887: You think you're insignificant? You're just an ant.

"Not dare to touch you? Since This Xie wants you dead by the third watch, how could you possibly live until the fifth?"

Xie Weilou indifferently flicked the blood off his hands.

A mere ant, relying on a bit of background to jump around and provoke him, Xie Weilou—wasn't that just seeking death?

He even dared to assassinate a Saint of a Holy Land, let alone the son of a Marquis.

"..."

The two in the Creation Realm and the old man trembled, not daring to say a single word.

With the Confucian Sage suppressing them, let alone this man surnamed This Xie killing Young Master Jing, even if he killed them, they would be unable to resist in the slightest.

Xie Weilou looked toward the Zhenyu Marquiss Residence. Even with his son killed, Marquis Zhenyu hadn't appeared; it seemed he wasn't in the residence, which was somewhat disappointing.

The Confucian Sage looked in a certain direction and said calmly, "The previous negotiations are still valid. However, those who come to my Hongru Academy to challenge us must bear the consequences of life and death themselves."

Saying that, he spoke to Xie Weilou, "Let's go."

"..."

Xie Weilou put away the Tianluo Umbrella, bowed to the Confucian Sage, and followed him away.

Seeing the two leave, the two in the Creation Realm and the old man couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. If Xie Weilou and the Confucian Sage had intended to strike them down, they would have certainly died.

After Xie Weilou and the Confucian Sage left...

...a white-haired man dressed in a black robe appeared, accompanied by a middle-aged man.

"Greetings, Li Fusheng!"

When the old man saw the white-haired man, he hurriedly bowed. The man before him was the Li Fusheng of Zhongzhou Academy, Li Fusheng!

The Confucian Sage's pressure permeated the area; as a Half-Saint, how could Li Fusheng not sense it?

Li Fusheng nodded to the old man, then turned to the middle-aged man beside him. "The teacher at the Hongru Academy is surnamed This Xie?"

The middle-aged man replied, "His name is Xie Changan. He previously swindled Wang the Celestial Being at the Brothel and even claimed to be from Zhongzhou Academy..."

Hearing this, Li Fusheng fell into silence. With a complex expression, he asked, "Do you think he did it unintentionally or on purpose?"

Damn it!

A teacher from Hongru Academy impersonated someone from Zhongzhou Academy to swindle Wang the Celestial Being, and as a result, Wang the Celestial Being charged straight into Zhongzhou Academy without bothering to distinguish right from wrong and injured him.

Wasn't this an undeserved disaster?

No matter how he looked at it, it felt like Xie Changan had done it on purpose. Not only did he swindle Wang the Celestial Being, but he also had to frame Zhongzhou Academy.

Such a black heart; he's simply not a good sort at all!

The middle-aged man pondered and said, "It was definitely intentional. That Xie Changan is no good."

Li Fusheng sighed, "The Confucian Sage certainly knows how to pick people."

After saying that, he and the middle-aged man disappeared. If he hadn't sensed the Confucian Sage's might, he wouldn't have appeared at all.

As for the death of a Young Master from the Zhenyu Marquiss Residence, that was Marquis Zhenyu's own business and had nothing to do with them.

——————

Three days later.

In every street and alley of East Desolate City, people were talking about recent events.

"Shocking! Three days ago, the Chess Saint's Disciple, Gongsun Yuan, went to Hongru Academy to challenge them. Unexpectedly, he met a teacher named Xie Changan. After a few moves of chess, Gongsun Yuan was turned directly into a pile of ashes."

"That same night, Prince Qing's Estate was burgled. A vast amount of gold and silver was swept clean. It's said the thief was an old Taoist in a white robe carrying a long sword."

"Many things happened that night three days ago. Besides the burglary at Prince Qing's Estate, a fellow named Xie Weiru almost beat the First Prince to death in the Upper City. His methods were extremely brutal."

"Afterward, the teacher from Hongru Academy, Xie Changan, slaughtered three hundred armored cavalry under Marquis Zhenyu's command, and even killed General and the second Young Master of the Zhenyu Marquiss Residence, Gongsun Jing."

"Are all these people surnamed This Xie so brutal? I heard that some time ago, a ruthless man named Xie Weilou appeared in the East Desolate. It seems he also came to Zhongzhou, slaughtered a vast army of the Barbarian God Clan in North Chill City, and even charged into the Barbarian God Clan's territory, killing many experts of the Barbarian God Hall with a single sword strike."

"And that's not all. According to the latest news, that Xie Weilou went to Sword Emperor City, defeated seventeen Pavilion Guardians, and finally entered the eighteenth floor of the Sword Pavilion."

"This all sounds very strange. Why do I feel like Xie Weilou is in East Desolate City right now? Maybe that teacher from Hongru Academy is him. I heard Xie Weilou loves to be secretive and often changes his name, but rarely his surname..."

As the news continued to spread and ferment, some people began to suspect that Xie Weilou was indeed that Xie Changan from Hongru Academy.

Many people were waiting to watch the show.

A Disciple of the Chess Saint from Zhongzhou Academy had died at the hands of Xie Changan.

Furthermore, Xie Changan had killed the Great General and three hundred armored cavalry under Marquis Zhenyu, as well as the Marquis's second son. How could the Chess Saint and Marquis Zhenyu let the matter rest?

Meanwhile, those who knew the situation of Hongru Academy watched silently without saying much.

The Li Fusheng of Hongru Academy was the Confucian Sage, a peerless expert who had stepped into the Half-Saint realm a thousand years ago. Who would dare to recklessly cause trouble at Hongru Academy?

Even though Xie Changan had slaughtered the Generals and soldiers under Marquis Zhenyu and killed his son, the Marquis probably wouldn't dare to charge into Hongru Academy to cause a scene.

Currently, the only one who dared to do such a thing was Zhongzhou Academy.

This was because the Li Fusheng of Zhongzhou Academy was also a Half-Saint, and he had the backing of the vast Imperial Family, making him a force to be reckoned with.

Thinking back on the Chess Saint's Disciple going to challenge them, the matter seemed extremely fishy; perhaps it involved some sort of power struggle between Hongru Academy and Zhongzhou Academy.

Hongru Academy.

In a small courtyard.

Xie Weilou was sitting in a chair, leisurely sipping tea with the Confucian Sage, completely unconcerned about the rumors outside.

The Confucian Sage took a sip of fragrant tea and smiled faintly. "Your identity, kid, is likely impossible to keep hidden much longer."

Xie Weilou smiled and said, "As long as one acts, there will be traces. I never planned to hide it for long anyway. With Buxian cultivating under you, I can freely do everything else."

Over the past few days, Xie Buxian had officially begun cultivating under the Confucian Sage, so there was no need for him to worry.

The Confucian Sage said, "Rest assured! That kid's bone structure and Physique are extraordinary. Although his Comprehension Ability is slightly lacking, he makes up for it with hard work. His future achievements will certainly not be poor."

As a man of the Confucian Dao, his own Comprehension Ability wasn't as good as one might imagine at first. Back then, he was often disciplined by his teacher's ruler, but he was willing to learn, which eventually allowed him to advance step by step.

In contrast, Xie Buxian's Comprehension Ability wasn't as powerful as those prodigies, but he was willing to study hard and was extremely compatible with the Power of Righteousness. He would surely become a powerhouse of the Confucian Dao in the future.

Xie Weilou toyed with his teacup. "Senior, about that sage sword..."

The Confucian Sage said with a face full of speechlessness, "You have no affinity with it; there's no need to keep eyeing it. The sage sword was passed down to me by my teacher, but unfortunately, even I find it difficult to fully control. I couldn't bear to let this sword gather dust, which is why I allowed the Sword Emperor to find a suitable successor for it."

He was only a Half-Saint, while the sage sword was a Sacred Artifact; naturally, it was difficult for him to fully master it.

Xie Weilou smiled and said, "I once knew a peculiar gentleman. I feel he might have an affinity with that sage sword."