Imperial Tutor (Part 2)

Xie Wuxing's figure slowly drifted down.

Du Yanruo hid her expression well, putting on a tearful look of joy. "I knew Young Master would definitely come save me."

If Du Yanruo had acted this way before, she would surely have fooled Xie Wuxing completely. But now that he knew he had been deceived, seeing her like this only made him feel sick.

"Miss Du truly has excellent acting skills." Xie Wuxing sneered. "You put on a frail appearance and, on the verge of tears, recounted Jiang Wang's tyrannical deeds. If not for Xie's extraordinary intelligence, I really would have been fooled by you."

Jiang Wang, holding a blade to Dong Chongyang, nearly threw up when he heard that.

If the Old Butler had not deliberately let you barge into the Marquis Estate and overhear Su Lingyi and Du Yanruo talking in the woodshed, you would probably still be getting fooled like an idiot.

You really knew how to gild your own face.

Du Yanruo said unnaturally, "What is Young Master talking about? This little woman does not understand."

Xie Wuxing could not be bothered to keep tearing apart her false face. Pointing at the scene outside the Marquis Estate, he said, "The people who truly came to save you have already lost. So what if you came out of the woodshed? Your ending has already been decided."

Du Yanruo looked at Cai Tanggu's ashen face, then at Dong Chongyang with Jiang Wang's blade pressed against him. Her expression turned incomparably ugly.

Su Lingyi said anxiously, "Instructor Cai, did you not tell the Chancellor everything? If the Chancellor had come personally, how could things have turned out like this?"

Cai Tanggu's expression trembled slightly. He immediately said in a deep voice, "Su Lingyi is the Chancellor's personal disciple. This time, the Chancellor is giving the Marquis Estate a chance. If you release them, let the matter rest. Otherwise, the Chancellor will personally come to Hun City. When that time comes, no matter how great the Marquis Estate's backing is, it will be of no use!"

The worst thing had ultimately happened.

Cai Tanggu had never imagined, even in his dreams, that Dong Chongyang would lose to Jiang Wang.

What mattered now was not revenge, but finding a way to retreat with their bodies intact.

Su Lingyi's identity was the opening.

Xie Wuxing's expression also became solemn.

Throughout Kutan, those standing at the very peak included his teacher, the Venerables of the Martial God Temple, the Qingxuan Bureau's Command Envoys, and Chancellor Chang of Fish Abyss Academy.

In other words, Su Lingyi's status was equal to his own. Killing Su Lingyi would be tantamount to becoming enemies with Fish Abyss Academy of Kutan.

Though the Sword Pavilion had the ability to suppress Fish Abyss Academy of Kutan, it would not lightly make an enemy of them. After all, Fish Abyss Academy's Grand Chancellor was the Imperial Tutor, a great figure who had existed since before the Mo Zhang Campaign.

Jiang Wang remained silent.

He naturally could not afford to offend Fish Abyss Academy's Chancellor. Though he very much wanted to fight that Chancellor, now was absolutely not the time.

"This place is quite lively."

Luo Xianshan arrived with his hands behind his back, like an ordinary old man out for a stroll.

"Venerable Luo!" Cai Tanggu looked somewhat panicked.

After overhearing Luo Xianshan and Rong Yulu's conversation upstairs at the Half-Day Leisure inn, he had then urged Rong Yulu to come to the Marquis Estate for revenge. Since they both happened to be hostile toward Jiang Wang, he had naturally also wanted to use the Martial God Temple to place another layer of pressure on Jiang Wang.

The Martial God Temple was made up of martial artists, and its leader was Sui Kingdom's strongest martial artist.

Not to mention Cave Nether Realm cultivators—even great cultivators of the Zao Xue Realm were not worth a glance in the Martial God Temple leader's eyes.

People often called martial artists coarse and uncouth. The Martial God Temple displayed the word "coarse" to its utmost extreme, though there was a more pleasant name for it: dominance.

With the Martial God Temple leader as such a powerful backer, the Martial God Temple carried its domineering style through every corner of Sui Kingdom. They gave face to no one.

Rong Yulu was an example. He had the Lupu Rong Family behind him and was also a second-rank Attendant Officer of the Martial God Temple. Although his manner of conduct violated the true meaning of dominance, one could still glimpse it in him.

The Martial God Temple leader had once berated the Imperial Tutor in the Divine Capital, and did so right in the imperial court, where all the officials had been silent as cicadas in winter.

His Majesty had merely played peacemaker. The Martial God Temple leader received not the slightest punishment, while the Imperial Tutor remained smiling from beginning to end.

But the Martial God Temple leader was by no means a reckless fool. He simply did not take the Divine Capital's rules seriously.

The most important reason was that the Martial God Temple leader was a terrifying figure ranked among the top ten in combat power across the entire world. Within Sui Kingdom, he could rank among the top four. He was one of Sui Kingdom's indispensable strongest forces.

Even though Fish Abyss Academy wished it could rid itself of the Martial God Temple as quickly as possible over the Imperial Tutor's humiliation, it was also a fact that they feared the Martial God Temple.

Much less when Cai Tanggu had used Rong Yulu.

Yet Luo Xianshan did not pay him any heed at all. He merely stared at Dong Chongyang for a moment, then smiled. "I never expected to meet Brother Chongyang here. Back when I was still a newcomer to the Martial God Temple, the former Venerable once wanted Brother Chongyang to join the Martial God Temple. Unfortunately, you refused. It was because Brother Chongyang longed more for the world of cultivators. Yet in the end, you still did not give up your identity as a martial artist."

Dong Chongyang looked at him calmly and said, "Is Venerable Luo mocking me? If I had joined the Martial God Temple back then and devoted myself to martial cultivation, the Venerable's position would be mine now. How could it have been your turn? Venerable Luo ought to be thanking me instead."

Luo Xianshan's expression did not change at all. He continued smiling. "Brother Chongyang is not wrong. But now I am a Venerable of the Martial God Temple, while you have been defeated by a junior. What an embarrassing sight."

Dong Chongyang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Luo Xianshan then looked at Jiang Wang and said, "I never expected that I had misjudged you. Young Marquis, it turns out you have already embarked upon the path of cultivation. No wonder you refused to take me as your master. In that case, the Marquis Estate will surely flourish once more. This greatly comforts my heart."

Jiang Wang's blade did not leave Dong Chongyang's head, but he still politely nodded to Luo Xianshan in greeting.

Luo Xianshan smiled as he looked around. Then his expression abruptly changed, and he said mildly, "The Marquis Estate and I are old acquaintances. What exactly do you all mean by this?"

Cai Tanggu wiped away cold sweat and clasped his hands. "Venerable Luo, Jiang Wang has arbitrarily detained a disciple of Fish Abyss Academy. He is Chancellor Chang's personal disciple. It is not excessive for us to seek justice, is it?"

He pointed at Su Lingyi standing to one side.

Luo Xianshan raised a brow. "Utter nonsense. This man is standing here safe and sound. Where has he been detained? All I see is you coming to the Marquis Estate to bully them. Fish Abyss Academy ought to properly educate its disciples. Why run around everywhere? The search for immortals is the concern of the Qingxuan Bureau and the major sects. What business does Fish Abyss Academy have in it?"

Ordinarily, Fish Abyss Academy indeed rarely took part in searching for immortals. But Du Yanruo happened to be from Hun City, and with great demons ravaging all across Sui Kingdom, Fish Abyss Academy sending people here could be justified.

Cai Tanggu said in a deep voice, "How can Venerable Luo be so unreasonable? Su Lingyi was only just rescued. Look at how badly he has been tortured. The facts are right before us, yet Venerable Luo insists on pretending not to see them?"

"Though Fish Abyss Academy is a place that teaches people, we are also qualified to participate in the search for immortals. It is to share His Majesty's burdens. Venerable Luo's words are nothing but unreasonable quibbling."

Luo Xianshan was quite forthright. He laughed and said, "What if I am unreasonably quibbling? Back then, our leader directly berated the Imperial Tutor in court. As the leader's subordinate, I naturally cannot disgrace his reputation. Even if Chancellor Chang comes in person, I will say the same. If you have the ability, have Chancellor Chang come find me. See if I do not hammer out his back teeth."

Cai Tanggu's face darkened. "The Martial God Temple truly is full of coarse people!"

Luo Xianshan said, "Everyone in the world knows that. Yet you insist on reasoning with me. That only makes you look foolish."

Cai Tanggu fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let us assume this never happened. I will take Su Lingyi and the others away. Venerable Luo will not say anything more, will you?"

Luo Xianshan smiled. "If I wish to speak, I speak. Why would I need a reason? Besides, this matter is for the Young Marquis to decide. If he refuses to let you leave, what does it matter whether I speak or not?"

Cai Tanggu forcibly swallowed the breath caught in his chest and looked at Jiang Wang. "Things have gone far enough. I am willing to treat this as though it never happened. So long as Young Marquis releases Su Lingyi and Du Yanruo, I will never come to Hun City again."

Jiang Wang hesitated greatly.

If he provoked that Chancellor now, he truly could not bear the consequences. But he also did not want to lose the troublesome Cai Tanggu. It really was a dilemma.

He had never intended to do anything to Su Lingyi, but if he simply resolved this trouble completely, it felt like too great a loss.

But someone soon made the decision for him.

Perhaps Su Lingyi had been locked up too long and developed some mental problem, or perhaps there had always been something wrong with him. He actually failed to read the situation and shouted, "I suffered untold torment in that woodshed and endured unparalleled humiliation. How can this be settled so easily? That thief Jiang Wang must die, or else the hatred in my heart will never be appeased!"

Jiang Wang raised a brow. "It seems Brother Su is unwilling to leave."

Su Lingyi said coldly, "If I want to leave, how can you stop me? Once I return, I will certainly report this matter to the Chancellor and even take it to the Imperial Tutor. When that time comes, I will grind your bones to ash, and scatter every person and every inch of land in your Marquis Estate!"

Jiang Wang narrowed his eyes. "Brother Su will have to work very hard to do all that."

Su Lingyi staggered up to Jiang Wang. Glancing at his dangling severed arm, he said resentfully, "Everything you have done to me, I will repay a hundredfold. Surnamed Jiang, do not be too arrogant. There are countless people in this world who can kill you. I will make you watch with your own eyes as I kill everyone in the Marquis Estate one by one."

Jiang Wang smiled. "You ought to be the stupidest person I have ever seen. I only hope there are not too many fools like you in this world. Otherwise, I will lose all interest in it."

Su Lingyi sneered. "You must understand one thing. I am the Chancellor's personal disciple, and the Chancellor's teacher is the Imperial Tutor. In a sense, my teacher and His Majesty are fellow disciples, so I too am the Imperial Tutor's disciple's disciple. Do you really think the Martial God Temple can protect you?"

Jiang Wang relaxed. "So you are not quite that stupid. You just think you have a powerful backer. Your identity truly is frightening enough."

He then said, "But if the Imperial Tutor knew he had a disciple's disciple like you, he would probably refuse to acknowledge it. You can talk until flowers bloom from your tongue, but what the hell does it have to do with me? You should have obediently left with Cai Tanggu. Yet you insisted on making threats. You ought to understand the consequences of angering me."

The moment Jiang Wang finished speaking, the blade pressed against Dong Chongyang's forehead slashed directly toward Su Lingyi!