Chapter 352: The Punishment!

Chapter 352: The Punishment!

"This makes sense!"

Before Xuanyuan Ao could retort, Tong Chengtai immediately nodded and said in a firm voice, "Ling Feng is right. We’ve only heard your side of the story, Xuanyuan Ao. While Ling Feng’s actions are serious, you must ask yourself—did you exaggerate the truth?"

"I..." Xuanyuan Ao was momentarily speechless. He knew very well what had happened. In the Drunken Pavilion that day, many patrons had overheard the conversation between Liu Shengjie and Yan Chong.

It wasn’t hard to uncover the truth. Liu Shengjie had been attracted to a woman named Yan’er and had picked a fight with Ling Feng. Liu Shengjie was the one who initiated the conflict. Unfortunately for him, he was no match for Ling Feng and got a severe beating.

"Hmph, as the vice-director, I always seek the truth. I won’t let the innocent be wronged, nor will I let the guilty go unpunished!"

Tong Chengtai understood that Liu Shengjie was at fault. With this in mind, he stroked his beard and said, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter. As for you, Xuanyuan Ao, and you, Gu Tengfeng—being captains and knowingly breaking the academy's rules, I sentence you to three days of solitary reflection. Do you accept this punishment?"

"Yes!" Gu Tengfeng was secretly pleased. Three days of reflection was a mild punishment. He hadn’t expected Tong Chengtai to be so lenient.

Xuanyuan Ao, on the other hand, looked dissatisfied but had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"As for the other students," Tong Chengtai continued, "since this is your first offense, I will let you off with a warning."

"Thank you, Vice-Director, for your generosity!" The students quickly expressed their gratitude.

Su Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad she had turned to Vice-Director Tong for help.

"Vice-Director, what about Ling Feng? Even if he acted in self-defense, he still injured members of our West Court sword team. We can't just let him go unpunished! He should at least be whipped three thousand times and expelled from Tianwei Academy!" Xuanyuan Ao demanded through gritted teeth.

"Hmph, you don’t get to dictate how I handle this!"

"Come on, we're like family. No need for thanks," Gu Tengfeng laughed heartily, giving Ling Feng a strong pat on the shoulder. "We were lucky Feng Mo found us in time. Otherwise, facing Xuanyuan Ao alone, you might have been in real trouble. That guy is no joke."

"Yeah." Ling Feng nodded, his gaze shifting to Feng Mo. At a crucial moment, Feng Mo had proven to be reliable!

Ling Feng had always sensed there was more to him than met the eye, but he wasn’t curious about Feng Mo's true identity. Friendship was about sincerity, not digging into each other’s pasts.

"But having 300,000 points deducted is a serious problem. I have 150,000 points here. Let me lend you some to cover part of it," Gu Tengfeng said calmly.

"I have over 30,000 points. Use them to offset the penalty," Gong Cheng said generously, smiling.

"I’ve got 30,000 too!" Xiaolin Xue added, handing over her points card with a smile. "I usually spend mine on medicinal pills, so I don’t have much saved. But every bit helps, right?"

"I have a bit over 10,000," Ye Nanfeng chimed in with a grin.

"I've got some too, though it's not much," Lin Mochen, the notorious gambler, said as he revealed his nearly empty card with only a hundred points left. His antics drew chuckles from the group.

Ling Feng was deeply moved by their support, but he politely declined. "Thank you, everyone, but I’ll handle this on my own. It’s not a big deal."

He knew how hard it was to earn Tianwei points, which required completing various academy tasks, often dangerous ones. Ling Feng didn’t want to take away their points, as it would hinder their own progress.

"These young ones..." Tong Chengtai, who had not yet left, watched the scene with a touch of nostalgia. Once, he too had comrades he would go through thick and thin with. But the path of cultivation was fraught with dangers, and few lived to see his age.

"Ling Feng!" Tong Chengtai cleared his throat and called out suddenly.

"What can I do for you, Vice-Director?" Ling Feng asked. Despite their previous conflicts, he now felt indebted to Tong Chengtai and decided to treat him with a bit more respect.

"Come with me," Tong Chengtai said, giving Ling Feng a deep, meaningful look. Without waiting for a response, he extended his hand. A gentle wave of elemental force enveloped Ling Feng, lifting him into the air. In a blink of an eye, they vanished from sight, leaving the others behind.