The fury in Xiao Wenjie's words was palpable. Even those who had an issue with Ye Tian didn't dare to speak up now. No one needed to be told what the consequences of angering the dean were.
Ye Tian had no objection to Xiao Wenjie's punishment. He was planning to leave Linyuan Academy soon anyway. Although Xiao Wenjie had announced in front of all the students that his reward was forfeited, Ye Tian knew his actual reward would be far greater than anyone else's.
Xiao Wenjie would give him the full reward in private. This public declaration was just to prevent the other students from raising any further objections. As for Instructor Nalu, Xiao Wenjie hadn't given him a second thought.
In Xiao Wenjie's eyes, even if Instructor Nalu died ten times, it wouldn't be worth Ye Tian getting injured once. It was fortunate Ye Tian hadn't been hurt this time. If he had, Instructor Nalu might not even be here right now; he would have likely been killed by either Guan Tianshui or Xiao Wenjie himself.
At that moment, Instructor Nalu's face was contorted with rage. He couldn't believe Xiao Wenjie had let Ye Tian off so easily. But at least the dean had said Ye Tian would be expelled from Linyuan Academy in two months; otherwise, he really wouldn't know when to make his move.
'I'll just have to swallow my pride for now,' he thought. 'But two months is plenty of time to prepare.'
"Ye Tian, do you have any objections to this punishment?" Xiao Wenjie asked with a smile.
"Dean, you've been lenient, for which I am deeply grateful. I have no objections and willingly accept your punishment," Ye Tian replied with a slight smile, the corner of his eye glancing toward Instructor Nalu.
Instructor Nalu was also looking at Ye Tian at that moment. Seeing the contempt in Ye Tian's gaze, his resentment deepened. He cursed inwardly, 'Don't get cocky, kid. I'll let you live for two more months. The day you leave Linyuan Academy will be the day you die.'
Of course, Ye Tian didn't know what Instructor Nalu was thinking. He only knew the man must be incredibly bitter. But he wasn't worried about being ambushed. With Zhang Xinlan around, he wouldn't fear even ten Instructor Nalus.
"Good! Since you have no objections, come to my office tomorrow. I will personally escort you to the Detention Chamber to begin your punishment. Zhang Xinlan, you too. This field activity, on the whole, was quite satisfactory.
It allowed us to witness your teamwork, your willingness to compromise, and your drive to protect other students. Of course, there were also a few students who, believing themselves powerful, deliberately bullied the weaker ones. Even worse, some committed utterly deplorable acts against female students.
The academy will not let this slide. Any student who committed such transgressions during the field activity will be punished. I don't care who you are or how powerful your family isβin my eyes, you are nothing. The academy will ensure that the bullied students get justice," Xiao Wenjie declared loudly to the students below.
The students below immediately burst into applause. Of course, the faces of a small minority turned ugly. A few even broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing his words. It went without saying that they had a guilty conscience and were terrified.
Xiao Wenjie, Guan Tianshui, and the other instructors certainly noticed the uneasy looks on many faces. They specifically instructed the instructors of each class to note down the names of those students so they could be investigated later. It was another method for uncovering the truth.
After a moment, Xiao Wenjie continued, "This concludes the field activity. I hope that those students who did not receive an award will continue to work hard and strive for better results next time. As for those who did receive awards, do not grow complacent. Continue to push yourselves.
Cultivation is a path without end. Only the diligent can stand taller and see farther than others. Keep up the good work! You are all dismissed. Return to your respective classes; I'm sure your instructors have more to say to you."
The crowd quickly dispersed. After exchanging a few words with Ye Feifei and Qin Xiaowan, Ye Tian returned to his dorm with Zhou Xiang and the others. However, he had told Ye Feifei to meet him the following night, saying he had something to talk to her about. This made Ye Feifei's heart pound wildly.
'Does Ye Tian want to be intimate with me?' was her first thought. After all, it had been a long time since they had done *that*, and she was filled with anticipation.
"Boss, the academy was so unfair to you! Why should your first-place prize be given to someone else? Did you see that guy from the Advanced Class? He looked like he was about to burst with joy. That smug look on his face was fucking disgusting," Zhou Xiang grumbled.
"Zhou Xiang, you're not just saying that because you had your eye on the boss's reward, are you? Now that it's gone, you must be devastated," Chu Hongyuan immediately shot back.
"What are you talking about, Brother Chu? I'm just outraged on the boss's behalf! As his brother, of course I can't just stand by and watch! Or do you think it's right that the boss didn't get his reward?" Zhou Xiang retorted, clearly annoyed.
"Alright, alright. I understand how you feel, but I couldn't care less about the academy's reward. To be blunt, the things I'll give you will be far better than that prize. However, I'll have to wait until after I leave to give them to you.
Dean Xiao is actually protecting me by doing this. You should all know that killing a student and injuring an instructor are extremely serious offenses. If it had been anyone else, they would have been locked up long ago. I think you all know what the final outcome would have been.
But I was only sentenced to the Detention Chamber. This so-called 'detention' is really just an opportunity for me to focus on my Cultivation. I'll still be free. The dean and I already discussed this. Originally, the academy wasn't going to punish me at all, but I felt that would cause a public outcry, so I'm the one who suggested this," Ye Tian explained.
"Boss, you're incredible! Even the dean listens to you! You're my idol!" Zhou Xiang exclaimed in amazement.
"Stop sucking up," Ye Tian said. "As your boss, I'll naturally take care of you. You guys should head to the academic building now. I'm sure Instructor Xiao and Instructor Lin are already there. I'm not going."
The three of them glanced at Ye Tian before walking out the door. Ye Tian must have had his reasons for not going, so they didn't press him.
Not long after Zhou Xiang and the others left, Ye Tian also exited his room. He was heading to the place where he and Xiao Yaoyao had been together for the first time. Since Xiao Yaoyao had told him to come find her, it was inevitable that *it* would happen again.
And deep down, Ye Tian felt the need as well. After all, that day with Lin Ling, he had felt a powerful urge, but the time and place had been unsuitable. So, this "glorious mission" could only be entrusted to Xiao Yaoyao.
When Ye Tian arrived at the small, herb garden-like courtyard, he discovered that Xiao Yaoyao hadn't gone to the academic building. Though he couldn't see her, he could clearly hear the sound of splashing water from inside the house, a sign that she was bathing...