Chapter 399: Going to School? (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

"Since when does Xiaoyue have an older brother?"

"How strange... why have we never heard of this before?"

"Exactly, they don't even look alike..." Everyone present scanned the man up and down, their eyes filled with suspicion.

On Jiang Xiaoyue's screen, an endless cascade of adorable photographs cluttered the desktop; in a flurry of panic, she dragged a selection box across them and sent them all into her private storage space within Penguin.

The scarf-wearing avatar of Penguin Communications continued to bounce persistently upon her taskbar. She clicked it open quickly, revealing a chat log with Proprietor Fang that was still frozen on a discussion regarding Devil May Cry combo mechanics. "Boss, talk later, teehee (Husky acting cute)."

With that, she promptly leapt down from behind the counter.

Jiang Xuan remained entirely oblivious to the undercurrents swirling through the surrounding atmosphere, yet he chose to cut straight to the chase. His countenance gradually chilled, hardening into an expression of solemn authority. "To slip away without a single word, leaving not a shred of news behind—do you have any inkling how deeply, over this past year, Father—"

He had seemed on the verge of saying 'the Emperor,' but checked himself mid-sentence. "How deeply Father has worried for you?"

"Ahem, cough!" Nalan Hongwu cleared his throat softly. "The girl has resided in this establishment for a considerable duration and has faced no peril, nor has she suffered any grievance. You may set your mind at ease, sir."

"Of that, I am naturally aware." His spoken tone and courtly demeanor were utterly flawless, yet whether born of an innate nobility or some other source, a distinct thread of arrogance and frosty condescension still laced his words.

"With only the cultivators of your Desolate Sea Realm, intending to mistreat our Young Miss would prove rather difficult anyway," added one of the two guards, the disdain written across his features all too plain to see.

"Hmm?"

"What in the world is the Desolate Sea Realm?"

The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, completely perplexed by the term.

Nevertheless, this lack of understanding did not prevent them from discerning the palpable contempt embedded within the stranger's voice.

A collective frown rippled through the crowd.

Jiang Xuan fixed his gaze upon Jiang Xiaoyue. "You have tarried in the outside world for long enough. Is it not high time you returned?"

The moment the word 'return' struck Jiang Xiaoyue's ears, her defiance flared. Her cheeks puffed out instantly, her small mouth twisting into a stubborn pout. "I won't! That place is utterly desolate and lonely, what fun is there to be had?"

Besides, going back meant she would never play games again, and as for all these delectable delicacies, she would never get to taste them either!

Jiang Xuan's expression turned stern. "Given your station, you should never have been mingling with these cultivators to begin with."

The two guards Chimed in as well. "Young Miss, what joy is there to be found in a mere mortal kingdom such as this? Your identity makes it entirely unbefitting for you to remain here. It is best you return with the Young Master!"

Jiang Xiaoyue snapped her head to the side, her refusal absolute and unyielding.

"On this occasion, Father has already smoothed things over with Headmaster Long of the Haotian Academy. Come next spring, you shall enroll there." Jiang Xuan shook his head. "This time, it is not that your elder brother refuses to aid you; it is Father's express decree that you attend the Haotian Academy."

"Attend what academy?" Hearing this made Jiang Xiaoyue even more displeased, and she shouted fiercely, "I don't want to go to school! I am perfectly happy staying right here, why must I go to some academy?"

Jiang Xuan spoke with grave solemnity. "The matter of the Haotian Academy is of monumental consequence. If you refuse to go, the ramifications will extend far beyond yourself."

"I'm not going, I'm not going!" Jiang Xiaoyue crossed her arms, throwing a petulant tantrum. "Why must it be me? If it's so wonderful, why doesn't Father go to school there himself?"

Jiang Xuan's face twitched violently.

"You truly refuse to go?"

"I refuse, I absolutely refuse!"

"Er..." At this juncture, Su Tianji finally spoke up. "If the girl has no desire to go to this Haotian Academy of yours, then let it be. Why must you force her into it?"

"Exactly..." Lanyuan muttered in a hushed whisper. "What even is this Haotian Academy? I've never heard of it in my life. If she must study, wouldn't enrolling in our Lingyun Academy suffice? With Xiaoyue's natural talent, she would undoubtedly be placed in the premier class."

"Precisely!" Jiang Xiaoyue chimed in immediately, seizing the support. "If I have to study, why can't I go to the Lingyun Academy? Why must it be that Haotian Academy?"

"Lingyun Academy?" The visitors looked entirely bewildered. Though the name possessed a certain grandeur, Jiang Xuan demanded coldly, "And what sort of place is this Lingyun Academy?"

Jiang Xiaoyue pointed toward the doorway. "Right out there. It's one of the grandest academies in the State of Dajin."

Jiang Xuan: "!!??"

"Impertinent!" He slammed his hand upon the table, his fury erupting. "Preposterous! What do you take the Haotian Academy for? Is it something a minuscule speck of land like this, a mere trivial school where mortals practice martial arts, could ever hope to rival?"

"What's wrong with it?" Jiang Xiaoyue argued with earnest conviction. "I absolutely adore Lingyun Academy. Everyone inside is a genius, they speak so eloquently, they play games brilliantly—why shouldn't I go there?"

Ye Xiaoye crowded close beside her. "Exactly. For that matter, coming to our Yunhai Sect would be fine too. Why insist on that Haotian Academy? We've never even heard of it, who knows if it's any good."

"Frogs at the bottom of a well, ignorant even of the Haotian Academy. Truly laughable!" mocked one of the guards standing nearby.

"Is it really that formidable?" Ye Xiaoye asked, thoroughly perplexed. "Could it be from the region of Half-City? Hmph! Do you have any idea that the cultivators over in Half-City must beg our Wuwei Daoist Alliance for much of their artifact-crafting techniques?"

"What is this Half-City?" the guard sneered. "The Haotian Academy has endured since ancient times. Enrolled within its halls are not only the princes and princesses of various cultivator nations, but also the patriarchs and elders of ancient lineages like the Xuanyuan and Qingqiu clans. To say nothing of Wang Zixiao, the legendary cultivator whose name resonated across a thousand generations, who likewise once studied at the Haotian Academy."

"Who is Wang Zixiao?"

"Never heard of him..."

The surrounding crowd exchanged glances of utter confusion; this Haotian Academy, the ancient clans of Xuanyuan and Qingqiu—none of it rang a single bell.

"Brother Li," Ling Wanyin murmured in a low whisper just then. "The Perfected Cultivator recorded within our sect's ancient chronicles... wasn't he named Perfected Cultivator Zixiao?"

"It seems..." Li Longyuan's face was a mask of sheer terror. "It seems... he was indeed!"

"Could it truly be..." A profound shock washed over both of their countenances simultaneously. "Could they truly be people from the outside world?"

"Are they truly the ones hailed from that place, as foretold in the sacred texts?!"

"Zhen Yan." Jiang Xuan cast a harsh glare at the red-faced guard. "Why are you uttering so much superfluous nonsense?!"

"...Your subordinate begs forgiveness for his transgression!"

Only then did Jiang Xuan turn his gaze back to Jiang Xiaoyue. "Do you know why Father commanded your elder brother to come in person this time? He foresaw your unruly temperament long ago and knew you would never willingly comply, which left me no choice but to make this journey."

He shook his head, releasing a faint sigh. "Father gave explicit instructions: if you refuse to return, Xiaoyue, then your elder brother will have no choice but to take action and carry you back myself."

"Er..." Everyone traded glances, realizing that stepping forward to intervene now felt inappropriate, given that it was a private family matter.

Yet, remaining completely indifferent felt equally wrong.

Left with no alternative, they began sending messages through Penguin.

Song Qingfeng: "Boss, things are bad! Xiaoyue is about to be kidnapped!"

"(Husky dazed) What do you mean Xiaoyue is being kidnapped?" Proprietor Fang was currently playing Devil May Cry 3, executing flashy combos with absolute focus. "Next you'll tell me the Master has been captured by demons! Do not disturb me!"

"Are you just going to completely ignore your own Xiaoyue?" Before long, a message from Su Tianji arrived as well.