Chapter 577 - 473: What Does It Have to Do With Us?

The guardian Elder’s accusation rang in everyone’s ears.

Xiao Mo calmly glanced at the guardian Elder, then looked away. He turned to Tushan Jing Ci and said, "Miss, I did this. It has nothing to do with you. I’ll handle it."

With that, Xiao Mo started to step forward.

But Tushan Jing Ci threw her arms out, blocking Xiao Mo’s path.

"Xiao Mo, you’re one of my people! Your business is my business. How could this possibly have nothing to do with me?"

Tushan Jing Ci pouted angrily, then spun around. Like a little mother hen, she shielded Xiao Mo behind her and spoke to the guardian Elders with righteous indignation:

"My Xiao Mo isn’t the type to start fights for no reason!"

"Your Scholar’s Attendants must have done something awful!"

"If anyone should be apologizing, it’s you!"

"Besides, four of your Scholar’s Attendants couldn’t even beat my one Xiao Mo. How dare you complain?"

"Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?"

"Shame on you!"

"Nyah!"

As she finished, Tushan Jing Ci made a face and stuck her tongue out at them.

"..."

At Tushan Jing Ci’s taunts, the guardian Elders’ faces went from pale to purple with rage.

They wanted to lash out.

But leaving her status aside for a moment, for thousand-year-old adults like them to lose their temper with a six- or seven-year-old little girl would be utterly undignified.

Just as the two sides reached a stalemate, a Deacon from the Cold Mountain Academy’s Steward Hall finally arrived.

Accompanying the Deacon from the Steward Hall was Mr. Xian of the Shallow Learning Book Hall—Tushan Jing Ci’s teacher.

"What’s the situation?"

The Steward Hall Deacon, Jiang Feng, frowned as he looked at the crowd.

The Scholar’s Attendant Wang Zhong tried to speak first, attempting to twist the facts, but Mr. Xian waved a hand to silence him. He then looked at the young Human Race girl standing just behind Tushan Jing Ci.

"You speak. Tell us exactly what happened."

"R-Replying to you, Mr. Xian... My surname is Liu, and my given name is Shui. I’m from Liu Village, at the foot of the mountain. I was fortunate enough to be hired when the academy was looking for women to do odd jobs, which is how I earn my keep," the girl named Liu Shui said, her voice trembling.

"Today, I was ordered to come to the alchemy room to dry herbs. When I reached the summit, I ran into these masters. I tried to walk around them, but they surrounded me, then deliberately bumped into me. They claimed I ran into them and were about to hit me with stones."

"Thankfully, this young master came out just in time, and I was spared."

As she spoke, Liu Shui knelt before Mr. Xian, kowtowing as she cried, "I absolutely had no intention of offending these masters from the Demon Race. If there must be a punishment, it has nothing to do with this young master. I beg you, sir, to see the truth."

Hearing Liu Shui’s words, Xian Xichun’s brow furrowed. He reached out a hand to help her up. A Book Flipping Wind blew past, catching her forehead and gently lifting her to her feet.

"Is what this young lady said true or false?" Xian Xichun looked coldly at the Demon Race Scholar’s Attendants. "Do not lie! I can request a Magical Treasure from the Steward Hall to see exactly what happened here!"

Chen Jue and the others, along with their family Tributors, all turned to look at them.

"Spare us, Young Master! Spare us, Mr. Xian! We were possessed! Please spare our lives, Young Master, Mr. Xian!"

These Scholar’s Attendants were only about two years older than Xiao Mo. How could they withstand such immense pressure? Their psychological defenses crumbled instantly, and they dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.

Mr. Xian looked at the Tributors from the Celestial Demon Country, the Thunder Roar Sect, and the other factions. "Fellow Daoists," he said, "you all know the rules of our Cold Mountain Academy. Your disciples have broken them. I trust you know what must be done."

"We understand, of course." The Tributors bowed. "This will not happen again."

"Alright, this matter is concluded." Jiang Feng, the Deacon from the Steward Hall, flicked his sleeve. "As for this young lady’s compensation, follow the regulations. Everyone, disperse."

The Steward Hall had laid the matter to rest. Xiao Mo and his party couldn’t say anything more; at least it was a decent outcome.

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang—and thank you, big brother from the Steward Hall! Xiao Mo and I will be going now."

Once she was sure everything was settled, Tushan Jing Ci gave a proper-looking bow, then quickly pulled Xiao Mo away to their courtyard to treat his injuries.

Too ashamed to remain, Chen Jue and his group immediately departed with their attendants.

As for Liu Shui, the crisis having been averted, she still had to head to the alchemy room to dry the herbs.

Soon, only Xian Xichun and Jiang Feng remained on the mountain peak.

"Did you see that just now?"

Jiang Feng walked over to his friend’s side.

Both of their gazes were fixed in the direction where Xiao Mo and Tushan Jing Ci had left.

"I saw," Xian Xichun nodded. "To have reached Qi Cultivation Perfection at such a young age, and to handle four opponents so easily... he’s truly impressive."

"The most important thing is the Daoist Skill he cultivates..." Jiang Feng shook his head. "I never imagined Tushan Mansion would impart the *Great Dream of Yellow Millet* to a Human Race male. Do you have any idea what that implies?"

"That’s Tushan Mansion’s business. What does it matter if we know? What does it have to do with us?"

Xian Xichun glanced at his friend and said with a smile.

"Besides, in two Human-Demon Wars, the Demon Race’s World was utterly defeated. What right do we have to look down on the Human Race?"

Xian Xichun flicked his sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked forward. His voice echoed through the mountains, unafraid of who might hear:

"It’s only here, in the Demon Race’s World, that the Demon Race has grown accustomed to throwing their weight around, relying on their power."

...

「Inside the private courtyard where the Eldest Prince of the Celestial Demon Country resided.」

The Scholar’s Attendant knelt on the ground, trembling so hard he didn’t dare lift his head.

Chen Jue also stood beside the Scholar’s Attendant, his body bent in a deep bow, not daring to straighten up.

And seated before the Scholar’s Attendant was the Sovereign of the Celestial Demon Country, Chen Bing.

"I truly have the worst timing. I had just arrived at Cold Mountain Academy to see Jue’er and check on his studies, only to hear an Elder from the academy’s Steward Hall filing a complaint with me."

Chen Bing took a sip of tea, set down the cup, and looked coldly at the Scholar’s Attendant, Wang Zhong.

"Speak. Why did you provoke that little girl from Tushan’s Scholar’s Attendant?"

Even though Chen Bing was questioning the Scholar’s Attendant, Chen Jue was the one who nervously clenched his fists, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"R-Replying to Your Majesty... it’s all my fault. It’s my fault for breaking the academy’s rules. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Wang Zhong kowtowed nonstop, his forehead splitting open and bleeding, the blood streaming down the sides of his face.

"You won’t talk, is that it?"

Chen Bing glanced at Wang Zhong.

A faint wisp of pressure from the Immortal Realm descended upon him, no less heavy than a great mountain.

Wang Zhong was slammed flat against the ground, unable to move. Cracks even appeared in the floor beneath him.

"Your Majesty... spare me... spare me..."

Wang Zhong begged for his life repeatedly.

Chen Bing stepped down from his chair and looked coldly at Wang Zhong.

"Don’t think that just because I’ve been favoring your father recently, I won’t kill you."

"I’ll ask you one last time. Why did you target Tushan Jing Ci’s Scholar’s Attendant!"