Although Qin Qing had walked quite far with Ziyu, she could still vaguely hear the people's discussions, though she couldn't hear them very clearly. She frowned, not taking the words she vaguely heard to heart, but her heart couldn't help but feel a little heavy.

Before coming, she specifically investigated the main campus of Qingshan Academy in the capital, so she knew that Lushan Academy and Qingshan Academy were the same academy, and she also knew clearly what kind of students were in Lushan Academy!

They were either sons of officials, sons of wealthy merchants, or descendants of nobles. Students like Mu Yang, who had no money, power, or background, but were brought in by the teacher because of his talent, were extremely rare!

As they were pondering, the group arrived at the central square of the academy. Apart from the students coming and going, there were only some pageboys and the like, who occasionally glanced at them with strange looks.

"Thump..."

A deep, rigid voice rang out, and Qin Qing subconsciously looked up at the central school building…

Ziyu, who was in front, also reacted quickly upon seeing this.

"This is the bell tolling for the end of the session... The get out of class should be over in the main hall by now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of shouts erupted from inside the school.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master!"

Several people looked up at the school gate at the same time. Before long, boys dressed in scholar's attire walked out. They wore simple gray and white cloth clothes with a layer of breathable coarse gauze over them. Their hair was tied up on top of their heads with a gray ribbon. One by one, these young and energetic boys walked out...

The identical decorations made Qin Qing's eyes dazzled. Xiao Muyue and Xiao Muxing stared wide-eyed at the group of students who came out, looking back and forth at their older brother.

Just then, several tall young men walked over from not far away, their expressions resentful yet arrogant!

He quickly found his target and shouted at the crowd.

"Hey shorty, come out and spar with your senior brothers!"

However, the figure in the crowd merely glanced at them and prepared to leave without a care in the world…

Seeing this, the group naturally wouldn't let him off so easily. They pushed aside some of the boys in front of them and walked straight to the man. Soon, the large group quickly and hastily dispersed, leaving only the boy surrounded in the center...

Xiao Muyue's eyes lit up, and she was about to call out for help, but Qin Qing gently stopped her. The little girl looked at Qin Qing in confusion, but in the end, she silently shut her mouth.

As Xiao Muxing looked at the scene before her, her gaze slowly darkened, and her expression became very complicated, but no one noticed this at the moment.

Not far away, several tall figures blocked the direction the boy was heading, making his small stature stand out even more.

"Little dwarf, Master Xin went back to his hometown to visit relatives today, so no one will protect you anymore! If you know what's good for you, apologize to Grandpa! Grandpa might just let it go!"

These words immediately drew laughter from the others, who all turned their mocking gazes toward the boy trapped in the center…

The next second, the boy raised his head, his handsome face full of composure, his calm and steady gaze looking at the group with a hint of disdain! His thin lips parted slightly.

"Defeated opponents! All you can do is use these clownish tricks to bully the weak. In the end, you're all just losers!"

A single, casual remark instantly enraged the young man who had just spoken, his face turning red as he glared at him, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"What...what did you say?! You little dwarf, are you tired of living?!"

The threatening words did not sway the boy in the slightest; he calmly looked at the group.

"So young, and your hearing is already failing? Oh, I forgot, you only listen to what you want to hear. Let me put it another way, in the last couplet competition, the four of you... were completely defeated! Do you remember?"

The young boy stood calmly and steadily among several tall figures, exuding a cold and aloof aura. Yet, he remained the most prominent one, especially when he spoke, his face displaying an air of maturity that was almost unchanged from before, but now tinged with a coldness he had never shown before.

For some reason, Qin Qing suddenly felt a pang of sadness. After all, her eldest grandson was only ten years old...

Yet, he remained calm and composed in the face of a young man many times stronger than himself, clearly accustomed to being surrounded and attacked. This shows how well he was doing here!

Ziyu frowned deeply upon seeing the scene before him. He glanced at Qin Qing without making a sound, only to find the other standing there with his lips pursed, showing no intention of intervening.

He couldn't help but suppress his desire to help. He was quite curious about what kind of measures this woman, who seemed to be a doctor and had an extraordinary background, would take.

The young man in the distance was furious at the boy's sarcasm, but he had to admit that they had indeed lost to this unknown little dwarf in the last competition!

The others also looked grim!

"You brat, who do you think you are? It's just a competition. A lowly commoner like you should be grateful to be allowed into Lushan Academy. Who are you trying to impress with this arrogant attitude? Do you really think Master Xin can protect you?"

After saying that, the young man's face was full of disdain and sarcasm, and the other person immediately chimed in.

"That's right. Since its establishment, Lushan Academy has never had a place for a lowly commoner like you. A brat like you, who has no money, no power, and no status, can be killed with a single word from me, the young master of the academy!"

However, even though they exaggerated the situation so much, the boy's face didn't change much; he just gave a sarcastic smile.

"Kill me? Ha! Do you think I care about my life?"

His seemingly fearless retort revealed a hint of world-weariness and desolation in the boy's eyes, a loneliness and longing that came from the depths of his heart that instantly stunned the other young men...

However, after realizing what had happened, the group became even more furious at his stubborn and fearless attitude!

A moment later, one of them was so angry that he reached out to teach the arrogant young man in front of him a lesson!

Qin Qing, who was in the distance, finally couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed forward and grabbed the young man's arm with one hand! The force was so great that she didn't even realize it herself.

"Ouch!! That hurts!"

The young man's exclamation interrupted everyone's shock, as no one expected a woman to suddenly appear beside them and instantly stop their movements.

Ziyu was horrified, a deep shock rising in his heart. The woman had just been right beside him, and in the blink of an eye, she was standing opposite him…

The speed was astonishing, not to mention her skillful technique! Even if she told him herself that she was just an ordinary person, he would find it hard to believe!

Could it be...?