Chapter 121: Shen Yi's Intentions

"What are you doing!?"

The students of the Five Palaces of Zixiao noticed Shen Qingyun approaching and shifted their gazes, their eyes filled with hostility.

Ignoring them, Shen Qingyun pushed Yun Qingni toward the group, and she hurriedly caught her balance. Looking at them, Shen Qingyun curled his lips in a sneer. "If your instructor is no match for me, what could you possibly achieve by attacking together?"

"Nonsense! It was only because Instructor Shen underestimated you and gave you an opening!"

The speaker was Yun Qingni. Now that she was no longer under Shen Qingyun's threat, she seemed to have returned to her old self, her expression filled with indignation.

Shen Qingyun’s lips quirked, but he did not refute her. He simply followed her logic: "And what if it is? Ultimately, he lost because he underestimated his opponent. Had this been a life-or-death struggle, he would already be a corpse."

"You!"

Yun Qingni's eyes blazed with fire; the glare she shot at him seemed capable of burning him to ash. Just then, Shen Yi regained consciousness, though his face remained deathly pale—a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.

"Qingni, he is right," Shen Yi said weakly, clearly having overheard their exchange. Yun Qingni froze and turned to look at the frail Shen Yi. "Uncle!"

The moment those words fell, silence descended upon the surroundings. Countless eyes turned toward Yun Qingni and Shen Yi.

Uncle? That single word of address answered all the questions the students of the Five Palaces had harbored: why Shen Yi was so protective of Yun Qingni and Yun Ting, why Yun Qingni visited him so often, and why Shen Yi never once lost his temper with her. Now, everything was clear.

"Did I not tell you to address me as Instructor Shen while at the academy?" Shen Yi offered a weak, faint smile, though he did not hold it against her. He looked at Shen Qingyun and asked, "What is it you want from me?"

He still remembered what Shen Qingyun had said to him while in his mind.

"Would it not have been easier if you had just asked earlier?" A golden envelope suddenly appeared in Shen Qingyun’s hand, which he waved in front of everyone. "I want to join the Zixiao Academy."

The silent crowd reacted with strange expressions at his words. To beat up the students and even the instructor, only to reveal his true purpose afterward—could the Zixiao Academy even accept such a person?

Shen Yi’s mouth twitched upon hearing this. He slowly stood up, watching Shen Qingyun’s figure. How was he to resolve this? Accept him, or drive him away?

Shen Yi’s eyes flickered with a hint of reluctance, but a defeat was a defeat. He said to Shen Qingyun, "Follow me." With that, he turned and began walking back the way they had come. The students of Zixiao Academy silently parted to make a path, watching him depart. Shen Yi’s back looked somewhat desolate.

Shen Qingyun looked toward Feng Chuxun and found him looking back. They exchanged a nod and stepped forward to follow.

Only after Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun had left did the scene erupt into a cacophony of voices.

"No way, are those two really going to enter Zixiao Academy? Is that for real?"

"Never mind whether it's real or not—they acted like that before even joining. Will the academy leadership actually accept them?"

"That’s true..."

Amidst the chorus of speculation, only Yun Qingni remained calm, though it was this very calmness that made her seem abnormal. Her eyes, still as a stagnant pool, betrayed no hint of her thoughts. She cast a glance in the direction Shen Yi had left, sighed softly, and departed.

When one’s strength is inferior, there is nothing to be done to change the situation; it is better to accept reality.

Shen Yi had recovered by some unknown means; the restorative powers of a Marquis-level cultivator were truly formidable. He continued to walk in silence, though his heart began to stir with excitement. A genius who possessed Sword Intent—even if his cultivation was still only at the Foundation Establishment stage, it was precisely that fact that made his mastery of Sword Intent so remarkable.

A genius. A true genius!

Shen Yi’s heart grew warm. Was this not exactly what the Five Palaces needed? The timing of Shen Qingyun’s arrival was impeccable; Shen Yi viewed him as the very hope of the Five Palaces.

Therefore, he had already made up his mind. Regardless of the obstacles ahead, he would defy all opposition to ensure Shen Qingyun entered the Zixiao Academy and, specifically, his own Five Palaces.

Shen Qingyun was unaware of Shen Yi’s internal thoughts, nor was he in the slightest bit worried. With the recommendation of the Prince of Qin, entering the Zixiao Academy would not be difficult. Even if they intended to hold his actions against the students against him, he had plenty of justifications to offer.