Just an Accident

"..." The Dean of Students was speechless.

Devil Yan glanced at Principal Sun, surveyed the surroundings, and quickly retrieved eight cameras.

Seeing the cameras in Devil Yan's hands, Meng Chao continued, "It's a fact that Zuo Haoran is injured, but I don't understand. I just recovered not long ago, and my limbs are weak and powerless. How could I possibly inflict such serious damage with a single punch? Teacher Yan, Teacher Wang, and Director Ma, please take a look in front of so many classmates and clear up my confusion. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise what? Does the school still wrong good people?" The Dean of Students said, putting on a brave front, "Teacher Yan, turn them on and take a look!"

Each miniature camera came with its own ultra-clear monitoring screen.

Devil Yan handed the eight cameras to the Dean of Students and several head teachers of the Senior Year Group. Wang Longjun also managed to grab one.

Chu Feixiong and other classmates hurriedly crowded behind Wang Longjun, craning their necks to watch.

The fight was very short, only two or three minutes. It was swift and fierce. First, Meng Chao was beaten until his face was bruised and swollen. Then, he pounced on Zuo Haoran. Immediately afterward, Zuo Haoran flew out while vomiting blood.

Ordinary students couldn't see the reason, but several head teachers looked thoughtful. The Dean of Students' face gradually turned pale, while Devil Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He collected several cameras, and from different angles, replayed the last scene several times at a slow three to five times speed.

Then, he cursed fiercely, and strode towards Zuo Haoran on the stretcher.

"Tell me, what move were you planning to use to deal with Meng Chao just now?" Devil Yan glared angrily.

Zuo Haoran's face was pale, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

"Speak quickly! If you don't, I can still find out. But not understanding your injury and delaying treatment is a lifelong matter!" Devil Yan's tone was stern.

The aura of the iron-blooded instructor was too much for the heavily injured Zuo Haoran to handle. He shivered and subconsciously said, "It, it was the Heart Crushing Hammer."

As soon as he said this, the classmates hadn't reacted yet, but several head teachers gasped and jumped up.

"You know the Heart Crushing Hammer?"

"You actually used the Heart Crushing Hammer in a friendly spar? What were you trying to do?"

"Oh dear, classmate Zuo Haoran, you're too, you're too impulsive!"

They were both shocked and annoyed.

The Dean of Students covered his face, looking as if all was lost.

"Teacher Yan, what exactly is going on? How did Zuo Haoran get injured? We all want to know," Chu Feixiong said loudly, representing all the students of Class 6.

Devil Yan glanced at Principal Sun, and seeing that the Principal didn't express anything, he could only tell the truth to the excited students, "In the fight, classmate Zuo Haoran used a very... powerful killing move, the Heart Crushing Hammer, but he hasn't mastered it yet. There was stagnation in his power exertion, and the explosive force was concentrated on his own spine. And just at the moment when the force was about to be released, Meng Chao happened to punch him in the chest, detonating the power deep in his spine, causing his spine to rupture."

"The Heart Crushing Hammer, also known as 'One String Whip, Bone Piercing Nail'?"

As soon as he said this, some knowledgeable students finally remembered and exclaimed, "This is a tyrannical killing move specifically used to deal with thick-skinned monsters. The power directly penetrates the internal organs and can directly explode the heart. Zuo Haoran actually wanted to use it on Meng Chao. How vicious!"

"So that's how it is. He suffered the consequences of his own actions!"

"So, Meng Chao acted in self-defense?"

"It wasn't Meng Chao who injured Zuo Haoran, he injured himself. Meng Chao shouldn't be blamed at all!"

Devil Yan handed all eight cameras to the Dean of Students, "Director Ma, do you have any objections to my judgment?"

Ma Qingyun's horse face was twisted into a mess, changing colors three or four times, before he finally said fiercely, "Then, then it was their private fight that caused it after all. Meng Chao, why did you and Zuo Haoran run to the Small Woods for a private fight!"

"Dean Ma, let me reiterate, it wasn't a private fight, but an accidental slip during sparring. Including this move, the 'Heart Crushing Hammer', Zuo Haoran said beforehand that he wanted to demonstrate it to me. So, I think it's better to define the whole thing as an 'accident'."

Meng Chao said calmly, "Otherwise, it's hard to understand why I and Zuo Haoran, who at most have a small conflict that can be resolved with a few words, would launch something as exaggerated as 'One String Whip, Bone Piercing Nail, Heart Crushing Hammer'. If things really blow up, it won't be good for me, for Zuo Haoran, for Class 6, or for our school. Don't you think?"

The Dean of Students' expression changed.

Several homeroom teachers also frowned.

Indeed, student brawls are commonplace, but using the "Heart Crushing Hammer" during a brawl, and having it filmed so clearly, would make it difficult to control the intensity of the situation if it spread.

If things went wrong, the overall image of Ninth High School would be damaged.

Even the Dean of Students himself would lose face for raising such a ruthless nephew who suffered the consequences of his own actions, which would be a hindrance to his career to some extent.

But if it was a martial arts exchange between students, an accidental slip, that would be another matter.

While the Dean of Students was still hesitating, Principal Sun, who had remained silent, finally spoke.

"Dean Ma, Zuo Haoran is still lying here. Shouldn't we send the child to the hospital first? Other classes are still testing. If we keep making a fuss like this, it will affect the children's future. That's not good, is it?"

The shriveled little old man spoke weakly, his words leaking air due to missing teeth, lacking any imposing manner.

However, the Dean of Students seemed to have been struck by a club, his arrogance immediately subdued as he lowered his head and said, "Yes, Principal."

"Teacher Yan, you should ask Meng Chao here more clearly about how the accident happened, and compile a report. Also, look a little better, don't scare the child," Principal Sun added.

"Yes, Principal!" Devil Yan subconsciously stood at attention, like a staunch drill instructor facing his own staunch drill instructor.

"Very good, very good." Principal Sun smiled, returning to his mascot state of dozing off all day, and walked out of the Small Woods with his hands behind his back.

The students breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that things were going to be treated as an "accident."

However, Meng Chao must have accidentally hit Zuo Haoran's vital point by mistake, right? Calling it an accident wasn't wrong.

Otherwise, how could Meng Chao have broken the "Heart Crushing Hammer"? It was completely inexplicable!

Under their complex gazes, Meng Chao was taken away by Devil Yan.

However, the two didn't go to the office or the Discipline Office, but simply strolled around the campus.

"How much strength did you hold back during the speed and strength tests this morning?"

Devil Yan, walking unhurriedly in front, suddenly asked an irrelevant and strange question.

Meng Chao didn't plan to hide it, and thought for a moment, "Twenty to thirty percent?"

It was twenty to thirty percent now, but it would be hard to say in a few days.

"Why?"

"There's no challenge, it doesn't spark my interest."

"Heh, only the 'Golden Target' can spark your interest? Your marksmanship is good, who did you learn it from?"

"From my dad. He used to be a sharpshooter in the army. A few days ago, a 'Ghost Eye Golden Winged Flame Beetle' that invaded Tianfu Garden was shot in the head by my dad."

"I see." Devil Yan suddenly stopped and turned his head, "What happened today, you did it on purpose."

Facing the iron-blooded instructor's suddenly sharp, bayonet-like gaze, Meng Chao did not evade, but instead stepped forward like a bayonet charge: "Yes, deliberate."

Devil Yan said, "I want an explanation."

Meng Chao shrugged: "Self-defense."

Devil Yan said, "Is it self-defense or a preemptive strike? If you hadn't fished, Zuo Haoran might not have moved against you."

"Am I supposed to entrust my fate to someone else's 'might'?"

Meng Chao sneered, "Teacher Yan, if there is a ferocious monster standing next to you and your family right now, are you going to carefully discern whether it is hungry, whether it might let you off, or whether it has any hidden suffering, whether it is a kind monster, and whether you can think of a more secure way to solve it?

"I'm just a high school student, and I can't handle things perfectly. I can only dig a pit, fill the bottom with sharp knives, and then stand behind the pit to see if it jumps. If it doesn't jump, then so be it. If it insists on jumping, what can I do? Kneel down and beg it not to jump?"

Devil Yan stared at Meng Chao for a long time, and finally said, "Okay, this explanation is acceptable. Leave all the subsequent troubles to me. You just focus on preparing for the exam!"

Meng Chao breathed a sigh of relief, his smile radiant: "Thank you, Teacher Yan. I knew you were the fairest and most benevolent good teacher in the whole school."

Devil Yan waved his hand: "Don't flatter me. If you really want to thank me, have you ever thought about applying to a military academy?"

Meng Chao shook his head decisively: "Feixiong wants to be a great general wielding a broadsword. Please help him more. I'll pass."

A glint flashed in Devil Yan's eyes: "Why? I don't think you would hate war."

Meng Chao was a Harvester for ten years in his previous life, and he also picked up some occupational diseases. He curled his lips: "Soldiers are too crude. They always use machine guns, cannons, and tanks to mess up the monsters. Originally, ten points of resources are wasted by seven points. Such a simple and crude method is not my style."

Devil Yan laughed: "Oh, what style do you like then?"

"Delicate, precise, elegant."

Meng Chao recalled, his hands waving unconsciously, as if holding an invisible scalpel and dissecting knife, "I like to carefully cut open the monster's skin, slice through their blood vessels, gently caress their internal organs, collect every drop of blood, and peel off every organ without any damage, placing them in vessels filled with various medicinal liquids. In the end, a ferocious monster becomes exquisite artwork. This is the art of harvesting, and I want to become such an artist."

The look of infatuation on his face made Devil Yan shudder.

Are high school students these days so perverted?

"One last question."

Devil Yan took a few more steps forward, casually saying, "That day, did you really dream that I died?"

Meng Chao was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Devil Yan was talking about the day he was reborn.

"Uh, Teacher Yan, dreams are the opposite of reality. You wouldn't mind that, would you?" He scratched his head.

"Hehe, I don't mind at all. In fact, I hope so."

To Meng Chao's surprise, Devil Yan said, "I used to be a member of the Crimson Dragon Army, a regular army of Dragon City. Although I'm retired now, once a Crimson Dragon Army soldier, always a Crimson Dragon Army soldier until death. It's the greatest shame for a soldier to die peacefully in bed. Since everyone is bound to die, I hope I can be buried in the belly of a beast, using my last bone to pierce the monster's heart—for every Crimson Dragon Army soldier, this is the best way to die.

"So, thank you, Meng Chao, for dreaming of my death in battle."

"..."

This time it was Meng Chao's turn to be speechless.

Devil Yan laughed heartily and strode forward.