Confrontation at the Academic Affairs Office (Part 1)

Not long after Wang Chuan left, a figure clad in plain white appeared soundlessly at the edge of the battlefield. It was a teacher dressed in white, his brows slightly furrowed as he sensed the lingering Soul Power fluctuations in the air. He had arrived a step too late; the battle was already over, leaving only devastation and the sharp killing intent that still hung in the air. He closed his eyes, and his powerful Mental Power spread out in fine threads, carefully sensing and recording every unusual trace of Soul Power, as well as the emotional fragments deeply imprinted upon the surroundings—anger, resolve, and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of regret. After a long while, he sighed softly and vanished back into the night, as though he had never appeared.

Some time later, the shadows of the dense forest stirred, and a nimble figure with catlike movements emerged. His sharp gaze swept over the surroundings as he professionally and swiftly collected every trace left behind on the battlefield: torn scraps of clothing, congealed drops of blood, scorch marks left by colliding soul skills, and even samples of soil overturned by the shockwaves. He sorted and stored everything away, then meticulously cleaned up the scene, erasing all traces that might point to any specific person. Once he was done, he nodded in satisfaction, sprang upward, and glided lightly onto the treetops like a feather. After a few leaps, he disappeared into the endless forest, as though no one had ever come.

The next morning, sunlight pierced through the thin mist and awakened the silent academy. After a night of deep meditation and recovery, Wang Chuan slowly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam was concealed within them. Not only had the Mental Power and Soul Power he had expended yesterday fully recovered, they had become even more abundant and surging. He had even faintly broken through a bottleneck, his Soul Power Level rising to level twenty. What delighted him even more was that the profound essence of the Seven Kill Saber Technique he had used under the pressure of life and death last night had completely fused into his understanding. He had truly entered the beginner stage. After all, real combat—especially brushing past the god of death—was the best teacher. He had just risen and was preparing to request leave so he could report the events of last night in detail to his master, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, when an academy steward waiting outside the door calmly conveyed an order to bring him to the Academic Affairs Office.

The atmosphere in the Academic Affairs Office was so heavy it was nearly suffocating. Inside, all three members of the academy committee—Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin—were present. Their expressions were composed, yet an unshakable gravity hung over their brows. Even more eye-catching was the presence of Marquis Caspar, Lucius's father, a man with considerable influence in the Heaven Dou Empire. His face bore a complex expression intertwined with grief and rage, while his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, fixed firmly on Wang Chuan, who had just entered.

"Greetings, three committee members." Wang Chuan greeted them according to protocol, neither servile nor overbearing.

The three committee members nodded slightly in response. In Meng Shenji's gaze, there was a trace of scrutiny and concern that was difficult to detect.

"Fine. Since the so-called 'murderer' has arrived," Caspar's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence. His voice choked with emotion, as though he were suffering unbearable grief over the loss of his son. "Then, on behalf of my tragically murdered child, I formally bring this accusation! I accuse this boy, Wang Chuan, of being the culprit who cruelly murdered my son, Lucius!" His performance was convincing, tears streaming down his face as though Lucius truly were an incomparably precious treasure in his heart. Of course, if he could use this opportunity to wring enough benefits from the astonishingly talented Wang Chuan, or even ruin him, then this dead son truly was exceptionally "important" at this moment.

"My poor child, Lucius!" Caspar continued his performance in a grief-stricken tone. "He knew that he may have wronged Wang Chuan in the past, and his heart was tormented by guilt. Last night, he went alone, carrying only a carefully prepared dagger as a gift, seeking Wang Chuan's forgiveness in hopes of resolving their grievances! But he never imagined that what awaited him would not be forgiveness, but a cruel death! It was this Wang Chuan who viciously took my son's life!"

As he spoke, he took out the poisoned dagger Lucius had used the previous night from a high-grade Soul Tool he carried with him and presented it to the three committee members with both hands. "This is the murder weapon. After preliminary examination, the aura on it highly matches Wang Chuan's Soul Power aura! I ask the three committee members to judge this fairly!"

The three committee members accepted the dagger, passing it among themselves to examine it. Their expressions grew increasingly grave. The dagger was indeed suffused with Wang Chuan's Soul Power aura, and it was extremely dense, clearly evidence of an intense clash. With the evidence before them, even if they had their own inclinations, they had no choice but to conduct an inquiry according to procedure. Meng Shenji looked at Wang Chuan, his tone remaining gentle. "Wang Chuan, regarding Marquis Caspar's accusation and the aura on this dagger, is there anything you need to explain?"

"Reporting to the three committee members," Wang Chuan said calmly, recounting the events of the previous night exactly as they had happened, with clear logic and order. He explained how Lucius had lain in ambush and launched a sneak attack, how he had used a poisoned blade with the intent to kill, and how Wang Chuan had been forced to retaliate, ultimately killing him by mistake. His account was calm and objective, and the details were clear. Only the part where he interrogated the assassin afterward, along with the possible mastermind behind that assassin, was omitted.

"...That is how it happened. Every word this student has said is true. Senior Lucius attacked first. This student acted only in self-defense and had no choice but to do so." Wang Chuan concluded, his gaze clear and unwavering.

After listening, Meng Shenji pondered for a moment before looking at Caspar. "Wang Chuan's statement is logical, and the circumstances are reasonable. Lucius carried a weapon and ambushed him at night. Wang Chuan retaliated in self-defense, which is not without merit. What do you think, Marquis Caspar?" His words carried a faint trace of impatience and warning toward Caspar's usual tricks.

"Committee Member!" Caspar cried out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, the grief and indignation on his face deepening. "How can you trust only his one-sided account? Naturally, he would shift the blame onto my son! But now the dead cannot testify! What I hold is solid physical evidence! The aura on this dagger is irrefutable proof! His words cannot be trusted at all! This is clearly just an excuse after cruelly murdering my son!"

Just as the three committee members found themselves in a difficult position and the situation reached a stalemate, there was a knock on the door of the Academic Affairs Office. After receiving permission, Teacher Qin Ming, dressed in fitted combat attire and looking travel-worn, strode in. He first saluted the three committee members. "Greetings, three committee members." Then his gaze swept over Caspar, and he added blandly, "And greetings to you as well, Marquis." His tone was flat, but it made Caspar's face darken.

"Teacher Qin Ming, you came at the right time. What is the matter?" Meng Shenji asked.

Qin Ming answered seriously, "Reporting to the chairman, while patrolling near the academy last night, I indeed sensed an unusually intense Soul Power disturbance. Its approximate location was in the dense forest behind the academy. By the time I arrived, the battle had already ended, and only traces and lingering auras remained at the scene. Worried that something had happened, I conducted an investigation of the site."

He paused, then continued, "First, as far as I know, although Wang Chuan and Lucius had old grievances, they had not reached the point of life-and-death enmity. Wang Chuan had no strong motive to take the initiative and kill Lucius. On the contrary, Lucius had a history of provoking him. Second, and more importantly," Qin Ming said as he took out a faintly glowing crystal from a special Soul Tool on his wrist, "I used this Shadow Recording Soul Crystal to record and preserve several of the clearest Soul Power aura fluctuations at the scene. In particular, one aura filled with malice and aggression closely matched Student Lucius's martial soul characteristics, while the other was more focused on defense and the sharpness of forced retaliation. The committee members will know whether it is genuine upon examination. It may even restore part of the truth."

As he spoke, he was about to hand the soul crystal to Meng Shenji.

At that moment, an abrupt change occurred!

A flicker of panic and ruthlessness flashed through Caspar's eyes. He suddenly sprang into action, moving as fast as lightning. He snatched the soul crystal away, Soul Power surging from within him as he clenched his hand hard!

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the soul crystal instantly shattered. The auras preserved within were struck by violent Soul Power and annihilated, turning into nothingness.

"Oh no! I am truly sorry, Teacher Qin Ming, three committee members!" Caspar immediately put on an incomparably regretful expression, as though he had caused a disaster through carelessness. "I was too emotional just now. Thinking of my son's tragic state, I lost control of my emotions. I had intended to deliver this important evidence to the committee members on Teacher Qin Ming's behalf, but the Soul Power in my hand went out of control for a moment... I-I accidentally destroyed it! I absolutely did not do it on purpose! I am truly... deeply sorry!"

Yet he sneered inwardly. Good. Now that it has been destroyed, the dead cannot testify! Let's see what other evidence you can produce! Now, it depends on who loses their nerve first and proposes terms for a private 'settlement.' The initiative seemed to have returned to his hands.