114: Reactions from all parties

Imperial Palace.

The Emperor looked at the report in his hand, his face terrifyingly grim.

"Your Majesty."

A dark figure softly called out, wanting to remind the Emperor to mind his health and not get too angry.

The Emperor, furious, laughed instead: "That old scoundrel Liu Rufeng truly has no regard for the law, daring to even reprimand My Heaven Patrol Guard. His intentions are punishable, truly punishable!"

Although he had temporarily handed the Heaven Patrol Guard to Brother Yong, the Heaven Patrol Guard was the Son of Heaven's personal army and could be recalled at any time.

It was his face. To be beaten to pieces by Liu Rufeng's student was humiliating enough, but to be reprimanded as well was like kicking someone and then spitting in their face.

The Emperor's anger subsided slightly as he tapped the table: "Fortunately, My strategy worked, and both sides lost their most outstanding successors. I want to see how sharp the Sharp Blade truly is, and how vast the Aristocratic Families are!"

...Demon Slaying Academy.

Principal's Office.

The two students who had taken Xu Le to see Tang Zhi stood before Liu Rufeng, their expressions a mix of fear and a hint of schadenfreude.

"Speak. Why did you frame Xu Le?"

Liu Rufeng's face was calm as he wrote with a brush. A large character for "harmony" ( and) was perfectly balanced, yet exuded overwhelming killing intent.

Clearly, his outward calm was merely a facade.

A talent within the Sharp Blade, no less capable than himself, was just gone.

No one would feel good about that.

Even more unsettling was what was subtly revealed behind it, sending chills down one's spine.

The two had rehearsed countless times. They immediately knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces.

"Principal, we've been wronged!"

"We've always been law-abiding. This time, we simply mistakenly trusted the staff of the Hope Cup competition. We didn't know it would turn out this way."

Liu Rufeng sneered and played a video.

In the video, the two lavishly praised Minister Zhao, without mentioning Tang Zhi at all.

Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads as they continued to fabricate: "We, we heard Director Tang say that he wanted to give junior Xu Le a surprise."

"Uh... it seems you don't know about Xiao Le's grudge with the Tang Family." Liu Rufeng finished the last character 'xing' ( prosper) of "Harmony brings national prosperity" ( and则国 prosper), his tone filled with barely suppressed anger.

The two braced themselves and continued to answer: "Yes."

As Liu Rufeng wrote the tenth stroke of 'xing' ( Xing, traditional character), he managed to straighten the horizontal stroke, but couldn't write the last two dots, so he had to put down his brush.

"A major incident that almost became known nationwide, and you two didn't know about it? Fine, people with such poor information awareness are not suitable to stay at the Demon Slaying Academy."

"Hand your student IDs to the teacher who brought you here. From now on, just work hard and support your families."

The two looked at Liu Rufeng in shock. They were both outstanding third-year students, even recommended to the Sharp Blade, only slightly lower in Rank.

Now, they were being expelled because of a "Human Race traitor" despised by the world. Why?

"Principal, I refuse to accept this!"

"Yes, we refuse to accept this!"

Liu Rufeng shook his head: "To learn knowledge, one must first learn to be a person! You still don't understand that it's not just me who wants to expel you."

He wasn't lying. If this act of framing a fellow student were let off lightly, how could alumni trust each other in the future? And why would members of the Sharp Blade entrust their backs to each other? Who would be willing to team up with them?

Expelling them was a unanimous decision by the entire Demon Slaying Academy, and even half of the people demanded their deaths.

"Wait a moment," the two thought there was a turn for the better and excitedly turned back. Liu Rufeng said calmly, "After you leave, you are not allowed to use the school's name in any venue, otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

The two were dumbfounded; this was effectively condemning them to death.

This punishment was even more severe than not having gone to university, as they were no longer fresh graduates. A lifelong stain that could never be washed away... Grand Tutor's Residence.

A lifelong stain that could never be washed away... Grand Tutor's Residence.

Huang Chengche was heartbroken: "Confused, Your Majesty is confused!"

"The demonic creatures are powerful, and Your Majesty isn't uniting all forces that can be united. Instead, he's actively letting the Tang Family and the Sharp Blade fight amongst themselves. The demonic creatures are advancing quickly, and humanity is suffering!"

"Moreover, this provocation was too obvious, too deliberate, almost as if the answer was written on his forehead."

"Anyone with a brain wouldn't believe that the imperial army could be handed over to others to lead. Aren't they afraid it would become someone else's?"

...A certain second-rate university.

Xiang Ying looked at the news on her phone, lost in thought.

[The Great Qing Tian heroically sacrificed himself, Cultists' sins reach the heavens! Netizens: Dog-kill them ten thousand times.]

According to the news, the impartial and selfless Third Rank official Brother Yong, in order to apprehend Cultists, deployed over three thousand Heaven Patrol Guards. However, the Cultist Xu Le took a desperate risk, murdered the Third Rank Heaven Patrol Guard Censor-in-Chief Brother Yong and the Fifth Rank Commander Pan Xiao, and also injured hundreds of Heaven Patrol Guards.

"Alas, your Awakened talent must be very high. Why did you hide it from me back then?"

"If I were still there, I would have definitely been able to persuade you to walk the righteous path. What a pity..."

Her gaze turned towards the First District, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Hey! What are you thinking about? Huh, Xiao Ying, why are you crying?"

...Ke Wu University.

Li Yang put away his phone and was about to run to the First District.

A mocking voice beside him rang out: "What's up, B-Rank trash? Your patron is gone, going to the funeral?"

"Oh no, I'm so scared, B-Rank trash wants to hit someone. Should I use one hand, or just one finger?"

Li Yang clenched his fists, making cracking sounds, but ultimately didn't strike. He turned and ran out of the school gate... Tang Family.

Mourning Hall.

Everything was plain white, from top to bottom.

The Tang Family's most outstanding Disciple, the current Third Rank Censor-in-Chief, had been assassinated.

All the personnel they had painstakingly placed in the First District would probably be driven back within a month, a truly crippling blow.

Tang Zhi's face was ashen, kneeling silently before the Mourning Hall.

He prided himself on being as cunning as a demon, half a step ahead of heaven. He had considered all sorts of countermeasures for Xu Le, but he never expected this.

He successfully spread the infamous reputation of Xu Le being a divine envoy of an evil god and a murderer of loyal subjects throughout the Great Zhou, but he also successfully caused the Tang Family to be ridiculed by the other Aristocratic Families, incurring losses of trillions.

Revenge!

Revenge must be exacted!

The hatred in his heart was like a poisonous snake, slowly devouring his heart.

Tang Family.

Council Hall.

Tang Qianchuan suppressed his pain, choking out: "The Tang Family has always been the one to bully others; no one has ever dared to bully my Tang Family."

"That brat Xu Le, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, dared to act so viciously. Blood for blood!"

"I propose we allocate another one hundred billion and invite the four top assassins: Heaven, Earth, Human, and God, to act together."

"And select elite Disciples within the Family to form the Xu Slaying Squad."

As long as that brat Xu Le is not eliminated, my Tang Family will not rest!"

Everyone was silent.

Xu Le's ability to break through the Heaven Patrol Guard's Formation, even if the latter was slightly lenient, showed his terrifying strength.

Funding was not an issue, but when it came to actually confronting Xu Le, their confidence was not high.

Brother Yong's father, Tang Qiantian, had a grim expression, utterly disappointed.

He waved his hand, refusing: "Third Brother, I just want to properly handle Yong'er's funeral now. You can decide everything else."