I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 51

During the break, the dormitory was empty, and all the students had left the academy. Jiang Baiyu had already accepted Jing Yanhang's invitation and was preparing to set off for Quxianze together. Having spent three years in seclusion in the Immortal Pool for cultivation right after enrolling, there wasn't much of his stuff left in the dorm, so he didn't need to pack any luggage. Jiang Baiyu and Jing Yanhang had agreed to meet at the academy gate tomorrow.

Some students had already started leaving, with their families sending people to pick them up at the scheduled time. When Jiang Baiyu noticed someone coming to visit him, he was momentarily taken aback, turned to look at Lin Zhao Ren, and then got up to head downstairs.

To his surprise, the uninvited guest was actually Poison God Si. If there was anyone among the challengers who gave Jiang Baiyu a headache, it was definitely Poison God Si. Fierce and combative, he progressed quickly and relentlessly challenged Jiang Baiyu, each time sharper than the last. With the backing of a powerful family, he had access to great resources, allowing him to pile up his cultivation level, and he was also willing to put in hard work.

As a result, every time Jiang Baiyu saw Poison God Si, his head would start to ache, and he instinctively raised his guard, moving his hands faster. The person outside slammed his hand against the door, saying, "Don't rush to close the door! I'm not here to challenge you today."

Jiang Baiyu looked at him suspiciously, "What do you want?"

Poison God Si grinned, pushing against the door, "The academy is on break. Does the head have any plans? If you don't mind, how about coming to play at our Poison God family?"

Jiang Baiyu's expression remained unchanged, "No."

Poison God Si, still grinning, said, "Don't refuse so quickly! This is my first time inviting the head; at least think about it."

Jiang Baiyu replied, "You're too late; I've already promised someone else."

Even if he hadn't promised anyone else, he wouldn't agree to Poison God Si's invitation. Who would want to spend their lovely break with a battle maniac? Poison God Si raised an eyebrow slightly, "Is it those two from Tianji Sect, or is it Junior Jing from the class below us?"

Jiang Baiyu stared at him. Poison God Si shrugged, "Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault your social connections are so simple; just a little attention and I can figure it out. I guess it's Junior Jing. Lou Yuzhu and Bai Xianzhu have been frequently taking on tasks outside the academy this semester, so they must have something going on, using the tasks as an excuse to go out. Whatever they are so concerned about must be related to Tianji Sect."

"The sudden destruction of Tianji Sect likely didn't leave just those two survivors. Their actions clearly indicate they have specific targets in mind, but they just can't find them for now." He leaned against the door, arms crossed, "It has nothing to do with me, so you can rest easy."

"As for Junior Jing, his reputation is actually quite good, but the reputation of Xie Yan, who is with him, isn't so great. It's said he's hard to get along with, and Junior Jing often has to mediate. This time, you five took on a task from the academy and went out together, and when you came back, Xie Yan was put under house arrest and later taken away. Many people saw him leave, and that was before the academy even went on break."

Jiang Baiyu smiled coldly, "Poison God Si, you really are well-informed."

Poison God Si seemed unfazed by his sarcasm, readily admitting, "It's not any important news; it's easy to find out."

Jiang Baiyu asked, "What do you want to know all this for?"

Poison God Si replied matter-of-factly, "Curiosity."

He continued confidently, "Zhongxiao Zhenren led a group into the Ascending Immortal Academy, and as a result, some were captured, and some were defeated. The principal and the elders must be busy dealing with the aftermath. Who is causing trouble from within, who is fanning the flames, and which families and forces are involved in this matter—those who should be punished will be punished, and those who should be dealt with will be dealt with. If they can't be dealt with, at least a piece of flesh should be torn off to prevent others from thinking the Ascending Immortal Academy is easy to bully."

"When everything piles up together, sorting it all out will take quite some time. For example, the Chen family; it's not easy to get anything from them. These unreasonable guys are arrogant and look down on others. To make them pay for this incident, just talking won't be enough; they need to be beaten."

"At such a critical moment, the principal actually led several elders away from the academy without anyone knowing where they went. When they returned, they brought you all back. Who wouldn't know that it was because of you five that they made this special trip?"

Poison God Si showed a curious expression, "You should have just taken on a task to investigate the truth behind the disappearance, right? How could it have stirred the principal to such an extent? What exactly happened?"

Jiang Baiyu fixed his gaze on him, suspiciously asking, "You came here to invite me to the Poison God family as a secondary reason, but your real purpose is to gather information, right?"

Poison God Si waved his hand dismissively, "Don't mind that!"

Jiang Baiyu said, "If you wanted to know, why didn't you ask earlier?"

Poison God Si shrugged nonchalantly, "I forgot."

Facing Jiang Baiyu's exasperated expression, Poison God Si defended himself, "Who has the patience to keep track of such things? It's not like the principal isn't under scrutiny; every move he makes can stir people's hearts. Moreover, this incident is sensitive and at the forefront of the storm; any unusual actions are particularly eye-catching."

As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Baiyu, who looked confused, "What are you doing?"

Poison God Si seemed to ponder, "Zhongxiao Zhenren must have randomly pointed at someone and called them a calamity star. You're really unlucky to be chosen."

"Is this matter not over yet?" Jiang Baiyu paused and tentatively said, "To add a crime, what excuse is there?"

Poison God Si replied, "Oh, oh, oh, that's about right. There's a rumor circulating quietly that the High Priest observed the stars and found that chaotic stars from outside have intruded, disrupting fate, and now they're busy searching."

Jiang Baiyu asked, "…What does that have to do with me?"

Poison God Si said, "It doesn't, but some people are deliberately looking for trouble."

He paused, "Let me give you a piece of advice: you should find a force to join as soon as possible. The identity of the academy's head is quite noticeable. Don't be foolishly focused only on cultivation and ignore everything else. When the time comes, you'll regret it. Having someone to back you up is much smoother than going solo; some people just love to bully lone wolves like you."

"Since the establishment of the Ascending Immortal Academy, many talents have been cultivated, digging out many good seedlings from ordinary people, but most have gone elsewhere, and few have stayed. The principal has high cultivation but a bad temper, and he doesn't show much respect to the Emperor. Given the trend, there will come a day when the Emperor won't be able to tolerate the academy anymore."

"Coincidentally, with the chaotic stars intruding, if they use this as an excuse to claim that the academy harbors calamity stars, it wouldn't be surprising if the chaos of the calamity stars reappears."

"If Zhongxiao Zhenren says you're a calamity star, it can be brushed off as a joke, but if the Emperor or the High Priest says the same, who knows what the principal will do, but you will definitely be targeted."

Jiang Baiyu stared into Poison God Si's eyes for a long time, contemplating. If it wasn't just random speculation, could it be that he had received some news and was deliberately hinting at something?

Big families are well-informed and have sharp instincts; they might catch wind of certain movements.

Jiang Baiyu asked, "Is the Emperor really that tyrannical, to wipe out a family for a little disrespect?"

Poison God Si didn't respond.

"You don't seem to be very respectful either," Jiang Baiyu pointed out.

Poison God Si blinked without flinching, "Don't say nonsense. I have the utmost respect for His Majesty the Emperor, with a heart full of sincerity."

Jiang Baiyu replied, "Thanks for your concern; I'll be careful."

Poison God Si squinted, "If you think Quxianze isn't suitable, you can come to my place."

Jiang Baiyu casually agreed with a few "uh-huhs." Just as he was about to close the door, Poison God Si blocked it, pressing him further, "You still haven't said what exactly happened that made the principal come all the way here."

Jiang Baiyu complained, "Is this how you gather intelligence?"

Poison God Si shrugged nonchalantly, "Isn't it good to get direct answers? It's hard to ask Junior Jing; Lou Yuzhu and Bai Xianzhu are pretty tight-lipped."

"Do I look like a blabbermouth to you?"

Poison God Si leaned closer, putting an arm around Jiang Baiyu's shoulder, "We've fought without knowing each other, so just share a little. At worst, I'll secretly pass you some important news that others don't know, guaranteed to be true!"

Jiang Baiyu rolled his eyes, "Here's a suggestion: if the Emperor and the principal end up fighting, don't hesitate—stand with the principal."

Poison God Si instantly fell silent, looking at Jiang Baiyu with a complex expression.

"What? Isn't this what you wanted to know?"

"The principal… really took in the chaotic stars?"

"What are you thinking? How would I know that?"

"Then why are you so confident?"

"Anyway, I feel like following the Emperor has no future; the principal has much more humanity."

Poison God Si nodded in agreement, "Especially narrow-minded and obstinate."

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. He quickly added, "I meant the principal!"

Jiang Baiyu pushed his hand away, "Alright, you can go now. Don't block my doorway."

Poison God Si was pushed away but refused to back down, "Just give me a little more information!"

"Go away, go away!"

After shooing him off, Jiang Baiyu closed the door and returned upstairs to find Lin Zhao Ren sitting at the table, leisurely lifting a teacup to take a sip, gazing out the window.

A gust of wind blew, and petals danced in the air, with one petal drifting right into his teacup. He slowly turned his head, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it forward, signaling Jiang Baiyu to drink.

"Now, this Emperor, who was once just an ordinary person crawling beneath the feet of cultivators, has suddenly gained power and soared to the sky. Looking back at his previously humble self in front of cultivators, the feelings in his heart must be a mix of flavors."

"Powerful cultivators are like ministers with military power; they can't be easily moved, like a thorn in the throat."

"On one hand, they indulge cultivators, and on the other, they suppress them, using both incentives and threats, infiltrating the court's ways. The final result is that the cultivation world becomes a mess."

Lin Zhao Ren toyed with the teacup, gently swirling it, watching the petals on the water surface float with the ripples, "Let me ask you, is this world a vassal of the upper realm or a hunting ground? You say it's the third option."

He smiled lightly, a bit playfully, "It seems that was indeed a correct guess. If the ascended cultivators were to depend on the upper realm, how could they watch as the emperor of the mortal realm suddenly gains power, soaring to the sky, taking control of the aristocratic families and sects, kneeling under imperial authority, thus corrupting the moral integrity of the court?"

"If it's a hunting ground, long-term plunder will only make things worse."

"So it's the third option: the people of the upper realm discover this world, quietly taking control of it, fabricating a legend of the Immortal Court to attract cultivators."

"Only they can spread the tale of calamity stars, causing a sudden uproar."

Jiang Baiyu raised his teacup and gulped down a couple of sips, declaring with righteous indignation, "My fate is determined by me, not by heaven! Thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west; don't underestimate the youth!"

Lin Zhao Ren leaned against the table, staring intently at Jiang Baiyu, "Oh? Then why do they spread the tale of calamity stars?"

Jiang Baiyu thought for a moment, lamenting, "The outer celestial demons are merciless, slandering the chosen ones. It's infuriating that the vengeful spirits assist them; truly, the righteous path in the human realm is fraught with hardships!"

Lin Zhao Ren was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.

He raised a hand to gently wipe them away, but his expression changed sharply, becoming sharp and cold, radiating madness, "Yes! Why should I be the calamity star, to be hunted down by everyone!"

Visible darkening value +1 +1 +1 +1…

Jiang Baiyu fell silent for a second, then raised his hand to cup Lin Zhao Ren's face and gave it a firm pat, "Wake up, it's time to sleep. We need to set off for Quxianze tomorrow, and I want to go to bed early tonight."