Someone with sharp eyes spotted Qi Yu walking in and shouted, "A piece of trash with five spiritual roots dares to come to class!"
"Could it be that you think Sister Rong'er has already been eaten, which is why you dare to swagger around like this!"
"That's outrageous!"
"Teach her a lesson!"
Several wooden swords were thrown at Qi Yu, but because they lacked spiritual power, they only landed softly on her body before falling to the ground.
Qi Yumu stared blankly, unsure of what to think.
Is it because the sword strike wasn't even a fraction as painful as yesterday's punishment, or is An Rong'er simply too shameless, reaching an extreme level of absurdity?
I risked my life to save her yesterday, only to find out she's an ingrate. I should have just let her be eaten by monsters; all she does is cause trouble.
An Rong'er was also shocked as she looked at Qi Yu, never expecting that Qi Yu had actually escaped from the demon's clutches.
She had intended to find another excuse to say that Qi Yu was already dead, but now that Qi Yu was alive and well in front of everyone, her words would likely be exposed. She had to strike first!
She also raised the precious sword she had brought from home, which her father had bought at great expense from the Feixing Treasure Pavilion, and was about to slash at Qi Yu with it.
"You still dare to go back to the Spirit Academy?!"
Qi Yu had learned some swordsmanship in college, and although he wasn't proficient, it was more than enough to deal with An Rong'er.
She took a step back, summoned the Sword of Compassion, and easily deflected An Rong'er's sword.
An Rong'er was surprised that this unassuming good-for-nothing could so easily deflect her sword. Feeling embarrassed, she rolled her eyes and said, "You good-for-nothing, you deserted me yesterday and abandoned me, yet you still have the nerve to draw your sword and fight me!"
"Everyone, quickly grab her and drive her out of the Spirit Academy!"
Man-eating monsters are a thorn in the side of humanity, and Qi Yu, who abandoned his companions to survive alone in the face of monsters, according to An Rong'er, became the target of everyone's condemnation, and anyone could spit on him.
Despite becoming the target of everyone's criticism, Qi Yu remained calm and gave Gou Dan a reassuring look as he struggled to squeeze through the crowd. He simply said, "Yesterday, I risked my life to save you from the monster's jaws, yet you were ungrateful and pushed me towards the monster. I told you to go back to the Spirit Academy for help, but even after the monster was destroyed, we didn't see a single person."
An Rong'er's eyes darted away as she argued, "Do you have any evidence to prove what you're saying is true?!"
"Alright." Qi Yu smiled slightly. "Then let me ask you, how did you manage to escape from the clutches of the demon with swordsmanship that even I couldn't defeat? And why didn't you come back to report to the Dean about discovering the demon?"
Only then did everyone realize the suspicious point and look at An Rong'er, waiting for her to explain.
"I possess dual spiritual roots that have already cultivated Qi into my body. What use is it for you, a useless person with only five spiritual roots and no spiritual power, even if your swordsmanship is slightly better than mine?!"
The difference in strength between those with and without spiritual power and the number of spiritual roots is like heaven and earth. The onlookers then felt that what An Rong'er said was true and continued to glare at Qi Yu.
"Oh?" A clear, youthful voice suddenly spoke up, "Why did I see Miss An running away in terror last night, leaving Miss Qi to face the demon alone?"
A young man dressed in a crimson brocade robe embroidered with gold birds and beasts walked in and looked at An Rong'er meaningfully.
"Zhu, he just called himself Zhu. Could he be Zhu Que, the only prince of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom who is not of the same surname?"
Why would Zhu Que come to Wucheng?
The royal family of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom is surnamed Que, and Zhu Que is the only prince of a different surname who was granted the title of king. Some say he is the illegitimate son of a member of the royal family, but the emperor of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom seems to value him highly.
Some people's attention was instantly diverted.
An Rong'er's voice was high-pitched and shrill as she pointed at the boy in red and said, "You...you have a secret connection with Qi Yu. Who knows if you're just slandering me to exonerate her?"
Zhu Que scoffed, "Could it be that what I said is false?"
"If it were just Qi Yu with his five spiritual roots, he might not have been able to escape from the demons. But if Zhu Que were added, it would make sense."
"Isn't An Rong'er the one who lied? She's the one who deserted in the face of battle, isn't she?"
Facing the suspicious gazes of the crowd, An Rong'er's eyes darted around, and she stubbornly said, "I didn't! It was me... I thought she had run away too, so..."
"So you ran away first?" a cold, girlish voice pierced the surface.
"Wu Qianqian, why are you taking that good-for-nothing's side?!" An Rong'er accused the aloof girl.
"I hate demons in this life, and I hate treacherous people even more." Wu Qianqian looked back, her cold gaze making An Rong'er dare not meet her eyes.
"Tsk tsk, Wu Qianqian was betrayed by a servant when she was young and was almost eaten by a monster. An Rong'er is such a jerk, she always brings up the most sensitive topics."
"How could this have happened?" An Rong'er cried out in panic, "I didn't! It's that good-for-nothing's fault! That good-for-nothing deserves to be eaten by the monster in my place! She deserves it!"
These words enraged everyone. Among them were people whose relatives and friends had been cruelly killed by demons. They were determined to come to the Spirit Academy to learn martial arts and exorcise demons. They angrily raised their swords, some iron and some wooden, and pointed them directly at An Rong'er.
"Who deserves to be eaten? An Rong'er is so disgusting!"
"Everyone, get this vicious woman out of here!"
"Get them out!"
The winds shifted completely, and An Rong'er became the target of everyone's scorn. Even the expensive sword in her hand trembled so much that she could barely hold it. The delicate butterfly hairpin on her hair was pushed and shoved by the crowd, falling to the ground and breaking into pieces.
She screamed in despair and fled.
Qi Yu sheathed the Compassionate Sword, pursed her lips, and looked at Zhu Que, who was casually patting his folding fan not far away.
Zhu Que noticed her gaze and smiled back.
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