Chapter 32 - 32 Who Can Control Jiang Cheng
Jiang Cheng’s words came out as if they were a discussion, but in reality, they were a threat, and Bai Wendao laughed.
Previously, due to the appearance of the Muscle Relaxation Talisman, he had begun to doubt whether Jiang Cheng was still the Jiang Cheng he knew.
The gentle, kind, and sunny youth he remembered, how could he have created something as defying as the Muscle Relaxation Talisman?
Now, upon seeing him, he realized Jiang Cheng hadn’t changed at all.
He was still so calm, composed, and full of a sense of justice.
Obviously, the Muscle Relaxation Talisman being used for cheating was definitely not Jiang Cheng’s intention. Instead, those students were just too bad.
Otherwise, why would Jiang Cheng confidently declare in front of several advanced cultivators that it was “absolutely impossible”?
Bai Wendao’s previously tense nerves relaxed at this moment.
No matter what, the situation had not fallen into the worst-case scenario.
Next, it was time to see how Lei Buxiao and Yang Lingbao would handle things.
Unlike Bai Wendao’s relaxation, Lei Buxiao’s veins were throbbing with anger at this time.
In his view, Jiang Cheng was clearly provoking them!
Although he was caught helping students cheat, he insisted on loudly denying any connection.
Did he think that by fabricating some evidence he would be off the hook?
Lei Buxiao simply couldn’t believe it; a mere Qi-practicing cultivator could fabricate flawless evidence?
Lei Buxiao’s fingers twitched slightly, and the documents in Jiang Cheng’s hands immediately flew into his own.
With another flick of his fingers, the documents landed separately in the hands of Bai Wendao, Liu Qi, and Lu Benwei.
Since all these individuals belonged to the Sword Cultivation Academy, Lei Buxiao was not afraid they would fail to find faults in Jiang Cheng’s documents.
Lei Buxiao snorted coldly, “Everyone take a good look to see if there’s anything wrong with these documents.”
Seeing the Core Formation cultivators’ stance, Lin Yao’s hands, tightly clasped, began to sweat.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that their flipping through the documents was surely meant to find flaws in Jiang Cheng’s files.
Where there’s a will to condemn, there’s always an excuse.
Even if the documents had no issues, they could still be forced to find issues.
Lin Yao glanced at Jiang Cheng, who was still incredibly calm, and then turned to look at Principal Yang Lingbao.
No matter what, Jiang Cheng was Principal Yang’s student.
If Jiang Cheng were in trouble, it would not reflect well on Wuyue Advanced Middle School either.
This matter could only be resolved by Principal Yang stepping in.
But if Principal Yang, for the sake of the bigger picture, didn’t wish to protect Jiang Cheng…
Lin Yao bit her silver teeth lightly, her mind having already prepared for the worst.
If Principal Yang didn’t protect Jiang Cheng, she would go home and seek her father’s help.
Although her father was strict, he had quite a network in Wuyue, and as long as he was willing, he could strike up conversations with many high-ranking cultivators.
In short, Jiang Cheng could not have any trouble!
Lin Yao wanted to play with Jiang Cheng’s emotions, but she wasn’t foolish.
Matters of the heart were one thing, and professional matters were another.
She might bully Jiang Cheng emotionally, but if someone tried to trouble Jiang Cheng professionally, she would never agree to it.
Playing dirty tricks at work because of emotional setbacks in a relationship — such disgusting acts, Lin Yao couldn’t do them.
She wanted a fair and square showdown with Jiang Cheng in matters of the heart.
Either Jiang Cheng would admit defeat and acknowledge his feelings for her, vowing to only like her and no one else from then on!
Or…
There was no ‘or.’ She was certain she wouldn’t lose! So there were no other options!
Principal Yang’s mind was as clear as a mirror, how could he not know Lin Yao was hinting at him to protect Jiang Cheng?
Before Jiang Cheng came, he had already communicated with people like Lei Buxiao.
Principal Yang knew very well what Lei Buxiao and the others were demanding; they didn’t intend to charge Jiang Cheng with a crime, as that would blow things out of proportion. A bunch of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators outwitted by a high school student — even if they punished Jiang Cheng in the end, they wouldn’t be able to save face.
Lei Buxiao’s main goal was for Jiang Cheng to stop drawing any Muscle Relaxation Talismans.
Yang Lingbao looked at Jiang Cheng and said in a low voice, “Jiang Cheng, apologize to the seniors later, admit your mistake, and this matter will be considered over.”
Jiang Cheng did not hesitate, “Principal, I’m not in the wrong.”
“You little brat,” Yang Lingbao said quietly, “You’re not in the wrong? Then are they in the wrong? Do you really want several Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators to apologize to you? Just lower your head, they won’t make things difficult for you.”
Jiang Cheng still did not consider it.
“Principal, tasks, documents, contracts—they are not like discussing love between men and women, which can be casually debated about right and wrong. These things are clearly written in black and white on paper, right is right, wrong is wrong, clear and obvious, known at a glance. I believe the seniors will not tarnish my integrity.”
“This is not a matter of integrity; it’s about human relations and social etiquette.”
“In the face of justice and righteousness, there is no place for human relations and social etiquette.”
“You!”
Yang Lingbao had not anticipated that Jiang Cheng would be so stubborn.
What benefit could he possibly see in confronting Lei Buxiao head-on?
After all, Lei Buxiao was a Core Formation cultivator!
Who would court trouble, deliberately seeking to offend someone in Core Formation?
Jiang Cheng had not considered that much; he simply felt that if one’s head could be lowered at any time, then it can never be raised again.
In the dispute over the Muscle Relaxation Talisman, if he were to “admit fault” to Lei Buxiao, then even if he was “not wrong,” he would be “in the wrong.”
Admitting fault now would be tantamount to giving up the initiative in the struggle, voluntarily ceding the moral high ground to the opposition. Both emotionally and rationally, Jiang Cheng would not admit wrongdoing.
“So? Have you found any loopholes?” Lei Buxiao asked.
“Dean, his contract is indeed quite meticulous.”
“The instruction manual is also fine, we could even refer to it in the future.”
“The disclaimer is written very cleverly, especially this sentence, ‘The final interpretation right of this talisman belongs to Jiang Cheng’.”
Lei Buxiao’s expression turned sour. Just as Yang Lingbao had guessed, Lei Buxiao did not intend to escalate the situation; otherwise, he would not have chosen the Task Hall to resolve it.
His ultimate goal was for Jiang Cheng to give up drawing Muscle Relaxation Talismans. If Jiang Cheng kept doing so, other schools might be uncertain, but their Tianheng Sword Cultivation Academy would definitely not be rated as top-tier.
Now unable to find fault with Jiang Cheng, what could he use to make Jiang Cheng stop drawing?
“Elder Sun, can your Task Hall really allow the trade of unrecorded talismans?”
Lei Buxiao tried to find a breakthrough from the Task Hall.
Sun Decai thought it was an undeserved disaster.
For the management of talismans, go find Lu Wang, the President of the Talisman Master Association, why find me?
Just as Sun Decai was thinking about how to pass the buck, Jiang Cheng unexpectedly took the initiative to speak up, “Senior may not know, the Task Hall is merely a platform for cultivators to conduct transactions, and does not have the authority to scrutinize the specific content of the transactions between cultivators. Moreover, the Tongtian Sect Task Hall does not take a cut from the transactions of the cultivators; it is a nonprofit platform aimed at facilitating exchanges between cultivators.”
Upon hearing Jiang Cheng’s explanation, Sun Decai’s eyes lit up.
Jiang Cheng was right, but this knowledge was rarely known, even by many cultivators within the Tongtian Sect, let alone a high school student like Jiang Cheng who seemed to understand it so thoroughly. It seemed he had indeed put in effort, and the Task Hall’s services had not been wasted on him.
Sun Decai said to Lei Buxiao with a cupped fist, “Indeed, Dean Lei, please bear with us; our Task Hall truly cannot interfere with talisman transactions.”
Having his fault-finding rebuffed for the second time, Lei Buxiao again held back the throbbing veins on his forehead wanting to lash out, and turned his spearhead towards Lu Wang.
“President Lu, since this incident arose because of the talismans, your Talisman Master Association must bear some responsibility, right?”
Lu Wang showed an embarrassed expression. He thought: Jiang Cheng hasn’t even taken the Talisman Master Certificate exam, how should I intervene?
Before Lu Wang could speak, Jiang Cheng took the initiative again, “Senior Lei, this matter is irrelevant to President Lu; I am not a talisman master affiliated with the Talisman Master Association, and he has no authority to govern me.”
Seeing Jiang Cheng being so understanding, Lu Wang’s countenance immediately improved, and he echoed repeatedly, “Right, right, right. Our Tongtian Sect Talisman Master Association can only govern the talisman masters within the Association. This student Jiang Cheng has no relation with us.”
Lei Buxiao, barely containing the veins dancing on his forehead, said, “Then Principal Yang, Jiang Cheng is a student of your school, right? You must manage him, mustn’t you?”
Yang Lingbao, not daring to offend Lei Buxiao and as he was organizing his thoughts, heard Jiang Cheng speak again, “Senior Lei, entering the Task Hall to accept tasks is a right granted by the Immortal Sect to every legitimate cultivator. Even the principal has no right to intervene.”
As soon as these words came out, Principal Yang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
That was indeed the reason.
But Lei Buxiao nearly went mad upon hearing it.
If this can’t be managed and that can’t be managed, who can actually govern Jiang Cheng!