Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 110 - 30: Dispelling Feudal Superstitions

Chapter 110: Chapter 30: Dispelling Feudal Superstitions

The public trial and the imposing Chess Institute head, Chu Xingluo – the scene before him was actually within Duan Mingyuan’s expectations. In fact, he had also been reflecting over the past few days, questioning whether he had been pushing people too hard?

The ability to resurrect had ruled out the possibility of plotting against several institute heads, and inviting Elder Chen Chou to serve as a teaching assistant further thwarted the saboteur’s plan to cause chaos at Qing Chi Peak by breaking the Ghost Prison seal. In just two days, he hadn’t given the saboteur much leeway.

Perhaps it was because the affair involved the Universe Company that his actions had become much more aggressive.

But Duan Mingyuan considered that the saboteur held a high position at the Yunhai Academy and was most likely an elder. In keeping with the quality of respecting the old and loving the young, he still felt a sense of debt in his heart.

Put oneself in another’s shoes, if he were the saboteur in the academy, who had plotted carefully for a long time, and was willing to bear the name of a traitor, yet his plans were ruined by a new teacher who’d been there for less than two days, he would probably also lash out in anger.

However, as a scholar, when facing academic questions, Duan Mingyuan hoped to be precise.

He looked at Chess Institute head Chu Xingluo and asked, "Institute head Chu, you say that this Sword Control Technique is the Family Secret Technique of the Prime Monarch clan, and that only those with the same bloodline can wield this Tricky Art. Is there any scientific basis for this theory?"

This question struck a chord, causing even Chu Xingluo to be stunned for a good while.

He had anticipated many possibilities, perhaps Duan Mingyuan would deny vehemently, claiming that what he used was not the Sword Control Technique; or he might simply shift the blame to the evil spirits in the Ghost Prison, after all, none of the members of the academy had ever dealt with that evil spirit and did not know what it was capable of.

Chu Xingluo had thought of various arguments to refute these, but he never expected Duan Mingyuan to question him from a scientific standpoint.

"Scientific basis? Duan Mingyuan, I advise you to stop making trouble without reason."

Of course, Chu Xingluo couldn’t provide the scientific basis, and could only angrily retort, "The Sword Control Technique has been established since ancient times, all these are things passed down by our ancestors."

"Just because it’s been so since ancient times, does that mean it’s correct?"

"What more do you want to argue?"

"May I ask, who made these assertions?"

"That would be... the founders of the Yunhai Academy. Do you mean to question their wisdom?"

"Not wisdom, but horizons."

Duan Mingyuan said, "The founders of Yunhai Academy lived hundreds of years ago in times of chaos, mainly active before the arrival of Extraterrestrials. After the defeat in war, they came to Qing Chi Peak under the relentless pursuit of personnel from the Imperial Court and established the Yunhai Academy here. This means in reality they never experienced the technological changes brought about by the Extraterrestrials, never lived in an era of convenient transportation and advanced network consultation. In that era, it was physically impossible for them to traverse every piece of land on this planet."

"So what?"

"So, may I ask, if at that time somewhere a person not of the Prime Monarch clan used the Sword Control Technique, how would they have known?"

Chu Xingluo disdainfully said, "You’re arguing speciously. They once fought side by side with the Prime Monarch, who said that the Sword Control Technique is only passed down within the family, as a family secret."

"That only proves that the Prime Monarch clan was unwilling to share their Family Secret Technique with outsiders, not that outsiders couldn’t learn it. I’ve read many books in the library, and it’s not uncommon for family secrets not to be shared with outsiders."

"Since they don’t share with outsiders, how could outsiders learn it?"

"What if a servant in the family learned it and left? How would the founders of the academy know? Did they see every member of the family?"

"You’re just quibbling!"

Chu Xingluo slammed his hand on the table. As the head of the Chess Institute, he was used to students and staff at the academy respecting him, and he was accustomed to having his way.

What angered him even more was Duan Mingyuan’s calm demeanor. Despite being seen as the hidden saboteur in the academy, none of the panic showed, as if he were not undergoing trial but instead discussing academic questions with someone.

"This is not quibbling, but that Institute head Chu has yet to provide evidence that can convince me," Duan Mingyuan asserted.

For Duan Mingyuan, it was actually a question of reasoning backwards from the result. "Why can I, someone with no blood relation to the Prime Monarch clan, use their hereditary Sword Control Technique that has been passed down from generation to generation?"

Duan Mingyuan thought this was sufficient to overturn the conclusion that only the descendants of the Prime Monarch could learn the Sword Control Technique.

"For that, you’ll have to ask yourself. I have read numerous classics, and the sword strike from the back mountain just now, perhaps even the Prime Monarch in person wouldn’t have done better, right?"

"Indeed, I was aware of the existence of the Sword Control Technique from another source before I performed that strike on the back mountain."

Duan Mingyuan did not deny.

"Then speak, from where did you learn of the existence of the Sword Control Technique? There are no such records in the library of the academy, and I only came to know of this due to some fortuitous coincidences in my early years."

"Without their owner’s consent..."

"It was me."

An unexpected voice intervened in their conversation, and everyone turned in unison towards the source of the sound at the same time.

The head of the Chess Institute, Su Yunru, saw the newcomer, quickly glared at them, seemingly using her gaze as a warning not to step half a foot into the public court.

But Ning Ruyue, the defiant pupil, once again ignored her warning, her gaze steadfast as she made her way through the crowd, walking straight up to Duan Mingyuan’s side.

With her right hand on her sword, and a thought in her heart, a series of exclamations filled the air as the Flying Sword, engraved with royal patterns, flew towards the public court and landed smoothly in front of Mo Song.

"Dean Chu was mostly correct, except that it is not Teacher Mingyuan who is a descendant of the Prime Monarch’s bloodline—it was after I sought his guidance that he became aware of the existence of the Sword Control Technique."

"Ru Yue!"

Su Yunru exclaimed in frustration, "Do not spout nonsense here!"

"Master, I can no longer shrink back."

Ning Ruyue did not retreat; instead, she raised her voice, addressing everyone present, "I am the legitimate daughter of the Prime Monarch, and this sword was personally bestowed upon me by my father. The imprint on it is the best proof."

As she spoke, Mo Song had already examined the mark on the Flying Sword and nodded slightly in agreement with Ning Ruyue’s statement. Then, he cast a glance at Su Yunru, and from their previous conversation, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the head of the Chess Institute had known about this enormous secret for quite some time.

The legitimate daughter of the Prime Monarch was none other than the Elder Princess.

The Elder Princess from the Imperial Court had been living within their midst at the academy for so many years.

"Alas!"

Su Yunru sighed deeply, leaning back with her eyes closed for a long while before speaking, "Years ago, I owed a huge debt of gratitude to a friend in the Imperial Court. At that time, the Imperial Court was in chaos. He fought to the death to escort Ru Yue here, and before he passed away, he entrusted her to me. How could I have refused? But as the head of the Chess Institute, I assure you that everything that has recently occurred at the academy has nothing to do with Ru Yue."

Duan Mingyuan noticed that with Ning Ruyue’s arrival and the head of the Chess Institute’s soft sigh, the atmosphere in the public court instantly turned fervent.

During his academic debate with Chu Xingluo, the teachers of the Cloud Sea Academy seemed subdued and uninterested in the topic of "whether people outside the Prime Monarch’s bloodline could learn the Sword Control Technique."

But now, they all came "to life," holding their breath and focusing intently to not miss a single detail of what was to come.

Ning Ruyue is the Elder Princess from the Imperial Court?

The high and lofty head of the Chess Institute’s old friend she mentioned?

And the chaos in the Imperial Court, along with the dying man’s final trust?

Tell me more!

From the group of people craning their necks, eyes shining like spotlights, Duan Mingyuan could only decipher these two words.