Ping Jingyue’s face flashed with rage, and Liu Hongyan barked, “Hua Yang, what nonsense are you saying?”
Hua Yang loudly laughed. “Liu Hongyan, you should stop pretending to be some good person. How many of you actually had good intentions when approaching Tang Jie? Wasn’t it all because of his false identity of Tang Jiye? Now that he’s been exposed, what’s the point in putting on these false airs? Wouldn’t it be better to go and find the real Tang Jiye? Hahahaha!”
He walked away.
Wei Tianchong was stunned. “What’s going on here? Could it be… Could it be that you’re also Godhead Palace spies?”
Liu Hongyan took in a breath of cold air. “This matter has nothing to do with you, so there’s no need for you to ask so many questions.”
She shared a glance with Ping Jingyue, and then the two turned their heads and left, but not together.
“Hongyan! Jingyue!” Shu Mingyang shouted as he went after them.
Wei Tianchong was baffled. He looked at Cai Junyang and asked, “Big Brother Cai, what’s going on here?”
Cai Junyang was also astonished. He thought about it for a while, but then he shook his head. “I still don’t quite understand, but… Forget it. It’s best if you don’t know. Sometimes, it’s best to let bygones be bygones and not bring them up anymore.”
He sighed. “Tang Jie’s fate is a little more important right now.”
“But there’s no telling what the academy will do to Tang Jie,” Shi Meng worriedly said.
He had once had his objections about Tang Jie.
But ever since Tang Jie had gifted him medicine and spoken up for him, his opinion of him had greatly improved. He hoped that Tang Jie came out okay.
“I don’t know either.” Cai Junyang shook his head. “I hope it’s not like what those guys said.”
“But it’s possible, right?” Wei Tianchong asked.
Cai Junyang couldn’t answer.
At this moment, another voice spoke.
“He will be fine.”
Everyone turned in shock and saw An Rumeng standing behind them.
Wei Tianchong was astonished at first, but then he excitedly said, “It’s Senior Sister An! Are you telling the truth when you say that Tang Jie will be okay?”
An Rumeng lightly nodded.
She took a few steps forward, and the packed crowd automatically opened the way for her.
She came up to Wei Tianchong’s side and said, “He will be fine. Basking Moon Academy will discipline him, but it will not cripple his cultivation or expel him from the academy.”
“Why?”
“Because this is Basking Moon Academy,” An Rumeng said.
Because this was Basking Moon Academy!
This was An Rumeng’s reply. She did not give any more reasons, as it seemed like this reason was enough.
What sort of place was Basking Moon Academy?
A place to instruct students, a place of indoctrination, and a place being watched by everyone. Everything done here required a sensible explanation, for everything that happened here might become something that others learned from and influence the entire country.
Although Tang Jie had deceived Basking Moon Academy, he had never once claimed that he was Tang Jiye. He had only represented himself as Tang Jiye.
As he had not made any substantial action, he had not dealt any substantial harm, nor had he broken any rule of the academy!
The disciples’ rules said nothing about point deductions or expulsion for appearing like Tang Jiye.
To punish and expel him for this reason did not agree with the rules of Basking Moon Academy, or even the rules of the Basking Moon Sect.
No matter how dissatisfied one was, at least on the surface, Tang Jie’s mistakes were very small, so small that they were hardly worth investigating!
Once he understood what An Rumeng meant, Wei Tianchong sighed in relief. “That’s great. So Tang Jie’s going to be okay, right?”
“That’s not for certain. He still did use the Basking Moon Sect, so he will be disciplined, or else the Basking Moon Sect will have essentially permitted his actions. It’s just that the punishment will be a little lighter,” someone else chimed in.
Wei Tianchong turned in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome young man standing nearby, but he didn’t recognize who he was.
But the crowd clamored, “It’s Bei Canghan.”
“I didn’t expect him to return.”
“He came just in time to catch the show.”
Wei Tianchong’s head buzzed when he heard this name.
He had naturally heard this name before.
A student of Basking Moon Academy’s 1814th class, an eighth-year student.
Nine-cycle Jade Gate, Mortal Shedding Realm.
When the Hawk Hall kidnapped Tang Jie, Basking Moon had dispatched experts from both the sect and the academy to pursue the Hawk Hall and had issued a bounty mission. Bei Canghan had joined this bounty mission as a student.
In terms of fame, Bei Canghan far surpassed Qi Shaoming.
Although he was nominally a Basking Moon Academy student, he was essentially a Basking Moon disciple already. He spent most of the year outside, following the teachers in carrying out missions together. This could be considered his internship period.
He was using these last two years purely to solidify his cultivation and gather resources.
No one had expected to see him here.
“Greeting Senior Brother Bei!” All of the students respectfully bowed. Although he was a student, he could be considered a teacher’s assistant. Considering his aptitude and potential, he had a limitless future. Even some of the teachers had a lower status than him now.
Bei Canghan simply lowered his head a little in reply, but nobody found him impolite.
Even An Rumeng came forward and said, “Senior Brother Bei, dare I ask how Tang Jie will be punished so as to maintain the dignity of my Basking Moon and serve as a warning to the common people?”
Bei Canghan answered, “The academy has missions every year. These are rather risky but also very rewarding. Normally, only eighth- or ninth-years can take part in them. Since he was willing to vie for the Immortal path even at the cast of his own body, then he will be given his wish and granted the opportunity to wipe away his errors through merit. If he can succeed, everyone will benefit. If he fails and dies, the academy cannot be blamed for not giving him a chance.”
The crowd exchanged glances of surprise.
Wei Tianchong hesitantly said, “They wouldn’t really do such a thing? This carries lethal risk.”
If he had to choose, then rather than take on a mission that only the higher-year students could take part in, he would rather have his cultivation crippled and be expelled. At the very least, he would be able to stay alive. The other choice simply carried too much risk.
Cai Junyang muttered, “I feel…”
“It’s too possible,” An Rumeng finished for him.
Finally!
Tang Jie came out.
The students instantly gathered around him.
Cai Junyang pushed aside the others and charged up. He was originally going to ask if he was okay, but when he saw Tang Jie, he forgot about everything and just stared.
Tang Jie chuckled. “Long time no see!”
Cai Junyang froze for a moment and decided to reply back, “Long time no see.”
He remained dazed for a little longer before erupting in laughter and hugging Tang Jie. “No matter what happened, you’re back, and that’s what counts!”
A mumbling Wei Tianchong came forward.
He had been planning to grumble and complain to Tang Jie for a while, ranting about all the trouble he had gone through and criticizing him for doing something so risky, but when he saw Tang Jie, he found that he couldn’t say anything.
He hugged Tang Jie and simply said, “You’re back, and that’s what counts!”
Shi Meng then hugged Tang Jie. “You’re back, and that’s what counts!”
In the distance, An Rumeng smiled. “You’re back, and that’s what counts!”
“You’re back, and that’s what counts!” Those students on good terms with Tang Jie rushed up and shouted in unison.
Nobody cared about Basking Moon Academy’s punishment anymore. All they felt was joy at the return of a friend, and countless greetings and congratulations resounded through the school. The students cheered as if they were celebrating a victory.
Those people who had wanted to see Tang Jie’s downfall departed in a huff. Only the good friends remained to cheer, their laughter resounding through the Clear Sky Mountains.
From Westwatch Pavilion, Xie Fengtang looked at the youths below, a relieved smile on his face as he muttered, “These brats.”
That night, the students of the Freedom Society held a feast at the Thousand Taste Garden to celebrate Tang Jie’s return.
Of course, Hua Yang wasn’t there.
He had already withdrawn from the club, expressing all his dissatisfaction in his own way.
Liu Hongyan, Ping Jingyue, and Shu Mingyang once more appeared to receive him, and they also apologized to Tang Jie for not being there to meet him. Of course, Tang Jie didn’t mind.
“So Senior Brother Bei was right and you’ve really been told to make up for your errors with your achievements?” Ping Jingyue asked from her seat.
“Yes.” The one who replied wasn’t Tang Jie, but Cai Junyang. As one of the group of people who had been there to welcome Tang Jie, he already knew everything. He then imitated Xie Fengtang’s tone and loudly said, “Student Tang Jie, for your audacious action of pretending to be a wanted fugitive in order to derive benefit, you deserve a heavy punishment! But out of consideration for the ignorance of your young age and your redeeming achievements…”
“Achievements? What achievements?” Liu Hongyan interrupted.
“Drawing out the Hawk Hall spies and killing Gu Changqing,” Tang Jie answered.
“Don’t interrupt me,” Cai Junyang impatiently said. He continued in his loud voice, “We shall be lenient with you and permit you to make up for your errors through achievements. Starting from today, your score on the academy contribution board is: -100!”
“-100!” All of the Freedom Society students erupted in laughter.
“-100?” Liu Hongyan and Ping Jingyue yelped in surprise.
The academy contribution board was the measure of contribution in missions for students of Spirit Lake and above. Academy contribution points were obtained from completing missions, but those below Spirit Lake did not have the right to be ranked on this board.
The contribution points for this board were not easy to obtain. Each mission would only give a few points to ten-some points, and to get more points, one needed to take riskier missions.
And -100 meant that Tang Jie, without doing anything, owed the academy one hundred points.
“Correct!” Cai Junyang laughed. “Not only is it -100, there’s 20% interest every year, and he has to take part in a mission at least once a year, and must take on enough missions to pay back the interest. The interest will start accumulating starting from the official start of your second year. In other words, in one more month, Tang Jie will be at -120!”
He laughed in delight at the massive debt Tang Jie was in. When Liu Hongyan and the others understood, they nodded. “In other words, Headmaster Xie is being rather considerate of Tang Jie.”
Cai Junyang and the others were happy, not because he was unfortunate, but because he had not been too unfortunate.
At least Tang Jie had the power to choose his missions.
At least Tang Jie had the ability to repay in batches.
In these aspects, Xie Fengtang truly had been rather considerate of Tang Jie.
If this were anyone else, they would have been thrown into some suicidal mission to settle the matter.
“Is there anything else?” Shu Mingyang asked.
“I have to write a self-criticism,” Tang Jie replied.
The eyeballs of the other students almost popped out of their sockets. “That’s it?”
Tang Jie thought it over and added, “It has to be at least three thousand words, and I have to be sincere. I have to deeply acknowledge my mistakes.”
“Nothing else?”
“Nothing else.”
“……”
Liu Hongyan and the others shared looks, and then they erupted in laughter.
Xie Fengtang had raised his hammer of judgment high, but he had brought it down with a gentle tap. Surely, so long as you liked someone, you could forgive them for any mistake they made.