Hu Zhongyuan strode over, openly unleashing his Body Integration Realm pressure. It pressed down on the surrounding students until they could barely breathe, forcing them to retreat.
He stood before Chen Fan, looking down from above at the young man seated on the rock, his expression so dark it could have dripped water.
"Which department are you from?" Hu Zhongyuan demanded, his resonant voice carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to power. "Beating a foreign exchange student in broad daylight and disrupting campus order-who gave you the nerve!"
He had pronounced Chen Fan guilty right off the bat.
Clearly, Leon had already told him the version he wanted to hear.
Chen Fan rose unhurriedly, dusted off his trousers, and looked up at Hu Zhongyuan, perfectly composed. "Vice Principal Hu, isn't it rather arbitrary to reach such a firm conclusion the moment you arrive? Aren't you even going to ask what happened?"
"Ask what?" Hu Zhongyuan snorted. "Leon has already told me everything! You deliberately provoked him, injured others, and damaged relations between our schools. Your actions have had an extremely negative impact! Mysterious Spirit Academy has no room for a rotten apple like you!"
"You believe whatever Leon says?" Chen Fan laughed. "Vice Principal Hu, are you the vice principal of Mysterious Spirit Academy, or a spokesman for the Freedom Divine Domain? You won't listen to your own students, but you believe every word a foreign student says?"
"Insolence!" Hu Zhongyuan flew into a rage. "You dare speak to me like that? I take it you don't want to graduate!"
In all his years as vice principal, no student had ever dared talk back to him like this.
Besides, Leon had the Holy See and the Freedom Divine Domain behind him. This affected the school's interstellar ranking and diplomatic resources. How could he possibly not protect him?
In his eyes, sacrificing a few ordinary female students in exchange for a higher school ranking and foreign resources was simply a deal with guaranteed profits and no losses.
"I only have one question for Vice Principal Hu." Chen Fan's smile vanished, his gaze sharpening. "Leon and his companions have been harassing and coercing this school's female students for a long time. Did you know about this?"
Hu Zhongyuan's gaze flickered before he snapped, "Utter nonsense! Leon excels in both character and academics. He is our school's honored exchange student! Clearly, it was you girls who had no self-respect and took the initiative to seduce them, and now you're turning around to blame them! I'm warning you, if you dare spread rumors and stir up trouble again, I'll expel you immediately and report you to the Immortal Palace's education department to have it entered into your records!"
His words sent an uproar through the surrounding students.
"This is outrageous! Leon and the others were clearly the ones bullying people!"
"What does he mean, the girls seduced them? He's turning black into white!"
"Vice Principal Hu is far too biased!"
They seethed but dared not speak out, only murmuring among themselves.
Watching Hu Zhongyuan's self-righteous display, Chen Fan found it laughable.
Twisting right and wrong, turning the accusations back on others, and splashing all the dirty water onto the victims.
"Excels in character and academics?" Chen Fan sneered. "Blocking girls' paths and molesting them in broad daylight, assaulting people-is that what you call excelling in character and academics? Coercing more than a dozen female students, driving them to drop out and commit suicide-is that your honored exchange student?"
"Hu Zhongyuan, as vice principal and the man overseeing this institution, you give no thought to teaching and nurturing students. Instead, you shelter criminals and oppress your own students, making sacrifices of them for the sake of so-called rankings and reputation."
"Are you fit to be a teacher and role model?"
Chen Fan's voice abruptly rose on that final question, every word ringing clearly throughout the grove.
The watching students held their breath, staring at Chen Fan with shock filling their eyes.
He's crazy!
Hu Zhongyuan trembled with rage, his face livid.
"Rebellion! This is rebellion!" He pointed at Chen Fan, beside himself with fury. "A mere Qi Refining Realm junior dares tell me what to do? You must be tired of living!"
Boom!
His Body Integration Realm pressure erupted without restraint, crashing down on Chen Fan like Mount Tai bearing down upon his head!
He would make this brat who knew neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth kneel and admit his wrongs on the spot!
On Mysterious Spirit Academy's grounds, it was no student's place to teach him how to do things!
Chen Fan was already prepared when the pressure descended.
He pinched his fingertips together, instantly shattering the protective jade talisman hidden in his sleeve.
Hum-
A cool immortal light burst from within him, forming a pale white barrier that stood firmly before him.
The Body Integration Realm pressure struck the barrier and vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
Chen Fan stood steadily behind the barrier, not so much as a fold of his clothes stirring.
"What an imposing official you are, Vice Principal Hu." Chen Fan's tone was icy. "You unleash your cultivation pressure on a student at the slightest disagreement. Are you trying to beat a confession out of me? Or did I hit a nerve, and now your shame has turned to anger?"
Hu Zhongyuan's pupils contracted, and his heart lurched.
A protective immortal talisman?
This brat actually has a Mahayana-level protective immortal talisman?!
His heart immediately began beating like a drum.
Someone who could casually produce a Mahayana immortal talisman was definitely no ordinary student.
Could he... be a scion of some great Lineage?
But he examined Chen Fan carefully. His clothes were ordinary and his presence unremarkable; he did not look like someone from an Aristocratic Clan.
Perhaps he picked it up somewhere, or paid a fortune for a single-use immortal talisman.
Yes, that must be it.
What kind of backing could a mere stripling have?
At that thought, Hu Zhongyuan grew forceful again and snorted. "Sharp-tongued brat! I don't care what backing you have. At Mysterious Spirit Academy, I am the rules! Publicly slandering your teachers and beating an exchange student-the charges are proven! Guards, seize him! Take him to the reflection room and interrogate him thoroughly!"
The security guards behind him hesitated, but still stepped forward, ready to act.
Although the other party had a protective immortal talisman, they dared not disobey the vice principal's orders.
"Let's see who dares."
Chen Fan stood where he was, his gaze icy.
He slowly raised his hand, took the bronze-colored law enforcement token from inside his clothes, and held it before him.
"Chen Fan, Yellow-Rank Reserve Law Enforcer of the Immortal Palace's Law Enforcement Immortal Hall."
"Hu Zhongyuan, vice principal of Mysterious Spirit Academy, is now suspected of dereliction of duty, shielding offenders, abuse of authority, and coercion of students. The three foreign exchange students, Leon and his companions, are suspected of provoking trouble, coercing others and endangering their personal safety, and intending to incite a diplomatic dispute."
"I am taking over the investigation of this case."
"Anyone who dares obstruct me will be charged with obstructing official duties and taken back to the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall for questioning!"
His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority.
The bronze-colored token gleamed coldly in the sunlight. The four ancient characters for "Law Enforcement Immortal Hall" weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
The Law Enforcement Immortal Hall?!
Since when did the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall have such a young law enforcer?!
Everyone present stared at the token, dumbfounded.
The anger on Hu Zhongyuan's face froze instantly. His pupils contracted sharply as he fixed his eyes on the token in Chen Fan's hand.
A Law Enforcement Immortal Hall token absolutely could not be forged.
This brat... was actually a law enforcer from the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall?!
Leon was stunned as well, standing to one side with his face pale.
The Law Enforcement Immortal Hall?
Why would he come here?
The watching students erupted into an even greater uproar, each of them both shocked and delighted.
"My heavens! A Bao Qingtian from the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall actually came!"
"No wonder he's so fearless! He's here to investigate!"
"Wonderful! Someone's finally here to deal with these beasts!"
"Vice Principal Hu is finished now! Even the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall is here!"
The crowd boiled over, their long-suppressed feelings erupting all at once.
Hu Zhongyuan watched the students' reactions, then looked again at the token in Chen Fan's hand, panic stirring within him.
With the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall involved, this would be troublesome.
But he quickly regained his composure.
He's only a Yellow-Rank Reserve Law Enforcer, not even a regular member. What does he amount to?
Even the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall has to follow the rules and show consideration for the diplomatic department and the academic system.
Could a lowly reserve possibly overturn the heavens?
"So, you're a friend from the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall." Hu Zhongyuan forced a smile, his tone softening considerably, though it still carried arrogance. "The flood has truly washed into the Dragon King's temple. But these are all our school's internal affairs. There's no need for the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall to trouble itself. Our school will handle them properly."
He wanted to make a major issue minor, then make the minor issue disappear. First, he would coax the man away, then slowly clean up the mess afterward.
"Internal affairs?" Chen Fan sneered. "Suspected criminal offenses are internal affairs too? Such grand words, Vice Principal Hu. Mysterious Spirit Academy is an institution under the Immortal Palace's governance, not your personal fiefdom. It isn't your place to dictate how the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall handles its cases."
"You!" Hu Zhongyuan's expression darkened again. "A mere Yellow-Rank Reserve dares throw his weight around in front of me? Don't spurn the courtesy I'm showing you! If this really blows up, you won't be able to shoulder the responsibility!"
He could no longer be bothered to pretend and openly tore away all pretense of civility.
He thought nothing of a mere reserve law enforcer.
If this really reached the higher-ups, plenty of people would speak for him.
Chen Fan watched his emboldened manner and sneered inwardly.
Still trying to use your status to pressure me?
Fine. Let's see whose backing is stronger.
"Whether I can shoulder it is no concern of yours, Vice Principal Hu." Chen Fan put away the token and spoke unhurriedly. "But I advise you to think carefully about the charges for shielding criminals and opposing the Law Enforcement Immortal Hall. Once someone from above arrives, things won't be as simple as they are now."
"Someone from above?" Hu Zhongyuan scoffed. "I'd like to see who you can call here. A mere reserve dares try to frighten me?"
He had barely finished speaking.
A cool female voice drifted slowly over from nearby, carrying a bone-piercing chill.
"What about me, then?"