Fighting

When Song Qingyi passed by the academy's mountain gate, she vaguely heard a commotion outside.

The beautiful instructress walked out gracefully and saw a crowd of students gathered not far from the gate, watching something. The sounds of fists and kicks, along with miserable wails, seemed to be coming from within.

Song Qingyi's expression immediately tightened. She hurried forward, parting the students as she asked, "Who's fighting? What happened?"

But the crowd was packed three layers deep inside and three layers deep outside, and she squeezed her way in slowly.

"Teacher Song!" The students on the outskirts turned and saw her, immediately making way respectfully. Someone answered, "It's Yan Xiaohu and some new student we don't know..."

"Yan Xiaohu..." Upon hearing that name, Song Qingyi immediately shouted, "Yan Xiaohu, stop at once! You are not allowed to bully and beat your fellow students!"

Yet the sounds of beating and screams inside did not stop. In fact, as she drew closer, the cries became even more miserable.

Listening to those heavy thumps and smacks, Song Qingyi furrowed her brows tightly. "This is my final warning, Yan Xiaohu! If you don't stop now, I'll have the headmaster expel you!"

At her shout, the students ahead recognized her voice and hurriedly opened a path for her.

Then...

Song Qingyi saw Yan Xiaohu lying miserably on the ground, his face covered in blood. He could only open each eye halfway, and it was impossible to tell whether what filled them was blood or tears. He was still muttering pitifully.

"Teacher Song, I stopped a long time ago! I didn't dare fight back even once! I've been beaten into this state, and you still want to expel me..."

"Hm?" Song Qingyi froze, her expression startled.

In her impression, Yan Xiaohu had always been the little tyrant of Nanshan Academy, bullying his classmates all day long. So when she heard he had gotten into a fight, she naturally assumed he was the one beating someone. But he possessed a family martial arts inheritance and was always accompanied by two gang thugs. Who could have beaten him into this state?

Wait...

The two thugs—were they those two brawny men kneeling nearby with their heads lowered, tugging on their own ears with both hands?

Where had the one doing the beating gone?

She swept her gaze around and found only students watching the spectacle. There was no one else in the middle of the scene.

Song Qingyi said, "Who was hitting people just now? Step forward!"

No one stepped forward.

However, all the watching students tacitly took one step back. Only two people remained standing where they were, instantly standing out.

One was a handsome young man with a gentle smile, seemingly the new student who had arrived today, Chu Liang. The other was his thick-browed, big-eyed book attendant. The two of them were pointing and gesturing, pretending to be spectators.

Song Qingyi frowned at Chu Liang. "Was it you two?"

"Alas." Chu Liang shook his head. He had not expected the Nanshan Academy students to be so coordinated. He could only lower his head and apologize at once. "Teacher Song, I'm sorry! I only arrived today. Student Yan Xiaohu merely demanded ten taels of silver from me as protection money, so I had no choice but to resist. I violated the academy's rules. Please punish me, Teacher Song."

"..." Song Qingyi fell silent for a moment.

She only felt that before she could even say the words of reprimand, they had somehow become impossible to speak.

"No matter what, you can't hit people..." After a pause, she could only say softly.

Chu Liang added, "I originally wanted to pay the money and let the matter rest, but my book attendant was too indignant, so he got into a brawl with the three of them. When we return, I will definitely punish him severely."

As he spoke, he looked at Lin Bei.

Lin Bei immediately understood and let out a miserable howl. "Aiya, Young Master, hitting his face made my hand hurt so much... It seems like it's fractured. I need medical treatment right away."

"Is it that serious?" Chu Liang looked somewhat nervous as he turned to Song Qingyi. "Teacher Song, I have to hurry and take my book attendant to be treated. If we're late..."

"Fine, all of you go seek treatment separately." Song Qingyi shot him an irritated look, then said to Yan Xiaohu and the other two on the ground, "When you come to class tomorrow, I'll have the headmaster punish you."

Immediately, Chu Liang took the "injured" Lin Bei away, while the two thugs carried the half-dead Yan Xiaohu. Each headed off to seek treatment.

However, the two Black Tiger Gang thugs had not gone far while carrying Yan Xiaohu when they heard a shout behind them. "Stop!"

The two turned around and discovered that it was those same two little fiends from before! How could they dare continue walking? They immediately threw Yan Xiaohu to the ground and knelt in place, tugging on their ears with both hands.

"Don't be so nervous." Chu Liang smiled at them. "I merely wanted to say that although today's affair was entirely your fault, we are not unreasonable people."

As he spoke, he held out his hand to Lin Bei. "Give me a Sword Coin."

Not understanding why, Lin Bei took a Sword Coin from his pocket and handed it to Chu Liang.

Chu Liang gave it to one of the thugs. "Take this back to your gang leader. Tell him it is the medical fee for injuring his son. Remember, you must personally deliver it into your gang leader's hands."

"Yes, yes, yes." The two thugs nodded like chicks pecking rice and hurriedly fled as if they had taken flight.

"Hey! You left your young master behind," Lin Bei called.

"Th-th-thank you." The two thugs turned back, carried Yan Xiaohu away again, and took flight once more.

Watching their backs disappear into the distance, Lin Bei finally asked, "Why give them a Sword Coin?"

"To avoid future troubles." Chu Liang explained. "After beating the little one, the old one will inevitably come. When Yan Xiaohu's father sees the Sword Coin, he probably won't come looking for trouble with us again."

"Then why did you give him my Sword Coin?" Lin Bei asked again.

"My money has uses." Chu Liang said with a solemn expression.

Lin Bei: "?"

Night fell.

Chu Liang went to Li Jue's room and found him sitting there in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking about.

From some of the news he had heard today, Li Jue had once been a good student who studied diligently. But for some reason, he had recently become utterly lost and dispirited.

Only when he saw Chu Liang enter did Li Jue come back to his senses and ask, "What is it?"

Chu Liang placed five taels of silver on the table. "This is the money I got back from Yan Xiaohu for you. You don't need to pay it today... and probably not in the future either."

Li Jue fell silent briefly before saying, "I saw you teach him a lesson today... Thank you."

"For those who cultivate, upholding justice and helping the weak is simply part of our duty." Chu Liang smiled.

"Mm..." Li Jue seemed to think of something and lapsed into a daze again.

Chu Liang suddenly asked, "Why did you say he wouldn't live long?"

"Hm?" Li Jue jolted at the question. His gaze flickered, but he did not answer.

"Is it because of Situ Yan?" Chu Liang pressed.

"I don't know..." Li Jue shook his head.

"You know, don't you? Is it because they once bullied Situ Yan, so you know?" Chu Liang asked again.

Li Jue seemed to grow somewhat agitated. He looked at Chu Liang. "Stop asking!"

"Your father paid Shushan a great price to invite us to protect you. The longer we stay, the more money you spend. Resolving this matter sooner will absolutely be better for you." Chu Liang's voice was calm yet forceful. "Tell me. Is the Vengeful Spirit killing people Situ Yan?"

"..." Li Jue frowned and pondered for a long while before finally raising his head. "It should be her."

"Then you're so afraid... Is it because you bullied her too?" Chu Liang continued asking.

"I didn't!" Li Jue shook his head firmly. "I never did."

"Then... who were those people?" Chu Liang asked.

Li Jue clutched his head. There seemed to be many things he did not wish to bring up, but he still answered, "Zhang Cong, Wu Shaoan, Yan Xiaohu, Chen Da... It was them. They often bullied Situ Yan..."

Early in the morning, there was another surprise mass nucleic acid test. I'm going stupid. Please, let the pandemic end soon.