C248 The Storm at the Banquet(1)

"Are you being polite?"

The Fairmoor prodigy was left at a loss for words.

To put it simply, Chu Yi was in the middle of a meal when this individual decided to stir up trouble.

Yes, if we're being strict about it, his behavior was indeed impolite.

For some reason, though, whenever Chu Yi uttered those words, he experienced an odd sensation, as if...

He was being insulted.

Exactly, that was the feeling.

But...

It didn't seem like the other party had used any outright offensive language.

The Fairmoor prodigy opened his mouth, unsure of what to say next.

Chu Yi, with no other choice, reluctantly set aside the delicious meal before him. He observed the troublemakers and then glanced at the onlookers with their peculiar stares. He sighed deeply.

"And you people..."

Chu Yi shook his head.

"Are just a bunch of..."

He paused, tilting his head as he regarded the clearly disgruntled members of the noble families. A smile then played at the corners of his mouth.

"Idiots..."

With that remark, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop instantly.

Members of the noble families exchanged bewildered and angry looks.

Chu Yi had called them idiots?

This was unexpected...

As members of noble families, they were certainly not the weaklings of Redmarsh.

Though they never initiated conflicts, if provoked, these nobles would not hold back.

The principle was simple: do not offend if not offended. But now, had Chu Yi crossed the line?

Indeed, it was a significant affront.

Still...

These nobles couldn't fathom what Chu Yi was thinking. How could he dare to make such a statement at this moment?

Wasn't this the time for Chu Yi to be modest, to downplay the rumors of the Chu family being the foremost noble family?

Humility and discretion were the cornerstones of their conduct.

Yet, they saw none of that in Chu Yi.

"You take a few careless remarks from others to heart, and you react impulsively."

"How are you any different from those old dogs that fight over a thrown bone?"

Chu Yi's tone remained even, but his words were undeniably provocative.

Comparing members of the aristocratic families to old dogs, especially in such a public setting, was a move of terrifying potency.

Lee Zi regarded Chu Yi with a hint of skepticism. She understood Chu Yi better than anyone, knowing full well that he wasn't typically so biting with his words, nor was he the type to disregard the appropriateness of the situation. If Chu Yi had grown arrogant from newfound strength, it would have manifested long before now, not just suddenly.

But now...

Lee Zi sensed that something was definitely amiss.

Was there a problem?

Absolutely, there was a problem!

After that prodigy from Redmarsh City had uttered those incendiary remarks, some fools from the aristocratic families had actually made a move against Chu Yi. Their attempts were incredibly covert, but Chu Yi was no ordinary individual—how could he not sense it? Of course, they weren't trying to be lethal. The assault was merely a light force, aimed simply at provoking Chu Yi into action.

If it had been just one or two individuals, Chu Yi wouldn't have given it a second thought and would have dealt with them directly. But the issue was the sheer number of attackers!

So many people...

Chu Yi didn't have the time to waste on idle chatter; it was easier to just rebuke them all at once.

"Chu Yi, you're out of line!"

"As a scion of an aristocratic family, is this the kind of behavior you exhibit?"

"You're undermining the unity of the Aristocratic Alliance!"

As these complaints reached his ears, Chu Yi nonchalantly dug at his ear, further straining the already tense atmosphere. Regrettably for them, Chu Yi paid no mind to the disgruntled crowd.

His gaze settled on the earlier speaker from Redmarsh, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "Are you an idiot?"

The prodigy was taken aback, feeling insulted by Chu Yi's question.

"Chu Yi, you..."

Chu Yi gestured with his hand, signaling for the other to hold his tongue.

"If you're not an idiot, can you prove it?"

"I..."

Chu Yi shrugged, his demeanor cheeky. "See, you can't even prove you're not an idiot."

"You—"

As the prodigy attempted to retort, Chu Yi cut him off, "But I have evidence to prove that you, indeed, are an idiot..."

After making his point, Chu Yi didn't bother to check if the other party was paying attention before he continued.

"First off, trying to provoke me by coming over under the pretense of eating, hoping to embarrass me into reacting, is just plain foolish," he said.

Chu Yi found the method the other party used to try to provoke a confrontation rather absurd. Would such a tactic work on someone timid or someone unashamedly thick-skinned?

And let's be honest, everyone knows that these banquets aren't really about the food, even though they're called banquets. But technically, they are still about eating. So, there's nothing inherently wrong with Chu Yi eating. Is it unsightly? Whose problem is that? As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment falls on others. Using that as an excuse is just idiotic.

"If I were in your shoes, I'd pretend not to know the person and flirt with their companion instead," he mused.

Chu Yi shot a glance at Lee Zi, who, caught off guard, shot back an embarrassed and slightly annoyed look.

"See, my Lee Zi is gorgeous. It's only natural she attracts those who can't control their desires," he remarked.

"Of course, if I, Chu Yi, were a coward, and my companion were harassed, I might back down too. But imagine if someone were to suddenly recognize me and shout out my name. What then?"

Even the most timid person would be forced to respond in such a situation. Previously, Chu Yi could afford to stay out of it because no one knew him. But with his identity revealed, continuing to back down would be more than just a personal embarrassment.

"So, by forcing the issue step by step, you leave the other person no choice but to act, and you'll have your justification," he explained.

"There's an old saying: 'For a fair maiden, a gentleman will compete.' Wanting to meet beautiful women doesn't seem like such a terrible thing, does it?"

With that, the rationale was firmly in hand. Moreover, the other party's initial pretense of not recognizing Chu Yi demonstrated that their actions weren't a targeted attack on him. They were simply captivated by the sight of a beautiful woman.

The logic was sound, and it might even compel Chu Yi to take action. What a fantastic opportunity that would be.

Upon hearing Chu Yi's words, the demon was momentarily dumbfounded.

It did seem to be the case.

He couldn't claim to be entirely blameless, but he didn't know Chu Yi at all before this!

Besides, he was merely pursuing, not engaging in any unsavory acts.

Even if bystanders were to find out, they wouldn't hold much against him.

At least he had a leg to stand on in terms of reasoning.

Yes, this was a good strategy.

Watching the demon lost in thought, Chu Yi sighed in resignation.

"See, you can't even come up with such a simple solution. If that doesn't make you an idiot, I don't know what does."

"But—"

"There's more!"

Chu Yi cut him off before he could respond and went on, "I'm actually quite curious. The video of my battle with a top-tier demon shouldn't be a secret."

"Perhaps the common folk in some larger districts aren't too interested, but you demons should have at least glanced at it..."

Chu Yi was spot on.

If it were just the evaluation video of a typical demon, then not many would bother watching.

What's the point in watching the same thing over and over?

And with so many demons and countless videos, if you were to actually study them, you'd focus on the ones that posed a threat to you.

But...

Chu Yi's video was exceptional!

Under twenty and already slain a top-tier demon, while only being at the Gold Level.

Taking everything into account, Chu Yi was in a league of his own.

Such a feat was unprecedented in history.

This Chu Yi, this video, might not have been watched by everyone, but certainly by anyone involved in martial arts, whether they were Bronze, Silver, Diamond, or Gold.