Brawl

As Song Qingyi passed by the academy gate, she vaguely heard a commotion outside.

The beautiful female instructor walked out gracefully and saw a crowd of students gathered not far from the gate, watching something. Sounds of fists, kicks, and wails seemed to be coming from within.

Song Qingyi's expression immediately tightened. She quickly stepped forward, parting the students as she went, and asked, "Who's fighting? What's happening?"

However, the crowd was packed three layers deep, and she was slow to push her way through.

"Teacher Song!" The students on the outer edge turned around, saw her, and immediately respectfully made way. Someone replied, "It's Yan Xiaohu and a new student we don't know..."

"Yan Xiaohu..." Upon hearing this, Song Qingyi immediately called out, "Yan Xiaohu, stop right now! You are not allowed to bully or beat your classmates!"

But the sounds of beating and screaming inside did not stop. In fact, as she got closer, the screams became even more tragic.

Listening to the heavy thuds and smacks, Song Qingyi immediately frowned. "I'm warning you one last time, Yan Xiaohu! If you don't stop! I'll ask the dean to expel you!"

With her loud shout, the students in front also recognized her voice and quickly cleared a path for her.

Then...

Song Qingyi saw Yan Xiaohu, his face covered in blood, lying miserably on the ground. He could only open his eyes halfway, unable to distinguish between blood and tears, and was still whimpering tragically.

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

"Hmm?" Song Qingyi was stunned, her expression bewildered.

In her impression, Yan Xiaohu was the little tyrant of Nanshan Academy, bullying his classmates all day. So when she heard he was fighting with someone, she subconsciously assumed he was the one doing the beating. But he had inherited martial arts cultivation and always brought two gang thugs with him. Who could beat him like this?

Wait...

The two thugs, were they the two burly men kneeling beside him with their hands covering their ears?

Where did the person who did the beating go?

She glanced up and saw that the surrounding people were all watching students. She didn't see anyone else in the area.

Song Qingyi then said, "Who was doing the beating just now? Step forward!"

No one stepped forward.

However, all the surrounding students tacitly took a step back. Only two people remained standing in place, instantly highlighted.

One was a handsome young man with a gentle smile, who seemed to be a new student who arrived today, named Chu Liang. The other was his bookboy with thick eyebrows and large eyes. The two of them were pointing and gesturing, pretending to be part of the onlookers.

Song Qingyi frowned and looked at Chu Liang. "Did you do this?"

"Ah." Chu Liang shook his head, not expecting the students of Nanshan Academy to be so cooperative. He immediately lowered his head and apologized, "Teacher Song, I'm sorry! I just arrived today. Student Yan Xiaohu only asked me for ten taels of silver as protection money, and I had no choice but to resist. This violates the academy's rules, please punish me, Teacher Song."

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

She felt that the words of reprimand she was about to say couldn't come out.

"No matter what, you shouldn't hit people..." After a pause, she said softly.

Chu Liang added, "I originally wanted to pay the money to settle the matter, but my bookboy was too indignant and got into a fight with the three of them. I will definitely punish him severely when we get back."

Saying this, he looked at Lin Bei.

Lin Bei understood immediately and let out a wail, "Oh dear, young master, his face hit my hand so hard... It seems broken, I need to see a doctor quickly."

"Is it that serious?" Chu Liang looked a little nervous and turned to Song Qingyi, saying, "Teacher Song, I need to quickly take my page boy for treatment. If we're late..."

"Alright, you all go get medical attention." Song Qingyi glared at him irritably and also said to the three on the ground, including Yan Xiaohu, "When you come to the academy tomorrow, I'll have the dean punish you."

Immediately, Chu Liang took the "injured" Lin Bei, and the two thugs carried the half-dead Yan Xiaohu, each heading towards medical treatment.

However, the two Black Tiger Gang thugs hadn't carried Yan Xiaohu far when they heard a shout from behind: "Stop!"

They turned back and saw that it was those two little devils again! How could they dare to leave? They immediately threw Yan Xiaohu on the ground, grabbed their ears with both hands, and knelt down.

"No need to be so nervous." Chu Liang smiled at them. "I wanted to say, although everything today was your fault, we are not unreasonable people."

Saying that, he extended his hand to Lin Bei, "Give me a Sword Coin."

Lin Bei didn't understand and took out a Sword Coin from his pocket, handing it to Chu Liang.

Chu Liang gave it to one of the thugs, "Take this back to your gang leader and tell him this is the medical fee for injuring his son. Remember, you must personally hand it to your gang leader."

"Yes, yes, yes." The two thugs nodded like chickens pecking rice and quickly fled like flying.

"Hey! You left your young master here." Lin Bei shouted.

"Thank you, thank you." The two thugs turned back, picked up Yan Xiaohu, and then took off again.

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

"To avoid future trouble," Chu Liang explained. "If you beat the young ones, the old ones will inevitably come. When Yan Xiaohu's father sees the Sword Coin, he probably won't come looking for trouble with us anymore."

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

"My money is useful," Chu Liang said seriously.

Lin Bei: "?"

Night fell.

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

According to some news he heard today, Li Jue used to be a very diligent student, but recently, for some reason, he had been listless.

Seeing him enter, Li Jue came back to his senses and asked, "What is it?"

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

Li Jue was silent for a moment, then said, "I saw you teach him a lesson today... Thank you."

"For cultivators, upholding justice is simply part of the job," Chu Liang said with a smile.

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

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

"Huh?" Li Jue was startled by his question, his eyes flickered, but he didn't answer.

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

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

"You know, is it because they bullied Situ Yan before, that's why you know?" Chu Liang asked again.

Li Jue seemed a bit agitated and looked at Chu Liang, "Stop asking!"

"Your father paid a hefty price to Mount Shu to hire us to protect you. The longer we stay, the more money you spend. Resolving this matter sooner is definitely good for you." Chu Liang's voice was calm and strong. "I ask you, is the vengeful spirit who killed them Situ Yan?"

"..." Li Jue frowned and pondered for a long time before looking up and saying, "It should be her."

"Then why are you so scared... is it because you also bullied her?" Chu Liang continued to ask.

"I didn't!" Li Jue shook his head firmly, "Never."

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

Li Jue held his head, seemingly having many things he didn't want to mention, but still answered, "Zhang Cong, Wu Shaoan, Yan Xiaohu, Chen Da... it was them, they often bullied Situ Yan..."

Another surprise nucleic acid test early in the morning, I'm going crazy. Please, please, let the pandemic pass quickly.