At the beginning of the semester, Arthur Ness, a sophomore from Alpha Academy, had a conflict with several Freshmen from Nine Provinces College.
The result of the conflict was astonishing.
The proud and talented Mr. Ness was soundly beaten by a group of Freshmen who hadn't even officially enrolled, and suppressed into the dust of the Walking Street.
This incident was witnessed by hundreds of students from the four colleges.
Public opinion at the University was in an uproar.
Mr. Ness almost instantly became a disgrace to Alpha Academy.
His classmates were ashamed to speak with him, the several clubs he belonged to issued severe warnings, and even the Academy's professors seriously analyzed the various reasons for Arthur's failure in class.
In any case, this incident left him looking disheveled for a while.
More importantly, this dust soiled the clean shoes of some important figures.
For example, Sir Friedman.
As the Vice President of the Blood Union and the current Chairman of the '3A' club, Sir Friedman wields extensive influence among the students of Alpha Academy.
Not to mention the Sir's continuously rising voice outside the University, within the Moonlight Council.
In this failed negotiation, Arthur Ness not only used the Sir's name but was also mercilessly ridiculed.
The most disastrous part was that after being ridiculed, he not only failed to uphold the Sir's dignity but also had his own honor trampled into the mud.
This was a bit troublesome.
After the conflict, Arthur Ness dispatched his companions to inquire around.
The new information they received was not optimistic.
It was said that the Blood Union's Advanced cadres were discussing expelling Arthur during an internal meeting; Sir Friedman also privately complained to his attendants that Arthur Ness was 'utterly foolish'.
Mr. Ness was somewhat flustered.
He wanted to deal with the aftermath of the battle with Zheng Qing and others through some formal channels, such as the Student Union's Arbitration Committee. However, his remaining rationality told him that doing so would only make him lose more face.
"This must be a joke!" he shouted in an independent lounge at Alpha Academy, pacing anxiously: "You want me to go to the Arbitration Committee and tell those guys from 'First Will' that I was suppressed by a Freshman's Talisman? That's impossible! What's more, those little guys haven't even learned to use a spell book!"
"It certainly Will become a joke," mumbled the thin boy whose lower body had been severely injured by Ilena, shrinking and curling up in the large leather sofa.
"I am an official member of the Blood Union! If I stand before the 'First Will' Arbitration Committee, I Will surely suffer even more humiliation!" Mr. Ness roared hysterically.
Thinking about the consequences of arbitration, his heart constricted, and his whole body trembled.
Every elder of First University knows a fact—although the University has hundreds of student clubs, all students only have two leaders.
Augustus, President of the Alpha Academy Blood Union, and Lei Zhe, Chairman of the Nine Provinces College 'First Will'.
In fact, both of these names are titles that have been passed down for hundreds of years at First University. Every student who inherits the Blood Union or the First Will Will simultaneously inherit the names of Augustus and Lei Zhe.
The Blood Union, rooted in Alpha Academy, believes in 'Talent Theory' and 'Predestination', holding that one's innate talent is determined at birth, and by correctly guiding the hidden talent deep within each person's Soul, everyone can display outstanding abilities.
The First Will, founded in Nine Provinces College, adheres to 'Man Conquers Nature' and 'Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence', believing that through systematic and professional training, everyone can become a Genius; there is no such thing as bloodline or talent, those are merely the lingering benefits of the efforts of predecessors.
The divergence between the two major clubs ultimately stems from the conflict in the educational philosophies of the two colleges—Nine Provinces College identifies talent through examinations, while Alpha Academy distinguishes talent by innate ability.
Under the control of First University, although the two colleges had minor disagreements due to these differences, they did not resort to large-scale conflicts.
However, the hot-blooded young people in the colleges did not hesitate to use some simple and crude methods to defend their own ideals. Youth can always be forgiven, and with the indulgence of their respective colleges, the Blood Union and First Will were at loggerheads and incompatible in every corner of the University.
Among them, the Arbitration Committee, which belongs to the First University Student Union, because the current Chief Arbitrator comes from the First Will, most members of the committee lean towards the First Will.
This put immense pressure on the members of the Blood Union.
Arthur Ness could clearly foresee the consequences of entering the Arbitration Committee.
He would not be so foolish as to continue causing trouble for the various bigwigs of the Academy.
"This incident has already happened and Will certainly be known by those old rivals," said a handsome man with long hair falling to his shoulders in a soft voice: "Especially you, Kitano Gen, you might even be labeled as a pervert."
The thin boy huddled on the sofa, shrinking his body, appearing even smaller.
"Moreover, you created this joke using Sir Friedman's name, so you must end this farce before the Sir expresses his opinion."
"So?" Arthur Ness looked at the handsome man with pleading eyes: "Sima, do you have any suggestions?"
The handsome man with long hair was named Sima Yi, also a sophomore from Alpha Academy, proficient in Divination and Magic Writing, and had a very good personal relationship with Arthur, so he was often used by Arthur as a strategist.
"When they are Freshmen, if we look for trouble with them, we Will be scorned, and even attract interference from other clubs or the University. But if they are extraordinarily outstanding, our failure won't look so bad."
Sima Yi had been holding an ancient book in his hand, reading it intently.
This did not prevent him from giving Arthur Ness a very good suggestion: "The loss has already occurred, we cannot make the impact disappear, but we can minimize the impact."
Arthur Ness looked bewildered.
"You tripped over a stone while walking, that's a joke. But if you find that what tripped you was not an ordinary stone, but an unpolished jade, or a large piece of gold, then it's not a joke, but a beautiful story."
Sima Yi simply expressed his opinion more clearly.
"What should we do?" Kitano Gen sat up straight.
"Be an elegant true gentleman," Sima Yi emphasized, looking at everyone: "As the ancient saying goes, 'Preventing people's mouths is harder than preventing a flood.' This matter has been fermenting at the University for some time, and any attempt to eliminate this public opinion is futile. On the contrary, any action we take to suppress public opinion Will cause a greater backlash. Those who wish for chaos Will ferment this matter with even greater enthusiasm."
"So, don't block it. Guide it. Guide the students to shift their focus."
"Change the focus?" Arthur Ness seemed to understand a little: "Someone else intervened in our fight with those newcomers. I know a few sophomores from Starry Sky Academy, and someone also played a Black Hand on the side of the road."
The others in the lounge nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Arthur's statement.
"If it weren't for someone on the roadside casting a Silence Spell, that Freshman from Nine Provinces College wouldn't have had a chance to throw their Talismanic Incantation!" Kitano Gen shouted excitedly from the sofa.
Sima Yi nodded, then shook his head, looking somewhat disappointed.
"This can indeed divert public attention."
"But this doesn't change the nature of you bullying newcomers. Other students Will still think you were suppressed by a Freshman's Talisman—which is, in fact, true. Undeniable."
Arthur Ness's face turned red, and he said nothing.
The others wisely kept their mouths shut.