Bei Bei could barely stay on his feet.
Cheating in the Soul Fighting Arena wasn't a particularly big problem, but getting caught cheating was another matter entirely!
Besides, his fight with Xu Sanshi had been a wagered match,
which made the cheating even worse.
The academy might even reconsider whether he was qualified to enter the inner court!
Bei Bei smiled bitterly.
Xiao Ya, Xiao Ya, you've really landed me in deep trouble this time.
"All right!"
Seeing Bei Bei's reaction, the referee immediately realized that what Dai Lingfeng had said was probably close to the truth. He went to find Tang Ya at once.
This match had far-reaching implications,
and Dai Lingfeng, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi all had special identities, so he had to proceed with caution.
"Run!!"
Tang Ya's expression changed drastically.
Overwhelmed by guilt, she fled the scene to escape punishment.
She really had cheated,
and the price of getting caught was more than she could bear. Unwilling to face reality, Tang Ya chose to run.
Her behavior was as good as a confession, reinforcing the referee's judgment.
There was definitely something wrong!
The referee unleashed his cultivation and caught up with Tang Ya in an instant, bringing her back along with the unconscious Huo Yuhao.
"He really does have a spiritual-type Martial Soul?"
"And he overexerted his Soul Power and passed out."
After examining Huo Yuhao, the referee's voice was full of disbelief.
They really had cheated?
The situation was much as Dai Lingfeng had described.
It seemed Dai Lingfeng really could see the path along which spiritual power traveled.
"Go and fetch Dean Yan."
The referee frowned as he instructed his assistant.
Neither Bei Bei nor Xu Sanshi was someone he could afford to offend. He needed Dean Yan Shaozhe to make the decision.
"Yes!"
The assistant went to fetch Yan Shaozhe.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya's faces turned ashen.
"Well, Bei Bei!"
"I treated you like a brother, and this is how you screw me over?"
Xu Sanshi was hopping mad.
Bei Bei had used the Dragon Whisker Needle to force him into wagering his Mystic Water Pill, then resorted to underhanded tricks, using a spiritual-type Soul Master to cheat.
Bei Bei was treating him like a damn fool!
"Sanshi, let me explain."
Bei Bei's lips trembled.
He wouldn't claim he had lived his whole life with spotless integrity, but he had always been open and aboveboard. He had never been caught in such a disgraceful predicament.
Bei Bei had been completely unprepared for this and had no idea what to do.
"You'd better think about how you're going to explain yourself to the dean in a bit."
Xu Sanshi snorted and turned away in irritation, unwilling to pay Bei Bei any more attention.
Panicking now?
Regretting it?
You sure enjoyed cheating just now, and you even had the nerve to demand my Mystic Water Pill.
Serves you right!
"Your Highness, I know you. You're a leading figure among the younger generation. You really have eyes of fire and golden pupils!"
"If you hadn't stepped forward to stand up for me, I'd probably have fallen flat on my face today."
"Your Highness, thanks. I'll buy you a drink another day!"
Xu Sanshi was overflowing with gratitude toward Dai Lingfeng.
After all, he had stood up for Jiang Nannan today.
If Bei Bei had beaten him so badly in front of all these people, how could he ever show his face again?
By exposing Bei Bei's cheating, Dai Lingfeng had cleared his name too.
"No need to thank me."
"I didn't step forward for your sake. I just can't stand cheaters."
Dai Lingfeng looked at the unconscious Huo Yuhao, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
He wondered whether his little brother, once he woke up,
would like the big surprise he had prepared for him!
"One thing doesn't cancel out another. Even if you only stepped in because you saw an injustice, you still did me a huge favor. I have to thank you."
Xu Sanshi slapped his chest heartily.
The crowd didn't have to wait long.
Yan Shaozhe soon arrived.
"What happened?"
His gaze swept over the crowd and paused briefly on Dai Lingfeng. His expression grew serious.
Nothing involving the White Tiger heir was a small matter.
"Dean, this is what happened..."
The referee quietly recounted the recent events to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe's brow gradually furrowed.
Looking at Bei Bei and Tang Ya, he frowned more and more deeply.
One was Mu En's great-great-grandson,
and the other was the Tang Sect's leader.
How could they act without using their brains at all, without considering the consequences?
They had even resorted to cheating.
And most embarrassingly of all, they had been caught red-handed.
"Bring Huo Yuhao. Everyone, follow me."
Yan Shaozhe gave the group his orders.
In his view, this scandal absolutely could not be settled in public.
With Mu En's connection to Bei Bei,
even if Bei Bei had cheated, he couldn't punish him too harshly.
"Yes."
No one objected, and they followed Yan Shaozhe, preparing to move elsewhere.
"Wait!"
"Take me with you. I was a witness, so I can testify."
Wang Dong summoned her courage and leaped up from below the stage, standing before Yan Shaozhe with a stubborn look in her eyes.
The evil Dai Lingfeng actually dared to frame Huo Yuhao.
She absolutely couldn't stand by and do nothing!
"You?"
"All right, come along."
Yan Shaozhe sized Wang Dong up, looking thoughtful.
How had the Clear Sky Sect's little princess gotten involved too?
This matter wasn't simple.
Yan Shaozhe waved his hand.
Huo Yuhao woke up, and after he recovered, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm told him what had happened.
Huo Yuhao also realized the predicament he was in and immediately gnashed his teeth.
"Damn that Dai Lingfeng!"
"He just had to meddle!"
"I only enhanced Senior Brother Bei Bei. I didn't even attack you from the shadows, but you just had to come after me."
Huo Yuhao didn't know whether Dai Lingfeng had recognized him.
Nor did he think he had done anything wrong.
He was only furious that Dai Lingfeng had seen through his Spiritual Detection Sharing and exposed him.
Huo Yun'er had raised Huo Yuhao to be a timid person.
Having his cheating exposed
and confronting others in a public hearing-for Huo Yuhao, such things were like the sky falling and the earth splitting apart, the end of the world.
Other than frantically cursing Dai Lingfeng in his heart, he could do nothing.
"Bei Bei, Tang Ya, you two tell me,"
"what happened?"
Yan Shaozhe brought everyone to his office and questioned them.
Although Yan Shaozhe was not particularly outstanding as a Soul Master,
his air of authority still put considerable pressure on the youths.
Under his gaze, Bei Bei's forehead immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and his psychological defenses nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, Tang Ya hurried to answer for him.
"Dean, it was me!"
"Bei Bei didn't know. I was the one who told Yuhao to do it."
"I had Yuhao enhance him without discussing it with Bei Bei. This was my fault; it had nothing to do with Bei Bei."
Tang Ya intended to take all the blame upon herself.
She had taken it upon herself to act without discussing it with Bei Bei in the first place. She couldn't drag him too deeply into trouble.
"Xiao Ya..."
Seeing the girl he loved sacrifice herself for him, Bei Bei's heart immediately ached for her.
"Don't say anything, Bei Bei. This has nothing to do with you."
"I, Tang Ya, will take responsibility for what I did!"
Tang Ya patted her chest and spoke with a show of strength.
"I can testify to that."
"Huo Yuhao and I came to watch the match. We hadn't planned to cheat beforehand. It was only when Senior Sister Tang Ya told Yuhao to use his ability during the match that he did it."
Wang Dong raised her hand and spoke up.
She wanted to clear Huo Yuhao of suspicion that he had deliberately done wrong.
Tang Ya had instigated the matter, so it had little to do with Huo Yuhao either.
"Hmm..."
Yan Shaozhe pondered.
How should he handle this?
"Dean, Tang Ya's cup of evil is overflowing. Our Shrek Academy is not a place that harbors filth and corruption. I suggest expelling this scum from Shrek Academy."
"If you indulge someone like her and let her remain at Shrek Academy, then I'll transfer to Star Luo Academy."
At the crucial moment, Dai Lingfeng played his part as a villain.