Lin Fan's face flushed red as he stretched out a hand and pointed straight at Mo Yunxuan, roaring with fury,
his hideous expression like that of a demon crawling out of hell, silencing the chattering crowd around him.
"Mo Yunxuan! It was you! You must be the one threatening Zhirou! Otherwise, why would she agree to be with a wastrel like you?"
"And you still won't let her come out and face me. How dare you claim you're not feeling guilty?"
Mo Yunxuan watched Lin Fan, who looked as if he'd gone mad, and grumbled inwardly.
Seriously? Were all Children of Fortune such shameless fibbers?
If you've got your eye on her, just say so. I might even think more highly of you. But what do you mean, calling me a wastrel?
Who in the entire Imperial City dares call me a wastrel? Only you have the guts to speak up for justice, huh!
A trace of irritation and impatience had already appeared in his eyes as he looked at Lin Fan.
As if sensing Mo Yunxuan's mood, the Imperial Guards pushed their scabbards open with their left thumbs and reached for their sword hilts with their right hands, all poised to strike.
The bystanders, who had already been kept at a distance, quickly retreated dozens of steps.
Though Lin Fan was blinded by rage, the extraordinary perception that came with being a Child of Fortune let him easily sense it:
the faint, countless killing intents around him made him feel as if he'd fallen into an icy abyss, plunging him into utter panic.
"Enough. Stop!"
A disappointed sigh broke the tense atmosphere.
A distinguished middle-aged man strode out of the crowd and crossed the air to land before Lin Fan.
The Imperial Guards along his path moved to stop him, but Mo Yunxuan waved them back.
He knew this man had to be Lin Fan's new backer—the reason Lin Fan had dared to come cause trouble today.
Most likely, he was one of the three Void Refinement Realm Dean or Vice Deans of Taihua Academy. The Imperial Guards, with their Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, were simply too weak to stand against them.
Better to step aside with dignity than be beaten back in disgrace.
The man nodded to Mo Yunxuan and introduced himself. "This old man is Lü Qingjian, Vice Dean of Taihua Academy. I pay my respects to the Duke of Wei."
Mo Yunxuan looked at Lü Qingjian, who was being so casual and dismissive toward him.
From what he knew, Lü Qingjian was a man who hated evil and stood for fairness and justice.
At the academy, he often stood up for commoner students, making him something of a breath of fresh air in Great Gan.
But so what? Even if Lü Qingjian was a breath of fresh air, untouched by the mud, what did that have to do with him?
Was he supposed to suck up to him just because he was a man of principle?
Even in his previous life, when he'd been a nobody struggling to make ends meet, he wouldn't have fawned over someone without reason,
let alone in this life, when he was already a powerful duke with real authority.
So when Mo Yunxuan saw Lü Qingjian's attitude, he dropped any thought of being polite and couldn't even be bothered to respond.
Lü Qingjian was displeased. He hadn't expected the New Duke of Wei to be so arrogant. It seemed Lin Fan's assessment of Mo Yunxuan as a wastrel had been right.
As someone who had lived for who knew how long, he wasn't about to feel awkward over such a small slight.
As if nothing had happened, he continued, "Duke of Wei, Lin Fan is my disciple. His conduct has been somewhat out of line, so I hope you'll be willing to overlook it."
Mo Yunxuan narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "So you're saying you want to let this go?"
"Hahaha. My disciple Lin Fan had good intentions from the start, and he already knows he was wrong. Why must you keep pressing him, Duke of Wei?"
At Lü Qingjian's level, Mo Yunxuan's Early Nascent Soul cultivation was no more than an ant before him.
He had never cared about an ant's attitude. The only reason he was speaking civilly now was out of respect for the title of Duke of Wei.
His attitude, however, left the people around them stunned.
"I can't believe Lin Fan is Dean Lü's disciple. No wonder he dares to act so recklessly!"
"Recklessly? He's clearly standing up for justice!"
"The Wei State Duke Mansion is in trouble now. Their faction is powerful, but with the Old Duke gone, their biggest weakness is having no Void Refinement Realm Expert."
"That's right! A Void Refinement Realm Expert, huh."
Lü Qingjian's words also infuriated Wang Yuan and the Imperial Guards. They drew their blades and pointed them at him.
At the center of a ring of swords, Lü Qingjian remained unruffled. He even looked over the Imperial Guards with a faint smile.
Mo Yunxuan waved his hand and ordered the guards around him, "Put your weapons away. Stand by."
Though the guards were seething, they had no hesitation about obeying Mo Yunxuan. Their blades slid back into their scabbards at once.
The coordinated movement made Lü Qingjian's eyes sharpen. He had long heard that the Duke of Wei's troops were exceptionally elite.
He'd never seen them with his own eyes before, so he'd had his doubts. But now, seeing one part and glimpsing the whole, he could tell the rumors were well deserved.
Before he could think further, Mo Yunxuan spoke in a cold voice:
"Since Vice Dean Lü intends to protect Lin Fan, our Wei State Duke Mansion is willing to grant you that courtesy."
"I only hope you won't regret your decision one day."
Lü Qingjian remained composed, as if those icy words weren't directed at him, and replied calmly,
"Of course."
Seeing Lü Qingjian's demeanor, Mo Yunxuan had no desire to argue with him.
He only hoped that when blades were drawn and blood spilled, Lü Qingjian wouldn't regret it.
Then he gave the order without expression. "Fall in. Return to the mansion!"
Though no one was satisfied with how things had turned out, and many felt they'd been forced to swallow their anger,
Mo Yunxuan had given the order, and the Imperial Guards followed it instinctively, filing into the Wei State Duke Mansion one after another.
Lin Fan hadn't seen Meng Zhirou, and his heart burned with anxiety. He rushed to Lü Qingjian's side and cried, "Master!"
Lü Qingjian looked at his worried disciple and sighed deeply, then turned back to Mo Yunxuan.
"Duke of Wei, Miss Meng Zhirou hasn't attended classes at the academy for many days. The academy is concerned for her safety."
"So we sent my disciple Lin Fan to check on her. Where is she now? Could you let us see her?"
Hearing such shameless words, Mo Yunxuan felt he was close to losing control of his killing intent.
He snorted and said,
"Zhirou is in the mansion, but there's no need for a meeting. From now on, she won't be returning to Taihua Academy either. That way, certain shameless people can stop pining after her."
As Mo Yunxuan spoke, his eyes stayed fixed on Lin Fan.
Hearing him speak so bluntly, Lin Fan's eyes widened with fury. He was about to retort when Lü Qingjian stopped him.
"Whether she attends Taihua Academy should be Miss Meng Zhirou's choice. Why not let her come out and explain in person?"
"Heh. As Zhirou's husband, I'm informing you that from this day forward, Meng Zhirou won't set foot in Taihua Academy again."
"Furthermore, starting today, all students and scholars belonging to the Wei State Duke Mansion faction are withdrawing from Taihua Academy. They will have no further ties to the academy!"
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