I Have A Sword-Chapter 1162: A Flame

Early the next morning, countless people gathered in the bamboo forest.

The fat lady from the previous night was hanging from a tree. A small hole was visible in her head, and from it, a flame burned steadily like a candle. The flame wasn't big, but it was hauntingly vivid.

The fat lady's eyes were wide open, filled with despair and terror. Her bloated face had twisted into a grotesque and horrifying grimace from the excruciating pain.

Despite her horrific injuries, she was still alive and was barely clinging to life. She couldn't scream because her tongue was ruthlessly severed. The perpetrator had stuffed a cloth in her mouth to prevent her from bleeding out too quickly, ensuring that her agony would last for a long time.

Fear gripped the hearts of those witnessing the gruesome scene.

Who was the culprit behind this?

An elderly man slowly approached.

The students hurriedly bowed and greeted, "Elder Qin."

Elder Qin was an elder of the Outer Courtyard, and he was in charge of its affairs.

When Elder Qin saw the fat lady's miserable state, his face darkened. He then demanded, "Who did this?!"

No one answered.

"What are you waiting for? Save her!" he roared.

Two guards immediately rushed forward to help. However, just as they reached the rope to untie her, a bowl of oil tipped over from the treetop.

Swoosh!

The fat lady burst into flames, turning into a blazing fireball...

Elder Qin's face became exceedingly grim at the sight.

The crowd also turned pale with shock, staring in horror at the burning corpse.

The sheer brutality of the act left everyone shaken.

In mere moments, the fat lady was charred black.

Elder Qin roared, "Investigate this! Find out who did this!"

The students of the Outer Courtyard weren't like the menial disciples whose deaths could be brushed off. Moreover, the fat lady belonged to an extraordinary family.

Ye Guan heard about the fat lady's death while he was busy sweeping the floor.

His brows furrowed immediately at the news.

Why did that fat lady have to provoke that little demon out of all people?

There was no doubt in Ye Guan's mind that such a gruesome death could only be the work of that notorious little demon.

Just then, Zang Gang walked into the library. She glanced at Ye Guan before heading to a corner, pulling out an ancient black book and immersing herself in it.

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Suddenly, two guards entered the library and walked straight up to Ye Guan.

One of them asked, "Are you Ye Guan?"

Ye Guan nodded.

The guard said, "Please come with us."

Without waiting for a response, they moved to detain him.

Ye Guan looked puzzled. "Who are you people?"

The guard glared at him. "Do not waste any words."

With that, the two guards grabbed him and escorted him away.

After a short while, they brought him to a grand hall. The moment he stepped inside, he froze, surprised to see that Zhu Xingran was standing there.

Meanwhile, Elder Qin was seated at the end of the hall.

Elder Qin glanced at Ye Guan and Zhu Xingran before asking, "So you two fought Zhou Die last night?"

Zhou Die was the name of the fat lady.

Hearing the question, Ye Guan immediately understood. Clearly, this was about the death of that lady.

Ye Guan replied, "Elder, it wasn't really a conflict. She insulted us, but we didn't argue with her and simply left. The other students present saw it happen."

"You're a servant disciple?" asked Elder Qin.

Ye Guan nodded. "I'm assigned to clean the library."

Elder Qin studied him for a moment before saying, "You may leave."

He naturally did not believe that a mere servant disciple could kill a student from the Outer Academy. After all, Zhou Die was a third-tier martial artist.

However, Ye Guan did not leave immediately. Instead, he glanced at Zhu Xingran and said, "Elder, about Lady Zhu..."

Elder Qin's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's she to you?"

Ye Guan explained, "I left with her last night. Many students witnessed it."

Elder Qin's expression remained cold. "Then you stay. Zhu Xingran, wait outside."

Zhu Xingran glanced at Ye Guan before standing up and walking out with a displeased face.

After she left, only Ye Guan and Elder Qin remained in the hall.

Elder Qin looked at Ye Guan and said, "I know you don't have the ability to kill Zhou Die, but Zhu Xingran does."

Ye Guan tried to explain, "Elder, Lady Zhu was with me last night—"

Elder Qin interrupted him. "You work in the library?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Elder Qin stared at him and said, "Starting tomorrow, your monthly stipend will increase by three spiritual crystals."

Ye Guan was momentarily stunned.

Elder Qin continued, "There is no way you can kill Zhou Die. But Zhu Xingran has always had conflicts with her, and she's fully capable of killing Zhou Die. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ye Guan immediately understood. Elder Xin could not find the real culprit, so he was going to pin the blame on Zhu Xingran. It seemed Zhou Die's background wasn't simple.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "Elder Qin, this doesn't seem like the right thing to do."

Elder Qin's eyes narrowed. "You think so?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Because this matter truly has nothing to do with Lady Zhu."

"No wonder you're just a servant disciple. You'll remain a servant disciple for your entire life," Elder Qin said condescendingly.

Ye Guan smiled faintly. "My grandfather was also a servant disciple."

"So your whole family is just made up of servant disciples. No surprise." He sneered and waved his hand dismissively. "Get lost!"

Ye Guan pleaded, "This has nothing to do with Lady Zhu, Elder—"

Elder Qin slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Ye Guan. "Zhou Die's death was Zhu Xingran's doing!"

If someone had to take the blame, Zhu Xingran was the best choice.

She had no money, power, nor influence.

Just then, Ye Guan took out a storage ring and placed it on the table in front of Elder Qin. The storage ring contained a hundred spiritual crystals.

Elder Qin froze at the sight.

Ye Guan said calmly, "Elder Qin, I came here with Lady Long Dai, and Lady Zhu is a friend of Lady Long Dai. Lady Long Dai has already addressed her opinion in this matter, and she believes that it has nothing to do with Lady Zhu."

Long Dai? Elder Qin's expression changed. She was not someone that he could afford to offend. However, he still doubted Ye Guan's words.

"If you can't believe me, you can just ask Lady Long Dai herself," added Ye Guan.

Hearing Ye Guan speak with such calm confidence, Elder Qin hesitated for a moment, and then his expression softened significantly. "So she's a friend of Lady Long Dai. Clearly, this is just a misunderstanding..."

He couldn't tell whether Ye Guan was telling the truth or not, but in such matters, it was better to err on the side of caution. What if it was true? Offending Long Dai would be a grave mistake.

Elder Qin dared not take that risk, especially when the Abandoned Continent would soon experience an upheaval.

Ye Guan said nothing more and stood up to leave.

Outside, he saw Zhu Xingran waiting for him. Her face was pale as a sheet, and her hands were tightly clenched.

Ye Guan sighed inwardly. He knew that if it hadn't been for his intervention, Zhu Xingran would have taken the blame. Someone like her, with no power or influence, would have no way to fight back. She wouldn't even be able to plead her case.

This world could be unbearably dark at times.

Ye Guan pushed the thought aside and walked over to Zhu Xingran. "Everything's okay now."

Zhu Xingran looked at him. "He..."

Ye Guan repeated. "It's over."

Zhu Xingran stared at him, saying nothing.

"Focus on cultivating," Ye Guan added and walked away.

Zhu Xingran watched his departing figure, silent for a long time.

After making a round around the Academy, Ye Guan finally found the Temple Hall. He hadn't forgotten about attending Long Dai's birthday banquet that evening.

When he arrived at the Temple Hall, a guard suddenly stepped forward to block his way. Ye Guan calmly took out his invitation.

The guard frowned as he looked at it and asked, "Did you pick this up somewhere?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Why don't you go inside and check?"

The guard glanced at him again, then at the invitation, before stepping aside. "Go on in."

Taking back the invitation, Ye Guan walked into the grand hall. The space was expansive and luxuriously decorated, already bustling with people.

Ye Guan quickly found Long Dai. Today, she was dressed in a light purple gown. Her outfit softened her usual heroic air, giving her an elegant and serene charm. Standing among the crowd, she was the center of attention.

Long Dai also spotted Ye Guan. She immediately made her way over to him, a slight smile gracing her face. "Ma—I mean, Young Lord Ye."

Ye Guan smiled back. "Happy birthday."

Long Dai giggled. "Thank you."

"Long Dai, who is he?" a man dressed in a luxurious robe asked curiously.

Long Dai smiled and replied, "He's Young Lord Ye Guan, a friend of mine."

A friend?

Her words left the crowd visibly surprised.

Ye Guan's attire made it clear that he was just a servant disciple, after all.

The man in the luxurious robe was momentarily taken aback and was about to say something, but Long Dai grabbed Ye Guan's arm and pulled him away.

The man's face darkened.

Long Dai led Ye Guan out of the grand hall and up to the top floor of the Temple Hall. She guided him to a seat there. From this vantage point, they had a panoramic view of most of the Temple Academy. The view was breathtaking.

"Haha." Ye Guan laughed. "You're setting me up to become public enemy number one, huh?"

He could easily tell that many of the men in the grand hall admired Long Dai. Of course, it wasn't surprising. Long Dai's identity was extraordinary, and she was stunningly beautiful.

Long Dai turned to look at Ye Guan with a smile. "Master, you don't care what they think, do you?"

Ye Guan smiled back. "Why do you think that?"

"I don't know; it's just a feeling."

"You don't seem very happy today."

Long Dai admitted, "Master, I'm leaving."

Ye Guan frowned slightly. "You're leaving the Abandoned Continent?"

Long Dai nodded. "I'm heading back to the Heavenly World."

"Are you reluctant to leave?" asked Ye Guan.

Long Dai let out a soft sigh. "Once I return, I'll have to take over the family business."

"Do you know? From the moment I was born, I've been bearing the weight of my family's responsibilities. My family's business is vast and full of opportunities, but for me, it's a heavy burden.

"Master, do you understand that kind of pain?"

Ye Guan thought for a moment before nodding. "I do..."

Long Dai shook her head. "No, you don't."

Ye Guan earnestly said, "I really do understand."

Long Dai shook her head again. "You don't understand it at all..."

Ye Guan had no idea what to say.