seen Duan Chen with such a demeanor.
Duan Chen said coldly to Qin Wuji.
"If you want to live here, then live here. If you don't want to, then get lost."
"We don't need you trying to sow discord here."
"Compared to them, I'm more repulsed by your arrogance despite your age."
Duan Chen suddenly smiled and gestured between himself and Qin Wuji, indicating their heights.
Since absorbing Wang Qi, one of the few benefits was an increase in his height.
He was now at least 1.9 meters tall.
Qin Wuji, on the other hand, was only 1.6 meters.
Qin Wuji had no choice but to look up at Duan Chen.
This condescending gesture successfully made Qin Wuji's face turn completely dark, and he jumped up in a rage.
"How dare you humiliate me? Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Enough!"
Qin Nanyuan was touched that her teammates, whom she had known for a short time, would stand up for her. However, she would not let Duan Chen bear the responsibility for her.
She stepped forward resolutely and said coldly, "Qin Wuji, it's one against five now. If you don't want to be beaten to death by me, then hurry up, grab your luggage, and get into your room."