Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 102 - Question

Hundreds of people gathered together, discussing what might have happened last night. Fortunately, the arrow wasn’t directed at their tents, or they would have died by now.

“Isn’t this too terrifying? There’s someone openly attempting to assassinate us in the academy. If the higher-ups of the academy find out about this, there will surely be an outrage.”

The death of Feng Bingquan wasn’t their primary concern; their own safety was. Their lives had been threatened within the Imperial Academy, even before they had officially joined. This incident alone could significantly tarnish the academy’s reputation.

The assassination was shrouded in mystery, and no one knew who had carried it out in the dead of night. It certainly wasn’t Liu Wuxie; no one would be foolish enough to orchestrate their own assassination. This led them to believe that someone else was behind it.

“Could it be Xue Pinzhi?”

Everyone had witnessed Xue Pinzhi’s attempt to kill Liu Wuxie during the assessment the previous day, which was thwarted by Chen Leyao. This could have led to resentment on Xue Pinzhi’s part, prompting him to attempt an assassination at night.

“That’s impossible. Even if Xue Pinzhi wants to kill Liu Wuxie, he would get someone else to do the dirty job. It doesn’t make sense for him to risk exposure by carrying out the assassination himself in the middle of the night,” another person quickly dismissed the speculation. It was clear that no one in their right mind would take such a risk if they were in Xue Pinzhi’s position.

Various speculations circulated, and no one could figure out who tried to kill Liu Wuxie. This meant that everyone present was a suspect.

As the sun rose, Fan Yeping, Xue Pinzhi, and Chen Leyao arrived at the square. The lingering scent of blood was still potent in the air, and Feng Bingquan’s corpse had been removed, with all the tents packed away. Feng Bingquan’s neck bore a cut, and an arrow was lodged in the back of his head, piercing through his throat.

“Who killed him?!” Fan Yeping demanded. After all, deaths during the academy’s assessment were unprecedented.

The surroundings fell into silence, with no one answering. They didn’t know how to respond to that question. After all, Feng Bingquan was assassinated in the middle of the night after he was killed.

Xue Pinzhi stood at a distance, a smirk appearing on his lips upon hearing news of a death. He was under the impression that Liu Wuxie had died and was oblivious to Feng Bingquan’s demise.

After a few minutes, someone stepped forward to recount the previous night’s events without any embellishment. After all, many people present had witnessed the incident.

Chen Leyao had already informed Fan Yeping about Xue Pinzhi’s actions during the previous day’s assessment. However, since they were both students of Fan Yeping, he chose not to pursue the matter unless it escalated further.

Upon hearing the account of the previous night’s events, Xue Pinzhi staggered. He quickly advanced a few steps, panic flashing in his eyes as he saw Feng Bingquan’s lifeless body. There had been conflicts in previous years, but never any deaths.

Fan Yeping’s gaze shifted to Liu Wuxie, who had descended from the large rock. Anger flickered in his eyes as he questioned, “You killed him?!”

Given that Feng Bingquan met his end within the academy, the academy would be obligated to provide an explanation to Feng Bingquan’s family. They couldn’t simply dismiss his death without justification.

“That’s right.” Liu Wuxie admitted without any defense or rebuttal.

Someone sneered while some sighed. After all, admitting to killing Feng Bingquan meant that Liu Wuxie would face the academy’s wrath. They were here to participate in the assessments, and it was the academy’s responsibility to ensure their safety.

“Why did you kill him?!” Fan Yeping asked, struggling to contain his anger. Liu Wuxie might have ranked first in yesterday’s assessment, demonstrating his talent, but that didn’t justify taking another participant’s life.

“That’s because he wanted to kill me,” Liu Wuxie replied calmly. Feng Bingquan had wanted to kill him, and he had only acted in self-defense. He saw no issue with that.

“Do you realize that I can revoke your participant status for killing another participant and expel you from the academy?” Fan Yeping finally lost his temper. It was only right for Liu Wuxie to be expelled for killing another participant.

However, surprisingly, Liu Wuxie didn’t react angrily to this. Instead, there was a hint of mockery in his eyes. He pointed at the arrow lodged in Feng Bingquan’s neck and sneered, “Then let me ask you a question. Is everyone’s safety here guaranteed? Isn’t this the academy’s fault? Yes, I killed him...but how are you going to explain this?”

Liu Wuxie’s pointed question left Fan Yeping at a loss for words. After all, Liu Wuxie was correct. With over 500 participants present, their safety should be the bare minimum guarantee. If word of a participant’s assassination were to get out, it would severely damage the academy’s reputation.

As for Liu Wuxie killing Feng Bingquan, that was merely a conflict. But if one were to delve deeper, the academy would also be at fault. The teacher had left during the assessment, and safety measures were not ensured; leaving over 500 participants alone was a significant oversight.

Everyone here was young, and conflicts were bound to arise easily. If this issue escalated, the first person to be held accountable would be Fan Yeping for neglecting his duty. After all, a participant being assassinated was a grave matter, and all the participants were living in fear. They all felt fortunate that the arrow was aimed at Liu Wuxie’s tent. If the arrow had been aimed at their tents, they might be the ones lying on the ground now.

Discussions erupted among the participants, with many contemplating withdrawing from the assessment. After all, the academy seemed to lack basic safety measures. The Heavenly Govern Academy had performed better in this regard than the Imperial Academy. Most participants were self-aware that they were unlikely to make it into the Imperial Academy, so they wouldn’t hesitate to voice their concerns and spread the word, potentially damaging the academy’s reputation.

“I demand a satisfactory explanation from the Imperial Academy. If the safety of the participants isn’t guaranteed, what’s the point of joining the Imperial Academy? What are your thoughts?” Liu Wuxie continued to challenge Fan Yeping. This time, he had the backing of more than half the participants. Most of them were likely to be eliminated and felt no loyalty to the academy.

“That’s right. Who is there to ensure our safety? What if we die inexplicably during the assessment?” Many participants voiced their support for Liu Wuxie. They had resented him the previous day because he had secured first place despite many participants having higher cultivation levels, leading to feelings of jealousy. However, the situation had changed. Someone had attempted to kill them, and they deserved an explanation.

“Brat, you’re rambling nonsense! In my opinion, you must have upset someone, which is why you were targeted for assassination, not anyone else,” Xue Pinzhi interjected, pointing at Liu Wuxie. He attempted to downplay the incident as a personal dispute unrelated to the academy.

“Oh? Then, can you tell me who I have offended?” Liu Wuxie looked at Xue Pinzhi with a harmless smile.

The crowd exchanged awkward glances. Xue Pinzhi stepping forward at this moment was akin to admitting his involvement. Everyone knew about his feud with Liu Wuxie from the previous day, making him the prime suspect in the assassination.

“How would I know who you’ve upset? Maybe someone from the Heavenly Govern Academy wants you dead,” Xue Pinzhi quickly tried to correct his mistake, implying that while he wanted Liu Wuxie dead, he wouldn’t resort to assassination.

“Teacher, I also suspect that this may be the work of the Heavenly Govern Academy. It’s possible they bribed Feng Bingquan to target our academy’s genius. Considering last night’s assassination, it’s highly likely they’re behind it,” Chen Leyao stepped forward, bowing to Fan Yeping and offering a plausible explanation.

Liu Wuxie was ranked first in the previous day’s assessment, and it was only natural that the Heavenly Govern Academy would be reluctant to see such a talented individual join the Imperial Academy. Thus, assassination seemed like the best course of action.

Given the conflict between Feng Bingquan and Liu Wuxie, many found this explanation plausible. However, they knew that Chen Leyao was merely providing Fan Yeping with a way out, as escalating the situation would benefit no one.

Feng Bingquan was already dead, and he had no connection to them. Being investigated by the academy’s higher-ups over a deceased person was not worth it. Fan Yeping, not being a fool, quickly dismissed the matter after a brief inquiry, shifting the blame onto the Heavenly Govern Academy.

In the end, the matter was concluded with the narrative that Feng Bingquan had been bribed by the Heavenly Govern Academy to assassinate the participants of the Imperial Academy’s assessment, leading to his death. With this matter resolved, the assessment resumed.

Yet, many were puzzled that the issue ended so abruptly. Only a few glanced at Liu Wuxie, as everyone knew that the Heavenly Govern Academy had nothing to do with this. They quickly realized that Liu Wuxie’s questioning, which left the teacher speechless, was not as simple as it seemed.

Xue Pinzhi glared at Liu Wuxie fiercely. Since Liu Wuxie was still alive, it meant that his attempt last night had failed, and this matter mustn’t leak out.

“Thank you for standing up for me. Including yesterday’s incident, I now owe you two favors,” Liu Wuxie said to Chen Leyao once the crowd had dispersed to prepare for the day’s assessment. After all, Liu Wuxie’s rebuttals had embarrassed Fan Yeping, and Chen Leyao had stepped forward with a reasonable explanation to resolve the matter, leading to a perfect closure as Xue Pinzhi wouldn't speak for Liu Wuxie.

Consequently, Chen Leyao was the only one present who could help Liu Wuxie.

“I merely stated the truth. Get ready for the second round of assessment.” Chen Leyao smiled. She wasn’t overly concerned, as Liu Wuxie was a talent she didn’t want to overlook.

Regardless of her nonchalance, Liu Wuxie took note of this favor, intending to reciprocate when an opportunity arose. After all, having a friend was never a disadvantage.

The second round of assessment was straightforward. A massive pillar stood in the square, designed to test the participants’ strength and talent. Yesterday’s assessment was basic, with many relying on their robust physique to pass.

However, today was different, as a powerful physique alone wouldn’t suffice. The pillar, known as the Testing Pillar, was forged from unique crystals. It was designed to assess not only one’s strength but also various other attributes.