Promise!

Chapter 263, Appraisal of Law

The warm winter sun shone on the roof of the green-tiled, red-walled building, reflecting a faint white light. The flag of Bailu Martial Arts Academy fluttered in the wind, and Zhuang Jin's resounding speech seemed to still echo in the air.

"Good boy!"

Shangguan Jinfeng held the old orange cat, squinting slightly in the slightly dazzling sunlight: "I knew there might be some fun here today, and you really didn't disappoint your mother-in-law."

Today's performance is far more exciting than the monotonous, repetitive acting on stage.
She did indeed feel a sense of enjoyment; those words touched her deeply, and her dormant spiritual energy became slightly active.

Cen Guangfu, who had been thrown out by the Fire Phoenix, was only temporarily immobilized and had already regained his mobility: "How dare you, that brat Zhuang Jin..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt his body sealed and frozen again, and a slow voice faded away behind him: "Young man from the Cen family, you can stand there for another half a day!"

If Cen Guangfu leaves and leads the resistance to the investigation, Zhuang Jin will have to do more work. But if he continues to stand as punishment for half a day, he will not be able to cause any trouble at all.

……

Shangguan family.

Shangguan Yunchang was in the quiet room, but she was not cultivating. At this moment, the token was activated, and a light screen appeared in front of her, displaying the scene of Bailu Martial Academy in real time.

For the reasons mentioned earlier, she couldn't go to the scene. Zhuang Jin said, "If you want to admire my heroic figure, you can use your token to monitor and record it." She verbally refused, but still asked her younger brother, Shangguan Yunhong, to cooperate and use his own authority to display and 'live stream' the scene.

Well, looking at Zhuang Jin's self-praise of her "heroic demeanor upon taking office" is secondary; the main concern is that in case of extreme circumstances, she might have to intervene as a last resort.

—As her husband, Shangguan Yunchang, he himself is fine, but how can he let outsiders bully him?
When she saw Zhuang Jin ride the Fire Phoenix onto the stage, riding on 'Meteor Shower' and soaring through the air, she felt both amused and helpless. She knew that Zhuang Jin was just like that; while cautious by nature, he was always unpredictable and could always come up with something new.

When she saw Ji Tongwei take the stage to give his speech, "My Dean," and Zhuang Jin listened with a serious expression, nodding earnestly, she couldn't help but purse her lips and roll her eyes.

When she saw the martial arts performer questioning her, Cen Guangfu instigating her, and Zhuang Jin becoming the focus of attention and in a passive position, her expression turned cold, and a chill seemed to condense around her.

Seeing Zhuang Jin handle the situation calmly and decisively, she couldn't help but admire her, knowing that even if she were in Zhuang Jin's shoes, she wouldn't have handled it any better.

……

As Shangguan Yunchang watched the live broadcast on the screen of Bailu Martial Arts Academy, she gradually became immersed in it, much like watching a drama, especially since the main characters were people she knew very well.

At that moment, she even understood her grandmother somewhat and appreciated the joy she experienced.

Until Zhuang Jin's final speech, she listened with a solemn and serious expression. She felt a mix of emotions: heartache for Zhuang Jin's background in the prefecture and the hardships she had endured; resonance with Zhuang Jin's words and perseverance in martial arts; and admiration for Zhuang Jin's indomitable spirit and her journey to this point. She was deeply moved and lingered in her thoughts for a long time.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered that when she was young, she had also fantasized about marrying a peerless hero. Later, after meeting her peers from the three great families, she believed that "there are no heroes in this era" and planned to become such a person herself. Therefore, she often dressed up as a man and had a spirit that was no less than that of a man... Until today, she seemed to see it.

"This is my husband, Shangguan Yunchang!"

As Shangguan Yunchang watched the screen, Zhuang Jin dominated the entire audience, amidst thunderous applause. The figure on the stage, seemingly radiant with admiration in his eyes, possessed a gentle smile, like Chang'e in the moon.

……

The Ge family's courtyard, located in the southern part of the city, is filled with the fragrance of winter plum blossoms.

Ge Mingzhi returned from Bailu Martial Arts Academy today, and was in high spirits. She vividly recounted the events of the opening ceremony, focusing on Zhuang Jin, especially the last part.

Besides the desire to share, she subconsciously believed that this move would benefit her and might reduce resistance to certain things in the future.

His father, Ge Zhaoxu, initially listened as if it were an amusing anecdote, but remained silent for a long time until the last part.

Such words resonate deeply with those who have more experience.

“These are invaluable words of advice… Your new dean is a capable person. He has reached this point today by no means being an ordinary person. You should learn from him.”

"I know, Daddy."

……

On this day, similar conversations occurred frequently in the families of students from Bailu Martial Arts Academy. The elders of those students, filled with emotion and sighs, deeply remembered Zhuang Jin.

……

Ji family.

"Sister, you don't know, today..." Ji Tongwei was also talking about this.

He spoke of how, as an outstanding martial arts performer, he stood proudly on stage; when he talked about Zhuang Jin being questioned and the vice dean's sinister intentions, he clenched his fists in indignation; and when he spoke of Zhuang Jin's handling of the situation, he was overjoyed and beamed with pride.

"Alright, this whole thing started because of you, causing your husband so much trouble, and you're still proud of it? Have you finished your martial arts practice today? Hurry up and go!"

"Understood, Second Sister."

Ji Tongwei thought to herself, "Second sister, you were listening with great interest just now, even asking for details. Now that you've heard it all, you're turning your back on me." But of course, she didn't dare say it aloud, and left obediently with a bitter face.

Ji Tongxiu watched his younger brother's departing figure, then withdrew his gaze. A sense of worry arose in his heart for Zhuang Jin, but then he thought that, based on his understanding of Zhuang Jin, Zhuang Jin must have made preparations in advance, so it probably wouldn't be any trouble.

She finally calmed down, but then a longing arose in her heart. Recalling what her younger brother had said and what Zhuang Jin had done today, she felt an urge to see Zhuang Jin. However, considering that Zhuang Jin was currently at the Shangguan family, she couldn't go there, and she couldn't help but sigh softly.

……

Shangguan family.

When Zhuang Jin returned today, he found that Shangguan Yunchang's attitude was, well, much gentler, truly embodying the phrase "tenderly affectionate."

That evening, just as he was about to change out of the headmaster's robes of Bailu Martial Academy, Shangguan Yunchang stopped him.

"No, Yun Chang, you..."

Seeing that Shangguan Yunchang had been led astray by him, Zhuang Jin was speechless, but he was also not one to suffer a loss: "I can do that too, but Yunchang, do you still remember that moon-white dress you wore at Taiyuan Lake that day?"

Shangguan Yunchang bit her lip, rolled her eyes at Zhuang Jin, and felt a myriad of emotions swaying in her heart.

……

The Cen family's residence was located in a secluded courtyard.

Cen Guangfu drank his wine in silence. He had been imprisoned and forced to stand for half a day afterward. This time, it was Shangguan Jinfeng, the patriarch of the Shangguan family, who personally took action. With such an attitude from the Shangguan family, what else was there to say?
"No wonder that brat Zhuang Jin is so bold as to be so rude to me!" *Slap!*
As he spoke, he slammed the wine cup onto the table, his heart filled with malice. He secretly cursed the Shangguan family for being so foolish, for he believed that their son-in-law would surely turn against them in the future.

Well, Cen Guangfu could only curse in his heart, but there was nothing he could do. He really had to swallow his anger.

What else can we do? Go and complain to our own ancestors?

This time he was in the wrong, and not only that, his methods were also inadequate, making him look so shameful. It's truly embarrassing.

Cen Guangfu was willing to tolerate it, but Zhuang Jin had no intention of letting him go. That same day, she handed over the evidence of his illegal activities to Shangguan Jinfeng. Shangguan Jinfeng then came to the Cen family and made them pay compensation again.

After Shangguan Jinfeng left, Cen family head Cen Chongxuan summoned Cen Guangfu and gave him a severe dressing-down.

"Doing those things is one thing, but the methods are so despicable. Are you blinded by the reputation of your noble family and your arrogance has blinded you to your own limitations?"

Cen Chongxuan looked at Cen Guangfu, who was being scolded like a quail, announced the punishment according to the clan rules, then waved his hand and watched him leave as if his father had died. He then sneered, "If all the Cen family members are such fools, how can we have a future?"

"Fine, if this generation can't do it, then the next generation will. Fortunately, I still have sixty years to live."

"Speaking of which, Shangguan Jinfeng still has twenty or thirty years left, and the Shangguan family has successors. However, the Ge family's heir has less than ten years left."

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the Ge family's direction, his expression calm and revealing nothing of his thoughts.

……

With the establishment of authority on the opening ceremony, things became much simpler for Bailu Martial Arts Academy.

Ji Tongwei, as a representative of outstanding martial arts performers, and his speech "My Dean," served as a starting point for a meeting to see who opposed and who supported the idea.

This time, the choice of sides and the prior preparations, along with the Shangguan family's information channels, were enough for Zhuang Jin to distinguish: who were his own people; who were relatively clean and could be won over; who were not entirely clean but were still smart enough to do dirty work; and who were the indiscriminate fools or die-hards who had to be eliminated... He had a clear understanding of who was friend and foe.

Next, the slogan "Be a good teacher and set a new example" was put forward to rectify discipline, eliminate bad elements, and launch a vigorous rectification campaign.

Zhuang Jin knew very well that if he wanted to secure his position as the dean of Bailu Martial Arts Academy, the key lay in two things: personnel and financial power.

The main financial power of Bailu Martial Academy lies in the Finance Department, which is jointly supervised by the three major families. This department is beyond their control, but they can exert a certain influence. As for personnel, the Shangguan family has some of their own people in Bailu Martial Academy. What he needs to do is to expand this proportion and place his own available people in various departments.

With this rectification campaign, the opposition was purged, positions were made available for their own people, and the whole process allowed them to gain initial control of the White Deer Martial Academy. While they might not be able to control everything, they were at least able to carry out their will.

After that, Ji Tongwei's qualification as an outstanding martial arts student, as well as that article and speech, became minor details.

However, this represents Zhuang Jin's face, and Ji Tongwei's article being ranked first cannot be changed. As for whether it deserves to be ranked first, Zhuang Jin doesn't need to distort the truth. After initially taking control of Bailu Martial Academy, great scholars will naturally defend it for him.

These people will argue for themselves how good this article is, and why it's good—for these guys who can hold a symposium and have a serious discussion for half a day about the birth anniversaries of certain famous people in the history of the martial arts academy, this matter is really a piece of cake.

Zhuang Jin emphasizes fairness, not impartiality. Giving an explanation and following the procedures is generally acceptable and can be considered fair. If anyone still insists, then Zhuang Jin will teach them what it means to say, "All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others."

Status and respect are earned through one's own efforts. As the saying goes, "flowers bloom outside the wall but their fragrance lingers inside," Zhuang Jin's initial control over the White Deer Martial Academy further solidified her position within the Shangguan family, earning her even greater respect.

At the same time, after gaining initial control of the White Deer Martial Academy, he could live a carefree and relaxed life, while also obtaining a considerable amount of profit to support his daily cultivation and the "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique".

Zhuang Jin, however, was in control of Bailu Martial Academy. He didn't cause any trouble and adopted a laissez-faire approach, which surprised other interest groups within Bailu Martial Academy and quickly stabilized the situation.

……

The world doesn't revolve around Zhuang Jin. Before and after he prepared, purged, and took control of Bailu Martial Academy, time kept moving forward, and everyone else in the state city had their own exciting lives.

During the primordial energy surge at the end of last year, another innate martial artist emerged. This greatly encouraged the rogue martial artists after the cleansing at the Round Table Conference, igniting their hopes for struggle.

Then came the auction on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The final item was a secret technique beneficial for breaking through to the Yin God realm, which was won by Mai Yinghuang, a genius from Maple Leaf Marsh in Zezhou who had reached the Three Corpses Severing realm.

A few days later, Zhuang Jin received an invitation from Mai Yinghuang to participate in a small gathering to appreciate the secret method that was beneficial for breaking through to the Yin Spirit realm.

……

On this day, Mai Yinghuang, as the host, invited four other martial artists at the Corpse Slaying Realm besides the aristocratic families of Cangzhou City: Li Shicong, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiqi, to attend this small gathering of martial arts masters. Zhuang Jin also came to join in the fun after telling Shangguan Yunchang.

Congratulations, Brother Mai, on obtaining the secret method.

"What a stroke of luck! What a stroke of luck! We have invited you all to enjoy this together today."

Mai Yinghuang invited Zhuang Jin and the other four to sit down, ordered tea to be served, and explained the origin of this secret method.

Zhuang Jin was quite surprised and moved upon hearing this, as she herself had witnessed many of these things.

The broken, mid-grade Qingyuan Pot of the Medicine King Gang was inherited from Chu Yun five hundred years ago, obtained from the second-class immortal relics in Donghu Prefecture.

The Immortal Ruins don't only contain the Azure Origin Pot; there are other treasures and secret techniques as well. For example, the ruins in the underground cave ice lake contain not only the mid-grade Azure Origin Pot, but also the Holy Spirit Pearl, the Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade, and various secret techniques and cultivation methods such as the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Technique.

The secret technique that Mai Yinghuang acquired, which is beneficial for breaking through to the Yin Spirit realm, is said to be from the descendants of those who participated in the battle for the ruins five hundred years ago. After the purge at the Round Table meeting last year, their family fell into decline and was put up for auction.

The Suspended Heaven Bureau has the authority to appraise items at auctions, which serves as a kind of credibility endorsement, confirming that these are original and genuine copies, even if they are incomplete.

This is why Mai Yinghuang was able to get the bid, but such a 'coincidence' and 'reasonable' situation still left everyone with some doubts.

The Suspended Heaven Division is incompetent, and many innate martial artists outside of aristocratic families suffer from 'persecution complex'. At this moment, they still have some doubts in their hearts, but none of them voice them to spoil the mood.

"Speaking of this secret method, we must mention the secret of the Yin Spirit. I will explain a few points. If there are any omissions or errors, please feel free to supplement or correct them."

Mai Yinghuang said.

This involves breaking through to the Yin God realm, which can be considered high-level knowledge in this world.

Li Shizong comes from Yong'an in the capital and has a background, so he naturally knows a lot; Zhuang Jin obtained the complete Black Fiend Technique from the immortal ruins in the underground ice lake, so he also knows quite a bit; Ge Zhaoqing is related to a noble family, so he probably knows a thing or two; Bian Zhihao and Ao Zhiqi probably don't know.

However, whether they knew it or not, Zhuang Jin and the other four were sitting solemnly at this moment. The views and understandings of martial artists of the same level on breaking through to the Yin God realm were of great benefit to them. They could absorb the essence from it, and if they ever had a chance to break through in the future, they might be able to increase their success rate by one or two points.

……

(End of this chapter)