The licentiates and academy students present fell silent. Jade Sea City was an important military and Sacred Academy stronghold, where news traveled swiftly, and they had already learned of what Fang Yun had done.
Even setting aside his merits, Fang Yun's courage alone was enough to make them feel ashamed of their inferiority. No one present could have done what Fang Yun had done.
The Hall of Punishment provincial graduate Pang, who had been following Fang Yun from afar, gave a slight nod. He knew Fang Yun had not mentioned his true great merit. Though he did not know precisely what great deed Fang Yun had accomplished, he could guess that it concerned the fortune of the Human Race. Otherwise, Li Wenying would not have rushed overnight to the Sacred Academy to see a Half-Sage a few days ago, nor would the Half-Sage have personally issued a Mouth-Sealing Edict.
Though Fang Yun was furious, he did not mention the merits of the Army-Strengthening Poem "Capture the King" or the academy student war poem "Arrow in the Stone." Apart from those who had witnessed it firsthand that day, fewer than four people in the entire world knew that he had written those two poems. At the very least, they had to wait until a month later before announcing them to the world under another's name and having people study them at the Temples of Sages everywhere.
Fang Yun continued, "If you had tried to persuade me kindly, then at worst I would have swallowed my pride and gone to Lord Li, begging him to escort me to Dayuan Prefecture for the examination on the first of June. I could return to Jade Sea after climbing Book Mountain. But why would you not give me a chance to speak? Why did you