In his view, Ling Xian had no desire to become Wang Jie. This was something Rong Bufan had brought upon himself. The only reasonable thing he could do was to turn and walk away.
But Ling's parents had taught him from a young age that he must set a bottom line for certain things… just in case they met again.
Even if Rong Bufan was an outcast, he was no match for the leader of the Phantom Flow (Emblem's) Assassins.
So, after weighing the relationship between the two schools, Ling decided to hand over his school uniform top.
But then again, when would this cycle of revenge ever end?
Ling Xian pondered this for a long time, but in the end, he gave him the uniform. It was at least worth a try.
After all, Principal Yue—the toughest nut to crack at Starcraft High—had actually been "conquered" by a maths teacher. Nowadays, anything was possible…
…
At Starcraft High, there must be someone who's been blue-balled by that damn wind.
Meanwhile, in the Central Education Bureau office, Master Feng was in a terrible mood today.
Having been promoted to deputy director at just eighteen years old, Master Feng harbored a deep resentment toward outsiders, but no one could understand the pressure he was under…
On one hand, this pressure came from his superiors.
The Central Bureau of Academies oversees all schools in Feilong City, even kindergartens. Every major school in the region follows its orders to the letter. Above the Central Education Bureau sits the Covenant of 1000 Academies, an organization managed and supervised by Secretary Li Hong.
This vice principal position isn't exactly high-ranking, yet it's not exactly lowly either… But to Principal Feng, sitting in this office felt like having a butt plug shoved up his rear… All the perks were taken by superiors or the principal, while he was left sitting there answering phones.
This directly led to work-related stress, making him feel like his life was absolutely miserable…
On the other hand, this pressure actually stems from Master Feng himself. Furthermore, what baffles him most is that at most annual conferences, his drunken superiors always make him demonstrate the "Heaven Blade Parting Skill"—the very move he "used" to defeat the Star-Shattering Dragon.
In short, the position of vice-dean is simply too exhausting for him.
Parents eager to enroll their children come knocking on his door one after another.
Education is, of course, important, so Master Feng naturally wouldn't turn them away. Of course, some parents would secretly slip him money in the hope of getting their children into prestigious schools, but Master Feng refused them all.
He believed that while he might not be a "paragon of outstanding talent," he was at least an upright and honest person. He even tried to report his superiors for money laundering, but he didn't have a shred of evidence.
Consequently, ever since the Tianxu Central Government's "Anti-Immortality Bureau" issued the "Nine Edicts and Five Prohibitions," politicians from all quarters have begun to rein in their behavior, no longer indulging in hedonistic pleasures.
Banquet attendants no longer serve dishes; instead, politicians and leaders take scallop-flavored fasting pills, pop them into their mouths, and chat casually over tea.
Consequently, for Master Feng, finding evidence was like a thorn in his side.
…
The incident in which Phoenix Ridge defeated the Phantom Emblem terrorist organization sparked heated discussion throughout the province. Regarding the spiritual sword exchange between the 73rd Phoenix Ridge and the 74th Starcraft, the Covenant of 1000 Academies Alliance headquarters personally contacted Master Feng, hoping to hear his views on the matter.
The primary concern was actually Su Xinyi's safety. After two assassination attempts by the "Phantom Badge" organization, rumors circulated that the higher-ups of the Qionghua Galaxy Cooperation had directly contacted the central government…
Although Master Feng was unaware of the specifics of those discussions.
Consequently, the Covenant of 1000 Academies summoned Master Feng to discuss Su Xinyi's movements on campus.
That morning, he received a call from his senior.
This time, so many top-tier assassins from the Phantom Emblem organization had been killed—they would certainly not let this go so easily.
At the Spirit Sword Exchange between the two schools, leaders from various states would be present to observe and evaluate the performances.
The more people there are, the higher the chance of an accident. If security measures aren't strengthened, trouble is bound to follow.
In fact, Master Feng had been keeping a close watch on things these past few days, fearing that something might go wrong. If this operation failed, he would undoubtedly be the first to be held accountable—as the deputy director who had ordered it.
This wasn't just about his job; it was about the overall situation at stake.
He had just finished a call with the head of the Covenant of 1000 Academies, when an uninvited guest appeared in his office.
The visitor was tall and well-built, dressed in a stylish suit, and holding a motorcycle helmet in his hand.
At first glance, he didn't look like anyone important, but the moment the door swung open with a clang, Master Akira's eyes widened slightly. "Secretary Li… Li Hong?"
Secretary Li Hong, Minister of Education of Tianxu and Secretary-General of the Covenant of Ten Thousand Academies… This veteran leader was definitely someone to follow.
Master Feng had never met him in person before; he'd only caught a few distant glimpses of him at the annual conference.
Rumor had it that Li Hong was extremely low-key, and now that Master Feng had seen him… Good heavens, the rumors were indeed true! The bastard had ridden his motorcycle right in here—from a distance, he looked just like a delivery guy!
Li Hong placed his motorcycle helmet on the table, sighed, and then sat down in the guest chair. "This place hasn't changed a bit…" His voice was deeply resonant, carrying the distinctive intonation of an older generation of leaders, and exuded a unique charm as he spoke.
Many officials had come to visit Master Feng that day, and the tea had long since run out. He opened the tea canister but found it empty, and felt a moment of awkwardness.
Li Hong smiled at Master Feng. "Don't worry, Deputy Director Xue Feng. Black tea will do. I came here on my own initiative today; I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Master Feng hurried to brew him a cup of tea. "Why would you say that? You're always welcome here. If you need anything, just give me a call."
"I've used up my phone credit," Li Hong sighed, "…so I came to visit you in person today."
"Oh. Since it's about security, I've already arranged the necessary measures. You don't need to worry."
"That's not why I'm here today."
Li Baixing waved his hand. "Regarding Su Xinyi's safety, we naturally have complete confidence in Deputy Director Feng's arrangements. Senior leadership is also well aware of Director Xue Feng's contributions to the Feilong City Central Education Bureau over the past few years. If it weren't for Deputy Director Feng personally orchestrating the protection of Phoenix Ridge a few weeks ago and thwarting the Phantom Emblem assassination attempt, we might have faced the most severe terrorist attack in the history of our department."
"…"
Master Feng: "Then, Secretary Li Hong, is there something specific you'd like to discuss with me today?"
"The Spirit Sword Exchange Tournament between Phoenix Ridge High School (No. 73) and Ziyang Starcraft High School (No. 74) is just two days away. However, this time I'll be attending as an observer alongside the senior members."
"…"
"It suddenly occurred to me yesterday that I hadn't mentioned this to you before. "Is it still too late to report this to Deputy Director Feng now? Of course not… It would be even better if Xue Feng could create another fake identity for me when I attend the event. If my true identity were exposed then, it would definitely cause a commotion—and that would be a real headache."
Li Hong said in a flat tone, "In short… keep a low profile!"
"…"
"Old Secretary… what on earth are you talking about?"
Master Feng wiped the cold sweat from his brow; he had already figured out the connection. Damn it, if this gets out…
The administrations of both academies would go berserk—and not just the academies; the local populace and the government would be in shock as well!
Li Hong… that name carried immense weight.
Just hearing his name was enough to send a chill down one's spine. The Secretary of the Covenant of 1000 Academies was one of the fifteen legendary figures who founded the Tianxu Kingdom! He was a revered hero who had fought on the ancient cultivation battlefields, and a veteran who had made immense contributions to the era of scientific cultivation!
At this thought, Master Feng couldn't help but feel suspicious… Would such a revered figure really want to watch a spirit sword exchange between two ordinary high schools?
He found it simply unimaginable!
"Besides that, there's one more thing…"
Li Hong took a sip of tea. "I imagine you still remember the demon beast invasion eight years ago?"
"…"
The mere mention of that day… filled Master Feng with a sense of foreboding.
…