Chapter 423: Martial Uncle (3)
Qiu Yi furiously said, "Huang Hao, you dare slander us? Yesterday, we only told you to spread the rumors about Wu Jia. We mentioned nothing about the other elders! This is slander! Damn it! You're trying to kill us!"
Huang Hao was getting anxious. He denied, "Nonsense! That clearly wasn't what you said yesterday! Elder Qi, I wasn't lying! I have no grudge with Wu Jia and the multiple character faction. I only wanted to make some money. There is no need for me to target them. I only did what I was paid to do!"
Huang Hao was sweating all over from anxiousness as he continued his explanation, "I guarantee that these rumors came from them! First, the rumors were only aimed toward Wu Jia. But after she started hiding, I recalled what they told me and spread the rest of the rumors as well. Without their order, why would I provoke the elders for no reason? I wasn't crazy! Five merit points were a lot. I thought that spreading some rumors wouldn't be that big of a deal, so I decided to do it. Who would have guessed that this matter would devolve into this mess?"
"Bullshit!"
Even with his injured body, Di Feng was so furious that he stood up and tried to attack Huang Hao.
Rumble!
A palm attack sent Di Feng crashing into the wall. Elder Qi shot Di Feng a cold gaze before looking at Zhou Mingren. "The students of your faction sure are gutsy. They actually dare to attack a witness in the middle of questioning."
Zhou Mingren shut his eyes and sighed inwardly. That was truly idiotic. He had a vague feeling that Di Feng and company had probably only ordered to have rumors concerning Wu Jia spread. But...Di Feng was a total idiot. He had actually tried attacking the witness in front of all of them. That was the same as suicide. Even if Elder Qi and the other elders were doubtful about Huang Yao's words, this single action was enough to anger all of them.
After a long while, Zhou Mingren said, "Check Huang Hao's mind for any tampering. Di Feng might be stupid, but it really is completely pointless to drag the other elders down while slandering the multiple character faction. Huang Hao does not seem to be telling lies either. Old Qi, check his mind. We will admit to all wrongdoings that we have actually done. But we won't accept being framed and punished for it."
Elder Qi frowned. After thinking about it, he called a different elder over and said, "Let's check his mind together. Old Huang, you should join us as well. Let's see if his memories have really been tampered with."
Huang Hao's testimony had clearly conflicted with the testimony of Di Feng and company. But they had already confirmed that Huang Hao was the first person who had spread all the rumors while Di Feng and company were the culprits. With that, two Mountainseas and one ninth-stage Cloudbreach stepped forth to inspect Huang Hao's memories.
Of course, reading memories was a feat out of their reach. But they could check Huang Hao's sea of willpower for any signs of tampering. When an expert modified the memories of a person, some traces would be left in the sea of willpower. So long as it had happened, they would be able to find something.
After a long while, Old Huang shook his head, "I'm too weak. I found nothing out of place."
Old Qi and the other elder exchanged gazes before shaking their heads.
Elder Qi looked at Zhou Mingren and said, "If you don't trust us, you can check yourself."
Zhou Mingren stood up and said nothing. He placed his palm atop Huang Hao's head and performed a detailed check. After the first scan, his heart thumped as he hurriedly performed another scan.
Nothing out of place was found!
But suddenly, the look in his eyes changed as his gaze landed at the wound on Huang Hao's arm. He coldly asked, "How did you get this wound?"
Huang Hao was trembling in fear while he replied, "I fell down last night..."
"You fell down?" Zhou Mingren said, "You're a Mental Tempering Stage cultivator. How can you fall down so easily?"
A small wound could be seen on Huang Hao's arm.
Huang Hao hastily explained, "It's true! Yesterday, I was busy spreading rumors everywhere and fell down because I wasn't watching where I was going..."
Zhou Mingren silently studied the arm and softly muttered, "Fell down..."
He sighed and said, "I suspect that his memories have been changed. Instead of doing through the sea of willpower, this person has extracted his blood essence, modified his memory imprint, before returning the blood essence to him, modifying his memories."
He looked at Huang Hao and asked, "When you woke up this morning, did you experience dizziness and a weak feeling all over your body?"
Huang Hao replied, "Yeah..."
Suddenly, Elder Qi said, "Enough! Zhou Mingren, can you do something like this? Can even Sunmoons do something like this? Are you telling me an Invincible has personally modified his memories?"
"There is no need for an Invincible to do this. There are people below that realm who are also capable of this."
Zhou Mingren's eyes turned cold as he looked outside the window. "Hong Tan, Chen Yong, Bai Feng...anyone from the multiple character faction might have the ability to do this..."
Elder Qi was furious.
Old Huang frowned, "Where's your proof? Vice Principal Zhou, at this point, your word alone is no longer enough. Where is your proof? Are we supposed to arrest the entire multiple character faction and interrogate them through torture?"
Elder Qi ignored Zhou Mingren and lifted the badly injured Di Feng and coldly demanded, "Tell me! Who ordered you to do this!"
Zhou Mingren frowned, but he could only sigh inwardly.
How cruel and ruthless.
This was not Hong Tan's style. Bai Feng was too injured to do this. Could it be...that person?
Extracting blood essence and modifying the memory imprint...was it the handiwork of that person? Had that person reached this far in his research? Or had he misunderstood everything?
Zhou Mingren lowered his head and returned to his seat. He no longer said anything. This time, they were going to take a loss no matter what. Unless they could prove that Huang Hao's memories had indeed been tampered with, there was no way they could escape the blame this time.
...
Books depository.
Wu Jia was still sulking while Chen Yong was acting like nothing had happened. With a smile, he asked, "Are you still angry? They're not only talking about you. The entire academy and the capital have been thrown into chaos as well. These people enjoy talking drivel too much. Just look at how they're all going to suffer now."
"Teacher, are those people stupid? They deserve everything that is happening to them right now!"
Chen Yong said, "That's because they are too stupid. You need to pay a price for running your mouth too much. Don't be angry anymore. I'll teach you something new today. You can learn the way to squeeze more power out of your cultivation..."
"Squeeze?"
"A self-harm technique. A technique requiring you to burn your blood essence."
Chen Yong sighed and said, "You can be provoked into a fight to the death too easily. I shouldn't be teaching you something like this, but you're too stubborn and straightforward. You don't know when to take a step back. Something will happen sooner or later. Today, I'll be teaching you something you can use to preserve your life in the future."
Chen Yong started nagging, "Like the myriad races, we humans have blood essence as well. Your martial uncle has been researching the blood essence and abilities of the myriad races. You know this. Blood essence can be extracted from both the dead and the living. Of course, extracting from someone alive would be harmful for one's body."
Chen Yong softly explained, "For humans, different amount of blood essence can be extracted depending on the target's cultivation level. Someone at the Mental Tempering Stage can survive having ten drops of blood essence extracted or a drop or two ignited. But that person will suffer a heavy injury and be weakened..."
Wu Jia curiously asked, "Teacher, will the increase in strength from doing this be significant?"
"Of course." Chen Yong said, "As a Mental Tempering Stage and ninth-stage Great Strength student, you can increase your strength by 10 percent or more after igniting a drop of your blood essence. But after that, you will need to spend some time recuperating or you will suffer from some side effects in the future.
"Blood essence is very important and mystical. It even contains the instincts and memories of the body it comes from. The blood essence abilities your martial uncle is able to use are basically a method of utilizing the ability imprints in blood essence. Apart from ability imprints, memory imprints can also be extracted from blood essence. That is one of the main research subjects of your martial uncle."
As Chen Yong explained, a figure suddenly appeared outside the window.
Wu Jia did not notice the figure.
Chen Yong shot the window a glance. Outside, Wan Tiansheng was staring at him. "Chen Yong, you should have stopped at experimenting on cultists. If you dare to do this on a student ever again, I will personally end your life."
Chen Yong nodded and gave no reply. He continued his lesson with Wu Jia.
Wan Tiansheng stayed outside, staring at Chen Yong for a very long time. The multiple character faction was truly a faction filled with freaks. But when these freaks turned into monsters, it would be time to put them down.
After a long while, when Wan Tiansheng was about to leave, Chen Yong said, "Principal, I always repay those who have shown me kindness. Jia's parents were killed by the cult back then when they were trying to help me. I saw the incident myself. Those who dare to run their mouths deserve nothing less than death. I have already restrained myself this time."
Wan Tiansheng frowned, "This is the first time. I hope it's also the last time."
"There won't be a second time. I had remained silent the previous time they injured Jia. She was partly to blame for that. I am a reasonable man. But this time, they tried killing her. If this happens again, I will make sure to kill all of them before you kill me."
Wan Tiansheng frowned and turned around to stare at Chen Yong again. Meanwhile, Chen Yong continued seriously teaching Wu Jia on the intricacies of blood essence.
"Chen Yong, just enter the Mountainsea Realm as early as possible. If you can reach the Mountainsea Realm, they will naturally stop targeting Wu Jia."
"That is my business. It is unrelated to Jia. Principal, I am a very patient person. But when a patient person loses his temper, he can be very scary." Chen Yong looked at Wan Tiansheng with a smile and said, "I want Zhou Pingsheng's life for this. If he doesn't die, I won't let this rest."
"..."
Wan Tiansheng looked at Chen Yong coldly. He said nothing and vanished into thin air.
As for Chen Yong, he continued his lesson with a gentle look on his face. "Jia, remember this. There are many ways you can use to kill someone. It is not necessary to fight someone head on every single time. Learn more from your junior brother. He is shrewd. When an Invincible tries to kill another Invincible head on, that Invincible might get killed instead. But using some other methods, he might be able to kill several Invincibles."
"Methods?" Wu Jia complained, "Teacher, I don't like to scheme and plot."
"You...sigh." Chen Yong was greatly troubled. "Fine. Keep being you. It's not like our multiple character faction is relying on you. Just cultivate properly. I will try to bring you and your junior brother together. He is smart. He will be able to protect you well..."
"Teacher!" Wu Jia said, "I...have never thought of that! Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?"
"..."
Chen Yong laughed and nodded. "Fine, fine. I'll stop. We'll let fate decide if the two of you will get together in the future."
Inwardly, he sighed. A day would come when he grow old or die. How long could he keep taking care of her?
Su Yu? He was someone with the potential to enter the Sunmoon Realm. As for himself, was he really capable of stepping into the Sunmoon Realm? With a laugh, he decided to stop worrying too much. It was still too early for that.