Chapter Ninety-Six: Helpless and Outmatched

“No wonder you old geezer look so kind and benevolent on the surface, when inside you’re nothing but a lust-crazed fiend in human skin! I advise you to stop scheming after Yan Xuesu. She already belongs to someone else. If you keep daydreaming, someone is going to take offense and teach you a lesson for your indecency, hahaha!”

Everyone stared at Xiao Yin, now transformed into that imposing blood-red serpent spirit, and it was really rather strange to hear such words from him.

Still, Xiao Yin was clearly the sort who never minded stirring up trouble for the sake of a good show. He could turn anything into a joke, leaving everyone at a loss for how to respond. But in another sense, this was also his way of settling that wily old man once and for all. In truth, Xiao Yin had long since seen through the old dean’s real purpose in making the wager. It was not merely to bring everyone a bit of amusement; he had been scheming all along to lure them into his trap.

So, in order to keep the old man from deliberately sabotaging the duel between himself and that brat, Xiao Yin had reluctantly agreed for the moment. Besides, he was fully confident he could beat the brat.

And even if he truly suffered the misfortune of losing both the match and the wager, he could simply turn his back on the whole thing and refuse to help. What could that old man do to him then? After all, his shamelessness was already famous; there was no need to worry about being laughed at for it.

Only these blunt, straightforward youngsters were the ones who suffered. Why had they been so foolish as to leap in after him one by one? Unlike him, they could not do whatever they pleased at will; even when they had spoken a promise, they had the ability to take it back. They were different. They were the sort who kept their word and never went back on it. And that was exactly how they had fallen into the old man’s scheme.

It looked as though this time they were destined to lose to him again. If necessary, Xiao Yin would have to step in personally and resolve this troublesome matter, or else who knew what other wicked trick that old man might devise to make things difficult for everyone?

But Xiao Yin, the blood-red serpent spirit, was no delicate and helpless figure meant to be slaughtered at will. Even if the road ahead were knives and fire, he had the skill to bring them all back safely. Running into him was simply the old man’s bad luck.

“What nonsense are you spouting, you little snake? Have you been living too comfortably lately, so that your tongue has become this reckless? Do you want this old man to come teach you a lesson? Otherwise, sooner or later that sharp mouth of yours is going to get you into serious trouble!”

As he spoke, the old dean rolled up his sleeves and strode forward, his eyes flashing with clear displeasure. It seemed Xiao Yin’s words had truly angered him, and he meant to give him a proper lesson.

“Dean is only so kind and considerate because he regards us as his juniors. That’s why he praises us so warmly. How could he possibly have any wicked intentions, as you claim? I think you little snake really do need to be taught a lesson. After you finish your duel with Brother Yu, just wait and see how I discipline you!”

Seeing that matters were turning grim, Yan Xuesu hurried forward to block the old dean, who was eager to teach Xiao Yin a lesson. She put on an angry expression and said sharply:

If she had been a moment slower, this would have become a real problem. With the dean’s cultivation, if he truly struck, Xiao Yin would at least come away injured, if not crippled. And if that happened, and he faced Yu Shang while hurt, he would surely lose badly. Then not only would he fail to plant the spirit essence inside Yu Shang, he would also have very little chance of winning his contest with Ye Wangchen.

At a time like this, Xiao Yin absolutely could not be allowed to suffer any harm. The consequences would be far too far-reaching, and none of them could bear what might come next.

“Master, there’s no need to take Xiao Yin’s words to heart. He always speaks without thinking, spouting nonsense whenever the mood strikes. We’re already used to it, so please don’t be offended. With your wisdom and generosity, you surely know he meant no harm. Let me scold him when we get back; there’s no need to trouble yourself to act.”

Seeing the old dean on the verge of anger, Lan Bingxian hurriedly signaled to Xiao Yin to stop talking, then turned to soothe his master with a few careful words.

Lan Bingxian knew all too well the terrible consequences of provoking his master. Though the dean always greeted everyone with a smile and seemed so gentle and kindly, if he were truly enraged, he was perfectly capable of killing one chicken to warn the monkeys. He still remembered how one clan leader had gone far too far, even insulting the dean’s character and the Yanlan Academy he had struggled so hard to uphold. In the end, that man had been publicly decapitated, beyond any hope of recovery.

Ever since then, very few people had dared to be so brazen with the old man. It was not that he was magnanimous enough to forgive anything; rather, he simply could not be bothered to quibble with others. But if someone really drove him into a corner, then that person’s death was only a matter of time.

Lan Bingxian did not want to see Xiao Yin punished either. If the dean really made an example of him, the consequences would be serious, and there was even the possibility of severe injury or worse. Better to calm the old man’s temper first.

“Do I really look that petty to you, that you all have to rush about soothing me?” The old dean glanced at them and said lightly. “Rest assured, no matter how thoughtless this little snake may be, I won’t kill him. I still need him to make a contribution to Yanlan Academy. All right, let’s continue the wager.”

He looked at Xiao Yin with a meaningful, sly smile, as though he truly intended to take something from him.

It was a gaze thick with desire, as if Xiao Yin possessed something the old man desperately wanted. It seemed he had already thoroughly grasped everyone’s background, or else how could he be so certain who had what he wanted, and who could truly help Yanlan Academy? As expected, the older the ginger, the hotter it burned. He would never do anything that brought him no benefit, even if the people involved were only these youngsters.

“Why would we think that?” said Yin Boxuan with a smile. “Master is the most broad-minded man under heaven. So if I wager that Xiao Yin wins, you have no objection, right?”

He was worried that his choice might cause him trouble later. After all, the righteous may seek revenge ten years later, but these people would simply shake off the old man and leave, while he would still have to live with the fear.

“Personal grudges should never be brought into this wager. Your choice is your own freedom; I have no power over it.”

The old dean looked at Yin Boxuan and spoke gently. He knew this boy was the sharpest of the lot, and that he feared retaliation afterward. Still, he ought to be given some discipline; he could not be allowed to show such disregard for the bigger picture. Otherwise, how would he ever shoulder the burden of Yanlan Academy in the future?

Yet this was indeed a difficult burden for him. He should have been the freest and happiest of them all, but both of his senior brothers had abandoned everything for love, and even he himself had been trapped by love, though he willingly accepted it all. In the end, were their choices right or wrong? Some people gave up what they already had to chase after what they longed for. Others gave up what they longed for to reclaim what they had no right to bear. Perhaps there was no right or wrong at all, only willingness.

“I’ve always gone along with everyone else and never liked doing my own thing. Call it blind following, or say I have no mind of my own if you want. But I feel Xiao Yin ought to subdue you this time. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what he said or did, so naturally I’m betting on Xiao Yin as well.”

As Meng Youyuan spoke, his eyes never left Yu Shang. It was obvious he was speaking directly to him.

“Heh, I thought you’d understand what I was thinking and stand on my side. Who would have thought you’d turn against me too?”

Yu Shang shook his head and gave a helpless, bitter smile. Had he truly been wrong this time? Even if he had, so what? He would still stand by his own position and walk his own path. He had his own beliefs, his own stubbornness. Some things were not about right or wrong, but about whether one continued to follow one’s own heart.

“I do understand your thoughts. You don’t want anyone to get hurt because of you. But have you ever considered that we don’t want to see you hurt either? It’s good that you worry about others, but you should at least take care of yourself first. Besides, I don’t think anything unexpected will happen this time. With so many of us here, there’s no need for you to be this worried.”

Meng Youyuan sounded a little agitated. Why was this man so stubborn?

“You simply don’t know certain things. Actually...” Yu Shang had just begun to speak of the outsiders he had seen slipping in when he suddenly stopped. If he said it now, wouldn’t that be alerting the enemy? And he still could not see through the old dean’s true intentions. No, he could not act so rashly. There were too many entanglements here; he could not expose anything without understanding the whole picture.

“What is it that we don’t know? And what exactly are you trying to say, you brat?” Xiao Yin frowned and pressed him sternly. He could tell Yu Shang was hiding something, but he did not know whether outsiders were involved or what Yu Shang could not say directly. Or perhaps there was some hidden danger here, something he could not reveal at this moment. It seemed he would have to be careful too.

“Yes, Brother Yu, there’s no one else here. Just say it directly. Why be so hesitant? That doesn’t seem like your style,” said Lan Wu softly from the side.

It was clear she had not grasped the deeper meaning behind those words, or else she would not have asked something so unconcerned with her own safety. Still, there was a certain charm in her bluntness. After all, women who were too clever were not always likable.

“It’s nothing. Do whatever you want. In any case, I still stand by my position and I will not waver!”

Yu Shang said this rather helplessly, almost in a huff. It seemed even the calm and steady Yu Shang had moments when he behaved like a child.

Yet in Xiao Yin’s eyes, this meant something else entirely. He understood that the brat was warning him to be extremely careful, not to act recklessly, or danger would surely follow.

“If there’s nothing else, then carry on. There are still a few who haven’t stated their position!” the old dean said lazily from the side. However, his eyes never left Yu Shang, and there was a strange, unfathomable glint within them.

It seemed he too sensed something amiss, yet why did he still act as though nothing had happened? That only made Yu Shang more uneasy.

“Of course I’m betting on Xiao Yin too. My reason is no different from yours.”

Lan Bingxian said this in a single breath and offered no further explanation, but he kept vigilantly watching the surroundings, as though danger might appear at any moment.

The others also felt that the atmosphere around them had changed. Some paid it no mind, while others became alert. In any case, what came next would certainly not be as calm as before.

“Do you really think I need to say anything?” Lan Wu smiled toward Xiao Yin, who stood at the center of the treasure vault. “Of course I’m betting on Xiao Yin. If I don’t even support my own man, that would be far too unreasonable.”

Though she was also worried about the man’s safety, at this moment her support for him mattered more than her worry. A person may walk forward through blades and shadows, but there must never be no one beside him to stand in his corner.

Sometimes, even the most solitary soul still hopes that someone will tell him, I believe in you, and I will support you.

Xiao Yin was fortunate indeed to have such a thoughtful woman by his side. Even if she worried herself nearly to death, she would hide that feeling away and smile brightly, encouraging him to keep going.

At times, even those standing nearby could not help but sigh: to have such a wife, what more could a husband possibly ask for?