Chapter 81: This Person, the Law Academy Will Protect

May 17th, an unexpected visitor came to the Ministry of Justice Prison to see Ding Suian.

“Teacher, you have suffered!”

As soon as they met, Zhao Juhan knelt down on the other side of the iron bars.

Gao Gan still remembered this person, and the look he gave him was exceptionally fierce.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t do that. You are several years older than me; it will shorten my life.”

“In learning, there is no senior or junior; the one who achieves first is the master.”

Zhao Juhan was quite stubborn. He knelt on the ground and placed the food and wine from the food box into the iron bars one by one, then said, “This student has been stuck in the Qi Zhi Realm for over six years. It was your words, Teacher, that allowed me to break through. Whether you acknowledge me as your student or not, I will serve you for the rest of my life.”

“…”

He was nearly ten years older than Ding Suian. You are old, I am still young. Who is serving whom exactly?

“In these past few days, I have contacted fellow students from the Literature Institute and found Headmaster Tao. Headmaster Tao has personally promised to ask the Immortal Master of the State Religion to intercede for you.”

Gao and Li exchanged a strange look upon hearing this.

The reason they went after Qin Shou’s adopted son was, first, to protect Xia Tieying, and second, because they knew Qin Shou was colluding with the State Religion. To eliminate the State Religion, one must first prune its wings.

And now, there were students from the Literature Institute asking the State Religion to plead for them?

How chaotic.

Zhao Juhan continued to speak on his own: “On a personal level, you are my teacher. On a public level, you are a consultant for our Literature Institute. In this matter, our Literature Institute will definitely not stand idly by!”

Ding Suian thought silently, trying it out is fine. It was not that he needed the State Religion to rescue him, but he wanted to use this Opportunity to see how much Qin Shou was actually worth to the State Religion.

Would the upper echelons of the State Religion follow the wishes of the Literature Institute? Or would they pressure the imperial court to demand a retrial for the sake of Qin Shou?

A beam of sunlight shone through the bowl-sized window.

It happened to land on Zhao Juhan. Ding Suian’s gaze fell there, only to see that because of his kneeling posture, a patch of his undergarment was exposed from his outer robe, and it was covered in patches.

Zhao Juhan looked up inadvertently, noticed where Ding Suian’s gaze was focused, and his face turned red instantly. He hurriedly pulled his outer robe to cover it.

He lost his composure, hurriedly stood up, bowed, and said, “Teacher, the visitation time is up. This student will take his leave.”

After saying this, he bowed again, retreated several steps, and turned to leave in a hurry.

Once his figure completely disappeared, Ding Suian slowly poured the wine and food to the side.

He lacked trust in Zhao Juhan, but a significant doubt still arose in his heart.

How did that saying go? Inferiority easily makes people rude.

Whether Zhao Juhan was truly a mad scholar, or if he was using the guise of a mad scholar to cover up his inferiority, had nothing to do with him.

But as the stronghold for training Cultivators of the State Religion, Zhao Juhan and all the Cultivators Ding Suian had seen had a distinct difference in temperament.

Another example was Jiang Yuan. How could one ever associate her with the cold, authoritarian, and bizarre Cultivators of the State Religion?

What exactly did the students of the two academies have to go through to become like those Cultivators of the State Religion?

May 18th.

Chongli Ward, Law Academy.

Today was originally the monthly minor examination used to test the skills and progress of the Law Academy’s students.

But this time it was a bit more grand than usual.

For some reason, the Head of the Law Academy, Xu Jiuxi, had invited a high-ranking person to audit: the giant of the West Yamen, the Commander of the Black Cavalry, Sun Tiewu.

Sun Tiewu himself came from the Law Academy and was one of the few male students in the thirty years since the academy’s founding.

By early noon, after listening to more than a dozen Vitality Realm students play the zither one after another, Sun Tiewu slumped lazily in his chair, bored, and let out a yawn.

Xu Jiuxi, in a peach-pink robe with large sleeves, glanced at him and asked, “Senior Brother, how is it?”

“It’s just ‘Make Do’.”

Sun Tiewu was obviously being perfunctory. That lifeless look made it clear to Xu Jiuxi that the quality of her students was very average.

Seeing this, Xu Jiuxi instructed her attendant, “Have Waner come over. Play a new piece to refresh Master Sun.”

“Oh? A new piece? Did you compose it, Junior Sister?”

Sun Tiewu perked up a bit.

Xu Jiuxi extended her clove-pink tongue and licked her upper lip, “One of my students, she stumbled upon an Opportunity…”

While speaking, Jiang Yuan, dressed in a goose-yellow skirt, walked in gracefully.

“Greetings, Teacher.”

“Mhm, this is your Senior Martial Uncle Sun. It is rare for him to visit, so Waner, play that new piece of yours so your Senior Martial Uncle can offer some guidance.”

Xu Jiuxi raised her beautiful eyes slightly, giving Jiang Yuan an encouraging look.

Jiang Yuan sat upright in front of the zither. Taking the Opportunity to tune the strings, she thought about that bold plan one last time.

The incident at the Bureau of Music and Entertainment a few days ago was now known throughout the city.

She had naturally heard about it.

For the past few days, she had been thinking about what method to use to help Ding Suian, who was in prison.

Today was probably an Opportunity.

Once decided, she didn’t think about anything else.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yuan suspended her wrists. When her fingertips touched the cool silk strings, her heart became crystal clear.

‘Clang! Clang! Clang!’

Without warning, her right wrist suddenly sank, and her fingertips plucked the strings like a sudden downpour.

Her slender arms danced, causing her sleeves to flutter. Her jade-like fingers swept rapidly from the low-pitched range, and the waves of sound surged forward.

The beginning was a powerful sweep and shake.

Sun Tiewu sat up straight instantly.

Even Xu Jiuxi was stunned on the spot—the new piece Jiang Yuan brought back last time wasn’t this!

Below, Jiang Yuan gradually immersed herself in it.

Her right hand’s index, middle, and ring fingers alternated in rapid succession, the notes dense and clear.

The pressed notes and sliding notes intertwined.

Her left hand wandered over the zither bridges without stopping.

Clear and piercing, falling straight down; vast and desolate.

It was as if a Dragon was roaring from the nine heavens, carrying the might of thunder, and the entire Qingjiao Pavilion buzzed along with it.

Fully immersed, Jiang Yuan’s face gradually turned from white to pink, then from pink to red, and a layer of fine sweat quickly oozed from her forehead.

Sun Tiewu was the first to notice the abnormality and subconsciously turned to look at Xu Jiuxi.

The two said in unison, “She is about to break through to the next realm!”

As soon as the words fell, from above the zither strings, waves of crescent-shaped pale Qi shot towards Sun Tiewu and Xu Jiuxi directly in front.

‘Whoosh~ Whoosh~’

Wherever they passed, curtains were torn, and beams and pillars were left with marks.

Seeing the Qi waves approaching, Sun Tiewu did not dodge or evade. His refined face was full of shock, “String Blades! It’s String Blades!”

By this time, Jiang Yuan had already sensed that something was wrong. When she played this new piece, she had originally intended to shock her teacher, and then when her teacher asked about the composer, she could naturally mention Ding Suian.

Her teacher, appreciating talent, would surely find a way to rescue him.

But she didn’t expect that she would break through from the Vitality Realm to the Qi Zhi Realm while playing the piece.

At this moment, she could feel countless spiritual power surging into her body and then being released from her fingertips. She wanted to stop, but she didn’t dare to.

She could not control the violent spiritual power rampaging in her body at all. If she stopped by force, she would definitely suffer a backlash.

In front, Xu Jiuxi naturally saw the life-and-death dilemma of her Disciple. Her voluptuous body twisted alluringly, turning into an afterimage, flying behind Jiang Yuan, and raising her hand to tap the Fengchi and Fengmen acupoints.

The spiritual power entering her body was cut off.

Jiang Yuan’s body went limp, falling into Xu Jiuxi’s arms.

Blood beads had already seeped from her ten fingertips.

Sun Tiewu’s sleeves shook, and the seemingly sharp Qi waves disappeared into nothingness in front of him. He then stood up, stepped forward, and asked urgently, “What is this piece?”

Because he was too anxious, his tone sounded very severe, as if he were intimidating her.

Xu Jiuxi frowned, “Don’t scare my student!”

Sun Tiewu, however, could not suppress his excitement and said, “It has been decades since a musical score capable of producing String Blades has appeared in this world, right?”

Xu Jiuxi thought for a moment, “Forty-eight years.”

In the Qi Zhi Realm, one can use the intent of the music to cast the Heart-Disturbing Command to confuse an enemy’s mind; one can also use the intent of the music to cast the Battle-Boosting Command to boost morale.

Such Divine Ability, which can only apply positive or negative status effects, cannot directly injure people after all.

However, among the ancient music passed down, there is no lack of pieces that can use the killing intent contained within to release String Blades and injure people.

However, because of the long passage of time and the collection and absorption by countless Law Cultivators, the killing intent has faded, and the effect of the String Blades has become minimal.

The new piece Jiang Yuan just played might be the only new piece born in forty-eight years.

A look of excitement rarely appeared on Xu Jiuxi’s delicate oval face, “Waner, what is the name of this piece?”

“Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Dragon.” Jiang Yuan leaned in her teacher’s arms, still shaken, her face pale.

“You composed it?”

“No.”

“Who taught you?”

“The same person as last time.”

“Didn’t you say last time that a Daoist taught him the ‘Spell for Clearing the Heart and Universal Goodness’? Why is there another piece?”

“Later… he said the Daoist taught him two pieces.”

“…”

It is possible to learn one piece from an expert by chance, but to be taught two pieces in a row sounds a bit fake.

It sounded more like an excuse to avoid being disturbed.

Xu Jiuxi’s flexible little tongue licked her upper lip like a dragonfly skimming the water, and she said excitedly, “Waner, do you think he has any other pieces?”

Although this performance had gone wrong and almost caused a major incident, Jiang Yuan had originally intended to get her teacher to save someone. At this moment, to increase Ding Suian’s importance, she said in an uncertain tone, “Teacher, in this student’s opinion, he should have.”

That was all she needed!

“What is his name?”

“Ding Suian.”

Sun Tiewu, who was studying the String Blade marks left on the pillar, turned back in astonishment upon hearing this.

Xu Jiuxi continued to press, “Where is he?”

“He is…” Jiang Yuan didn’t dare to say directly that Ding Suian was in the Ministry of Justice Prison this time, as that would make the design seem too deliberate, so she whispered, “He seems to be serving in the Vermilion Bird Army.”

“Let’s go, take me to find him!”

Xu Jiuxi, probably feeling that her student was weak and unable to move, bent down, scooped up Jiang Yuan, and left.

Jiang Yuan nestled in Xu Jiuxi’s arms, secretly glancing at her teacher, which made her nervous heartbeat thunder.

Behind them, Sun Tiewu’s voice rang out, “Junior Sister, the person you are looking for is in the Ministry of Justice Prison…”

Xu Jiuxi turned around, her expression calm, “What crime did he commit?”

“He injured some people at the Bureau of Music and Entertainment a few days ago.”

“Pfft~”

Xu Jiuxi sneered, “Never mind injuring a few people, even if he killed ten or twenty of them, this person, the Law Academy will protect!”