Chapter 150

"That's because your son is inferior in martial skill—he struck first, so naturally we must ask the most innocent victim first." Wang Feiyin shot back over Zhang Ziwang.

Wang Feiyin didn't know the full details, but seeing Pan Yun and the others seated cross-legged beside Cui Huai Gong, he immediately knew they were a group; hearing Lin Jingle say Cui Huai Gong was the first victim, he guessed the whole affair was about seven or eight percent accurate.

Regardless of who was at fault, based on his understanding of his own child, even Pan Yun would never initiate bullying.

The person lying there looked severely injured—so they must have done something especially provoking to Pan Yun, otherwise why would she strike so hard?

Dai Fu looked up and glared at him, "Who the hell are you? What's it to you?"

"I'm the teacher of the victim. Who are you? What's it to you?"

"I'm Er Gouzi's father!"

Wang Feiyin: "He doesn't go by Er Gouzi anymore—he's Dai Yong. He's become a Daoist Priest. Do you even know what 'becoming a Daoist Priest' means? It means severing worldly ties. From the moment you sent your child out of your home, he ceased to be your son."

"Besides, judging by his facial features, his parental and familial bonds are thin, his kin are cruel and unkind, all connections are shallow—what kind of affection could you possibly have?" Wang Feiyin said: "So this matter has little to do with you. It has everything to do with me—I'm his teacher after his ordination. I'm the legitimate family member."

"You you you..."

"I I I—what 'I'? Don't cry like you care so much for this son. If you'd raised him, cared for him diligently until he woke, I'd believe you truly loved him."

"Your own child was beaten unconscious, his mind ruined, and now you're saying we don't truly care for him... we're just trying to seek justice for him!"

Lin Jingle grew angry—this was the Criminal Law Hall, not a marketplace for brawling. He was about to interrupt their pointless quarrel when he heard Wang Feiyin say: "You're after money, aren't you?"

Lin Jingle swallowed his words and continued to suppress his anger.

"You fucking asshole, no amount of money can bring back our son's life! If you can save him, we'll sell everything we own!"

"Good!" Wang Feiyin shouted loudly: "That's what you said."

He stepped forward, circled Dai Yong, pried open his eyelids, then touched his head and body.

The Dai family couldn't tell anything, but everyone present who had studied Alchemy could faintly see a thin layer of Qi swirling around Dai Yong—they knew Wang Feiyin was performing inner observation.

How did the ancient sages come to know about acupoints and meridians?

Precisely because the ancient sages could perform inner observation.

Daoist physicians could not only observe their own internal condition but also observe the patient's internal state—though achieving this required profound cultivation.

Wang Feiyin examined Dai Yong's entire body, paused in thought, then smiled at the Dai family: "To save his life—hard? Yes. Easy? Also yes. But it will cost a great deal. I can revive him, but when he wakes, he'll remain forever like a seven- or eight-year-old child, never growing up."

The Dai family widened their eyes. "You can really save him? Don't you just be bluffing? The Daoist Priests all said Er Gouzi became a living corpse—he'll never wake up again. Isn't a living corpse just a dead man?"

"They can't, but I can," Wang Feiyin said. "Don't believe me? Ask them—do they believe me when I say I can?"

The Dai family immediately turned to Lin Jingle, who nodded: "Others might be bluffing, but Master Wang has genuine skill. If he says he can revive him, he can."

The Dai family's hearts sank. Dai's eldest son tugged his father's sleeve and whispered: "Father..."

Dai Fu snapped back to himself and shouted loudly: "My healthy child was beaten into this state by you—when he wakes, he'll be an idiot! No, I won't accept it. Living like this in agony is worse than dying!"

Dai's eldest son immediately said: "Exactly! If he becomes an idiot, we'll have to care for him forever. Are you going to just shrug it off, Academy? No way!"

"An eight-year-old child can take care of himself, listen, and understand. He's only not smart—no other flaws. Why isn't that better than dead?" Wang Feiyin said. "If you despise him, leave him here. The Academy will care for him for life. After all, he's ordained—he's already unrelated to you."

The Dai family jumped up as if their cat's tail had been stepped on. "How can he be unrelated to us? He's our Dai family's child!"

"Shut up!" Lin Jingle, who had been watching silently, finally snapped. He infused his voice with internal force, making everyone's ears ring and hearts tremble—the crying Dai family instantly fell silent.

Wang Feiyin was adept at reading faces. Seeing Lin Jingle's anger, he immediately stood and stepped aside, quietly watching the show.

After all, he'd already laid out his bottom line—he could revive the man and arrange his lifelong care.

Thinking of the money he'd have to spend to heal him, Wang Feiyin glanced at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun had been waiting for his gaze. The moment he looked over, her eyes instantly filled with tears, gazing at him with tearful, pleading eyes.

Miao Zhen and Miao He also looked at their master and senior brothers with tearful, excited eyes.

They hadn't expected the senior teachers to actually come. Only heaven knew how panicked they'd been when Pan Yun and Cui Huai Gong were brought to the Criminal Law Hall today—they'd nearly begged their senior brother for help again.

Wang Feiyin secretly glared at Pan Yun, then gave Miao Zhen and Miao He a reassuring look, before turning to watch Lin Jingle preside over the case.

Lin Jingle said solemnly: "This is the Criminal Law Hall. Everything follows its rules. Everyone is equal here. If you don't want to listen, leave now."

The Dai family lowered their heads, not daring to speak further, occasionally sniffing, looking pitiful.

But Wang Feiyin had just pointed out Dai Yong's shallow familial ties, and everyone who knew Dai Yong knew the Dai family came every few months to demand money.

Dai Yong's meager earnings were almost entirely drained by his family, causing him to neglect his cultivation repeatedly.

He followed Nong Zhiyi around bullying others and secretly accepting bribes because he had no resources for cultivation and a bloodsucking family behind him.

Cultivators regained their reason quickly. Now everyone watched the Dai family cry with cold eyes, unmoved.

Even Nong Zhiyi, lying nearby, wore a blank, emotionless face, utterly unmoved.

After crying for a while and realizing it had no effect, the Dai family gradually fell silent.

Lin Jingle still had Cui Huai Gong speak first.

Cui Huai Gong had only just woken yesterday and had seen no one until today, when he met Pan Yun and the others—he knew nothing, and now looked utterly bewildered: "I don't know why they beat me. I finished my lessons and was heading back to my dorm to sleep, but on the way, they suddenly rushed out and attacked me."

Lin Jingle asked: "Do you know them?"

Cui Huai Gong immediately shook his head. "I don't know them. We're not even in the same year, let alone the same dorm. How could I know them?"

"Can you recall what techniques they used?"

Cui Huai Gong said: "I don't remember. Five of them beat me alone—their cultivation and Wu Gong were both higher than mine. After a while, I remembered nothing."

He turned to glance at Pan Yun and added: "I couldn't see anything then—only vaguely saw Sister Pan flying toward me. After that, I remember nothing."

Lin Jingle turned to Pan Yun. "What were you doing before the incident?"

"It was getting dark, and I was about to return to Fengqi Courtyard to rest," Pan Yun said. "Before that, I was chatting with Senior Brother Zhou Wang."

Zhou Wang, standing nearby, immediately said: "Yes, we parted just two ke before the incident."

Lin Jingle narrowed his eyes. "What were you talking about?"

Zhou Wang: "Sister Pan was asking me about the Academy's regulations."

Lin Jingle: "Then didn't you tell her the Academy forbids student brawls and private fights?"

Zhou Wang lowered his head.

Pan Yun said immediately, "That goes without saying, Senior Brother Zhou. I knew it the very first day I entered the Academy. Lin Tangzhu, I did not brawl with them. I struck out to save Cui Huaiigong."

Her eyes slowly filled with tears. Under everyone's gaze, the tears spilled one by one, like beads striking the back of her hand. Before long, her face was covered in them. "I was terrified at the time. I saw Cui Huaiigong lying on the ground, arms and legs spread out, with one person sitting on top of him, pounding his head without stopping, while the other four kicked him. And his arms and legs were limp—he didn't resist at all. I, I thought he was going to die. Zhang Yuanzhu, I really thought he was going to die…"

Lou Tong, standing to one side, said expressionlessly, "Judging by Cui Huaiigong's condition when he was brought in, another moment later and he very likely would have died. His internal organs were bleeding, both arms and both legs were broken, and three ribs were fractured as well."

The more Lou Tong spoke, the angrier he grew; looking at Nong Zhiyi and the others, his face was full of fury.

Lin Jingle remained unmoved, his face showing little expression, and continued to ask, "Phoenix Rest is not in that direction. Someone saw you sprinting straight here, your target clear. How did you know something had happened to Cui Huaiigong?"

Pan Yun said, "Cui Huaiigong is my friend. A while back, I gave him and Sister Xuan Li each a Peace Talisman. The Peace Talisman shattered—I sensed it. I didn't know someone was bullying Cui Huaiigong, but I knew he must be in trouble. As a friend, sensing a friend in danger, of course I would go to help with all my strength."

Cui Huaiigong recalled it at once and immediately lowered his head to look at his lapel. "Right, I remember now. After they started hitting me, several times their blows didn't land on me. At the time I felt a warm heat on my chest. Looking now, it was the Peace Talisman."

Lin Jingle then turned to look at Zhou Wang.

Zhou Wang stepped forward at once, drew a cord from around his neck—at the end of the cord hung a small sachet. He took the sachet off and handed it to Lin Jingle.

Lin Jingle opened the sachet, saw the talisman inside reduced to ash, his gaze sharpening slightly, and asked, "This talisman is…"

"I drew it," Master Xuanmiao raised her head and looked Lin Jingle straight in the eye. "I drew the talisman, using her blood. Is there a problem?"

(End of chapter)