flstandardbreds Chapter 164 Who exactly ruined the illusion?
Chapter 164 Who exactly ruined the illusion?
Chapter 164 Who exactly ruined the illusion?
Inside the dean's office at Qingfeng Academy, the dean had just brewed a pot of fresh tea and was reclining in his chair, savoring it slowly.
Seeing the usually composed Master Xu Yangming rush in, he was a little puzzled. He got up and poured Master Xu a cup, jokingly saying, "Master Xu, why are you in such a hurry? Did you get chased by a dog?"
The dean was a little younger than Master Xu, so he respectfully addressed him as Elder Xu. Master Xu's martial arts cultivation was not high; he had reached the Martial Master realm many years ago, but had remained at that level without making any further progress.
Master Xu is proficient in the art of talismans and arrays, and also has a broad knowledge of other miscellaneous subjects. Therefore, although he is only a martial arts master, he holds a high position in the academy. Master Xu has an easygoing personality, and everyone from the dean and teachers to the students in each class can get along with him, even cracking harmless jokes.
But today, Master Xu clearly didn't want to joke with the dean. He simply stood in front of the table in front of him and said with a serious expression, "I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you."
"What are you saying? Does that mean we were all disreputable people before?"
The dean smiled and said, “Come on, I’ve just managed to get some spring tea from this year. It’s pre-Qingming Longjing, which is extremely rare. Have a cup to soothe your throat first before we talk about anything else.”
As he spoke, he handed the tea to Master Xu.
Perhaps because he had been walking in a hurry, he was genuinely thirsty. Without any hesitation, Master Xu took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.
"How was it? Not bad, right?" The dean looked at Master Xu with hopeful eyes after he finished drinking, wanting him to give his opinion.
"What tastes good?" Master Xu asked with a puzzled expression, as if he had just drunk a glass of plain water.
"This is pre-Qingming Longjing tea, a treasure among treasures, can you feel it?" The dean seemed somewhat disappointed at not receiving the praise he deserved.
"Oh, that's fine," Master Xu replied casually, his answer completely half-hearted.
"You're clearly just giving me the runaround." The dean smiled helplessly and asked, "You said you had something to discuss earlier. What could be so important that it's making you so distracted?"
Seeing that they had finally gotten to the point, Master Xu said solemnly, "Dean, I just returned from the Trial Tower. Someone else should have passed the test on the first floor of the tower."
The dean laughed and said, "So that's what it is. I thought it was something serious that made Old Xu so flustered."
This isn't surprising, though. Although Qingfeng Academy is declining in strength, every few years, one or two students still manage to pass the trials.
“This is somewhat different,” Master Xu said, his tone becoming more serious.
"What's different? But the time spent passing the trial is very short?" Seeing that the usually calm and easy-going Master Xu spoke so seriously, the dean also took it to heart and asked with a smile while refilling his teacup.
"A student broke the illusion within the tower," Master Xu said urgently.
"If the illusion remains unbroken, how can he escape it?" the dean asked casually, bringing his teacup to his lips. He felt that Master Xu was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Seeing that the dean still couldn't understand him, Master Xu grew even more anxious and stamped his foot, saying, "Why can't I explain it to you clearly? The illusion in the Trial Tower has been destroyed!"
"So what if it's ruined? We can just build another one..." The dean's interest was clearly in the refreshing aroma of tea, and he spoke as if nothing had happened.
But as he was talking, he suddenly came to his senses and realized that something was wrong.
"Ahem...you mean the illusion was...ahem...destroyed?"
After a violent cough that nearly made him cough up his lungs, the dean's face twitched, and he sprayed a mouthful of tea that he hadn't fully swallowed onto Master Xu's face.
Master Xu didn't mind at all. He raised his sleeve and wiped his face, saying, "It's absolutely true, it's indeed destroyed."
"Who did this?" The dean, disregarding his own politeness, placed his hands on the table and craned his neck.
Master Xu shook his head and said, "I don't know. When I got there, the person was already gone. There was only one student practicing swordsmanship on the third floor, but it was obviously not him. He passed the first floor trial last year, and the illusion wouldn't activate after he went in again."
The dean then asked, "Elder Xu has studied talisman arrays for many years. Do you know why the illusion was destroyed?"
Master Xu thought for a moment and said, "In the past, when the students were undergoing trials, they all maintained a sliver of clarity in their minds and endured the mental impact of the illusion with unwavering willpower. Therefore, although they broke through the illusion, it did not affect the illusion. This time, after thinking it over, I can only think of one reason..."
"what reason?"
"This person did not endure the hardship with unwavering willpower, but rather broke through the illusion with sheer force, thus directly destroying it," Master Xu replied.
Upon hearing this explanation, the dean was stunned for a long time, then suddenly slammed his fist on the table and said, "Investigate! We must find out who ruined the illusion!"
Master Xu asked cautiously, "What does the Dean mean..."
"Of course he should pay compensation!"
The dean, still furious, picked up a teacup, intending to take a sip to calm himself, only to find it empty. He couldn't help but crush the teacup into powder with a "crunch".
"Confused!"
Upon hearing this, Master Xu became very anxious. Relying on his seniority in the academy, he said bluntly, "Qingfeng Academy has been declining for many years because it has no outstanding disciples. Now that one has finally appeared, it's one thing if you don't support him, but why do you expect him to compensate you?"
The dean had already changed his cup, finished the remaining half pot of tea, and then sat behind the table catching his breath for a long time before finally calming down.
“Old Xu is right. I was just in a fit of anger and spoke without thinking. Now that I think about it, this may be a good opportunity for the rise of Qingfeng Academy. Therefore, we still need to investigate, but once we find out, we will definitely do our best to cultivate them, even if it means exhausting the resources of the entire academy.”
"Dean, you are absolutely right. This is a rare opportunity. It seems that Qingfeng Academy has a good chance of regaining its former glory." Seeing that the two had reached a consensus, Master Xu said excitedly.
"Then it's settled. I'll arrange for someone to thoroughly investigate this matter tomorrow. Since you're not in the mood for tea anymore, why don't you go back and rest? I'll have someone notify you as soon as there's any news."
"Alright, then I'll wait for your news." Master Xu agreed and was about to leave the room, but as soon as he turned around, he turned back and smiled, "Your pre-Qingming Longjing tea tasted quite good, do you have any more?"
“There are still some,” the dean said with a smile.
"Then just pack me ten or eight catties, I can drink it slowly when I get home." Master Xu's smile grew even brighter.
This is pre-Qingming Longjing tea, and it's always priced per piece. Do you think it's just pig feed growing on the mountain, and you're going to just pack it up in ten or eight pounds?
The dean stood up with a smile, ready to see him off, but upon hearing this, his smile froze, and he collapsed into the recliner.