As Tie Ci walked along, she heard a female student beside her say with no small amount of envy: “That Ye Shiba has only been here a few days, yet how does he seem to have befriended everyone? Dan Ye going to look for him is one thing, but even Senior Rong went into the mountains searching for him. His body is so frail—why bother…”

Tie Ci froze and stopped in her tracks.

Rong Pu had also gone looking for her?

He had no martial arts—if he entered those woods, nothing bad had better happen to him.

Who knew if he had brought guards.

Thinking of guards, she suddenly realized—where were Chi Xue and Dan Shuang?

Although she had returned to her dormitory after yesterday’s classes ended, only those familiar with and concerned about her would notice her disappearance. But for the two maids to not see her all night and not look for her?

Tie Ci immediately became anxious. Such a thing was impossible unless Chi Xue and Dan Shuang had met with trouble!

Unable to spare thoughts for Rong Pu at the moment, she hurriedly rushed to the back courtyard where the servants lived, but indeed they weren’t there. Remembering she had heard them mention helping at the women’s academy yesterday, she went to search there as well, but they weren’t there either.

As she was coming out, before reaching the entrance, she heard a commotion. Tie Ci’s heart lifted with joy as she quickened her pace. She saw several people gathered together, all talking at once, with children’s wailing mixed in with the voices.

Tie Ci walked over and discovered it was actually the same group of people again. This was at the entrance to the women’s academy, near the central courtyard. To go to the ancestral hall for reflection, one could take a shortcut from here.

One of them got up from the ground, spat out some bloody saliva, and complained indignantly to the students gathering around: “It’s that idiot again. Who knows what got into him—we were walking along just fine when he suddenly grabbed our pants and tried to hit us! Bah! When you’re unlucky, even drinking cold water gets stuck in your teeth!”

Tie Ci remembered this person’s surname was Luo. His academics were excellent, and he was on the academy’s annual list of outstanding students reported to the education inspector. Back on Ziyang’s main street, he had called himself a “sure-fire candidate for the provincial examination.”

The one wailing loudly was Wei Xing, Wei Xuan’s distinctive younger brother. Tie Ci saw a large footprint on his knee.

Looking at the ground, a line of ants had been scattered from their formation and were running about in chaos.

There were many students around, but this time they lacked their previous disgust for those few people. They all nodded sympathetically, with someone saying: “Yes, this idiot has tremendous strength, and each time he acts up there’s no warning. Last time I was walking beside him when he suddenly knocked me flying!”

Another said: “You had it good. I was more unlucky. I also met him on the road and kindly told him not to get caught in the rain. Suddenly he went mad and started ramming into the wall, scaring me to death! Then I got scolded by the instructor, who insisted I was to blame. I asked him repeatedly but he wouldn’t say a word—infuriating!”

“Yes, yes, that kid once in the dining hall…”

“Right, that time at Wuyu Pool…”

Voices rose in a din, mostly complaints and condemnation. Wei Xing remained expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard anything, just crouching on the ground gathering up the ants, then turning around to face his bottom toward the crowd.

Suddenly someone said: “When did the academy start allowing idiots to enroll? If he were a well-behaved idiot it would be one thing, but now isn’t this just causing us trouble?”

This drew agreement from everyone, all shouting: “Whose idiot is this? Take him home! The academy isn’t a charity hall or medical clinic!”

Suddenly Wei Xuan hurriedly squeezed through the crowd, smiling apologetically while bowing to everyone and saying softly: “Fellow senior students, Xuan apologizes to everyone here. My younger brother doesn’t understand things, but we siblings depend on each other for survival and he has nowhere else to go. Please be understanding, senior students… I’ll compensate for everyone’s losses…” As she spoke, she grabbed Wei Xing, saying urgently, “A’Xing, come apologize to the senior students!”

Wei Xing hung his head, pulling his arm back, refusing to turn around. Wei Xuan used force but couldn’t move him after several attempts, her expression growing increasingly ugly. Someone in the crowd said sarcastically: “Junior Sister Xuan, you’re someone with loyalty. You finally got to audit at the academy but still brought your idiot brother. You’ve apologized for him countless times already. We know he’s your brother and have been quite tolerant, but when will this end? Don’t tell me when you marry in the future, you’ll have to bring this idiot brother too. If he crashes into your bridal chamber, that would be awkward!”

These words were frivolous, spoken by one of Ma De’s former followers. The others shook their heads slightly but didn’t speak up for Wei Xuan. Clearly they also greatly disliked this bomb-like idiot child.

Wei Xuan’s face flushed red, her eyebrows lifting slightly to show a hint of anger. She normally appeared soft and delicate, easily molded like dough, but at this moment when she raised her eyes, the cold intent was sharp as frost and stars, making that person freeze and become awkward.

But this murderous aura was only momentary. Wei Xuan immediately lowered her eyes again and continued pulling at Wei Xing: “A’Xing, come apologize!”

Wei Xing suddenly stood up, but not to turn and apologize. Instead, he held his head with both hands and charged straight at the wall.

Wei Xuan screamed.

But Wei Xing didn’t hit the hard wall. With a muffled sound, his forehead struck a soft palm.

Wei Xing blankly looked up into Tie Ci’s smiling eyes.

Tie Ci looked at his clear eyes and sighed in her heart.

She had been worried about her two maids and hadn’t wanted to meddle, but still couldn’t help herself.

“A’Xing.” She gazed into the child’s eyes and said clearly: “Don’t hit it. It will hurt.”

Wei Xing’s gaze wanted to drift away. Wherever he turned, Tie Ci followed, so Wei Xing could only look at her. He stared blankly, showing no reaction to the word “hurt.”

Tie Ci lifted his hand, pinched the back of it, and said: “Hurt.”

Wei Xing looked at his slightly reddened hand: “Hurt.”

Everyone was astonished.

No one had ever heard this little idiot speak. How was it that as soon as Ye Shiba arrived, he started talking?

Someone in the crowd whispered: “They all say Ye Shiba is wicked. Look…”

Wei Xuan stared in a daze, lowering her eyelashes.

Last time A’Xing had also spoken under Ye Shiba’s guidance. After returning to the academy, she had tried to communicate with him using Ye Shiba’s methods, but the results weren’t good.

And because after Ye Shiba enrolled, his relationship with the first dormitory was terrible, she had many concerns and didn’t seek out Ye Shiba…

“Yes, hurt.” Tie Ci looked into Wei Xing’s eyes and repeated once more, then said: “They stepped on your ants and killed them?”

Wei Xing didn’t speak but seemed to want to nod. However, he didn’t know how to make the nodding motion, so he just stiffly moved his neck.

“You grabbed their pants because you wanted them to compensate, but they kicked you?”

Wei Xing nodded again.

“Then why apologize! They should be the ones apologizing to you!”

The student who had fallen to the ground immediately said angrily: “Ye Shiba, don’t go too far. Don’t you see my mouth is bleeding!”

“Who’s more excessive—striking a child first!”

“He threw me out first!”

“Brother, you yourself boast and bluster with an unstable stance. When embraced by a child, you tumbled out—who’s to blame?”

Snickering sounds continued from the crowd.

The man became angry with embarrassment: “What embrace! He threw me out!”

“Even so, you first harmed his pets.” Tie Ci said seriously. “You should be glad he’s not asking you for compensation.”

“What… pets…”

“Ants. A’Xing watches ants and raises ants every day—don’t you all know this? Since he watches and raises them, they’re his private property. You harmed his private property and you still think you’re in the right?”

“What kind of pets are ants!”

“Even insects have life; gentlemen cherish all living things. This is the ancient sage’s teaching. What, have you forgotten the sage’s teachings? Isn’t reflection at the ancestral hall enough for you to enjoy—do you want the complete package of demotion and expulsion too?”

Those few people’s eyes rolled back. After a long while they finally found words: “You’re getting cocky just because you had a bit of success, aren’t you? Think the academy is run by your family? We just accidentally stepped on his ants and got pushed by him. For such a small matter, talking about demotion and expulsion? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh their teeth out!”

“Not necessarily.” Tie Ci smiled mysteriously, helping Wei Xing up. “Gentlemen bear virtue and carry all things. The way you people are—calling good children idiots, bullying children, trampling living creatures, humiliating fellow students, behaving frivolously. Heaven is watching! Be careful continuing this way, or the first dormitory courtyard won’t be able to hold you!”

She turned to Wei Xing again: “A’Xing, don’t listen to these idiots. You’re very smart. What you can do, they can’t. Come, use the Mount Tai Crushing move and show them!”

The crowd scattered with a whoosh, retreating ten feet away.

Tie Ci continued talking to herself: “If those who called you an idiot don’t apologize to you, then use the Flowing Light Chasing Shadows lightness skill, then Ten-Sided Ambush, and prove it to them! If they still can’t see clearly, I’ll help you!”

From far away, people in the crowd began cupping their hands in apology.

Ye Shiba was wicked—couldn’t provoke him, couldn’t provoke him.

Wei Xuan stared in a daze, gradually understanding something, her face growing paler and paler.

Several students who had fled to one side, while walking toward the ancestral hall, angrily said: “…We’ll settle accounts with you later!”

They had only taken a few steps when suddenly rapid footsteps sounded. It was the first dormitory’s instructor leading several people rushing over urgently, their expressions rather flustered.

Before reaching them, he called out: “Luo Yiqiu, you few wait before going to the ancestral hall!”

Luo Yiqiu was the one who had just argued with Tie Ci. He turned in amazement and said happily: “Could it be the supervisor has canceled our punishment?”

The instructor stopped before them, panted for a while, looked at them once, his expression pitying yet complex.