Over the course of all this, events had spiraled out of control several times, and the situation had taken sharp turns for the worse.
Ye Changqing being ambushed by the Four Swords of the Kingly Way had been the first unexpected incident, the first loss of control. But Ye Changqing had gradually recovered afterward. Aside from the Heavenly Meridian Hand, which could not be removed, everything else could still be barely kept in check.
What happened to Xiang Kuangren had been the second.
Shi Yunfeng's affair had been the third incident to spiral completely out of control.
They had been too intent on catching the rats, but because secrecy was necessary, the other vice principals had not been informed.
Nor had they anticipated that the other side's methods could be so filthy and despicable.
And the fourth loss of control had been on Vice Principal Cheng's side.
The affairs of the world were unpredictable. Many things often developed in unimaginable directions, until they became impossible to put right...
What had originally been merely Vice Principal Cheng's family affair had turned into a catastrophe simply because it involved the Imperial Family!
On this matter, every side-whether Vice Principal Cheng's family, Hidden Dragon High Martial, or the Martial Education Department-had been caught off guard and unable to respond.
And Vice Principal Cheng, the only one who knew anything of the inside story, had not reported it at the time for the sake of his granddaughter's happiness... or perhaps out of other considerations as well, allowing a lifetime's regret to erupt all at once.
By comparison, Vice Principal Liu being intercepted and attacked while escorting students had actually been anticipated.
After so many years of overt investigations and covert inquiries, the situation had only grown more complicated, and its ramifications ever broader.
At