The Court of Inspectors.
Huang Hao identified Zhai Feng and the others as the ones who had instructed him to spread the rumors.
Zhai Feng, Huang Qifeng, and their group confessed to that part, but they adamantly denied any intent to defame the other academy elders. Their sole purpose, they insisted, was to target Chen Yong and Wu Jia.
Those two offenses were fundamentally different!
Slandering Chen Yong and Wu Jia amounted to personal enmity and private grudges. Spreading rumors that disrespected a teacher was serious, but not punishable by death.
Now, however, the scandal had blown up to such proportions that it had engulfed the entire Great Xia Prefecture. If the grander charges were pinned on them, their lives were truly on the line.
In the interrogation room.
Huang Qifeng's face was deathly pale. He shouted, "Respected Elders, we really had no intention of defaming or slandering the other elders or the academy! Huang Hao is lying! He's deceiving you! We never did that!"
Qiu Yun had long since turned pale with fright. She turned in panic toward Zhou Mingren. "Grandmaster, we truly didn't! We haven't lost our minds! We would target Wu Jia and the others, but we had absolutely no reason to provoke the other elders!"
The elders paid them no heed.
Elder Qi looked at the accompanying elders who had come to inspect the inquiry, then glanced toward Old Huang and said in a heavy voice, "Huang Hao isn't lying. And these students... aren't lying either."
Indeed, none of them were fools; they could see through it.
Something had genuinely gone awry along the way!
Regardless, these students had unquestionably fabricated rumors to malign Chen Yong. Whatever else Chen Yong was, he remained a peak ninth-layer Lingyun expert and the curator of the Cangshu Pavilion. Even if they had only slandered Chen Yong, the evidence was ironclad, and they had to face punishment.
Nearby, Zhou Mingren kept his eyes closed and said nothing.
Old Huang said in a low, grim voice, "Would these students dare to malign Chen Yong out of nowhere? There must be someone pulling the strings behind them!"
Elder Qi glanced at him without pursuing the comment. Looking toward Zhai Feng and the others, he asked placidly, "Who instructed you to manufacture these rumors?"
"No one..."
"Think very carefully before you answer!"
Elder Qi said calmly, "A researcher slandering a colleague is not an insurmountable offense. A student defaming a high-ranking member of the academy is a grave crime!"
This was the plain truth.
This was an era where strength dictated all!
A Yangxing practitioner defaming a Lingyun expert carried a vastly different level of culpability than a Lingyun expert defaming another Lingyun expert.
Right then, Zhou Mingren suddenly opened his eyes and said nonchalantly, "I gave the order. I merely told them to find a way to deal with Wu Jia and strip Chen Yong of his position as curator. As for the rumors, I gave them no further thought."
Elder Qi, Old Huang, and the rest turned to look at him instantly!
Old Huang said coldly, "Vice Principal Zhou, you must take responsibility for your words!"
In truth, all of them had vaguely deduced the truth: Zhou Mingren was likely not the mastermind—it had been that fool Zhou Pingsheng!
Yu Hong, Elder Sun, and the others looked toward him one after another. Zhou Mingren remained composed. "I will naturally take responsibility. This matter was caused inadvertently by me, and I will bear the blame. I shall tender my resignation from the post of academy vice principal. Are you satisfied with this punishment?"
He was resigning from the vice principalship!
The elders furrowed their brows. What was the difference between a vice principal and a regular academy elder?
The greatest difference was that if Wan Tiansheng ever fell or stepped down from the role of principal, the vice principals were qualified to assume leadership over the entire Great Xia Civilization Academy.
Furthermore, a vice principal possessed the authority to intervene in the affairs of other colleges.
For instance, in the Divine Dan College or the Divine Talisman College, a vice principal was entitled to have a hand in their operations.
Now, Zhou Mingren's resignation signified that in the future, he would only oversee his own share of the Divine Character College and would no longer interfere with the broader affairs of the academy. It was a massive loss.
Old Huang's gaze turned sharp as he fixed his eyes on Zhou Mingren. "Vice Principal Zhou, you must take responsibility for your words! Taking the blame for someone else is hardly a wise choice. You are a vice principal. If you insist that you did it, we have no means to continue the investigation..."
If Zhou Mingren had confessed, how could they keep investigating?
Even if they traced it back to Zhou Pingsheng, he would merely claim Zhou Mingren had instructed him. Dealing with a Lingyun expert was far more complicated than handling a mere Yangxing practitioner.
They could discern whether a Yangxing practitioner was lying, but once a cultivator reached Tengkong, even a Sunmoon expert would struggle to see through them.
Once willpower materialized in the Tengkong Realm, its resilience increased dramatically, making deception much harder to pierce.
Zhou Mingren remained calm as water. "I have already said that I handed down the instruction. Mete out whatever punishment is appropriate. What else do you wish to know?"
Elder Qi frowned!
Looking at Zhou Mingren, he said with a scowl, "Old Zhou, you and I understand the reality of this. We are all figures in the Shanhai Realm, on the verge of stepping into the Sunmoon Realm. Resorting to petty schemes is truly pointless! When Zheng Yuming was around, whatever you did, at least everything conformed to the rules. Your faction was vast, yet ordered; at the very least, there were standards... Now? Heh!"
A twinge of pain shot through Zhou Mingren's heart.
Did he not know that?
He knew it all too well!
Yet who had crippled Yuming? Were they blind to that?
Old Huang looked at Zhou Mingren, his demeanor returning to composure. "Since Vice Principal Zhou has admitted to being the mastermind, his case will be handed over to Principal Wan to convene an elders' council for a decision! As for Zhai Feng and this group..."
Zhou Mingren was willing to shoulder the blame, and at present, there was no way to determine whether they had merely targeted Chen Yong or everyone else as well...
After a moment's contemplation, Old Huang said, "Huang Hao and these other perpetrators have sullied the academy's reputation and defamed their seniors. Effective today, all academy benefits and rights to enter mystic realms are revoked; they are banned from the Cangshu Pavilion and the library... In addition, they shall receive thirty lashes, a fine of one hundred merit points, and a major demerit on their permanent record!"
No one voiced an objection.
Old Huang continued, "As the originators of the rumors, Zhai Feng, Huang Qifeng, Qiu Yun, and the others shall receive one hundred lashes! A fine of one thousand merit points! And revocation of all academy privileges..."
The moment those words fell, Zhou Mingren sighed. "I was the one who instructed them. They were merely executing orders. The lashes and demerits are acceptable, but revoking all privileges... They are all Top 100 students, reserve candidates for Tengkong. I hope the Court of Inspectors might show appropriate leniency."
Revoking their privileges meant they would have no part in the upcoming trip to the Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm.
The lashes would be far more agonizing than anyone imagined.
A demerit would cause great trouble down the road.
A fine of a thousand merit points was also a hefty sum.
Yet none of that compared to having all privileges stripped away. It meant losing a vast array of opportunities within the academy.
Why did they come to study at the academy in the first place? It was precisely to obtain those privileges!
Once stripped of them, it was tantamount to being covertly expelled. These people were the elite of the Single Divine Character Faction; ruining them all at once would be too catastrophic a loss!
Old Huang said evenly, "They brought this upon themselves! At the very least, I have preserved their right to remain within the academy. If they achieve significant merits in the future, it can offset this punishment!"
"Significant merits?"
Zhou Mingren fell silent for a moment before asking, "Does eliminating a stronghold of the All-Races Sect count as significant merit?"
"It does!"
A sharp glint flickered in Old Huang's eyes. "Vice Principal Zhou had better consider this carefully. Merit cannot be transferred privately! Falsely claiming military achievements is a capital offense!"
"I am aware!"
Zhou Mingren looked toward Zhai Feng and the others, saying softly, "There is still a chance. The Great Xia Prefecture values merit. None of you are far from Tengkong. As long as you eliminate a few strongholds of the All-Races Sect, your merits can offset your offenses, and you may yet undo what has happened today!"
A sigh echoed in his heart!
A catastrophic loss!
A pack of utter fools!
As for himself, losing the vice principalship was what it was.
At this juncture, it was time to pull back the reach of the Single Divine Character Faction.
In the past, when they were in their prime, they could meddle in the affairs of other colleges; now, his strength failed his ambitions.
Ignoring him, Old Huang continued, "Furthermore... Zhou Pingsheng, Yang Chao, Min He... for failing to discipline their students, their merit point allocations will be suspended for one year, and they are barred from applying for professional title promotions for three years..."
"Huang Chen!"
Zhou Mingren whipped his head toward Old Huang, his expression shifting rapidly. "They knew nothing of this! Forfeiting a year's stipend is acceptable, but barring them from title promotion evaluations for three years—isn't that excessive?"
Being unable to apply for promotion for three years meant that even if Zhou Pingsheng became a pavilion curator or a lineage master, he could not become an academy elder.
An elder had to hold at least the title of Senior Researcher.
And Zhou Pingsheng would have no chance at that.
Old Huang shot him an indifferent look. "If Vice Principal Zhou has any dissatisfaction, you may appeal! Right now, the penalty imposed by the Court of Inspectors is already lenient out of respect for you!"
Zhou Mingren furrowed his brows and fell silent.
For three years... multiple researchers would be unable to apply for promotion.
Not just Zhou Pingsheng; several other researchers were also on the verge of advancing. With this, the influence of the Single Divine Character Faction would be shrunk even further.
He glanced at Huang Chen, his expression turning rather sour.
The Court of Inspectors had never operated like this in the past.
Old Huang ignored him and continued, "Additionally, when students demonstrate flawed character, the mentors bear immense responsibility! During the year-end academy audit, the Court of Inspectors will carry out an exhaustive investigation. The Court wishes to see just where the minds of the academy's researchers truly lie!"
At this declaration, the faces of Yu Hong and several others changed. Yu Hong snapped, "Huang Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean?"
Old Huang looked at her and said calmly, "An audit! Do you not understand? It is the duty of the Court of Inspectors! Does Elder Yu Hong intend to interfere with official business? The clear remains clear; the turbid remains turbid! I hope all of you return and properly oversee your subordinates! This year's audit will be thorough! Treasuries, accounts, teaching hours, research projects, funding records... every single item will be scrutinized!"
Old Huang said coldly, "I would truly like to see why, with so much revenue entering the academy every year, there is still a shortage of funds and students struggling to obtain a single text of will! The Great Xia Civilization Academy should not be lacking in money! Take the texts of will—even if students cannot observe them every day, doing so once every week or two should be well within reach. Yet now, many students go half a year or an entire year without laying eyes on a single one!"
"This includes the Divine Dan faction, the Divine Talisman faction, the Forging faction, and the Beast Taming faction... You had all better return and conduct internal inspections. Do not wait for the year-end audit for me to catch your shortcomings!"
Old Huang swept his gaze over the crowd and warned in a frigid voice, "I hope to still see each of your faces among the elders when the year ends! It would be truly disgraceful if, by that time, some of you are stripped of your elder titles and dispatched straight to the Vanguard Camp!"
At these words, several elders blanched.
Even the elders who had come along to oversee the inspection showed fluctuating expressions.
This fellow Huang Chen had never been like this before!
Old Huang's expression remained placid. "Take this lesson to heart, everyone! In addition, the elders' council must provide a resolution as soon as possible. I will issue a public announcement to all sides, and the students will be whipped publicly to show the outside world that the Great Xia Civilization Academy still has rules! You may struggle against each other, but do not step out of line! Once that line is crossed, you will be shown no mercy!"
Silence fell over the room.
A public punishment, public lashes.
A sweeping year-end audit!
Every single one of these measures would reshape the entire power structure of the academy.
...
The Court of Inspectors acted swiftly, and the Great Xia Civilization Academy was equally prompt!
On the afternoon of the fifteenth, the penalty decree was released!
It was made public to the entire Great Xia Prefecture!
Zhou Mingren, as a half-step Sunmoon expert and vice principal of the Great Xia Civilization Academy, bore the brunt of the storm and became the focal point of everyone's attention.
Zhou Mingren: forfeiture of stipend for three years, stripped of his position as vice principal.
Zhou Pingsheng and several other researchers: forfeiture of stipend for one year, barred from promotion for three years, and a demerit recorded.
Zhai Feng, Huang Qifeng, and several others: one hundred lashes, a fine of one thousand merit points, and revocation of all academy rights and benefits.
Huang Hao and his cohort faced corresponding punishments as well.
Even ordinary students who had assisted in spreading the rumors were fined varying amounts of merit points, ranging from a few points to a hundred. Some who had propagated the rumors to large audiences received demerits and were even stripped of their rights to enter certain mystic realms.
...
The moment the news broke, it shook the four directions.
Punishing students was nothing extraordinary!
The crucial point was that a half-step Sunmoon expert had actually been stripped of his vice principalship. This was no trivial matter; a half-step Sunmoon cultivator was among the highest-ranking figures in the Great Xia Prefecture.
All over a rumor, a top-tier powerhouse had nearly been ruined.
The Great Xia Civilization Academy had moved with thunderous speed, producing results within half a day, offering the onlookers across the Great Xia Prefecture a spectacular show!
The most damaging aspect was the utter humiliation!
A grand half-step Sunmoon powerhouse like Zhou Mingren had been tied directly to the spreading of petty rumors. It dealt a severe blow to his reputation.
The forfeited stipends, the lost merit points... next to this, those losses seemed trivial.
...
In the afternoon.
The Preaching Area.
A sea of people had gathered. Today, the public lashes would be carried out!
On the massive square, teachers and students formed dense circles around the perimeter.
Chen Yong had also arrived, bringing Wu Jia with him, watching the students in the square with a serene expression.
Not far away, Zhou Pingsheng's face was ashen.
Several of his disciples were among the condemned.
His teacher had been punished, he himself had been penalized, and his students were facing fines and public lashes. To Zhou Pingsheng, the humiliation was unbearable!
Not only that, but this time, in the eyes of the elders, he had been reduced to an utter incompetent.
His teacher and the elders naturally knew who had truly orchestrated everything.
Watching his students kneeling on the ground, Zhou Pingsheng felt terrified, yet consumed by incandescent rage!
He had merely told these bastards to deal with Wu Jia; how had it spiraled to this point?
It had drawn the scrutiny of the entire academy and even powerhouses across the Great Xia Prefecture!
A sweeping year-end audit!
What did that entail?
It meant they would have to cover all their deficits this year. The sums were staggering—an excruciating loss far beyond a few thousand merit points in fines.
Leaving everything else aside, the Cangshu Pavilion alone required at least thirty thousand merit points to balance the books!
And what about the other places?
The college treasuries, the research institutes, the Mission Office, the Exchange Office...
A cursory tally across the Single Divine Character Faction today revealed that at least two hundred thousand merit points would be needed to plug the holes!
And prior to this, they had already lost hundreds of thousands of merit points!
From now on, the Single Divine Character Faction would truly have to tighten its belt.
Certain research institutes would have to be abandoned.
Certain projects would have to be halted.
And that was only the financial toll. Once certain irregularities were verified during the audit, some researchers might very well be penalized and dispatched to the Vanguard Camp. If luck favored them, they might return alive; if not... they would perish on the All-Heavens Battlefield!
By now, the researchers of the Single Divine Character Faction hated his guts!
Not only his faction—researchers from other factions throughout the academy glared at him with undisguised hostility whenever they crossed paths!
Because of his actions, numerous researchers were trembling in fear!
Petrified with dread!
Why had it come to this?
Before today, he had still dreamed of becoming a lineage master, a pavilion curator, an academy elder within the year!
Now, it had all dissolved like a reflection of the moon in water!
In the square, Old Huang made his first public appearance before the crowd as head of the Court of Inspectors.
A cold command rang out: "Execute the sentence!"
*Crack!*
Several guards swung their whips with full force!
"Ahhh!"
Agonized screams erupted in succession. Bloody welts broke out across the students' backs, tearing skin and splitting flesh!
Old Huang looked around and said coldly, "Within this academy, rules still stand! The military has its regulations, the Great Xia Prefecture has its laws, and the Great Xia Civilization Academy has its rules!"
"Whether student or researcher, all must abide by the rules!"
"This is precisely how humanity has stood firm among the ten strongest races. Without rules, if everyone acted lawlessly on the battlefield, would there still be the peace we enjoy today?"
"If merits go unrewarded and offenses unpunished, who will continue to toil for the human race?"
"Strike!"
At his sharp command, the guards put even more strength into their swings!
Inspectors from the Court of Inspectors were watching closely!
If they did not strike hard enough, they would face punishment themselves.
Blood splattered in all directions!
No one was permitted to use yuanqi or willpower to resist; they had to endure it purely with physical flesh. Civilization Masters did not possess strong bodies to begin with, and Huang Qifeng, who was already injured, passed out cold after only a few lashes.
He was not the only one; weaker students like Huang Hao had lost consciousness entirely, limp as the whip carved bloody furrow after furrow into their flesh!
...
On the perimeter.
Chen Yong watched for a brief moment, glanced toward Zhou Pingsheng nearby, and turned to leave with Wu Jia.
Wu Jia whispered, "Master, we aren't watching anymore?"
"No need. Their foul mouths have been disciplined; they won't dare repeat it next time. It's just a pity some people didn't receive the punishment they deserved."
Zhou Mingren?
Chen Yong glanced at a tall pavilion in the distance, where a figure stood erect.
He smiled slightly. Quite the dedicated mentor, shouldering even such guilt for the sake of his disciples.
Atop the tall pavilion.
Zhou Mingren was looking back at him, his gaze deep and inscrutable. *Chen Yong... I truly underestimated you!*
This time, the Single Divine Character Faction had suffered an unimaginable loss.
Their reputation lay in tatters!
Even Zhou Mingren himself, a half-step Sunmoon powerhouse—figures of his standing were almost never subjected to public reprimand anywhere in the Human Realm, yet he had set a precedent in the Great Xia Prefecture!
Zhou Mingren looked away from Chen Yong and turned toward a figure seated in a chair beside him, murmuring softly, "Yuming, tell me... is the Single Divine Character Faction finished? With so many people, we couldn't even outmaneuver a mere handful..."
The older generation couldn't best Hong Tan; the next couldn't best Chen Yong; the Tengkong generation couldn't best Bai Feng; and the students couldn't best Su Yu...
Superior numbers?
What good were they?
A mere few people had spun them around in circles: a Shanhai disabled, a vice principal stripped of office, researchers barred from promotion, and students publicly whipped!
On top of that lay the enormous deficits!
Once they covered those shortfalls, they would struggle even to open the mystic realm this time. Yet if they refused to open it... they could not account for it. It was no longer up to them; the elders who had secured spots would never agree to canceling it!
Yet opening the mystic realm meant Zhai Feng and his peers, barred by punishment, could not enter. More critically, the immense expense would drain every last bit of their accumulated reserves.
Zheng Yuming sighed softly, speaking with a touch of helplessness. "Teacher, we underestimated those fellows! We've been thoroughly played. Not only that, but we've alienated numerous other factions, especially with this year-end audit..."
Zhou Mingren nodded. Indeed, this infringed upon everyone's interests. Yet people would not direct their resentment at the Court of Inspectors; they would only blame the Single Divine Character Faction for bringing this trouble down on them.
Otherwise, why would the Court of Inspectors suddenly launch an exhaustive audit for no reason?
"Teacher, merit points and resources are gone, but those can be resolved... We can demand them from the Great Zhou Prefecture!"
Zheng Yuming gritted his teeth. "The Great Zhou Prefecture must cover these losses and compensate us!"
Zhou Mingren remained silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"Furthermore, recall Elders Ma and Fang..."
"Old Ma was sentenced to the Shanhai Vanguard Camp! Conveniently, he can look after you. As for Old Fang, I will find a way to summon him back!"
"Elder Ma was sent to the Vanguard Camp?"
Zheng Yuming had not yet heard of this. Zhou Mingren nodded. "He was sentenced the day Hong Tan emerged. As it happened, I originally intended to have one of them go and care for you, but lacked a valid pretext. This works out well!"
"I have dragged Teacher down!"
Zheng Yuming sighed.
Zhou Mingren said casually, "Not at all. Are you certain it was Chen Yong who set you up last time?"
"It should be him!"
Zheng Yuming sighed. "I was spectating the match. What I saw wasn't Qifeng being injured, but killed—brutally slaughtered. In my fury, I moved to demand an explanation, only to..."
"Can he interfere with your willpower?"
"He can!"
Zheng Yuming nodded. "He was the strongest expert present near the Top 100 ring. If it wasn't him, no one else could have done it! He must have conjured an illusion—perhaps not interfering with me directly, but subtly distorting that small area around the arena!"
Zhou Mingren nodded and asked no further.
Without evidence, even Zheng Yuming's testimony carried no weight.
Just like this incident: Huang Hao's memory had undeniably been tampered with, but there was no proof. Unless an Invincible expert arrived to conduct a deep soul-search, what could words alone prove?
One could not strike against a peak ninth-layer Lingyun expert without solid evidence!
Moreover, Hong Tan was still inside the academy.
"Teacher, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had remained dormant all these years, yet since the start of this year, they've launched repeated counterattacks. Is it because... the Great Zhou Prefecture can no longer suppress them?"
Zhou Mingren said softly, "Fifty years have passed. It's not that they can no longer suppress them, but that the suppression has reached its absolute limit! Liu Wenyan and the others are returning one after another, Hong Tan is on the verge of breaking through... combined with figures fanning the flames from the shadows, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction has been striking back incessantly..."
"Then..."
Zheng Yuming fell silent for a moment before asking, "Do we continue?"
"We continue!"
Zhou Mingren murmured, "Pulling chestnuts from the fire—this is our opportunity! Without suppressing the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, our present glory would never have existed! If we cannot keep them suppressed, we will lose far too much..."
Zheng Yuming nodded. "Then we keep suppressing them! At the very least, we cannot allow the Multiple Divine Characters Faction to rise again. Teacher, we should fight for more resources from the Great Zhou Prefecture; otherwise, we won't be able to sustain ourselves!"
"There is no need for you to remind me. With Shan Tianhao dead, Zhou Polong will not let the matter rest! The Great Xia Prefecture is not his domain; he can only rely on us!"
As Zhou Mingren spoke, he added, "Since our people are barred from using the mystic realm, we will borrow resources! Have the Great Zhou Prefecture send over a few eternal divine characters!"
Zheng Yuming's eyes flickered. Teacher's appetite was by no means small!
"Cultural weapons, pills, cultivation methods, texts of will... we want them all!"
Zhou Mingren said coldly, "Our losses this time are far too great; they must contribute their share!"
Zheng Yuming nodded and spoke no more.
Zhou Mingren suddenly asked, "As for the position of lineage master, who do you think is suitable?"
Zheng Yuming glanced at Zhou Pingsheng in the distance and sighed. His junior brother could not bear great responsibilities; he clearly wouldn't do!
"Let's leave the lineage master post vacant for now, but we can appoint a few people to handle daily affairs..."
"What about Liu Hong?" Zhou Mingren suggested out of nowhere.
Zheng Yuming frowned. "Teacher, he's only in the Tengkong Realm. Moreover, that fellow... is terribly sly..."
"Slyness is precisely what we need!"
Zhou Mingren said calmly, "The others represent the interests of the other elders. Old Zhao is in death seclusion, while Liu Hong has no backers... The Lingyun cultivators can be managed by people from the other elders, but what if Liu Hong oversees Tengkong and below?"
Zheng Yuming said in a heavy voice, "He could manage it. The issue is, I don't believe his heart lies in suppressing anyone—it lies in elevating himself. Liu Hong is a consummate opportunist; he only applies himself to matters that benefit him."
"Then tie him to us completely. What benefits the Single Divine Character Faction will benefit him; what harms the faction will harm him!"
Zhou Mingren didn't mind that, remarking casually, "In the end, strength and research achievements speak loudest! Without strength, everything is hollow."
Zheng Yuming nodded, thought for a moment, and asked, "Teacher, what about the position of Cangshu Pavilion curator? Do we still pursue it?"
"Chen Yong..."
Turning his gaze once more toward Chen Yong's receding figure, Zhou Mingren said, "Our people must not act rashly again! Or at least, stay strictly within the rules and leave no handle for others to grasp. I will speak to Xia Yuwen later... If he no longer wishes to contest it, then we will drop our bid for the position!"
Xia Yuwen's physical injuries were nearly healed.
What crushed him now was not bodily harm, but the fracture of his spirit.
Bai Feng's single sword strike had shattered his conviction!
That was the truly terrifying part!
Bai Feng, an eighth-layer Tengkong cultivator, had crushed him. That was the devastating blow to Xia Yuwen. Had Bai Feng been a third-layer Lingyun, it would never have left Xia Yuwen so utterly disheartened.
Zheng Yuming nodded and said no more.
Next month, he would have to depart from the academy. Even now, his injuries remained unhealed and his primary divine character was shattered; he did not even know if he would survive the All-Heavens Battlefield.
The two exchanged a few more words before Zhou Mingren suddenly said, "The news spread across the entire Great Xia Prefecture overnight! How many people are there in the Multiple Divine Characters Faction? Even if Huang Hao's memory was tampered with, doing so within the academy is one thing, but outside the academy, someone was coordinating with Chen Yong!"
Zheng Yuming's heart stirred, and he nodded. "Undoubtedly!"
"A centipede dies but never falls down! It seems the Multiple Divine Characters Faction still has operatives stationed outside. Chen Yong revealed some of his hand this time. Trace this lead and investigate thoroughly—I want to see just how many people are still lying low!"
Saying this, Zheng Yuming suddenly added, "Teacher, keep a close watch on Junior Brother Zhou!"
"Hmm?"
"That girl Wu Jia—you know why she was accepted into the lineage. Before she even entered the academy, Chen Yong had been sponsoring her studies all along, raising her like a daughter. Junior Brother stepped on his absolute taboo this time; I'm worried something might happen to him."
Zhou Mingren frowned and looked toward Chen Yong without speaking.
After a long silence, he said in an eerie, quiet voice, "If Pingsheng dies, can Principal Wan still afford to treat it lightly?"
Zheng Yuming's heart shuddered!
Yet he dared not utter a sound!
Those words... carried far too many implications!
Teacher... was he... could he be thinking of...?
Zhou Mingren had already turned to leave, his voice floating back faintly. "More than capable of ruining things, yet utterly incapable of accomplishing anything! Of course, your teacher isn't that ruthless yet. But I will be entering closed-door cultivation soon. If Pingsheng behaves himself, so be it; if he continues to act foolishly, even I will not save him!"
Trading Zhou Pingsheng for Chen Yong!
Zheng Yuming's expression was conflicted as he fell silent. Was it worth it?
Perhaps it was!
Chapter 202