"What?" Han Suzhen looked shocked upon hearing this, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Upon hearing Zhu Xun's words, Zhang Chen was also deeply shaken. The Academy, despite having existed for countless years and possessing an absolute advantage, still resorted to tactics, sparing no effort to crush its enemy. This truly demonstrated the power that a major force should have.

"Did you personally orchestrate this?" Han Suzhen, having regained her composure, fixed her eyes on the Young Master.

"Yes," replied the Young Master.

After all, everything concerning the Academy was managed by him.

"Who is the one debating with Chen Sanliang?" Han Suzhen began to ask again.

The Young Master remained silent.

"Brother, he is your brother-in-law! Although you manage the affairs of the Academy, that ultimately is the Academy's influence. But once Chen Sanliang becomes formidable, it will become a force for the Saint Race, inherently a power of our own family. You must distinguish between inside and outside, recognize what's ours and what's theirs." Han Suzhen began persuading Zhu Xun.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xun remained as resolute as steel: "If you're here to catch up, to talk about sibling bonds, I welcome it wholeheartedly. But if you intend to continue beseeching for Chen Sanliang, then please leave!"

Seeing Zhu Xun's determined attitude, Han Suzhen took a deep breath: "If you tell me the name of the person debating, I'll give you that painting."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xun's expression shifted, he looked up at Han Suzhen: "Are you truly willing to give it up?"

"Willing!" Han Suzhen said while removing her outer robe: "The painting is embroidered inside my clothing."

"I never expected you to go this far for a man. You..." Zhu Xun looked at Han Suzhen across from him, his eyes filled with incomprehension: "I thought you would keep this treasure for the Han Family's descendants."

"As the saying goes, 'Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog!'" Han Suzhen's voice was full of resolve: "Will you make this trade?"

"Of course, I will!" Zhu Xun said without hesitation.

While speaking, Zhu Xun took the robe, gently pulling at it, causing the threads to snap, revealing a yellowed piece of silk in his hand.

Zhu Xun took a glance at the treasure before stuffing it directly into his sleeve, then said to Han Suzhen: "It was Mr. Wu who stepped in! Mr. Wu aims to decisively and thoroughly defeat the Dao Heart of Chen Sanliang, to strike it completely without mercy, to utterly crush it."

"Mr. Wu, Zhong Wubai!!!" Han Suzhen, upon hearing this, looked utterly horrified, her face instantly losing color.

Zhang Chen, observing the scared pale face of Han Suzhen, wondered secretly to himself: "Could this Zhong Wubai be that famous?"

"You should go back! Since Zhong Wubai has acted, he certainly won't give Chen Sanliang any opportunities." Zhu Xun said.

Han Suzhen, hearing this, pleaded miserably: "Brother, if you're willing to intercede, there's still a chance..."

"Stop! Don't mention this again." Zhu Xun quickly interrupted Han Suzhen.

Facing Zhu Xun's firm attitude, Han Suzhen didn't know what to do for a while. After a long time, she looked at Zhang Chen: "This person is my disciple. When he goes to the Academy in the future, please take good care of him."

"Of course, I already have high hopes for him." Zhu Xun said.

At this moment, Han Suzhen walked out of the room disconsolately, and Zhang Chen quickly followed her: "Master, is this Zhong Wubai really powerful?"

"Zhong Wubai is merely a nickname given to him, indicating that he has never lost in debates."

Han Suzhen's voice was full of gravity: "He may be the Fifth Master, but when the previous Masters debated with Zhong Wubai, they never won! Not even once!"

Upon hearing Han Suzhen's words, Zhang Chen gasped, finally realizing the weight of 'Zhong Wubai'.

"You should go back! If you get a chance, leave the Northern Land as soon as possible. The winds of change are blowing in the Northern Land, great events may occur, and you should avoid getting involved." After Han Suzhen finished speaking, she indicated for Zhang Chen to return, then her slender figure disappeared into the vast sea of people without a trace.

Looking at Han Suzhen's retreating figure, Zhang Chen fell into silence. After standing still for a long time, he finally returned upstairs to see Zhu Xun beckoning to him from afar.

"Is there something else, sir?" Zhang Chen asked, not pleased, looking at Zhu Xun.

"Pay attention to your master for a few days; I have a sense that something seems off. There's a look of death in your master's eyes." Zhu Xun said to Zhang Chen.

"A look of death?" Zhang Chen was taken aback: "Why would there be a look of death?"

He could not understand why there would be a look of death.

Han Suzhen seemed to be doing well, why would she be eager to die?

"Could it be that she thinks once Chen Sanliang fails in the debate, he would be so devastated that he would take his own life, and so she plans to follow him in death?" Zhang Chen pondered, unable to fathom, and asked a question.

"That I don't know, but anyway, your master's state is somewhat off." Zhu Xun said.

After these words, Zhu Xun returned to his room: "Anyway, I've warned you, whether you watch over her or not is up to you."

Zhang Chen gave a bitter smile: "I do want to watch over her, but Chen Sanliang won't tolerate me being there, and you know I'm not someone who accepts grievances. How could I humble myself before Chen Sanliang?"

Hearing Zhang Chen's words, Zhu Xun tapped his head: "That damn Chen Sanliang, ruining my cousin's life—I must skin him and light the sky lantern."

"You should leave; it's all her own choice, no one else to blame." Zhu Xun grumbled and cursed. He was now plagued by a curse, with a bunch of messes to deal with, and couldn't afford to worry about the debate.

Zhang Chen returned to his own room, pondering the day's events, considering Han Suzhen's behavior: "I didn't see any signs of Han Suzhen seeking death."

Zhang Chen didn't want to get involved in this mess because it was Chen Sanliang's issue, and he had no reason to intercede on Chen Sanliang's behalf.

In fact, if he wanted to, he could still hint at Chen Sanliang. Just explaining a bit about Wang Yangming's 'Unity of Knowledge and Action' Dao would suffice. In Chen Sanliang's current state, he had already grasped a bit of the essence, and if he could absorb Wang Yangming's essence, it wouldn't take long for him to grow significantly.

But why would Zhang Chen stand up for a rival?

Zhang Chen sat meditating in silence in his room until midnight when he once again transformed into a toad, his gaze filled with helplessness as he squatted in the corner. Only after an hour did Zhang Chen return to human form, sitting wordlessly in the room: "This curse must be broken, it's simply unbearable!"

Zhang Chen, feeling irritated, had no desire to cultivate. He pushed open the window to catch some fresh air, only for his pupils to contract in the next moment as he saw a familiar figure inside the inn.

The smug disciple of Chen Sanliang, Chai Chuanxin, was sneakily emerging from Zhu Xun's room.

Seeing Chai Chuanxin, Zhang Chen's movement in opening the window naturally alerted him. Their eyes met, and a trace of panic appeared in Chai Chuanxin's eyes. He turned back, re-entered Zhu Xun's room, and hurried away shortly after.

Then Zhu Xun came out of the room and walked to Zhang Chen's door, knocking on it.

At that moment, Zhang Chen's pupils shrank, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind, and a pair of scissors appeared in his sleeve.

Zhu Xun's strength was undoubtedly far above his own, and if he had any chance of harming Zhu Xun, it would probably be through these scissors.

Maintaining his usual expression, Zhang Chen opened the door: "Sir, what brings you to me in the middle of the night?"

Zhu Xun stared at Zhang Chen with a pair of eyes: "You're just playing dumb, aren't you?"

"Are you planning to kill me? Cover your tracks by silencing me?" Zhang Chen said, stepping aside, his hands hidden in his sleeves, clutching the scissors tightly.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.