Zhu Liren reacted swiftly, metaphorically pinning a large hat on Chen Jinbei's head.
"…"
Chen Jinbei frowned, inwardly cursing the young man’s sharp mind.
How bold—using the prestige of Junji Academy to pressure him.
But Chen Jinbei knew he couldn’t completely shield Lin Yi. This was a trial of sorts, a test of Pingzhou Academy’s resolve.
If he faltered now, would Lin Yi still entrust his future to the academy?
“And if I am?” Chen Jinbei said calmly.
“Hmm?”
Zhu Liren furrowed his brows. “As a scholar of Pingzhou Academy, you not only harbor criminals but also attack me? Do you believe I wouldn’t report this to the Sage Court? I could bring destruction upon your academy.”
“What a sharp-tongued youth!”
Chen Jinbei couldn’t help but laugh in frustration, impressed by Zhu Liren’s ability to hit every nerve.
“Whether Lin Yi is a criminal or not, heaven and earth have already borne witness to his innocence. You, on the other hand, attempted to kill a student of Pingzhou Academy. How can I, as a mentor, stand idly by?”
Chen Jinbei understood Zhu Liren’s standing within Junji Academy. While he could protect Lin Yi, he couldn’t afford to go too far against Zhu Liren.
“What? Lin Yi has become a student of Pingzhou Academy?”
“What the…”
“He’s not a criminal? And now he’s a scholar under the protection of Pingzhou Academy?”
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Many merchants turned pale with fear, realizing they had severely underestimated Lin Yi’s status. A student of Pingzhou Academy—a title no less prestigious than Zhu Liren’s.
For Su Huaizhi, Lin Yi’s foster father, this could mean a complete transformation. As the father of an academy student, continuing as a private tutor would elevate his social standing far beyond Zhu Changyu’s.
The merchants who had previously looked down on Su Huaizhi were now filled with regret. One, reacting quickly, approached him with a flattering smile.
“Get lost!” Su Huaizhi jabbed his finger at the merchant’s nose, shouting.
“Scholars must be refined?” he scoffed. “What nonsense! You’re nothing but a sycophant who preys on the weak. Speaking courteously to the likes of you would only degrade refinement.”
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“Brother Su, I was misled…”
“Leave!” Su Huaizhi’s voice was firm, his tone unyielding. For once, he stood tall, unwilling to disgrace Lin Yi.
Lin Yi, watching from a distance, felt a surge of comfort. His once-timid foster father was finally standing his ground.
Yes, this was how it should be.
A scholar must have pride.
Lin Yi turned his gaze to Chen Jinbei, eager to see how Pingzhou Academy would respond. If they buckled under Zhu Liren’s pressure, he would sever all ties immediately.
For now, Chen Jinbei showed no signs of retreat.
Still, Lin Yi couldn’t ignore the disparity between Pingzhou Academy and Junji Academy.
“With me here, Pingzhou Academy will surpass Junji Academy sooner or later,” Lin Yi thought with conviction.
He refocused on the confrontation between Chen Jinbei and Zhu Liren.
“Heaven and earth bear witness? Chen Jinbei, do you even hear yourself?” Zhu Liren sneered. “I thought Pingzhou Academy was pathetic, but this is beyond my expectations. Shielding such trash who awakened a mere postnatal literary spirit—do you truly have no one better?”
“A frog at the bottom of a well,” Chen Jinbei retorted, anger flaring. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to settle matters physically.
Lin Yi froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle, a strange warmth filling his chest.
Whether in the county court or here, Chen Jinbei had always stood by him.
Pingzhou Academy…
Lin Yi had made up his mind. He would follow Chen Jinbei.
Suddenly, Chen Jinbei barked, “Lin Yi!”
“???”
Confused, Lin Yi asked, “Yes, Master?”
Still seething, Chen Jinbei snapped, “This Zhu Liren claims Pingzhou Academy has no talent. Show him what we’re made of—fight him!”
“…”
Lin Yi’s earlier gratitude vanished.
“Hahaha!”
Zhu Liren burst into laughter, exuding confidence. “A firefly dares to compete with the moon’s brilliance?”
He was certain Chen Jinbei wouldn’t dare harm him, given his standing as Junji Academy’s prodigy.
“Firefly?”
Chen Jinbei stroked his beard with a smirk. “Lin Yi, show this frog what a true moon looks like.”
Lin Yi instantly understood. He took a step forward and unleashed his Hao Ran Vital Energy.
In an instant, an overwhelming aura radiated from him, accompanied by a golden column of literary energy piercing the sky.
Bathed in resplendent light, Lin Yi seemed almost divine, a saint among mortals.
“My eyes!”
“What… what is this?”
The onlookers squinted against the dazzling brilliance, some collapsing under the oppressive aura, as though facing divine judgment.
Zhu Changyu, lying nearby, was so overwhelmed that his pants were soaked.
“This… this can’t be!” Zhu Liren’s smug expression crumbled into terror, his body trembling uncontrollably. “Hao Ran Vital Energy? You possess Hao Ran Vital Energy?”
“It’s impossible! Only His Majesty possesses such literary energy! This is the first strand of talent blessed by the heavens—it can’t belong to you!”
“Hao Ran Vital Energy isn’t meant for the common man. How did a nobody like you pass the Sage Court’s trial?”
As Lin Yi retracted his aura, fatigue washed over him. Draining his reserves to create that spectacle had left him hollow, but the sight of Zhu Liren’s despair made it worthwhile.
“So, only the Emperor and I have Hao Ran Vital Energy? That’s… amazing,” Lin Yi thought, suppressing a grin.
Far away, three academy heads sensed the surge of Hao Ran Vital Energy.
“Good, we’ve pinpointed the location!”
Pingzhou Academy’s headmaster, seated atop an eight-legged horse, peered toward Daxing Town, his eyes bright. “We’re still a hundred miles out!”
With a flash, he vanished, leaving his steed to collapse from exhaustion, four of its qi-formed legs dissipating.
At the same time, the heads of Junji and Qingping Academies also disappeared, their mastery of the Fourth Grade Gentleman’s Realm: Words Become Deeds enabling them to traverse distances instantly.