Chapter Forty: Turmoil Before the Council Hall

Three days later, in the Academy’s Council Hall.

Of the ten wandering instructors, three had arrived; all twenty-six resident instructors were present. At the head of the hall, sprawled carelessly on a mountain-shaped couch, sat the Dean himself.

Du Fu gave a truthful report: Yu Lang had trespassed into the forbidden ground and undergone the cleansing of marrow and refinement of sinew. However, he intentionally concealed the fact that Yu Lang had used the Jade Purity Vessel to take away some of the cleansing elixir.

Yu Lang could only resign himself to fate. Ordinarily, one would never dare to speak of such a matter, but in the end, he had been caught in the wild mountains by the giant who guarded the forbidden grounds—proof that there truly were those capable of reaching the bronze ring on the palace gates of the forbidden domain. That man’s strength was overwhelming; Yu Lang barely resisted for two moves before being completely subdued.

Elder Shen, the instructor in charge of the Academy’s disciplinary hall, was the first to declare his stance: “He trespassed into the Academy’s forbidden ground and stole the cleansing elixir—his core should be destroyed, and he ought to be expelled from the Academy of Moonlit Purification!”

Du Fu frowned. He had expected some to jump at this chance—for Yu Lang had infringed upon their interests. The cleansing elixir in the pool, apart from that reserved for the top scholar in the grand competition, was partly distributed among the instructors; now Yu Lang had used it all up single-handed, and naturally, these instructors could not swallow this grievance.

He did not anticipate that Old Huang, who usually opposed Du Fu at every turn, would be the first to slam the table in objection: “It was our negligence that allowed the Gale Wolf to intrude into the wild mountains, which in turn led to Yu Lang’s encounter with fate. Cultivators believe in going with the flow of destiny. Since the heavens have granted Yu Lang this opportunity, why not allow him to achieve greatness?”

Elder Shen snorted coldly, “Old Huang, perhaps you’ve taken a liking to this Yu Lang and wish to marry your granddaughter to him? I advise you to give up—he and the young scholar Zhang Qingqing grew up together.”

Old Huang flushed with embarrassment, for Shen had seen through his thoughts. Indeed, he admired Yu Lang’s talent, and his granddaughter Huang Ying, of similar age and at the tender time of first love, had lately spoken of Yu Lang often...

Huang Ying was the very girl whom Yu Lang had shocked into a daze by feigning death at the cliff’s edge, and from whom he had stolen both her source and her dignity.

Elder Shen’s position was clear, and his faction echoed him, all demanding Yu Lang’s core be destroyed and that he be expelled from the Academy.

Du Fu, always a solitary figure within the Academy, had never involved himself in factional disputes, and thus few were willing to speak on his behalf.

Unexpectedly, the oldest instructor, Elder He, also stood up: “In my view, Yu Lang’s use of the cleansing pool is already a fait accompli. If we cripple him and drive him out, we gain nothing and lose a most outstanding student. Lest we forget, he was personally selected by the Dean as the top scholar in the literary examination—a genius rarely seen in a century. The wiser course is to impose certain constraints, and try to make him contribute to our Academy, rather than expel him so harshly.”

“Elder He speaks with reason...”

“An excellent suggestion...”

Elder He had his own following, and his words were met with broad approval.

The Academy’s instructors had long been split into two camps: the hawks, led by Elder Shen of the Disciplinary Hall—aggressive in their approach; and the doves, led by Elder He of the Rites and Morals Hall—cautious and conservative. Du Fu had been neutral, but since Elder Shen chose to make things difficult for him, Elder He would certainly step forward. If you speak, I must reply—a quarrel is part of the game.

Elder Shen raised his sword-like brows, “Let us be clear-headed—today he disregards the Academy’s rules to trespass in forbidden ground, tomorrow he’ll have the audacity to tear down your Rites Hall. If we nurture such a reckless scoundrel, what disaster might await?”

Elder He smiled, unruffled, “Tell me, Elder Shen—which rule of the grand competition has Yu Lang violated? None of the students even knew there was a forbidden ground in the wild mountains. Our regulations never mentioned it. If it was never stipulated, how can he be said to have broken it?”

“As for nurturing trouble, who could compare to you, Elder Shen? The notorious Demon Blade Lin Zhiping of the martial world was once your favored pupil, was he not?”

“You—” Elder Shen was stung by the mention of past disgrace. He was momentarily at a loss, stifled with anger, and had no ready retort.

Elder He, pleased, took the opportunity to bow slightly to the Dean: “We have made our views clear. As for the specifics, we ask the Dean to decide.”

The Dean rose from his couch, straightening his robes. “Instructor Huang and Instructor He are correct. Yu Lang’s use of the cleansing pool is now a fact, and harsh punishment would be inappropriate. Moreover, all the students of our Academy witnessed the Gale Wolf’s assault, which left Yu Lang grievously wounded—this alone has already tarnished the Academy’s reputation. If we shirk responsibility and then strike him while he’s down, the students’ hearts will surely turn cold.”

“Yu Lang is extraordinarily gifted. Though somewhat unruly, he is pure of heart and would never betray the Academy. In my view, let him be recognized as the top scholar in this competition; grant him the right to refinement and cleansing. As for the loss of cleansing elixir suffered by the instructors, let it be considered compensation for the incident with the Gale Wolf in the wild mountains...”

“But, Dean—” Elder Shen interjected indignantly.

The Dean cut him off with no mercy, “That the Gale Wolf could slip into the wild mountains undetected by you or me suggests that there is something amiss within the Academy. As the head of the Disciplinary Hall, Elder Shen, your priority should be investigating these matters, not making things difficult for a student!”

Elder Shen’s face burned with shame, cold sweat streaming down. “Yes, this was my failure.”

Elder He’s smile broadened.

Du Fu too breathed a sigh of relief, making a mental note to find an opportunity to take Yu Lang to thank Elder He for this favor.

But the Dean suddenly changed the subject. “The loss of the cleansing elixir is a small matter; it can be replenished in three years. But there is one thing for which Yu Lang must give us an explanation.”

Though the Dean was usually genial and easygoing, when presiding over council he always commanded everyone’s attention. His gaze swept over the assembled instructors, and Du Fu felt a mounting tension.

“The foundation stone at the hidden entrance is an earth-prime spiritual artifact, suppressing evil and more resilient than many divine weapons. Yu Lang must explain precisely how he broke through it. I will not press him on other matters, but this he must answer.” With that, the Dean turned away with his hands behind his back. “That’s all. Disperse. Instructor Du, you are closest to Yu Lang—this matter falls to you. Do not try to fool me.”

Du Fu nodded solemnly.

Seeing that he had regained some ground, Elder Shen’s mood improved and he approached to pat Du Fu on the shoulder. “Old Du, another hot potato for you.”

Du Fu smiled, “Elder Shen, you’d best hurry and find out how the Gale Wolf managed to sneak into the wild mountains right under our noses. That, I imagine, is a thorny matter as well.”

To break the foundation stone would require a cultivator whose abilities surpassed the lower three realms—a great master indeed. But would Yu Lang be willing to reveal that person’s identity?

Knowing Yu Lang’s stubborn nature, Du Fu reckoned it would not be easy.