Being knocked down by the Heavenly Dao while ascending

Fortunately, the head of the hospital was humane and did not let them set off immediately. He gave them two days to prepare.

As soon as the message was delivered to him, the bell of Zhulixing rang, just like the rural radio broadcast in the flower-growing family, but this broadcast was encrypted and only people in the courtyard could understand it.

Pei Mingyan yawned as he walked.
God knows, he was probably a fortune teller and had foreseen that something tragic was going to happen today, which made him unable to sleep well all night.

Xiao Kong’s cultivation was not high, so he walked slowly, and as he walked, he caught up with him.
When the other party saw his sleepy face, he immediately became furious: "If you don't want to go, just say so. If the dean sees you like this, he will think we are mistreating you!"

"How could I do that? The people in the academy have taken such special care of me. I am so grateful." He wiped away the tears from his yawn, "Besides, I love the academy and everyone. I don't want to be separated from everyone. And my new babies are still learning to walk. If I go, I will miss the most important moment in their lives. Oh, when I think of this, I can't hold back my tears... Can you feel my pain?" Pei Mingyan glanced at Xiao Kong, who was full of anger, and sniffed his nose as if to suck back the snot that was about to flow out. "No, you can't. People's pain is not the same."

Xiao Kong looked disgusted and kicked him fiercely, "Your treasures are just a few chickens, ducks and geese? In your eyes, are they more important than the dean?!"
After he yelled, he flicked his sleeves and ran up quickly.

“…” I don’t know the dean, so how can I know which one is more important?
Pei Mingyan spread his hands, alas!
Did he say he wasn't going? He just said he didn't want to go, not that he wasn't going!
The fisherman who was raising fish at the foot of the mountain appeared from behind him and patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone in the academy dreams of doing something for the academy master. Although no one has ascended to heaven in hundreds of years, and some people no longer believe in immortals and gods, the people in the academy are not like that. The academy master is their only immortal, their only god."

"...they?" Pei Mingyan was a little confused and paused, "From Uncle Yu's tone, does it mean that he doesn't agree with their approach?"

Uncle Yu blinked his left eye at him and said, "How could that be possible? I have devoted half my life to the academy, and I watched the dean grow up. Of course he is a very good person."

Pei Mingyan understood and did not directly refute, which meant he agreed.
"That's what I thought! No wonder I'm not popular with everyone, it's because I've never met the great dean! It can't be just because I'm ugly."

Uncle Yu looked him up and down. "Ugly? If you care about your appearance, you can go to the main peak of the academy. The academy master has a guardian named Murong, who is good at human skin masks. You can go and try it."
"...Human skin mask? What a strange term." Pei Mingyan's scalp tingled at the thought of sticking a layer of fresh human skin all over his body. "Uh... I remember the Mei family's classics saying that peeling human skin to make masks was too cruel and has been lost."

"Young man, 'Lost, Lost' means no one is using it anymore, so everyone thinks no one knows it anymore, but it's not true that no one knows it anymore." Uncle Yu answered him, "Murong has lived in the academy for a long time, and it's really time for people outside to forget about her."

Murong?
It was getting weirder and weirder. This person was not mentioned in the book. Although it was impossible for a book to record all the people, since he was a Dharma protector, his status was not low.
Thinking of this, he discovered that in the book, there were only three or five villains with names, including Xiao Kong who was mentioned a few words.
The others include the dean, the deputy dean Shui Changhen, and two guardians.
However, none of the two guardians was called Murong.

"Ah? So, the academy is really full of hidden talents!" Pei Mingyan asked casually: "How many guardians are there in the academy? Where do the guardians live? The main peak? Can I meet them with my status and position?"

"You really don't know much about the academy." Uncle Yu looked at him deeply and asked him, "Who brought you in?"

"Ah, this." Pei Mingyan kindly covered up for the scholar in the hat and said, "It's not like he didn't say it before, it's just that my memory is not very good, and I also fell and injured my head at that time, so I didn't remember it."

"Humph." Uncle Yu smiled. "The academy doesn't talk about status. If you want to see someone, just hand him a visiting card according to his rules. If he wants to see you, you can see him."

Such a progressive idea?
"Then...Uncle Yu, do you mean that my status is the same as that of the guardian?"

Uncle Yu nodded, "That's what I mean. Your fighting abilities may differ, but you are all contributing to the academy, there is no distinction between high and low. Take Zhulixing for example, according to the rules of the academy master, you can eat whatever the academy master eats, as long as you tell Aunt Tang, everyone is the same."

"Then why did Tang Gu ask me to go see her?" Pei Mingyan retorted casually.

"Hmm..." Uncle Yu took a deep breath, "As for this question, you can naturally not go and let Tang Gu come to see you. Tang Gu will definitely not say anything in public."

Pei Mingyan stuck out his tongue.
Tsk, isn't it still the same, you say one thing and do another. Your boss says he has something and asks you for help, do you dare let your boss come to you with the problem himself?
To get rid of the embarrassment, he changed the subject and said, "Then I want to see the dean, can I?"

"Of course you can." Uncle Yu's expression was a little complicated. "If you don't send the visiting card, no one will know whether the academy master will see you or not."

Pei Mingyan closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, "I understand, I understand. It means that if you can't see someone, that person will dislike you, right?"

"That's the truth." Uncle Yu patted his shoulder again, "Anyway, think about it."

"Considering what?"

"A human skin mask." Uncle Yu looked at him with a loving gaze. "I've been in the academy for so many years, and I've never seen anyone being ostracized so much. Of course, I've never seen anyone look so ugly."

This look almost gave him goose bumps all over his body. He blinked quickly a few times and said, "I think the reason why I am unpopular is not just because I am ugly."

"Yeah. It's good that you think so. After all, it's uncomfortable to wear a mask on your face." Uncle Yu glanced at him meaningfully, and suddenly smiled again, "If you really don't want to go, tell Aunt Tang, she won't force you."

“……”Isn’t that what I said at the beginning…?
"Ahem." Pei Mingyan put his fingertips on his temple and saluted. "Yes, yes, yes! I must listen to my superiors. I will do whatever they say and will never disobey them!"

Uncle Yu was amused, shook his head, and walked forward quickly.

Pei Mingyan took three steps at a time and slowly moved to the other side of the courtyard and went to the meeting room.
As soon as I stepped into the meeting room, I heard Tang Gu's voice.

"Pei Mingyan has just arrived at the academy, his qualifications are still shallow, and his cultivation is not that profound. Although he was chosen by Pang Yuan, I don't think he is suitable to go out with us, so I called everyone here today to ask if anyone wants to go."
Tang Gu stood on the stage, the wind made the flags rustle, and her white hair fluttered in the wind. Her expression was no longer as gentle as when she faced Xiao Kong, but full of indifference and inhumanity.

The "Literary Hat" spoke first: "The list was given by Manager Pang. Manager Pang will be angry if he is not allowed to go, right?"

Tang Gu glanced at Pei Mingyan who was still at the gate and replied coldly: "According to the rules of the academy, everything is done voluntarily."

There was silence for a moment.
Half a second later, like a drop of water falling into a frying pan, the crowd was in an uproar: "What does this mean? He refused?!" Tang Gu paused for a moment, as if recalling something, then closed her eyes and nodded, "He did tell me that he was unwilling to participate in this event."

Pei Mingyan: “…”
Although he really doesn't want to go, he hasn't said he won't go. Isn't it too easy to blame him?

"traitor!"
"waste!"
"He doesn't deserve to be a member of the academy!"
"This guy is a fucking coward! Does he deserve to be taken in by the headmaster?"
……

Pei Mingyan moved his mouth, trying to move the pot, "Um... what is that——"
Tang Gu and he spoke almost at the same time: "Be quiet! I called everyone here, not for you to denounce him! He relied on the rules of the academy. If you say and do this, where do you put the academy master?"

The crowd seemed to be suddenly silenced, without any sound at all.

Tang Gu cleared her throat, "Since Pei Mingyan can't go, Zhulixing has a vacancy, and I can't tell them directly who should go. Let's stick to the old rules. Except for those who usually prepare food for the academy master, everyone else can sign up. Let's have a duel, and whoever wins will go. This will make everyone convinced, and it won't make Zhulixing lose face outside. What do you think?"

Xiao Kong rushed to the front of the crowd and shouted, "I don't agree! This is unfair! The head of the academy said that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and not everyone in Zhulixing can fight. Tanggu! I don't agree!"

Tang Gu's expression eased a lot. She looked at Xiao Kong and didn't refuse. "Then tell me, what should we do? Come up with a method that will convince everyone, and I'll listen to you."

"I...I..." Xiaokong was so anxious that sweat was pouring down his forehead.

The "Literary Hat" stroked Xiao Kong's hair and said, "Little guy, just stay in the yard and wait for me to come back and bring you something fun."

Xiaokong was dumb, "I'm not doing this for fun! I——"

"Okay." The scholar hat became serious, "You have your role. But your role is not to go out and fight and kill, understand?"

"I don't understand!" Xiaokong shouted at the crowd: "Why don't you let me go out every time! And don't let me leave the academy! I'm not a child anymore! I'm not incapable of doing anything, I'm also useful... I also want to do something for the dean..." Xiaokong wiped away the tears and shouted angrily, "I will definitely go!" After that, he turned and ran away.

Tang Gu gave a wink, and someone followed Xiao Kong and chased after him.

Pei Mingyan noticed that the person chasing Xiaokong was not someone else, but Uncle Yu.

Tang Gu continued, "Although everyone knows this, I still have to explain that the duel is not just to save trouble, but also because this mission is dangerous and there is a possibility that we may not return. As the manager of Zhulixing, I have the responsibility to keep everyone alive. This is also a consideration for Pei Mingyan."

Pei Mingyan, who was inexplicably cueed again, said: “…”
"Uh..." Pei Mingyan moved his mouth, but before he could finish his words, Tang Gu said loudly, "I won't waste your time. Forget about the registration. Going out on a mission requires not only force, but also wisdom, cooperation, luck and many other factors. Whoever stands on the stage to the end will get the spot."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tang Gu floated back.

The arena suddenly floated in the air, and expanded with the wind, becoming more than twenty times its original size in an instant.
One after another, figures flew onto the stage, carrying with them the light of their own cultivation methods, like blooming colorful fireworks.

There seemed to be only Tang Gu and... him left on the ground.

The people on the ring started fighting in twos and threes. It was not a friendly match at all. The fight was extremely brutal. Several people were blown to pieces. But as long as no one admitted defeat, the opponents would show no mercy, as if they had an irreconcilable hatred.

He glanced at Tang Gu's position and seemed to understand something.
He walked very slowly, as if taking a stroll, and stopped in front of Tanggu, smiling with his professional eight-tooth smile, "There are only two of us left, Tanggu."

Tang Gu glanced at him and nodded.

Pei Mingyan tilted his head and acted like a good boy, "We have no grudges in the past, and no hatred in the present, right? Tanggu."

Tang Gu looked calm, "Of course."

Pei Mingyan nodded and raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Then why does Tanggu want to kill me?"

Tang Gu stared at his eyebrows and suddenly realized that he had a pair of extremely beautiful willow-shaped eyes, neither too big nor too small, with slightly raised corners, full of temptation, and with the slanting eyebrows flying into the temples, he should have been a seductive and lethal existence. However, the pockmarks on his face and the huge black mole with hair were too attractive to the eyes, so people would not pay any more attention to look at his eyebrows.
Tang Gu lowered her eyes, "Where did you get this from?"

Pei Mingyan laughed, "Since you don't want to kill me, then you are thinking about me, right?"

Tang Gu turned her head away, as if she didn't want to look at him again.

"So, I was right not to be sentimental." Pei Mingyan seemed to be blinded by the sunlight. He raised his hand to block it and looked at the sky. "Tanggu, you just want me to die. Otherwise, why would you put me in such an ungrateful situation, right?"

Tang Gu looked back at him and said nothing.

Pei Mingyan curved his lips and said with a smile: "Everyone in the academy regards the dean as a god, but now there is a person who was saved by the academy, but he is not willing to run errands for the dean. What do you think..." He looked at the people who were still fighting in the air. Many people were seriously injured and fell off the ring. They sank into the soil, but they still struggled to get up and fly onto the ring again. "If such people still stayed in the academy, what would their situation be like?"

"Disappeared silently." Tang Gu met his gaze and answered.

(End of this chapter)