Chapter 12

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

On the cliff.

Li Chuntian said, “Brother Lin, you have to consider this carefully. If the assassination fails, Chang’an Academy might be held accountable. Also, we have to get rid of Ye Xuan, but we can’t be too hasty.”

“Many things are still unclear. After getting rid of Ye Xuan, no one will threaten us, but it’s also possible that we’ll be happy for nothing. We don’t want to have all these years of planning go to waste.”

“I don’t recommend assassinating the crown prince in the academy.”

“Grand Preceptor, you mean…” Lin Mo said.

Li Chuntian continued, “The crown prince letting Xiao Rui form a new army will be an opportunity. After the recruitment of new soldiers is over, the crown prince will head to the military drill ground to test the soldiers. At that time, we will kill them in one fell swoop.”

“During this period of time, we will speed up our search for what we want. In any case, Great Xia is still in our hands. Even His Majesty can’t do anything to us. I don’t care about a mere crown prince.”

Li Lingxiao shook his head. “Grand Preceptor, you’ve forgotten how the crown prince managed to get rid of Qian Feng in the Golden Palace. You can’t be overconfident, or it’ll be too late for regrets.”

“What do the two of you mean? Are we going to kill him or not?” Lin Mo asked.

Li Chuntian did not hesitate. “We won’t kill him. Let’s see what the crown prince is going to do in the academy first. We’ll wait for Brother Lin’s news here.”

Lin Mo shook his head and left in disappointment. From the very beginning, he knew that it was impossible for him to reach an agreement with Li Chuntian and Li Lingxiao. If they could cooperate, things would not have developed to this stage.

Emperor Xia’s art of balance would not work either. If one only valued their own interests, how could one achieve great things?

Little did they know that the power behind Li Chuntian had never wished for Xia to be destroyed. They had not found what they wanted, and at the same time, they firmly believed that Empress Yu would return. Ye Xuan was not their target, but Empress Yu.

Chang’an Academy.

The main hall.

After Lin Mo and Wu Yinting appeared and greeted him, Principal Gu Tiangang said, “Sage, His Highness has come to the academy to recruit a group of disciples to train on the battlefield.”

“Training?”

Lin Mo knew Ye Xuan’s intention. He wanted to use the academy’s power to stop the Northern Barbarian army. “Your Highness, the academy is a place for the disciples to learn. They have long stopped participating in the empire’s affairs. Please understand.”

He would never allow anyone to ruin his plans. He was the one who had called for the Northern Barbarian army. How could he let the academy’s disciples stop them?

He thought he knew Ye Xuan very well, but in fact, he knew nothing about him.

Ye Xuan’s real purpose in coming to Chang’an Academy was to take control of the entire academy and find the hidden forces in the academy. Even if he couldn’t take control of the academy, he would still ban them and not let the academy become the enemy of the empire.

He’d destroy it if he couldn’t get it.

Ye Xuan nodded and smiled. “So the royal family doesn’t have the final say in the academy. It’s Mr. Lin who makes the decisions.”

He paused for a moment and continued, “If I remember correctly, Chang’an Academy is a royal academy. It was established to cultivate talents for the empire. Now that the academy’s disciples are not involved in the empire’s affairs, there is no meaning to the academy’s existence.”

“For so many years, the academy has been protected by the empire and has never paid any taxes. Shouldn’t Principal Gu and Mr. Lin pay the owed taxes and then dissolve Chang’an Academy?”

Lin Mo’s face darkened. “Your Highness, do you know how dangerous it is to dissolve the academy?”

“It’s an academy that can’t be used by the empire, so why should I keep it?” Ye Xuan replied.

“What if I don’t agree?” Lin Mo said coldly.

Ye Xuan was not to be outdone. “Mr. Lin, you mean… I don’t have the final say in the Great Xia Empire?”

“Even His Majesty wouldn’t dare to disband the academy. I advise Your Highness to think twice before you act,” Lin Mo said.

“You’re teaching me what to do?” Ye Xuan said in a low voice, “You have three days to pay all the taxes and close Chang’an Academy. If you can’t do it, I’ll send people to seal it up.”

Lin Mo turned to look at Gu Tiangang and gave him a look. The latter understood tacitly and said, “It seems that Your Highness can’t tolerate Chang’an Academy. Then Your Highness can stay in the academy.”

“Men, invite His Highness to the Cliff of Reflection!”

“Principal Gu, are you trying to lock me up in the academy?” Ye Xuan asked casually.

“Your Highness, you should go to the Cliff of Reflection and think about it,” Gu Tiangang said.

A wave of spiritual Qi fluctuated, and a figure entered the hall. It was an expert from the academy’s law enforcement hall, and he instantly surrounded Ye Xuan and the other two.

Imprisoning Ye Xuan was only the first step. The real purpose was to prevent him from leaving Chang’an Academy.

“Teacher Han, please invite His Highness to the Cliff of Reflection,” Gu Tiangang said in a deep voice.

“Your Highness, please!” Han Changkong said.

“What if I refuse?” Ye Xuan asked.

Spiritual Qi burst out from Han Changkong’s body, and his Tongxuan level one strength burst out. “Please forgive me for offending you.”

He raised his hand and grabbed Ye Xuan’s shoulder. Suddenly, a powerful spiritual Qi shot out and directly sent him flying. He fell outside the hall, blood spurting out of his mouth.

Ye Xuan said softly, “I’ve given you a chance, but you didn’t know how to cherish it. Don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Gu Tiangang and Lin Mo’s gazes landed on Cao Zhengchun, and they had alert expressions. They clearly did not expect Ye Xuan to have such an expert by his side. A half-step Mingxuan realm, was this Ye Xuan’s source of confidence?

Lin Mo’s figure emitted spiritual Qi as if a celestial mountain had appeared in the main hall. “Crown Prince, this is Chang’an Academy. It’s not up to you to make decisions.”

He had already shed all pretenses of cordiality, so he could use this opportunity to get rid of Ye Xuan.

Cao Zhengchun stepped in front of Ye Xuan. “Your Highness, you should leave first. I’ll stop them.”

“I never said I was going to leave!” Ye Xuan said indifferently, “Zhengchun, I’ll leave Gu Tiangang to you. As for this sage, I’ll kill him myself.”

Cao Zhengchun nodded his head as he charged toward Gu Tiangang. As the sound of an explosion rang out, the two of them burst out of the hall and appeared in the void.

Lin Mo’s eyes fell on Ye Xuan. “You must be daydreaming if you want to kill me, Crown Prince.”

Ye Xuan said. “Lin Mo, I’ll give you a chance. Tell me who are the forces behind you, and I’ll consider leaving your corpse intact.”

“I am a Mingxuan expert, the strongest in the entire Great Xia. Crown Prince, since you want to know my true identity, I will grant you your wish.” Lin Mo’s face was filled with arrogance. “We are all going to die. I will let you die with a clear understanding.”

“I am the third elder of the Xuantian Sect!”

Ye Xuan nodded. “Alright. You can die now.”

Lin Mo’s figure flickered and he suddenly rushed forward. The might of his Mingxuan realm fell, and the space collapsed inch by inch. Spiritual Qi raged on Ye Xuan’s body. “Don’t worry, you won’t be alone on the road to the netherworld. Your father will be with you.”

Ye Xuan looked at the huge palm coming at him, and his figure flew backward. He raised his hand and a sword light flew out. With a flash, the sword was invincible…

Whoosh.

The sword Qi shattered the giant palm and pressed against Lin Mo’s forehead. The sword went in half an inch, and blood flowed out.

Lin Mo was terrified, his eyes filled with disbelief. With a soul bound, a bone-chilling coldness spread through his body, and even his soul trembled.

That was impossible.

That was absolutely impossible.

He was a Mingxuan expert.

The next moment, the sword light pierced through his eyebrows, and the blood was like a column. The figure fell to the ground.

A Mingxuan realm expert was killed in one shot?