168: Competition Disputes

In Jingzhou City, barely two hundred meters outside the auction house.

The firelight on Bai Ya flared up intensely, burning out a fiery silhouette from which Xie Ning emerged.

After waiting a moment longer, Yan Ruyu appeared, looking at Xie Ning with a strange expression.

Xie Ning said, "Don't look at me like that. We need to leave quickly; it'll be trouble if the City Defense Force finds us."

Subsequently, the two leaped rapidly over houses, heading toward the outskirts of Jingzhou City.

Midway, Yan Ruyu asked, "Aren't you worried about being recognized?"

"There's nothing to worry about; it'll be found out sooner or later," Xie Ning smiled. "However, they didn't lose out on this trip. The bizarre auction process will attract a lot of attention for them, and an Advanced Auctioneer is far more valuable to an auction house than cultivation Materials that would be sold sooner or later anyway."

"Even so, they lost a lot of face. Do you think they'll thank you for saving someone?" Yan Ruyu asked again.

Xie Ning: "Certainly not now. That's why Little Leopard Zhao is taking the fall. By the time they trace it back to me, their anger will have mostly dissipated. Even if it hasn't, they can't be too aggressive toward an Intermediate Cultivator. There will always be a way."

Yan Ruyu: "..."

The two were very fast and left Jingzhou City in a short while.

Not long after they left, an enchanting figure covered in char also rode a large cat, quickly heading toward Lingnan City... In the morning, Yan Ruyu and Xie Ning finally arrived at the academy.

Shortly after stepping into the academy, both of them frowned.

The usual relaxed, peaceful, and lively atmosphere of the academy was nowhere to be found. The few students occasionally seen on the road were mostly dejected, their faces clouded with worry, and some were even pale with rage.

At that moment, a pair of students in school uniforms walked past Xie Ning. During their conversation, the boy cursed:

"Damn it, that guy named Yan is a complete spineless coward, just like a eunuch. It's disgusting to look at him. Bah! To hell with him! To think I actually used to call him 'Teacher'."

The Master and disciple glanced at each other, and then Xie Ning walked toward the agitated boy.

"Student ahead, please wait a moment."

Hearing Xie Ning's call, the two students turned their heads: "Is there something you need, fellow student?"

"Forgive me for asking, but you were just cursing a teacher named Yan. Did something happen at the academy?"

The two students looked at Xie Ning with unfriendly eyes, but their expressions softened once they saw the Lingnan Academy student card on his chest.

"What, you don't know?" the Girl asked back.

Xie Ning shook his head and said, "I just returned to school and saw the atmosphere was a bit off. Did someone dare to bully our academy?"

"There was bullying, but bullying is one thing—if we can't win, then our skills are just inferior, right?" The boy looked indignant and continued before Xie Ning could answer: "But that bastard named Yan—it was clearly someone from another academy bullying our people, yet he spoke up for the other side and even punished our student. Tell me, isn't that infuriating?"

"Is the person you're talking about Yan Chengze?" Xie Ning asked, glancing at Yan Ruyu nearby.

"That's the one. It was clearly the other academy bullying us. Student Qin went up to vent anger for the student who got beaten, but ended up being hit by that guy Yan! He was even sentenced to solitary confinement! He's absolutely spineless!"

Xie Ning's brow furrowed: "Which Student Qin?"

The Girl thought for two seconds and said, "I heard he's from Instructor Yan Ruyu's class, named Qin Tianyu."

After their explanation, Xie Ning understood the specific sequence of events.

It turned out that yesterday, the academies attending the friendly competition had brought along several Demon Tamer students with decent strength. These people had been mocking and provoking Lingnan Academy students in the challenge zone. Many students had gone up but were beaten down.

Finally, Qin Tianyu went up and gave those opposing students a harsh lesson. Just as the other students were cheering, Yan Chengze appeared and, without a word, struck Qin Tianyu with a palm strike and sentenced him to a month of solitary confinement.

"You have no idea. Those Demon Tamers from the other academies were all from Advanced Classes, every one of them Silver Rank. They specifically chose times when no strong students were around to come up and provoke us. If not for Qin Tianyu, our Lingnan Academy's face would have been completely lost this time!" As the boy spoke, he scratched his sweat-dampened curly hair in frustration, turning it into something like a bird's nest.

Xie Ning asked again, "You just said 'when no strong students were around'. What's that about? What about Zhao Long, Mu Tian, and Ye Feiyu?"

"God knows what happened. Yesterday, all those top students like Zhao Long, Mu Tian, and Ye Feiyu—a whole bunch of Advanced Class students—were suddenly called away by Director Bai."

"Oh right, even that Waste Ball was actually called away. It's quite strange," the Girl added.

"I see," Xie Ning nodded. "One last question: where is Qin Tianyu being held?"

The boy didn't remember, but the Girl checked her phone and replied, "Some students said he's being held on the third floor of the Reflection Building in Zone J. I don't know which room."

"Mm, thanks, you two."

After Xie Ning finished speaking, he watched the two students walk away and then looked at Yan Ruyu.

The latter seemed to have thought of something; her face was as cold as water, appearing even more furious than Xie Ning. A chill spread out, causing the two students who hadn't walked far yet to shudder.

"Master."

"Bring him back. For anyone who dares to block you, as long as you don't kill them, it's fine."

"Yes!"

...At the other end of Lingnan Academy, inside the infirmary.

"Xiao Yu, do you really not plan to tell Teacher Xie? That's your Master."

"Exactly. How can a disciple be injured and keep it from their own Master?"

"Does it still hurt? I'll go find the doctor to get some painkillers."

Several concerned voices spoke up.

These were the male and female students who had previously assisted Xie Ning during his cultivation. After spending some time together, they had become very familiar with Mo Yu. At this moment, they were looking at Mo Yu, who was lying on the hospital bed, with worried expressions.

Her torso was wrapped in bandages. With teary eyes and a pouting mouth, she remained silent, only stubbornly shaking her head whenever they asked about contacting Xie Ning.

And just the motion of shaking her head made her tremble with pain, causing her tears to flow even more.

"How about I call Teacher Xie?"

A slightly chubby Girl of short stature said.

Mo Yu quickly shouted, "No! No one can go! Teacher is still looking for evolution Materials; you'll disturb him! And... and, I was the one who lost. A loss is a loss. I've already embarrassed Master. I clearly promised to win before..."

At the last sentence, Mo Yu couldn't help but start crying.

The several students looked at each other.

"But Xiao Yu, you were a contestant, you know best. In that situation, you clearly won. It was the referee who was blind; he didn't even see such a major violation from the opponent," the chubby Girl said.

"Exactly. No matter what the referee says, in everyone's hearts, you've already won."

"Instructor Ruan Qiong has already gone to protest to the referee. She will definitely get justice for you."

"To think someone blind can be a referee. I don't know what's going on with this year's event."

Everyone chimed in one after another. Under Mo Yu's repeated pleas, they ultimately did not contact Xie Ning.

They didn't know that Xie Ning was currently inside the academy.