"Ah!"
Thousand Faces let out a furious roar as he fled for his life.
Whether it was from Heavenly Sword's beatings or Heavenly Eye's infuriating antics remained anyone's guess.
Lianshan Xin preferred to count it as his own accomplishment.
Watching Thousand Faces flee this time as a plume of white smoke, Lianshan Xin offered a leisurely critique: "Last time Thousand Faces lost to me, he fled as black smoke. This time, he turned into white smoke. Clearly, he isn't just a one-trick pony; he actually has a few tricks up his sleeve."
After taking his jabs at Thousand Faces, Young Master Xin promptly began bolstering Thousand Faces' stature in the annals of history.
After all, his own historical standing was now inextricably bound to Thousand Faces.
For the Heavenly Eye, Thousand Faces could not be too strong; if he were too formidable, Lianshan Xin's record would look completely fabricated.
Yet Thousand Faces could not be too weak either; if he were a weakling, the "Heavenly Eye's" triumph would carry little weight.
Thousand Faces' prowess had to fluctuate dynamically according to Lianshan Xin's needs.
"This is bad."
While Lianshan Xin was still posturing, several academy masters were the first to catch on.
"Thousand Faces could slip into the crowd and disguise himself as an academy student!"
Lianshan Xin's heart stirred.
Yet he burst out laughing once more: "Masters, there is no need to worry. With me here, how would Thousand Faces dare throw himself into the net again? Having lost to me twice in a row, he isn't an utter fool."
Mid-air, Thousand Faces roared in rage once more.
How humiliating!
The exact fear harbored by the academy masters had indeed leapt to Thousand Faces' mind the very instant he took flight.
Yet Thousand Faces was loath to admit, even to himself, that he was afraid.
He was not afraid of the Heavenly Sword; he was afraid of Lianshan Xin's Heavenly Eye.
Previously, before Lanxin, Thousand Faces had adamantly insisted that Lianshan Xin had merely had dumb luck and guessed his identity.
This time, however, Thousand Faces could not explain it away.
Or rather, eliminating all other impossibilities, the only remaining possibility was that Lianshan Xin truly possessed a Heavenly Eye and was truly his bane.
Thousand Faces refused to believe it, but under the gaze of so many witnesses, facts spoke louder than words.
Not only did Thousand Faces think so, but everyone present looked at Lianshan Xin as though looking upon a prodigy fallen from heaven.
Spitting blood, Nie Youzhu bowed respectfully to Lianshan Xin: "Young Master Xin's perception is beyond subtle; you truly deserve the title 'Heavenly Eye.' Thousand Faces' strength is immense, and from start to finish, I never sensed anything amiss about him. Had Young Master Xin not seen through him with such clarity, I would have made a grave mistake today."
At this, cold sweat drenched Nie Youzhu's back, a lingering dread washing over her.
After all, on the surface, what transpired today looked entirely as if she had colluded with Thousand Faces to frame a rising talent of the Nine Heavens.
She, too, had nine degrees of kin, not to mention that the Candlelight of Millennia Pavilion had always strictly maintained neutrality.
Both publicly and privately, she was in massive trouble.
Lianshan Xin glanced at Nie Youzhu, who claimed she had come to assess his battle record. He carefully inspected her injuries, which did not appear faked.
Earlier, before Thousand Faces fled, his intent to kill Lianshan Xin had burned even hotter. Striking out with venomous hatred, he had aimed to deliver a fatal blow, only for Nie Youzhu to risk her life and block it.
However, when Tian Ji and Zhuo Biyu had saved his life without knowing Thousand Faces' true identity, Lianshan Xin had felt genuinely grateful.
Nie Youzhu, on the other hand, had risked her life to protect him despite knowing Thousand Faces' identity, yet Lianshan Xin felt no gratitude toward her whatsoever.
He could only say that Nie Youzhu was no fool.
To her, being struck dead by Thousand Faces would not have been the worst outcome.
If Thousand Faces had killed Lianshan Xin instead, not just she, but her entire family would have been doomed.
"Envoy Nie, do you admit that you were the one who brought Thousand Faces to Bailudong Academy?"
Lianshan Xin's damning question made the severely wounded Nie Youzhu reel as though her injuries had deepened.
She offered a helpless, bitter smile. "Young Master Xin, I owe you my life, and the Candlelight of Millennia Pavilion owes you a favor. Would this resolution satisfy you?"
Lianshan Xin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Can Envoy Nie speak for the Candlelight of Millennia Pavilion?"
"Naturally. When I travel abroad, I represent the Candlelight of Millennia Pavilion. Moreover, the person who holds ultimate authority over the Hidden Dragon Rankings is my mother."
A smile instantly appeared on Lianshan Xin's face. "Then I shall grant Envoy Nie this face. Any connection between this matter, you, and the Candlelight of Millennia Pavilion ends here."
Nie Youzhu picked up on two key points:
First, Lianshan Xin was giving face to her mother.
Second, this matter was far from settled with the Kong clan.
Still, better a fellow traveler die than oneself.
Sworn sisters were not blood sisters after all.
Nie Youzhu let out a sigh of relief.
Kong Yujia, on the other hand, had her breath catch in her throat.
Lianshan Xin naturally had not forgotten Master Kong.
He snapped his head around and pinned his gaze onto Kong Yujia.
A quarter of an hour ago, she had been jumping around so energetically; now, Young Master Xin was settling the score.
His guiding principle was never letting vengeance wait overnight.
"Someone, seize Kong Yujia!"
At Lianshan Xin's sharp command, many academy masters moved instinctively.
Kong Yujia dared not resist in the slightest.
She allowed herself to be taken into custody, looking completely like a defeated dog, only daring to cry out in self-defense: "Young Master Xin, I was framed as well!"
Lianshan Xin chuckled. "Just moments ago, I was 'the fraud Lianshan Xin,' and now I've become 'Young Master Xin.' Kong Yujia, I rather preferred your defiant, arrogant demeanor from earlier."
Kong Yujia wished she could stay defiant and arrogant too.
Yet where were the circumstances for it now?
Unlike the incident at the Prefectural Estate, where not many people had witnessed Thousand Faces disguised as Kong Ningyue, this time Thousand Faces had assumed Kong Ningze's appearance and been unmasked by Lianshan Xin in full view of everyone.
Furthermore, the stark contrast between her treatment of Lianshan Xin and her fawning over Kong Ningze had been far too obvious.
As a result, she had no idea how to clear her name.
She could only plead feebly, "Young Master Xin, not even Lord Heavenly Sword can see through Thousand Faces' disguise, let alone someone like me! In all the realm, only you possess a Heavenly Eye. I was kept in the dark as well."
The words were true enough.
However, Lianshan Xin cast a glance at the Heavenly Sword, who had arrived silently, and immediately condemned Kong Yujia to death in his mind.
If you're incompetent, that's on you; why drag the Heavenly Sword's competence into this?
Attempting to drag Zhang Aniu into the mud was something Lianshan Xin could not tolerate.
"Insolence! Who said Lord Heavenly Sword cannot see through Thousand Faces' disguise?" Lianshan Xin berated her. "Lord Heavenly Sword is merely devoted entirely to the sword, paying no mind to mundane people. A mere Thousand Faces is only worthy of being an opponent for me; Lord Heavenly Sword never placed him in his eyes, so naturally he didn't deign to notice him!"
Zhang Aniu took in Lianshan Xin's loyalty.
Smiling, he shook his head. "Little Xin, you don't need to make excuses for me. Thousand Faces' disguise is indeed something I cannot see through; in that regard, he truly has extraordinary talent. Just now, I chased him into Jiang City, but he melted into the crowds. Lacking your innate ability and unwilling to slaughter indiscriminately, I let him slip away. Still, he took a strike from my sword and won't be stirring up trouble anytime soon."
"Your Lordship is merciful," Lianshan Xin said hastily.
Zhang Aniu shook his head again. "It is not mercy; Thousand Faces is truly difficult to kill. You must all stay vigilant from now on. First Kong Ningyue, and now Kong Ningze. As long as Thousand Faces is not eliminated, he could disguise himself as anyone, impossible to guard against. Every one of the Four Great Elders of the Demon Cult is a demonic Great Grandmaster who has rampaged across the jianghu. Dealing with them is nowhere near as easy as one might imagine."
The crowd nodded in agreement.
Lianshan Xin's "Heavenly Eye" had certainly stunned them.
Yet the fact that none of them had detected Thousand Faces' flawless disguise filled them with equal measures of respect and dread.
"Of course, there is no need to jump at every shadow. With Little Xin here, Thousand Faces shouldn't dare set foot in the academy again. For the near future, our academy will be the safest place in Jiangzhou, and that is all thanks to Little Xin," Zhang Aniu praised.
Lianshan Xin had expressed his loyalty, and Zhang Aniu now began expressing his appreciation for Lianshan Xin.
To any clever observer, this clearly signaled that Lianshan Xin was destined for a meteoric rise.
"It is thanks to Your Lordship presiding over the academy and Young Master Xin's extraordinary gift that the academy remains a haven of peace amidst Thousand Faces' havoc."
An elderly master with white hair and beard stepped forward.
Lianshan Xin did not know this old master's backing, nor did he care. Instead, seizing on the master's words, he launched his attack: "That is where you are mistaken; the academy is not yet a haven of peace. Thousand Faces has operated within the academy for years, and he has likely subverted many people in secret."
The moment Lianshan Xin uttered these words, quite a few people present subtly paled.
The reputation of the "Nine Heavens" for instigating massive inquisitions and purges had spread from Shenjing across all nineteen provinces of Great Yu.
Naturally, they were terrified.
The Heavenly Sword gave a soft cough and offered reassurance: "Little Xin, do not create unnecessary panic. Most people in the academy are surely decent, with only a few harboring ulterior motives at most. Just use your innate ability to root them out."
As soon as those words fell, expressions shifted once again across many faces in the courtyard.
At that moment, Zhang Aniu's peripheral vision swept across the crowd, taking mental note of everyone whose facial expressions and vital qi showed fluctuations.
In particular, he noted the gaze of several individuals who had just harbored killing intent toward Lianshan Xin.
Having padded his battle record using Thousand Faces, Lianshan Xin had proven his genuine mettle, naturally becoming a thorn in the side for those with ill intent.
Lianshan Xin pulled no punches, pointing straight at Kong Yujia. "My Lord, I suspect Master Kong of colluding with the demons. Just earlier, she deliberately provoked me with words to fight Thousand Faces. Had I not possessed an extraordinary gift, my head would likely be separated from my body right now. Formidable as Thousand Faces is, he cannot attend to every matter personally; he surely needs subordinates to carry out his bidding. Master Kong is very likely an accomplice."
"I am not! Lianshan Xin, do not spit venom and make false accusations!" Kong Yujia cried out in alarm. "Masters, I have taught martial arts at the academy for ten years, diligent and conscientious. How could I be a demonic cultist? You are all my witnesses! Now the Nine Heavens seeks to fabricate charges to purge dissenters—I am merely the first, and you will soon follow!"
The expressions of both Lianshan Xin and Zhang Aniu turned icy in an instant.
Zhang Aniu's stature was too elevated for him to stoop to bickering with Kong Yujia.
Lianshan Xin, however, did not mind using greater power to bully the weak.
He let out a cold sneer. "Thousand Faces lurked within the academy even longer, yet was he not equally undetected? What kind of proof is ten years of teaching? If we are talking about evidence, I am the evidence."
"What evidence do you have?" Kong Yujia raised her chin and demanded.
Lianshan Xin's pupils deepened, his tone enigmatic and unfathomable. "Master Kong, stop struggling. It is useless. Even Thousand Faces could not escape my Heavenly Eye, let alone you. I have already seen through your true nature. Though you try your utmost to disguise it, the circulation aura of your cultivation technique has already exposed that you practice demonic arts."
With Thousand Faces' unwitting help, Lianshan Xin had already proven that he possessed a "Heavenly Eye."
This meant that from now on, the sole authority to define who was a demonic cultist rested with Lianshan Xin!
Chapter 82