High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices-Chapter 100: Public Opinion Erupts

Hearing Xu Wuyi’s response, a gratified look flashed in Principal Zhang’s eyes. "Good! You don’t have to worry about this anymore. I’ll handle it. Just focus on your training!"

And so, the matter was settled.

Zhang Qiming’s reply was relayed to the Lin Family through an intermediary. The wording wasn’t harsh, but the rejection was unequivocal.

However, the tree may wish for calm, but the wind will not subside.

The day after Xu Wuyi rejected the Lin Family’s financial support, a media firestorm targeting the family erupted without warning.

That morning, Principal Zhang received a message from Capital Xingjing. It was from an old friend.

"We haven’t even started, and someone has already made a move."

The message displayed the headline from a highly influential Martial Arts news platform based in the Capital, "Universal Martial News":

[Injustice for Dongjiang’s New Top Scorer? Why the Joint Exam’s #1 Lost His Shot at the ’Three Greats’!]

It started in Capital Xingjing City, where posts and articles "digging up old dirt" began to surface on several influential Martial Arts forums and social media platforms.

The content pointed directly to the "Three-School Joint Exam" held months prior in Red River City, a municipality within Linjiang City in Dongjiang Province.

The articles meticulously detailed the results of the joint exam, explicitly stating that Xu Wuyi, a student at Honghe First Middle School at the time, had claimed first place by comprehending a True Intention of Martial Arts.

However, the spot for the special recruitment exam, which should have been awarded based on the joint exam’s results, was given to another candidate.

The articles didn’t state it outright, but they guided readers to their own conclusions, hinting at injustice and mentioning sensitive phrases like "interference from powerful local families" and "unequal allocation of resources."

This news was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, initially creating ripples only within a small circle.

But the combination of keywords—"provincial top scorer," "special recruitment spot," and "powerful local family"—was naturally magnetic and highly shareable.

Soon, these articles and discussions were picked up by keen-eyed online media outlets, which quickly repackaged and spread them.

It was at this point that more details were leaked by "insiders," and the Lin Family’s name began to appear frequently in the reports.

Although the reports still used veiled terms like "a certain Lin family," within Dongjiang Province and even wider circles, it was as good as pointing the finger directly.

"They move fast," Principal Zhang scoffed. "Looks like someone doesn’t want to let this go."

"The Lin Family must have pulled strings within the province to try and suppress this, but with the story breaking from the Capital, their reach isn’t long enough to cover it up!"

Just one day later, more and more articles began to appear.

[SHOCKER! Spot Hijacked from Dongjiang’s Top Scorer, the Joint Exam’s #1?]

[Deep Dive: The Horse-Trading Behind Special Recruitment Spots]

[The Rise of Xu Wuyi, the Top Scorer from the Lower Class, and the ’Vanished’ Spot]...

The sources were all media platforms from the Capital or with a national reach.

The content was largely the same, all centering on a few key phrases: "joint exam’s #1," "special recruitment spot," "Lin Family’s meddling," "Grandmaster’s Disciple," and "new top scorer."

Meanwhile, the local media in Dongjiang Province remained silent, a clear sign that the Lin Family’s local influence was at play.

The news was a spark landing in a pan of hot oil, instantly setting the entire Federation’s Martial Arts community ablaze, especially the online spaces of Dongjiang Province.

"Holy shit! That actually happened? The provincial top scorer got his spot jacked?"

"The Lin Family? Which Lin Family??"

"Who else could it be? There’s only one family with a Councillor Lin in Dongjiang Province!"

"Grand Scholar Xu is a total badass! They snatched his spot, and he just clawed his way back through the main exams!"

"This is a pretty ugly look for the Lin Family, isn’t it? Stealing an opportunity from a genius from the lower class just to suck up to someone else?"

"You can’t really say that. The person in second place was a genius, too. It’s not that outrageous for them to get the spot, is it?"

"What does the poster above know? Rules are rules! This is about procedural fairness!"

"Give me a break. The exam spot belonged to Councillor Lin to begin with. He can give it to whoever he wants. What does procedure have to do with it?"

"So a councillor can do whatever he wants? The man is blind to talent! He has to be held responsible for his decision!"

"..."

Public opinion quickly fractured into several camps: those crying foul on Xu Wuyi’s behalf, those defending the Lin Family, and those who were just there for the drama.

Regardless, the topic of "Dongjiang Province’s Top Scorer Had His Exam Spot ’Stolen’" spread like wildfire from the Capital back to Dongjiang Province, shooting to the top of the trending charts on every major platform.

The old affair the Lin Family had tried to bury was dragged out into the spotlight in the one way they had most hoped to avoid.

...

「Linjiang City. The Lin Family Manor.」

The usual serene atmosphere had been replaced by a formless, pervasive anxiety.

The servants tiptoed around, terrified of disturbing their masters.

Inside the study, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than their last meeting, almost suffocating.

Lin Zhen remained in the master’s seat, the furrows on his brow seemingly etched even deeper.

His gaze swept over each of the family’s core members, his eyes filled with scrutiny and a subtle, underlying weariness.

The few people seated below him had lost their usual composure.

Lin Yongfeng’s salt-and-pepper eyebrows were knitted into a knot, his hands clasped so tightly in front of him his knuckles were white. Lin Liye, meanwhile, kept pulling out his terminal to refresh the page, his brow furrowed enough to crush a fly.

Lin Zhengwen clutched a stack of paper reports, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edges, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Only Lin Liren remained composed, holding a cup of warm tea, his posture perfectly straight, his face devoid of expression.

"Speak," Lin Zhen’s voice was low, laced with suppressed fury. "What’s the situation? Can someone tell me why we didn’t hear a single whisper before the fire was burning down our door?"

Lin Liye, who handled public relations and external businesses, was the first to speak, his tone full of indignation. "Patriarch, we’ve investigated. The first reports originated from several media outlets in Capital Xingjing."

"They timed it perfectly, blowing this whole thing open before we had a chance to reconcile with Xu Wuyi!"

Lin Yongfeng sighed, adding, "The most critical issue now is that Xu Wuyi has refused our financial support."

"Our plan to salvage our image by ’generously sponsoring the provincial top scorer’ is completely dead in the water. Now, the public will only see it as an admission of guilt—an attempt to buy his silence that failed, making us a laughingstock!"

Another family member said worriedly, "This is escalating too fast. It’s already affecting our businesses and reputation outside of Dongjiang Province. Several partners called today, asking probing questions. If this continues, the losses will be incalculable."

"Can we find a way to reach out to Xu Wuyi or Zhang Qiming again?" someone proposed. "If he just gives the nod, even just a simple statement, most of this public furor will die down."

Lin Zhengwen shook his head, a bitter look on his face. "I’ve tried. Zhang Qiming’s position is clear: ’Student Xu Wuyi needs to focus on his training and prepare for university, and we don’t want him disturbed by trivial outside matters.’ They were polite, but the rejection was absolute."

"He’s dead set on watching our family make a fool of ourselves!" Lin Liye couldn’t help but raise his voice, his tone laced with rage. "Some mud-legged peasant gets lucky enough to become top scorer, and he really thinks he can take on the Lin Family? Just wait until this whole thing blows over..."

"Liye!" Lin Zhen cut him off, his voice low and his gaze sharp. "Don’t be a fool. At this point, this is no longer about Xu Wuyi."

"When this is over, not only can we not retaliate, we have to be wary of someone else making a move on him and framing us for it!"

Lin Liye sullenly shut his mouth, but the resentment on his face was still plain to see.

The study once again fell into silence, a sense of helplessness hanging in the air.