Windblown Huang Yifan

Everyone broke into a flurry of discussion. They were all somewhat moved.

Some even felt ashamed.

"Every time I see Lord Meng, I feel like I haven't done my job well enough. I'm still far from it."

These words struck a powerful chord.

The crowd traded remarks for a long while before finally dispersing.

Fang Che had long since followed Huang Yifan and the other man into a private office.

Only after walking all the way here did the turmoil in Fang Che's heart gradually settle.

Yet several names still flitted through his mind from time to time: Meng Hejun? Meng Chuxing? Fang Zhi—All Living Beings Suffer?

And that bell on Meng Hejun's wrist. That sound. Everything felt so familiar.

He could not help wondering about his past life. Could they have been people he knew? His wife? His younger sister? Or...

Why don't I have the slightest impression of Meng Hejun?

The name Meng Chuxing, on the other hand, felt incomparably familiar and dear...

And then there was Yao Guang.

Yao Guang... Fang Che thought for a long time. There was no way he could be unfamiliar with those two characters. It was the final star of the Big Dipper.

Yao Guang, also known as Pojun.

Brave in shouldering responsibility, clearly distinguishing good from evil, unafraid of tyranny, pressing forward with courage... Fang Che's thoughts instantly scattered in countless directions.

Yet he still could not unravel the doubt in his heart.

But he did not want to unravel it now.

He wanted to avoid it instead.

Just being touched by it had elicited such a violent reaction. If he truly recovered his memories one day and encountered an old acquaintance, wouldn't his reaction be even greater? Besides, this stirring of the soul was almost impossible to restrain.

The risk of exposure was too great.

He was not afraid of death. If he had been, he would never have plotted to infiltrate the enemy while as insignificant as an ant. He had been prepared to die from the very beginning, but if all his painstaking schemes still failed to achieve the goal of wiping out the demonic sects...

He would die with his eyes wide open!

He closed his eyes and struggled to calm his heart, making that jingling bell vanish from the depths of his soul.

He even circulated Mu Linyuan's Ice-Clear Spirit Platform technique.

Sure enough, his thoughts slowly sank and quieted.

The office.

Before entering, Fang Che had specifically glanced at the door.

"Vice President's Office."

So Huang Yifan was the Vice President? The two people opposite him were carefully watching Fang Che's reaction. Lord Meng Hejun had cast a Soul Cleansing Art on him, so it should have had some effect, right? This child was probably digesting the benefits of the Soul Cleansing Art.

Thus, the two deliberately waited for a while.

Only when they saw Fang Che open his eyes did they begin questioning him.

"You're Fang Che?"

"Fang Che, reporting as a student."

"My surname is Lu. I'm the dean of White Cloud Martial Academy. As you heard just now, this is Vice President Huang Yifan."

Inside the Vice President's office, Fang Che stood alone before the Vice President and the dean.

Two experts from the clouds above!

It had to be said that since White Cloud Martial Academy was founded, Fang Che was the first freshman to face two senior leaders alone.

And on his very first day of enrollment.

Such an "achievement" was likely unprecedented and never to be repeated.

"Fang Che, seventeen years old, an external relative of the Ninth Grade Fang Clan in Azure Wave City, father unknown; apprenticed to the Rogue Cultivator Flying Saber King Sun Yuan."

Dean Lu held Fang Che's records and asked, "Is that accurate?"

"It is."

Fang Che answered quite casually.

"During this examination, you slew Demon Beasts all along the way—over a hundred Blood Fang Demon Wolves?"

"Yes."

The dean set down the records and said flatly, "I know your method of killing them. It doesn't reflect your actual strength at all. That is why I called you here."

Fang Che pondered. "That's right. The method of killing them only demonstrates intelligence and ingenuity. Although it is somewhat connected to strength, it cannot represent one's full strength."

He smiled faintly. "But only now have I learned that apparently, intelligence does not belong to strength."

"..."

The dean's dark face grew even darker.

Like iron.

Fang Che said, "Besides, I believe that this alone is not the reason the teachers called me here."

The dean's voice was as hard as iron. "Then what do you think is the reason we called you here?"

"I don't know. I ask the two teachers to enlighten me."

The dean and Vice President's faces turned iron-gray at the same time.

They were utterly expressionless.

They had never expected this boy to be so troublesome. With one opening of his mouth, he had kicked the question back like a ball.

The dean truly did not know the reason.

Although this fell within his duties, he genuinely had no idea why Fang Che had been summoned.

The Vice President beside him had graying hair, a lean build, and a pair of deep-set eyes. If one stared into them, one would find that his gaze was like a starry sky and a vast sea, boundless and endless.

That was... powerful spiritual force.

At this moment, deep in the depths of his eyes, where outsiders could not detect it, Huang Yifan's gaze toward Fang Che held endless regret.

Of the entire White Cloud Martial Academy, he was the only one who had received information about Fang Che's "true identity."

Huang Yifan.

The God of Slaughter who had shaken the northwestern battle zone two hundred years ago, and now the strongest expert in White Cloud Martial Academy. Well, aside from Meng Hejun.

Because Meng Hejun was currently only an honorary president, with another person appointed to handle the actual duties.

"Fang Che, there's no need to be nervous. We called you here today simply to get to know you a little."

Vice President Huang Yifan spoke softly.

"I'm not nervous."

Fang Che replied.

"Good. This is also the academy's routine procedure. You arrived especially early, much earlier than everyone else, so calling you in first was only proper."

Since the real reason could not be stated, they naturally had to find an excuse. They could hardly say, We received word that you're an infiltrator, right?

As he spoke, Huang Yifan even exerted a trace of pressure.

Since reason had failed, they would naturally have to use another method.

Fang Che felt a massive mountain bearing down upon him.

Unlike Meng Hejun's gentle spring rain at the entrance, Huang Yifan came at him like lightning and thunder.

Sweat poured from Fang Che's body. He nearly could not hold on.

He had no choice but to yield. "The President is right. I'm utterly convinced."

"Good. Next, as a student of our academy and a member of the continent's next generation, you must maintain your purity and not allow infiltrators from the Sole True Sect to worm their way in."

Maintaining this degree of pressure, Huang Yifan said, "You are to answer several questions."

Fang Che struggled to remain standing, sweating like rain. "Please... enlighten me, Teacher."

"Why do you practice martial arts?"

Huang Yifan was quite satisfied.

Under spiritual pressure of this degree, a little fellow like this could not possibly lie.

The instant this boy displayed even the slightest sign of an improper state of mind, Huang Yifan would stop. He absolutely could not expose the boy's identity, but he could justifiably cancel his extra rewards: Your mind is crooked, and you cannot distinguish friend from foe. With such a temperament, your rewards will be suspended for now. Work hard at your studies, and we'll see how you perform later.

They could not truly provide resources to the enemy, could they?

If they knew full well that he was a disciple of the One Heart Divine Sect, yet rewarded him with the academy's best treasures simply because he was strong and had overwhelmed everyone else...

Wouldn't that be infuriating?

"To practice martial arts is to protect." Fang Che closed his eyes. The Limitless True Spirit locked down the Five Elements Spirit Gu, and he answered according to his true heart.

Then, under the other party's spiritual pressure, his thoughts sank into chaos.

"Protect whom?"

"Protect my parents, protect my family, protect my wife and children, protect my friends, protect my brothers, protect my homeland."

"What else?"

"Protect the continent! Protect peace! Protect justice! Protect kindness!"

Huang Yifan could not help but let his spiritual pressure waver.

Damn it! That was even more standard than the standard answer! But were you supposed to say those things?

Weren't you supposed to say you would slaughter justice and wipe out kindness? You demonic brat, how are you this stubborn?

The Soul Cleansing Art had merely purified him slightly. It absolutely could not have changed him so completely. If he truly was a demonic brat, then a mere Soul Cleansing Art would be no more than a drop in the bucket.

It might even be throwing oil on the fire!

Quite stubborn! Huang Yifan slightly increased the spiritual pressure.

Fang Che's spiritual force could not possibly withstand Huang Yifan's pressure. He dropped heavily onto the floor, his face turning deathly pale.

In an instant, his mind went blank, leaving him without the ability to think.

Huang Yifan waved his hand, motioning for the dean to leave.

The dean asked in utter confusion, "President, this child is quite good. Don't damage his foundation."

"I know."

The dean went out.

Then he discovered that a Soundproof Barrier had immediately been set up inside. He could not help widening his eyes and muttering, "Such extravagant treatment... Could this be the Vice President's illegitimate son?"

Inside.

"How do you think the Sole True Sect should be dealt with?" Huang Yifan asked.

"Then... cut them all down, kill every last one!" Fang Che gritted his teeth.

"Hiss..."

Huang Yifan drew in a sharp breath.

That decisive?

He could not help reaching out and grabbing a strand of his beard.

He pulled hard.

It hurt a little.

Damn it, I'm not dreaming.

This is tenfold spiritual pressure! If I increase it any further, this boy will become a complete idiot.

Under this kind of pressure, even I couldn't tell a lie, much less think at all.

What is going on?

"Then do you think you yourself are a member of the Sole True Sect?" Huang Yifan maintained the pressure and finally asked this question.

I refuse to believe it. This boy is only seventeen, yet he can endure this much? Damn it, even someone a hundred and seventy years old couldn't hold out!

"No!"

Fang Che answered with absolute certainty.

"Are you a member of the One Heart Sect?"

"No!"

"Are you a member of the Night Demon Sect?"

"No!"

"Are you a member of the Heaven God Sect?"

"No!"

"..."

"Are you a member of the Sole True Sect?"

"No!"

"What are your intentions in coming to White Cloud Martial Academy?"

"To practice martial arts, and in the future, kill members of the Sole True Sect."

"What kind of person are you?!"

"I am... I am a Guardian..."

Fang Che could not endure any longer and fainted.

Blood threads appeared in all seven orifices, making him look horribly tragic.

Across from him.

Huang Yifan sat there in a daze.

His eyes were filled with doubt about life itself.

He had seen clearly that Fang Che's mind had gone blank under the pressure and that he had answered purely by instinct. In such circumstances, even an immortal could not have faked it.

Huang Yifan rubbed his head, grabbed his beard, and gave it a tug.

A strand came loose.

"Damn... why does it hurt so much!" Huang Yifan raised his hand and stared at the strand of graying beard in it, baring his teeth.

"What the hell... is going on?!"

"This is clearly a good child! What kind of information did that bastard send me?!"

This was the first time Huang Yifan had encountered anything like this, and he was left completely discombobulated in the wind.

Where had things gone wrong?