Chapter 93

## Chapter 93. People can make mistakes, right?

Despite the great chaos, the situation was quickly brought under control thanks to the intervention of the high-level experts from the Blue Dragon Academy.

"There's poison in the assassins' mouths! After subduing them, press their blood points!"

Nangong Shu led the instructors and personally subdued the assassins.

Every time his sword flashed, the assassins' limbs were severed. Yet, not a single drop of blood stained his white martial robe.

"Nangong Teacher!"

"Deputy Director."

"What, what is all this about?"

Deputy Director Guo Tieyou, who had rushed over in a hurry, asked with a pale face.

Sighing inwardly at his pitiful appearance, Nangong Shu calmed the Deputy Director without showing his frustration.

"They are trained assassins. Their purpose... we still don't know."

Although he had his suspicions, Nangong Shu had no intention of revealing them to Guo Tieyou.

"We must subdue the assassins first."

"Y-Yes, that's right! These bastards!"

A short while later, the chaos was somewhat under control.

The number of assassins wasn't very large to begin with, and after Nangong Zhexue subdued the leader of the Black Forest, their morale plummeted.

Nangong Shu let out a sigh of relief.

'It's a stroke of luck that it ended this way.'

Miraculously, almost no one had died.

The assassins' goal was to create chaos, so they induced screams and cries by inflicting injuries rather than killing.

Ironically, more people were seriously injured from falling and pushing each other while fleeing than from being stabbed.

"The injured must be immediately taken to the doctors."

"Y-Yes, I'll do that right away."

While the Deputy Director hurried to give orders, Nangong Shu turned his head to look for someone.

'Baixulong.'

His gaze on Baixulong was far from ordinary.

About half an hour ago, Nangong Shu had heard Baixulong's shout.

-Protect the elder!

The shout erupted as soon as blood and screams began in the middle of the audience.

'Did he know this would happen?'

If Baixulong had known about this and still kept it to himself, it was an unforgivable act, regardless of personal feelings.

Moreover, Nangong Shu wasn't the only one who heard Baixulong's shout.

"How did this happen?"

"Baixulong Teacher, can you explain?"

Lao Junshang and Nangong Zhexue, with stern expressions, approached Baixulong. Gong Sunshu was also with them.

"......"

The four seemed to be having a conversation, but a sound barrier prevented Nangong Shu from hearing anything, even when he focused his hearing.

After a moment, Lao Junshang's sigh and his final words could barely be heard.

"Let's move to a different place to talk."

Turning around, Lao Junshang declared in a solemn tone, imbued with his inner strength.

"The entrance examination will be temporarily suspended."

A short while later, Lao Junshang called Nangong Shu through a mental message.

[Nangong Teacher, come to the Director's office.]

On his way to the Director's office, Nangong Shu glared at the back of Baixulong's head.

He couldn't help but sigh.

"Ever since he arrived, there hasn't been a single peaceful day at the academy."

* * *

The atmosphere in the room was heavy.

Fortunately, almost no one had died, but dozens were seriously injured and taken to the doctors.

Among the injured was Xian Yuanqiang, who had a large gash on his chest.

"He's a tough kid, he'll recover quickly."

"Let's hope so......"

Hearing Hei Ying's comfort, Gong Sunshu nodded, his expression weary.

Thanks to the protection of several people, he hadn't been seriously injured, but his mind was far from at ease.

'This old man, what is he up to......'

In the Director's office, several people had gathered.

Lao Junshang, Nangong Zhexue, Guo Tieyou, and Nangong Shu.

The senior instructors of the Blue Dragon Academy and a member of the Ten Respects sat in the seats of honor.

Gong Sunshu, Hei Ying, and Wei Zhitian.

The members of the White Dragon Hall, excluding Xian Yuanqiang, sat in a row on the opposite side.

E Lianhao, Ming Yiwu, and Zhuge Xiaoying.

The temporary instructors of the Blue Dragon Academy sat on one side, their shoulders hunched as if they had committed a crime.

At the center of everyone's gaze, Baixulong sat with a composed posture.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of a hearing.

"......It was my mistake."

Baixulong slowly spoke, explaining Gong Sunshu's identity and the assassination attempt on him.

He also frankly admitted that he had asked the temporary instructors for help to prevent it.

'They're not the kind to be fooled by a half-hearted lie.'

Lao Junshang and Nangong Zhexue were staring at Baixulong with piercing eyes.

However, he didn't reveal everything.

For example, the reason he didn't inform Lao Junshang of everything beforehand.

"......You didn't trust me."

'He knows even without me saying it.'

Baixulong sighed bitterly and nodded.

"I apologize. I didn't know how far the enemy's connections extended. To maintain security, I had to inform only the minimum number of people."

"Did you not even inform the Chancellor?"

Nangong Zhexue's voice was sharp as he joined the conversation.

His gaze seemed to pierce through Baixulong's body like a sword.

'......If I send a mental message, it will be immediately detected.'

In front of a world-class expert, any tricks could result in dire consequences.

Thus, he couldn't secretly communicate with Gong Sunshu.

Baixulong had to admit he was in a difficult situation.

"From now on, speak only the truth. Why didn't you inform the Chancellor about the assassins?"

Nangong Zhexue had been the one to save Gong Sunshu first.

He had stayed by Gong Sunshu's side ever since and realized that Gong Sunshu had been unaware of the assassins' existence.

"I can't understand this."

What reason could there be for not informing the person he was supposed to protect about the assassins?

If an unsatisfactory answer came from his mouth, he was prepared to use force to get the truth.

Baixulong spoke.

"......I planned to use the elder as bait to lure the assassins."

"Huh?"

"You're insane."

"Are you in your right mind?"

Lao Junshang, Nangong Zhexue, and Nangong Shu spoke in turn.

Cold sweat trickled down the foreheads of the seasoned experts who had seen it all.

Using a former Chancellor as bait was unimaginable.

If Gong Sunshu had died, who would bear the responsibility?

"Hehe......"

Gong Sunshu, who had heard the situation from Hei Ying, wore a calm expression.

Baixulong continued calmly.

"In that situation, it was the best choice. I didn't know who was friend or foe, or how many enemies there were. Running or hiding would have been advantageous to the enemy. It was better to blend in with the crowd......"

"Are you in your right mind!"

Guo Tieyou, who had jumped up from his seat, pointed at Baixulong.

"Don't you know about the inviolability of the examination hall! You must have planned to ruin the academy!"

"Deputy Director, calm down and sit down."

Lao Junshang told him to sit, but the impatient Guo Tieyou wouldn't listen.

"Can I calm down now! If this is related to the palace, you should report it to the authorities, not drag it here and cause trouble......"

"......Do you need me to tell you to shut up?"

Guo Tieyou's remarks crossed the line, and Lao Junshang revealed a faint killing intent.

"Sit down. We have guests here."

"I, I spoke out of turn."

Guo Tieyou's face turned pale, and he hurriedly closed his mouth.

In the even colder atmosphere, Nangong Zhexue spoke heavily.

"Baixulong Teacher. If you didn't trust Lao Director, you wouldn't have trusted me either."

"......Yes."

"I've always felt that the title 'Heavenly Sword King' was too much for me, but I never imagined I would be lumped together with mere assassins."

Nangong Zhexue didn't display any particular aura, but the martial artists in the room already felt suffocated.

In the silence, Baixulong spoke.

"I didn't lump you together with them. I just remembered the saying, 'Even when crossing a stone bridge, tap it first.'"

"Do you see me, or the Nangong Clan, as just a stone bridge?"

Nangong Zhexue looked at the young man in front of him with a fierce gaze.

Even without using his inner strength, most experts would turn away from his gaze.

But Baixulong was different.

'He doesn't avoid my gaze.'

Whether he was naturally bold or just reckless, it was still unclear.

What was clear was that his mood wasn't good.

"This isn't something to be taken lightly. Several civilians were injured. The entrance examination is in chaos."

"That's true."

"Who do you think is most responsible?"

"......"

The assassins had caused the chaos, but Baixulong felt a sense of responsibility for the incident.

If he had anticipated the enemy's actions, he would have found a better solution.

"If you had sought help from me or Lao Director earlier, this wouldn't have happened. Do you admit that?"

"I admit it."

Baixulong nodded without making any excuses.

Innocent people were injured.

If Nangong Zhexue hadn't intervened, Gong Sunshu might have been harmed.

'If this were the Blood Sect, I would have no excuse for my head to roll.'

Baixulong didn't intend to shirk his responsibility.

He spoke with a serious face.

"If there's a problem, I will take responsibility."

"Responsibility? How?"

"Zhexue, don't push him too hard......"

"Junshang, you stay out of it. You're too kind, which is why temporary instructors can secretly do such things."

"......"

Nangong Zhexue pressed Baixulong as if testing him.

"So, how do you plan to take responsibility?"

"If you wish, I will resign from my position......"

But the intense reaction Nangong Zhexue had hoped for came from an unexpected direction.

"Too much, I say!"

The voice belonged to Gong Sunshu.

The key figure in the incident, who could have been a victim, jumped up from his seat, eyes wide, and glared at Nangong Zhexue.

"S, Chancellor?"

Caught off guard, Nangong Zhexue looked at him.

"I was going to stay quiet out of respect for the Blue Dragon Academy, which was harmed. But the way things are going, I have to say something. Is this a hearing to interrogate Baixulong Teacher?"

"......"

"If you have something to question, question me. The assassins came to kill me, and Baixulong Teacher was only trying to protect me."

"We are here to understand the full extent of the incident......"

"Have you not heard everything you needed to? Why are you still pressuring Baixulong Teacher?"

Nangong Zhexue was momentarily speechless before finally answering.

"He failed to report to his superiors. As a result, civilians were injured......"

Gong Sunshu snorted.

"Baixulong Teacher's words are true. The palace has many enemies. Among them, there are those with connections to martial artists. The Nangong Clan? Do you think there's no one powerful enough to pressure the Nangong Clan among those who want to kill me?"

"......"

Though his words could be seen as an insult to the Nangong Clan, Nangong Zhexue couldn't refute them.

Because they were all true.

"I'm not ungrateful enough to ignore my savior. If the Blue Dragon Academy fires Baixulong Teacher, I will take him to the palace and make him a general."

"Wh-What?"

Baixulong was the one who was stunned.

It was good to have support, but suddenly becoming a general?

Nangong Zhexue wouldn't believe such an outrageous claim......

'He believes it?'

Nangong Zhexue's expression of surprise confirmed that Gong Sunshu's words were not empty threats.

"I have a few words to say as well."

Taking advantage of Gong Sunshu's pause, Hei Ying joined the conversation.

She spoke with a solemn expression.

"When Baixulong Teacher first explained his plan, I agreed. If he has to take responsibility and be punished, I will also cut off my arm as an apology."

"What......"

Why cut off an arm?

Baixulong could only look at Hei Ying with a bewildered expression.

"May I also say a few words?"

Suddenly, Wei Zhitian quietly raised her hand.

Baixulong was afraid of what might come out of her mouth.

"If Baixulong Teacher has to leave the Blue Dragon Academy...... I will also give up my entrance."

"......"

"I don't want to attend an academy without him."

After finishing her words, Wei Zhitian bowed deeply.

Lao Junshang, Nangong Shu, and Guo Tieyou reacted simultaneously.

'How can we let such talent slip away?!'

Lao Junshang turned his head sharply and glared at Nangong Zhexue as if to kill him.

[Apologize to Baixulong Teacher immediately!]

[Wh-What are you talking about? Why should I apologize......]

[Apologize, you fool! Right now!]

Under the resounding mental message, Nangong Zhexue couldn't help but apologize.

"I, I'm sorry. I might have been a bit too harsh just now."

"......No, it's fine."

Gong Sunshu, who had managed to get an apology from Nangong Zhexue, clapped his hands and sat down.

"People can make mistakes, right. Now, let's discuss the future measures."