017 Come With Me

"Dean, today it was Zhao Feng who provoked the conflict first; Zhang He is not at fault!" Fatty Tang immediately spoke up for justice, defending Zhang He.

"Who can bear witness to this?" Dean Zhao let out a cold snort, sweeping his gaze across the crowd with a malicious glint in his eyes.

The Martial Children who had originally intended to come forward and testify felt their hearts sink the moment they saw the Dean's expression. They suddenly remembered that this Dean Zhao was none other than Zhao Feng's own third uncle! Seeking to avoid trouble, the Martial Children all fell silent; some simply backed away, intending to pretend they hadn't seen a thing.

"You guys are being way too disloyal." Seeing this scene, Fatty Tang couldn't help but shout in anger. He turned his head toward Wang Dachui beside him. "Dachui, you saw it too, didn't you? Wasn't it Zhao Feng who was in the wrong first?"

Damn this fatty!

Wang Dachui's expression shifted slightly. He had no desire to offend Dean Zhao, but he couldn't bring himself to act against his own conscience, so he gave a slight, hesitant nod.

"The three of you are all close friends; your testimonies are not to be trusted." Dean Zhao sneered, a cold, ruthless light flashing in his eyes. "Since no one will testify for you today, just wait to be punished."

"Dean, I saw the whole incident with my own eyes. Today, Zhao Feng went too far." Lian Yunbi stepped forward, smoothed her hair, and said indifferently.

Dean Zhao was instantly rendered speechless. Lian Yunbi? Damn it, she rarely speaks to the other Martial Children, so why would she stand up for him today?

However, he truly dared not do anything to Lian Yunbi; the Lian Family was a first-tier noble clan!

Zhang He offered Lian Yunbi a grateful smile. Lian Yunbi smiled back slightly and nodded.

Gan Tian'er, who had already retreated to the doorway, happened to witness this scene, and her expression turned even more peculiar. What is going on between Zhang He and Lian Yunbi? How could she possibly testify for him?

Even with Lian Yunbi's word, however, Zhao Wencai was not about to let Zhang He off the hook.

Zhao Wencai barked angrily, "Even so, it should be the Martial Child Academy that handles the punishment. You took matters into your own hands, severely violating the Academy's rules. The impact is extremely negative, and you have committed a grave error! According to the rules of the Martial Child Academy, private brawls resulting in injury or death must be punished without leniency. Although there were reasons for this incident, you still broke the rules. The death penalty may be spared, but you cannot escape punishment. Zhang He, from this day forward, you are no longer a Martial Child of this Academy!"

Everyone understood that Zhao Wencai was clearly twisting the facts and acting out of malicious revenge. After all, Zhao Feng, who had his arm broken, was Zhao Wencai's nephew!

Zhang He's expression shifted slightly, and he said coldly, "Dean Zhao, you are clearly confusing right and wrong. I was forced to act in self-defense this time. You actually intend to kick me out?"

"Hmph! These are the rules of the Martial Child Academy! Private brawls are simply unacceptable!"

"Dean, it was clearly Zhao Feng who was being overbearing this time! How can you be so indiscriminate!" Fatty Tang shouted loudly. He was indignant; his own brother was being kicked out like this—didn't that mean he had no hope of participating in the Martial Child Assessment?

Dean Zhao was instantly enraged that a mere Martial Child would dare speak to him in such a manner.

"You're Tang Risong, right? I haven't settled accounts with you yet. When the incident occurred just now, you were fanning the flames from the sidelines. You are an accomplice to this brawl and must also be severely punished. From today on, your qualifications as a Martial Child are also revoked!"

"Screw you! You damn bastard, do you really think I want to stay in such a filthy place?" Fatty Tang was furious. He ripped off his uniform and slammed it onto the ground. "With a Dean like you, just looking at you makes me sick!"

Zhang He and Fatty Tang remained completely unfazed. Hearing that their qualifications were revoked, they didn't cry or beg, which left Dean Zhao with a sense of frustration, as if he had punched a pile of cotton.

Zhao Wencai trembled with rage. His fierce gaze landed on Wang Dachui nearby, and the boy's fearful expression gave him an outlet for his frustration. "Wang Dachui, is it? You're an accomplice too, and your qualifications are revoked as well!"

Wang Dachui looked shocked. "Dean, I didn't do anything!"

"You watched your classmates fight and didn't step in to stop it—that is the crime of inaction!" Dean Zhao sneered, feeling much better as he watched the despair on Wang Dachui's face.

"Dachui, wake up, Dachui!" Seeing Wang Dachui collapse limply, Fatty Tang was terrified. He rushed forward to catch him, only to find that he had fainted.

"It's fine, he just suffered a shock to his heart from the anger; he'll wake up in a moment." Zhang He checked Wang Dachui's eyelids and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Turning to look at Dean Zhao, Zhang He said chillingly, "Dean Zhao, the Martial Child Academy is not a place for you to act lawlessly. You may be able to twist the facts and drive the three of us out today, but you can only be smug for a moment. What goes around comes around. I will not let this rest; I will appeal today's events to the Luowang Prefecture! If the Prefecture won't listen, I'll appeal to the Capital City! I don't believe there is no one who can deal with you!"

Dean Zhao's expression flickered.

"Also, don't think that revoking our qualifications can stop us. Don't forget, you are merely a small-time Dean. While you can strip us of our status here, you cannot stop us from participating in the Martial Child Assessment! Even outside the Academy, we can still participate and achieve great results!"

Zhang He sneered. His fearless, articulate demeanor caused the remaining Martial Children to look on with newfound admiration.

That is a real man!

"We will be back for the Martial Child Assessment in a month! Fatty, let's go." With that, Zhang He and Fatty Tang supported Wang Dachui and strode away.

Dean Zhao stood in place, trembling with rage. How arrogant! Three lowly commoner Martial Children actually dare to be this brazen!

Lian Yunbi glanced at Dean Zhao with disdain. Seeing Zhang He leave, she immediately followed. She still had to thank him.

The night was cool as water, the sky filled with twinkling stars, and silence reigned everywhere.

"Thank you for stepping in earlier." Zhang He expressed his gratitude for Lian Yunbi's actions.

"I was merely speaking the truth," Lian Yunbi said with a faint smile. "However, you're in for a rough time now that Zhao Wencai has abused his power to kick you out."

Fatty Tang stared at Lian Yunbi and Zhang He in a daze, secretly grumbling to himself, When did this brat Zhang He get so close to the Goddess Lian? He used to fantasize about her with me—turns out he was playing the pig to eat the tiger all along!

Zhang He smiled slightly. "Actually, I haven't wanted to stay here for a long time. My mother wouldn't allow me to leave, but this is even better; it saves me the trouble."

Lian Yunbi giggled. "I didn't expect you to be so open-minded. But honestly, with your cultivation, you don't need to be here anyway. Just wait for the Martial Child Assessment; with your level, you have a great chance of taking the top spot. I can feel that your cultivation is already on par with Wen Liang's."

Wen Liang was from the Wen Clan, one of the three great noble families. He was a mysterious figure who rarely showed his face; his cultivation had already reached the peak of the Brute Force Realm. He had stopped appearing at the Academy, with rumors suggesting he had gone out to seek a breakthrough.

"Your cultivation is not bad either; you have a chance at the top spot as well," Zhang He said with a smile.

"You're being too humble. I'm actually still a bit behind you, but I will work hard to close that gap—don't let me overtake you." Lian Yunbi said seriously. "Oh, right, I need to thank you for that medicine. I didn't expect it to be so effective."

"You're too kind. I'm just glad it actually worked for your brother; otherwise, I would have felt very guilty." Zhang He made a playful face.

Lian Yunbi burst into laughter, rolled her eyes at him, and smiled demurely. "You're such a smooth talker. I'm not talking to you anymore." Her girlish charm was so captivating that both Zhang He and Fatty Tang felt their throats go dry!

Noticing their reaction, Lian Yunbi blushed slightly. Just then, the bell from the Dormitory Garden rang in the distance, and she said, "It's time for the gates to close, I should head back. If you need any help, feel free to come find me."

"Alright. If you ever need anything, you can come to me as well; I have a fair bit of experience with alchemy," Zhang He replied with a gentle smile.

Lian Yunbi's eyes lit up. She nodded solemnly, waved at Zhang He, and returned to the Martial Academy.

"Zhang He, when did you get so close to my goddess? I am green with envy!" Fatty Tang shouted the moment Lian Yunbi walked away.

Zhang He knew that Lian Yunbi was Fatty Tang's dream girl. He couldn't help but smile bitterly: "It's a long story; I've only known her for a short while..."

Before he could finish, Wang Dachui slowly regained consciousness. As soon as he opened his eyes, he wailed, "It's over, everything is over!" He cried with such earth-shattering grief that he seemed inconsolable.

Wang Dachui came from an ordinary family, and his family's greatest wish was for him to pass the Martial Child Assessment, gain the appreciation of a noble, and eventually rise above his station. He never expected that this sliver of hope would be crushed just like that.

Seeing this scene, Zhang He felt an even deeper hatred for the Zhao Family! They had crushed a person's hope so casually and dismissively!

"Sigh!" Fatty Tang scratched his head. He didn't know how to comfort Wang Dachui and could only stand there sighing. He was more open-minded; he hadn't held much hope for the Martial Child Assessment anyway. Even if he performed poorly, he could just go home and inherit his father's tailoring business.

Zhang He recalled his plans from a few days ago. After a moment of thought, he said slowly: "Fatty, Dachui, you don't need to despair. Leaving the Martial Child Academy means you won't receive the Body Tempering Liquid or have such good cultivation conditions, but that doesn't mean there is no hope at all. As long as you trust me, follow me to cultivate starting tomorrow. I can help you significantly improve your cultivation in this final month, allowing you to achieve shocking results at the Martial Child Assessment!"

Fatty Tang looked at Zhang He in astonishment, and Wang Dachui also lifted his head, his red and swollen eyes fixed on Zhang He.

"A while ago, I intended to have you cultivate with me, but I never found the right opportunity to tell you. After all, the Martial Child Academy is full of prying eyes; if we showed anything unusual, it would immediately attract attention, which wouldn't be good for any of us. But now that you've been kicked out, it has created the perfect opportunity!" As Zhang He spoke, his gaze swept across the faces of Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui, and he said calmly, "I can guarantee that if you follow my cultivation plan and listen to my arrangements, you will absolutely shine at the Martial Child Assessment and shock everyone who looked down on you! What do you think?"

A sense of confidence radiated from Zhang He.

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui exchanged a glance. Although they were a bit skeptical, a glimmer of hope flashed in their eyes. They had seen Zhang He's strength with their own eyes; having such a living example before them was naturally very persuasive.

Without hesitation, the two nodded vigorously and said in unison: "From now on, we will follow you to cultivate!"

Zhang He smiled. He looked back toward the Martial Child Academy, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes. I will let you see that true talent can still achieve success in cultivation, even outside the Martial Child Academy!

At the Martial Child Assessment a month from now, you will definitely be shocked!