Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“You…” Ren Qing was enraged, even Yan Luo’s expression had changed as he turned and gave Ren Qing a glare. Though there were many people from their academy participating in this competition and it would be hard to avoid going up against one another sometimes, but it was between academies after all, they usually wouldn’t pick on one of their own. Besides, when they first entered the mystic realm, the array flags belonged to no one, to first pick on people on their own side, wasn’t this hindering themselves?
“Oh… I’ve figured it out!” Without waiting for the two of them to react, Lonemoon said, looking enlightened, “Were you unwilling to accept being eliminated, so you came up with some absurd reasons like what selling array flags to frame us, so that you can advance and take our spot?”
“You’re spouting nonsense!” Ren Qing panicked. “Everything I said was true, you guys not only sold array flags but also the demon monsters inside the mystic realm.”
“Then do you have any evidence?” Lonemoon looked right at him and said, “You want to disqualify us from the competition just based on your one-sided accusations? Then can I tell others that the entire league is manipulated by Immortal Spirit Academy and a total lie!”
“You…” Ren Qing was speechless with fury. He could only look to Yan Luo with cupped fists. “Teacher, all that I said was true.”
“Then find a witness.” Lonemoon replied forthrightly. “Up to a thousand people participated in the preliminaries and a good number had seen us, can you find a witness to prove that everything you said was true?”
“This…” He looked rattled. “They… They’ve all been bribed by you!”
“Everyone has been bribed?”
“That’s right, it’s all of them!” Including his former teammates, no one was willing to come forward with him to expose this person.
“Oh…” Lonemoon nodded, intentionally dragging his voice, looking towards Yan Luo with a shadow of a smile.
Yan Luo’s expression darkened. “That’s enough Ren Qing!”
“But Teacher…”
“Shut up!” Yan Luo had a slight headache, his face alternating between a furious purple and pale white, he had naturally figured out the intended sarcastic retort in Lonemoon’s words. He had checked on this person called Lonemoon, a disciple from the unknown Invincible Academy, there were totally no big influences behind him to be found. No matter how powerful he was, it was impossible to bribe every single person in the mystic realm, after all, there were thousand students from more than a hundred academies in there. If he was really so capable, why was he still here to participate in a competition.
Actually, when Ren Qing first brought up this matter, he had been suspicious too. After all, openly selling array flags was rather impossible in the first place, this matter affected the fairness of the competition. Firstly, they needed to have extra flags to be able to sell it, it was either they were selling fake flags but every flag had been checked, there were no fake ones.
But if they were to say that just a few of them were able to obtain so many array flags, he did not believe it too. The others did not know about the position of the arrays but as teachers who set the test, they knew. Those array flags were all guarded by monsters, to get it, one would first have to defeat the monster. Even if Ling Hong teamed up with this Lonemoon’s team, the most they had was eight people. He recalled the record of more than 60 flags that had appeared on the stone tablet, somehow he just did not think it was possible for them to defeat so many monsters.
However, they could not find the reason this whole time and the other disciples who left the mystic realm all seemed to be intentionally hiding something, so when Ren Qing came to him with his matter, though he knew it was slightly absurd, he still took his words for it.
“Teacher Yan…” Ling Hong had also returned to his senses and quickly stepped forward, saying, “Ren Qing has always been in disagreement with my big brother, after entering the mystic realm, he kept targeting us all the time. His words cannot be trusted at all. This time he did not advance to the second round of the competition, but we did. I think this is him intentionally slandering us, I ask that Teacher Yan investigate the whole matter.”
Yan Luo looked even more upset as he grew more suspicious of his previous judgment and turned back to glance at Ren Qing with a stern look.
“I… I did not!” Ren Qing paled, completely flustered. “Teacher, trust me, it’s really them…”
“Enough!” Yan Luo cut him off, as if he did not want to listen on anymore. Turning towards Lonemoon, he said, “Young friend, the league is something of great importance, we were worried about the fairness of the competition, that’s why we invited you both to make a trip here. Though everything has been cleared up now, I still seek your understanding.”
“Teacher Yan, you’re overstating things.” Lonemoon smiled, but the words he spoke had no intention of letting him off easily. “It’s just that your academy’s style of handling things has truly amazed me. With just random claims of a disciple, you don’t even verify it and the accused culprit is convicted directly. Fortunately, I am not a disciple of your academy! Otherwise, this matter wouldn’t have been appropriately settled today.”
Yan Luo’s already long face was covered with more unhappiness, this time, it wasn’t just him, even the academy was completely disgraced. While he continued to blame Ren Qing deep down, he was even more offended that this person did not give him any face at all.
And Lonemoon continued, “Let’s not mention that I’ve never done this, even if I did sell array flags, which rule in the rules and regulations of this competition states that array flags could not be transferred in possession?”
“It’s my oversight.” Yan Luo could only grit his teeth and apologize. “I ask that you do not take offense!”
“That’s simple.” Lonemoon quit while he was ahead. “I wonder if Teacher still has any more doubts? Why don’t we trash it all out once and for all.”
“Of course not.” Yan Luo smiled politely. “You have been troubled to make this trip today, both of you may leave.”
“In that case, we’ll take our leave first.” Then he turned and looked towards Ren Qing by the side and said, his words full of meaning, “I believe that Teacher is a fair person, so I trust that the person who had lodged a false accusation will punished impartially.”
Yan Luo faltered, only nodding a moment later. “… Of course.”
Ren Qing’s face turned ghastly pale instantly.
Ling Hong then walked out with Ling Hong.
Until they were out of sight, did Yan Luo drop back into his seat with a frown.
“Teacher, believe me…” Ren Qing hurriedly went forward with a flustered look on his face. “I really did not lie, they…”
“Alright, you don’t need to say anything more.” Yan Luo glanced at him crankily. All because of this fool, that caused us to be shamed so badly. “Whether they cheated or not, it will all be told in the second round of the competition.” He was also foolish with fury that he believed this Ren Qing, whether they were for real or not, wouldn’t it all be clear when they test their cultivation during the second round of the competition?
And earlier that Lonemoon, appeared to be a mere Foundation Establishment level cultivator, but his words and actions were flawless, even before the suppression of him, a Stygian Immortal, he did not bat an eyelid. Such a person made him even more suspicious of his background.
Ling Hong had followed Lonemoon out with a dumbfounded expression, he did not even realize that they had intentionally circled the academy. Initially, he was already prepared to be punished, even to be kicked out from the academy. In the end, with just a few words from Lonemoon, not to mention nothing happened to them, he even managed to push the blame all back to Ren Qing.
