C13 Kneeling on the Ground and Kowtowing

The mere release of one percent of Wood's formidable aura was enough to send shivers down the spine of the male teacher standing nearby. How had this man become so fearsome so suddenly?

The plump woman's face quivered with fear and anger. "How dare you defy me? Do you have any idea who I am? My husband is a director of this school. Believe me, he could have you expelled with a single word," she roared, her face contorting comically with rage.

Wood met her fury with a cold sneer. "Everyone who's threatened me has lived to regret it. Your husband's title doesn't intimidate me. I wasn't going to make a fuss, but you've just made me reconsider."

"Beg for forgiveness on your knees, and perhaps I'll let this slide," he retorted, throwing her earlier words back in her face, which only deepened her sense of insult.

The male teacher turned pale. "Sir, please, let's not go too far. This is completely unreasonable."

Wood's gaze was icy. "Oh? It wasn't 'too far' when she demanded the same of me?"

The woman was livid. "Insolent! How can you even begin to compare yourself to me? You should feel honored to kneel before me," she spat venomously.

"And those little mongrels attacking my treasures should be grateful I haven't destroyed them."

Excellent! Just excellent!

Wood, who was usually so composed, felt his anger boiling over. Eldon and Selena were his soft spots—his reverse scales. To touch them was to court death.

"You all deserve to die," he stated, his voice chillingly calm.

The woman retorted with disdain, "A peasant will always be a peasant. How could you possibly measure up to my precious Retag? Look at yourself—are you even worthy?"

Her tirade continued as she reached for her phone. "I'm calling my husband this instant. You'll regret this."

As the woman dialed, Selena, witnessing her fierce expression, burst into tears.

"Daddy, the school doesn't want me anymore," she sobbed.

Wood's heart clenched with sorrow. He wrapped Selena in his arms. "Don't worry, my dear. Daddy's here, and I'll ensure justice is done today."

Ice-cold determination filled his eyes.

Shortly after the call was made by the heavyset woman, a balding middle-aged man hurried into the room, his face clouded with grimness. "Teacher Zhou, is this your idea of education?" he thundered.

Teacher Zhou's legs turned to jelly. The benefits at Huan'an Academy were second to none in all of Vriayledo, and he was not about to let his position slip away.

Frantically, he implored, "Eldon, Selena, haven't you two apologized to Retag yet? Must I repeat myself?"

"Insolence!" Wood's voice erupted.

In the blink of an eye, Teacher Zhou was hurtling through the air, a spray of blood trailing behind him as he crashed into the wall, unable to get up.

"You lack the moral discernment to be a teacher," Wood pronounced.

Turning his gaze to the middle-aged man and the stout woman, he said, "Your petty display of power and arrogance is nothing short of despicable."

Caught off guard by Wood's sudden outburst, the pair stumbled backward several steps, the man's complexion cycling between pallor and flush.

"Cease this at once! This is Huan'an Academy, not a place for your wild antics," the middle-aged man growled, his face dark with anger.

"I am the director of this academy. If you wish for your daughter to remain a student here, I advise you to behave accordingly."

"Securing a place at Huan'an Academy is no easy feat. Don't let a rash act ruin your child's bright future," he warned, his voice heavy with ominous overtones.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Wood's laughter was laced with scorn. "How fitting, a nest of vipers and vermin. It seems the whole family is cut from the same cloth."

Wood's patience had evaporated. With Tella at home waiting for him to pick up their child, he had no time to spare on these scoundrels.

He promptly called Larkin.

"God of Soldier."

"Make your way to Huan'an Academy immediately."

With that, Wood ended the call.

On the other end, Larkin's heart lurched, his face contorting with anxiety.

"Damn it, could the young masters be in trouble?"

Larkin sprang to his feet and immediately set off in his car, racing toward Huan'an Academy with the urgency of a storm.

He had personally orchestrated Eldon and Selena's enrollment at the academy, and the thought of any harm coming to them—and the subsequent wrath of the God of Soldier—was unimaginable. He blazed through countless red lights, his heart pounding with anxiety.

In the office, the plump woman couldn't contain her mocking laughter as she watched Wood on the phone.

"Calling for help, are you? A nobody like you couldn't possibly know anyone of significance."

Her voice dripped with condescension. "You and your sons are going to bow down today, and it won't make a difference who comes to your aid."

"How dare you!"

Her taunt was cut short by a furious roar from the hallway.

Bang!

The office door flew open as Larkin charged in.

"Mr. Cooper?" The middle-aged man was taken aback, instantly recognizing the well-known figure of Vriayledo.

Yet, to his astonishment, Larkin knelt before them.

"My deepest apologies for the delay, God of Soldier. Please forgive me," he pleaded, cold sweat dotting his brow.

The middle-aged man was in disbelief.

Could the city's most affluent man be kneeling to a mere commoner?

"Mr. Cooper, you must be mistaken. He's just a commoner," the man exclaimed in shock.

Larkin's anger flared. "Silence! If you dare insult the God of Soldier again, I'll bring ruin to your household."

What?

The middle-aged man was filled with terror.

Wood looked up, his expression cold. "Did you just say I should kneel and bow to you?"

Furious, Larkin rose to his feet and kicked the man squarely in the face.

"Ah!"

A piercing scream filled the air as teeth, bloodied and broken, scattered on the floor. The man writhed in agony, his face distorted with pain.

Once again, Larkin knelt. "God of Soldier, I was blind to your presence and allowed the young master to be dishonored. I humbly await your judgment."

"Stand up. You are not to blame for this," Wood said, his voice laced with barely contained anger.

"Look into these two and make sure they disappear within three days."

Hiss!

The God of Soldier's rage was palpable.

Larkin's face drained of color at the stern command, and he quickly assured, "Yes, God of Soldier. I'll see to it immediately. You have my word."

Wood's steely voice cut through the air, "Come here. Kneel and bow a hundred times, each of you."

The overweight woman was already paralyzed with fear.

With a sense of urgency, Larkin hoisted the petrified woman to her knees before Wood and compelled her to bow over and over.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The muffled sounds of her forehead striking the floor echoed through the office. By the hundredth bow, she collapsed, fainting, her complexion ghostly white.

"Rearrange the affairs at Huan'an Academy," Wood directed Larkin. "Eldon and Selena are to study here without facing any further difficulties."

"This time, I'll overlook the matter, but there won't be a second time," he warned.

After issuing his ultimatum, Wood took the children and strode out.