Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

After Tang Jiu's arrival, one of the teachers shrank back into the crowd, not daring to raise his head.

Tang Jiu didn't even glance at the person who had tipped him off. His focus was solely on Shen Wang, disregarding everyone else.

Someone following Tang Jiu sternly said, "Shen Wang, you've learned some crooked skills from who knows where, causing chaos in C University. If you have any sense, you'll come with us willingly for investigation, or else..."

Shen Wang thought the man looked familiar and finally remembered, "You're the guy who was watching outside the antique shop the day Tang Jiu got swindled out of fifty thousand by me, his little sidekick."

This statement darkened the faces of both Tang Jiu and his sidekick.

The sidekick, furious, declared, "I am Qian Liangjun, a disciple of the Qingcheng Mountain martial arts sect!"

He had thought the revelation of his background would terrify Shen Wang into begging for mercy.

But Shen Wang just nodded, "Nice surname, but the name... not so much. If you changed it to Qian Duoduo, it would be perfect."

Qian Liangjun's face turned beet red with anger, unable to speak.

"Stop beating around the bush and changing the subject," Tang Jiu interrupted the fuming Qian Liangjun, stepping forward slightly with a righteous air, "You've harmed so many students and teachers of the entire school. Your crime is unforgivable. Come back with us to the association for processing."

"Tang Senior, this matter started because of me, it's not Brother Shen's fault..." Jian Yiqiu tried to explain, but stopped abruptly upon meeting Tang Jiu's gaze.

Shen Wang quickly pulled Jian Yiqiu behind him, "What are you staring at? Haven't you seen a beautiful woman before?"

In the original text, Tang Jiu had countless admirers; whenever he saw a beautiful girl, he would display an 'appreciative' look, causing the girl's heart to race and face to flush.

At first glance, it seems like the protagonist's charm is too great.

But when Shen Wang actually witnessed this 'appreciative' look, he understood.

This so-called 'pure appreciation' was actually a sleazy up-and-down look. From the protagonist's perspective, it was misconstrued as 'appreciation'.

Seeing his object of interest pulled behind Shen Wang, Tang Jiu felt even more discontent. He suppressed his emotions, "Shen Wang, don’t resist in vain. Cooperate with us and you might suffer less."

"You want him to go with you for investigation?" A cold voice interjected into the conversation, "Where's your investigation order? Your arrest warrant?"

Tang Jiu furrowed his brows and looked towards the source of the voice. His brewing dissatisfaction vanished completely upon seeing the person, "When you first arrived, you shone like the sun rising and illuminating the beams of a house; as you progressed, you were bright like the moon casting its light."

Hearing this, Gu Dongting's eyes turned icy, and Shen Wang's expression darkened.

The original text mentioned that the big boss Gu Dongting became furious because of Tang Jiu's words, leading to an enmity between them. Hearing this, Shen Wang fully understood Gu Dongting's anger.

What seemed like a compliment was actually a line from "The Goddess," a story about King Xiang dreaming of a goddess he cannot obtain.

The thought of this scenario being applied to Tang Jiu and Gu Dongting was enough to nauseate not just Gu Dongting himself, but also Shen Wang.

Tang Jiu, oblivious to their disgust, fixated his gaze on Gu Dongting's flawless face. He had seen countless beauties, but none could compare to this man, even though he was male.

Beautiful but not effeminate, radiant but not vulgar, carrying a blend of three parts heroism and seven parts aloofness, fair as jade. Anyone else standing beside him seemed out of place, like a mismatch in a painting.

Tang Jiu considered himself straight, having dated countless women, but looking at Gu Dongting, he realized he wasn't averse to men.

A sword qi fiercely targeted Tang Jiu's eyes, startling him into retreating several steps. The sword qi grazed his face, leaving a trail of blood.

Gu Dongting had merely issued a warning. His expression was icy, making him even more unapproachable, "If you dare to offend me again, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

"Is this the upbringing of the Tang family?" Huang Mao's face lost all traces of jest, filled with disgust, "Disgusting."

Only then did Tang Jiu realize that besides ordinary people, there were two cultivators here, one of whom he recognized, "Qin You Rong? What are you doing here?"

It wasn't just Qin You Rong; the stunningly beautiful man had unleashed sword qi with a single move.

Anyone capable of wielding sword qi was a powerful being, someone Tang Jiu could only look up to. This peer, appearing about his age, also possessed sword qi!

Any fondness for beauty vanished from Tang Jiu's mind, replaced by envy and an intensified obsession with Shen Wang - if he could seize Shen Wang's bloodline, he too could become stronger, no longer needing to look up to others.

"If I weren’t here, I wouldn’t know what you’re doing in the name of the Mystical Association," Qin You Rong spoke coldly, "I took on the mission at C University. What right do you have to apprehend anyone here?"

Tang Jiu and Qian Liangjun’s faces changed instantly.

"The Mystical Association and the Special Department are supposed to be non-interfering entities, on equal footing," Qin You Rong looked at them intently, "But if you’re misbehaving under the guise of the Association, I’m obliged to report this to the Association President."

Hearing this, Qian Liangjun panicked. He had merely followed Tang Jiu to assist in capturing a deviant practitioner; their sect was completely unaware.

If his sect found out he was apprehending people without a warrant under the Association's name, he'd be punished at the very least, or worse, expelled from the sect.

"Brother, we acted first and reported later in this case. But Shen Wang, an unaffiliated and unknown entity, caused the entire C University to be sealed off. We were just taking special measures for a special situation," Qian Liangjun explained humbly, his earlier arrogance gone.

Tang Jiu realized that with Qin You Rong's protection, he couldn't take Shen Wang. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Since you've taken this mission, I'll leave it to you. I hope you'll enforce the law impartially and not shield the guilty."

With that, Tang Jiu left as disgraced as he had arrived.

Everyone in the dormitory, who had been holding their breath, finally exhaled in relief. They couldn't interject in a conflict between masters and pretended as if they didn't exist.

Li Pingping looked at Shen Wang worriedly, feeling frustrated.

Even after Shen Wang had renounced all ties with the Tang family, Tang Jiu still couldn’t let go and kept finding reasons to harass him.

Amidst the slightly relaxed atmosphere, with everyone talking amongst themselves, Gu Dongting asked Shen Wang, "Do you have a grudge against him?"

"Would you believe me if I said I have no grudge against him?" Shen Wang raised an eyebrow. Not only did they have no grudge, but Tang Jiu also owed him a favor.

"I believe you," Gu Dongting responded, "That man's facial features indicate a smooth life, but his eyes show pettiness and selfish cruelty. Such people are troublesome; be careful."

Surprised by the typically cold Gu Dongting’s words, Shen Wang paused, then smiled, "I'll be cautious, and you should be too."

The two of them, one destined to be a minor character who exits early in the story and the other a tragic major boss, it’s unclear who's more unfortunate. But what they have in common is that their demise is due to Tang Jiu.

In any case, being cautious of Tang Jiu is always wise.

Gu Dongting, unaware of the deeper meaning in Shen Wang’s words and thinking he was referring to Tang Jiu’s frivolous actions, frowned slightly, showing a rare sign of distaste.

Shen Wang hesitated. According to the original story, Gu Dongting's fiancée met Tang Jiu in C City, right around the time he was deprived of his bloodline by Tang Jiu.

He hasn’t died yet, but Shen Wang guessed that in the plot, his death was probably around this time.

"Do you have a fiancée?" After hesitating for a while, Shen Wang finally broached the topic, speaking cautiously.

A flicker of confusion passed through Gu Dongting's eyes, "I don't have a fiancée."

Shen Wang was also taken aback, "You don't?"

The original text clearly stated that Wei Jiujiu, a nationally famous superstar, was Gu Dongting's betrothed, arranged by his parents since childhood.

"I don’t," Gu Dongting asserted.

Both of them looked at each other, puzzled, almost understanding the confusion in each other's eyes.

How could you possibly not have a fiancée?

How could I possibly have a fiancée?

Seemingly recalling something, Gu Dongting tilted his head slightly and said, "The only thing was, as a child, my parents jokingly said they would give me a little cousin as a bride. It was just a playful remark, no one took it seriously."

That’s it? Just that?

The engagement that suffocated the female protagonist in the original text... just this???

Shen Wang truly couldn’t comprehend the logic of the original female protagonist. He numbly responded, "Then be cautious around this little cousin of yours."

Meanwhile, Qin You Rong had discussed a resolution with the school’s responsible person. Approaching Gu Dongting, he reported, "Senior brother, we just need to dissipate the remaining effects of the Karma of Speech talisman."

As for the main culprit…

Jian Yiqiu was a victim and a commoner, not someone for the mystical community to deal with. They had no jurisdiction over her.

As for Shen Wang... Qin You Rong scratched his head, wondering what to do. Technically, he should be taken to the special department for investigation, but with Gu Dongting still chatting amiably with Shen Wang, he didn’t dare to interrupt.

Gu Dongting nodded and finally said to Shen Wang, "If you prefer not to reveal your sect, you can choose to register with the special department."

"This is like recruiting for the special department," Qin You Rong immediately got excited, "Our special department is directly managed by the state, overseeing all matters of the mystical community. I can’t guarantee for other places, but in C City’s special department, I have some say."

"There’s an entry exam next month. Once you pass, you'll be a certified celestial master, and you can start accepting licensed tasks."

Shen Wang agreed without much thought.

Having the state as a backing seemed far more reassuring than any unofficial mystical association.

Eventually, Shen Wang and Qin You Rong exchanged contact details and left. Standing at the school gate, watching their car drive away, Shen Wang found himself pondering aimlessly.

He and Qin You Rong had just met once and already exchanged contacts. He wondered how many times he’d have to meet Gu Dongting before they could exchange contacts.

The epidemic at the school soon passed. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, as most students and teachers fully recovered from their ulcers, except for a few severe cases needing a few more days.

Following the incident, the school promptly took action against several students and issued a strict notice prohibiting the spread of rumors and slander.

With the joint efforts of the school and Jian Yiqiu's mother, several people who had been spreading rumors about her were caught. Among them were boys who harbored unrequited love turned bitter, men who thought she despised their poverty, and jealous female students...

Jian Yiqiu's mother took them to court. During the trial, they still wore masks, under which were lips scarred by the ulcers.

The school not only expelled some students but also reinstated Jian Yiqiu’s postgraduate recommendation. She was more joyous upon hearing this news than on the day those who slandered her were publicly disciplined.

Meanwhile, Shen Wang was planning to move out of the dormitory.

After all, he wasn't a student of C University. Although the school tacitly allowed his presence and even provided a teacher's dormitory, he needed a quieter place for cultivation.

As he was meticulously comparing options, Shen Wang found himself inexplicably trending online again, but this time, not in a positive light.

After saving someone with a pink sun umbrella, rumors about him started circulating in secret, until a few days later, when these rumors surfaced and hit the hot search.

These leaks detailed Shen Wang's background and his connections with the Tang family.

[This guy is no good. He’s a well-known troublemaker in our neighborhood, good for nothing but his looks, always idling about.]

[He was sponsored by a wealthy family, but insisted on living with them, shamelessly vying for affection against their own son. Impudent and brazen.]

[You've all spoken, so let me share some gossip too. That wealthy family was so troubled by him that to get rid of him, they had to pay him 15 million as he threatened to squat there otherwise. The kind-hearted rich folks had no choice but to pay him off.]

[Not only that, but after leaving, he also swindled tens of thousands from their biological son...]

One revelation after another exposed the destitute life of Shen Wang, laid bare under the sun for public scorn.

[He looks so good, but his character is so poor. This is a severe mismatch between appearance and morality.]

[I knew there was a reason he suddenly trended a few days ago. He must be trying to make money off his looks since he has nothing else.]

[I thought the video from that day was too exaggerated. How could someone save a person from jumping off a building with just an umbrella? I didn’t dare to say it then, but now I can finally speak out.]

[If you want to debut, go on a talent show and do it openly. Using acts of bravery to exploit our kindness, disgusting! If he debuts, I'll blacklist him for life!]

[15 million, wow. Why didn’t the rich family just call the police? Why pay him so much? Either they were cursed or blackmailed.]

The last comment was quickly deleted.

Tang Jiu looked at the overwhelming insults with a smile on his lips.

After learning that Shen Wang had violated the rules of the mystical community, he initially didn’t plan to play this card. He could have simply taken Shen Wang away, making him disappear under the pretext of dealing with a heretic.

Then, he wouldn’t have to expose himself publicly, silently and unnoticed, with no one the wiser.

But unfortunately, two obstacles appeared along the way... Tang Jiu's gaze darkened, then quickly returned to a smile.

Now, Shen Wang had become an existence everyone spat upon. It would be normal for him to hide in shame, disappear, or even commit suicide due to cyberbullying.

He just needed to wait a little longer, let the scandal grow, then seize the opportunity to take Shen Wang back to the Tang family.

Tang Jiu's breathing quickened slightly, his only desire being the Tang family bloodline in Shen Wang's veins, which he had waited too long for and was now eager to claim.