"He was the one who insisted on being guided, so I just gave him a little guidance. Is there a problem with that?" Qin Zi said calmly, without changing his expression.
"Sparring in the academy is always meant to stop short of serious injury, yet you heavily injured him, and you still call that 'guidance'?!" the Lu family elder questioned.
"Oh, so you do know this wasn't really guidance, huh?"
Qin Zi's face took on a mocking expression, and his voice suddenly became sharp and forceful. "I'd love to know what a Third Heaven disciple hopes to gain by challenging a Second Heaven disciple. What's his real motive?"
He stared coldly at the Lu family elder and asked, "Elder, can you tell me what your grandson is after? Is it to humiliate me?"
"You! You!!"
The Lu family elder was about to retort, claiming that Qin Zi was making false accusations. But then he realized that there was a double meaning in what Qin Zi said—calling him "your grandson" sounded more like an insult.
"What's the matter? Isn't this person your grandson, Elder Lu?" Qin Zi asked casually.
The Lu family elder's face stiffened.
Qin Zi snorted and spoke in a domineering tone, "Since he is your grandson, as an elder, it's inappropriate for you to interfere. Are you really standing here to publicly abuse your power and defend him unjustly?"
"You… you… nonsense!" The Lu family elder's face was twisted with embarrassment. This was something he could never admit to.
In the academy, elders could enjoy certain privileges, but they couldn't act too blatantly. Otherwise, they'd be humiliating themselves.
Especially after the incident ten years ago with the "old dried meat," the Lu family had already become a laughingstock, its reputation often ridiculed.
Their prestige had severely declined.
The Lu family patriarch had long warned that anyone who further tarnished the family's reputation would face severe punishment—not only would they die, but their entire lineage would be exiled and branded as criminals!
"Hmph! Whether I'm speaking nonsense or not, you know the truth in your heart. Since you've stooped to such petty and despicable behavior, you should stay quietly in the corner instead of putting on this sanctimonious facade," Qin Zi coldly retorted.
"What kind of character does the Lu family have? Does everyone not know by now? Stop trying to cover up the truth with self-deception!"
"You… you have no respect for your elders! You're unfit to be a personal disciple!" The Lu family elder, cornered and humiliated, could only lash out with righteous anger.
He couldn't afford to walk away.
If he stormed off in a fit of rage, it would only make him look guilty, further cementing the accusations of favoritism.
"Respect for elders? With someone like you, should I even bother?"
Qin Zi sneered:
"Whether it was your earlier threats to make me retrieve your 'dried meat' from Starshatter Academy or your blatant bias right now, there's only one conclusion… You're corrupt and morally bankrupt!"
Hearing this, the crowd was shocked.
"What? This elder threatened Senior Brother Qin Zi before? That's outrageous!"
"The Lu family's elder was already disgraced when their own violated the gate-challenging rules and got turned into dried meat. Now they have the nerve to threaten someone to retrieve the body?"
"So, Senior Brother Qin Zi didn't fall for their threats, and now the Lu family is lashing out in anger, sending a Third Heaven genius to retaliate, only to have that genius defeated. And now, this elder jumps in, trying to twist the story..."
"Shameless! Absolutely despicable!"
The crowd was in an uproar, with all the anger directed at the Lu family elder.
"You, you all…"
The Lu family elder turned pale, feeling as though the faces of the crowd were closing in on him, their eyes filled with disdain, though there was no sound.
It was like watching a slow-motion, black-and-white scene of people pointing fingers at him, looking down in disgust.
"Enough!!!"
At last, he covered his ears with his hands and let out an enraged roar. A terrifying aura surged from him.
"Boom!"
The pressure of a peak emperor exploded into a golden column of light, radiating outward in all directions.
"Ahh!"
"My kidneys!"
The surrounding disciples cried out in pain as they were sent flying like leaves in the wind, scattering across the ground in disarray.
"How dare you!"
"Lu, you dare attack the academy!"
"I've had enough of you!"
In an instant, several powerful auras erupted like suns, and several elders descended upon the scene.
"This…"
The Lu family elder snapped out of his frenzy, his face turning ashen.
Looking at the groaning disciples scattered across the ground, he realized… he had gone too far.
"I… I was just too agitated. I lost control for a moment. I… I didn't do it on purpose!"
He stammered in panic, trying to explain.
"Hmph, if you lose control again, every disciple here could die! The academy cannot tolerate an elder like you!"
One of the other elders spoke coldly.
"Take him down and hand him over to the palace master for punishment!"
Another elder ordered.
"Agreed!"
Several others nodded, and they slowly began surrounding the Lu family elder from different directions.
Rumble! It was like several suns converging, their intense light and overwhelming pressure creating a terrifying spectacle.
"You, you all…"
The Lu family elder's face turned deathly pale. Faced with the closing circle of elders, he didn't even have the courage to resist.
Nor could he flee.
If he ran now, it would be an outright admission of guilt. Once the academy issued a warrant for his capture, there would be nowhere for him to hide within the vast territories of the human race.
Escaping to the demon or beast domains would be nothing but a death sentence.
Before long, the Lu family elder was apprehended.
That day.
Deep within Ziyun Academy, many elders gathered for an important meeting.
Soon after, an official announcement was made:
"From today onwards, the Lu family elder is stripped of his position, and for the next thousand years, no member of the Lu family will be allowed to hold an elder position in the academy!"
The news spread quickly, shaking the entire region.
The Lu family had been expelled from the academy!
Though serving as an academy elder wasn't the most prestigious role, it was a sign of recognition from the Human Race's Holy Temple.
Only powerful families with deep foundations and significant influence within a domain were qualified to send their members to serve as academy elders.
For the Lu family to lose this qualification was nothing short of a public humiliation from the Holy Temple.
This signaled a decline in the Lu family's social standing—a concept that might sound modern, but the principle was the same.
And for these great families, reputation was of utmost importance.
"You disgraceful fools!"
Within the ancestral grounds of the Lu family, a voice filled with fury echoed, followed by a terrifying pressure that caused nearby mountains to collapse, rivers to break, and the earth to crack open, spewing lava.
"Ancestor… this… this is all Qin Zi's fault!"
Outside the ancestral grounds, a Lu family elder lay prostrate on the ground, trembling with cold sweat, as he cried out:
"I offered him great benefits to retrieve our kinsman's body from Starshatter Academy, but this man broke his word! He took the benefits but refused to complete the task. Worse, he insulted our family!"
"I sent Lu Cheng to teach him a lesson, but Qin Zi injured him and falsely accused us, leading to the current situation."
He twisted the facts and embellished the story, placing all the blame on Qin Zi.
"Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?!"
A destructive burst of flame shot out from the depths of the ancestral grounds, enveloping the elder. The elder screamed in agony as he rolled on the ground.
"Spare me, Ancestor! Spare me, Ancestor!"
He begged in terror.
From within the ancestral grounds, another voice rang out, "Great Ancestor, while he was at fault, it's not solely his doing. That boy, Qin Zi, truly doesn't know his place."
"Indeed. Even the palace master of Ziyun Academy shows our Lu family respect. This boy, however, is far too arrogant…"
Another authoritative voice chimed in.
The Great Ancestor of the Lu family was silent for a moment before speaking in a cold tone, "Very well, I'll spare your life this time. As for that boy… you know what to do."
Immediately, the flames covering the elder's body extinguished.
The elder let out a sigh of relief, quickly kowtowing and swearing, "Rest assured, Ancestors! I will handle it!"
His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Under orders from the Ancestors, he didn't need to act personally—he could call upon stronger members of the family to handle it...
Qin Zi was as good as dead!