All of this sounds slow, but from Jiang Wang rushing to the inner court to Dong A's decisive action, everything happened in an extremely short span of time.
Before the vine snakes completely enclosed the area in mid-air, a pale figure spotted a gap and leaped into the sky at an incredible speed, seemingly about to escape.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless wooden spikes burst out, piercing through him in an instant!
His body jolted in the air, and only after the violent spikes stopped did he fall limply from the sky. From his skull to his calves, he was riddled with dense blood holes, dead beyond any doubt.
The entire academy was utterly silent. Both outer court and inner court disciples were deeply shocked by this scene.
Jiang Wang's eyelid twitched as he watched. "That eerie left-path demon, just like that, is dead?"
Dong A didn't even glance at him, and said indifferently, "The remaining one, still hiding?"
"Absurd!" He strolled leisurely, step by step, ascending into the air. "Everything within the Jade Cage is under my control. Everything is vibrant, except for your stench, which is nauseating!"
He extended his right hand and gently clenched it!
A door grew a large hand, which grabbed a person dressed as an outer court disciple nearby. The wooden hand's fingers spread, instantly searching the entire body and locking it tightly.
At the same time, the wooden arm rapidly extended, lifting the person all the way up to Dong A, who was in the air.
"Speak, who sent you? How dare you commit murder in the academy?" Dong A, with his back to the starry sky, looked down at the audacious assassin.
The wind seemed to quiet down, waiting silently for the person's answer.
The assassin, with an ordinary face, suddenly grinned, and his entire head burst open in an instant!
Dong A's fist tightened, and a layer of water film instantly enveloped the red and white matter, forming a bloated water ball.
He glanced at the previous corpse again, and a seed sprouted from the ground, growing rapidly. The flower bud opened into a large mouth, which swallowed the corpse whole. Dong A casually threw the water ball in as well. The flower's mouth closed and shrank back into the soil.
The two corpses were thus neatly dealt with, but the anger on Dong A's face became even more evident.
"The cultivation seeds of my Zhuangguo are being harmed within the academy! The audacity of these left-path demons! This matter must be thoroughly investigated! The city lord's residence must give our academy an explanation. No matter who the mastermind behind this is, they will be executed!"
The cultivation of a fifth-rank strong cultivator was fully displayed, his voice like rolling thunder, shaking the entire city.
Many people in Fenglin City turned pale upon hearing this.
Then a loud voice also spread throughout the city, belonging to the city lord of Fenglin City, Wei Quji, "Dean Dong, rest assured, our residence will definitely give an explanation! No matter who is involved or what is uncovered, once identified, they will be executed without mercy!"
Jiang Wang watched this unfold, vaguely feeling that he had touched the tip of some intense whirlpool beneath the surface.
The academy is a place where the nation cultivates talent, the very essence of national fortune. Committing murder within the academy has already crossed Dong A's底线.
Qin's strong tactics have long since torn off Zhuangguo's face and trampled it fiercely. Now, with the left-path committing murder in the academy, although the purpose is unknown, it is hard to say that there is no intention of testing the official reaction.
Before today, it was well-known that Dong A and Wei Quji did not get along. The former belonged to the faction of the national chancellor Du Ruhui, while the latter was an old subordinate of the grand general Huangfu Duanming.
With Dong A's strength, it was not necessary to make such a big show to expose the demons. His use of spells to cover the entire academy, and his subsequent dialogue with Wei Quji from a distance, seemed more like a display of power, a clear stance, to intimidate those lurking in the shadows.
Zhuangguo is not very peaceful.
"Everyone disperse," Dong A said expressionlessly, turning and walking down from the high place.
The door panel jumped back into place, the vine snakes returned to the wall... the entire academy instantly returned to its original state.
The night seemed as quiet as ever.
Everything seemed like a dream.
But the still-healing wounds told Jiang Wang that this was real.
This is the power of a fifth-rank strong cultivator.
And it is the scenery he is about to climb!
When Zhao Rucheng rushed to the academy upon hearing the news, everything had already calmed down. Only the outer court disciples were still gathered in small groups, still excited by the dean's overwhelming momentum.
He saw Jiang Wang in the dormitory, who was carefully wiping his sword with a handkerchief embroidered with gold lines.
The handkerchief was naturally Zhao Rucheng's; there wouldn't be a second person in the dormitory using such a thing.
Zhao Rucheng first noticed his freshly bandaged foot and sneered, "Oh, how did you get injured again? You, the number one in outer court swordsmanship, is that a bit of a stretch?"
"Not bad," Jiang Wang continued wiping the blade, "Once the water is squeezed out, I can still teach you a lesson."
Only then did he look up at Zhao Rucheng with a smile, "Brother."
"Just because you're one year older and have practiced the sword for one more year," Zhao Rucheng shrugged.
"Being one day older is still being older. Brother."
Zhao Rucheng clicked his teeth in annoyance, "Can you stop wiping? Do you know how many swords like the one in your hand this handkerchief of mine could buy?"
Jiang Wang laughed arrogantly, "Do you know how many of your handkerchiefs my sword will be worth in the future?"
But as soon as these words left his mouth, both he and Zhao Rucheng fell silent.
Because this kind of talk was always in Fang Pengju's style. Using Zhao Rucheng's gold-embroidered handkerchief to wipe the sword was also a "bad habit" he started. In his words, "Our brothers' swords are going to be passed down through the ages. How can we not take good care of them? Such a good handkerchief, it would be such a waste to use it for wiping faces! Rucheng may look good, but can his face be passed down through the ages?"
Some people have already disappeared, but the traces they left will still exist for a long time...
It was Zhao Rucheng who spoke first, changing the subject: "Third brother. What do you think the demons are after this time? Is it... not a coincidence that it involved you?"
"The Fang family probably doesn't have the guts," Jiang Wang shook his head, "But who knows. By the way, have you seen the eldest brother?"
Ling He went to the Fang residence to return the body at noon, but he still hasn't come back until now, which can't help but worry him.
Zhao Rucheng's sword eyebrows slightly raised, "I heard he was driven out of the Fang residence. I don't know where he went next."
Jiang Wang was silent for a while, "Let's go find him."
"You find him. I'm not going to accompany a good-for-nothing in doing good-for-nothing things," Zhao Rucheng shrugged.
"Hey, it's not me who asked him to eat a closed door. Why are you looking at me like that?" Jiang Wang just stared at him without saying a word.
He had no choice but to surrender, "Alright, alright. But it's so late, where are we going to look?"
"First of all," Jiang Wang analyzed, "he definitely won't leave him in the mass grave."
"But he doesn't have any money," Zhao Rucheng continued.
"And then, he is a man of deep feelings..." Jiang Wang got up and walked outside, "I know where he's gone."
"I also know what he's doing!" Zhao Rucheng followed behind, wrinkling his handsome nose, "Definitely crying his eyes out."