C20 Punishment

As twilight descended, Yu Yin was simultaneously cultivating his skills and fishing. Within a few hours, he had managed to catch a rare fish along with three top-grade ones.

Meanwhile, in the academy's grand hall, all the students had been summoned. The dean, vice dean, and various instructors converged at the entrance.

Lying on a straw mat in the center of the courtyard was the man Yu Yin had beaten earlier. He had been discovered by fellow students a few hours prior and brought back in a critical state.

"Has everyone arrived?" inquired the portly elder.

"We're missing one from Class 16. I've sent someone to find them," Huajun reported.

"There are rules in this academy that must be upheld. No matter who the offender is, they will not be let off easily," the elder stated with an icy detachment.

Yet, in just a matter of days, someone had openly defied him, and beneath his placid exterior, rage simmered.

At the Fish Pavilion—

Xia Chen had been tasked with fetching Yu Yin. After Yu Yin's return, the two exchanged the day's catch for copper coins and set off together.

Walking side by side, Xia Chen broke the silence. "Wang Gu, a student from Class 8 of the Sea Academy, has been gravely injured. The dean has called us together to identify the assailant."

Yu Yin, who harbored no fondness for Xia Chen, responded with a nonchalant acknowledgment.

Xia Chen's brow creased slightly, but he held his tongue. The animosity had been mutual from the start of term.

"Did anyone see me..." Yu Yin murmured to himself, suspecting trouble was on the horizon.

Upon their arrival at the main hall, all eyes turned to them.

"Wang Gu, who attacked you? Name them now," demanded the stern-faced elder.

Standing behind Huajun, Yu Yin leaned in and whispered, "Instructor, it was I who struck him."

Huajun's expression, previously unconcerned, froze as she swiftly turned to face him.

Their eyes locked, and her eyelids fluttered.

"He was openly robbing a female student. I couldn't just stand by," Yu Yin confided in a hushed tone meant only for them.

With a surge of indignation, Huajun stamped down hard on Yu Yin's foot.

Yu Yin inhaled sharply, his pupils dilating in response.

"You seem to have forgotten the academy's rules!" she said through clenched teeth.

"But—"

Her sharp rebuke cut off Yu Yin's words. Huajun declared, "If it's discovered that you did this, you won't get away with it."

There was a moment of silence as Yu Yin frowned, realizing the situation was spiraling beyond what he had anticipated.

Two cadets were escorting Wang Gu, scanning each student's face as all eyes followed intently.

"It was me," the female student who had been hit by Wang Gu suddenly confessed, stepping forward with her lips quivering.

The crowd paused, taking in her slightly bruised cheek, and the realization dawned on them.

"Did you listen to my words at the beginning of the semester?" the portly elder asked coldly.

The girl looked down and answered meekly, "Yes..."

"Then you may leave the academy now."

She shuddered, her face draining of color.

"Here at Bei Song, we enforce the rules strictly. If you dare to break them, you have no place here," the elder with the long face added gently.

Yu Yin, his eyes blazing, was about to step forward when Huajun, alarmed, quickly pulled him back. With someone else taking the fall, she was not about to let him make a rash decision.

"Master, each person should answer for their actions. Please, let me go!" Yu Yin implored, his expression taut. He would not stand for anyone, especially a woman, taking the blame for him.

Huajun's frown deepened under Yu Yin's intense gaze, yet her grip did not loosen.

Yu Yin was surprised by the strength in her grip, as if his arm was caught in a vice. He hadn't expected his slender-framed master to possess such power.

As the crowd began to disperse, the woman stood desolate, and Yu Yin's anger flared.

"I was the one who hit him!" he bellowed.

The crowd was taken aback, their attention snapping to him.

Huajun was visibly upset, "Yu Yin, you—"

The woman in the center of it all met his gaze, her eyes reddened, tears streaming down her face.

Yu Yin strode out from the crowd, pointing at Wang Gu, and addressed everyone with icy contempt, "He strong-armed and injured a defenseless woman after a day's hard work. I ask you, doesn't someone like that deserve to be dealt with?"

Met with silence, Yu Yin let out a scornful laugh.

"Hey — of course, if this place lacks humanity and justice, then I have no desire to stay," Yu Yin declared.

The fat elder and the long-faced elder exchanged astonished glances, both having a rather vivid memory of Yu Yin.

Huajun remained silent, fully aware that further words were pointless.

"Director! It was him... it was him... he's the one who hit me," Wang Gu exclaimed, animatedly gesturing upon Yu Yin's arrival.

With the accused himself stepping forward, the crowd watched with keen interest, not anticipating that he was actually the main party involved.

All eyes turned to the fat elder and the long-faced elder, curious to see how the deans would handle the situation.

The fat elder regarded Yu Yin with a calculating gaze.

"Our North Pine Academy is dedicated to nurturing talent for the country, with morality as our guiding principle," the long-faced elder began softly. "If what you say is true, rest assured the academy will deal with it justly."

"However, we have our own rules. Why didn't you report the incident to the academy before taking matters into your own hands and inflicting serious injury?" he questioned. "If you can't provide a satisfactory explanation, you may no longer have a place here."

Yu Yin, quick-witted as ever, sensed the underlying implications. Approaching the woman, he whispered so only she could hear, "Do not back me up later. We will both be unharmed."

She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and nodded emphatically.

Facing the long-faced elder, Yu Yin spoke earnestly, "In truth, I did not initiate the confrontation. Wang Gu snatched this female student's fish bucket and, upon seeing me block his path, attempted to kick me aside, confident in his martial arts training. I had no choice but to defend myself. This lady can corroborate my account."

Yu Yin gave the woman a cue.

Caught off guard, she hesitated briefly before nodding quickly under the watchful eyes of the onlookers.

"Today, I was fortunate enough to catch a top-grade fish and intended to exchange it for copper coins at the Fish Pavilion. But Wang Gu appeared out of nowhere, ruthlessly took my fish bucket, and insulted me. This gentleman just happened to be passing by and tried to assist me in retrieving it. Enraged, Wang Gu attacked him, and in self-defense, he was compelled to retaliate with force."

Instructor Wang Gu, a man with a broad forehead, frowned upon hearing the statement. "How can we take just your words as evidence?"

"My student comes from a poor family. Fishing is her only way to remain at the academy. Chen Diankuang, what about your student's background?" The woman's instructor, a handsome young man with flowing hair, countered sharply.

In the crowd, Huajun let out a slight smile and stepped forward, adding her voice to the fray. "Just like Instructor Li Qi, my student has had a tough life as well."

The situation quickly heated up, and unexpectedly, the instructors themselves got involved, much to the crowd's delight.

Chen Diankuang's frown deepened. He knew his student's true nature after spending the past few days together and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Ah—Instructor, they're spouting nonsense! It was that kid who ambushed me when I was off guard," Wang Gu exclaimed in frustration.

The portly elder and his long-faced companion exchanged glances. The long-faced elder subtly shook his head before addressing Yu Yin and the others.

"By the academy's rules, all three of you should be expelled. However, given that the situation is unclear and you are all new students, we will defer judgment until after an investigation," he stated.

The portly elder continued sternly, "Let this be a reminder to everyone: this is a one-time exception. Anyone who dares to break the academy's rules again will be expelled, regardless of right or wrong, as a warning to all."

The instructors and students responded in unison, "Understood!"

"Dismissed."

As the crowd dispersed, Huajun approached Yu Yin and inquired, "What is your name?"

In a soft voice, the girl replied, "I am Liang Ying, a student."

Li Qi, with a smile, turned to Yu Yin, "Kid, thanks for your help."

He then addressed Liang Ying, "Come, Liang Ying, let's return with your instructor."

Liang Ying acknowledged.

"To Instructor Huajun, we shall take our leave now," Li Qi announced.

Huajun gave a nod of assent.

As the pair departed, Yu Yin's gaze lingered on Huajun's face, which remained impassive.

"Instructor, we'll head back to our training now," Zhao Cai interjected, sensing the tension and eager to retreat.

"Head back, and remember that everyone needs to have achieved 100 Origin Energy by today. Tomorrow, the academy will invite a deacon from the Root Sculpting Hall to bestow the seal on those who have reached the first level."

Exchanging glances, Zhao Cai and his group nodded and departed.

Huajun fixed her gaze on Yu Yin and demanded, "Yu Yin, tell me, do you think you can disregard me, Wei Huajun?"

Realizing that his earlier behavior had been somewhat excessive, Yu Yin averted his eyes and remained silent.

"Speak your mind. If you're dissatisfied with me as your mentor, I can speak to the dean right now about finding you a replacement."

Still, Yu Yin said nothing.

Biting back her frustration, she took a deep breath, turned, and walked away. In a rush of concern, Yu Yin hurried after her and caught her hand.

Huajun shuddered, shot him a furious look, and forcefully knocked his hand aside.

Indignant, she scolded, "How dare you overstep!"

Wincing from the sting, Yu Yin withdrew his hand, staring at her bewildered.

After a moment, he bowed his head and murmured, "Master, I apologize."

As Huajun watched him, the rage within her began to subside.