Chapter 136

He immediately wanted to return to the Central Loft and find their dean, Lin Qingye.

However, what they had not anticipated was that as soon as they arrived at the Central Loft, before they could utter a word, they were tied up.

Each of them had a ghastly expression, not believing it was their fault; instead, they believed it was a trap set by Great Zhou.

Some laughed heartily and mocked, “Very well, Great Zhou, when you can’t win, you resort to using restrictions to massacre our Great Wei students!”

“We Great Wei will not let you off!”

“Where is our Martial Academy’s Lin Qingye? What have you done to him?”

Some shouted loudly.

Scattered among them, a few Great Zhou Martial Academy students, who had been separated from their group and captured by the black-robed people, looked miserable.

These few unfortunate ones didn’t believe that Great Zhou was behind it.

It was only three consecutive losses; what of it?

They had become accustomed to losing.

Emperor Zhou surely wouldn’t stoop so low as to offend Great Wei over such a trivial matter.

So some were defiant and responded, “You want your Martial Academy’s dean Lin Qingye back, but isn’t our Great Zhou Martial Academy’s dean, Qiu Zhiman, also missing?”

Quite a few Great Wei Martial Academy students sneered.

“Maybe he’s already dead.”

“If our Martial Academy’s dean can’t survive, then how can your Great Zhou Martial Academy’s dean?”

For a moment, several Great Zhou Martial Academy students grew angry and had a verbal altercation with the Great Wei Martial Academy students.

And among these Great Zhou Martial Academy students,

Qiao Songshan’s face was filled with misery.

He really hadn’t expected that by simply strolling around, he would end up in the enemy’s lair.

Other Great Zhou Martial Academy students had been captured by the black-robed people.

But not him.

He had delivered himself to their doorstep.

Thinking of this, Qiao Songshan’s face brimmed with bitterness.

He had hoped to make a name for himself.

Before he could become famous, he was already facing the prospect of scattering his own ashes.

He had planned to attend to his father’s funeral; he couldn’t die so soon.

Qiao Songshan wept inwardly.

While various Great Zhou Martial Academy students and Great Wei Martial Academy students were having their exchange in the backdrop of the Central Loft, in a corner of the first floor,

a tall figure in a black robe sat on a stone chair, his face obscured by a dense shadow making it impossible to see clearly.

He sat there silently,

slowly rotating a crystal ball in his hand.

This person was none other than Qiu Zhiman.

And in the projection,

everyone in the Imperial Palace as well as the common folk in the various taverns throughout the capital city saw the image of Qiu Zhiman.

But, due to the black robes and mysterious changes in Qiu Zhiman’s form, no one could discern his identity.

“Who is this person?”

“What is his identity?”

“He dares to brazenly move against Great Wei and Great Zhou?”

As people saw the figure of Qiu Zhiman in the projection, their minds filled with questions.

It wasn’t just them who couldn’t understand.

Even now, within the Imperial Palace, many officials and ministers looking at Qiu Zhiman’s image were baffled.

Just what was the identity of this person?

The black robes they were wearing did not seem to be simple garments; they could hide their faces and restrain their qi, preventing others from recognizing their identities.

Many watched quietly.

The Bureau of the Lamp’s constables have already protected most of the students.

If these black-robed people wanted to kill the remaining students, it wouldn’t be so easy.

However, at the moment, the many Great Wei Martial Academy students bound hand and foot were probably more likely in danger than not.

Quite a few officials from Great Wei also realized this and cursed inwardly.

Honestly, now it was a case of the onlookers seeing more of the game than the players.

If they themselves were on Crane-Crying Island, unaware of what was happening, and suddenly restrictions appeared, rendering their qi useless, and numerous black-robed people emerged, killing them,

they would instinctively assume that it was the Great Zhou Dynasty’s doing.

They wouldn’t trust the words of the Bureau of the Lamp.

Instinctively, they would seek the protection of the most powerful, Lin Qingye.

Where was Lin Qingye at this moment?

Where was he?

Why, from the moment the projection began, there had been no sign of Lin Qingye?

Many officials from Great Wei felt a bad premonition at this time; the worst-case scenario being that Lin Qingye was already gone.

At this thought, their hearts grew increasingly restless.

But at the moment, they could do nothing but continue to watch the projection.

At this time, there were only two quarters of an hour left until the restrictions would be lifted.

……

Inside the Central Loft.

Qiu Zhiman slowly rotated the crystal ball in his hand, looking at the remaining students, and his brows furrowed.

“These people, it seems they are not enough.”

“The number of officials killed in the Central Loft is merely a few dozen, and here there are only just over a hundred students.”

“The rest have all been taken by the Bureau of the Lamp.”

“How did the Bureau’s people realize so quickly? I struck down all the officials here with a thunderous approach to prevent the leakage of any information.”

“Yet, they still managed to know in advance.”

“Apart from the Great Wei Martial Academy students who do not trust the Bureau of the Lamp, everyone else has followed the Bureau.”

“The Bureau has Qian Siyuan on their side; although Qian Siyuan with his Eighth-Rank King Realm strength has his qi restricted, his body is still immensely powerful, not as easily dealt with as the old man Lin Qingye.”