Chapter 472: Should You Not Give an Explanation? |
The young human girl opened her eyes and looked at the small boy before her who appeared to be no more than six or seven years old. Her frightened eyes blinked slowly.
Xiao Mo gripped the other boy's wrist and looked at the demon boy with calm, measured eyes.
Xiao Mo was fairly certain that the young lord this book attendant served was Chen Jue, the First Prince of the Celestial Demon Kingdom.
"Xiao Mo! What do you think you are doing?" The demon cultivator named Wang Zhong said coldly.
"I have no idea what you mean." Xiao Mo's tone was even. "The Hanshan Academy forbids the wanton striking and verbal abuse of human folk, and forbids the killing of anyone under any circumstances. Or do you intend to break the rules of the academy?"
With those words, Xiao Mo's grip gradually tightened.
Wang Zhong felt a sharp burst of pain and released the stone in his hand. It fell and rolled across the ground.
Xiao Mo flung his arm aside, and Wang Zhong staggered back several steps.
"How do you know I was hurting someone without cause?" Wang Zhong said angrily. "This girl was not watching where she was going and crashed into me. The pills I was collecting for my young lord fell and scattered on the ground. This lowly human trash, beating her to death would not be too much!"
"Nonsense. You filthy humans, even the sight of you is an insult to the eyes, and contact with you makes one feel the clothes have been dirtied. You think I would deliberately run into you?" Wang Zhong pointed at the girl's face and cursed.
"All of you, say something! Who ran into me? Speak up and be fair." Wang Zhong demanded of the companions around him.
"It was definitely this human's fault."
"A human who dares deliberately block our path?"
"Just turn her into a dish and be done with it!"
"Actually, even as a dish, she would probably taste terrible!"
The other demon book attendants naturally sided with Wang Zhong.
"But I moved so far out of the way... I truly did not do it on purpose... I..." The girl was so distressed she was on the verge of tears.
Xiao Mo shook his head. He already understood clearly what had happened, and gestured for her to stop speaking.
What would saying more accomplish?
Given the people involved, every witness here was one of their own, and who would believe a human's word?
"Xiao Mo, step aside! Do you really intend to meddle in things that do not concern you?" Wang Zhong said furiously. "Or perhaps you think that with the Mount Tu residence backing you, none of us would dare do anything to you?"
"What I am doing today has nothing to do with the Mount Tu residence." Xiao Mo shook his head. "It is only that for some things, if you did not see them, then so be it. But once you have seen them, you cannot pretend that you did not."
"Fine! Since you are seeking death, then die alongside her! Do not say I did not give you a chance! The Mount Tu residence cannot blame me for this!" Wang Zhong's lip curved slightly upward. "All of you, together! Kill both of these human trash! If anything comes of it, I will take responsibility!"
As Wang Zhong's words landed, the demon book attendants who had long been itching for a fight lunged at Xiao Mo.
In the side courtyard halfway up the mountain, Tushan Jingci woke from a satisfying afternoon nap and slowly blinked her eyes open.
"Ahhhh..."
She let out a yawn, rubbed her eyes, and walked out of her room.
"The Young Miss has woken so early today." Yueshi smiled, seeing her young miss's adorable sleepy expression. "Would the Young Miss like some tea or pastries?"
"I am not hungry, Elder Sister Yueshi." Tushan Jingci shook her head, then looked around curiously. "Hmm? Elder Sister Yueshi, where did Xiao Mo go?"
"In reply to the Young Miss, Xiao Mo went to the pill chamber at the top of the mountain to collect pills. By this hour, he should be on his way back." Yueshi answered honestly.
"Then I will go and meet him. We can catch some crickets together on the way back." Tushan Jingci ran happily toward the courtyard entrance but before Tushan Jingci could run out of the courtyard, she saw an academy administrator walking toward her courtyard.
"Excuse me, which one of you is the Young Miss Tushan?" The academy administrator stopped at the courtyard entrance and gave a respectful bow.
"That is me." Tushan Jingci walked out, looking at the man with slight unease. "Uncle, is something wrong?"
"Young Miss Tushan, your book attendant has gotten into a fight with other demon folk outside the pill chamber. It would be best if you went to take a look." The academy administrator said.
"Hmm?" Tushan Jingci blinked, eyes wide with disbelief. "Xiao Mo got into a fight?"
"I am, I am going right now!"
Once the situation sank in, Tushan Jingci set her short legs going at full speed beneath her skirt and ran toward the top of the mountain.
Yueshi, seeing this, naturally followed at once.
With the aid of Yueshi's flight technique, Tushan Jingci arrived very quickly at the summit of Qianxue Peak.
"Xiao Mo!"
Catching sight of Xiao Mo outside the pill chamber, Tushan Jingci ran anxiously toward him.
"Xiao Mo, are you all right?"
"Why did you get into a fight?"
"Are you hurt?"
Tushan Jingci looked him over with worried hands, patting him here and there then the girl noticed several scratch marks on Xiao Mo's neck with blood oozing from them, and one of his arms was hanging at his side, blood dripping steadily from his fingertips onto the ground.
"Young Miss, there is no need to worry. I am fine."
Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, moving the injured hand behind his back.
"How can you say you are fine? You are bleeding..."
Tears gathered at the corners of Tushan Jingci's eyes, her expression full of worry.
"I am truly fine. These are only surface wounds. By comparison, they are more seriously hurt."
Xiao Mo's gaze indicated ahead.
Tushan Jingci followed the direction Xiao Mo had looked.
Because her attention had been entirely on Xiao Mo just now, only now did she notice four or five demon folk lying on the ground, moaning, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. They all looked to have sustained significant internal injuries.
And these people looked rather familiar. They appeared to be the book attendants of Chen Jue, Lou Huo, and the others from the study hall.
"What happened here?"
Tushan Jingci had barely arrived when, close on her heels, the masters of these book attendants were notified and also came rushing to the summit.
Chen Jue and the others looked at their book attendants collapsed on the ground, their brows furrowing with displeasure.
After all, those who served closely as book attendants were the most trusted and intimate companions.
If one's most trusted companion was beaten, it was no different from having one's own face struck.
"My lord! You must stand up for us!"
"My lord, waaahh, this human actually hit me! He actually dared to hit me!"
"My lord, I do not care that I was beaten, but this Xiao Mo has shown complete disregard for our Thunder Roar Sect! Your servant truly could not bear to stand by!"
Seeing their young lords arrive, the book attendants hurriedly endured their pain and got to their feet, crowding around their respective masters to report their grievances.
Chen Jue, Lou Huo, and the others looked at their book attendants first, then looked ahead at Tushan Jingci and her book attendant.
The elder protector accompanying Chen Jue and the others from behind grew especially agitated. He stepped forward and questioned Tushan Jingci directly.
"Young Miss Tushan, your book attendant has actually injured members of our race here in this sacred place of learning! This is entirely unacceptable! Should you not give an explanation?"