At the words of the Dean of the Tiger Institute, the eyes of every Beast Flame Academy executive lit up.

The Dean of the Wolf Institute also spoke in a low voice, "If that doesn’t work, we could poison them or something. Leave them with no one left to compete."

Zeng Quan shook his head at this suggestion.

"Let’s hold off on the more sinister methods for now. Otherwise, Marquis Longyin will raise a fuss. We’ll proceed with the Dean of the Tiger Institute’s plan for the time being."

"Besides, the Descendants of Azure Flame aren’t impossible to bribe. We just need to offer them enough..."

After Zeng Quan spoke, the decision was finalized with a resounding slam on the table. They began investigating the backgrounds and personalities of the Dragon Flame Academy students. They had to get this done before the third trial began.

They couldn’t delay the third trial for too long; it had to be held within three days at the most.

Otherwise, Dongfang Ren would lead the Small Institutes to attack.

...

Back in the Beast Flame Inner Courtyard, inside a small courtyard within the Lion Institute.

"Fake Lu Chao, Fake Lu Chao..."

"Wu Caicai, Wu Caicai..."

Wu Yiyi’s teeth-grinding voice echoed through the courtyard. Suddenly... SLAP!

She viciously slapped a guard before her, sending him flying, and said in a cold voice, "What do you think you’re doing? You hurt me."

The guard had been tending to her wound—the very arrow wound Lu Chao had given her.

"I’m sorry, Miss Yiyi! I didn’t mean to."

The guard she had slapped dropped to his knees, utterly terrified into silence.

Miss Yiyi had a short fuse these days. Every guard and household servant had been beaten by her. But what could they do? She had been pampered her entire life and had never suffered such an injury before.

Besides, they couldn’t openly retaliate against the Fake Lu Chao, not with Marquis Longyin protecting him.

She sat down again.

A cold glint flashed in Wu Yiyi’s eyes. "Has the message about Wu Caicai withdrawing from the Tiger Institute been sent out?"

The guard nodded emphatically. "The news of Wu Caicai’s actions and your injury, Miss Yiyi, has been sent to the Second Master. He will surely go settle the score with the First Master at once. Wu Caicai is certain to suffer ten times the pain you did..."

Wu Yiyi’s eyes grew crazed and cold, her expression twisting as she ground her teeth.

"Fake Lu Chao, I won’t let you get away with this. I will have my revenge."

"But Fake Lu Chao, I think I like you even more now. I, Wu Yiyi, will conquer you, you beast! But before I do, I’m going to make you suffer. I’m going to... tear you and your wife apart."

As she spoke, she fell into deep thought.

Just then, Zheng Zhuhe’s voice came from outside. "Yiyi, please see me."

Hearing his voice, Wu Yiyi, deep in thought, looked annoyed.

’This damned idiot. If he hadn’t threatened the Fake Lu Chao, none of this would have happened.’

Wu Yiyi had, of course, already figured out that it was Zheng Zhuhe’s big mouth that caused this.

His threats for the Fake Lu Chao to surrender had given Marquis Longyin the perfect pretext, leaving her with an arrow wound and no way to demand reparations from Dragon Flame Academy.

Although her performance at the time was convincing, anyone could see that she and Zheng Zhuhe were working together.

At that moment, a guard reminded her, "Miss, perhaps you should see him. No matter what, Zheng Zhuhe is the strongest genius of the Saint Bone Zheng Family. He’s been standing outside for four hours."

Indeed, in his quest for Wu Yiyi’s forgiveness, Zheng Zhuhe had been waiting outside for four hours.

At the guard’s suggestion, Wu Yiyi waved a hand. "Let him come in."

The moment Zheng Zhuhe entered, Wu Yiyi’s demeanor instantly changed to one of extreme frailty. Her voice was faint. "Young Master Zheng, I had fainted and only just now regained consciousness. It was not my intention to ignore you."

As her words faded, a look of profound pity washed over Zheng Zhuhe’s face... SLAP!

He slapped himself hard across the face. "I’m useless! I talked too much! I’m the one who got you hurt." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

After leaving Battle Valley, Zheng Zhuhe had, of course, been thoroughly chewed out by Zeng Quan and the others.

Only then did he realize he had said too much.

Before that, however, Zheng Zhuhe hadn’t thought he’d done anything wrong. He believed it was simply the result of Zeng Quan and the others not being forceful enough.

But seeing Wu Yiyi’s frail state, Zheng Zhuhe was instantly convinced that he had been terribly, terribly wrong.

"To err is human. How could anyone be perfect? I don’t blame you," Wu Yiyi replied, her voice as faint as a thread of silk.

Her words moved Zheng Zhuhe to the point of tears.

He swore all manner of oaths, vowing to avenge Wu Yiyi and crush the Fake Lu Chao under his heel. When Wu Yiyi said she needed to rest, Zheng Zhuhe promptly took his leave.

Before he left, Zheng Zhuhe said grimly, "Yiyi, before the third trial starts, I swear I’ll collect some interest on your behalf."

And with that, Zheng Zhuhe stormed off.

The moment he was gone, Wu Yiyi’s frail act vanished. A cold smile played on her lips. ’Go on, make a scene. Best case scenario, you cause enough trouble for Marquis Longyin to lock you up. Then I won’t have to bother with you and can focus all my energy on conquering the Fake Lu Chao.’

With that, Wu Yiyi stretched languidly.

Then, she turned to a guard and gave a cold command. "Go and secretly monitor Dragon Flame Academy. I want an opportunity to meet the Fake Lu Chao’s wife alone. I want to get a look at this wife of his, the one with the Saint Bone Su Family bloodline."

...

「Late that night, in the courtyard housing Dragon Flame Academy.」

Everyone had already retired to their rooms to rest, but Yu Fei and Fan Jinhua were drinking in the courtyard, standing guard against any potential dirty tricks.

In the sky above, a Flying Bird Demon Beast circled...

It was an Order Enforcement Team Member sent by Marquis Longyin. He, too, was worried that someone might try to pull a fast one on Dragon Flame Academy.

Inside Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu’s room, the husband and wife sat facing each other, each absorbed in their Cultivation.

As for Cheng Yunsu...

Innate True Qi roiled and blazed throughout her body. It was as if the cry of a Fire Sparrow echoed from within her. After several hours of Cultivation, Cheng Yunsu had already reached the Innate Third Layer, and she was still making progress.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Lu Chao, deep in his Cultivation, opened his eyes. He glanced sideways out the window and saw a strange, dark figure...

After a moment’s thought, Lu Chao shot out of the room without hesitation.

As he appeared, the figure outside the window instantly flickered away. Lu Chao pursued without pause.

「Half an hour later.」

The chase led them away from the courtyards where the various academies were resting and to a small hill within the Beast Flame Academy grounds. There, Lu Chao saw the figure ahead of him stop before an old, unrestored residence of the Azure Flame Sect.

Lu Chao stopped as well and got straight to the point. "Elder Dongfang, to what do I owe the pleasure of being led out here in the middle of the night?"

Indeed, the figure in the darkness was none other than Dongfang Ren.

By the light of the moon and stars, Lu Chao saw a man with a perfectly straight back. There was not a hint of a stoop, and his posture exuded a powerful, suffocating pressure. The moment the figure turned, however, it revealed the aged face of Dongfang Ren.

His face was a dense web of wrinkles, as if they had been carved with a knife.

A look of surprise flickered in his eyes. He asked in a low voice, "You can still recognize me, even looking like this?"