I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1752 - 187: About the Future

Chapter 1752: Chapter 187: About the Future

Ever since taking his seat, the Tiger Leopard from Ningxiang Road had kept his eyes locked on his nose, his nose on his heart, pretending to be an ostrich. Suddenly hearing his name called, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of panic.

It was evidently clear that the involvement of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor had escalated the matter of the two Dragon Beasts far beyond a simple tribal dispute over resources within a specific region. It had reached a level well beyond his capacity to intervene.

Expressing an opinion on such matters always comes with corresponding responsibilities. How could he dare to speak at this moment?

He could only wave his hand repeatedly toward Du Sha, who had turned to him, and said, "The student has no opinion. Please continue discussing among yourselves."

"Is it that you don’t have one, or you don’t dare to speak it?"

Du Sha said coldly, "These individuals were brought here by you from Yancang. Even if you wish to evade involvement, you shouldn’t remain completely indifferent."

Inside the room, all eyes turned to Feng Shixing, even Tang Luo behind the desk. This put the Tiger Leopard from Ningxiang Road in a highly uncomfortable position.

Rising awkwardly, Feng Shixing hardly dared to meet the gazes of Yun Xiu and Du Sha. Keeping his head low, he murmured softly, "The student believes... Elder Du Ting’s statement is reasonable."

"Is that so."

Upon hearing Feng Shixing’s reply, Du Sha responded faintly, a trace of disappointment in his voice, and then turned away, no longer focusing on him.

Meanwhile, Du Ting, Nongman Valley, and Nian Bo, who had been tensely awaiting Feng Shixing’s choice, instantly relaxed. The tense atmosphere in their faces dissipated, as if the outcome was now certain.

Du Ting stood up, his demeanor spirited and triumphant. "Now that the young man Feng has also taken a stance, it’s four votes against two. Old me shall go fetch the Dragon Beasts and hand them over to Shi Ganhai."

"Elder, hold on."

Du Sha reached out and pointed to the archives room behind the principal. Facing Du Ting’s joyful expression, he said calmly, "There are still two individuals inside who haven’t spoken. Why rush?"

"This is just wasting time!"

Du Ting questioned angrily, "Even the young man Feng has stated his position. Who else is left unconsidered?"

"There are indeed more."

Du Sha replied calmly, "Since this is about deciding whether or not to hand over the individuals, shouldn’t their opinions be consulted too?"

As he spoke, heavy footsteps echoed from the archives room. Two Dragon Beasts emerged, their expressions laden with sorrow, and climbed forward, halting before the principal’s desk.

Humans are extraordinarily complex creatures. Their complexity lies in how so often, we believe rationality guides our actions, yet emotion plays the dominant role in most judgments.

When the parties involved were absent, Du Ting and others could confidently assert their arguments for delivering the Dragon Beasts to Shi Ganhai, their words backed by lists of seemingly sound reasoning.

But upon realizing that all their earlier discussions had been overheard by the involved parties, a slight sense of guilt began to creep in.

Du Ting suddenly recalled the day the Yancang Alliance hunted down the Dragon Beasts. It was he who guided them to the back mountain and comforted them along the way, assuring them that they’d find safety at Red Cloud. Yet today, it was also he leading the charge to deliver them, effectively retracting every comforting word he’d once uttered.

Even Elder Nian’s face flushed faintly with embarrassment. A man whose survival had always depended on water knew well the importance of loyalty, but faced with the looming threat of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, the camaraderie extended to the Yancang Alliance vanished entirely. His embarrassment didn’t stem solely from betraying the Dragon Beasts but also from the exposure of his duality—his valor and his cowardice laid bare, making him look like a two-faced puppet.

As for Feng Shixing, upon seeing the Dragon Beasts appear, his fists clenched tightly, as if wishing for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Yet such guilt born solely of emotion proved fleeting. Du Ting and the others made their choices because they had no other alternative reasons.

They had presumed the Dragon Beasts, upon hearing the earlier discussions, would harbor immense resentment toward them. But to their surprise, the two Dragon Beasts didn’t glance their way at all. Instead, they walked lifelessly forward and bowed reverently before the principal.

Seeing this scene caused Du Ting’s spirits to deflate somewhat. If the principal were to take their opinions into consideration, the vote would equalize at four to four, rendering their prior debates meaningless.

Thus, despite his faint guilt, Du Ting quickly interjected, attempting to further pressure the Dragon Beasts. He declared, "Let’s not even discuss the fact that they are unable to speak. Even if their votes were counted, it would merely result in a tie."

"Dragging this matter out will only leave us with fewer choices as time goes on! If we truly provoke the people behind Shi Family’s brothers... Du Sha, there are tens of thousands of families on Red Cloud Mountain, yet you would risk them all for these two Dragon Beasts? Is this what you call virtue?!"

Although Du Ting’s reproaches aimed at Du Sha, his words were clearly directed at the Dragon Beasts. As he spoke, the two prostrate figures, Lu Zhongyan and Fu Yuanshan, trembled violently, their scales visibly drooping in fear.

All beings possess a will to survive, yet the act of asking for assistance that would demand immense sacrifices from their saviors—even the most selfish individual would wrestle with hesitation, searching for proper phrasing.

But no matter how Lu Zhongyan and Fu Yuanshan sought to frame their request in recent days, they couldn’t find a rationale for why the academy should intervene on their behalf.

The arrival of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor merely hastened the inevitable conclusion. The two Dragon Beasts exchanged glances, as though reaching a silent decision, before hoisting their long, thick necks high.

"Principal, Lu Zhongyan (Fu Yuanshan) request only death."

Their voices rang out clear and resolute, taking everyone present by surprise. Upon understanding their words, the room’s emotions grew turbulent and conflicted.

"Life is singular. Once lost, there’s nothing left to salvage."

Leaning back in his chair, Tang Luo murmured wistfully, "Perhaps, like Shi Sanke, you could serve as one of Cao Lie’s many experimental prototypes. You might receive kind treatment, which would surely be better than dying outright."

"Shi Sanke chose to live as livestock; this student only wishes to die as a human. I beg the principal to grant this wish!"