"Sec...second brother..."
Upon seeing the sudden appearance of Chen Yi, Chen Fan's anger came to a halt, and his flushed face was full of bewilderment.
"You, how are you here..."
The few young men who had previously spoken mockingly couldn't help but swallow when they heard this title.
Especially upon seeing Chen Yi's slightly cold face, they immediately felt their legs go weak and lowered their heads guiltily.
The scholars who were with Chen Fan exchanged glances, and after sizing up Chen Yi, they quickly saluted:
"Students pay respects to Heroic Marquis!"
Although they knew that Chen Yi was only a few years older than them and not a teacher at Kyoto Academy,
at this moment, Chen Yi's status was not inferior to the teachers, being a Marquis personally appointed by the current Holy Emperor!
So referring to themselves as students before him was not inappropriate.
Chen Yi scanned the room, his gaze resting on the slightly frail Chen Fan, and said calmly:
"Did you understand what I just said?"
Chen Fan blankly looked at him, recalling the words he'd just heard—it is not the place of outsiders to discuss the Marquis inheritance!
"Yes, I, I understand."
"Do you need me to teach you what to do?"
"What to do? I..." Chen Fan suddenly felt a bit at a loss.
He instinctively looked at his classmates by his side, seeing them all looking around, pretending they hadn't heard anything.
Chen Fan then looked at the scholars across from him, beginning to get a sense of the situation, but still looking troubled.
"Sec...second brother, they are all students of Kyoto Academy, they, they are my classmates."
Chen Yi's eyes fixed on him: "And then?"
At this moment, the Great Master sidestepped over to them and took over the conversation:
"And then you should give your fellow classmates a small punishment and a big warning, as a deterrent to others!"
"Lord Chen, Fan'er is kind-hearted, even if his classmates speak disrespectfully, he is unwilling to 'repay grievances with grievances.'"
Before Chen Yi could speak, Chen Fan and the others, seeing his appearance, quickly saluted:
"Students pay respects to the teacher."
Even those students who had provocatively spoken to Chen Fan dared not neglect, treating him like a lifeline, standing behind him.
Though they kept their heads down, the sense of relief on their faces could not escape Chen Yi's perception.
However, Chen Yi paid no heed to the Great Master's words and continued to focus on Chen Fan, saying:
"When others maliciously slander you, what you should do isn't explain, but give them a slap, make them shut up!"
"Now tell me, what should you do?"
At this, Chen Fan looked troubled and secretly peeked at the Great Master, clearly unsure how to respond.
The students, however, were inwardly startled, especially the one leading the slander against Chen Fan, who indignantly remarked:
"Heroic Marquis, your words are incorrect. We only spoke the truth, your third brother is indeed like that..."
Just as the words left his mouth, the Great Master secretly sighed.
Indeed, Chen Yi merely glanced at him, and a faint Sword Intent struck his face, sending him flying directly into the school building.
Upon landing, his face swelled visibly with bleeding at the corners of his mouth, and he began to wail.
"Lord Chen, this..." The Great Master looked at him with an amused helplessness, never expecting to encounter such an incident at the academy.
Chen Yi responded flatly, once again looking at Chen Fan and speaking coldly:
"The Chen Family's millennium legacy does not prioritize Martial Arts or Confucianism, but the heart of martial will."
"When you show weakness, others won't stop out of pity, but will increase their assault, striking harder."
Chen Yi paused, then said seriously, "It's not frightening to have lesser strength, what's frightening is losing one's self spirit."
Chen Fan looked at him with some grievance: "Second brother, I, I now know what to do in the future."
"No, you don't!" Chen Yi glanced at the two standing behind the Great Master and said:
"Tomorrow, I expect to see your families' elders kneeling outside the Duke Wuan Mansion."
"Kneel for three days, and this matter will be over. Otherwise, you and your families will disappear forever!"
He did not inquire about their origins, nor did he care whether such actions would cause the Great Master, the court, or anyone else to lose face.
He only knew that if power is not displayed, there would always be those who think they could be bullied.
The Great Master heard this, revealing a bitter smile.
If Chen Yi had ordered these students to kneel outside the Chen Residence, he might have been able to persuade them.
But Chen Yi directly forced these students' families to bow, making it truly difficult for him to speak.
Fortunately, these students' families weren't of significant importance. If it were the offspring of some noble lord, he...
He would be troubled!
With this thought, the Great Master sighed slightly and said, "If a child is not taught, it's the father's fault. Go back and convey Lord Chen's words to your families."
The Great Master knew well that Chen Yi's extreme measures were related to the matters they had previously discussed.
After all, a Divine Power Realm Sword Cultivator should be respected anywhere, not used for political maneuvers to fulfill someone's selfish desires.
In other words, Chen Yi's consent to the Holy Emperor's plan showed his understanding, not obligation.
Upon hearing this, the students who had spoken out of turn immediately looked as if they had lost all hope, even the student Chen Yi had slapped flying was no longer shouting, merely feeling faint.
It's over, it's over, heading back might result in being beaten to death?
Chen Yi paid no mind to these people, greeted the Great Master, and left with Chen Fan.
After Chen Yi and Chen Fan left, the still somewhat frightened students looked at the Great Master, hoping to plead for leniency.
The Great Master looked at them and said helplessly, "Go back and tell your families that what Lord Chen said is also my sentiment."