Chapter 109: What Grudge, What Resentment?

Everyone turned to look. Only Zhang Xiaorou’s eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation. Whenever Xiao Nan showed this expression, it meant he was about to get serious.

Director Chen was in for trouble—or rather, many others were about to suffer as well.

The two notaries exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. They had no objections. Although Yuanjiang No.1 High School’s reception standards were high and interactions had been pleasant, that did not mean they would turn a blind eye to cheating in the exam.

It was utterly despicable.

No matter how one thought about it, the mastermind behind this incident could not possibly be a mere logistics director.

What nerve did he have, to dare sabotage the school’s vitality test?

While they did not believe Xiao Nan could casually inquire and uncover much, they still held some hope for this student who had managed to defeat a first-rank puppet. They were happy to grant a favor, allowing him to vent his frustrations aloud.

After all, if he were being targeted and framed like this and remained silent, he would be far too meek.

A little release was beneficial.

“Please proceed,” said the notary on the left, a woman in her late thirties, smiling gently.

Xiao Nan walked up to Chen Chusheng, his gaze devoid of pity or warmth.

The bronze mirror stirred slightly, spiritual waves of the Sitting Forgetting Realm surged like waves.

“Director Chen, what grievance or enmity do you hold against me to harm me in this way? Do you not feel any pangs of guilt?”

At these words, the surrounding crowd was instantly moved, as if recalling all the regrets of a lifetime.

Especially some parents seated nearby, whose eyes unwittingly glistened with tears.

“Regret...”

Su Yuqing turned her head in surprise.

Tang Zhixuan and Zhang Xiaomouth gaped, utterly shocked.

Under Li Yuancheng’s golden-rimmed glasses flashed a cold glint.

The tone was unusual.

These few were powerful, their spiritual realms not weak. Naturally, they could discern the intense emotional force embedded in the voice.

What was most remarkable was not just the clever use of spiritual power—if that were all, it would only show Xiao Nan’s exceptional spiritual talent, making him outstanding among students.

That would be nothing extraordinary.

But from his words, they heard a resounding call to conscience, a solemn righteousness ringing like a warning bell.

How strange!

Even they felt their heartstrings tremble slightly, involuntarily reflecting on whether they had ever committed any wrongs.

Such thoughts briefly surfaced before being swiftly cut off by their strong will, leaving no trace.

Chen Chusheng, however, was different.

He was the first target of Xiao Nan’s accusation. His martial ability barely reached first rank, his spiritual realm hardly existent; he had not even broken through the Sitting Forgetting stage.

When Xiao Nan fully unleashed his spiritual power, aided by the bronze mirror’s evil-subduing ability, a sharp command left Chen’s eyes blank, tears streaming uncontrollably.

“It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! It was Vice Principal Lin who ordered me to do this!”

Xiao Nan’s questioning was rapid.

Chen’s response was even faster.

As Xiao Nan’s voice fell, Chen sobbed loudly, revealing the hidden secrets of his heart.

The situation twisted and turned swiftly, so fast that even Lin Anguo was caught off guard.

He was stirred by Xiao Nan’s fierce rebuke, feeling an unexpected pang of shame.

Startled, he quickly regained clarity but realized too late; he could no longer stop Chen from speaking.

In his ears came a thunderous demand: “What did Lin Anguo instruct you to do?”

“He told me to tamper with the puppet chip program so that when you appeared, the Violent Ape Puppet’s original strength would be restored. If you were unprepared, it could injure or kill you on the spot. Then, I was to stop the puppet’s movements and delete the program, all without anyone knowing.”

A clamor rose around them.

Was this even allowed?

It was attempted murder, wasn’t it?

Unlike Xiao Nan, the distinguished guests and parents who came to witness had done their homework and carefully explained matters to their children.

They all understood the true strength of the Violent Ape Puppet.

It was a machine that battled life and death against first-rank beast barbarians on the battlefield.

Chen Chusheng’s revelation was that Lin Anguo, the school’s vice principal, had ordered the puppet’s full power to be unleashed.

Not to mention a student taking the exam, even a first-rank martial artist would face mortal danger under such circumstances if caught unprepared.

What grudge, what hatred could there be?

Lin Anguo’s face turned deathly pale. He retreated several steps, stammering, “You... you’re slandering me!”

He shouted hoarsely.

“Slandering?” Xiao Nan’s face bore a mocking smile as he turned back to Chen Chusheng and asked, “What conditions did Lin Anguo promise you to take such a huge risk?”

“He said that if I succeeded, once Madame Cui retired, he would use his influence to promote me to vice principal. Moreover, he revealed that with powerful backing, he would soon push Sun Zhongli out of the school through shareholder votes. From then on, Yuanjiang No.1 High School would be under his control...”

At these words, everyone looked at Lin Anguo and Chen Chusheng as if they were looking at corpses.

Their gaze toward Xiao Nan grew deeply wary.

This boy was ruthless.

If he did not act, fine, but once he did, it was a matter of life and death.

If the aftermath involved a quiet investigation to uncover the truth, there would still be room for maneuver—fines where due, apologies where necessary, at most dismissal from public office, preventing them from holding the posts of vice principal or logistics director again.

Political struggles were often like this, always leaving some face intact; even for grave mistakes, it was rare to deal death directly.

But Xiao Nan was different. He acted decisively, exposing the affair before two thousand people.

His killing intent was piercing.

He had dragged Yuanjiang No.1 High School straight into a pit.

If you crave fame, how can you explain such a scandal without sacrificing a few lives to placate public outrage?

In fact, in this era of martial cultivation’s rise, justice and fairness were paramount.

It concerned the progress of countless cultivators and their destinies—there was no room for cheating.

Let alone attempted murder at the examination.

Normally, such discoveries would be dealt with severely, regardless of causes or consequences.

Those in high positions would think: if exam corruption was tolerated and not strictly punished, would it not ruin societal morals?

Would it not crush the hopes of the common people and erode faith in the government?

Forget nurturing geniuses to face threats from other realms.

The people’s unity might collapse.

When trust in the authorities vanishes, who would be willing to risk life and blood to serve and protect their nation?

What was most alarming was that such shifts in public sentiment would allow otherworldly gods to seize the opportunity.

Though these beings rarely manifested physically, they never stood idly by. They infiltrated through apostles, priests, heralds, and preachers.

Hidden throughout human society, they were always ready to create major upheavals.

When the two realms first connected, the empire was unprepared. Several cities in Jiangnan fell directly, overtaken by evil god worship.

The common folk easily changed their beliefs, turning madly against the empire.

Eventually, the government, helpless, resorted to deploying weapons of mass destruction to wipe out those cities entirely.

Even now, the land remains barren, a ghost domain.

This was a painful cure, but the greatest loss was to the empire itself, nearly shaking its foundation.

Therefore, subsequent administrations placed greater emphasis on policies and welfare.

They maintained correct public opinion to reassure the populace.

All officials, regardless of department, were expected to uphold integrity at least outwardly.

What they did in secret was another matter; as long as no one discovered, it was not deemed serious.

However, if any public servant was caught cheating or corrupt in broad daylight, the punishment was severe.

Especially for acts with a massive impact that threatened the very foundation of the martial cultivation society, such crimes were unforgivable.