Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"Six to seven days? That's not too far" Zhang Xuan nodded.
Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beast, the Great Violetwing Beast wouldn't even be able to reach the borders of Hongyuan Empire in six to seven days. Judging from that, it didn't seem like the Saint Ascension Platform was too far away.
With a faint smile, Luo Ruoxin asked, "How about it? Are you interested in going with me?"
"Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded excitedly.
Putting aside that Luo Ruoxin was going as well, it was a good opportunity in itself for any master teacher to visit the grounds where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood.
On top of that, there was a chance he might learn something about the Innate Fetal Poison there as well.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan asked, "When do we set off?"
"If it is convenient for you, we can set forth this instant" Luo Ruoxin replied.
"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
Since the Grand Intermittence Grass hadn't arrived yet, Zhang Xuan couldn't forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. At the current moment, Wei Ruyan's soul and body were being nourished by the Ten-leafed Flower and Earth Vein Spirit Essence respectively, so there shouldn't be any problems in the short run. A six to seven days journey shouldn't be an issue.
After instructing Sun Qiang to take care of the others, he and Luo Ruoxin leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and set forth for the Saint Ascension Platform.
Shortly after Zhang Xuan left Hongyuan City, Dong Xin arrived at the office of the head of the Formation Master School, Chen Chengxun.
Noticing the anxiety on the usually composed face of his most prided student, Chen Chengxun asked apprehensively, "What's wrong?"
Dong Xin clenched her teeth and said, "I have something extremely important to report I hope that teacher can take me to meet School Head Lu Feng!"
"You want to meet School Head Lu Feng? Whatever for?" Chen Chengxun frowned.
A matter brought up with the stand-in principal would elevate the issue to the academy-wide level. Just what kind of matter would require such attention?
"This matter concerns the safety of the Master Teacher Academy as well as Senior Byzantium Helios and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Dong Xin said grimly.
"Senior Byzantium Helios?"
Chen Chengxun immediately stood up in agitation. "You have news on him?"
"Yes!" Dong Xin nodded.
"That's good news. Follow me, I'll take you to School Head Lu"
Not daring to make light of the matter, Chen Chengxun swiftly took his direct disciple to the Apothecary School.
Before long, they arrived at Lu Feng's residence.
After sealing the surroundings to ward off any eavesdroppers, the two school heads took their seats and gazed at the young lady before them.
"So, what's the matter?" Lu Feng asked with a tinge of agitation in his voice.
Mu shi had once said that whoever who found the Byzantium Helios Beast would be the next principal of the academy. If Lu Feng were to obtain the authority of principal, he would be able to deal with Zhang Xuan as he pleased.
Be it Mo Zhu or Zhao Bingxu, they would only be able to accept the verdict quietly.
"It's like this. Earlier today I saw Senior Byzantium Helios!" Dong Xin said.
Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing those words.
"You saw him? Where is he? Is he safe?" Lu Feng asked anxiously.
Since Dong Xin had seen the Byzantium Helios Beast that day, it meant that the latter was still in Hongyuan City. If so, they could still make it in time to save him if they were to rush over immediately.
"He is currently in Zhang Xuan's manor," Dong Xin said.
"Zhang Xuan's manor? Why would Senior Byzantium Helios be there?" Lu Feng asked in astonishment
"It's like this. By some coincidence I happened to pass by the manor and saw Senior Byzantium Helios being trapped within a formation in the manor. He tried to escape, but he couldn't break out of the formation" Without hiding anything, Dong Xin revealed everything she had seen in Zhang Xuan's manor.
As she had been hidden quite a distance away, she couldn't get a clear glimpse of the puppets, so she thought that they were real Otherworldly Demons.
"You are saying that Zhang Xuan ordered twenty Otherworldly Demons to assault Senior Byzantium Helios, and from the looks of the situation then, he seems to be their leader?" Overwhelmed by the news before him, Lu Feng abruptly stood up.
This was really beyond his imagination.
Even for someone who had lived for several centuries, he could hardly believe what he had just heard.
"Is what you said true?" Chen Chengxun asked Dong Xin anxiously.
This was truly a huge matter.
To order twenty Otherworldly Demons to attack the Byzantium Helios Beast, and to emanate a powerful killing intent himself All of this was clearly screaming that Zhang Xuan was a spy in the Master Teacher Academy, and it was highly likely that he was an Otherworldly Demon himself!
"I am willing to use my identity as a master teacher to vow that every word that I have said is true. If there is the slightest falsehood in my words, I am willing to have my master teacher license revoked" Dong Xin raised her right hand and swore earnestly.
To swear in one's name as a master teacher was one of the heaviest vows one could make. If something were to go wrong, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to pursue the matter, it would still lead to a collapse in faith, making it difficult for one to make any progress in their Soul Depth.
"This" Seeing Dong Xin make such a vow, Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun exchanged glances, and their expression grew even graver.
A moment later, a thought suddenly struck Lu Feng, and he exclaimed in realization, "That explains why that fellow is skilled in so many supporting occupations despite being only twenty this year, surpassing even school heads like us! So that's the reason!"
Noticing the confusion of the other two beside him, Lu Feng explained, "The Otherworldly Demons possess a far longer lifespan than us humans. Even though that fellow seems to be in his early twenties, the chances are that he is an old monster who has lived through many eras. Otherwise, how could he possibly achieve such expertise in his smithing, pill forging, medicine, and terpsichorean arts?"
"This" Chen Chengxun pondered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. "What you've said makes sense. He has been causing great chaos in the academy ever since his enrollment, rallying the students to join his Xuanxuan Faction and support him. I have been thinking that there is something abnormal about this situation, but if he truly is an Otherworldly Demon, everything makes perfect sense!"
That Zhang Xuan simply had far too many mysteries surrounding him. Even his comprehension of the Eye of Insight seemed insufficient to justify the unbelievable accomplishments he had achieved thus far. However, if he was indeed an Otherworldly Demon, everything came together like pieces in a puzzle.
"Otherworldly Demons are the bane of humanity. As master teachers, we have to kill every single one of them" A sharp glint flashed across Lu Feng's eyes, and he gritted his teeth furiously.
The enmity between Otherworldly Demons and humanity was already etched deep into their bones, irreconcilable at this point. Since Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon, there was only one thing to do he had to die!
"That's right. It's our responsibility as master teachers to eliminate all those who intend humanity harm." Chen Chengxun spoke in agreement.
However, the next moment, a frown appeared on his forehead. "But Zhang Xuan has already won the trust of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others. If we can't find any concrete evidence against him, we might only end up creating a rift among ourselves."
"Those fools!" Lu Feng harrumphed coldly.
With an air of superiority, he declared confidently, "From the first time I saw him, I could tell that fellow wasn't a good person, but they just simply wouldn't believe it. Now, look at what their obstinacy has led us to. Alright, let's look for Mu shi and explain this matter to him. Afterward, we shall assemble the Ten Great Master Teachers, bring Zhang Xuan over, and expose him before them!"
"Indeed! With Mu shi around, the others won't be able to oppose the matter!" Chen Chengxun nodded in agreement.
"Un!" Lu Feng nodded in satisfaction.
After which, he turned to the young lady in the room and said, "You are Dong Xin, right? You have done well. Later, when we meet Mu shi, recount what you have seen to him I know that apothecary is one of your supporting occupations as well. As long as you settle this matter well, I will take you in as my direct disciple and impart pill forging to you personally!"
Hearing those words, Dong Xin immediately kneeled down and greeted agitatedly, "Dong Xin pays respect to Lu laoshi!"
If Lu Feng were to become the principal of the academy, she would be the direct disciple of the principal. With her standing as the direct disciples of two school heads, it would only be a matter of time before her Dong Xin Faction became the number one faction in the academy!
Hahahaha!
Hu Yaoyao, Long Cangyue, and Xue Zhenyang, let's see how you compare to me then!
As for Zhang Xuan with his identity as an Otherworldly Demon revealed, his life was over. His name was no longer worth even a mention.
"Alright, let's look for Mu shi now"
With a nod, Lu Feng was just about to head out when he abruptly stopped. "Wait a moment! If I recall correctly, Zhang Xuan has a close relationship with Luo shi as well. If we meet Mu shi now, I fear that the news might reach Zhang Xuan somehow, giving him time to make preparations in advance. It will be difficult for us to capture him if he flees!"
Concealing his aura and disguising as a master teacher, it would mean that the other party was likely royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.
If an expert of that caliber were to flee in advance, not even a Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would necessarily be able to track him down and capture him, let alone the Master Teacher Academy.
This matter would have to be planned carefully.
"Indeed!" Chen Chengxun also nodded in agreement.
No matter how slim the chances were, it was never wrong to be prepared.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Feng instructed, "School Head Chen, help me look into where that Zhang Xuan is at the moment. Dispatch a few men to observe him all day long, don't give him any chance to escape Once our preparations are ready, we shall inform Mu shi and have him judge the matter!"
As much as he would have loved to rush straight up to Zhang Xuan and have him executed immediately, he knew that this wasn't the time to be reckless. As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he was still able to keep his composure in crucial moments like this.
"I will have it done!" School Head Chen replied before leaving the room. A moment later, he returned after dispatching two elders to Zhang Xuan's manor.
An hour later, one of the two elders walked into the room and reported, "School Head Lu, School Head Chen, we went to Zhang Xuan's manor, and he isn't there. Thus, we asked around, and it seems like he left on an aerial spirit beast with Luo shi earlier this afternoon"
"He left?" The trio was stunned.
"That's right. He left two hours ago. As for where he went, he didn't inform anyone before departing, so we weren't able to uncover his trail," the elder replied.
With their cultivation as Saint realm experts, it wasn't too difficult for them to check the entire manor discreetly to confirm Zhang Xuan's absence. After which, they questioned those living in the vicinity about Zhang Xuan's whereabouts, which was where they learned that Zhang Xuan had left with Luo shi on an aerial spirit beast.
However, considering that not even Sun Qiang knew where he was heading, there was no way the others could possibly know.
"He left two hours ago?" Lu Feng's complexion was extremely awful.
A spirit beast could cover several thousand kilometers in two hours. Even if he were to dispatch the full force of the Master Teacher Academy, there was no way he could locate an aerial spirit beast who could be anywhere within a several-thousand-kilometer radius in a short period of time, and by the time they managed to find any trail, the other party would have been long gone.
Lu Feng turned around and asked, "Are his students still around?"
"They are!" the elder replied. "Also, based on our sources, it seems Luo shi was the one who extended the invitation to him to head out."
"That's good. From the looks of it, it seems he has only headed out to settle some matters. The fact that his students are still around likely means that the news hasn't reached him yet. Keep a close eye on this matter. As soon as he returns, make sure to report to me as soon as possible!" Flinging his sleeves, Lu Feng instructed them with a majestic disposition fitting that of a principal of the Master Teacher Academy.
"Yes!" The elder nodded before leaving the room.
"Now that he's not around, what do we do?" Chen Chengxun asked.
"What do we do? We wait! As soon as he returns, we shall conduct an Elder Conference and unmask his true identity before Mu shi and the others!" With killing intent raging in his eyes, Lu Feng sneered coldly.
Arrogant, aren't you? Challenging my authority and destroying my Apothecary School
Zhang Xuan, let me tell you. Your good days have come to an end!
Just wait and see. I, Lu Feng, shall crush you utterly!