Chapter 125: The Proclamation

"Xin'er, we cannot take this slowly. Zong Bielie is a terrifying man," Ye Suifeng said.

"We must first find his threads." Ye Xin narrowed his eyes, slowing his pace significantly. "Inviting Zhou Polu requires bypassing Tie Xinsheng. Zong Bielie must have painted a grand picture for Tie Xinsheng, who believes himself to be the mastermind, while in reality, Zong Bielie is the one manipulating the entire board... Zong Bielie’s goal is... The organization known as 'Famous Generals' is too loosely structured to be quickly unified... So, Zong Bielie intends to secure a region he can fully control, allowing 'Famous Generals' to take root... So that is it... He is just like me, coveting the National Artifacts..."

Ye Suifeng listened in a daze, while Xue Baiqi’s expression shifted uncertainly.

"In that case, Tie Xinsheng will also become an obstacle. Tie Xinsheng has long operated within Great Wei and has no tolerance for dissent. If he senses Zong Bielie’s power expanding too rapidly, he will surely turn against him..." Ye Xin’s mind continued to race. "Zong Bielie will eliminate Tie Xinsheng, elevate Tie Shudeng or Tie Renhao to power, and then, wielding the authority of a kingmaker, he will gradually transform the territory of Great Wei into his own empire..."

"This must also be why he left Great Chen... Although he had everything he wanted there, the ruler of Great Chen, Huo Qiyong, was deeply wary of him and could never tolerate such a surge in his power. Only Tie Xinsheng... Tie Xinsheng does not understand Zong Bielie at all and finds himself in a precarious position. Desperate, he not only fails to suspect Zong Bielie but views him as the pillar of the empire..."

"My Lord, should we halt our plan?" Xue Baiqi could no longer contain himself.

"Why halt it?" Ye Xin suddenly revealed a look of grim satisfaction. "Not only must we not stop, we must accelerate!"

"My Lord, if we do this... we might just be making wedding clothes for someone else!" Xue Baiqi argued.

"If we did not know Zong Bielie’s intentions, we would be at his mercy. But now that we know, we are in the shadows while he is in the light. What is there to fear?" Ye Xin shook his head. "I have grasped Zong Bielie’s nature; he only enjoys those little tricks and petty schemes. As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. If he discovers that someone else is about to strike at Tie Xinsheng first, he will surely be delighted to play the role of that oriole, and might even lend me a hand."

"Is it necessary to take such a risk?" Xue Baiqi frowned. He felt as if they were walking a tightrope.

"This is not a risk." Ye Xin’s expression grew excited. All the nodes had finally connected. If the situation developed according to his logic, he couldn't imagine a reason to lose; victory was essentially guaranteed. "Zong Bielie wants to play a massive game of chess? Then let us see who has the higher perspective and the wider vision!"

"Xin'er, what exactly is your plan?" Ye Suifeng asked.

"Second Uncle, it is not that I wish to keep you in the dark," Ye Xin sighed. "I am only worried that you cannot overcome the hurdle in your own heart. You will understand when the time comes."

Ye Guanhai and Ye Suifeng were focused on their sect; they had never intended to harm Tie Xinsheng, as this was their country after all. Ye Xin and the soldiers of the Heaven’s Sin Battalion, however, carried no such psychological burden.

"My Lord, there is one more thing I forgot to mention," Xue Baiqi said. "Gui Bei has actually arrived. He is now a favored general under Lord Poshan. Ghost Master says it is possible that Lord Poshan will also attend the Longteng Martial Arts Academy tournament, and Gui Bei will be there as well. My Lord, perhaps you should not participate in the competition, lest your identity be exposed."

"Little Bei is here too?" Ye Xin paused. "It seems... none of you like Little Bei very much."

"My Lord has shown him immense kindness, yet he refuses to serve you and is single-mindedly focused on returning to the Great Ren Kingdom," Xue Baiqi said coldly. "We must naturally be wary of such an ungrateful person!"

"I once heard a wanderer describe a perfect world where there were no conflicts—not even disagreements—and everyone lived in peace and happiness," Ye Xin said. "That is because in that world, one could only hear one voice, see one color, hold one ideal, and acknowledge one master. Any questioning was viewed as heresy and met with collective persecution. Over time, although they looked different, their souls were reshaped to be entirely alike, indistinguishable from one another. To some, that is true beauty, but to me, it is hell. Haha... I have seen hell in my dreams!"

"Therefore, I never suppress your natural instincts," Ye Xin continued. "I can tolerate Xie En’s laziness, Fu Shang’s rudeness, and Ziche Hui’s insolence; naturally, I can tolerate Gui Bei’s homesickness. Gui Bei is different from you all. He was originally a merchant from Great Ren, imprisoned in the Heaven’s Sin Battalion only because he accidentally killed someone in Great Wei. He has never forgotten his homeland. What reason do we have to stop him from returning?"

"My Lord, sometimes you are too soft-hearted," Xue Baiqi said with a bitter smile.

"It matters not. I trust him," Ye Xin said calmly.

***

The next day, the Longteng Martial Arts Academy tournament entered the final stages. Tie Xinsheng was to arrive in person to observe. Today was the round to decide the top sixteen, with each student competing in only one match. Ye Xin did not heed Ghost Master’s advice; he intended to continue participating.

Among Wen Rong’s group, both Wen Rong and Shen Miao had been eliminated. Ye Ling had one win and one draw, failing to reach the top thirty-two. Shao Xue, relying on her terrifying weapon, had shown great power and advanced to the finals. Although they were no longer eligible to compete, Wen Rong and Shen Miao still came to the academy, partly to observe and learn, and partly to cheer for Shao Xue.

As Ye Xin led Ye Ling and the others into the academy, he suddenly saw the pillars at the entrance crowded with students, who were engaged in loud, heated discussions.

A large sheet of paper was posted on a pillar, filled with writing. It was too far to read, but many students were pointing at it.

As Ye Xin and his group approached, the noisy atmosphere quickly quieted down, and the crowd actually parted to create a path, as if welcoming Ye Xin to view it.

Ye Xin and the others walked up to the pillar, staring at the paper, momentarily stunned.

It was an accusation, denouncing Ye Xin’s alleged cheating. The prose was quite sophisticated, tracing back to claim that Ye Xin was the most shameless degenerate ever produced by the Longteng Martial Arts Academy, having used cheating to sneak into the finals. It listed his various past absurdities and concluded that he was unworthy of being called a warrior. It then looked to the future, stating that the academy must reform its corrupt practices by starting with Ye Xin—expelling him—to restore the academy’s hope and its right to be called an elite institution.

Ye Ling was furious and stepped forward to tear the notice down, but Ye Xin laughed and called out, "Little Ling, come back! Don't touch it!"

"Brother, they are insulting you!" Ye Ling turned back, puzzled.

"It is best to leave it. Let us come back and look at it in a few days; then you will understand," Ye Xin said.

"Young Master Ye, you should tear it down!" a student suddenly shouted. "Who is so malicious as to slander you like this? Young Master Ye just performed a miraculous feat for our Great Wei, that cannot be fake, right?"

"That’s right, that’s right! I don’t believe Young Master Ye would cheat!" others immediately joined in.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Regardless of their previous stance, in front of Ye Xin, everyone was denouncing the nonsensical notice, with some even clamoring to pressure the academy to drag out the person who wrote it.

Amidst the noise, someone shouted, "The Headmaster is here..."

The students immediately scattered. Pressure the academy? What a joke... If they angered the Headmaster, they would be the ones kicked out long before Ye Xin was expelled. To get ahead, there were only two paths: either be a true genius and advance rapidly, thus earning the academy's favor, or, if one lacked the talent, honestly build up one's credentials and join a noble house as a retainer. If expelled from the academy, one would have to rely on merchant groups or go to Tianyuan City for training—both were the worst-case scenarios.

Qiu Xiang walked over with a dozen guards. He first nodded at Ye Xin with a smile, then his gaze fell upon the notice. Before he finished reading, his face turned livid. He turned and gave a signal, and a guard stepped forward to tear it down.

"Headmaster, it is better to leave it," Ye Xin said.

"This kind of demagoguery will have a negative impact on the academy's reputation and is also unfavorable to you," Qiu Xiang asked, frowning. "Why leave it?"

"I like to slap others in the face, but I don't like being slapped myself," Ye Xin said with a chuckle. "If I tear it down now, I’ve already been slapped. After I win the championship, I will stand here for an entire day, watching those 'elites' come and go beneath this notice. Haha... thinking about it makes me quite excited."

"Ye Xin, are you truly certain you will win the championship?" Qiu Xiang’s expression softened, then he asked in a deep voice.

"They are all just children. If I cannot even deal with them, what right do I have to take command of the Sky Wolf Legion?" Ye Xin said coolly.

"Good! Since you want to slap their faces, I will help you." Qiu Xiang turned and ordered, "Someone, find a piece of glass to cover this notice, and build a small canopy over it so the wind won't blow it and the rain won't soak it. Let this notice become a landmark of our Longteng Martial Arts Academy!"

"Many thanks, Headmaster," Ye Xin laughed.

"Do not thank me. The day the Sovereign issues his decree, I will also have to respectfully address you as 'My Lord'," Qiu Xiang laughed even more heartily. "If there is anything I have not done well, I hope you will be lenient."

"Headmaster, what are you saying?" Ye Xin sighed.

"Please." Qiu Xiang stepped aside, actually allowing Ye Xin to walk ahead.