by Mao Ni
His statement was one thing, but everyone understood the true meaning of his words. No matter how mysterious Luoluo was, the Tianhai Ya'er that she had severely injured was the Pope's disciple, the Divine Empress's grandnephew, and so there was no one in the entire human world that could protect her.
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer gave her a forced smile, saying, "Little girl, you truly…have a lot of nerve."
Luoluo was somewhat displeased, asking, "What sort of thing are you to actually dare speak to me in this way?"
The entire scene was quiet. Nobody could have imagined that at this sort of moment, not only was this girl not afraid, she was actually so forceful.
Only very few people were able to sense that something was strange because the aura exuded by this girl was truly very powerful.
She confronted the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer like a lord confronting a subject.
What sort of family or teacher could produce such a female student?
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer was stunned. He began to smile out of his anger, an exceptionally cold smile.
He was now very sure that this girl's background was assuredly not ordinary, but just as he had said, her crippling Tianhai Ya'er…meant that there was no one in all of the human world that could change her fate.
With a harsh shout, his right hand casually waved.
No wind or rain, only a straight line of stalwart Qi, a stalwart Qi that not even meteoric iron could block!
This was a strike of a Star Condensation expert!
This Heavenly Dao Academy overseer was this sort of personage!
Luoluo could be even stronger, but she was still just a girl.
The crowd seemed to hear the sound of death, seemed to hear someone say that this girl's death was assured.
Who could change this situation?
A person turned to the Orthodox Academy's corner, wanting to see that girl's companion.
Only a lonely table set with food and wine.
No one was there.
Chapter 46 – Mao Qiuyu
When the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer struck, no one other than Xu Shiji or the Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education would be able to stop him. Xu Shiji was a grand general that the Divine Empress heavily relied on, so he naturally would not stop the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer, and the Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education, who seemed to have the greatest reason to act, seemed to be asleep.
Although Zhuang Huanyu was tenth on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, there was still a massive gap between him and his teachers, and it was simply impossible for him to change anything. His junior sister was about to be a vanished fragrance, shattered jade, but he could do nothing but watch with an abnormally pale face.
Luoluo gazed at the intention descending from the sky and felt the shadow of death. She slightly raised her slender brows, but her expression was as serene as normal. She knew that as long as it was not such an extreme situation like the one on that night in the Orthodox Academy, no person in the capital could kill her.
She had this sort of confidence, but other people certainly could not, and the crowd was a mass of shocked cries.
Suddenly, a person stepped in front of her.
This back was not tall, but it was taller than her, so it firmly obstructed her view.
When Luoluo saw this back, she naturally began to think of the similar situation from that night.
She once more recalled her father's words: When the sky is falling, there will be someone tall to hold it up for you.
She felt very warm and suddenly felt that Heavenly Dao Academy overseer was no longer so repulsive.
When Luoluo's fist had struck Tianhai Ya'er's stomach, Chen Changsheng had left the Orthodox Academy's seating area. He knew that Luoluo's background was mysterious, but he had no means of knowing whether Luoluo's clansmen would be able to promptly appear. As Luoluo's teacher, it was required that he stand before her at this sort of moment.
He arrived very promptly.
As the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer's killing intent flew through the air, he had finally arrived in time to block for Luoluo.
His right hand held the dagger horizontally in front of him, and he was somewhat nervous.
He did not know if the dagger was capable of blocking the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer's killing intent. He did not contemplate what he would do if it could not block it, because this was not a matter that needed contemplating.
Though, he had still contemplated this possibility.
His left hand reached behind him and gripped Luoluo's hand.
A big hand gripped a small hand, a button between their palms.
The killing intent seeping out of the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer's finger was condensed into a straight line, approaching swiftly and forcefully.
Chen Changsheng thought that in the next moment, he would be gone. Surprisingly, he was still standing at his original position.
He turned his head to glance at Luoluo, thinking, Just what is going on here? If you don't use the Thousand Li Button, we're really going to die here.
Chen Changsheng naturally did not die nor did Luoluo. She did not use the Thousand Li Button because she was sure that in the capital, especially in the Heavenly Dao Academy, no person could kill her. This was because someone knew her background here, and this person was the most powerful person in the Heavenly Dao Academy.
A fresh breeze blew by. That condensed straight line, with seemingly indestructible killing intent, was blown away just like the smoke rising from the stove of a kitchen belonging to a peasant family.
This refreshing breeze arose from two sleeves.
An old man with a head of white hair appeared on the platform, his two sleeves slightly drifting in the night wind.
The entire crowd was solemn and respectful, everyone abnormally silent as they all stood up. Not even Xu Shiji and the Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education were exceptions.
Zhuang Huanyu and the Heavenly Dao Academy students clasped their hands and bowed to the ground, an indescribable reverence and extreme shock about their persons.
"Greetings to the Principal!"
"Teacher!"
Yes, this old man was the Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy, Two Sleeves in the Breeze, Mao Qiuyu.
Soon after, Vice Principal Zhuang of the Heavenly Dao Academy also appeared.
When Zhuang Huanyu saw Vice Principal Zhuang, his expression subtly changed.
The crowd was in an uproar.
No one had expected the powerful Principal and Vice Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy to appear at the same time, especially Principal Mao Qiuyu, who was at a power level rare on the entire continent. His status was extremely eminent, and logically, the first night of the Ivy Festival would not have disturbed such a powerful figure no matter what.
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer's expression slightly changed. Walking up to Mao Qiuyu, he reverentially bowed, and then gave a narrative of the situation, attempting to set the tone.
He was clearly aware that since Mao Qiuyu had moved to protect this girl of the Orthodox Academy, it was impossible for tonight's matter to proceed according to his plans. But he did not wish for the flames to blow back and burn himself, so he prepared to extinguish the fire.
Violently injuring someone? Cold-blooded and emotionless? The strong bullying the weak?
Upon hearing the overseer's report, the faces of the crowd became extremely interested.
Was he talking about Tianhai Ya'er or that girl from the Orthodox Academy?
Mao Qiuyu suddenly began to laugh.
The Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education also began to laugh.
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer suddenly felt somewhat cold.
The Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education laughed as he stood up. As he walked to the exit, he feebly said, "Ah, Old Cao, have a little face."
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer had the surname Cao. He
stood in a daze, feeling that these feebly spoken words were like a resounding slap on the face.
Vice Principal Zhuang expressionlessly indicated that tonight's Ivy Festival would end here.
The crowd gradually dispersed. As they left, every one of them could not help but turn their heads to the stone platform.
Mao Qiuyu gazed at Luoluo, wishing to say something. In the end, however, he said nothing, only smiled.
Chen Changsheng led Luoluo in bowing to Mao Qiuyu, and then the two descended the stone platform, returned to their corner, and tidied up the things that had previously been dropped.
Luoluo obediently following behind seemed exceptionally cute.
As she thought about her appearance on the platform, she thought, Was I too barbaric, too tyrannical? Does Teacher not like me that way?
She tugged on his sleeve, raised her head, and gave a small giggle.
Chen Changsheng saw the girl's cute tiger teeth and also laughed, extending a hand to rub her head.
* * *
The feast had ended and the hall was quiet and still. Mao Qiuyu and Education Overseer Cao stood across from each other on the stone platform, conducting a conversation.
"To suppress the Orthodox Academy, you allowed that little monster of the Temple Seminary to go crazy at the Ivy Festival. You went too overboard with this matter."
"Correct, I just can't stand the Orthodox Academy. Many people feel the same. Is it wrong?"
"Hatred? No, that's a matter from almost twenty years ago…everyone clearly understands what you want to do."
"What do I want to do?"
"His Holiness had you come to the Heavenly Dao Academy to become its education overseer, and now ten-some years have already passed. Anyone would feel weary, this is understandable."
"Principal, I have always deeply respected you."
"You are the Education Overseer of the Heavenly Dao Academy. Advancing one more step would make you the Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education—who could not be tempted?"
Mao Qiuyu looked at him and calmly said, "But you made a few mistakes. In the first place, you should not have dragged the Orthodox Academy in. Secondly, you should not have used people you did not have the right to use. Finally, you should have made clear just who exactly your opponent was."
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer had an extremely nasty expression because the principal had accurately described his thoughts.
His position had been arranged by the Pope, the Education Overseer being a position that the Li Palace used to control the people chosen from these powerful academies. But he had done it for so many years and had truly grown tired of it. He wished to become Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education. He only needed to take one step and he would be able to see a completely different sky—who could resist such an allure?
But he naturally would not admit it, firmly insisting, "There are people within the Orthodoxy that want to use the Orthodox Academy to sound things out. I wished to solve these difficulties on the behalf of His Holiness and the Divine Empress. What wrong is there in that?"
Mao Qiuyu expressionlessly replied, "Does His Holiness and the Divine Empress know of this matter?"
After a moment of silence, the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer said, "Tianhai Ya'er has turned into a cripple. The Orthodox Academy…can it possibly continue to exist? If trouble occurs in the Orthodox Academy, Mei Lisha will naturally have to take responsibility. No matter how one looks at it, it's not a bad thing."
"No person is a fool. Even Tianhai Ya'er clearly understood that you were using him." Mao Qiuyu sighed, "It's a pity that you are the fool."
Extremely unwilling, the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer asked, "Just who was that girl from the Orthodox Academy?"
Mao Qiuyu turned and began walking out of the hall, saying, "That is not at all important. What's important is…His Eminence the Archbishop has controlled the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education for many decades now, even before His Holiness the Pope came into power. You thought that you could use plots and schemes to deal with that sort of person?"
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer looked at the elder's back, his face ashen. "I only know that the Divine Empress's grandnephew has been crippled…there must be a person to give an explanation for this. Even if His Holiness will not blame anyone, there must be someone to bear the Empress's anger?"
Without turning around, Mao Qiuyu asked, "Could it be that you still don't understand who will bear the responsibility for tonight?"
The Heavenly Dao Academy overseer seemed to be struck by lightning as he realized that tonight was probably the final night of his life.
* * *
Luoluo did not want to be gawked at by others. Thus, after some discussion, she and Chen Changsheng used the darkness to sneak into the forest. Familiar with the way, she brought him to a small path, passed through two heavy doors, circled a small building, and emerged from a secret back door of the Heavenly Dao Academy into an alley.
Chen Changsheng had heard her talk about how she used to come to the Heavenly Dao Academy for classes and asked curiously, "Always through the back door?"
Luoluo replied, "If I didn't come through the back door, I wouldn't be able to come to the Heavenly Dao Academy for classes."
Chen Changsheng had some speculations, so he asked, "At the time, the person that taught you…was Principal Mao Qiuyu of the Heavenly Dao Academy?"
Luoluo affirmed.
Chen Changsheng sighed, "That is really coming in through the back door."[27]
Luoluo noted, "Principal Mao is lacking in teaching when compared to Teacher."
He was actually being compared by Luoluo to the legendary Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy. This was far too absurd of a matter.
"Don't you dare speak such nonsense. If anyone hears it, you'll be mocked," Chen Changsheng firmly warned, but his mood was extremely good.
When he saw that carriage at the mouth of the alley, his good mood instantly vanished.
A lantern was hung on the carriage, a massive 'Xu' character written upon it.
It was the carriage of the Divine General of the East's estate.
Chapter 47 – Silhouettes and Green Oranges
A person of the Divine General's estate came up to invite him, courteous and cold. Chen Changsheng had Luoluo remain where she was as he walked towards the carriage parked at the entrance to the alley. When he walked over, he realized that the surroundings were quiet and deserted. Not a single person was present, and even the attendant of the Divine General's estate had vanished off to somewhere.
The warhorse at the front of the carriage was tall and majestic, its mane in the darkness faintly tinged a dark red. It clearly was not of common stock, but carried the blood of some sort of strange beast. It was extremely striking, but Chen Changsheng did not even pay it a glance because who he wanted to see was the person in the carriage.
That person did not get out of the carriage, but remained seated in the compartment. The other side of the carriage also had a red lantern; its light shone through the interior of the carriage, outlining the man's silhouette against the window as distinctly as if it had been carved there by a blade or sword.
Chen Changsheng bowed to the silhouette in the window. The silhouette on the window was distinct, the man within the carriage was also distinct, and that mighty, frightening, and stern Qi was even more distinct. Only at this point did Chen Changsheng realize where the pressure he had felt on two occasions during the Ivy Festival had come from. One of his goals in attending the Ivy Festival was to personally see this man. During the entire feast, the man's gaze had seemingly never passed over him, but it turned out that this man had been watching him the entire time.
"It has already been a very long time since you left Xining and came to the capital. Up to now, I have not heard any rumors that I did not want to hear, proof that you are a smart person and that your behavior is very dependable. I admire these points." Xu Shiji's voice emerged from the carri
age, calm and indifferent. "After you entered the Orthodox Academy, you actually learned how to borrow another's authority for your own needs. I then realized that you were actually smarter than I imagined. I must admit that I've begun to admire you more and more."
Chen Changsheng knew that he was speaking sincerely, not jeering or taunting. This was because he wasn't worthy of being jeered at or taunted by the grand Divine General of the East, let alone being lied to, but he was not the least bit delighted by these words because he discovered that he still did not like Xu Shiji's smell.