Chapter 148: Committee Head Li Banzhi
Academy Master!
The Head Military Official remained silent.
The Sword Master’s disappearance left a void in the Guanxuan Academy, and it was the Academy Master seat.
Why?
Who was worthy of becoming the Academy Master? Who had the guts to assume such a role? Even the revered Princess Xin and Emperor Yue didn’t dare to take on that position.
It wasn’t a matter of their individual desires or aspirations.
The issue was that no one would accept them as the Academy Master.
They were powerful individuals with millions of Dao Soldiers under their banners, and they were both part of the Committee. However, the moment they expressed any thoughts of sitting in that seat, they would be summarily removed from their positions. There was a mutual understanding between the Committee members.
The Sword Master’s descendant or someone who was lucky enough to receive the Sword Master’s inheritance could become the Academy Master of the Guanxuan Academy.
The Chosen One!
The Academy thought that the Chosen One was the Sword Master’s descendant. After all, the previous Chosen Ones were father and son. However, the Academy couldn’t find the Mad Demon Bloodline in the Chosen One.
They came up with two possibilities as to why the Mad Demon Bloodline was missing in the Chosen One’s veins: the Chosen One still hadn’t awakened the Mad Demon Bloodline, or he wasn’t the descendant of the previous Chosen One.
However, the Chosen One possessed the Dao Imprint that once belonged to the Sword Master, which meant that there was a high chance he had received the Sword Master’s inheritance, even if he weren’t the Sword Master’s descendant.
Could he become the Academy Master?
He could indeed become the Academy Master.
The Head Military Official closed his eyes.
He was getting excited as he thought of the many possibilities.
The Committee had ordered him to become the Chosen One’s tutor. At first, he had only accepted the role because the Committee had ordered him to do so, but now, he had decided to choose sides. His future depended on which side he chose.
Just then, the Chosen One turned toward the Head Military Official and bowed before saying, “I know that it’s difficult to become the Academy Master, so I hope that you’ll lend me a helping hand. Once I succeed, I will never forget your help.”
The Chosen One was aware that he needed a lot of people on his side to become the next Academy Master, but the Head Military Official had to stand by his side at all costs.
The Head Military Official was silent for quite a while before asking, “Does the Immortal Treasures Pavillion know that the Sword Master’s Dao Imprint has recognized you as its master? Is that why they’re supporting you?”
The Chosen One nodded. “Yes!”
The Head Military Official fell silent once more.
The Chosen One saw that and added, “The two superpowers of Milky Way—the Future Clan and the Milky Way Clan—are supporting me as well.”
The Head Military Official was surprised.
“They’re supporting you?” he asked, sounding incredulous.
The Chosen One nodded in confirmation, shocking the Head Military Official.
The Future Clan and Milky Way Clan were weaker than the Guanxuan Academy, but they were still powerful clans in their own right. They were stronger than the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
The Immortal Treasures Pavillion, the Future Clan, and the Milky Way Clan had decided to support the Chosen One. The aristocratic faction and the great clan factions of the Academy were also on his side.
In other words, there was an extremely high chance that the Chosen One would become the next Academy Master, and the Head Military Official reckoned that it was just a matter of time before the Chosen One was chosen as the Academy Master.
The Head Military Official soon made up his mind. He stared at the Chosen One and said, “The Academy has been under the leadership of quite a few powerhouses for a long time now. It’s about time we greet a new Academy Master!”
The Chosen One jumped for joy.
He had finally gotten the support of the Head Military Official!
The Head Military Official was extremely influential, as more than eighty percent of the students in the Martial Department were his students. He had a massive network of people. The support of the Head Military Official meant that the Chosen One’s power in the Academy would rise, especially in the Martial Department.
The Head Military Official advised, “You need to ensure that you have the support of the Committee and the four major clans if you want to become the next Academy Master.”
The Chosen One fell into deep thought. The four major clans were the Gu Clan, the Yue Clan, the Primordial Clan, and the Yang Clan.
He was the Chosen One, but he was still wary of the four major clans.
Just one of them had enough power to wreak havoc on the Guanxuan Universe.
The Head Military Official added, “Don’t worry, there’s no rush. We’ll slowly tackle the matter as it comes. The current priority is the battle between you and Ye Guan. You must emerge victorious in that battle. Your fame will soar once you’ve emerged victorious, and it will be much easier for you to reach your goals.
”The four major clans won’t dare to underestimate you by then.”
The Chosen One nodded. “I understand.”
The Head Military Official continued. “You’re special. The Immortal Treasures Pavillion, the Milky Way Clan, and the Future Clan are supporting you as well. I’m sure the rest of the aristocratic families and the clans of the great clan faction will rush to become your allies.
”However, you must defeat Ye Guan before anything else.”
The Chosen One nodded and muttered, “I’ll kill him and prove to everyone that I’m the peerless talent of this generation.”
The Head Military Official suddenly said, “I will bring you to a special place to cultivate. Trust me, only Ye Guan and Chen Ge are worthy of becoming your rivals once you’ve emerged from that place.”
The Chosen One bowed and said, “Thank you, Tutor.”
The Head Military Official waved his sleeve and whisked the Chosen One away.
They soon found themselves in front of a tall tower.
The Chosen One asked, “What is that, Tutor?”
The Head Military Official explained, “It’s the Martial Tower! A Pavillion Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion built it. One year in the Martial Tower is equivalent to only one day in the outside world!”
The Chosen One’s eyes widened in shock.
The Head Military Official continued. “The Martial Tower is a special place, so only those who had been acknowledged as monstrous talents are allowed to enter the Martial Tower.
”However, the qualification is just the first hurdle. Those monstrous talents cannot really afford to enter the Martial Tower because a day in the tower costs a hundred thousand immortal spiritual crystals!”
A hundred thousand Immortal Crystals! The Chosen One’s expression fell. He was quite wealthy, but he wasn’t as wealthy as the Immortal Treasures Pavilion.
It was such an exorbitant amount that it was borderline insane.
The Head Military Official said, “Let’s go!”
The Chosen One shook his head and stammered, “I don’t have enough money…”
The Head Military Official explained, “You can access it for free.”
The Chosen One was stunned.
The Head Military Official blandly said, “I’m in charge of the Martial Tower. No one can tell me what to do.”
The Chosen One bowed and said, “Thank you, Tutor.”
With that, the two entered the Martial Tower.
……
Meanwhile, Ye Guanzhi was standing near a lake in the South Garden of the Main Guanxuan Academy. She seemed engrossed in the ancient scroll that she was reading.
Ye Guanzhi was wearing a deep green long skirt embroidered with a river flowing through a scenic mountain. She looked stunning and elegant in it.
She leaned against the railing of the railings near the lake, and her soft hair covered half of her face, obscuring her beautiful features. She was chuckling to herself.
An old woman walked toward her and chided, “How can you still laugh?”
Ye Guanzhi asked, “What’s wrong?”
The old woman asked, “Do you not regret it?”
Ye Guanzhi smiled and asked, “What is there to regret?”
The old woman said, “You’ve lost everything, and you’re currently under house arrest. Was it worth it?”
Ye Guanzhi explained, “I never really cared about whether I would regret my actions or not. I just did what I thought was right.”
The old woman was annoyed, and she questioned, “You stood up for Ye Guan, but who’s going to stand up and seek justice for you?”
Ye Guanzhi changed the topic and asked, “How is Young Lord Ye doing nowadays?”
The old woman snapped, “I don’t know!”
“He’s the real victim here…” Ye Guanzhi trailed off before continuing. “I’m sure he’s having a hard time recently. Help me give him some money and spiritual pills.”
The old woman’s voice deepened as she said, “My lady, he’s the Chosen One’s arch-enemy now. The Chosen One had even declared that only one of them may live in this generation. You’re antagonizing the Chosen One by helping Young Lord Ye!”
Ye Guanzhi made a sidelong glance at the old woman and asked, “Do I need to be on the Chosen One’s side?”
The old woman was stunned.
Ye Guanzhi chuckled and asked, “Why do I have to suck up to someone who summons the Heavenly Dao upon losing?”
With that, she turned around and left, leaving the old woman at a loss for words.
…..
Meanwhile, a woman wearing an oversized white robe with a head full of white hair walked into the Committee Hall of the Main Guanxuan Academy. The woman was none other than Shuxian.
The Committee Hall only had one other woman today, and she was seated by the window with a pile of documents in front of her.
The other woman was Committee Head Li Banzhi.
Li Banzhi was surprised to see Shuxian.
She placed her pen down and exclaimed, “Department Chief Shu!”
Shuxian nodded slightly and said, “Committee Head Li, I’m sure you know why I’m here.”
Li Banzhi asked, “Is this related to Ye Guanzhi?”
Shuxian nodded.
Li Banzhi said, “I was the one who dismissed her and placed her under house arrest.”
Shuxian was shocked, and she asked, “It wasn’t the collective decision of the Committee?”
“That’s right,” said Li Banzhi. “I did it summarily.”
Shuxian hesitated briefly before saying, “Committee Head Li, I’ve always admired you, and I’m familiar with your personality as well. I’m sure you know who is in the right and who is in the wrong here, so why did you do it?”
Li Banzhi fell silent for a while before saying, “Department Chief Shu, please take a seat.”
Shuxian shook her head and said, “No, thank you.”
Li Banzhi smiled wryly and explained, “I know the truth, Department Chief Shu. The An Clan and the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan were the ones in the wrong, and Guanzhi was simply trying to seek justice for that young man. She did not make a mistake.”
Shuxian frowned deeply and asked, “Why did you punish her, then?”
Li Banzhi suddenly asked, “Department Chief Shu, are you not aware that internal strife has been brewing within the Committee?”
Shuxian was stunned.
Li Banzhi continued. “Guanzhi is smart, and she knows what’s wrong with the Academy. However, do you really think that she’s the only one who can see what’s wrong with the Academy? Did the Sword Master overlook the flaws in the system? Do you really think I’m blind that I can’t see what’s wrong here?”
Shuxian was silent.
Li Banzhi sighed and said, “I tried many times to persuade the Sword Master to suppress the aristocratic faction and the great clan factions, but he couldn’t bear to do so, and that is why he decided to leave it alone.
”If he had suppressed those factions, it would be akin to getting rid of the donkey once it was no longer useful. The factions had gotten too much credit in the Xuzhen Great War, so it would have been wrong to point the knife at them right afterward.
”They also hadn’t done anything wrong back then, so how could the Sword Master suppress them?”
Shuxian was still silent.
Li Banzhi added, “Guanzhi could see the flaws in the system, and I know that she wants to rectify those flaws. However, she’s trying to bite off more than she can chew, and have you heard about how the aristocratic faction and the great clan faction teamed up when she started helping Ye Guan?”
“It’s not difficult to deduce why they teamed up. They simply treat those threatening their positions as their enemies.”
Li Banzhi shook her head and said, “Department Chief Shu, Lady Qingqiu isn’t around. Do you really think you can stop those factions from taking action against Guanzhi without Lady Qingqiu?”
Shuxian didn’t say anything in response. However, the answer to Li Banzhi’s question was clear. There wasn’t anything the Literary Department could do against those behemoths.
“If I had accepted Guanzhi’s request and impeached those factions, they would have resisted violently,” said Li Banzhi. “Their backers—the Gu Clan and the Yue Clan— will definitely come out from behind the curtains and cause chaos in the Committee.”
“The Academy will also be in chaos as a result. In the first place, who is daring enough to take on such a radical stance without the Sword Master and Lady Qingqiu?”
Shuxian sighed deeply and admitted. “I truly didn’t think it through.”
Li Banzhi nodded and explained, “I placed Guanzhi under house arrest to make sure that she’s going to be safe from the aristocratic faction and the great clan faction.”
“It seems that I’ve misunderstood you.” Shuxian cupped her fists together and said, “My apologies, I will take my leave now.”
With that, she turned around and left the Committee Hall.
Left all alone, Li Banzhi turned to a wooden sculpture not too far away from her.
“It has been a few million years since I last saw you,” Li Banzhi muttered to herself. A wry smile formed on her lips as he continued. “You appeared in Qingzhou, but why did you not come here… Am I nothing but a worker in your eyes?”
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