Publicly Humiliated, Calmly Resolved, Hearts Won

Tang San finished his confinement and returned to class with a gloomy expression. Watching his disciple suffer such humiliation while his own prestige vanished, Yu Xiaogang could no longer suppress the hatred in his heart.

He knew well that he had no handle to use against me openly, so he secretly leveraged his accumulated connections to approach Elder Zhang, an academy elder he was on good terms with. This Elder Zhang had always valued seniority and favored his cronies; after a few words of instigation from Yu Xiaogang, coupled with the promise of some benefits, he immediately agreed to step in and publicly suppress me under the guise of academy rules.

[A memory suddenly intrudes and interrupts]

In the original story, this Yu Xiaogang was best at this sort of thing. Lacking the ability to win against others head-on, he relied on his connections to play dirty tricks and pin false labels on people. In the past, with Tang San's protagonist halo to back him up, no one dared to touch him. But things were different now; I moved with calculated steps, leaving no openings. These underhanded tactics of his would only result in him lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet!

[Thoughts abruptly pulled back, expression remaining indifferent]

Before half a day had passed, an academy deacon came to deliver a message, ordering me to head to the Council Plaza immediately; Elder Zhang wanted to question me in public.

Once the news spread, students from all over the academy curiously crowded into the plaza to watch. Everyone knew clearly that this was definitely Yu Xiaogang playing tricks behind the scenes, trying to get back at me to restore Tang San's reputation.

When Xiao Wu found out, she was so anxious she paced in circles, immediately grabbing my arm with a face full of worry: "Brother Lin Chen, they are definitely targeting you on purpose! Why don't you just not go? I'll go hide with you!"

"Hide from what? A straight shadow doesn't fear a crooked path. I haven't done anything wrong, so there's nothing to be afraid of." I patted Xiao Wu's hand, my tone gentle yet firm. Throughout the whole process, I didn't show a shred of panic, keeping all my soul power aura restrained, appearing just like an ordinary level ten soul master as I walked straight toward the Council Plaza.

On the plaza, Elder Zhang sat in the main seat with a stern expression. Yu Xiaogang stood to the side, a trace of smugness hidden in his eyes, just waiting to see me being questioned and harassed until I lost all face.

Seeing me arrive, Elder Zhang didn't say a word before slamming his hand on the table and sternly launching his attack: "Lin Chen! Someone has reported that you have repeatedly incited discord between teachers and students, disrupted academy order, caused students to violate discipline, and damaged the academy's reputation. Do you know your crimes?"

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this so-called report was nothing but baseless charges fabricated by Yu Xiaogang, intended to use the elder's authority to force a conviction upon me.

Yu Xiaogang also stepped forward immediately, feigning a heartbroken expression as he spoke: "Lin Chen, you have repeatedly questioned your teachers and secretly targeted your classmates. Now that the matter is exposed, why don't you hurry up and admit your mistakes to accept the academy's punishment!"

The two sang in harmony, attempting to directly cement my guilt without giving me any chance to defend myself.

The watching students whispered among themselves; most of them knew the truth, but out of fear of the elder's authority, they dared not speak out.

I stood in the center of the plaza, my expression remaining calm and composed. There was no panic, nor was there any frantic rebuttal. I simply spoke in a calm tone, each word clear and distinct, carrying a faint Sichuan-Chongqing accent:

"Elder, please observe clearly. First, I have never incited discord between teachers and students; in class, I merely pointed out theoretical flaws based on facts, which was purely academic discussion. Second, Tang San stealing from the herb garden was a case of catching the thief with the stolen goods; I merely stated the facts according to the rules. How can that be called disrupting order?"

"The academy rules are right there. Everything must be based on evidence. If the Grandmaster is going to join forces with an elder to pin crimes on me based solely on his own word, isn't that just settling a personal vendetta under the guise of public duty?"

My words were neither hurried nor slow, yet every sentence struck the vital point—logical, clear, and impeccable. Throughout the process, I didn't reveal a shred of my strength, speaking only based on academy rules and facts. I remained low-key and open, giving the other party no handle to grab.

Elder Zhang's face stiffened. He hadn't expected me to be so steady, defending myself without a single flaw. For a moment, he was actually rendered speechless. Yu Xiaogang grew anxious as well, hurriedly trying to interject, but he couldn't find any reason to refute my words.

The watching students saw it clearly, and their hearts were completely enlightened: this wasn't the protagonist disrupting order at all; it was clearly Yu Xiaogang, protective of his own, dragging an elder into settling a personal grudge!

Students who had previously been afraid to speak out due to the elder's authority now whispered among themselves, their words filled with dissatisfaction toward Yu Xiaogang and recognition for me:

"It was clearly the Grandmaster who was in the wrong, yet he wanted to frame Lin Chen!"

"Lin Chen is too steady; he didn't panic at all even when facing an elder, and everything he said made sense!"

"I already thought the Grandmaster's theories were unreliable, but now it seems his character isn't much better either!"

The murmurs grew louder, and the crowd's attitude shifted completely. The last bit of respect they held for Yu Xiaogang vanished, replaced by genuine admiration for my composure and integrity.

Seeing that the public anger was hard to quell and that continuing the stalemate would only result in losing all face, Elder Zhang could only turn ashen-faced and end the matter hastily: "Since there is no concrete evidence for this matter, let it end here!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and left. Yu Xiaogang's scheme had completely failed. In front of the entire academy, he had lost all his dignity, standing there in a dilemma, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Watching the wretched state of this master and disciple, I felt no triumph. My expression remained indifferent as I turned and silently exited the plaza, remaining low-key and restrained throughout, without a hint of arrogance.

Xiao Wu hurriedly ran up to me, her eyes full of joy: "Brother Lin Chen, you were amazing! They couldn't make things difficult for you at all!"

Not far away, Zhu Zhuqing also stood at the edge of the crowd, her cold eyes watching me. The recognition in her gaze grew more intense; this youth could always calmly resolve a crisis, his composure making one feel at ease.

After this incident, the students of Nuoding Academy saw the true faces of Yu Xiaogang and his disciple, and they all recognized my character and temperament. Even though I remained low-key and quiet, I had already gained a stellar reputation within the academy.

I continued to hold fast to my original intention, keeping my Twin Martial Souls hidden and my true soul power concealed to the end. In this undercurrent-filled Nuoding Academy, I continued to lie in wait, steadily biding my time until the moment I could completely crush Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.