Chapter 6: Trust Isn't Wrong

Maple City is located in Qinghe Prefecture. In terms of scale, it ranks at the bottom among the thirteen cities in the prefecture, only ahead of Mao City.

The head of a Dao Academy in such a city is generally a middle-tier Rank 6 Daoist. Dong A, with his Rank 5 cultivation, is stationed at Maple Forest Dao Academy, which inevitably leads to rumors that he offended someone in Zhuangdu.

But for the disciples of Maple Forest Dao Academy, this is undoubtedly a good thing.

"So, apart from Fang Decai's testimony, before this duel, you can't produce any solid evidence that Fang Pengju personally arranged an attack to kill you and seize your elixir that would be convincing to everyone?" Dong A, dressed in a black Daoist robe, sat upright on a futon in a quiet room.

Behind him on the wall hung a portrait, depicting a Daoist wearing a noble purple robe. The brushwork was meticulous, and the image was lifelike, but the Daoist's face was obscured as if hidden in clouds, making it difficult to see clearly.

Jiang Wang stood respectfully before the head of the academy, his head lowered. Hearing the question, he stated in as calm a tone as possible, "It is enough for me to know that it was him. As for ironclad evidence, he will naturally provide it to everyone before his death. And he indeed did not disappoint me."

Dong A knew he was referring to the Qi Opening Pill that Fang Pengju had taken.

"Was it too hasty and reckless?"

"I should have plotted slowly, gathered evidence, and waited for the Dao Academy to make a judgment. But the inner court selection is in two days. Now that Fang Pengju has revealed his Dao Meridian, he will definitely become the head of the academy's disciple. Time is tight, so I had to take the risk. Jiang Wang dares to kill outer court disciples, but he wouldn't dare to kill the head of the academy's disciple."

The outer court is just preparation; inner court disciples are the real disciples of the Dao Academy!

While speaking, Jiang Wang kept his head lowered, showing the humility and propriety expected of a disciple.

But what flashed through his mind at this moment was the sound of a sword whistling from the west outside Huanzhen Temple!

That man named Li Yi beheaded a genius as strong as Zuo Guanglie with a single sword. What need was there for circuitous tactics?

Compared to that battle outside Huanzhen Temple, he was so weak! His sword skills, which he took pride in, were so feeble!

Where was the time to dawdle, seeking a foolproof method, and slowly maneuvering with the Dao Academy and Fang Pengju?

Moreover, if not for today's direct and decisive Dao Proof duel, where would he have had an advantage over Fang Pengju, who had the backing of the Maple Forest Fang family, in other ways?

"If the Qi Opening Pill used by Fang Pengju was taken from you, then where did your Qi Opening Pill come from?"

Here it comes.

Jiang Wang felt a slight tension in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. The battle outside Huanzhen Temple, even if no one dared to approach it at the time due to the power of the involved experts, would inevitably trigger an investigation afterward. Moreover, Gongyang Bai and others had set up an array within the borders of the Zhuang Kingdom, so they couldn't have failed to communicate with the Zhuang Kingdom's experts in advance. No matter how small Zhuang was, it still had the dignity of a nation!

As the strongest person on the surface in the entire Maple Forest City area, Dong A couldn't have been unaware of that battle.

Fortunately, Jiang Wang had no secrets to speak of in the whole matter, and in this world with extraordinary powers, the traces he left behind couldn't be hidden.

Therefore, he described everything he had heard at the time, as objectively as possible, without any subjective attitudes. This included his physical condition, his thoughts and decisions, how he had found the Qi Opening Pill in the blurred flesh and blood, and finally, how he had buried the corpses.

He only omitted the matter of the Void Key.

Throughout the narrative, Dong A remained silent, except for a fleeting, barely suppressed surge of anger in his eyes.

Jiang Wang knew where that anger came from.

The outskirts of Maple Forest City, outside Huanzhen Temple, this was Zhuang Kingdom's territory! And powerful cultivators from Qin and Chu brazenly fought here, without any regard. No one in the entire Maple Forest City, or even Qinghe Prefecture, dared to interfere in this battle. For Zhuang Kingdom cultivators, this was a great shame in itself.

The reason Dong A suppressed this anger was simply to avoid exposing the weakness of the Zhuang Kingdom and affecting the confidence of his disciples in their cultivation.

He should be a good head of the academy.

Jiang Wang silently observed this middle-tier expert who would guide his cultivation path for a long time to come—he had never had such an opportunity before today.

While observing and summarizing, he finished narrating the experience he had already prepared.

"The origin of your Qi Opening Pill is clear. I have reviewed your mission records during your time in the outer court. You have a sense of proportion and decisiveness, which is rare."

Dong A gave Jiang Wang a faint glance before saying, "In the future, you can refer to yourself as a disciple in front of me."

Jiang Wang's heartstrings loosened, knowing that he had passed this test. And he had already received the approval of the head of Maple Forest Dao Academy, and would be directly selected into the inner court.

He crossed his thumbs, his left hand outside and his right hand inside, forming a Taiji Yin-Yang fist, and raised it to his chest, nodding slightly and saying, "Thank you, teacher."

The Confucian school emphasizes Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, but for the Daoist school, the teacher comes before the ruler and parents, because the teacher transmits the Dao and is the one who expounds the Great Dao.

For all the inner court disciples of Maple Forest Dao Academy, Dong A was their teacher.

Dong A closed his eyes slightly and said no more, "Go."

...

Coming out of the head of the academy's meditation room, he walked side by side with Ling He and Zhao Rucheng, who had been waiting outside.

The three of them didn't speak for a while, and the atmosphere was somber.

Jiang Wang had returned, but Fang Pengju had died. The so-called "Maple Forest Five Heroes" was still a thing of the past in name only.

Since Du Yehu wasn't here, he must be hiding somewhere drinking. Among these people, he seemed to be the most carefree, but when faced with such things, he was probably the most unable to cope. No matter how harshly he cursed or how much he hated in his heart, he couldn't erase the fact that he had once regarded Fang Pengju as a brother.

As the eldest brother, Ling He was the first to break the silence: "You guys go back to the dormitory first, I have to send Pengju's body back to the Fang residence."

The outer court disciples of Maple Forest Dao Academy lived in dorms of six people. The Maple Forest Five Heroes moved into the same dorm because they shared a close bond. Others couldn't get into their circle, so they had always lived five to a dorm.

Jiang Wang didn't say anything.

Ling He had that kind of personality. No matter how many faults Fang Pengju had, he couldn't just ignore his corpse.

"Do you still hate Lao Si?" Ling He asked.

"Don't call him Lao Si anymore," Zhao Rucheng said, a look of disgust on his handsome face. "I'm ashamed to talk about someone who plots against his brothers and is vile and poisonous."

Compared to his age, Ling He's face was a bit too mature, which was probably why he was more easily trusted. Among the five, he had always been the older brother, taking care of his younger brothers.

Because of his stable and mature side, people often overlooked that he was only nineteen years old, only two years older than Jiang Wang and three years older than Zhao Rucheng.

It's just that the children of poor families mature early.

Looking at Ling He, Jiang Wang shook his head and said, "It's not worth hating him. I only hate my own stupidity, hate my own misplaced trust."

Even though he seemed so calm, Ling He still heard a trace of resentment that he couldn't let go. He could understand it completely.

"Trust is one of the brightest things in this world. Trust is not wrong, Jiang Wang," Ling He said. "What's wrong is the person who betrays your trust."

He didn't continue, but his earnest eyes told Jiang Wang:

The brotherly feelings between us are not wrong either, and they are not fake. What is wrong and fake is only the person who betrayed all of this. It's just Fang Pengju.

That's why he had to send Fang Pengju's body back, so that he wouldn't be left without a place to rest after death. This wasn't out of recognition or sympathy for Fang Pengju, but simply out of respect and maintenance for the brotherly affection that they once had and should not change in the future.

This was Ling He.

Whether it was as irritable as Du Yehu, or as arrogant as Fang Pengju, they were all willing to call him older brother, and it wasn't just because of his age.

"Go ahead. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out, all grievances disappear," Jiang Wang stopped. "But I can't bring myself to go with you."

"I can't do it either," Zhao Rucheng said coldly.

Ling He patted Zhao Rucheng's shoulder, looked at Jiang Wang deeply, and then turned and left.