Chapter 63: Mo Xiang Elder

The majestic and towering Xuexin Tower.

“Elder Mo, it seems I’ll have to trouble you this time!” Elder Shang Chen said, looking at an old man seated nearby.

It was Elder Mo Xiang of the Teacher’s Guild.

“Elder Shang Chen, what are you talking about? We’re old friends!”

Elder Mo Xiang, who was around fifty, had a sparse, bluish-gray beard. “Rest assured,” he continued, “if this teacher truly used coercion to force others into becoming his students, I will definitely report him to the guild and have his teaching qualifications revoked!”

“Alas, it was an oversight on my part!” Elder Shang Chen shook his head, a deeply sorrowful expression on his face. “This teacher scored zero on his last qualification assessment, and I gave him an ultimatum: if he couldn’t recruit any students, he’d be immediately expelled… He probably felt the pressure and resorted to this desperate measure… My fault, my fault!”

He sighed as he spoke.

“Elder Shang Chen, what are you saying? You’re so kind-hearted, you were only trying to give him a chance. Who would have thought this fellow would be so ungrateful, stooping to such despicable and shameless acts? He’s truly shameless and utterly depraved!” Elder Mo’s face darkened, and he exuded a powerful aura. “As a teacher, he should be focused on educating people, not resorting to these crooked schemes. I’d like to see who gave him the guts to do such a thing!”

Elder Mo Xiang was famously known for his hatred of evil. Upon hearing that a teacher had actually coerced a student, he was instantly furious, almost to the point of exploding.

“If Teacher Cao Xiong hadn’t righteously reported that his student was coerced by this teacher and specifically applied for an Academic Will Interrogation, I might still be unaware!”

Elder Shang Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, shaking his head repeatedly, his gaze fixed on nothingness. He wore a profound expression, as if he had committed the gravest dereliction of duty in the world.

If Zhang Xuan had been there to witness it, he would surely have been astonished; this man’s act of pretense was far more masterful than his own.

“Although an Academic Will Interrogation might harm the friendliness and unity among teachers, it’s worth it if it means rooting out a black sheep! You really shouldn’t blame yourself.” Seeing Elder Shang Chen’s demeanor, Elder Mo Xiang secretly admired him.

Within the academy, it was common for several teachers to simultaneously take a liking to a single exceptional student. In such cases, they typically resolved the matter privately, preserving harmony and maintaining normal teaching order. Only when a solution truly couldn’t be reached would they resort to this form of arbitration.

As the name suggested, the Academic Will Interrogation involved questioning a student’s inner resolve, allowing them to make a choice according to their true feelings. This process meant that the competing teachers would completely burn their bridges, harming the unity among the faculty.

Precisely because of this, in the hundred years since Hongtian Academy’s establishment, teachers had applied for an Academic Will Interrogation only a dozen times in total. It was unexpected that they would encounter such a case.

After completing his profound act and seeing that he had thoroughly ignited the other party’s anger, Elder Shang Chen secretly chuckled to himself. He then waved his hand and gave the order: “Let them in!”

*Creak!*

Following his words, the heavy doors slowly opened, and Zhang Xuan, Cao Xiong, Shang Bin, Shen Biru, Liu Yang, and others entered.

“Teacher Cao Xiong, did you apply for the Academic Will Interrogation?”

As everyone stood still, Elder Shang Chen raised an eyebrow.

“Please, Elder, administer justice for me!” Cao Xiong shouted loudly. “This Zhang Xuan coerced Liu Yang, a student who had already apprenticed under me, into becoming his student! He has violated the rules of fair competition among teachers. I hereby apply for an Academic Will Interrogation to grant Liu Yang justice, and I hope the academy will punish this shameless fellow!”

“Justice?”

Liu Yang had come here as instructed, unaware of the purpose, but upon hearing Cao Xiong’s words, he finally understood that Cao Xiong intended to move against his benefactor teacher. He quickly looked at Zhang Xuan: “Teacher…”

Before he could finish speaking, he saw that Teacher Zhang—who had been calm and inscrutable during their recent lesson—now had a flicker of panic in his eyes. Sticking his neck out, Zhang Xuan stammered, “Teacher Cao, you’re talking nonsense… Liu Yang… willingly became my student! I… I… never coerced him!”

His voice carried a hint of panic and insecurity, as if a lie had just been exposed.

“Huh?”

Liu Yang blinked.

After two lessons, he had already come to profoundly admire Zhang Xuan, believing him to be omnipotent. He felt that his becoming Zhang Xuan’s student was the result of fair competition between teachers, which was easily explained. So why had Teacher Zhang suddenly become like this?

Especially his appearance: his eyes were panicked, and his body trembled slightly, as if he’d been caught red-handed. It left Liu Yang completely baffled. Had he lost his mind?

“Teacher…” Liu Yang couldn’t help but look over. Before he could voice the question in his heart, Teacher Zhang turned his head and weakly huffed, “Liu Yang, speak clearly. I didn’t coerce you, did I?”

As he spoke, he secretly winked.

“Ah… Yes, yes!” Liu Yang nodded repeatedly.

Even a fool would know by now that Teacher Zhang was probably trying to trick the other party!

All he had to do was cooperate.

The two had a tacit understanding, but to others, it appeared that Zhang Xuan was threatening Liu Yang into saying something against his will. Otherwise, why would he speak with such hesitation?

Indeed, seeing this scene, Elder Mo’s expression turned grim.

“You’re Zhang Xuan, right? I’ll give you one chance: obediently cancel Liu Yang’s lessons and let him re-apprentice under Teacher Cao. Then, we won’t need to proceed with the Academic Will Interrogation!”

“Cancel the lessons?” Zhang Xuan scratched his head. “Liu Yang sincerely apprenticed under me. Canceling his lessons would be unfair to the student…”

“Unfair? And sincerely?”

The corner of Elder Mo’s mouth twitched.

Aren’t you ashamed to say that?

Someone who scored zero on the teacher qualification assessment? If a student withdrew from your lessons, they’d be too happy to care, let alone find it “unfair”…

Where do you get such confidence?

Just as he was about to speak further, he heard Cao Xiong and Shang Bin simultaneously shout from the side, “Elder Mo, no!”

“What’s wrong?”

The Academic Will Interrogation was a very troublesome procedure. Once it began, someone had to face punishment; otherwise, if everyone had to go through this process, the academy couldn’t afford it!

Elder Mo had originally hoped for a peaceful resolution, but hearing the two of them object, he couldn’t help but look over.

“Elder Mo, Teacher Cao has already applied for the Academic Will Interrogation, and the academy has agreed. If we suddenly stop now, wouldn’t that mean… wouldn’t that mean the academy’s rules are merely child’s play?” Shang Bin hastily said.

Are you kidding me?!

After going through all this trouble to set up a trap for Zhang Xuan, resolving it peacefully now would render all their efforts in vain!

If that happened, wouldn’t yesterday’s humiliation have been for nothing?

“That’s right, Elder Mo,” Cao Xiong hastily added, “I’m also thinking of the student’s welfare. I hope he can follow his inner will and choose the teacher he likes best, rather than being coerced!”

Cao Xiong spoke with such righteous indignation and noble principles that, were it not for the five fresh red finger marks still visible on his face from Shang Bin’s slap yesterday, he might genuinely have impressed many.

“Alright!” Seeing their insistence, Elder Mo nodded and no longer objected.

“Since an Academic Will Interrogation has been chosen, the rules must naturally be made clear. Liu Yang will be assessed, and after the determination is complete, whoever he ultimately wishes to apprentice under will be the winner! Of course, there are penalties for losing, so those must be clarified first!”

Elder Shang Chen, who had been silent all this time, looked around and said, “Teacher Cao Xiong has chosen the maximum penalty for this interrogation. This means that after the interrogation, the losing party will be expelled from the academy! Zhang Xuan, do you have any objection?”

Hearing “maximum penalty,” Zhang Xuan looked over, full of disbelief, and said with a sincere expression, “Teacher Cao and I don’t have any deep-seated animosity. Expelling him just like that… wouldn’t that be a bit too cruel?”

“Huh?”

Hearing his words, Elder Shang Chen and the others looked on with blank expressions, staring at him as if he were an idiot. Was there something wrong with this guy’s brain? It’s *you* who’s about to be expelled, isn’t it?

“Hmph, as for the Academic Will Interrogation, you’ll have to agree whether you want to or not! If you’re thinking of refusing, I’m afraid it’s already too late!” Cao Xiong sneered, believing Zhang Xuan was deliberately talking nonsense to avoid the interrogation.

“I’m genuinely thinking for your own good… Direct expulsion, I still feel it’s a bit too harsh. How about this?” Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Why don’t we… not expel him, just revoke his teaching qualifications, and then… give him a hundred Divine Execution Rods!”

“Revoke teaching qualifications? A hundred Divine Execution Rods?”

Everyone blinked simultaneously, looking at each other in dismay. Each one felt they were going mad.

On the surface, it seemed his job was retained, meaning he wouldn’t be unemployed. But in reality, wasn’t that far more brutal than direct expulsion?

Are you sure you didn’t say the wrong thing?