"Look at these teenagers lying on the ground — which one of them is seriously injured? Not a single one! And even if there were serious injuries, so what? With the healing Gu Masters we have here at the Academy, can't they treat a few bruises and fractures?"
"But Elder, that boy is far too arrogant. He's just planted himself right at the gate, without a shred of respect for us guards. Being ignored is one thing, but what will the clan members think of our Academy? Allowing a mere Grade C student to run wild through the Academy without anyone lifting a finger to stop him — if word gets out, it will surely damage your reputation as well, Elder." The guard narrowed his eyes and spoke obsequiously.
"Hmph — is it that he ignored you, and your precious dignity was offended?" The Academy Elder's tone turned cold, and he let out a contemptuous laugh. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over the guards, and they all lowered their heads in unison, declaring that they wouldn't dare.
"What's wrong with a good brawl? As long as no one dies, it only sharpens the students' competitive spirit and tempers their will to fight. If we were to prohibit brawls like this, we'd be crushing the students' fighting passion! Were there no brawls in previous classes? Every single class had them, and they happened frequently. It's just that in the past, they usually occurred in the second half of the term, after the students had mastered some combat techniques. Once they had power, they couldn't help but test their skills, and they were at the perfect age for it anyway. Why didn't you stop those fights back then?" The Academy Elder's voice was frigid as he interrogated them.
"Perhaps it's because the fights in previous classes were always one-on-one duels, rarely on such a massive scale. But this Fang Yuan really is quite the troublemaker!" the head guard replied.
"No, no, no." The Academy Elder shook his head. "It's because you didn't dare stop them. After the second half of the term begins, Gu Masters possess combat power far beyond ordinary mortals. What can you, mere mortals, do to stop them? Now you want to stop Fang Yuan — perhaps because you think he's only just begun cultivating and lacks sufficient strength. Perhaps because he ignored you and your dignity was offended. But you need to remember: every single one of these students bears the name Gu Yue! They are members of the Guye Clan — they are your masters! No matter how young, no matter how weak, they are still your masters!"
The Elder's tone turned suddenly severe.
"You don't bear the name Gu Yue. What are you, then? Seeing your loyalty, we gave you the position of guard and tossed you a few perks. But in essence, you are still servants. Nothing more than servants! A servant who dares to pass judgment on a master and meddle in a master's affairs?" The Elder's face was dark as a storm cloud.
"Your subordinate didn't mean that — I didn't mean that!"
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare! Wouldn't dare!"
The guards' faces went pale with terror. They dropped to their knees one after another, kowtowing without end.
The Academy Elder let out a cold snort and pointed at the head guard who had just called Fang Yuan a troublemaker. "You passed judgment on your master — you are stripped of your head guard title."
After a pause, he addressed the others. "In half a month, a new assessment for the head guard position will be held."
The other guards' eyes instantly lit up, and their spirits soared.
"The head guard gets an extra half a Yuan Stone every month!"
"If I become the head guard, I'll be above everyone else. Aside from the masters themselves, who else would dare give me attitude?"
"If I were the head guard, how glorious would that be..."
"All right — what are you all standing around for? Get out of here! When the brawl is over, come back and clean up the grounds!" the Elder barked.
"Yes, yes, yes."
"Your subordinate takes his leave!"
The guards scrambled down the stairs in a state of abject terror. On the staircase, someone stumbled and went tumbling down, triggering a chain reaction of crashing and falling. But under the weight of the Academy Elder's authority, they all bit their lips and endured in silence, not daring to let a single sound escape.
"Hmph — servants are like dogs. Every so often their bones start to itch and they need a good beating to remind them of their place. Then you toss them a few paltry dog-bone scraps to make them fight amongst each other, competing to serve my clan with their lives. One hand holds the stick, the other holds the carrot — that is the unerring method of those in power." The Academy Elder listened to the commotion downstairs and sneered to himself with smug satisfaction. Then he turned his head and gazed through the window toward the Academy gates.
On the ground near the gates, over a dozen more students had fallen.
Fang Yuan stood with his head held high in proud defiance. Across from him, three girls huddled back to back in a corner.
"You — you — don't you come any closer!"
"Take one more step and we'll shoot you with our Moon Blades!"
A layer of watery blue luminescence had manifested in each of their hands — pushed to the limit, they had actually channeled their True Essence to activate their Moonlight Gu.
Fang Yuan's body was still that of an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy. If they actually launched a Moon Blade attack, it would be genuinely difficult to deal with.
But he wasn't afraid. With a disdainful cold smirk, he advanced toward the girls step by step. "You've got quite the nerve. Have you forgotten the Academy's rules? Using Gu Insects for combat inside the Academy is strictly prohibited — violators will be expelled. If you want to be expelled, go ahead and attack."
"This..." The girls hesitated.
"That rule does exist." The blue glow in their hands gradually faded.
Fang Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp glean. Seizing the opening, he lunged forward with explosive speed, his palms sweeping through the air. Two brutal chops, and two girls crumpled unconscious to the ground.
The last one's fighting spirit shattered completely. Her knees went weak and she collapsed. Tears streaming down her face like rain on blossoming pear petals, she begged Fang Yuan, "Fang Yuan, please don't come any closer — I'm begging you, just let me go."
Fang Yuan looked down at her from above, and his cold voice came down: "One Yuan Stone."
The girl's delicate body trembled as realization dawned on her. She hurriedly opened her money pouch and pulled out three or four Yuan Stones, cradling them in her palms and holding them up toward Fang Yuan. "Don't hit me — take them all! I'll give you everything!"
Fang Yuan's expression was utterly blank. Slowly, he extended his right hand, using only his index finger and thumb to delicately pinch a single Yuan Stone from the girl's palm.
The girl's body shook uncontrollably. Fang Yuan's hand had the pale, slender look of a teenager, but in her eyes, it was as hideous and terrifying as a demon's claw.
"I already told you — I'm only taking one Yuan Stone." Fang Yuan paused for a moment, then said flatly, "You can go."
The girl stared blankly at Fang Yuan for a long while before she finally remembered to stand up. But her limbs were completely weak — she couldn't even get to her feet.