After waiting for a couple more seconds, one of the braver folks within the crowd chose to speak up first.
"I-It's true! I saw it! It was Tian Ju who provoked Young Master Huang Shi first; it was him who humiliated the Young Master!"
After the first one spoke, a bunch of voices joined in agreement, quickly speaking in turn.
"That's right! I remember he kept on calling the Young Master a waste—he even said he was a bastard!"
"True! That guy even said—"
As more and more people continued to speak up for him, Huang Shi's expression grew even more arrogant.
His face basically broadcasted these words: What are you gonna do now, eh?
Even though it was quite obvious that the only reason these people "helped" him was because they started to fear his newfound power—afraid that if they didn't speak up here, he would find them later on to cause trouble—he was still grateful for their support.
Maybe this dogshit Azure Dragon Sect has some positives after all, he thought.
The members of the Disciplinary Hall, on the other hand, had ashen expressions as anger clouded their features.
It was clear that because of the fearsome reputation of their hall, they were used to parading their status to bully whoever they wanted within the sect.
However, it was quite clear that they couldn't do that to Huang Shi unless they wanted to face the ire of the Sect Master—someone that even the Head of the Disciplinary Hall had to fear.
Li Jiang remained quiet, trying to find some way to get Huang Shi into trouble.
And yet, no matter how he spun the matter, Huang Shi was justified in his actions, and he technically didn't kill the man.
As his icy expression finally broke down into an annoyed grimace, he finally spoke, marking the end of this charade.
"All right, Huang Shi, you can go now! But remember, we will be keeping an eye on you. It doesn't matter if you are the son of the Sect Master; no one is above the laws of the Azure Dragon Sect!"
After uttering these words, Li Jiang turned away and started to walk off into the distance.
As Li Jiang and his lackeys quickly took hold of the dead Tian Ju's body, they stared at Huang Shi with terrible expressions, as if they had just swallowed a fly.
Zhao Hao, in particular, gave him a sinister look, glaring one last time before walking off. Before he left, however, he whispered a word of warning.
"You better watch your back, Young Master…"
When Huang Shi heard this, his face returned to one of icy indifference.
He replied in a leisurely tone, "Don't worry. This 'waste' will be happy to play with you lackeys whenever you want."
After making sure that every one of the Disciplinary Hall members had left the scene, he finally sighed in relief before looking at the people who were still staring at him.
They held different expressions on their faces; some looked fearful while others looked confused, but the general consensus was that they no longer thought of him as a weakling and a waste as they had before.
Alright, there's at least something positive from this entire mess...
Huang Shi's eyes narrowed as he stared at the first person who had spoken up for him when the members of the Disciplinary Hall questioned the crowd. He pointed his finger and spoke up.
"You! Come here."
The moment the person heard these words, he suddenly gulped. A
shocked expression appeared on his face before he slowly looked behind him. Realizing there was no one there, he slowly turned back and pointed at his own chest, speaking with a fearful stammer.
"Me?"
Huang Shi felt the situation was a bit comical and struggled to contain his laughter, but he maintained his icy expression as he spoke.
"Yes, you. Come here."
When the person realized that it was truly him the Young Master Huang Shi was calling for, his expression paled even more as a feeling of desperation welled within him.
Seeing this, Huang Shi suddenly felt bad for the guy. He softened his expression from one of indifference to one that held a bit more warmth.
"You don't have to be afraid. I'm not here to punish you; I'm giving you a reward! After all, you were the first one to speak up for me."
Hearing these words gave the man a bit more courage. He clenched his fists before finally making a decision. He slowly walked toward Huang Shi and bowed his head in respect.
"Outer Disciple Fang Lei pays his respects to Young Master Huang Shi!"
Seeing the mix of anticipation and fear in Fang Lei's eyes, Huang Shi could no longer hold back his laughter. He gave a slight chuckle before placing his hand on Fang Lei's shoulder.
"Alright, no need to be afraid. I really will not hurt you, so be at ease."
Fang Lei slowly looked up. His expression shifted; he no longer looked as terrified as before, though the fear hadn't completely disappeared. After raising his head once more, he stayed quiet for a few moments before speaking with a slight stammer.
"So, Young Master... what task can I do for you?"
Hearing these words made Huang Shi pause before he roared in laughter.
"Hahahah! Alright, it seems you are quite the intelligent individual. That is good. I will ask you for a favor, and if you do it well, I will reward you with one minor healing pill!"
When Fang Lei heard these words, his face suddenly lit up with excitement. It was clear from his expression that he was overjoyed; for a cultivator of his level, a minor healing pill was basically like a second life!
"All right, Young Master, what do you want me to do?"
Seeing that Fang Lei had agreed, Huang Shi gave a happy smile as he voiced his request.
"My request is quite simple: just take me to the Azure Dragon Sect Information Hall and we'll be even!"