After Xiang Zhixue delivered his opening remarks, he followed tradition and invited the dean to take the stage.
Every previous year had been the same. The dean would speak about the state of the nation, urge the students to study diligently, and finally hand the gathering over to the hall master and students.
But this time, under the gaze of the entire crowd, Dean Feng Yema merely shook his head gently, indicating that he would not be going up.
Xiang Zhixue stood frozen onstage for a moment. An instant later, he smiled and said, "Some of our guests may not know this, but Enlightenment Academy has inherited Mr. Gangfeng's educational philosophy and delegated part of its authority to its students. The dean's shake of the head is a declaration to the students that the academy supports us unconditionally and will never bind us too tightly. Students of Enlightenment Academy, let us thank the academy's teachers for their efforts."
Many students voiced their gratitude.
But the representatives of the major powers were old foxes who had lived long enough to become spirits. They believed there was another purpose behind it.
The Divine Bow Sect members discussed it in low voices.
Liu Yitian said, "This is strange. We need to be prepared. Ever since the Enlightenment Literary Assembly was established, the dean has given a speech every year. Delegating authority is one thing, but there should still be limits."
"If the dean does not appear, it likely means the academy will not interfere in today's literary assembly. But its precise stance is worth pondering."
"That empty table of the Divine Sword Sect makes me deeply uneasy. Clearly, this year's literary assembly will not be so simple."
"If the dean does not appear, is he saying that the Divine Sword Sect has nothing