500: Chapter 500 Gentleman

"Hahaha! You actually dare to sue me?!" After his initial panic, Ye Jinghong laughed mockingly. "You, Liu Xuan, colluded with Song Shulian to trick and kidnap countless female students from the academy. How could Her Ladyship believe the nonsense of a shameless, lecherous scoundrel like you?"

"How can it be called kidnapping when it's between consenting parties?" Liu Xuan glanced at him with disdain. "Condemning others based on mere speculation without knowing the facts is both unwise and unkind!"

"A piece of trash like you wouldn't even be qualified to speak to me if it weren't for the sake of the True Lord!"

The light in the great hall dimmed once more. Even though the stars were bright, the light converged together instead of shining outward.

"I don't have time to waste on your nonsense. If you dare bark like a dog again, no one will be able to protect you!"

True Lord Nianci looked up at the sky full of stars, stood up, and flicked her sleeves, saying, "Since Head of the Liu Family is truly unwilling, I will not force the issue. Farewell!"

A flash of light appeared as she took Ye Jinghong and exited the great hall, heading toward the distant city market district.

Inside a high-end inn, the figures of True Lord Nianci and Ye Jinghong materialized.

"Teacher, are we just going to let it go like this?"

As soon as they returned to the inn, Ye Jinghong asked impatiently, his Face full of resentment.

He wasn't resentful toward Liu Xuan or Liu Xuan's daughter; he was resentful about the Liu Family's money.

The Liu Family was simply too wealthy!

The businesses of the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance and Guanghui Tower were spread across the Southern Border battlefield; the quality of the pills from the Liu Clan Alchemy Tower was excellent and fairly priced, earning them a growing reputation; the Liu Family Artifact Refining Workshop was even more extraordinary, mass-producing large Flying Boat warships and the thousand star flying swords that Sword Cultivators regarded as supreme treasures.

In terms of industrial profit-making ability, no single Sect in the entire Southern Border could compare to the Liu Family. It was simply terrifying!

Such massive profits should have been controlled by the Peach Blossom Demon Lord behind the scenes.

However, Ye Jinghong had learned that the Peach Blossom Demon Lord didn't seem to exert much control over the distribution of wealth, and a significant portion was being squandered by Liu Xuan on his own Family.

How could this be allowed? Liu Xuan was a mere Golden Core True Person; for so many resources to be squandered by him was a complete waste of heaven's gifts!

Therefore, he had persuaded his teacher to back him up, wanting to start by marrying Liu Xuan's daughter, Ling Hui, and then slowly intervene in the Liu Family's industries.

True Lord Nianci fell into deep thought with a dark expression. Asking for the marriage from Liu Xuan this time was just a test, but she hadn't expected Liu Xuan to be so assertive, not even giving her any Face.

"Since the soft approach doesn't work, we'll use the hard approach!"

Her eyes narrowed as she instructed, "Collect information on the Liu Family's massive accumulation of wealth. I will contact the high-level officials of all the Southern Border academies to force the Peach Blossom Demon Lord to prioritize the big picture!"

True Lord Nianci's perspective was much larger than Ye Jinghong's; she was never targeting Liu Xuan or the Liu Family, but the Peach Blossom Demon Lord behind them.

"Good!"

Ye Jinghong nodded fiercely. Although he wouldn't get much benefit from using the academy's grand council to pressure Liu Xuan, he could avenge today's insult. Liu Xuan was arrogant and overbearing, and since this was his home turf, this was the only way.

Inside the General Affairs Hall.

After True Lord Nianci and Ye Jinghong left, An Yunmiao stood up, walked to Liu Xuan's seat, and circled him, her tone surprised. "Why were you so assertive today? This isn't your style!"

"Have you forgotten your own name after following the Peach Blossom Demon Lord?"

An Yunmiao felt slightly annoyed. She had only acted as a peacemaker because she considered that Liu Xuan didn't like to cause trouble. But this kid Liu Xuan had suddenly changed his temperament, making her look like a fool.

"It has nothing to do with the Peach Blossom Demon Lord!" Liu Xuan laughed. "Isn't it because you were here, Senior Sister? With you backing me up, why should I fear those two wastes?"

"Stop being glib!" Yun Miao rolled her eyes at Liu Xuan. "Tell me honestly what you're thinking, or I'll deal with you!"

Liu Xuan smiled. He stood up and looked down at Yun Miao. "Senior Sister, things are different now. My control authority over the Star Array is higher than yours. Your current cultivation level can't deal with me!"

"You..." Yun Miao pointed at Liu Xuan angrily, then suddenly gave a strange smile. "If I can't deal with you, I'll deal with your son and daughter." As she spoke, she looked at Ling Hui, who was standing obediently behind Liu Xuan.

"Father, Aunt An, there are still matters in the city that need handling. I'll be going now!" Ling Hui bowed to the two of them and then left in a hurry.

"That's not very sporting of you, Senior Sister."

A moment later, Liu Xuan admitted defeat and explained, "With people like Ye Jinghong and True Lord Nianci, the more you yield, the more excessive they become. It's better to launch a strong counterattack directly."

"The Gentlemans Academy is powerful, but it's different from other factions. Lady Yaoguang values rules and reason."

"As it happens, my greatest strength is my extremely high moral character. As a true gentleman, how could I fear those two hypocrites?"

"If this truly reaches Lady Yaoguang, she will definitely stand up for me!"

Liu Xuan had studied the Gentlemans Academy in detail. The rules set by Lady Yaoguang were all very lenient, much like the pedantic scholars in his memory.

Facing other factions, with Liu Xuan's personality of seeking benefit and avoiding harm, backing down would be nothing. But facing the Gentlemans Academy, the best response was to act willfully from a moral high ground. This way, not only would he not be bullied by them, but he could even bully them in return.

"Pah!" Yun Miao spat. "You are as lecherous as can be, and your reputation as a lustful demon is widespread. How can you call yourself a gentleman?"

"If Lady Yaoguang found out, it would be a blessing if she didn't kill you!"

"Senior Sister, you are mistaken!" Liu Xuan shook his index finger. "Which rule of the Gentlemans Academy says a Disciple cannot be lecherous?"

"Matters of human relations and the reproduction of living beings are the Heavenly Dao!"

"I am not an evil cultivator who plunders Yin to supplement Yang and harms others. I am doing my part for the reproduction of the Human Race."

"As the saying goes, those who are capable should do more. Helping others is a joy. Everything I do is what the Gentlemans Academy advocates. Others' misunderstandings are simply because their Realm is not high enough!"

"Nonsense, a bunch of twisted logic! I can't be bothered to talk to you!" Yun Miao opened her mouth to argue but couldn't find the words. Finally, she threw out a sentence and left in a huff.

As soon as Yun Miao left, the playful smile on Liu Xuan's Face vanished. A flash of light appeared as he teleported into the Star Secret Realm.

'People of the academy talk about rules and reason, but that doesn't mean they are easy to bully. When these people strike from the shadows, they can be more ruthless than anyone else!'

Ye Jinghong and True Lord Nianci—one a top Genius of the academy, the other a Middle Stage Nascent Soul True Lord of the academy and a successor of Lady Yaoguang's lineage—couldn't possibly just want to marry Ling Hui. These two would most likely continue to cause trouble!

Liu Xuan summoned Peach Blossom and explained the whole story to her, asking her to step in and keep an eye on the movements over at the academy.

Afterward, Liu Xuan sent a secret letter to his father-in-law, True Lord Haoran, asking him to also pay more attention to the internal situation of the academy and to inform him of any rumors in advance so he could prepare.

True Lord Haoran was also a member of the academy, and since he was tied to some of the Liu Family's interests, helping the Liu Family was helping himself. With him watching, Liu Xuan felt much more at ease.

The Liu Family of today was not just the Liu clansmen; it was connected to many factions. Liu Xuan was just habitually making preventive arrangements; in truth, he wasn't all that worried.