The crowd began to shift uncomfortably. Students clearly had no desire to spend hours giving detailed statements about what was obviously a minor fight, especially when it was completely obvious who had been at fault and who had been defending themselves.
Wen Guo found himself trapped in an impossible position. If he pushed this hard, he would have to explain where exactly he had been during the fight and why he hadn't stopped it earlier. If he admitted he had just arrived, his entire case would rely only on witness testimony that clearly and overwhelmingly favored Ye Xian.
Either way, what had seemed like easy merit points was rapidly turning into a complicated mess that might make him look bad.
"I... the Disciplinary Hall will need to conduct a full investigation..." Wen Guo began weakly, his earlier confidence completely gone.
"Of course," Ye Xian agreed readily, his tone perfectly cooperative. "Should I report to the Disciplinary Hall later today to give my complete statement? I want to be absolutely cooperative with the official investigation."
He turned to Reiner with obvious concern for proper procedure. "We should probably get to class now, though. Wouldn't want to make this situation worse by being late to our scheduled lessons and breaking academy attendance rules."
As they began walking away, Ye Xian could hear the crowd breaking up rapidly behind them, students eager to avoid any further involvement in what was clearly going to become a paperwork nightmare.
Wen Guo was left standing alone in the courtyard, his easy victory having crumbled into what might become an investigation of his own questionable conduct.
But as Ye Xian and Reiner disappeared around a corner, Wen Guo's eyes fell on the fat boy, who was still trying to drag Steve's unconscious form away from the scene. His eyes gleamed with renewed opportunity—here were two students who definitely couldn't talk their way out of the situation.
"You there!" Wen Guo called sharply, walking toward the terrified boy. "Stop right where you are. You and your friend are coming with me to the Disciplinary Hall. Now."
The fat boy's face went completely white, then turned red with helpless anger. In his heart, he cursed both Wen Guo for taking advantage and Ye Xian for getting him into this mess in the first place.
"How did you turn that around so quickly?" Reiner whispered once they were safely away, his voice filled with admiration and confusion.
Ye Xian's smile was grim but satisfied. "He made a critical mistake—revealing himself after the fact instead of preventing the incident when he could have. Now he has to explain why he was present but chose not to act according to his duties. Sometimes the best defense isn't running or fighting—it's making your opponent question their own position and motives."
After the incident, Ye Xian attended his last lecture of the day. The class felt longer than usual, with whispers and curious glances following him wherever he went. Word of his fight with Steve had already begun spreading through the academy like wildfire.
When the lecture finally ended, Ye Xian turned to Reiner as they gathered their things. "You should head back to your home. I need to handle some things alone."
But Reiner shook his head firmly. "No way. I'm coming with you. We're friends, aren't we? Besides, I want to see how this plays out."
Ye Xian studied his friend's determined face and sighed. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you if things get complicated."
Together, they made their way to the imposing stone building that housed the Disciplinary Hall. The purple banners hanging from its walls seemed to flutter ominously in the afternoon breeze.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was formal and intimidating. Tall windows cast long shadows across the polished floor, and the walls were lined with portraits of stern-faced academy elders. Several wooden desks were arranged in a semi-circle, behind which sat three disciplinary officers in purple robes.
The lead officer, an elderly man with a gray beard, gestured for them to sit. "State your names and explain the incident that occurred in the eastern courtyard today."
Ye Xian and Reiner provided their full account of the fight, explaining in detail how Steve had started the confrontation. They described Steve's aggressive behavior, his refusal to let Ye Xian leave peacefully, and how he had thrown the first punch without any provocation.
"The fight was purely self-defense," Ye Xian said calmly. "I tried multiple times to de-escalate the situation, but Steve wouldn't listen to reason."
Ye took the stones out of his spatial ring and piled them on the table.The officers' eyes widened slightly at the sight of the valuable cultivation resources.
"There's something else," Ye Xian continued. "During the altercation with a student(fatty), these ki stones fell from his pouch. I believe they were stolen from weaker students through bullying and extortion."
"Steve had been using his friend(the fatty) and a small gang to intimidate younger students and steal their cultivation resources. I witnessed this myself on several occasions but hadn't had the chance to report it properly."
Ye Xian's expression became earnest and concerned. "I was actually planning to come to the Disciplinary Hall today to report this bullying behavior and return these ki stones to their rightful owners. Unfortunately, Steve arrived before I could leave, and when he saw that I had discovered his stolen goods, he became violent and attacked me."
The lead officer picked up the pouch, examining the ki stones carefully. "These are indeed academy-issued cultivation resources. Each stone bears the marking of our supply division." His expression grew stern.He could tell that Ye Xian was speaking the truth, but he couldn't be sure it was the whole truth. Ye Xian said the ki stones had fallen from Aggressor pouch during an altercation. But how could that be possible? A securely tied pouch wouldn't just spill its contents like that. But he didn't exposed Ye Xian as the matter was already finished.
"If what you say is true, this represents a serious breach of academy conduct."
Ye Xian said. "Many were too afraid to report it themselves because Steve threatened them with worse treatment if they spoke up."
The officers exchanged meaningful glances. Steve's reputation for aggressive behavior was already well-known among the staff, and this explanation provided context for the sudden escalation to violence.
"Your account matches the witness statements we've collected about the fight itself," the lead officer said.
"And this additional information about the stolen cultivation resources explains the underlying cause of the conflict."
He paused, making notes on his scroll. "Based on the evidence and testimonies, we find that you acted in legitimate self-defense against an aggressor who was attempting to cover up his own criminal activities. No disciplinary action will be taken against you."
The officer's tone became approving. "In fact, your willingness to report this theft and return the stolen property shows commendable character. The academy appreciates students who uphold justice and protect their fellow disciples."
Ye Xian bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your fair judgment, Elder. I only hope those ki stones can be returned to the students who were robbed."
"They will be," the officer assured him. "We'll ensure all victims receive proper compensation."
As they left the Disciplinary Hall, Reiner let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"I can't believe how smoothly that went. Not only did you avoid punishment, but you actually came out looking like a hero."
"Sometimes doing the right thing works out in your favor," Ye Xian replied simply, though inwardly he was satisfied with how perfectly everything had fallen into place.
Outside the academy gates, the two friends stood at the crossroads where their paths diverged. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cobblestone streets of the academy town.
"See you tomorrow?" Reiner asked, still looking amazed by everything that had happened.
"Of course. Try not to spread too many stories about today," Ye Xian said with a slight smile.
Reiner grinned back. "No promises. This is going to be the talk of our class for weeks."
They parted ways, with Reiner heading toward the northern district while Ye Xian walked south toward his residence.
Ye Xian made his way through the marketplace, his mind processing the day's events.