On November 1, Liu Wenyan, who had stirred up so much turmoil, departed.
Great Xia Prefecture seemed to fall quiet in an instant.
At the same time, within Great Xia's borders, a group of powerful experts left as well.
No one knew whether their departure was connected to this matter.
Great Xia Prefecture returned to peace.
Just as it had always been!
……
Great Xia Civilization Academy.
With the arrival of the new month, everything seemed to be in the past. There were no conflicts, no conspiracies.
Hong Tan was nowhere to be seen, and Chen Yong had once again retreated deep into the Library Pavilion.
Bai Feng, who in the past might have stirred up trouble, had been exiled.
Su Yu, who had caused quite a ruckus earlier, seemed to have been injured recently and kept an exceptionally low profile.
Wu Jia rarely showed herself either, focusing peacefully on outlining divine characters in preparation for entering Tengkong.
Without the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, it felt as though nothing would ever happen again.
It even faintly gave people the impression that… things were actually pretty good without the Multiple Divine Characters Faction.
Such were the thoughts of quite a few.
……
These thoughts also reached Su Yu's ears.
Inside a teahouse.
Su Yu sat sipping tea with Hu Zongqi. Hearing Hu Zongqi recount what others were saying, he smiled and remarked, "If that's what they think, that's their business. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction is more important than they imagine. If they truly believe we've gone quiet and that all is well, let them be!"
You could never wake someone pretending to sleep.
In the eyes of some, if the Multiple Divine Characters Faction were wiped out, all the better—it saved everyone trouble.
Only when the Single Divine Character Faction finally trampled on their own heads would those same people wonder why no one stepped forward to help them, and then they would curse heaven and earth.
Brushing the thought aside, Su Yu took another sip of tea and asked, "How many divine characters have you outlined now?"
"Two."
Hu Zongqi did not know what he meant, but answered nonetheless.
"Are they human ones?"
"No, both are from the Demon Clan."
Su Yu pondered for a moment before speaking up. "It's best to swap them out for human ones while you haven't nurtured them much yet..."
"This..."
Hu Zongqi looked somewhat conflicted. "It's not that I don't believe you, but once I switch to human characters, my combat strength will drop. Even though I haven't reached Tengkong yet and don't need to fight, once I do step into Tengkong, human divine characters are notoriously weak."
Su Yu gave a slight nod. "I know. If you feel Sun and Moon is beyond reach, then there's no need to care. But if you harbor the ambition to charge toward Sun and Moon, I think it's better to plan ahead."
"God and demon divine characters hold experts back from entering the Sun and Moon Realm."
Thinking it over, Su Yu added, "Actually, keeping them for now is fine too. If worst comes to worst, you can switch them when you reach Shanhai. That's still a long way off, after all."
Hu Zongqi fell into contemplation for a moment, then nodded lightly.
Better to wait a while longer!
Leaving the topic behind, Hu Zongqi quickly continued, "The main reason I looked for you this time was to let you know that early next month, students from the War Academy are coming to challenge this year's freshmen. You haven't been showing up much lately, so I was worried you might not know."
Su Yu smiled. "I know. Someone mentioned it before. Doesn't matter to me—I'm too lazy to stick my neck out! Don't underestimate this year's freshmen. Many of them are hiding their true depth, and quite a few are formidable. It has little to do with me."
Hu Zongqi chuckled. "I thought you'd want to step forward and sweep the board, showing them how strong this year's freshmen are."
"No need."
Su Yu shook his head. "What's the point of making an ugly scene? Keeping a low profile is better. We might even find a use for those people later on."
He truly did not care much.
Xia Huyou had mentioned it to him long ago, and Zhang Hao had brought it up as well.
Su Yu could not be bothered in the least.
A friendly spar?
What did that have to do with him!
He had no time for sparring right now; his injuries weren't even healed yet.
Moving past that, Su Yu asked briskly, "There hasn't been much movement from the Single Divine Character Faction lately. Have they called a truce, or what? Are they no longer targeting us?"
"Not quite!"
Hu Zongqi smiled. "It's internal matters. Didn't Hu Wensheng come out of seclusion? Plus, Liu Hong broke through to Lingyun, and several other Lingyun experts are competing as well. With Elder Zheng gone, the position of lineage master has to be decided, so they're all fighting over it!"
"I see."
No wonder things had been going smoothly lately with nobody looking for trouble. Part of it was that his own faction members were either in seclusion or lying low, but having the Single Divine Character Faction stop targeting them was definitely a good thing.
Su Yu said with a grin, "Do you think anyone would stop my senior sister if I had her challenge the Top 100 Rankings right now?"
"Hard to say!"
Hu Zongqi shook his head. "I don't think Pavilion Master Zhou has given up. If he becomes lineage master, fine; if not... he definitely won't give up on trying to become head of the Library Pavilion. This is his chance. Shanhai is hard to reach, and if he fails to become lineage master, the post of Library Pavilion master gives him the best shot at becoming an academy elder."
"So what if he becomes an elder?"
Su Yu said, exasperated. "Even if he does, rules dictate that he must maintain neutrality. Wouldn't that just tie his own hands?"
Hu Zongqi lowered his voice. "What does that matter? Neutrality is fine by him! Do you really think he's out to secure benefits for the Single Divine Character Faction? Once he becomes an elder, he gains the opportunity to pursue advanced studies in the Quest Realm. Once he goes to the Quest Realm and reaches Shanhai, he'll return as a fully legitimate elder. Neutrality or not, would he care at all by then?"
"All he cares about is the title. His sole goal is Shanhai!"
Su Yu considered this and nodded.
Fair enough!
In other words, the Single Divine Character Faction—or rather, Zhou Pingsheng—had not truly given up. Su Yu had noticed it as well.
Zhai Feng had been suppressing his breakthrough, which was abnormal.
Zhai Feng was already on the verge of breaking through earlier. After entering the mystic realm, his willpower could barely be suppressed any longer. If he kept holding it down, his divine characters would probably advance on their own. Yet he still refused to break through, nine times out of ten just to intercept Su Yu.
Su Yu could not be bothered with him for now; he would wait and see.
Come December, if those people still tried to make things difficult, he would show them no mercy.
His most pressing issue right now was not this.
It was that Su Yu was out of money!
He still owed Xia Huyou 1,100 merit points.
He wanted to head outside to make some cash. The Single Divine Character Faction was hard to fleece right now, but there was still a treasure waiting for him.
He knew that going out right now wasn't entirely safe.
Accidents might happen.
However, first, he was short on money; second, he wanted to see if he could lure a few scoundrels out and slaughter them!
Third, he indeed planned to prepare his research center next, which also required money.
Furthermore, securing Tengkong Realm god and demon blood essence would cost a fortune. As for mortgaging the Wen Tan Research Center as his grandmaster had suggested, that was strictly a last resort.
All things considered, the Tianyi Cult's treasure was very important.
Of course, not right this instant.
Su Yu intended to step into Wanshi and outline a few more divine characters first, gaining power truly capable of contending with Tengkong before heading out. Leaving now carried too much risk.
"Zongqi, I asked you out today so you could keep an eye open for any missions regarding the All-Races Pit."
Su Yu came straight to the point. "I want to enter the All-Races Pit once, but the outside is guarded by Longwu Guards. See if you can keep an ear to the ground for any missions in that direction."
"Alright!"
Hu Zongqi did not pry; he could simply check the Mission Office later.
"Also, help me watch the movements of a few people..."
Su Yu quietly whispered several names. Hu Zongqi looked a little surprised, but nodded. "Understood, I'll keep an eye out!"
"Be careful!"
Su Yu warned, "Don't let them notice anything unusual. No need to deliberately pry."
"Don't worry!"
Hu Zongqi asked nothing further, but Su Yu sank into thought.
Recently, a batch of transmission talismans had been distributed.
They had not been handed out directly; some had been deliberately dropped in specific spots waiting to be picked up, while others had been slipped quietly into certain people's residences to be discovered.
Because of that, the Anti-Single Faction Society had gained more members, and they weren't all just Su Yu's burner accounts.
Of course, his burner accounts still popped up regularly.
Some people had genuinely picked up the transmission talismans and joined out of curiosity or with other motives.
Naturally, there were also those who hadn't joined and were merely watching from the shadows.
Over the past few days, a few of his alts—the ones posing as naive newcomers—had been contacted privately, seemingly with an intention to recruit them. He wasn't sure whether it was another organization trying to pull people in or something else.
Su Yu suspected that among those people, there might very well be members of the All-Races Sect.
Those naive-newbie alts of his frequently posted rather bloody remarks, like shouting to murder everyone in the Single Divine Character Faction or find a chance in secret to wipe out a whole group of them...
In short, personas that wished for nothing but total chaos.
As a result, those accounts had been contacted.
The All-Races Sect probably favored precisely that kind of trash.
Su Yu knew practically everyone who had picked up those transmission talismans, and even though they used pseudonyms, he knew who corresponded to which name.
Right now, those were the people Su Yu had asked Hu Zongqi to monitor.
No need to be deliberate—just casual observation was enough.
The two exchanged a few more words before Su Yu walked out of the teahouse.
……
In November, the weather was turning chilly.
Su Yu wore a thin robe that made him look all the more frail, his face still pale. Walking along the academy path, he maintained an exceptionally low profile.
When he had time, he attended classes; when free, he cultivated.
He had lived like this for several days now.
As Su Yu was walking down the path, he suddenly heard someone declare in righteous indignation, "Hurry over to the Top 100 arena! Those guys from the myriad races have finally bared their fangs—one of them is challenging the Top 100!"
"Haven't they always kept a low profile? Why pop up all of a sudden!"
"..."
All around, groups of students began moving in that direction.
The student who had spread the news said indignantly, "It's all because of Su Yu!"
"..."
Su Yu was dumbfounded. Connected to me?
What did I do?
Pulling up his collar to conceal most of his face, Su Yu followed along, feeling bewildered. What does this have to do with me?
I haven't fought on the Top 100 arena for days!
The people in front were also curious. "What does it have to do with Su Yu?"
"I heard the challenger say that Su Yu is her friend. She couldn't stand seeing someone bully her friend! The Single Divine Character Faction hoards the Top 100 spots despite lacking strength, and they won't let Wu Jia get on the rankings, so she came to issue a challenge!"
"A friend?"
Someone gasped in shock. "Since when did Su Yu make friends with people from the myriad races!"
How bizarre!
"How should I know!"
"..."
Listening to the conversation ahead, Su Yu frowned. Fuck!
What the hell is this?
Who's framing me?
What underhanded scheme is the Single Divine Character Faction pulling now?
Without lingering on his thoughts, Su Yu tucked his face deeper into his collar and hurried toward the Top 100 arena.
Out of nowhere, someone was pretending to be his friend?
They were deliberately trying to stir up trouble for him, weren't they?
Great Xia Prefecture harbored deep hostility toward the myriad races. Making friends with them was seen by many as treason—the mark of a human traitor!
Su Yu actually had friends among the myriad races? What was this supposed to mean?
Even those who had held some goodwill toward him previously would probably feel outraged right now.
You, Su Yu, are actually a traitor to humanity!
*Fuck, someone is setting me up!* Su Yu cursed inwardly. *I've been keeping such a low profile, and someone's still scheming against me?*
Was it the Single Divine Character Faction, or an idea from the myriad races themselves?
Trying to drag him into the mud?
Fish in troubled waters?
Stir up chaos to reap benefits?
Ten thousand thoughts flashed through Su Yu's mind as he rushed over.
……
Soon, he reached the arena.
Up on the stage, a cloaked figure swiftly defeated an opponent!
It was someone Su Yu found somewhat familiar—Zhu Hong!
A member of the Single Divine Character Faction.
Having defeated her opponent, the cloaked figure said in a crisp voice, "Su Yu is my friend. You took advantage of his injury and his senior sister's injury to repeatedly slander and humiliate him. As your human saying goes, those who humiliate others shall always be humiliated!"
Zhu Hong coughed up blood, his face pale as he snarled, "Who needs you to stand up for Su Yu? Who are you to him anyway? Su Yu actually dares to make friends with someone from the myriad races!"
The cloaked figure's voice remained crisp. "We are allies of the human race. Being able to enter Great Xia Civilization Academy means we have received humanity's recognition. Why can we not be friends? Su Yu is kind to others and cannot bear to watch you use your influence to bully people!"
Zhu Hong raged, "Kind? Bullying people? Even so, that's an internal affair of our human race! Su Yu has some nerve, daring to associate with the myriad races!"
"I told you, we are allies of the human race!"
The cloaked figure said coldly, "If you speak such words again, you are insulting my Cloud Tiger Clan. Is this the attitude humanity holds toward its allies? Truly disappointing!"
On the stage, Zhao Ming continued acting as referee.
He could not be bothered to mediate their quarrel, stating flatly, "Xia Qing defeats Zhu Hong, ranking 96th on the Top 100 Rankings! Will you continue? If so, proceed with your challenge!"
Xia Qing!
Indeed, it was the Cloud Tiger Clan princess Su Yu had encountered in the Secret Realm Area back then.
Today, she had come to stand up for him!
Without any warning whatsoever, she had stepped up on his behalf and beaten down someone from the Single Divine Character Faction.
Below the stage, Su Yu's eyes narrowed.
Purespirited, avenging a friend?
Bullshit!
Could anyone sent to study among humans be an idiot?
Would the myriad races send fools here just to die?
These people were all calculating individuals. Having made no moves and held back for months, she chose to act now?
Using me as a breakthrough point?
Why?
Su Yu fell into deep thought. Meanwhile, on the stage, Xia Qing quickly said, "I won't be challenging anyone else today. I only stepped in to teach him a lesson because I overheard him badmouthing Su Yu. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered with him!"
Xia Qing declared in a clear voice, "My Cloud Tiger Clan wishes to be on good terms with humanity, bound by a blood alliance. Yet we cannot tolerate anyone bullying a friend of the Cloud Tiger Clan!"
Below the stage, someone shouted angrily, "I challenge you!"
Xia Qing replied earnestly, "You bear no grudge against Su Yu. Besides, I have a three-day protection period and am not required to accept challenges. I do not wish to fight. If you insist on challenging me, take it as my forfeit. We have no desire to fight over the rankings."
"..."
Indignation rippled through the crowd below!
The conflict between the Single and Multiple Divine Characters Factions was one thing—they were happy to watch the show and couldn't be bothered to intervene. But having someone from the myriad races step in to take a stand was something they could not stomach.
Invoking Su Yu with every breath.
Underneath the stage, Su Yu's gaze shifted.
Someone suddenly appeared beside him, chuckling softly. "Not going to explain yourself?"
Su Yu glanced sideways and saw Liu Hong.
This guy was truly elusive, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
"What is there to explain?" Su Yu answered in a low voice.
Liu Hong cracked melon seeds as he smiled. "Making friends with someone from the myriad races violates a major taboo in Great Xia Prefecture! Great Xia has fought the myriad races for years. Although humanity does have allies among them, truth be told, Great Xia has very few. Most of the time, Great Xia fights alone. Sure, there's cooperation with groups like the Pegasus Clan, but the people of Great Xia are proud—they see them as mounts... not allies!"
"Back then, even Principal Wan couldn't suppress the voices of opposition when he brought them in, and he was cursed as a traitor. Let alone a mere student like you!"
Wan Tiansheng hadn't been able to change people's minds, let alone Su Yu.
Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "If I go up right now and claim she isn't my friend, will it do any good? If I were Xia Qing, I'd quickly admit we aren't friends, call it a misunderstanding, and put on a wronged act. At that point, I'd be hated on all sides! Would anyone believe me?"
"And if I attack her, everyone will think I'm heartless—striking down someone who stood up for me. Their sympathy for the underdog will flare up again..."
Liu Hong laughed. "You see things quite clearly!"
"Did your faction orchestrate this?"
Su Yu looked at him suspiciously. Liu Hong laughed. "Nothing to do with me. Whether anyone else was involved, I don't know. That tigress is no simple character! Did you meet her before? Did anyone see you together?"
"Yeah!"
Su Yu nodded. Thinking back, people indeed had seen them.
Wan Mingze, Hu Qiusheng, Xia Chan, Zheng Yunhui... many had witnessed it. Back when he was waiting outside the mystic realm for them to emerge, that tigress had been right beside him.
He hadn't thought much of it at the time, merely figuring they might cross paths in the future, so he had indeed behaved reasonably friendly toward Xia Qing.
Had someone seen that and used Xia Qing to trap him, or was this Xia Qing's own idea to screw him over—or was she truly just naive enough to want to help him?
"Then you're in big trouble!" Liu Hong said with open schadenfreude. "Since people saw you together, you won't be able to talk your way out of it! Of course, I know you harbored no good intentions, but others don't know that! Denying it won't work, and staying silent won't work either. Heh heh, this is getting interesting!"
After lying low for three months, the myriad races were making their move.
Using Su Yu as a breakthrough point, they were finally baring their fangs.
Su Yu asked in a low tone, "What is their goal in entering Great Xia Civilization Academy?"
"To understand humanity—to understand deeply, and to win over a group of people!"
Liu Hong explained simply, "They've been confined to the Myriad Races Academy all this time and probably aren't content with that! What can they learn trapped inside the Myriad Races Academy? They're allowed to take missions, but with certain restrictions. If they team up with humans, those restrictions become far looser."
Su Yu said grimly, "So they have backing behind them as well?"
"Perhaps!"
Liu Hong chuckled, spat out a melon seed shell, and kept chewing. "What are you going to do? Your Multiple Divine Characters Faction looks like an easy target. If they don't bully you, who else would they bully?"
"It might genuinely have been instigated by the Single Divine Character Faction. Otherwise, there'd be no reason for them to pick a fight with our faction. They know full well that our faction holds considerable power and voice within the academy."
In other words, Xia Qing had no reason to use Zhu Hong as a stepping stone.
It was too easy to offend the academy's ruling faction!
As for the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, Hong Tan was strong, but he had gone into seclusion, and no one knew when he would emerge.
Su Yu's face darkened!
He had intended to keep a low profile, yet someone refused to let him be. This was pushing him too far!
Xia Qing!
That tigress actually dared to set him up!
Liu Hong said with a chuckle, "Don't go provoking them. When those guys came over, they all brought Dao Protectors with them—some at Lingyun, some at Shanhai. Their strength is formidable. They usually stay put, but if you make a move, they can step in as well."
Su Yu suddenly said, "She is my friend."
"Huh?"
"A good friend!"
Without another word, Su Yu turned and walked away.
She was his good friend!
So he would prepare well, find an opportunity to invite his dear friend on a mission together, and then... she wouldn't make it back. She would be killed trying to save him.
A truly great friend!
Denying it right now was pointless. Since he wouldn't deny it, she was his friend. If he invited her on a mission, would she go?
If she went, he would kill her!
If she refused, then she was no friend of his!
Dao Protectors at Lingyun and Shanhai?
It was about time he subdued those beasts in the detention area. Their first mission would be to tie down that Lingyun or Shanhai!
"Even when lying low, someone has to provoke me!"
Su Yu was speechless. *Did I provoke you?*
*Using me as your breakthrough point because you think I'm an easy target, huh?*
……
Su Yu paid the matter no more mind and left directly.
As for the damage to his reputation, he had no immediate way to fix it anyway. If he went up to deny it and Xia Qing truly intended to target him, she would just act wronged and say she was mistaken and that Su Yu was right... Fuck, who would believe Su Yu then!
Those who understood would understand; those who didn't couldn't be woken up.
The best way to prove himself would be to bring back that little tigress's corpse and weep aloud about how tragically his friend had died for his sake!
Let's see if anyone from the myriad races dared to make friends with him after that!
……
Shortly after Su Yu left, Xia Qing also stepped down from the arena.
Below the stage, several other cloaked figures were waiting.
They departed together, heading toward the Myriad Races Academy.
Once there was no one around, one of the cloaked figures spoke up. "Xia Qing, what if Su Yu finds out and comes forward to deny it?"
Xia Qing smiled. "Deny it? He and I are friends—that's the truth. How can he deny it? If he truly does, let him. If he needs my help to clarify things, I'll happily clarify for him that he isn't my friend."
The others fell silent for a moment, then began to laugh, saying nothing more.
Indeed, if Su Yu wanted to deny it, they would gladly help him "clarify" the matter.
Paying them no mind, Xia Qing walked on, soon entering the Myriad Races Academy.
Continuing a little further, they reached their residential area.
Villas stood along the riverbank in a picturesque setting, though securing them had come at no small cost.
Stepping into one of the villas, Xia Qing removed her cloak. She looked entirely human, except for a concealed tail.
Xia Qing appeared delicate and frail, with bright, sparkling eyes.
At a glance, she evoked an instinctive desire to protect her.
Yet at this moment, her expression was completely calm, devoid of the slightest hint of frailty.
In the living room, two elderly men were seated.
They appeared completely human, their tails entirely hidden, distinguished only by the faint demon qi wafting from their bodies.
"Third Grandfather, Ninth Grandfather..."
Xia Qing addressed them in the Tiger tongue. The two elders nodded slightly, and one of them asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Xia Qing sat down on the sofa, feeling its softness. Instead of answering directly, she smiled and remarked, "Humans truly indulge in pleasure. They even put so much effort into researching things to sit on. Wouldn't it be better spent researching cultivation techniques?"
Shaking her head, Xia Qing smiled, looking exceptionally pure and innocent.
"Grandfathers, we have no other objective than to secure more rights for ourselves. Since we've come to the human realm, we can't remain trapped in this tiny Myriad Races Academy forever, can we?"
Xia Qing smiled faintly. "I don't actually intend to scheme against Su Yu. If he's willing to be on good terms with us, we'd genuinely be happy to help him deal with those students from the Single Divine Character Faction. Wouldn't it be good for him to have someone backing him? If he's unwilling... then so be it. By helping him deal with students from the Single Divine Character Faction, we damage his reputation, and someone will naturally seek our help to solidify the claim that we are his friends."
"Zhou Pingsheng, or Zhou Mingren?"
"Hard to say," Xia Qing said with a smile. "The Multiple Divine Characters Faction has plenty of enemies, not just those few. In any case, our current goal is to integrate into human society first, rather than remain ostracized on the outside!"
Xia Qing gave a faint smile. "Whether as hired thugs or cooperative partners, anything works. But we cannot remain trapped here forever, learning only what Great Xia Civilization Academy allows us to learn, staying put whenever they forbid us to leave! If that's all we do, coming to the human realm is completely pointless!"
Her eyes flashed with calculating light. "We are a formidable group of fighters, with numerous Lingyun and Shanhai experts among us! Previously, no one paid attention to us, but soon, they will! That includes the cults established by other races—their people will be getting in touch with us shortly!"
"What about Wan Tiansheng..."
Just as the elder began to speak, Xia Qing laughed and said, "If Principal Wan investigates, we'll simply tell him we did it to help flush out members of the All-Races Sect. In any case, our Cloud Tiger Clan has no cult of our own. Selling out those people won't upset the other major clans anyway. When humans tear each other apart, we just sit back and watch the show!"
If Wan Tiansheng chose not to interfere, they would let nature take its course, and before long, they would integrate into human society.
If he did intervene, they would sell out a few members of the All-Races Sect to earn his trust.
The elder nodded, then sent a mental transmission after some thought: *Is sticking our heads out right now too risky for the Cloud Tiger Clan?*
"Not risky at all!"
Xia Qing said calmly, "The greater the risk, the greater the reward! Whether aligning with humans or with gods and demons, we must prove our worth. Our clan is weak, so we can only attach ourselves to powerful races! Among humans, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction is weak; among the myriad races, they are targets marked for death... That being the case, offending Su Yu right now carries zero risk! We might even cater to someone's liking and align ourselves with a major power on the human side!"
The Single Divine Character Faction wasn't limited to just this handful of people—their powerful main stronghold lay in the Great Zhou Prefecture.
Backing them was an expert on the verge of advancing to Invincible!
Over this period, they had gained some understanding of humanity's situation.
Only after lying low for three months had they made their decision.
They had to make their move!
Otherwise, if things dragged on like this, they might achieve nothing even after several years, making the enormous price they paid to study in the human realm utterly meaningless.
The two elders still looked somewhat worried. Xia Qing smiled and comforted them, "Grandfathers, don't worry. It's fine. When Principal Wan brought our students into the academy, his intention was always to temper the human students. That being the case, we are currently helping him hone them—doesn't this align perfectly with his wishes? He won't intervene. And as long as he doesn't, no one else in Great Xia Civilization Academy will."
"Your Highness is wise!"
The two bowed respectfully. The Cloud Tiger King's decision to send Princess Qing to the human realm was indeed correct. Here, only Princess Qing possessed the intellect to devise such grand strategies.
Chapter 225