The pair's sharp, sarcastic remarks were overheard loud and clear by the woman.
She spun around, glaring furiously, only to see two little girls who looked like they possessed zero combat capability. The sight instantly ignited her rage.
"What the hell do you two brats know?!" she shrieked, her voice screeching like rusted metal. "Do you think it's easy for me to earn money? I raised her through thick and thin, not so she could throw away good cash on useless trinkets! If your own parents knew you were wasting money on this garbage, they'd probably be so angry they'd drop dead on the spot!"
Hearing the woman's screeching tirade, Flandre merely spread her small hands in a nonchalant shrug.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but my family wouldn't act like a shrieking shrew and make an embarrassing scene on the street just because I spent fifteen Lungmen dollars on something I like."
A loud wave of laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding crowd.
If it had been a massive sum, that would be one thing, but it was a mere fifteen Lungmen dollars—barely enough to buy a small snack at a street stall. It was just a child spending a tiny bit of pocket money; if the mother felt it was inappropriate, she could easily have reprimanded her daughter in private. Throwing a wild tantrum in public and blocking the street was utterly pathetic.
However, the crowd's mockery directly struck the woman's fragile, hyper-sensitive pride.
With a face contorted in sheer rage and her eyes wide and bloodshot, she looked positively unhinged as she lunged forward, reaching out with a sharp hand to violently grab Flandre's shoulder.
Facing the incoming hand, Flandre didn't even blink, standing completely still as if paralyzed by fear.
Slap!
A crisp, resounding crack echoed through the air.
The woman's hand was swatted away mid-air by a slender arm. Attached to that casual swat was an irresistible force that sent the woman stumbling backward several feet, causing her to land heavily on her bottom with a dull thud.
Sister Hong Meiling stepped smoothly in front of Flandre, shielding the little girl while looking down at the sprawling woman with a chillingly calm expression.
"Consider this a warning. If you attempt to attack us again, I will not hold back."
Frightened by Meiling's icy gaze, the woman froze in place for several seconds. Just as her little girl nervously shuffled over and tried to help her up, the woman suddenly snapped out of her stupor. With a vicious backhand, she shoved her own daughter to the ground and shrieked at the top of her lungs:
"MURDER! HELP! THEY'RE KILLING ME!"
While the woman lacked any actual physical martial strength, her vocal power was remarkably formidable. That piercing screech of "Murder!" caused almost every passerby on the street to instantly turn their heads.
Naturally, several Guard Department officers on patrol nearby noticed the commotion and rushed over.
When they arrived, they found a middle-aged woman writhing on the pavement like a gasping fish out of water. A quick glance confirmed that aside from some dirt on her clothes, she was completely unharmed. In contrast, the little girl lying nearby had scrapes bleeding on her arms and knees.
Before the officers could even speak, the sprawling woman pointed a shaking finger at Flandre and Meiling, screaming frantically, "It's them! The murderers are those two! Arrest them!"
Several of the Guard Department officers looked over, and their expressions instantly froze.
Good grief... isn't the girl she's pointing at Flandre, who just returned to Lungmen two days ago?
It had only been half a year since Flandre last taught at the academy; there was no way they could forget her face. Besides, the incident from two days ago—where Flandre and her companion had effortlessly subdued five maniacal thugs—was still the main topic of conversation at the precinct. Although these patrol officers hadn't witnessed the fight in person, they had heard all about the incredible battle record from their colleagues.
Recognizing the pair immediately, the officers looked at the screaming woman on the ground with bizarre, pitying expressions.
Recalling what their colleagues had said about Flandre's friend—who had literally punched a heavy reinforced iron gate so hard it flew through the air—if someone with that kind of monster strength actually wanted to kill you, would you even be alive to scream like a pig being slaughtered?
The squad leader shook his head in speechless disbelief and walked straight up to Flandre.
"Teacher Flandre!"
Flandre looked him up and down, tilting her head. "I remember you! You were there during my very first lecture at the precinct. How did you end up being assigned to street patrol duty?"
The officer hadn't expected Flandre to actually remember him, and he scratched the back of his neck in mild embarrassment. "I made a few minor operational mistakes a while back, so as punishment, I was assigned to six months of street patrol duty."
"Then do your best!" Flandre nodded encouragingly. A six-month patrol reassignment meant his mistake wasn't trivial, but the fact that he hadn't been drummed out of the Guard Department proved it wasn't a matter of corruption or principle.
Seeing the Guard Department officers—whom she had summoned with her shrieks—actually chatting and laughing with the little girl, the woman's voice grew even higher and shriller. She thrashed around, making it clear she wouldn't get up unless they handcuffed Flandre and Meiling on the spot.
"Uh... Teacher Flandre, what exactly happened here?" the patrol leader asked in a low, respectful voice.
Flandre gestured toward the crowd of onlookers and the nearby shopkeepers. "Why don't you ask the bystanders? Since Sister Hong Meiling and I are involved, any statement we give might sound biased."
Seeing Flandre so open and straightforward, the officer knew without a doubt that she and her companion were not at fault. He nodded and instructed his junior officers to gather statements from the surrounding crowd.
Within minutes, the full picture of the ridiculous drama was pieced together.
After reviewing the reports, the squad leader turned back to the sprawling woman, his face darkening significantly. "Madam, you are suspected of public disturbance and violating Lungmen municipal codes. Please stand up and accompany us to the precinct..."
"Wait! They were the ones who hit me! On what grounds are you arresting me?!" Seeing the officers surrounding her, the woman thrashed her arms wildly to shove them away, screaming at the top of her lungs. "The world has gone dark! The Guard Department is corrupt! They can't tell right from wrong and they're arresting the innocent victim!"
She wailed even louder, flailing her limbs frantically on the pavement.
Seeing her uncooperative behavior, the squad leader suddenly smiled. He stepped forward silently and crouched down—placing his head directly into the trajectory of her swinging arm.
Thwack!
The next second, her arm struck the officer's reinforced helmet.
The impact left the woman completely stunned.
Before she could process what had happened, four Guard Department officers swarmed forward, pinning her firmly to the ground like a unruly hog destined for the market.
"Very well," the squad leader said smoothly, standing up and dusting off his uniform. "Public disturbance plus assaulting an officer on duty."
That minor slap to his helmet hadn't hurt him in the slightest, but it gave them absolute legal grounds to take her away from here.
He gave Flandre an 'OK' hand gesture, signaling that they were taking the woman away.
Flandre quickly pointed to the little girl sitting a few paces away—looking terrified, pale, and bleeding from her scraped knees and elbows. "You're taking her mother away, but what about her?!"
"Huh?" The squad leader looked at the skinny, bruised child curled up like a frightened animal, and a massive headache instantly began to form behind his temples.