Chapter 43: No Scheming Allowed

“But why are there so many little beads scattered along this forest path?” Zhai Yan’er asked in confusion.

Liyang Academy was a prestigious school for nobles; there shouldn’t be any issues with cleanliness, right?

Bai Liyao pondered, “These are laboratory items. They wouldn’t just end up here for no reason—someone must have left them on purpose.”

Xianyu Zheng didn’t offer any opinion, only said, “I’ll report this to the student council.”

The student council officer responsible for safety was Zhao Wenyen. Upon receiving the report, he immediately brought Officer Liu with him to the woods near the cafeteria.

The moment Officer Liu saw Xianyu Zheng, his expression darkened. “You again?”

Bai Liyao arched an eyebrow. “That’s an odd way to put it. You make it sound like we’re making trouble for no reason.”

“Why are you all here in the woods at noon instead of taking your lunch break?” Officer Liu snorted.

Zhai Yan’er, seeing her idol being treated so rudely, was displeased. “What, is it against school rules to come here during lunch? We’re the ones making the report—what right do you have to interrogate us as if we’re the culprits?”

Officer Liu pursed his lips and said nothing more.

Seeing the tension, Zhao Wenyen stepped in to mediate. “I’m Zhao Wenyen, head of the student council’s safety team. Could you tell me exactly what happened?”

Xianyu Zheng stepped forward and recounted the incident.

Zhao Wenyen wasn’t from the chemistry department and couldn’t identify the beads, so he said, “I’ll take a sample back for the head of the safety division to review. We’ll let you know the result in a few days.”

Zhao Wenyen had a calm, reliable demeanor and spoke with sincerity, which greatly satisfied Zhai Yan’er. “Alright.”

She then shot Officer Liu a glance, as if to say: Now this is how a student council officer should behave!

Officer Liu was left feeling stifled.

Though he was merely a clerk in the student council office, it was rare for him to be looked down upon like this.

Zhao Wenyen instructed him to take the beads to the safety division. Then he turned to Xianyu Zheng. “I heard the inspection team just got a new member—it’s you, isn’t it?”

After Xiao Zhiyun helped Xianyu Zheng last time, she’d recommended her to the inspection team leader. The leader, Li Nai, was a good friend of Xiao Zhiyun’s and readily agreed. Normally, Xianyu Zheng didn’t need to report in often; she was just responsible for supervising one area.

She knew Zhao Wenyen was close to Luo Lina and had a soft spot for Xiao Zhiyun, so she kept her distance.

“Since I’m new here, I’ll be counting on your guidance, Captain Zhao,” Xianyu Zheng said formally.

Zhao Wenyen just nodded. “We’ll be working together a lot. No need for formality—just call me by my name.”

The Zhao family wasn’t an aristocratic clan, so he didn’t have that air of entitlement and was easygoing by nature.

But Xianyu Zheng still addressed him as “Senior Zhao,” insisting that the distinction between upper and lower classmen must be observed.

Zhao Wenyen smiled gently and didn’t press the issue, instead turning to call the sanitation department to have the area cleaned up.

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Luo Lina heard about the incident from Officer Liu and confronted Luo Liya when she got home. “Didn’t I tell you not to provoke Xianyu Zheng lately? How could you not restrain yourselves?”

Luo Liya protested her innocence. “This had nothing to do with me—it was that idiot Lu Hankai. He had his cousin from the chemistry department help him and even claimed the school wouldn’t trace it back to them!”

Luo Lina was so angry she was speechless.

Messing with Xianyu Zheng was one thing, but letting Zhai Yan’er get dragged into it as well?

Who was Zhai Yan’er? She was the youngest daughter of the Zhai family, one of the four great families of the imperial city—and the only one rivaling the Nangong family in strength!

The Zhai family even held shares in Liyang Academy. Luckily Zhai Yan’er wasn’t seriously hurt, or Lu Hankai’s wishful thinking about getting away with it would be over.

Although Zhai Muli, the current head of the Zhai family, was gentle and modest, he doted on his only sister Zhai Yan’er and would never let her suffer any grievance.

Finally getting a chance to approach the Zhai family, Luo Lina couldn’t let anyone ruin it.

“In any case, I don’t care what grudges you all have—no more trouble at school for the time being!” she warned sternly.

Luo Liya rolled her eyes. “Relax, I’m not that stupid.”

Now that Xianyu Zheng was on the inspection team, causing trouble at school would only backfire. But if it were outside the academy, then it would be a different story.

That was something Xiao Zhiying had reminded her.

Because Zhai Yan’er was involved, the student council investigated thoroughly and found Lu Hankai’s cousin the most likely suspect.

But the cousin didn’t implicate Lu Hankai, taking all the blame himself. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a warning for Lu Hankai, but a demerit.

At Liyang Academy, three demerits meant expulsion—and that wasn’t the worst part. Offending someone more powerful could directly impact a family’s business interests.

The vice principal was well aware of these consequences, so after the student council dealt with Lu Hankai’s cousin, the matter was dropped.

Afterwards, Bai Liyao wanted to talk to his elder sister about Xianyu Zheng being targeted at school by Lu Hankai and Luo Liya, but lately, he didn’t know what she’d been busy with—she was always coming and going.

In fact, during this time, Bai Luomei and Jiang Mohe had been eliminating the remnants of the Zhenxuan Sect in the imperial city.

The Zhenxuan Sect wasn’t a traditional sect or criminal syndicate; it began as a grassroots organization centuries ago, founded with the mission to eradicate all supernatural threats to humanity.

Its headquarters was once in the north of Country C. In more recent times, it was deemed an unofficial group and suffered a major blow. Later, it moved to Yuncheng in the southwest, far from the national center.

It had four secret branches: one in Shencheng to the north, one in Xincheng to the northwest, one in Hangcheng on the eastern coast, and one in Xiacheng to the south.

Since their last stronghold in the imperial city was uprooted, the remaining fugitives had been lying low, making it difficult for Bai Luomei and the others to root them all out.

At this time, A Ren found a chip in those glasses, which contained a series of the Zhenxuan Sect’s recent action plans.

When Nangong Ao saw that Xianyu Zheng had already been listed as a target, his anger flared. “These people really have their hands in everything!”

Bai Luomei also read the plan and sighed. “It seems the Angel Hospital isn’t clean either.”

Nangong Ao’s gaze turned grim. “Is there still no news of the Mu family I asked you to find?”

Bai Luomei shook her head, then asked, “You think the Zhenxuan Sect found the Mu family before us?”

The Mu family was known for their ability to bewitch minds. If the Zhenxuan Sect had already taken control of them, more people would soon fall under their influence.

Nangong Ao pressed his fingers to his brow. “I hope things don’t unfold the way I fear.”

Bai Luomei tried to reassure him. “The Mu family has been in hiding for over a century. If all our efforts have failed to find them, the Zhenxuan Sect may not succeed either.”

Nangong Ao lowered his hand and looked at Bai Luomei, pondering. “Most of the threats have been cleared. Let Cang Yu return to the manor for now.”