Volume 4 Chapter 24: Her Majesty, the Imperial Princess
As early as thirteen years ago, after fighting against a cultivator most people in this world didn't know about, and then suffering another assassination attempt outside, most people thought that Vice Principal Xia had already died.
However, even though he only had a single arm left, he still tenaciously held onto life, appearing in Summer Spirit Lake again during this year's Green Luan Entrance Examination.
He was already extremely old. The wounds left behind by cultivators powerful beyond many people's imaginations inflicted pain even his powerful cultivation couldn't suppress, which was why even though he had cultivation ordinary cultivators couldn't even begin to fathom, in this type of snowy region, he still had an academy cloak on him, tightening a thin blanket that looked ordinary from the outside, but was actually priceless around him.
However, because Principal Zhang left Green Luan Academy to him, the weight of many people's lives resting on his shoulders, he couldn't rest at all, unable to be like most of the elders of this world, peacefully idling his time away under the setting sun, pondering over the frivolousness of their youth and those faces that were already blurry.
Diamond-like crystals continued to flutter about in the skies.
Vice Principal Xia left the mountain valley where he had a chat with Lin Xi, heading towards a camp at the foot of the mountain.
Whenever he took a step, there would always be a formless power supporting him, making his body fly forward gently.
It was as if he was walking in the skies, and not on this earth.
In front of a creek, a lecturer dressed in the academy's black robes, but wearing a pair of white fur boots, was waiting for Vice Principal Xia.
This slightly chubby, round-faced Green Luan Academy lecturer was named Mo Mingqi, Xiao Mingxuan's only student. Normally, he was almost always completely immersed in the sea of books and scrolls in Ailao Rear Mountain, most of the academy's lecturers and professors likely unable to recognize him, not knowing that there was someone like him in the academy.
The number of people Mo Mingqi recognized was also extremely few.
He was just like the 'shut in otakus' Lin Xi was familiar with from his past world, completely immersed in the online world, normally only interested in the various novel things recorded in the archives, not many people could draw his interest. However, it just so happened that this 'shut in' had the talent of running especially quickly.
Strictly in terms of running quickly, there might not be many people in this entire Green Luan Academy who could match him.
This 'shut in' who normally hated going out just happened to be a godwalker who ran especially quickly, this only once again proved that there were many contradictory things in this world.
Meanwhile, right now, Mo Mingqi was waiting for Vice Principal Xia because of someone, and he really was impatient to the point where he felt like he was burning... This person, in his mind, far surpassed the matters he normally paid the most attention to.
When he saw Vice Principal Xia appear in his line of sight, this round-faced slightly chubby young person immediately greeted him, offering up a small scroll.
"Good."
Vice Principal Xia opened it, only giving it a quick scan, and then nodded, saying, "Agree to their requests... but only give them the reply after three days."
When he heard the first half of what Vice Principal Xia said, this slightly chubby shut in's face immediately became filled with indescribable joy, but when he heard the later half, his body went a bit rigid, even asking with a bit of anger, "Vice Principal Xia, why do we need to wait three days?"
Vice Principal Xia looked at Mo Mingqi, seriously and gently explaining, "Not only do we need him back in Yunqin, we also need him alive... to safely return to Yunqin. However, you should also understand that even if Tangcang's people are going to bring him back to our Yunqin, if something happened to him in Yunqin's borders, it would have nothing to do with Tangcang. That is why we need a bit of time to make some preparations."
Mo Mingqi hung his head, but he was still a bit upset and puzzled. "Don't tell me that even in Yunqin's territory, we can't even ensure his safety... that we still need three days?"
Vice Principal Xia looked at Mo Mingqi, slowly saying, "You have to understand that Tangcang's empress dowager doesn't want him to return to Green Luan Academy alive either. Meanwhile, Tangcang child emperor's uncle Xiao Xiang will even more so pay any price to take his life."
After a slight pause, Vice Principal Xia looked at Mo Mingqi, saying with a slight sigh. "Moreover, the most crucial thing is whether or not he will be willing to return to Green Luan Academy just like that... Mo Mingqi, you entered the academy the same time he did, and you've gone on missions with him too. As his friend, you should understand his nature well, understand why he was trapped in Tangcang."
Mo Mingqi's face became a bit pale, silently nodding his head.
"I know you really want to see his safe return, many people in our academy also wish to see his safe return." Right when he prepared to turn around and leave, Vice Principal Xia instead looked at him, saying warmly, "You are quite quick... that is why I wanted to ask you, when the time comes, are you willing to personally receive him?"
Mo Mingqi stared blankly for a moment, and then immediately afterwards, he cried out, his voice even shaking a bit. "Vice Principal Xia... you... you are saying that I can be the one to receive him?"
"Rest well." Vice Principal Xia nodded. "When the time comes, the ones who will receive him won't be you alone."
...
In another camp, there was someone waiting for Lin Xi as well.
"Are you Silver Fox or not?"
Even without this competition, Lin Xi naturally recognized this black-haired, arrogant youngster, a heaven's choice student just like himself. However, the very first question the other side asked immediately made him couldn't help but stare blankly.
"What did you say?" Lin Xi looked at Wen Xuanyu who also looked extremely tired, unable to help but ask this.
"Are you Silver Fox or not?"
Wen Xuanyu looked at Lin Xi, repeating himself again.
He was always extremely arrogant, not willing to lose to anyone. That was why in the training valley, he saw 'Silver Fox' as his greatest rival. Even though he lost, he still continued to frantically train himself, trying to surpass 'Silver Fox'.
Lin Xi and Bian Linghan, in his eyes, were't strong, in his opinion, there was no way either one of them could be the mysterious Self Defense Department Silver Fox. This competition with Thunder Academy was also viewed by him as a struggle between Wen Family and Leng Family... However, before he could do anything remarkable, before he even met a single Thunder Academy student, only finding a prisoner, he was informed that this competition already ended with Green Luan Academy's great victory.
Moreover, the results of this competition were so bitter, ending in four deaths and one wounded on Thunder Academy's side.
In the world Lin Xi was familiar with, his performance was basically 'I'm just here to buy some soy sauce'.
Even though the entire competition process was already strictly confidential, even though not even the Thunder Academy students who entered this mountain peak through the emperor's grace knew about the exact details, from some of the related disputes, he at least concluded that Wanyan Muye seemed to have been seriously injured under Lin Xi's hands, the other side's most formidable student also seemed to have died under Lin Xi's hands.
He naturally didn't know that the one who sought out Lin Xi not long ago, the single-armed elder who possessed unrivaled glory had a type of all encompassing sight and calculations. The competition in itself was a part of a meticulous project he designed to hide Lin Xi's true abilities. According to both his and Xiao Mingxuan's calculations, there were some clues that they purposely didn't hide, letting them circulate about, thus allowing Lin Xi's Windstalker identity leak out to hide his other identities, or else there was completely no way for him to find out that Lin Xi was a decisive factor in this competition.
...
Lin Xi naturally didn't know that Wen Xuanyu treated him, 'Silver Fox', as his greatest rival. He was only an ordinary bumpkin, so he naturally didn't understand just what kind of mental blow this 'soy sauce buyer' result dealt this golden spoon heaven's choice.
He looked at Wen Xuanyu whose mood was rather strange, after some hesitation, he said in an extremely puzzled manner, "Regardless of whether I am or not, the set of armor I wear in the training valley isn't something that should be exposed, right?"
Wen Xuanyu silently looked at Lin Xi, his hands clenching into fists. "Seems like you should be the one."
Lin Xi's face immediately became a bit bitter. "I didn't say I am."
Wen Xuanyu looked at him and said, "But you didn't immediately say you weren't."
Lin Xi felt even more puzzlement as he looked at this silent and ice-cold, strange Wen Xuanyu, saying, "Then I'll say that I'm not."
Wen Xuanyu became quiet, not saying anything.
"What kind of relationship do you have with Silver Fox?" Lin Xi couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
Wen Xuanyu slowly raised his head, giving the pure faced Lin Xi a look. After remaining quiet for a few breaths of time, he said seriously, "Regardless of whether you are Silver Fox or someone else is Silver Fox, I will definitely surpass him."
After saying this, he didn't say anything else, directly turning around and leaving.
"What is the meaning of this? I don't think I've done anything that provoked public anger in the training valley?" Lin Xi stared speechlessly at Wen Xuanyu's icy arrogant rear figure, really finding this interaction strange.
...
"He really is too arrogant, don't you think?"
Suddenly, a clear female voice sounded from not far behind Lin Xi.
Lin Xi was shocked. He turned around, discovering that unknowingly when, a woman dressed in white imperial clothes appeared behind him.
The embroidered palace shoes were infected by a bit of muddy water, but this woman was still exceptionally bright and clean.
She didn't wear any face powder or eyebrow liner, her complexion quiet and exquisite. She wasn't especially gorgeous, some fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, clothes and accessories also extremely simple, not all that extravagant. However, when she spoke, there was a type of indescribable natural grace.
"May I ask who your respected self is?" Lin Xi carefully and respectfully greeted.
He understood it extremely well, even though there didn't seem to be many Green Luan Academy lecturers around him, Green Luan lecturers definitely wouldn't let someone of ordinary identity randomly appear at his side. Moreover, when this woman appeared at his side, he was caught completely unaware, this alone was enough to prove that this was a powerful cultivator with strength far greater than his own.
When she saw Lin Xi greet her respectfully, Changsun Muyue once again felt that this world was full of diversity, moreover filled with things previously unimagined.
Lin Xi's calm attitude and etiquette made her find him more and more pleasing to the eye. With a natural feeling of intimacy, her thin lips produced a smile, saying, "I am Changsun Muyue, not sure if you have heard this name before."
When he heard this, Lin Xi instantly confirmed the identity of imperial dress beauty with an outstanding reputation, filling him with even more shock. He bowed respectfully once more. "I pay my respects to her majesty, the imperial princess."