Chapter 122: Meeting the Dean

The news of students from the five palaces of Zixiao being challenged spread rapidly throughout the Zixiao Academy. If these challenges had occurred internally, word might not have traveled so swiftly; however, the fact that they were challenged by outsiders—and that two individuals had managed to overturn them—made it impossible to keep quiet.

Those admitted to Zixiao Academy all prided themselves on being the elite generation of the Southern Domain. To be bested by two people unaffiliated with the academy caused an uproar of predictable magnitude. Some began to argue that the students of the five palaces were inferior to the previous generation and no longer worthy of the title. Students from other divisions of Zixiao even boasted that if they were given the chance, they would surely send those two packing in humiliation.

More rational students, however, scoffed at such claims. Even if the five palaces were not what they once were, they were not so easily trampled by outsiders. The prevailing theory among the sensible was that Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun were geniuses in their own right—talents who surpassed even those in the five palaces.

For a time, the exploits of Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun were the talk of the academy. The two protagonists of these rumors, however, were oblivious to the stir they had caused, as they were currently being led by Instructor Shen Yi into a secluded courtyard.

The area lacked the grand, imposing atmosphere of the various academic halls; instead, it felt simple and unpretentious. In the corner, a few stalks of spiritual herbs grew, emitting a faint, soft glow.

"Oh? Instructor Shen, why have you brought two students here?"

A female instructor holding a stack of lesson plans passed through the courtyard. Seeing Shen Yi accompanied by two unfamiliar faces, she asked with curiosity. These boys were clearly not students of the five palaces, and she had never seen them before.

"Instructor Ye, these two are here to join our Zixiao Academy. From today on, they are students of the academy!" Shen Yi said with a smile toward Ye Yiting.

Behind him, Shen Qingyun wore a bewildered expression. They had encountered no one on their way here, so how had they suddenly become students of Zixiao Academy?

"Why arrive so long after the enrollment period has passed?" Ye Yiting muttered before looking at Shen Yi and asking, "Instructor Shen, they aren't even officially enrolled yet, are they?"

Shen Yi nodded. A look of disbelief grew in Ye Yiting’s eyes: "Instructor Shen, are you unaware of the rules of Zixiao Academy?"

"I am aware," Shen Yi replied, pausing before continuing, "but they possess letters of recommendation, and they brought them to me. I could hardly just leave them standing there, could I?"

"You are being reckless!"

Ye Yiting’s eyes widened, her tone sharp with frustration. "Instructor Shen, your detached nature has always kept you indifferent to the academy's affairs. But do you have any idea how many people show up at our gates every day pretending to have qualifications just to sneak in? How many arrive with forged recommendation letters? You don't even know if theirs are genuine, yet you bring them inside! If something goes wrong, who will take the blame?"

With that, she turned her gaze toward Shen Qingyun and his companion. "You two, leave the academy immediately, or the consequences will be more than you can bear!" She then moved as if to drive them out.

"Instructor Ye!" Shen Yi suddenly called out, stopping her in her tracks. Ye Yiting froze, looking at him in disbelief, stunned by his sudden shift in tone. After staring at her for a moment, Shen Yi spoke slowly: "Instructor Ye, how do you know I am indifferent to the academy's affairs? And what makes you think my nature is detached? You suspect their recommendation letters are fake? Fine! I will take them to see the Dean and the Vice Dean right now. If they are genuine, then that is the end of it. If not, I will bear all consequences myself. Are you satisfied?"

Without another word, Shen Yi turned to Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun and said, "Let’s go."

Watching Shen Yi walk out of the courtyard, Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun followed silently, leaving Ye Yiting standing there, stunned. A moment later, she glared fiercely at the courtyard gate as if Shen Yi were still standing there. She summoned her flying spirit tool and transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the depths of Zixiao Academy.

Shen Yi sensed the movement, looked up, and caught sight of the light, chuckling softly. "That girl, she really couldn't resist."

Shen Qingyun, also sensing the movement, stared at Shen Yi’s back and blinked. "Instructor Shen, are you using Instructor Ye?"

"I am," Shen Yi admitted, his aura now gentle and devoid of any hostility.

Shen Qingyun frowned; even he could not quite grasp this maneuver.

Shen Yi explained, "This girl—Instructor Ye—has a rather unique background. The Dean of Zixiao Academy is her grandfather. As the saying goes, affection skips a generation; the Dean dotes on her immensely! With her going to see the Dean, your chances of entering Zixiao Academy have just increased significantly."

"And how are you so sure Instructor Ye isn't going to report you?" Shen Qingyun asked.

"She won't." Shen Yi turned to grin at Shen Qingyun, his expression filled with inexplicable meaning. "Because Instructor Ye likes me! She wouldn't bear to see me expelled from Zixiao Academy."

Shen Qingyun was taken aback, then gave him a look of disdain. "You're that sure?"

"Hmph-hmph." Shen Yi’s face was full of smug confidence, as if the matter were a certainty.

Shen Qingyun raised an eyebrow. "Instructor Ye is quite beautiful; aren't you tempted, Instructor Shen?"

"No," Shen Yi shook his head. "I haven't had enough of my own freedom yet. Instructor Ye was raised under the Dean's influence and has picked up a lot of pedantic, stubborn habits; she’s always trying to manage me. If we made it official, I’d go mad."

"With you acting like this, I honestly can't figure out why she would like you," Shen Qingyun remarked with disdain.

"Because I'm handsome!"

Shen Qingyun: "..."

Shen Qingyun felt a bit embarrassed; in this regard, he had to admit defeat.

"What's with that expression?" Shen Yi glanced at him, then turned back, grumbling, "Even if I'm not as fresh-faced as you two, I am still known as the 'Zixiao Meadow Flower'."

Feng Chuxun couldn't take it anymore and turned his head to look at the scenery of the academy. This man’s level of narcissism had reached a realm of its own.

"We're almost there. Pay attention," Shen Yi said as they emerged from the bamboo grove, his expression shifting to one of seriousness.

Shen Qingyun composed himself. Shen Yi had described the Dean of Zixiao Academy as a pedantic and stubborn man; he would likely not be easy to deal with. Feng Chuxun’s breathing quickened, and he unconsciously straightened his posture. They were about to meet the Dean of Zixiao Academy, the most powerful figure in the Southern Domain—a person of even higher status than the King of Qin, the ruler of the Tianlan Dynasty!