The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 921 - 920: I Am Biased, I Stand with Lu Mian

Chapter 921: Chapter 920: I Am Biased, I Stand with Lu Mian

Lu Yutian had been hailed as a prodigy since childhood, surrounded by an aura of excellence, admired by everyone.

She had grown used to navigating through applause with ease and had never imagined she might one day become a laughingstock, standing on stage, subjected to public ridicule.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Even for the sake of her grandfather, Master Jing shouldn’t have been so aggressive toward her.

"Master Jing, please allow me to explain..."

Clinging to her last shred of dignity, she tried to speak, but Jing Pei raised a hand decisively, cutting her off. "Don’t talk to me. I have no interest in hearing your excuses."

Lu Yutian found herself plunged once more into utter humiliation.

Who behaves with such a fiery temper?!

Not even listening to a single explanation?

This was too much—could it be someone had stirred him up intentionally to make her miserable?

Lu Yutian cast a deep glance toward Lu Mian, sensing that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

Next to her, Zhuge Heng had just recovered from the barrage of rebukes from Jing Pei.

He had always admired Lu Yutian—poised, courteous, intelligent—and, combined with their family ties, his view of this girl was heavily tinted by rosy perceptions.

But Jing Pei’s earlier words could not have been clearer: not only was the game of Go a tie not played by Lu Yutian, but she had also deliberately misled everyone, flaunting her skills unnecessarily.

When everyone thought Lu Yutian was a Go prodigy, the Go master revealed to them: she was merely amateur level.

Amateur level...

The cleaning auntie at their Go academy could play at that level.

Zhuge Heng could hardly fathom his feelings—conflicted and bitter—resorting to awkwardly attempting to calm the furious Jing Pei. "Master Jing, please, don’t be so angry..."

"Angry?"

Jing Pei turned his head, shaking a palm-leaf fan in one hand and holding a microphone in the other. His expression was cold and commanding.

"President Zhuge, the academy entrusted to you carries the responsibility of proper management. Talented students are expelled without hesitation, while frauds are cherished as treasures. Are your eyes failing, or is your competence lacking? Inviting us back to the academy is just to let us witness this farce? If you can handle the role of president, then continue. If not, step aside!"

Zhuge Heng: ...

The crowd: ...

This master was ruthless, truly merciless!

When scolding people, he went all out, leaving no room for anyone’s dignity—even the president’s!

The Go Association members seated in the front row each instinctively hugged themselves.

Afraid that Master Jing’s wrath might soon target them as well.

But the more observant attendees began piecing together clues: Master Jing seemed to imply that President Zhuge had personally invited Su Luo, La Wenwen, and Lu Mian back.

"Master Jing, could we discuss this later, please?" Zhuge Heng had been thoroughly roasted and, feeling utterly humiliated, didn’t even know where to put his face.

He cast a secret glance at Lu Yutian, unable to pin down his emotions.

Perhaps "devastated" was the only accurate description.

The atmosphere at the competition venue was suffocating.

Zhuge Lin remained frozen in her seat for a while before locking eyes with Lu Yutian’s meaningful gaze. Then, suddenly, she called out toward Jing Pei on stage.

"Master Jing, Yutian has exceptional intelligence. The depth of her skill in Go depends on her willingness to pursue it, not her ability. If she dedicated herself to studying Go, she would absolutely reach the pinnacle. How can you accuse her of fraud?!"

Her statement struck a chord with Lu Yutian, who stood a little straighter on stage.

That’s right, she just hadn’t devoted herself to Go. If she truly applied herself, there’s nothing she couldn’t excel in. She was fundamentally different from those vain individuals.

Jing Pei squinted slightly at her.

"Master Jing, on this stage, someone else has been engaging in deception. Why haven’t you mentioned that?!"

Zhuge Lin’s words snapped everyone out of their collective fear.

Lu Yutian’s expression eased further, and she secretly let out a breath of relief.

Zhuge Lin had finally said something correct.

Most of the students understood Zhuge Lin’s implications and weakly shifted their gaze toward Lu Mian.

Zhuge Lin’s friend, Lu Yutian, had just been publicly exposed by Master Jing.

Now, Su Luo’s friend, Lu Mian, would likely face an even harsher reprimand!

Compared to Lu Yutian’s drawn game, Lu Mian directly replicating a winning game was clearly more egregious.

Many could already imagine the storm that was about to erupt, fearing there wasn’t a single person at this venue capable of stopping Jing Pei.

It was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!

Jing Pei hadn’t yet grasped Zhuge Lin’s meaning. With a cold face, he asked, "Who else?"

"Lu Mian, of course! That winning game wasn’t her own doing either!" Zhuge Lin straightened her spine and stood up. "Why are you fixating on Yutian while ignoring Lu Mian? Isn’t that blatant favoritism?"

Zhuge Lin believed she had uncovered Lu Mian’s biggest flaw and was no longer afraid to offend Master Jing, pulling Lu Mian into the spotlight as a scapegoat.

Though she, too, was shocked by Lu Yutian’s actions, she firmly sided with her friend.

After all, it was just solving a chess problem—it’s not that big of a deal.

Yutian’s achievements extended far beyond this.

Lu Yutian raised her head, reclaiming her composed demeanor and confidence, her eyes glinting with renewed spirit as she glanced meaningfully at Jing Pei.

With Lu Mian as her buffer, things weren’t so embarrassing for her anymore.

At the back, Su Luo and La Wenwen simultaneously rolled their eyes. These people were truly persistent in their denial!

The two sat comfortably, legs crossed, looking forward to the drama that was about to unfold.

Meanwhile, the person in question, Lu Mian, remained indifferent, casually holding her phone and typing rapidly in a competitive game on the screen, entirely unconcerned.

Jing Pei had now understood Zhuge Lin’s implication and didn’t care about what others thought of him. He directly nodded.

"Yes, I am biased. I openly favor Lu Mian."

The crowd: ???

Everyone knew he had a fiery and candid personality, but did he need to be this blunt?

Jing Pei paused for a moment before speaking again, his tone perplexed. "That winning game—it was Lu Mian who created it herself. My favoritism towards her... is there a problem with it?"

"..."

"She created it herself?" Zhuge Lin was close to laughing incredulously. "Impossible! You, yourself, said only someone sixteen years ago solved that board! Lu Mian must’ve copied it from somewhere!"

"Yes, sixteen years ago, Lu Mian was four years old. She played chess with me and won."

Jing Pei’s words were distinct.

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it was as if he had unleashed a thunderclap in the hearts of everyone present.

Sixteen years ago!

Four years old!

And she had defeated Master Jing!

Someone, please tell them what kind of sorcery was this world practicing?!

Did they just suffer a collective hallucination from Jing Pei’s words?

Zhuge Lin’s gaze shattered as she turned sharply to look at Lu Mian. "This is impossible... You must be mistaken!"

"My eyes haven’t deteriorated to that extent! To reward the four-year-old Lu Mian back then, I even gave her my snuff bottle. Unfortunately, we didn’t exchange contact information at the time, and it wasn’t until today’s competition that I finally reunited with her."