Chapter 576 - 472: Shouldn’t You Give an Explanation?

The human girl opened her eyes and looked at the little boy before her, who seemed no older than six or seven. Her frightened eyes blinked softly.

Xiao Mo gripped the other’s wrist, calmly looking at the Demon Race boy.

’If I recall correctly,’ Xiao Mo thought, ’this boy’s young master is Chen Jue, the Eldest Prince of the Celestial Demon Country.’

"Xiao Mo! What do you think you’re doing?" the Demon Race Cultivator named Wang Zhong demanded, glaring coldly at Xiao Mo.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Xiao Mo said, his tone placid. "Cold Mountain Academy forbids the unprovoked abuse and harm of the Human Race. Furthermore, killing for any reason is strictly prohibited. Are you trying to break the academy’s rules?"

As he finished speaking, Xiao Mo’s grip tightened.

A jolt of pain shot through Wang Zhong’s hand, forcing him to release the stone he was holding. It clattered to the ground.

Xiao Mo shoved his arm away, sending Wang Zhong stumbling back several steps.

"How do you know I was hurting her for no reason?" Wang Zhong demanded furiously. "She wasn’t watching where she was going and ran right into me! The Elixirs I was fetching for my young master fell all over the ground! This human scum... beating her to death would be getting off easy!"

"That’s not what happened, Young Master," the girl said hastily. "I didn’t run into them. I was trying to walk around them, but they deliberately bumped into me."

"Bullshit! You filthy humans! The mere sight of you pollutes my eyes, and the thought of touching you makes me feel like my clothes are soiled. Why would I ever deliberately bump into you?" Wang Zhong cursed, pointing a finger in the girl’s face.

"You all saw it. Who ran into whom? Tell us the truth," Wang Zhong said to his companions.

"This human deserves to die."

"How dare a human deliberately block our path?"

"We should just cook her and be done with it!"

"Forget it. Even if you did cook her, I bet she’d taste disgusting!"

The other Demon Race Scholar’s Attendants naturally backed Wang Zhong up.

"But I stayed far away from them... I really didn’t... I..." The girl was so flustered that tears began to well up in her eyes.

Xiao Mo shook his head. He already understood what had happened and gestured for her to stop talking.

’What’s the use of her saying anything more?’

’These guys are the only witnesses. Besides, who would believe a human?’

"Xiao Mo, step aside! Are you really going to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?" Wang Zhong said angrily. "Or do you think we won’t touch you just because you have Tushan Mansion at your back?"

"My actions today have nothing to do with Tushan Mansion," Xiao Mo said, shaking his head. "There are some things that are easy to ignore when you don’t see them. But since I’ve seen this, I can’t pretend I haven’t."

"Fine! If you’re looking to die, you can die together! Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance! Tushan Mansion can’t hold me responsible for this!" A slight smirk played on Wang Zhong’s lips. "Get them! Kill this pair of filthy humans! I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens!"

As Wang Zhong’s words fell, the other Demon Race Scholar’s Attendants, who had been itching for a fight, lunged at Xiao Mo.

...

In a courtyard halfway up the mountain, Tushan Jing Ci slowly opened her eyes after a satisfying afternoon nap.

"Aaaah..."

Yawning, Tushan Jing Ci rubbed her eyes and stepped out of her room.

"You’re awake so early today, Miss?" Yue Shi smiled at her young mistress’s adorable, sleepy state. "Would you like some tea or pastries?"

"I’m not hungry, Sister Yue Shi." Tushan Jing Ci shook her head, then glanced around and asked quizzically, "Huh? Sister Yue Shi, where’s Xiao Mo?"

"He went to the elixir dispensary on the summit to collect your Elixirs, Miss. He should be back very soon," Yue Shi answered dutifully.

"Then I’ll go meet him! And maybe we can catch some crickets on the way back," Tushan Jing Ci said happily as she ran out of the courtyard.

But before Tushan Jing Ci could leave the courtyard, she saw an Academy Steward walking toward her home.

"Pardon me, but which of you is Miss Tushan?"

The Academy Steward stood outside the courtyard and bowed respectfully.

"I am..." Tushan Jing Ci stepped forward, looking nervously at the man. "Sir, is something wrong?"

"Miss Tushan, your Scholar’s Attendant is fighting with some other members of the Demon Race outside the elixir dispensary. You should probably go take a look," the Academy Steward said.

"Huh?" Tushan Jing Ci blinked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Xiao Mo... in a fight?"

"I... I’ll go right now!"

Once she snapped out of her shock, Tushan Jing Ci took off running toward the summit.

Seeing this, Yue Shi quickly followed.

With the help of Yue Shi’s flight Technique, Tushan Jing Ci quickly reached the summit of Shallow Study Peak.

"Xiao Mo!"

Spotting Xiao Mo outside the elixir dispensary, Tushan Jing Ci rushed toward him anxiously.

"Xiao Mo, are you okay?"

"Why did you get into a fight?"

"You’re not hurt, are you?"

Tushan Jing Ci worriedly patted him all over.

Then she saw the scratches on his neck, which were bleeding. One of his arms hung limply at his side, blood dripping steadily from his fingertips to the ground.

"Don’t worry, Miss. I’m fine."

Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, hiding his injured hand behind his back.

"How can you say you’re fine? You’re bleeding..."

Tears welled in Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes, her gaze filled with worry.

"It’s really nothing, just a flesh wound. Besides, they’re hurt much worse."

Xiao Mo gestured with his eyes.

Tushan Jing Ci followed his gaze.

Her attention had been so focused on Xiao Mo that she had only just noticed the four or five Demon Race youths lying on the ground. They were groaning, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, and they all appeared to have sustained serious internal injuries.

’They looked familiar, too. They seemed to be the Scholar’s Attendants for Chen Jue, Lou Huo, and the others from class.’

"What happened here?"

No sooner had Tushan Jing Ci arrived than the Scholar’s Attendants’ masters, having been notified, also rushed to the summit.

Chen Jue and the others frowned, their expressions turning sour as they saw their Scholar’s Attendants collapsed on the ground.

After all, a personal Scholar’s Attendant was one’s closest confidant.

To have one’s confidant beaten was the same as being publicly humiliated.

"Ow! Young Master, you have to get justice for us!"

"Young Master," one wailed, "this human hit me! He actually dared to hit me!"

"Young Master, I don’t care that I was beaten, but Xiao Mo disrespected our Thunder Roar Sect! I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen!"

Seeing their masters, the Scholar’s Attendants endured their pain and scrambled to their feet, rushing to their sides to plead their case.

Chen Jue, Lou Huo, and the others glanced at their own attendants, then looked toward Tushan Jing Ci and her Scholar’s Attendant.

An old guardian standing behind Chen Jue and his group was even more furious. He strode forward and demanded of Tushan Jing Ci:

"Miss Tushan, for your Scholar’s Attendant to injure one of our people on these sacred grounds of learning is outrageous. Do you not owe us an explanation?"