Qin Rou had originally thought that she had finally found someone to rely on.
But Song Yuanshan’s fierce and stern scolding directly left her stunned.
What was going on?
Clearly, Song Yuanshan was also a former subordinate and student of her father, having risen from their Qin family.
Yet Song Yuanshan was not siding with her but instead supporting Ye Ling’er?
After hearing Song Yuanshan’s words, a trace of warmth finally appeared in Ye Ling’er’s cold eyes.
At least within the entire White Deer Academy, there was still someone standing on her side.
At least someone still remembered that the Ye family were heroes who had served the nation with loyalty, a family of martyrs.
Unable to hold back, her eyes reddened as she sincerely bowed slightly to Song Yuanshan.
“Dean Song, thank you.”
“Ling’er, there is no need for thanks.”
Song Yuanshan said solemnly, “I believe in the Ye family’s teachings, and I believe that the children of the Ye family would never engage in petty, thieving acts.”
“Additionally, I will investigate the conflict between you, Wang Xuan, and Liu Yuan. You may leave for now.”
Ye Ling’er nodded and was about to leave when a furious shout rang out.
“Wait!”
Everyone turned to look and saw another middle-aged man at the Spirit Transformation Realm instantly appear in the classroom.
This middle-aged man was Chen Hai, another vice dean of White Deer Academy.
Chen Hai stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, “Harming fellow disciples, deceiving teachers, and betraying ancestors.”
“To cause such a disturbance and simply walk away—I’m afraid that is not appropriate, is it?”
Song Yuanshan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, “Chen Hai, what do you mean by that?”
“Every classroom in the academy is equipped with Shadow Retaining Stones.”
“We can retrieve the recordings from the Shadow Retaining Stones to see what just happened. That will tell us whether Ye Ling’er struck first or Wang Xuan and Liu Yuan did.”
“Dean Song, let’s not discuss the matter of Wang Xuan and Liu Yuan for now.”
Chen Hai had been observing secretly and knew the full story of what had just happened, so he did not follow up on that topic.
“Right now, let’s only discuss Ye Ling’er stealing Qin Rou’s jade bracelet.”
“White Deer Academy is a sacred place of learning. If word spreads that we have raised lowly thieves, wouldn’t that tarnish the academy’s reputation?”
“In my opinion, it would be best to follow Qin Rou’s suggestion and search the mansion.”
As he spoke, Chen Hai also looked at Ye Ling’er and smiled faintly, “Doing this is also to clear your Ye family’s name, isn’t it?”
Ye Ling’er was directly angered into laughter by Chen Hai’s shameless words.
Qin Rou had falsely accused her of theft without providing any evidence, yet she, the wronged party, was being asked to prove her own innocence.
Where in the world was there such logic?
“Chen Hai, the Carefree Prince’s Mansion is filled with loyal martyrs. How can you dare to trespass?”
Song Yuanshan said coldly, “You worry about White Deer Academy’s reputation being tarnished.”
“But aren’t you afraid of tarnishing the Ye family’s reputation?!”
Seeing that Song Yuanshan was firm and showed no intention of backing down,
Chen Hai could not insist further and could only sneer, “In that case, we will report this matter to His Majesty tomorrow and see how His Majesty handles it.”
“Whether Ye Ling’er committed theft, harmed fellow disciples, or deceived teachers and betrayed ancestors—tomorrow in the imperial court, there will surely be a fair judgment!”
Ye Ling’er finally could not hold back and said coldly, “I did not deceive teachers or betray ancestors. The fault lies with them!”
“Father said, in this vast world, the strong are respected.”
“They are weak yet dare to falsely accuse me. Even if they die or are injured, they deserve it!”
“You!”
Chen Hai flushed with anger and shouted furiously, “Wretched creature!”
The other students all wore expressions of speechlessness.
It was true that the strong were respected, an eternal and unchanging law of this world.
The problem was…
Wasn’t your father, Prince Xiaoyao, just a hopeless drunkard who couldn’t be helped up even with support?
Where did he get the courage to teach you that the strong are respected?
Under the strange gazes of everyone, Ye Ling’er simply slung her backpack over her shoulder and left with a carefree air.
Even though she knew Chen Hai was glaring at her with murderous intent, she wasn’t the least bit afraid.
With her current strength, she still couldn’t defeat Chen Hai, who was in the Spirit Transformation Realm.
But she had her father!
A mere Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed with a snap of the fingers in front of an Ascension Great Master.
Slander me?
Have you asked whether my father’s sword agrees or not?
Qin Rou hid behind Chen Hai, her eyes fixed intently on Ye Ling’er’s retreating figure, filled with deep malice and resentment.
She never would have thought that Ye Ling’er, who was usually quiet and unassuming, had already become a Nascent Soul Realm expert.
Not only had her slander failed,
but she herself had ended up looking like a clown.
Qin Rou secretly resolved in her heart that no matter what, she would definitely seek revenge.
So what if you, Ye Ling’er, are in the Nascent Soul Realm?
In the Great Qi Dynasty, noble families stood tall like a forest; it wasn’t something that could be decided by the courage of a single individual.
The Ye family now only had one useless drunkard left and had long since become a discarded pawn.
Her father, however, was a favorite in front of His Majesty, the prime minister who stood above ten thousand people and below only one.
With the protection and favor of the Empress, couldn’t she deal with a mere Ye Ling’er?
…
Ye Qing had originally planned to leave Qin Xue behind after entering the city.
But Qin Xue kept chattering away, chatting with him, and showed no intention of dismounting.
Helplessly, Ye Qing had to bring this Snow Divine Doctor back home.
“Carefree Prince’s Mansion?”
Looking at the grand entrance of the Ye family estate, Qin Xue couldn’t help but show surprise.
“So Senior Ye is a descendant of the Ye family?”
“Yes.”
Ye Qing nodded, too lazy to say much more to Qin Xue.
He walked into the courtyard and took out the spoils he had just hunted.
Half of them were hung in the yard, smoked, and air-dried into cured meat to be eaten slowly.
The other half were simply cut up, placed in a basin, and marinated with various medicinal herbs and spices.
Qin Xue followed behind Ye Qing like a shadow.
“I never imagined that not only is Senior Ye’s swordsmanship stunning in this world, but he is also so adept at these household chores.”
Qin Xue sighed with admiration, but her expression gradually turned somewhat odd.
Because she noticed that Ye Qing really loved to drink.
All along the way, he had been drinking nonstop, sip after sip.
Even after returning, he still drank endlessly.
He drank while lighting the fire, and drank while marinating the meat.
In the short span of time it takes an incense stick to burn, he had already finished two whole gourds of wine.
It was even more frequent than a normal person drinking water.
Qin Xue couldn’t help but cautiously ask, “Senior Ye, do you really like drinking this much?”
“Hmm.”
Ye Qing nodded noncommittally.
Qin Xue took out three exquisite gourds from her Storage Ring.
“I have three gourds of Worry-Free Wine here, brewed by the Central Continent’s Wine Saint, Wuyou Zi.”
“It’s called Worry-Free; under the heavens, there are only ten jars. It’s said that a single cup can dispel a thousand worries.”
“I also obtained these three gourds by chance when I once healed a senior in the Unity Realm, and he left them for me as repayment.”
“Today, senior saved my life. I am willing to offer these three gourds of wine to you as a token of my gratitude!”
Looking at the three exquisite wine gourds Qin Xue handed over, Ye Qing’s eyes immediately lit up.
He had also heard of the name Wine Saint Wuyou Zi.
This person’s wine-brewing skills were divine and unparalleled in the world.
Not only was his craftsmanship superb, but his selection of ingredients was also extremely meticulous. Every jar of wine he brewed was a rare treasure beyond price.
Ye Qing had long wanted to taste this person’s craft, but Central Continent was remote, and he was too lazy to leave the imperial city, so he had never had the chance to visit.
Unexpectedly, today brought such a pleasant surprise.
Ye Qing couldn’t help but feel a secret anticipation in his heart.
What kind of gains would these three gourds of Worry-Free Wine bring him?