Book 7: Chapter 35: If You Want Me to Strip, This Price Isn't Enough
Book 7: Chapter 35: If You Want Me to Strip, This Price Isn’t Enough
Lin Xi wasn’t in a hurry to reply to Xiao Tieleng’s words, only smiling as he looked at Xue Wantao who walked in. When he saw the other party’s extremely malicious, almost green face, his eyes then shifted over to Xue Wantao’s crippled left hand wrapped in bandages.
Xue Wantao’s hand shook slightly.
It wasn’t because of pain, but rather because Lin Xi’s smile was full of mockery and provocation.
Moreover, he clearly understood that Lin Xi looking at his hand was the most direct provocation to begin with.
He could sense that the killing intent Lin Xi felt towards him really did permeate this summer air.
The officials here could all sense the subtle implications between the two. This was especially the case with that grizzled haired old Judicial Sector official, his expression becoming a bit more bitter.
“Where were you these past few days?”
Xiao Tieleng gave Xue Wantao who walked in a look, his expression a bit sunken as he coldly repeated this.
Lin Xi watched as Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan sat down, and then turned around to look at Xiao Tieleng. “Is Sir Xiao carrying out an investigation of a case?”
Xiao Tieleng nodded while looking at Lin Xi. Because he felt like this matter was a bit superficial, he didn’t want to waste any words. “Mu Chenyun’s case, you are extremely suspicious.”
Lin Xi nodded. With a chuckle, he said, “During these days, I’ve only been wandering about. I headed north, staying there for a few days in an uncultivated land, and then walked back.”
Xiao Tieleng said expressionlessly, “Why did you leave? Why did you need to stay in the wilderness?”
“Cultivator’s intuition… I felt like my breakthrough point was close, so I wanted to focus on this.” Lin Xi said with a slight smile. “Sir Xiao is also a cultivator, I believe this should be enough as an explanation.”
Xiao Tieleng’s expression didn’t change, continuing to ask, “What do you have to prove that what you said is true?”
“I don’t have anything.” Lin Xi simply and directly shook his head, still smiling.
“You don’t wish to defend yourself, but there are people who wish to testify against you.” Xiao Tieleng looked at him and said, “Testifying that you were precisely the criminal who fled into Three Reeds Peak that day, the one being pursued.”
“Is that so?” Lin Xi’s smile became even more brilliant. “Then who is this person who will testify against me?”
Xiao Tieleng didn’t like this type of game that both sides were well aware of, nor did he want to play it, which was why Lin Xi’s smile and these words only made him feel even more vexed. Only, he didn’t know where to direct his resentment, so his face became a bit dark, remaining silent for a bit, not saying anything.
“It is me.”
Xue Wantao who already sat down said with a cold voice. He could see Lin Xi’s provocation, so he also used a calm, indifferent and ridiculing expression to provoke Lin Xi.
“Who are you?” Lin Xi’s brows jumped slightly, looking at Xue Wantao in disdain while saying indifferently.
“You should call me sir.” Xue Wantao looked at Lin Xi with a sneer, saying, “Even if you pretend to not know me, you should recognize my Yunqin official uniform, understand how to show a bit of respect.”
Lin Xi curled his lips, about to say something, but then stopped, looking towards the doorway.
The eyes of everyone in the room also couldn’t help but shift towards the entrance.
A black-robed individual walked in.
The originally cool hall’s temperature, because of this person’s appearance, immediately dropped a few more degrees.
That Judicial Sector old official who was always sighing inwardly felt a thud in his mind, his scalp becoming a bit numb.
This was a somewhat monotonous faced middle-aged man, both his arms and legs extremely thick, not to the esthetic standards of Yunqin’s people. However, what he wore were Green Luan Academy’s black robes, his body carrying an aura of miasma unique to Dragon Snake Border Army.
This was a Green Luan Academy lecturer who had previously served under Dragon Snake Border Pass.
He didn’t wear an official uniform, the black robes in this type of weather seeming a bit overly hot, yet there wasn’t a drop of sweat on his body. When he calmly swept his eyes over everyone here, there was a natural sense of pride like that of a hawk looking down on all life.
Even though Lin Xi, Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan never saw this Green Luan Academy lecturer before, the instant they saw this person, the expressions of Lin Xi’s group of three immediately changed. They stood up, seriously showing this black robed-lecturer who was wearing straw sandals a bow of respect.
This black-robed lecturer nodded slightly, returning their greeting, and then slowly walked up to Xiao Tieleng’s face, producing a scroll with the border army’s seal and handing it over. “I am Guo Fangying, this is my proof of identity from Dragon Snake Border Army… I came to take a look on the academy’s behalf.”
Xiao Tieleng’s heart went slightly cold. He nodded, opening the document.
The black-robed lecturer sat down on the side as if minding his own business. “My Green Luan Academy won’t interfere with the royal court’s affairs and I have other important matters to attend to, need to leave soon. That is why you all don’t need to pay attention to me and can proceed as usual…”
Lin Xi couldn’t help but laugh. He saw an undisguised intent of admiration from the expression this black-robed lecturer’s eyes carried when he returned his greeting. Moreover, he understood extremely clearly that even though there were many different voices in Green Luan Academy, it still operated under Vice Principal Xia’s will. Since this black-robed lecturer could represent Green Luan Academy today, then he was naturally a lecturer like Tong Wei, and not like Xu Shengmo.
If he really wasn’t interfering with this matter, why would this lecturer come here? Moreover, he said he was extremely busy, that he had to leave soon, meaning that they shouldn’t waste his and Green Luan Academy students’ time. This was precisely undisguised pride and pressure, which was why Lin Xi felt like it was extremely laughable, knowing that these Yunqin officials definitely felt like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The only thing that made Lin Xi feel a bit out of sorts was that these lecturers were still too proud and aloof. In his eyes, if he added a bit to the end, saying “that is why you all don’t need to pay attention to me and can proceed as usual… but I don’t want to see any of my Green Luan Academy’s students accused wrongly”, it would have been more interesting.
Xiao Tieleng finished examining the document. He nodded towards this black-robed lecturer, and then sat down again, turning his head to look towards Xue Wantao.
Xue Wantao saw the ice-cold expression of disdain in the black-robed lecturer’s eyes, and also saw Lin Xi’s complacency. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he instead began to laugh coldly.
If it was before, he might always retain respect for Green Luan Academy’s people, but right now, in his eyes, between him and Lin Xi, it was fated for only one of them to be able to continue living… that was why he didn’t need to feel much misgivings because of a Green Luan Academy lecturer at all.
“Lin Xi, are you going to insist that you’ve never met me before?” He laughed coldly, looking at Lin Xi and asking this.
Lin Xi naturally nodded and said, “Of course.”
“That is all I needed from you.” Xue Wantao also laughed, looking at Lin Xi and saying, “Since you never showed yourself during these past two weeks and since we’ve never met before, then according to normal reasoning, there is no way I can know about your cultivation level, let alone the condition of your body, right?”
The Green Luan Academy lecturer’s expression still didn’t show much changes, only having a calm expression of resting, as if he was tired from walking, looking like none of this had anything to do with him. However, Jiang Xiaoyi and Bian Linghan instead felt their minds tense up. If Lin Xi had some huge injuries, then it really would be difficult for him to find a reason to refute it.
Lin Xi’s expression became a bit strange as well. He looked at Xue Wantao and seriously said, “You are courting death.”
Xiao Tieleng’s brows jumped fiercely, all of the officials also shaking inwardly. Even the brows of Green Luan’s black-robed lecturer Guo Fangying jumped slightly.
Xue Wantao sneered, looking at Lin Xi. “You actually dare to publicly threaten me in this type of situation?”
“I am merely stating a fact.” Lin Xi calmly looked at him and said, “Slandering me baselessly, could it be that you aren’t courting death? You know the law and you are breaking it, adding another crime to yourself.”
Xue Wantao’s head sunk slightly. He looked at his crippled left hand, his voice becoming even colder. “Lin Xi, just now, you said your cultivation is close to breakthrough, so you went to cultivate in the wilderness. Your previous soul force cultivation was mid stage Soul Expert level, so according to what you are saying now, your cultivation should have already broken through to late stage Soul Expert level.”
“Also, you refuse to admit that you know me, so I shouldn’t know about your chest injury either… do you dare reveal your left chest, let everyone see the injury that I created?”
Everyone’s eyes, including those of the official who was always taking notes shifted over, wishing to see how Lin Xi was going to refute this.
However, Lin Xi instead replied with a mocking tone, looking into Xue Wantao’s eyes with a provocative expression, “I don’t know where you heard my cultivation was mid stage Soul Expert level, but according to what you said, right now, I should have late stage Soul Expert level? Also, what if my left chest doesn’t have the injury you speak of?”
Xue Wantao stood up, coldly looking at Lin Xi and saying, “Do you dare expose your left chest right now or not?”
Lin Xi curled his lips, saying in disdain, “Why do I have to expose my chest? Fortunately, I am male, if I was female, do you think I’ll show you just because you asked? Oh, by the way, I think you’re the criminal, you have a wound on your butt, why aren’t you showing everyone right now?”
“…” The Judicial Sector old official immediately felt that this was preposterous, unable to help but want to laugh, yet just couldn’t.
Xue Wantao’s eyes instead narrowed slightly, slowly saying, “If everyone exposes themselves and gets examined, I don’t mind.”
The smile on Lin Xi’s face also disappeared. He turned around to look at Xiao Tieleng, saying, “I don’t have any objections either… However, I wish to know, if I prove that he is slandering me, what kind of consequences will he suffer?”
Xiao Tieleng’s brows furrowed, coldly saying, “According to Yunqin law, if there is no remorse, then it is two years of imprisonment for a light punishment, four years for a severe punishment.”
“This isn’t enough. For me, it’s far from enough.” Lin Xi looked at Xiao Tieleng and all of the other officials here, shaking his head seriously. “Originally, few people knew that we are Green Luan Academy students, but now, even our teacher was disturbed. You all should also understand clearly… the cultivators and assassins of our enemies love to kill Green Luan Academy students like us before we mature. If we have to be placed in more danger just because of some baseless criticisms, then we might just have to pay the price of death. Just enduring an imprisonment of two years, how can this be enough?”
Xue Wantao laughed, looking at Lin Xi like a wolf as he said, “Then what do you want?”
“To prove the condition of my injuries, I only need to strip.” Lin Xi looked at Xue Wantao and said, “But if I want to prove my cultivation, there are many methods, the most direct a battle with the enemy.”
“The two of us are both cultivators, so I want to fight against you.” After a slight pause, Lin Xi looked at Xue Wantao, saying this calmly.