Chapter 129
As soon as Gu Qian turned to look into the room, he heard a forceful rebuke shouting: "What's all this noise? Stand properly!"
The instructor team that arrived late still had an imposing presence.
Leading them was School of Names instructor, Zhu Feihua.
Zhu Feihua had slanted eyes that looked quite fierce. When he emerged, his expression carried natural authority without anger, stunning the disciples who were still whispering.
Gu Qian calmly withdrew his gaze, turned his head toward the instructor team, and swept his eyes over them. He saw no Saints, but they were all unfamiliar faces, instructors he hadn't dealt with much.
With Zhu Feihua's arrival, the noisy corridor gradually quieted, turning instead to glaring at each other with their eyes, trying to beat each other up with their gazes.
Sha Qian was someone who wasn't afraid of trouble. He pointed at Gu Qian and said to Zhu Feihua: "Instructor Zhu, Gu Qian wanted to open the Dragon Lock. There must be Silver River Water hidden in his room! Last time he was the one who broke into Inverted Moon Cave, and also..."
"Shut up." Zhu Feihua looked at him coldly, making Sha Qian close his mouth in dissatisfaction.
Zhu Feihua ordered: "Search in order, room by room."
He had made an agreement with someone to search slowly, and couldn't listen to Sha Qian's few words and search Gu Qian's room first.
Yu Sui only told them to search in order slowly, without revealing which room she was targeting.
As the instructors began searching rooms, Gu Qian and the other two each worried privately, while Wei Ren had already obtained the item and used Xue Mushi's Instant Shadow Talisman to nimbly descend to the first floor.
Though no one was in the room, the lights were still on. The entire dormitory building was brightly lit throughout. Even though Wei Ren moved close to the lit areas, constantly watching his surroundings, his figure could still be exposed.
But the Taoist School's Instant Shadow Talisman perfectly merged his form into the night. No matter how bright the light streaming from windows was, it couldn't discover him.
Wei Ren safely descended on spider silk, then went through the peach blossom grove to take a roundabout route. He removed the Instant Shadow Talisman and hurried toward the dormitory building, pretending he had just arrived.
When he got closer, he was somewhat surprised that there were more people below than he had expected.
Not only were there more disciples, but also more Thirteenth Realm instructors.
"Here comes another one." The instructor responsible for counting those who hadn't entered the dormitory nodded slightly at the approaching Wei Ren and asked: "Name, floor number."
Wei Ren said them with a dejected expression, and the instructor laughed: "You've lasted quite a while in that room, impressive."
He was startled at first, then understood what this meant. The instructor was probably Mei Liangyu's acquaintance who knew that roommates living with him couldn't last more than a month before leaving.
Wei Ren took the opportunity to find common ground with the instructor, chatting about Mei Liangyu as a person. He stood by the instructor team for some time, listening to conversations between other instructors, and also saw the two people standing at the very front.
A woman with her hands clasped behind her back turned her head to speak to the tall man beside her.
Medical School Saint, Jiang Shulan.
The middle-aged man standing beside her wore dark blue robes with a sword at his waist. Though the sword remained sheathed, one could feel its sharp edge. The man had deep, defined features with clear, hard lines. His sharp eagle eyes were slightly narrowed, as if contemplating something.
Military School Saint, Kuang Chu.
Kuang Chu stared at the dormitory building, but his words were directed at Jiang Shulan: "Why doesn't the old lady go in and take a look?"
"Just in case, it's better to guard outside." Jiang Shulan sighed. "If it's really discovered, that would be a situation where both sides perish."
Kuang Chu said: "Does the old lady have any suspects?"
Jiang Shulan laughed: "If I did, I would have already acted to retrieve such a dangerous thing as Silver River Water."
Everyone at Taiyi Academy knew that this Medical School Saint had a compassionate heart, showed no airs of being a Saint toward people, and was very easy to talk to.
So whether it was Silver River Water for making Lan poison, or Floating Pagoda fragments that broke the Six Kingdoms Non-War Pact, no one would suspect her.
Wei Ren carefully watched the movements ahead, thinking that many Saints had come tonight. Were they all here for Silver River Water?
Though he didn't know which unlucky person had taken Silver River Water and was about to be discovered, his mission was completed anyway.
Wei Ren turned to chat casually with the instructors outside, occasionally looking down at his Wind-Listening Ruler to see if Yu Sui had anything else to instruct.
……
The instructors responsible for searching Yu Sui's floor had arrived.
There were no Saints in the team.
The instructor team looked quite serious. They came up without small talk and began checking room by room, but the floors above and below seemed very noisy. The disciples in this floor's corridor could all hear cursing voices and fluctuations from some Nine Schools Arts techniques.
Other places had instructors stop to mediate and scold because of disciple quarrels, wasting considerable time. But the search on Yu Sui's floor proceeded very quickly. The instructors completely ignored the disciples' conflicts, letting them argue, and only after finishing the search did they lightly say: "If you want to fight, go outside."
After the search, the disciples' state was obviously much more relaxed. They saw off the departing instructors and talked more loudly, each waiting for the Dragon Lock to be unlocked.
Yu Sui leaned against the door frame, looking down at her Wind-Listening Ruler, but actually watching Nian Qiuyan's side.
The search there was proceeding somewhat slowly, perhaps because more Class A disciples had gathered. Each person's room had things that couldn't be discovered, and some had treasures stolen from Level Three forbidden areas that were found by instructors, who scolded the disciples who had entered forbidden areas without permission until they were completely humiliated.
Seeing that they were all too calm without showing any panic, Yu Sui made no moves. She had the Five Elements Light Core remaining in Nian Qiuyan's room shatter, making an impact sound. The movement in the room instantly drew everyone's attention.
An instructor asked puzzledly: "Is there still someone inside?"
Changsun Zi asked: "Whose room is this?"
"Mine." Nian Qiuyan answered gently, stepping out from behind Changsun Zi to stand in front of his own room.
Zhang Xiangyun, Luo Fu, and others all looked toward Nian Qiuyan, not knowing whether he had planned this in advance or was caught off guard.
If there really was Silver River Water in the room... it couldn't be discovered by Changsun Zi.
Zhang Xiangyun looked toward someone across from him, raising an eyebrow slightly. A disciple received his signal and quietly retreated to the back of the crowd.
Yu Sui noticed Zhang Xiangyun's small movement, while simultaneously noticing Mei Liangyu, who had always been indifferent to everything, lightly press his palm against the door through his sleeve and somehow embed something into the door.
Why was Senior Brother also helping?
Yu Sui's delicate brows furrowed for an instant.
Though she knew the two had a good relationship, the movement in the room could be explained in many ways. There was no need to act at this time.
Changsun Zi asked Nian Qiuyan standing at the door: "Is there anyone inside?"
"No." Nian Qiuyan answered obediently. "Only I live there."
Then the impact sound from inside just now couldn't be explained clearly.
Changsun Zi stared at Nian Qiuyan for a while, then looked away and told an instructor: "Open it."
Nian Qiuyan made no attempt to obstruct, compliantly stepping aside to make way. This position just happened to allow him to look openly toward Zhang Xiangyun and others behind him. His gaze swept past Zhang Xiangyun without saying a word.
But Zhang Xiangyun got the impression from this glance that Silver River Water seemed to be inside, his heart sinking slightly. He gestured from his sleeve, and just as an instructor was about to unlock the Dragon Lock, a disciple's scream suddenly rang out.
This scream instantly drew everyone's attention.
A disciple suddenly covered his abdomen with an ashen face and collapsed.
"Hey hey, what's wrong with you?" The person beside him was also startled, hurriedly bending down to check, but felt uncomfortable himself. Blood rushed to his head and he screamed in pain before fainting on the ground.
Seeing their friends or close companions suddenly scream and collapse, others panicked and rushed forward.
Several disciples collapsed in succession. Changsun Zi immediately stepped past Nian Qiuyan and walked toward the fallen disciples. The instructor who was about to open the door also followed her, shouting: "Stand back, don't touch them!"
The instructor who reached them first checked the condition of the collapsed disciples, saying gravely: "Instructor Yuan, go request the Medical School Saint to come up!"
Yu Sui had originally wanted to see which Saints from the floors above and below would be the first to lose patience and rush over after this floor caused chaos.
Would it be Agricultural School Saint Ou Rushuang and School of Names Elder Zhu from above, or Legalist School Yu Sheng and Military School Leng Rouyin from below, as well as Taoist School Saint Liang Zhen waiting at the Communication Courtyard, or Yin-Yang School Saint Zou Xian?
If it was Medical School Jiang Shulan and Military School Kuang Chu guarding the dormitory entrance, that would be too obvious.
But before Yu Sui could guess who it would be, someone made the choice for her.
"It looks like parasitic poison." Another instructor said. "Agricultural School Saint Ou is right upstairs. He would arrive fastest."
Agricultural School parasitic poison should indeed be handled more safely by an Agricultural School Saint, and he was also the closest.
Yu Sui watched Zhang Xiangyun and Luo Fu, seeing they showed no reaction to this suggestion, as if they felt very safe.
Having their own people come would indeed give a sense of security.
Otherwise, why would they cause trouble with parasitic poison?
Changsun Zi came to the disciples who were covering their stomachs and necks in painful dry heaving, their whole bodies purple-red. She crouched down and used techniques to stabilize the chaotic Five Elements energy in their bodies. Parasitic poison wasn't something she specialized in, so she could only wait for someone to arrive.
Agricultural School Saint Ou Rushuang also came quickly.
The Wind-Riding Technique passage and Dragon Stairs were sealed, but this didn't affect instructors and Saints from using them. Ou Rushuang emerged from the Dragon Stairs, dressed very simply with thick eyebrows and big eyes, an existence that would be completely inconspicuous in a crowd.
Unless someone pointed him out, you would never imagine he was a Nine Schools Saint of the Xuangu Continent.
After Ou Rushuang arrived, his peaceful gaze flashed with sharpness when scanning the disciples affected by parasitic poison. Golden Five Elements energy flowed in his palm as he guided it through the disciples' forehead acupoints, making the suffering disciples fall unconscious.
"The Agricultural School recently released a batch of tree parasites to eliminate pests. The guards were probably negligent, letting the tree parasites escape and fall on these disciples." Ou Rushuang explained with steady breathing.
"Let them go inside first." Ou Rushuang indicated for the instructors to unlock the Dragon Lock and open doors.
The instructors complied, sending these several disciples inside while also checking the room thoroughly.
"Though it's nothing serious, removing the parasites will take some time. I'll wait here." Ou Rushuang said to Changsun Zi. "The upstairs search isn't finished yet. Why don't we switch?"
Only then did Changsun Zi turn back to look at Nian Qiuyan still standing by the door.
Nian Qiuyan still looked obedient. Seeing his master look back at him, he blinked.
Changsun Zi said: "First let's figure out the movement in his room."
She walked back toward Nian Qiuyan.
Ou Rushuang followed her words and also looked toward Nian Qiuyan.
Yu Sui watched thoughtfully. This seemed... like Nian Qiuyan was being suspected by Changsun Zi.
Some people's attention returned to Nian Qiuyan's side, thinking what this unlucky person would be caught with this time.
Nian Qiuyan still said nothing, letting people open the room door. As soon as the door opened, they saw a red mechanical rabbit that had fallen on the floor, apparently having fallen quite badly with its head wobbling precariously.
Both Changsun Zi and Ou Rushuang stopped at the doorway, staring with different expressions at the mechanical rabbit visible as soon as the door opened.
Nian Qiuyan said gently from the side: "The sound just now should have been this mechanical rabbit falling down. It's my fault for not placing it properly."
Mei Liangyu crossed his arms, leaning lazily against the door.
Yu Sui glanced at him. These two had quite good coordination.