Chapter 107 - Stripped of Status

Chapter 107 - Stripped of Status

The teachers and headmasters turned to look at the ten-odd people kneeling on the ground.

“What a swift strike, severing all their tendons with a single hit!” a first-class teacher exclaimed. Such a flawless blade technique could only be achieved with decades of practice.

The three headmasters and star teachers all recognized that this was a blade technique close to perfection. While others might not discern much from the wounds, these experienced individuals, who had lived for decades to over a hundred years, could appreciate the flawlessness of Liu Wuxie’s attack.

“You did that?” Fan Zhen asked.

“That’s right.” Liu Wuxie admitted to it straightforwardly without any explanation. That was because he couldn’t even be bothered to justify his actions.

“Give me a reason why you did that!” Fan Zhen’s tone turned heavy. If Liu Wuxie had crippled those participants without a valid reason, it was a serious crime. The Imperial Academy would have to provide an explanation to the parents and clans of those affected.

“No reason!” was Liu Wuxie’s response, which took everyone by surprise. Everyone had expected him to provide an explanation, but he bluntly stated that there was none. This was akin to stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Upon hearing Liu Wuxie’s reply, the teachers all wore expressions of anger. After all, Liu Wuxie was only a participant and wasn’t yet a student. Who gave him the audacity to talk to the headmaster in this manner?

Meanwhile, Xue Pinzhi was inwardly delighted, not expecting Liu Wuxie to be so brazen. This was even better, saving him the effort of fanning the flames.

“Kid, you seem to think you’re in charge,” a teacher reprimanded, “You killed a participant without showing remorse, and you’ve severed the leg tendons of ten-odd people. According to the rules of the Imperial Academy, you should be executed!” Liu Wuxie had noticed him secretly communicating with Fan Yeping before speaking up. This meant that this teacher had an extraordinary relationship with Fan Yeping.

As for the other participants, they all laughed, gloating that Liu Wuxie was in trouble. After all, Liu Wuxie had offended a teacher and even dared to talk back to the headmaster. This had never happened before since the establishment of the Imperial Academy.

“This is the Imperial Academy’s teaching philosophy? Distorting right and wrong!” Liu Wuxie sneered with a disdainful look on his face.

It was clear to everyone that Liu Wuxie held everyone present in contempt, including the three headmasters. This accusation of theirs twisting the truth incensed all the teachers present.

“Kid, how dare you mock the Imperial Academy? Do you think that we wouldn’t dare to kill you?” The teacher who had spoken earlier, Dong Yue, stepped forward, ready to confront Liu Wuxie directly.

“Dong Yue, calm down!” Fan Zhen intervened. Dong Yue, who had become a teacher alongside Fan Yeping, had a close relationship with him. Dong Yue snorted and reluctantly stepped back, but continued to glare fiercely at Liu Wuxie.

“Be rest assured. If the Imperial Academy is at fault, I will apologize to you. But if you’re someone who killed innocent participants indiscriminately, I won’t show you any mercy either,” Fan Zhen declared, emphasizing his commitment to act justly as a headmaster.

Fan Yeping had been anxiously observing the headmaster’s expression. Seeing the headmaster’s face darken, he felt a jolt of fear and quickly stepped forward, “Headmaster, I was wrong!”

His panic was evident. As a low-ranking teacher, overseeing the assessment was a significant opportunity for him. If he had managed it well, he might have been promoted. But with this incident, he faced the risk of losing his status as a teacher.

A teacher’s role is to guide and educate. Not only did Fan Yeping violate this principle, but also the dignity of a teacher.

“From today onwards, your status as a teacher is stripped, and you will be demoted to an elder of the Miscellaneous Hall.” Fan Zhen declared Fan Yeping’s punishment, his face devoid of emotion.

For a teacher, being stripped of their status and demoted to an elder of the Miscellaneous Hall was akin to a death sentence. Teachers were respected wherever they went, while the duty of the Miscellaneous Hall was to serve the students, handling their accommodations and meals.

“Yes!” Fan Yeping replied with clenched fists and gritted teeth. He knew that he couldn’t argue with the headmaster right now. As long as he stayed in the Imperial Academy, he would always have a chance to regain his status as a teacher, and he could only endure for now. But when he lowered his head, he glanced at Liu Wuxie from the corner of his eyes as if he was responsible for the loss of his status as a teacher.

Xue Pinzhi showed a hint of panic as he stepped back. But the headmaster turned to look at him, saying, “I hope you can conduct yourself well!”

The headmaster’s words covered Xue Pinzhi in a cold sweat. The group of individuals kneeling on the ground fell into despair as they watched the scenes replayed by the memory crystal.

“How did it come to this...” Zhang Qing muttered to himself. The participants who had earlier mocked Liu Wuxie collectively fell silent, not daring to utter another word. They feared provoking the headmaster’s anger, realizing they had gone too far.

Bai Yu and Yu Yifan clenched their fists together as the limelight of today’s assessment should’ve belonged to them. After all, they had managed to light up three columns, far exceeding the other students that the Imperial Academy had recruited.

But despite their performance, no one would remember them, as the Nine Stars Illumination overshadowed them. They harbored resentment but dared not show it.

However, upon recalling Liu Wuxie’s unique constitution, they unclenched their fists, a smile creeping onto their faces. What did it matter if Liu Wuxie had high talent? Given his constitution, it was already determined that he wouldn’t progress far in his cultivation. They believed that it wouldn’t be long before Liu Wuxie would be forgotten by history, as the Xue Clan would do everything in their power to eliminate him. Therefore, they didn’t see the point in harboring anger towards someone who was destined to meet such a fate.

When the replay from the memory crystal ended, Zhao Enzhu descended from the Testing Pillar. As he ceased injecting his true essence, the memory crystal shut down and resumed its recording of the surrounding events.

“You people have lost your bet. Do you all have anything else to say?” The headmaster turned his gaze towards Zhang Qing’s group. The Imperial Academy was known for its fairness—it wouldn’t falsely accuse an innocent person, nor would it let a guilty person go unpunished. The actions of Zhang Qing’s group were utterly reprehensible.

“We...admit defeat!” The ten-odd people gritted their teeth. They understood that any further provocation at this point would be a direct affront to the Imperial Academy. Their only option was to plan for a future opportunity to deal with Liu Wuxie.

“Teacher Zhao, you handle the remaining assessment!” Fan Zhen said to Zhao Enzhu. After stripping Fan Yeping of his status as a teacher, he naturally had to assign someone else to conduct the last round of assessments.

“Yes, headmaster!” Zhao Enzhu bowed.