Seeing this scene, the students by the lake opened their eyes wide. Nobody dared to believe that someone actually dared to hit the academy's student in the academy.
Furthermore, he even knocked him into the South Lake all at once.
Such a thing really never happened before.
That was really a... vile thing.
Guo Fengjie was out of sorts for a long time before returning to his senses. The first thing he did when he came back to his senses was to point at Chen Chao and yell, "Do you know what you're doing? This is the academy!"
Chen Chao gave an 'oh' and asked nonchalantly, "What is it now?"
Guo Fengjie did not expect that he did such a thing and was actually still so calm and collected. He was immediately angered until his chest heaved up and down heavily. The words that he wanted to say could not come out at all.
Chen Chao asked with concern, "Don't tell me that you want to cool down in the water too? I can really help with that."
Guo Fengjie was stunned. He was about to say some fierce words, but he quickly remembered that this guy had just thrown Huang Zhi into the South Lake prior to this. He had not stepped into cultivators and was the same as Huang Zhi; both waiting for the opportunity to cultivate. How could they be a match for this youth? Hence, after gritting his teeth, he turned around decisively and came to the lake. Seeing Huang Zhi who was struggling in the lake water, Guo Fengjie frowned and shouted, "Fellow classmates, does anyone know how to swim? Can you help to rescue Brother Huang ashore!"
Although there were many people in the academy who did not really like Huang Zhi these days, there were quite a number of students who admired him too. Hence, it only took a moment before many students jumped into the South Lake and dragged Huang Zhi to the shore.
"How are you, Brother Huang?"
Guo Fengjie looked at Huang Zhi who was completely drenched as he asked with concern.
Huang Zhi's complexion was deathly pale. At this moment, he could not say a word and there was only grief and indignation. He actually knew how to swim, it was just that he seriously could not accept being knocked into the water by someone like this, and swimming to shore submissively. Hence, he waited for people to haul him to shore.
"No worries, it's just that this person..."
Huang Zhi peered past the crowd surrounding him and looked over at the small courtyard over there. His expression was as ugly as it could get.
After today, would he still have the face to go in front of that small courtyard every day and request to visit Miss Xie?
He probably would not.
"He dared to hit people in the academy, I don't believe that the tutors will ignore this. Come, Brother Huang! Let's you and I go and invite the tutors to uphold justice!"
Guo Fengjie spoke in a low voice. The words that he said were extremely harsh. It was just that it was not loud.
It should be because he was afraid of being heard.
The moment he spoke, there were also several people who concurred. It was just that their voices were not loud.
"Fine, it's also not that I can't tolerate him, it's just that having this kind of vulgar person will definitely taint our academy with filth!"
Huang Zhi made up his mind and said, "Come, let's go and invite Tutor Ceng!"
The few of them left, leaving behind wetness by the lake.
Chen Chao did not turn around and go back into the courtyard, even if he knew that Xie Nandu was waiting for him in the courtyard.
He stood by the lake, feeling the breeze blow.
He stood there silently, not knowing what he was thinking about. But at this moment, he was like a sculpture; very special.
The students by the lake did not disperse.
Many people still remained here.
They might be waiting for Tutor Ceng to come bearing the academy's will.
They had heard the words uncouth martial artist previously too and also saw that Huang Zhi being knocked into the South Lake. There were many people who knew the whole sequence of events. The more they knew, the less they dared to speak out at this moment.
If not for the words uncouth martial artist, criticism would probably have already sounded out by the lake. Yet, there were these few words.
The big shots did not care about these people and could casually say it. But ordinary students like them could not.
The lake was quiet for a long time.
It was unknown how long had passed, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded out.
On the far side of the lake, an old tutor with a head full of silver hair returned with Huang Zhi and the others,
"It's Tutor Ceng."
"Greetings, Tutor."
"We pay respects to Tutor Ceng."
Voices suddenly sounded out by the lake. The students recognized that the arrival was Tutor Ceng. Not only was he that tutor who wanted to take Huang Zhi in as his disciple, he was also one of the few commandment tutors in the academy.
One could say that this old tutor who looked old and emaciated held great authority in the academy.
Now that he hurried over, the students by the lake naturally knew that there would be a result at this moment for what transpired before.
Huang Zhi already changed his clothes. Currently, following behind that Tutor Ceng, his expression looked a little better.
Chen Chao was looking at the lake and not at him.
Tutor Ceng came over here. The old man whose hair was already silver pulled a long face and asked, "Was it you who acted violently in my academy?"
Chen Chao only turned around when he heard this. Looking at this Tutor Ceng, he nodded his head.
"Young man, what gall you have!"
Tutor Ceng said in a cold voice, "Do you know that this place is the academy and not a place where you can act wildly?!"
Hearing this, Chen Chao just replied, "My gall is not small. Otherwise, I also wouldn't have dared to deal with those demons deep in the mountains."
Tutor Ceng furrowed his brows.
"Isn't Sir going to ask about the origin and development of the matter?"
Chen Chao glanced at Huang Zhi. He did not know what Huang Zhi said to this tutor, but there were many witnesses by the lake for what happened before.
Tutor Ceng said, "Young man, this place is the academy, it's a place to study, not a place to fight. If you and Huang Zhi were fighting with words, then forget it. Why did you use violence?!"
Clearly, he also knew that Huang Zhi had said something at the lake before this. But based on the meaning of these words, he was not planning to investigate Huang Zhi.
Chen Chao said, "I just walked out of the Court of Judicial Review's prison yesterday, I might not have been in a good mood and failed to control myself."
Tutor Ceng only took a look at that pair of official boots on Chen Chao's feet after he heard this. His expression changed slightly before saying, "So, you're that young warden who killed four qi refiners."
Although the Court of Judicial Review had just concluded the case yesterday, a figure like him would have already learned some things by now.
Tutor Ceng snorted coldly, "Not in a good mood? Can you be so presumptuous if you're in a bad mood?" "You're not a student of my academy, but you humiliated my academy's student in my academy. If you don't give an explanation, how will my academy still have face left?"
"What does Sir want me to do?"
Chen Chao looked at Tutor Ceng with a slight smile.
"Looking on the account that you're a friend of my academy's student, you just have to apologize to my academy's student. Then, leave this place immediately and never step a foot into the academy again!"
Tutor Ceng stared at Chen Chao, some coldness flashing across his eyes.
A faint qi arose here.
He was a scholar, but he was similarly a cultivator who was not just at the third-realm.
Chen Chao shook his head. Then, he suddenly said, "Tutor Ceng's words are so unreasonable!"
The voice suddenly sounded and everyone by the lake was startled.
When Xie Nandu who was in the courtyard heard this, she put the preserved fruit in her hand back in that cowhide bag. Then, she slowly got up and walked toward the courtyard door.
Liu Ye followed closely behind.
"Why is it unreasonable?"
Tutor Ceng frowned, a little displeased.
He had read many books and taught classes in the academy. The disciples under his tutelage numbered over 3000 and he was well-respected. He examined what he said before and felt that it firmly grasped the word 'reason'. But at this moment, that youth said that he was very unreasonable. He naturally refused to believe it.
"I want to hear what you have to say!"
Tutor Ceng stared at the youth in front of him. There was already some loathing in his eyes.
While Huang Zhi and the rest remained silent.
The students by the lake already knew now that this boy was that young warden who set off a storm in the Divine Capital previously. But, they did not expect that after he came out of the Court of Judicial Review, he actually came to the academy and he was still so high-profile.
To actually dared rebut Tutor Ceng.
Thinking about it this way, it seemed like it was not necessarily wrong to be called an uncouth martial artist previously.
At least, he was a boor!
Chen Chao did not know what those students by the lake were thinking. Even if he knew, he could not care either. During those few years in Tianqing County, he killed one demon after another. His heart was long already very quiet and no external influences could perturb him.
He said calmly, "Before coming to the Divine Capital, I worked as a warden in Tianqing County for several years and killed many demons. The common people of Tianqing County lived in peace for several years during that period."
Tutor Ceng was expressionless and still pulled a long face.
"I was detained and escorted to Divine Capital because I killed four qi refiners. They went to Tianqing County in order to steal our Great Liang's dragon vein."
Chen Chao smiled and continued, "I was locked up in the Court of Judicial Review for half a month. Yesterday, the Three Judicial Chief Ministries acquitted me and I came to the academy with my friend to rest for a bit."
When he said this, Tutor Ceng's expression changed slightly. He had heard about that matter before too, but his intel was not that fast in the end. When he saw Chen Chao, he only knew that there was a conclusion for that case, but he did not imagine that turns out, it actually had such great implications. The two words dragon vein was no joke. Hearing the word friend again, he glanced into the courtyard. Xie Nandu was standing at the doorway and was currently looking over here.
"I was in the courtyard, he was outside the courtyard. I heard that he was paying a visit, so I opened the door. Then, he asked why I could appear in the academy and how can I be in that courtyard."
He briefly talked about the cause of the incident. The students by the lake were very quiet. But when they heard the two words dragon vein, they were rather moved too. They did not like those foreign cultivators either. Hearing that Chen Chao killed those qi refiners because of the dragon vein, many students immediately felt some admiration for Chen Chao.
He lived up to the word 'warden'.
Chen Chao looked at the lake and said, "Then, I started talking reason with him. This is the academy, of course it's a place to reason things out. I naturally have to be reasonable too and he should be reasonable too."
Everyone by the lake could hear it clearly, now and before.
It was silent.
No one spoke.
Actually, regardless of whether was it before or not, Chen Chao had been very reasonable other than laying his hand on him.
The academy was naturally a place to reason things out.
Talking up to here, he was silent for a long while before looking at the lake and saying, "Then, he actually said that I'm an uncouth martial artist. Is this reasonable?"
The words uncouth martial artist were used by those foreign cultivators to humiliate martial artists. It was definitely not some pleasant-sounding term.
Just like starting from how Huang Zhi uttered this phrase, everyone present was silent. There were too many martial artists in the Great Liang Dynasty.
This was the crux of the matter.
Without the words uncouth martial artist, then Huang Zhi would not be too much at fault.
Tutor Ceng's expression was rather ugly.
"Countless soldiers of the Great Liang Dynasty died for the common people at our northern frontier. They fought demons to the death without retreating. They are martial artists, but were they ever uncouth?"
Chen Chao asked loudly, "If there weren't so many uncouth martial artists at the northern frontier, can you all study here in peace?!"
This sentence was too loud. Not only did it rouse the deaf, but it also shocked people's hearts.
Tutor Ceng could not speak.
Chen Chao suddenly turned to Huang Zhi and glared, "I, a warden, protected territory and gave peace to the people. I disregarded life and death for my country and put myself in danger! How can I be called an uncouth martial artist?!"
Huang Zhi did not dare to look Chen Chao in the eye. His eyes avoided him.
Chen Chao smiled.
He looked at those students by the lake and was very calm. That pair of eyes had disappointment and many emotions.
None of the students by the lake dared to meet his eyes. Many people felt ashamed.
Just as Chen Chao said, he protected the territory and gave peace to the people. He did not scruple to cut down qi refiners for the sake of the dragon vein and caused a terrible disaster. It was all acts for the country, how could he be humiliated?
Chen Chao retracted his gaze, looked at Tutor Ceng, and asked, "Since that's the case, I merely punished him slightly. How was I unreasonable?!"
