Yun Ying, seeing Yun Ying disregard the overall situation, was so angry her beard was about to stand on end!
The usually gentle and good-natured man's face turned ashen as he said, "Yun Ying, you mustn't spew venom and slander me and the Vice Dean. I already explained the matter clearly to you just now!"
"Junior Brother Wen, don't be angry. Junior Sister Yun is just hot-tempered. This matter can be easily resolved. Since Junior Sister Yun feels there's a problem with the team selected by the Main Peak this time, why not have those youngsters come over and question them?"
Wen Jiu Yin almost gritted his teeth!
He knew for a fact that Xia Xi Lou was a blind sister-smitten fool. If not for his indulgence, how could Yun Ying have become more unreasonable now?
Was her statement just that she felt there was a problem with the team? Clearly, she wanted to use this opportunity to take revenge on the Vice Dean and the two youngsters who had disobrokeyed her, Bai Sheng Yi and Li Shi Qing!
Just as Wen Jiu Yin was about to refuse, he heard Sect Leader Rong, with his stern face, frown and say, "What's going on? Xia Xi Lou, if your academy cannot even provide justice for a ninth-tier artifact refiner, how can the Divine Revelation Grand Assembly proceed this time?"
"Alas," Xia Xi Lou sighed softly, as if wanting to speak but hesitating.
Wen Jiu Yin's brow twitched.
The next moment, he heard Xia Xi Lou say gently, "Sect Leader Rong makes a valid point. What do you think, Junior Disciple?"
"Tch!"
Qin Si's scoff was the only reply to Xia Xi Lou.
Qin Si's indifferent gaze swept over Yun Ying, his phoenix eyes icy. "Whatever."
He wanted to see how far Xia Xi Lou would go for Yun Ying!
"Vice Dean..." Wen Jiu Yin called out anxiously.
Qin Si said faintly, "Elder Wen, calm down. Don't let Sect Leader Qi and Sect Leader Dao see our academy as a joke."
Qi Fei and Dao Ming exchanged glances. Both old foxes smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Qin is joking. We said before that academy affairs are for you to handle yourselves. Do as you please. We are only here this time to see the seeds our academy has prepared for the Grand Assembly."
Sect Leader Rong, facing Xia Xi Lou, had a flicker of awkwardness cross his face. He felt as if these two old foxes were subtly insinuating something at him.
He said loudly, "The two elder brothers are as friendly with the Vice Dean as ever."
Qi Fei and Dao Ming merely smiled.
Sect Leader Rong felt like he had punched cotton. His dissatisfaction with this lowly place grew. If not for Xia Xi Lou's presence, he would have wanted to leave by now.
Fortunately, the students arrived quickly.
Bai Sheng Yi had just seen off Feng Wu Ya and Zhu Wu, and unexpectedly, the Main Peak had gathered them together again.
All three looked bewildered. The disciple guiding them was a stranger who knew nothing when asked.
"What is this for?" Zhu Wu asked cautiously.
Bai Sheng Yi said, "It should be about the matter of Jin Ling Yun and Yun You Yue."
Zhu Wu's expression changed slightly. "This... what do they want us for? Do they suspect it was us..."
"Brother, don't falsely confess to crimes. We didn't do anything. Who knows if they encountered some danger in the secret realm?" Feng Wu Ya interrupted Zhu Wu's words and reminded him seriously.
As they spoke, they had reached the grand hall. At the same time, Jin Ling Feng and Li Shi Qing also arrived.
"Bai Sheng Yi, Li Shi Qing, are the deaths of my two disciples and the disappearance of my niece related to you two?" Yun Ying, disregarding her status as a senior, sternly questioned them upon meeting.
Zhu Wu, having the weakest psychological defense, immediately took a step back, startled.
Yun Ying's sharp gaze immediately swept over him. "Are you feeling guilty?"
"No... no, Senior, I, I am not..." Zhu Wu was so scared he couldn't speak clearly.
Bai Sheng Yi frowned, shielded Zhu Wu behind her, and looked up at Yun Ying's gaze, saying in a deep voice, "Junior can I ask, why does Elder Yun suspect me and Fellow Daoist Li?"
Yun Ying's attention was immediately drawn to Bai Sheng Yi, and she ignored Zhu Wu.
She pointed at Bai Sheng Yi and said irritably, "How dare you ask? You two have always had issues. Who knows if you used some scheme to plot against Ling Yun and Ruo Mei."
Jin Ling Feng immediately recalled the unpleasantness between Bai Sheng Yi and Jin Ling Yun outside the secret realm and exclaimed in astonishment, "Junior Sister Bai, are you truly so vicious?"
He had completely forgotten what Jiang Ruo Mei had said at the time.
"Fellow Daoist Jin is far more vicious than me. Do you know the truth? If not, then shut up! You're venomous and stupid." Bai Sheng Yi retorted.
Jin Ling Feng was instead insulted, and his face immediately darkened.
But Bai Sheng Yi didn't look at him again.
"Yes, Elder Yun, I have had issues with your two disciples. After all, one is a lecherous scoundrel who always intended to behave improperly towards me, and the other is so scheming, her mind is like a honeycomb, constantly plotting against me. I am not a saint to forgive everything, right?"
"But on what grounds do you claim I schemed against Jin Ling Yun and Jiang Ruo Mei?" Bai Sheng Yi coldly raised her head, looking at the people at the head of the hall. "Is it just based on your guess?"
"Senior Yun, you are truly mistaken. We are all very regretful about Senior Brother Jin Ling Yun's death, but it was indeed an accident," Li Shi Qing also frowned and explained. "He and Junior Sister Jiang Ruo Mei ventured into the depths of the Crocodile Swamp and perished. Fellow Daoist Jin Ling Feng, Senior Sister Yun You Yue, and Qing Bu Li were all present at the scene. Fellow Daoist Jin Ling Feng, isn't that right?"
Jin Ling Feng's expression was sheepish: "...Yes."
Li Shi Qing continued, "As for Fellow Daoist Jiang, it was because we encountered another group of people and got into a conflict. Daoist Yun, who was leading us to contend for the Starfall Emperor's Realm, feared injuring Junior Sister Jiang and placed her aside. Who knew that later the Starfall Emperor's Realm would go berserk..."
Li Shi Qing's words were subtle, but everyone present, except for Zhu Wu and Jin Ling Feng, were shrewd enough to immediately understand that Jiang Ruo Mei had been directly abandoned by Yun You Yue.
At that moment, Yun Ying's face turned red. "You are spouting nonsense! You junior, I will teach you how to speak properly today!"
She immediately swept a palm towards them.
"Whoosh—"
Wen Jiu Yin angrily blocked her. "Yun Ying! You've gone too far! Those youngsters are speaking the truth, why are you attacking them with lethal force?"
"Who knows if she colluded with others before coming?"
"Then what do you propose?"
Qin Si's cold voice echoed through the hall, with an echo.
Yun Ying and Wen Jiu Yin both stopped subconsciously, especially Yun Ying. Looking at Qin Si's serene phoenix eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
"I ask you, what do you propose?" Qin Si repeated coldly, with a pressing and oppressive aura.
Seeing the cold sweat on Yun Ying's forehead, Xia Xi Lou frowned. He wanted to help Yun Ying, but found that the space around him had been locked!
Icy spiritual energy had enveloped him tightly at some unknown point. If he dared to take a step, he would be shredded!
"I... unless they make a Dao oath," Yun Ying said hurriedly, a jolt going through her mind.
Bai Sheng Yi said, "Agreed, but what happens if it is proven that Elder Yun has slandered us?"
The expressions of everyone in the hall were a kaleidoscope of colors.
Qi Fei whispered to Dao Ming, "Are these the seeds of the academy this year? So feisty? They would be suitable for learning swordsmanship at your Dao Sect."