Chapter 102 - Question

Chapter 102 - Question

Hundreds of people gathered together, discussing what might have happened last night. Fortunately, the arrow wasn’t directed at their tents, or they would have died by now.

“Isn’t this too terrifying? There’s someone openly attempting to assassinate us in the academy. If the higher-ups of the academy find out about this, there will surely be an outrage.”

The death of Feng Bingquan wasn’t their primary concern; their own safety was. Their lives had been threatened within the Imperial Academy, even before they had officially joined. This incident alone could significantly tarnish the academy’s reputation.

The assassination was shrouded in mystery, and no one knew who had carried it out in the dead of night. It certainly wasn’t Liu Wuxie; no one would be foolish enough to orchestrate their own assassination. This led them to believe that someone else was behind it.

“Could it be Xue Pinzhi?”

Everyone had witnessed Xue Pinzhi’s attempt to kill Liu Wuxie during the assessment the previous day, which was thwarted by Chen Leyao. This could have led to resentment on Xue Pinzhi’s part, prompting him to attempt an assassination at night.

“That’s impossible. Even if Xue Pinzhi wants to kill Liu Wuxie, he would get someone else to do the dirty job. It doesn’t make sense for him to risk exposure by carrying out the assassination himself in the middle of the night,” another person quickly dismissed the speculation. It was clear that no one in their right mind would take such a risk if they were in Xue Pinzhi’s position.

Various speculations circulated, and no one could figure out who tried to kill Liu Wuxie. This meant that everyone present was a suspect.

As the sun rose, Fan Yeping, Xue Pinzhi, and Chen Leyao arrived at the square. The lingering scent of blood was still potent in the air, and Feng Bingquan’s corpse had been removed, with all the tents packed away. Feng Bingquan’s neck bore a cut, and an arrow was lodged in the back of his head, piercing through his throat.

“Who killed him?!” Fan Yeping demanded. After all, deaths during the academy’s assessment were unprecedented.

The surroundings fell into silence, with no one answering. They didn’t know how to respond to that question. After all, Feng Bingquan was assassinated in the middle of the night after he was killed.

Xue Pinzhi stood at a distance, a smirk appearing on his lips upon hearing news of a death. He was under the impression that Liu Wuxie had died and was oblivious to Feng Bingquan’s demise.

After a few minutes, someone stepped forward to recount the previous night’s events without any embellishment. After all, many people present had witnessed the incident.

Chen Leyao had already informed Fan Yeping about Xue Pinzhi’s actions during the previous day’s assessment. However, since they were both students of Fan Yeping, he chose not to pursue the matter unless it escalated further.

Upon hearing the account of the previous night’s events, Xue Pinzhi staggered. He quickly advanced a few steps, panic flashing in his eyes as he saw Feng Bingquan’s lifeless body. There had been conflicts in previous years, but never any deaths.

The crowd exchanged awkward glances. Xue Pinzhi stepping forward at this moment was akin to admitting his involvement. Everyone knew about his feud with Liu Wuxie from the previous day, making him the prime suspect in the assassination.

“How would I know who you’ve upset? Maybe someone from the Heavenly Govern Academy wants you dead,” Xue Pinzhi quickly tried to correct his mistake, implying that while he wanted Liu Wuxie dead, he wouldn’t resort to assassination.

“Teacher, I also suspect that this may be the work of the Heavenly Govern Academy. It’s possible they bribed Feng Bingquan to target our academy’s genius. Considering last night’s assassination, it’s highly likely they’re behind it,” Chen Leyao stepped forward, bowing to Fan Yeping and offering a plausible explanation.

Liu Wuxie was ranked first in the previous day’s assessment, and it was only natural that the Heavenly Govern Academy would be reluctant to see such a talented individual join the Imperial Academy. Thus, assassination seemed like the best course of action.

Given the conflict between Feng Bingquan and Liu Wuxie, many found this explanation plausible. However, they knew that Chen Leyao was merely providing Fan Yeping with a way out, as escalating the situation would benefit no one.

Feng Bingquan was already dead, and he had no connection to them. Being investigated by the academy’s higher-ups over a deceased person was not worth it. Fan Yeping, not being a fool, quickly dismissed the matter after a brief inquiry, shifting the blame onto the Heavenly Govern Academy.

In the end, the matter was concluded with the narrative that Feng Bingquan had been bribed by the Heavenly Govern Academy to assassinate the participants of the Imperial Academy’s assessment, leading to his death. With this matter resolved, the assessment resumed.

Yet, many were puzzled that the issue ended so abruptly. Only a few glanced at Liu Wuxie, as everyone knew that the Heavenly Govern Academy had nothing to do with this. They quickly realized that Liu Wuxie’s questioning, which left the teacher speechless, was not as simple as it seemed.

Xue Pinzhi glared at Liu Wuxie fiercely. Since Liu Wuxie was still alive, it meant that his attempt last night had failed, and this matter mustn’t leak out.

“Thank you for standing up for me. Including yesterday’s incident, I now owe you two favors,” Liu Wuxie said to Chen Leyao once the crowd had dispersed to prepare for the day’s assessment. After all, Liu Wuxie’s rebuttals had embarrassed Fan Yeping, and Chen Leyao had stepped forward with a reasonable explanation to resolve the matter, leading to a perfect closure as Xue Pinzhi wouldn't speak for Liu Wuxie.

Consequently, Chen Leyao was the only one present who could help Liu Wuxie.

“I merely stated the truth. Get ready for the second round of assessment.” Chen Leyao smiled. She wasn’t overly concerned, as Liu Wuxie was a talent she didn’t want to overlook.

Regardless of her nonchalance, Liu Wuxie took note of this favor, intending to reciprocate when an opportunity arose. After all, having a friend was never a disadvantage.

The second round of assessment was straightforward. A massive pillar stood in the square, designed to test the participants’ strength and talent. Yesterday’s assessment was basic, with many relying on their robust physique to pass.

However, today was different, as a powerful physique alone wouldn’t suffice. The pillar, known as the Testing Pillar, was forged from unique crystals. It was designed to assess not only one’s strength but also various other attributes.