Chapter 176: Fighting and Brawling

Actually, if no one had come looking for him, Lu Xingzhou would have liked to keep wandering around the other areas of the second floor. Such a vast region was littered with treasures; having only swept through one volcanic zone was a real shame. He hadn't even searched this volcano thoroughly—there might well be things he'd missed.

Unfortunately, neither the Alchemy Academy nor the Demon-Suppression Bureau would let people stay in this trial indefinitely. The original plan was only one day. Now that a death had been discovered, they couldn't even stay that long; people had rushed over to call a halt.

All the way back to the small hillock they'd departed from, Alchemy Academy Headmaster Qin Zhiyu and Instructor Meng Li were both present, flanked by a crowd of Alchemy Academy students and Demon-Suppression Bureau guards.

On the ground lay Wang Yueshen's corpse, along with a mangled lump of flesh and blood missing even its head. According to the Demon-Suppression Bureau guards secretly protecting Daoist Xuan Qing, this was Xuan Qing himself—they had witnessed Xuan Qing being smashed flat by the turtle-ogre and half his body gnawed off.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's group of three return, Qin Zhiyu finally spoke: "Everyone's here. First, tell me—what's the situation with Wang Yueshen?"

"I killed him," Miss Qingli said coolly. "In the center of the sandstorm, the turtle-ogre tried to snuff out the fire seed, and Lu Xingzhou seized the chaos to take it. At that moment Wang Yueshen tried to launch a sneak flying-sword attack on Lu Xingzhou from afar; I intercepted him. We fought, and I cut him down."

The whole crowd was dumbstruck.

Miss Qingli had already explained to the Demon-Suppression Bureau beforehand that she was the killer, so the Bureau's people at least had some mental preparation.

Everyone else went blank for several breaths.

Crossing ranks to kill a third grade!

Even across the great chasm of the upper third grade, can one still cross ranks to kill? And she did it unscathed at that… And wouldn't the opponent have run? What gave you the right to kill him?

Qin Zhiyu was silent for quite a while before saying: "Miss Dugu is a direct disciple of the Holy Land; ordinarily we shouldn't question her word. But Wang Yueshen was also an instructor of our Academy. In the end, this matter still needs to be sorted out clearly before we can account for it to those above and below. I wonder, Miss, do you have any proof that he attempted to ambush a student under his own charge?"

Miss Qingli's face was expressionless: "He made his move—that's all there is to it. He didn't hide it even when speaking with me. If you really can't accept it, go find my master and have him cast a time-reversal technique, and everything will be crystal clear."

To Miss Qingli this was perfectly natural, but in others' ears it inevitably sounded a bit like brandishing the National Preceptor's authority to throw her weight around.

If Miss Qingli's account held true, this was also a major scandal for the Alchemy Academy; Qin Zhiyu's own prestige would take a hit.

Qin Zhiyu frowned slightly, about to say something, when he saw Lu Xingzhou raise his hand like a model student: "Headmaster, I have a way to prove it."

"Oh?" Qin Zhiyu looked at Lu Xingzhou. To be honest, because of the marrow-swapping method Lu Xingzhou had contributed, his personal impression of Lu Xingzhou was quite good. But from the Academy's standpoint he felt a certain resistance, because the things this person was involved in were very troublesome—he wasn't a pure scholar, and he was liable to bring the Academy trouble. Just look—how long had school even been in session? The very first "ice-breaking" trial and already something had gone wrong…

He sighed: "If you were far away in the desert when it happened, how can you prove it?"

"Very simple. Qing… Miss Dugu clearly didn't search the body for spoils—look, his ring and everything else are still on him. I dare wager that if the Headmaster searches his ring right now, inside you'll definitely find treasures or massive resources that don't belong to him or match what his salary should provide."

Qin Zhiyu reached out, removed Wang Yueshen's ring, and in front of everyone dumped out everything inside.

Gold, silver, spirit stones, medicinal ingredients, finished pills, magic treasures and talismans—at first glance it all looked normal, but some who knew their goods couldn't help exclaiming in low voices: "Dark Abyss Grass…"

Among the medicinal ingredients was a stalk of Dark Abyss Grass, a first-grade herb, priceless.

"Whether from his salary or from what Mr. Wang earned outside on his own, a first-grade item like this should not have been within his ability to obtain," Lu Xingzhou said calmly. "If the Headmaster checks the records of items bestowed upon the Huo family over the years, you may well find this very item among them."

After a moment of silence, Qin Zhiyu finally said: "I will go and request the National Preceptor again, to have her perform the time-reversal technique."

Saying it like this basically settled the matter. The crowd exchanged glances, never expecting that it really was one of the Alchemy Academy's own instructors who'd been at fault. A lead instructor accepting bribes from outsiders and targeting his own students… The Alchemy Academy had lost a good deal of face this time…

And this was the Huo family reaching their hand into the Alchemy Academy—bribing instructors, secretly harming students. How could Qin Zhiyu and Meng Li swallow that?

Seeing Qin Zhiyu's face turn iron-dark, Meng Li cut in: "And why did you lot run off to the second floor?"

Lu Xingzhou looked more wronged than anyone: "How would I know? We were doing just fine over at that oasis, nothing happening at all. We'd already left—who the hell knows why the turtle-ogre there went crazy, or what Xuan Qing actually did?"

Meng Li's face was stuffed full of "you're kidding me." Clearly, once Lu Xingzhou was involved, saying he had nothing to do with it, that he was a passive, innocent little white flower—ask anyone if they'd believe it?

The Demon-Suppression Bureau's people then testified: "It's true. Mr. Lu and his disciples, along with our Commander Sheng, were originally surveying that oasis. It seems they found nothing of note, so they left…"

Qin Zhiyu said: "You were following him? How do you know so clearly?"

The Demon-Suppression Bureau people sighed: "Daoist Xuan Qing and Mr. Chen Yu were tailing Mr. Lu the whole way, spying on him. We were secretly following to protect Daoist Xuan Qing and Mr. Chen, so naturally we saw it too."

Sheng Yuanyao: "…"

Oh no—back at the oasis, when she'd been pretending to be weak from vomiting, hadn't she ended up sitting in Lu Xingzhou's lap?

Looking at her subordinates' eyes now, they were full of gossip-hunger.

Others, though, clearly heard the implication—Xuan Qing had been the one who wanted to harm Lu Xingzhou first.

Qin Zhiyu stared coldly at Chen Yu: "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Chen Yu hurriedly said: "I'm not in league with Xuan Qing! I just figured Brother Lu was the strongest, and following him I might pick up some scraps. I happened to run into Xuan Qing along the way. The Headmaster can ask everyone—at first I even tried to join Brother Lu's team, and Brother Lu politely turned me down…"

A group of fellow students all nodded in confirmation.

Lu Xingzhou asked with a smile: "Then does Brother Chen know why the entrance to the second floor was opened?"

Chen Yu's face was blank astonishment: "I don't know… I'm just a new student—how would I know about something as secret as the second-floor entrance?"

"Then did Brother Chen see anything?"

"The dust was so thick at the time I couldn't see a thing, but I seemed to sense an extremely powerful swordsman present—don't know who. Was it one of his companions who opened the second-floor door?"

This time it was the Demon-Suppression Bureau people's faces that started turning ugly.

An outsider having infiltrated in advance—the guards stationed here by the Bureau bore no small responsibility.

But put another way, Chen Yu had just sold that person out, proving he wasn't part of the group, so his suspicion was basically cleared. Sheng Yuanyao raged: "You clearly—"

Lu Xingzhou waved his hand to stop Sheng Yuanyao's outburst, and with a smile extended his right hand to Chen Yu: "Brother Chen, we can be friends from now on."

This handshake custom wasn't common, but its meaning was clear enough. Chen Yu read it and stepped forward with a grin to clasp hands: "Brother Lu went down to the second floor, spent several hours there without a scratch—strength like that is truly admirable. I'll have to seek your guidance often in the future."

"Not at all, not at all." Lu Xingzhou laughed as they shook hands: "I, Lu, have no family training—I'm a rough, unprincipled sort who gets into fights and brawls at the Academy. Brother Chen, just don't blame me for dragging you down."

"Whatever are you saying, Brother Lu—when have you ever gotten into fights and brawls…"

"Right now."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat—he'd already sensed a leg shooting silently straight at his crotch from below.

He wanted to retreat, but his hand was locked in Lu Xingzhou's iron grip; he couldn't pull free.

His reflexes were lightning-fast—he twisted his hip slightly, taking the kick on his thigh instead, while his left hand sliced forward at Lu Xingzhou's Hukou to free his pinned right hand.

The whole sequence flowed in one breath; that left-hand chop was vicious beyond compare, and Lu Xingzhou had no choice but to let go for the moment, his usually-foolproof crotch-kick sneak attack declared a failure.

Chen Yu shot backward through the air: "Lu Xingzhou, you—"

He got only one word out before Lu Xingzhou slapped the armrest and launched a flying kick mid-air.

Chen Yu barely crossed his arms in front of him to block; a terrifying explosive force went BOOM, and Chen Yu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Behind him flames suddenly roared up—"BOOM"—and his whole body plunged into a sea of fire.

Lu Xingzhou meant to finish Chen Yu off in an instant before Qin Zhiyu and the others could react! Ruthless to the extreme!

Unfortunately, Qin Zhiyu, a first-grade alchemist, was no pushover. The next instant Chen Yu was yanked out of the sea of fire through the air as if riding the clouds, drawn to Qin Zhiyu's front, having suffered only minor burns.

Qin Zhiyu said angrily, "Lu Xingzhou, what are you doing?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled faintly: "As the Academy Head sees, fighting and brawling. I'm willing to accept punishment."

"You!"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "The Academy Head's strength is formidable; surely you can tell what my strength was just now?"

Qin Zhiyu had to admit this Lu Xingzhou's ferocity—on the surface he looked fifth grade, but that ambush, that flying kick, and the Extinguishing Golden Flame timed with perfect lead—all of it was something no one below fourth grade could possibly defend against.

Even at fourth grade, only someone with extensive combat experience could withstand it; an ordinary student hit by that three-strike chain would have been dead long ago.

Thinking of this, he looked at Chen Yu beside him, who had only suffered minor injuries, and his heart stirred.

This Chen Yu is only a new talent among alchemists, not even on the official new talent list—where did he get such powerful strength?

Lu Xingzhou also inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. He knew there was no evidence to expose Chen Yu, and had originally planned to risk disciplinary punishment to simply kill this opponent on the spot; as for his leg being healed being exposed, he no longer cared.

Too bad the other party was stronger than imagined and actually managed to block it. One had to know that groin kick—even the freshly-debuted Pei Chuyun hadn't managed to defend against it… This Chen Yu is at least stronger than Pei Chuyun at their first meeting!

He's really hidden it deep…

Still, he should have successfully planted suspicion in Qin Zhiyu and Meng Li's minds, and that was enough. Most young people love to show off, and their sects need figureheads even more—what scheme could a young person have, going to such lengths to conceal such powerful strength?

Exposing him completely before everyone means at least he won't be able to plot in the shadows so easily.

Chen Yu also knew he had given himself away, and could only say: "Brother Lu, you're far too reckless! I just don't like showing off, that's all, you…"

Lu Xingzhou cupped his fist in apology: "Sorry about that, my hand itched. Anyway, Brother Chen isn't hurt, you won't hold it against me, right?"

Chen Yu's stomachful of words was choked back, his face flushing beet-purple.

Qin Zhiyu and Meng Li exchanged a glance; knowing full well something was off, they did not continue questioning the case, and even Lu Xingzhou's "fighting and brawling" they let pass without further inquiry.

Meng Li directly changed the subject: "The case is basically clear; the Academy will naturally discuss handling it with the Town Demon Bureau and the Holy Land. You entered the Demon-Subduing Domain ultimately for the trial—may I see the pills you've refined, and see how your trial results fare?"

The vast majority of students, along with A'Nu, honestly handed over their pill assignments; only Chen Yu, who had wasted a great deal of time, had just barely gathered enough medicinal ingredients and didn't yet know if it was enough; and there was Lu Xingzhou, who had the ingredients but no time to refine.

Lu Xingzhou raised his hand again: "Instructor, the trial is one day, right? The time isn't up yet?"

Meng Li said irritably: "What, you're going to refine a high-grade pill on the spot to hand in?"

"No, no." Lu Xingzhou said with a beaming smile: "Everyone's already handed theirs in; how could I be so rude as to waste everyone's time waiting? You agree, right, Brother Chen Yu?"

Chen Yu nearly spat blood.

He had originally planned to refine pills on the spot and hand them in—this Lu Xingzhou had reaped a huge haul on the second floor, while he had gained nothing on the first floor! This trial was both a reference for top-tier grandmasters choosing disciples, and also came with the Academy's resource rewards—he really wanted it!

Yet Lu Xingzhou wore a face of "noble self-effacement," refusing to compete with others; if he, Chen Yu, insisted on competing, he'd offend every one of his fellow students.

Chen Yu ground his teeth in fury, yet had no choice but to force a smiling face: "Yes, the two of us will take zero points."

"Oh, don't. The trial also tests eye and opportunity; the ingredients you found can at least count for some points." Lu Xingzhou produced a mushroom: "A third grade Lava Mushroom—I'll take second-to-last, no problem, right?"

Chen Yu: "…"

Second-to-last was of course no problem, because everyone would only remember who was last.

How can this Lu Xingzhou be so wicked!

(End of chapter)