Chapter 721: Eighth Slap (2)
Nangong Xu then asked, filled with rage: "Does the Headmaster then know what that place is! ?"
Ning Rui threw Nangong Xu a glance, but his eyes were looking past Nangong Xu, at the space behind him, and a his lips curled up in a chilling laugh before he asked: "So, what is that place?"
"It is called Heaven's End Cliff! A place filled with unbelievable dangers! Needless to even talk about our entire horde of half grown ups just in their teens, even a powerful indigo spirit exponent would not stand a chance of surviving in there! I do not know for what reason the Headmaster would choose such a place for a training trial, but that is a place that we must not go to!" The map had just been delivered into Nangong Xu's hands some hours ago and he was informed that that would be the path their convoy would be taking tomorrow. He had not really wanted to bother about it but when he took a closer look, he realised the dangers that would be involved and he had come running over to Ning Rui.
"Heaven's End Cliff? Senior Nangong has got to be kidding. How can that place be Heaven's End Cliff?" Ning Rui said nonchalantly, his eyes still looking past Nangong Xu.
Seemingly not having noticed, Nangong Xu continued to say huffily: "To tell you the truth, I have gone there once when I was younger. It was with a bunch of extraordinarily powerful group of seniors. They went down to the bottom of the cliff while I remained on the clifftop with a few companions to await the seniors' return. But they did not come back. We waited for an entire month and we still saw no sign of them! Even after so many years have passed, there has been no news that a single one of them had survived! The Heaven's End Cliff's notorious fame, as a place of insurmountable dangers, is now widely known, far and wide. The Headmaster must not allow our academy's disciples to go there, or the results will be disastrous!"
The Heaven's End Cliff had subsequently become a place of nightmares and he had been just a teen then. His father and uncles had been some of the highly regarded exponents in their time and they had heard many things said about the Heaven's End Cliff for a long time. They had once chanced upon the Heaven's End Cliff's location and they invited some other equally powerful exponents to go together. Nangong Xu had tagged along then to join in the fun but not a single person among the group of highly skilled exponents had come back alive. And after such a long period had passed, Nangong Xu was convinced, that all those people who had gone down to the bottom of the cliff, had all lost their lives down there.
He did not know how Ning Rui had suddenly come to have conceived such a preposterous idea of sending the Zephyr Academy's disciples to the Heaven's End Cliff for a training trial, but he knew he must most definitely stop it from happening!
Ning Rui pretended to be perplexed as he looked at Nangong Xu and he stood up and said: "That place is truly the Heaven's End Cliff?"
Nangong Xu saw that he was finally getting a reaction out of Ning Rui and he heaved a sigh of relief and quickly nodded. "I am most certain that I am correct."
Ning Rui continued to ask: "Has Senior Nangong mentioned anything about this matter regarding the Heaven's End Cliff to anyone?"
Although Ning Rui's line of questioning was going slightly askew, the straightforward and candid Nangong Xu had however not noticed anything strange. He only assumed that Ning Rui had realised the severity of the situation and was going to call off the training expedition. With that thought, Nangong Xu went on to say: "The moment I realised the map's destination, I rushed here immediately. I did not have time to tell anyone else about it."
The moment Nangong Xu finished his statement, Ning Rui suddenly broke out in a bout of sinister laughter.
"Since you did not not bring it up to anyone, then everything's fine."
Nangong Xu was just beginning to find it strange why Ning Rui was saying such things when he suddenly detected a strong and intense wave of murderous aura from behind him. Nangong Xu immediately wanted to turn around to face the threat, but before he had even moved, he saw that a long slender arm had pierced through his chest from his back!
A bright red flower seemed to have bloomed out from Nangong Xu's chest as he stared through his eyes, wide open with shock, looking at the still laughing Ning Rui.
"Nangong Xu, why must you be so meddlesome?" The smile on Ning Rui's face twisted up grotesquely as he lifted his head to look at the person who had stealthily attacked Nangong Xu from behind.
The corners of Gu Ying's mouth were curled up, his face filled with glee. He retrieved the hand that had pierced through Nangong Xu's body and the warm blood droplets flowed down his arm, dripping into a small scarlet pool that formed on the floor!
Chapter 722: Eighth Slap (3)
Nangong Xu fell suddenly to the floor and blood was gushing out from his mouth as his eyes stared at Gu Ying who was smiling brilliantly at him.
"People who know too much would always not get to live long. Don't you agree? Senior Nangong?" Gu Ying asked, smiling at Nangong Xu, watching him breathe his last. Gu Ying then lifted his head and looked at his blood covered arm, the corners of his mouth curling up higher. He turned to face Ning Rui.
"I had not thought that anyone in the Zephyr Academy would be able to recognise the way to the Heaven's End Cliff. Looks like the matter cannot be delayed any longer."
Ning Rui nodded his head. The fact that Nangong Xu had known of the Heaven's End Cliff greatly surprised Ning Rui and to prevent anyone else from discovering it, Ning Rui had no other choice but to reply: "I will make an announcement immediately. That all the disciples of the Zephyr Academy are to move out right away."
Gu Ying nodded his head, satisfied with the answer.
"They should be arriving soon. They should be able to make it here before we move out."
Using the disciples of the Zephyr Academy was just one of the avenues they were taking to explore the bottom of the Heaven's End Cliff. Gu Ying knew it clearly, with just a bunch of young immature kids, it would be sorely inadequate to fully grasp the terrain down there and he had arranged for more people from his side to go with him, but the task of scouting the way out first would be wholly taken up by the Zephyr Academy's disciples.
Gu Ying's intention for this expedition, was to use the lives of the many disciples in the Zephyr Academy at his disposal, to slowly find his way through the bottom of the Heaven's End Cliff!
Ning Rui nodded and immediately summoned Gongcheng Lei who was standing guard outside to relay the message. Nangong Xu's eyes were still wide open, probably shocked even till his moment of death, not expecting that he would be killed under the hands of a youth just in his teens.
The set off time had suddenly been brought forward and many of the Zephyr Academy's disciples started complaining in hushed tones. In the face of Ning Rui's current authoritarian ways, not a single one among them dared to voice out their displeasure. In about four hours' time, all the disciples of the Zephyr Academy were all packed and gathered in the square before the Zephyr Academy's gates. As they stared at the row upon row of horse carriages, the youths saw that their journey towards a grueling training expedition was about to begin.
Ning Rui had already arranged his men to wait by the main gates, and they were just waiting for the teachers from the respective faculties to complete their roll call and they would move out immediately after that.
However, just as the teachers were reporting their numbers to Ning Rui, the sound of clattering hooves could be heard, reaching everyone's ears sounding from a distance away.
It was already dusk and the disciples shielded their eyes as they looked into the glare, the warm orange rosy glow spilling over the land. A lone horse carriage clattered in approach under the pink dusk sky, and under everyone's watchful eyes, it rolled to a stop right before the Zephyr Academy's majestic gates.
The horse carriage was a very common type, and the tall built driver was unfamiliar to all of them. The disciples gathered before the Zephyr Academy's gates could not help themselves but stretch their necks out to peer and peek, deeply curious why a horse carriage would suddenly appear at their gates at a time like this.
The horse carriage did not look like it belonged to the Zephyr Academy. Its bulky carriage was one size bigger than those from the Zephyr Academy, and it did not carry their academy's emblem upon its doors.
Ning Rui turned his head to look. They were just about to move out for the Heaven's End Cliff and he did not want any other unexpected incidents to crop up.
With all eyes upon that one single carriage, a tall and graceful figure swept out slowly, stepping out from the carriage. When that figure's face was seen by all the people present there, the entire student body of the Zephyr Academy all suddenly gasped in shock at the same time!
Stepping off from the horse carriage, wasn't anyone else but the one who had gone missing for a period, Fan Zhuo! ! !
Chapter 723: "Eighth Slap (4)"
The sudden appearance of Fan Zhuo caused a furore to spread through the crowd!
Everyone's eyes turned wide as they stared, mouths all agape at the elegance of Fan Zhuo, as he arrived stepping forth from within the setting sun.
A crack appeared on the mask that was Ning Rui's face. He had sent a large number of people to seek out Fan Zhuo for a long time but it was to no avail, and the last thing he would have expected was for Fan Zhuo to suddenly appear at this most critical moment!
If he had only shown up just a few moments later, the disciples of the Zephyr Academy would have all gotten into the carriages and left the academy altogether!
With Fan Zhuo standing right before the eyes of the disciples of the Zephyr Academy now, many voices among the crowd suddenly broke into debate and dissent. Everyone knew that the rules in the Zephyr Academy stated that if the Headmaster dies, the position of the academy's highest authority would be succeeded by his children. Fan Jin as just an adopted child and by his crime of being the "murderer" who killed Fan Qi, would naturally no longer be eligible. And at that very same time, Fan Qi's biological son Fan Zhuo had also coincidentally gone missing and could not be located which allowed Ning Rui to snatch up the position as the acting Headmaster of the Zephyr Academy, taking charge and gaining control over all affairs, big and small, in the Zephyr Academy.
But now..... Fan Zhuo had returned.....
Countless pairs of eyes turned and they all looked in askance at Ning Rui, before swinging back to Fan Zhuo, their gazes switching between the two people before them!
Ning Rui's expression had turned dark. If only he had managed to locate Fan Zhuo before this, he would have sent assassins to get rid of him before anything like this could happen. And if he had returned at any other time, he would still have had time to discreetly get rid of him through other undetectable means. But Fan Zhuo had chosen this very moment to make such a blatant show of his return right before all the disciples making it impossible for him to kill him there and then!
"Little Zhuo? You finally came back! When I didn't see you for such a long period, I began to get very anxious." Realising that he would not be able to make any moves against Fan Zhuo at that moment, Ning Rui immediately put on an expression of deep concern and tried to portray himself as a worried elder as he spoke to Fan Zhuo.
Fan Zhuo's face was one of gentleness and smiles, just like the look of obedience and respect he had always shown to Ning Rui all this time.
"Uncle Ning, we haven't met for quite a time, I trust that you are fine?"
Ning Rui saw that Fan Zhuo's smiling face was still just like before and he had just addressed him as "Uncle Ning" just as cordially. That made him assume that Fan Zhuo did not know the real truth behind Fan Qi's death and his heart was secretly relieved.
Fan Zhuo was unlike Fan Jin, being softer and weaker in character. Having stayed in isolation within the tiny bamboo grove, he was perceived that he would surely be more naive than Fan Jin was. Ning Rui had been able to even manipulate Fan Jin and looking at Fan Zhuo, he was feeling completely confident.
"Good, good. Everything's fine. Only that your father and elder brother....." Ning Rui said hesitatingly to Fan Zhuo, his face greatly aggrieved.
Fan Zhuo looked to be taken aback, his face creased up in worry.
"What happened to my father and brother?"
Ning Rui laughed inwardly but outwardly he did not display any change in emotion as he said: "Sigh, your father was killed about half a month ago and the person who killed your father is your brother! Who would have thought!? I've watched Fan Jin grow up from when he was just a little boy and I would never have thought that he would grow to be so ambitious. He saw that your health was gradually improving and was afraid that the position of Headmaster would be denied him, so he devised a scheme while you were not here to force your father to pass the position of Headmaster to him! But your father refused to submit himself to such devilry! Nobody had thought that Fan Jin's humiliation would turn into rage and he had had the audacity to actually kill your father!"
Ning Rui narrated it all with a tearful voice to Fan Zhuo, his face filled with sadness. But hidden deep within his eyes, was a vicious glint of mockery and ridicule.
[With Fan Zhuo's weak health and frail constitution, upon hearing such mortifying news, the shock would surely deal him a devastating blow, or at least cause him to fall unconscious!]
[And once Fan Zhuo succumbed, he would then be able send him away for "treatment" and cook up a most convenient excuse that Fan Zhuo had suffered from a relapse of his condition and send him on his way to reunite with Fan Qi!]
Chapter 724: "Eighth Slap (5)"
Ning Rui was secretly elated. Fan Zhuo had sent himself in for slaughter and you can't blame him for taking up the offer!
After hearing Ning Rui words, Fan Zhuo's body swayed in his spot.
Ning Rui was waiting gleefully for his body to collapse from the utter shock when Fan Zhuo suddenly steadied himself and the same respectful smile appeared once more on his face.
"What is Uncle Ning saying? How is it possible that my brother will kill my father?"
Ning Rui frowned slightly as he looked at Fan Zhuo curiously, not expecting him to be able to remain standing. "Little Zhuo, I know that you have always been close to your brother, but you can never be certain how a man's heart can change anytime. You are afterall not real brothers tied by blood and Fan Jin is not your father's biological son. You have been bedridden for so many years which made Fan Jin assume that you did not have long to live, and the position of Headmaster will eventually be his. But unexpectedly, your ill health took a turn for the better and that had made him show his true malicious nature."
Ning Rui even sigh sadly as he continued to say: "Sigh, a pity that your father doted on him so much and even treated him like he would his own son, not knowing that he was keeping a viper so close to his side."
Ning Rui portrayed his image as a amiable uncle very well and to those that didn't know the truth, they would immediately be taken in by him.
The smile on Fan Zhuo's face gradually faded and his attractive brow creased up slightly. "Uncle Ning is right about one thing. Fan Jin and me are not real biological brothers related by blood."
Ning Rui's heart fluttered with delight. But what Fan Zhuo said next struck him like a massive lightning bolt!
"But Uncle Ning got the other parts wrong though. The one who is not my father's biological son isn't my elder brother, but me. I am the adopted son that my father picked up, and my elder brother is my father's biological and legitimate son." Fan Zhuo said it with a face filled with confusion, his clear eyes looking earnestly at Ning Rui.
A great shock tore into Ning Rui's heart, as he stared in flabbergasted disbelief at Fan Zhuo, unable to accept what he was hearing from Fan Zhuo's mouth!
Fan Zhuo's words made even all the disciples and teachers of the Zephyr Academy widen their eyes in astonishment!
[What is going on here?]
[Did Fan Zhuo just say he isn't Fan Qi's biological son? And Fan Jin is in actual fact the real deal?]
Fan Zhuo's words dropped like a bombshell and exploded among everyone present. The somber and quiet scene before the gates of the academy's gates broke out into another wave of heated debate.
"What is happening here right now? How did Fan Jin turn out to be the biological son of the Headmaster! ?"
"That isn't true, I have always been told Fan Zhuo was the Headmaster's biological son! Why is he saying such things now?"
In a moment, everyone had jumped onto Fan Zhuo's shocking revelation and fiery debates quickly ensued.
Fan Zhuo listened to the clamour around him as he looked at the hypocritical pity that had congealed on Ning Rui's face, and a tinge of satisfaction flashed across Fan Zhuo's eyes.
"Little Zhuo..... Wh..... What are you saying? How could you not be your father's biological son? I can still remember it very clearly when your father brought both of you back here. He had distinctly said you are his biological son and Fan Jin was a child he picked up along the way." A visible twitch was tugging at the corner of Ning Rui's mouth as he fought to retain his composure.
If what Fan Zhuo was saying was really the truth, then the reason he had claimed that made Fan Jin murder Fan Qi would turn out to be one big joke!
As that would mean that Fan Jin would irrefutably be next in line to succeed the position of the Zephyr Academy's Headmaster and even if Fan Zhuo was in the pink of health, the succession of the Headmaster's position would not be linked to Fan Zhuo at all.
And Fan Jin would have absolutely no reason to kill Fan Qi at all!
A feeling of dread grew in Ning Rui's heart. He did not want to believe Fan Zhuo's words, but he did not dare doubt them even more.
If he believed them to be true, then the reason he had claimed that had made Fan Jin kill Fan Qi would not stand!
Fan Qi's death would suddenly be cast in a suspicious light!
Fan Zhuo sighed lightly and looked at Ning Rui and said: "Uncle Ning, didn't you notice that there are no common traits between my father and me? Whereas for my brother, no matter whether in terms of looks or temperament, they are almost exactly alike?"
Chapter 725: "Eighth Slap (6)"
What Fan Zhuo said made Ning Rui gasp loudly!
It was true. The Fan father and son had looks that were considered attractive, but though Fan Qi's and Fan Zhuo's looks leaned towards being handsome, Fan Zhuo was nevertheless noticeably one notch higher above them but his features differed from them. It was Fan Jin who looked very much like Fan Qi when he was younger.
In regards to that, although Ning Rui had once been curious about it, Fan Qi had just made a joke about it and brushed it off carelessly.
Ning Rui understood Fan Qi very well and knew that he was not a man prone to lying. Added to the fact was that he believed no one would be so ridiculously stupid as to take someone else's son to call his own while declaring his own biological son to be adopted instead.
Ning Rui had felt that no sane person would do something like that and hence, he had never once doubted Fan Qi's words.
But he had forgotten one thing. His senior, in a certain sense of the word, was someone who could be overly righteous. In certain exceptional circumstances, he might not be incapable of something so extreme.
Fan Zhuo's reminder, had enlightened all the people of the Zephyr Academy. They had suddenly realised the Fan Jin did actually closely resemble Fan Qi, while Fan Zhuo did not share any similarities in their features with Fan Qi.
Fan Zhuo continued to say: "At that time, my family was mired in trouble where they were killed and I was extremely fortunate to have met my adoptive father who picked me up and raised me. I was frail and always in ill health. Father had pitied me for I was younger and very weak. If I was to be branded to be an adopted child on top of that, Father feared that I would be bullied. Father then compromised his own biological son and declared Fan Jin to be the adopted one, while the boy who shared no blood ties whatsoever with him was the dove in the magpie's nest and I became his biological son. All these years, Father really treated me like his own, and my elder brother knew all this time that I had taken his rightful position. But he did not utter a single word of complaint and even looked out for me at every turn. So, that is why I really cannot understand why Big Brother would want to kill my father for a position that belonged to him in the first place. Uncle Ning, can you tell me the reason?"
Fan Zhuo's explanation caused Ning Rui to be completely stumped for words. Ning Rui wanted so much to rebut, to reaffirm everyone of his words.
But when Fan Zhuo revealed his and Fan Jin's identity right before everyone here, Ning Rui found that the crime he had forcibly pinned on Fan Jin's head suddenly became one big joke!
If Fan Jin knew that he was Fan Qi's biological son, then Fan Zhuo's health no matter ill and sickly or fit as a fiddle would have no absolutely effect on whether he would be able to take up the reins as the Headmaster of the Zephyr Academy! That would also mean Fan Jin had no reason to take such a big risk to kill Fan Qi!
Ning Rui stood frozen in his spot. All the disciples and teachers started gathering together to whisper in groups. Their hushed whispers were accompanied by questioning eyes all gazing upon Ning Rui.
It was the first time that NIng Rui was feeling so uncomfortable to be watched by so many pairs of eyes with their piercing gazes. It felt as if those gazes were boring burning fiery holes into his body, bringing him agonising pain!
"Do you need a reason to kill? Even for a pair of father and son, a single angry word, in a moment's rage, killing someone unintentionally would not be something totally impossible, or would it?" Gu Ying who had remained at the side in silence suddenly spoke. His arms were crossed upon his chest as he slightly lifted up his chin, seemingly completely unruffled as he looked at Fan Zhuo, not affected in the least by Fan Zhuo's words.
Fan Zhuo turned to look calmly at Gu Ying. Under the calm and unperturbed expression on his face, a torrential murderous wave of rage lay hidden.
This was the man, who killed his father!
"Whether it was unintentional or whether he was framed, I do not think you are in a position to decide or are you?" Fan Zhuo countered derisively.
"We do have a witness here who saw with his own eyes, your brother still holding the murder weapon that killed your father. There were only your brother and Fan Qi in the office at that time. If it is not him, who else could it be?" Gu Ying replied smilingly.
Ning Rui suddenly snapped back to his senses and immediately pulled Gongcheng Lei who had been standing at the side, to come right before Fan Zhuo.
"And all of that was witnessed by your own Uncle Gongcheng!"
Chapter 726: Eighth Slap (7)
Fan Zhuo looked calmly at Gongcheng Lei. When Jun Wu Xie had initially discovered that someone was slipping medicine into his food, his brother and him had both felt that there was something strange going on, but no one had ever suspected Gongcheng Lei. Gongcheng Lei was indebted to Fan Qi for having saved his life. From a young age, Gongcheng Lei had followed by his father's side and for many years, he had been always loyal. As nimble minded as Fan Zhuo was, he had never once suspected Gongcheng Lei as the culprit.
If they had not met Ah Jing once again, if Ah Jing had not seen Gongcheng Lei's expression then, Fan Zhuo would have continued to look upon him as a respected and loving uncle.
But now.....
Fan Zhuo's lips curled up into a smile. That gentle smile was soft as the moonlight, one that made people unable to develop a dislike for.
"So, what did Uncle Gongcheng see?"
Gongcheng Lei's body was completely tensed up as he looked at Fan Zhuo. He had thought that the matter was over and he would have nothing more to do with it. He had not expected that Ning Rui would push him to the forefront and put him into such a tight spot. He had no choice but to force himself to repeat his story: "That day, I was standing guard outside the door when I heard the Headmaster and the Elder Young Master quarrelling. I had initially just thought that they had some differences to sort out and did not pay much attention to it. It was not until I detected a scent of blood that I realised something was amiss. By the time I rushed into the office, the Headmaster had already stopped breathing and I saw the Elder Young Master still holding the blood smeared sword standing in the office....."
The smile was still on Fan Zhuo's face.
"Uncle Gongcheng, how many years have you been with my father?"
Gongcheng Lei stiffened and hesitated a moment before he said: "For more than ten years already....."
"More than ten years..... I remember that way before my elder brother and I came along, and before my father was married, you were already by my father's side." Fan Zhuo seemed to be reminiscing on the past.
Gongcheng Lei did not answer and only felt his hand and feet turn cold.
"I had always thought that Uncle Gongcheng had always been unwaveringly loyal to Father and now it seems that I am really a poor judge of people." Fan Zhuo said, suddenly giving out a heavy sigh.
Gongcheng Lei was shocked and in his panic, he turned to look at Ning Rui. Ning Rui frowned deeply, he was suddenly feeling that Fan Zhuo's return would deal a devastating blow to his plans here.
"Little Zhuo, what are you saying? Don't you know your Uncle Gongcheng's character? He has been with your father for such a long time and when has he ever shown any sign of disloyalty? You might still be unable to accept your brother's inhumane actions, but that is now already a fact." Ning Rui quickly interjected. When Fan Zhuo had earlier revealed Fan Jin's real identity, that had already greatly shaken the credibility of the crime he had pinned onto Fan Jin and if this was allowed to continue, anyone with an ounce of intelligence would soon be able to detect something fishy about it all.
With all the teams ready and all prepared to move out, Ning Rui only wanted this matter to quickly come to a close.
Fan Zhuo's face was all smiles as he looked at the pale faced Ning Rui, and he noticed the twitch that tugged at Ning Rui's mouth in his nervousness before he said slowly: "Is Uncle Ning saying that I am distorting the truth of the matter? That is rather interesting. Uncle Gongcheng had said that there were only my elder brother and father in the office at that time and that he had been standing guard outside the entire time with no one having come close to the place at all. It was not until after my father was killed that he noticed something is wrong. That was what occurred on that day, is that right?"
Unable to determine which direction Fan Zhuo was intending to bring his argument towards, Ning Rui could only nod in agreement.
Fan Zhuo gave out a light laugh, and his tall and lithe figure turned slightly. Fan Zhuo was facing into the setting sun as his eyes narrowed from the blinding glare to look at the horse carriage stopped directly before the Zephyr Academy's main gates, when his soothing voice called out clearly.
"Big Brother, what do you have to say about that?"
Fan Zhuo's two simple words of "Big Brother" had sent a shocking bolt of of lightning straight into Ning Rui's and Gongcheng Lei's hearts!
They both turned their heads and their eyes stared fixedly at the horse carriage before them. Under the Heavens, the only one person that Fan Zhuo would address as "Big Brother", could most definitely be none other than that guy!
Chapter 727: "Eighth Slap (8)"
But didn't that person already lose his mind?
From within the carriage, a tall figure stepped out, outlined by the big glowing orange ball that was the gorgeous setting sun as all eyes swiveled to gaze on the mesmerising sight. The light of dusk shone like molten gold upon the figure as he slowly stepped out from the carriage. His tall figure was slightly bent over from passing under the carriage's low door and a long dark shadow was cast, stretching out before him, while his facial features were partly shrouded against the blinding glare behind him, every bit like a beautiful surreal painting.
It had been just mere seconds, but to Ning Rui, it had stretched out like it had taken a few slow days. His eyes widened, and unable to take his eyes off the figure stepping forth, he peered intently, trying to see the person's face clearly.
[Could it really be him?]
[Impossible!]
Gu Ying had said it several times. His strikes to that person's head had turned him into an idiot and there was no way he could be cured. Even if in the event that the slightest sliver of an opportunity existed that he could be treated, it would still be impossible that it could happen in just a matter of a few short days!
Ning Rui's heart was lodged in his throat, as he tried his very best to open his eyes wide, wanting to catch a clear glimpse of the figure's face as soon as possible.
It wasn't just Ning Rui, but all the other people in the Zephyr Academy were fighting to keep their eyes open under the blinding glare. Fan Zhuo's earlier tumultuous words had kicked up a storm in their hearts and as long as one wasn't an idiot, they all would never believe that Fan Jin would really kill his own biological birth father for such a flimsy reason.
But Gongcheng Lei's testimony had nevertheless made it clear that only Fan Jin would have been able to kill Fan Qi in those circumstances. So, what was the truth behind all of this! ?
Under the anxious gazes filled with anticipation, that figure finally started to approach them slowly. And while the steps that brought the figure silhouetted against the bright seeing sun closer, the face that everyone had been so familiar with suddenly appeared before their very eyes!
[Fan Jin!]
[It is really Fan Jin!]
"Uncle Ning, you still look the same." Fan Jin's face was filled with the same jovial and uninhibited smile upon it to everyone looking at him and that voice was the same one they all remembered fondly. That tall figure, those facial features, were all the same as Fan Jin in the past and only that body hidden under the clean robe was seen to be slightly thinner, but looking exactly just like he had the day that Fan Jin had been taken away by Wen Xin Han.
Only that the hagged wretchedness was now absent, returned to the image of the well respected Senior Fan in their memories!
Ning Rui was thunderstruck when his eyes fell upon that figure!
He stood dumbfounded and speechless and he could not move.
Seeing Fan Jin smiling as he always had in the past, his eyes sparkling clear, Ning Rui felt his heart began to thump violently, and he began to hear a buzzing in his mind!
[How could Fan Jin appear here like this! ? How could this be him! ?]
Ning Rui could still clearly remember that it was just barely two days ago that Wen Xin Han had taken the wretched and demented form that was Fan Jin away from the academy, the one whom he had deliberately tormented repeatedly after having completely lost his mind. It was impossible that he would be able to recover in such a short period of time!
[It was just two days ago! Not two months! And definitely not two years!]
[He had seen it clearly when Gu Ying had struck him! The force from the two palm strikes that Fan Jin had been struck with was enough to almost take a person's life!]
Ning Rui glanced subconsciously at Gu Ying, his eyes filled with fear. They had been able to push the entire blame for the crime onto Fan Jin was due to the fact that Fan Jin was no longer able to speak and would not be able to defend himself at all. But it was clearly obvious now that Fan Jin had already recovered and he feared the fact that Fan Jin had clearly witnessed Gu Ying killing Fan Qi at that very moment then!
[If Fan Jin was no longer crazed, he would definitely reveal everything that he saw happened on that fateful day, and with Fan Zhuo's earlier expose of Fan Jin real identity.....]
Ning Rui did not dare complete that thought in his mind, and he was feeling a cold chill start to creep up from the soles of his feet.
When Gu Ying saw Fan Jin appear, his brow creased up deeply as well. It was obvious that even he had not expected that Fan Jin would be able to make such a speedy recovery.
[Don't tell me that Jun Xie had before rescuing Fan Jin from his imprisonment, already found the remedy to cure Fan Jin's affliction?]
Chapter 728: "Eighth Slap (9)"
When that thought came into his mind, a blazing fire flared up in Gu Ying's chest. Having fallen victim to Jun Xie's schemes repeatedly, Gu Ying had developed a teeth grinding hatred for the pint sized brat, and his eyes roved unconsciously towards the horse carriage stopped before the main gates.
By then, Gu Ying no longer had the inclination to care about what Ning Rui thought. His mind was focused only on the horse carriage his eyes were currently fixed on.
When Ning Rui did not get a response from Gu Ying, his heart grew even more frantic. He turned his head back to look at Fan Jin who had come to stand next to Fan Zhuo. He surveyed the person before him from head to toe and after he was certain that was irrefutably really Fan Jin in the flesh, he became even more anxious.
"Fan Jin! How dare you to still have the cheek to come back here!?" In his frantic anxiety, Ning Rui suddenly shouted out loudly in rage!
[He must not allow Fan Jin to open his mouth to reveal all the things that really happened on that day or.....]
[Everything will be over for him!]
"Guards! Apprehend this unfilial son who cold bloodedly murdered the Headmaster at once!" Ning Rui shouted, trembling in seemingly barely controlled rage, but was in actuality from deep fear.
However, nobody in the Zephyr Academy moved a muscle. Everyone just had their eyes shifting between Ning Rui and the Fan brothers.
If it had been before Fan Zhuo's return, Ning Rui's shouted orders would have the guards all rushing forward immediately. But with Fan Zhuo's reappearance today, the situation had changed somewhat.
Although Fan Qi was dead, but according to the academy's rules, the position of Headmaster would be succeeded by Fan Qi's son. If they were to base it on their previous understanding, the position would be handed down to Fan Zhuo. But Fan Zhuo had suddenly clearly announced before everyone today that Fan Jin was actually Fan Qi's biological son. This..... had caused everyone to suddenly be at a loss as to how they were to react to the situation.
For the position of Headmaster, would Fan Jin kill his own biological father? What was he after?
Without getting a response from anyone, Ning Rui grew even more anxious. He did not know how Fan Zhuo and Fan Jin had come to meet each other, but seeing the two brothers standing together on the same side without any animosity, he was getting endlessly more frantic!
Before Fan Zhuo reappeared, Ning Rui had intended to use his position as the Acting Headmaster to deal with Fan Jin. But now that Fan Zhuo had come back, his word was no longer the absolute law in the Zephyr Academy!
"Why would Uncle Ning be so anxious to silence me? Are you very shocked to see me perfectly fine now? What are you afraid of? Afraid that I will tell the truth behind my father's death to everyone within the Zephyr Academy? Or are you afraid that I will tell them that you and Gu Ying are actually the real murderers who murdered my father?!" Fan Jin bright eyes narrowed slightly as he did those words, his smile on his face disappearing without a trace, and the expression on his face turned into one of intense hatred!
Fan Jin's accusations caused a tumultuous uproar to spread through the square their eyes questioning and accusing as they looked at Ning Rui.
[The Vice Headmaster and Gu Ying are the real killers! ?]
[What is going on here! ?]
The gazes directed at them from all directions that made Ning Rui bathe in cold sweat, his face awash in white, and his breaths coming in short sharp gasps.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting! Fan Qi was as close as a brother to me, why would I ever dream of harming him!? It was obviously you! You coveted the Headmaster's seat and committed such a heinous deed!" Ning Rui hollered in rage.
"I coveted after the Headmaster's seat? Ha ha, what a joke! Don't tell me Uncle Ning is getting old and his ears are not working too well anymore. Didn't you hear what Little Zhuo said earlier clearly?" Fan Jin said, his eyes looking frostily at Ning Rui, his mouth twisted in a sneer. "I am my father's biological son and the position of Headmaster would have been mine sooner or later. So, why would I need to do something so drastic as that? That would not only raise endless suspicions and it would also brand me as a traitorous murderer! Moreover, even if I really had such intentions, would I choose to do it when Gongcheng Lei was standing guard outside? And wait obediently inside to await arrest? Ning Rui, do you really think everybody under the Heavens are all idiots?"
Chapter 729: Eighth Slap (10)
Ning Rui could not find the words to refute Fan Jin's words.
It was true, Ning Rui had only been able to pin the crime of being the murderer onto Fan Jin based on two prerequisites. One was Fan Jin's position as the adopted son and the second was that Fan Jin had lost his mind and would not be able to dispute any of his claims.
But now, the two points that Ning Rui had based his accusation on had now disappeared into the wind. If Ning Rui were to persist in using these excuses to wrongly accuse Fan Jin, he would only make others find it laughable.
Fan Jin's voice resounded like a bell and all the disciples and the other teachers of the Zephyr Academy all heard him clearly. That voice was filled with rage and tinged with a little bit of ridicule, sounding like Fan Jin had just heard a good joke.
But the message the words brought to them, however, struck them like a bolt, and all of them were suddenly awakened to the truth.
Yes, if Fan Jin was truly Fan Qi's biological son, there would have no good reason for Fan Jin to kill Fan Qi to covet the position of the Headmaster.
Moreover, on the day that Fan Jin had supposedly killed Fan Qi, he had immediately been caught by Gongcheng Lei at the scene and Fan Jin had not said a single word to dispute what he was accused of. The sight of the bloody crime scene with Ning Rui's and his men's statements had convinced the disciples and teachers who had been overwhelmed with shock at that time, and they had believed too easily that Fan Jin was the murderer.
But here today, Fan Jin's words had exposed all the suspicious points in Ning Rui's verdict before everyone's eyes.
For a position that had him standing readily next in line to succeed, he was accused of killing his own father for it, and he had not make any plans for his escape causing him to be caught on the spot. Right after being caught, he had conveniently lost his mind after that and did not offer a single word in his own defence. All of this put together did not sound the least bit like the folly an ambitious and covetous son who harboured malicious intent in his heart would commit in his devious scheme!
With the string of illogical occurrences put together, the crime Fan Jin was being accused of was becoming more and more doubtful!
"Ning Rui, all the efforts you have put into this was obviously just to get rid of all three members of the Fan Family! You got Gu Ying to kill my father, and asked him to strike me hard enough to make me lose my mind and rendering me unable to speak up in my own defence, easily branding me the coldblooded murderer of my father on me. You have instructed Gongcheng Lei to hide drugs in Little Zhuo's food over the years causing him to needlessly suffer the agonising torment of his illness triggered by your actions! The one that is really seeking to usurp the position of Headmaster was never me, Fan Jin. But it had always been you, Ning Rui!"
"You instructed Ning Xin to scheme to harm me in the Battle Spirits Forest but that failed and she instead audaciously plotted against the people from the Rui Lin Army and the Cloud Treading Peak. In order to protect Ning Xin, I pleaded for my father to hide the truth of the matter and expelled Lu Wei Xie and the others in an attempt to appease the Rui Lin Army's and Cloud Treading Peak's rage. My father had relented based on his long relationship with you as fellow disciples and chose to suffer the admonishment to his name in order to cover for Ning Xin. But in the end, you as her father, had chosen to save yourself and allowed your own daughter to be slowly killed before your own eyes, dying a slow tormenting and lingering death. After that, you had instead shifted the blame and developed an intense hatred for the three of us of the Fan Family! Ning Rui! Has your conscience been eaten up by the dogs! ?" Fan Jin was becoming more and more furious as he spoke and his face had turned bright red, his eyes bloodshot!
He stared like a angry demon at Ning Rui, looking like he would pounce on Ning Rui any moment and eat him up alive;.
"When has my father ever done anything against you? He had never once doubted you and had never been wary of whatever you did. He ate and drank with you sharing the same table, but he had never once thought that his own junior fellow disciple would be the one responsible for sending him into the afterlife, the same beast that seeked to exterminate his bloodline!"
Fan Jin's words was like a huge rock that smashed onto Ning Rui. Ning Rui's face turned from white to green, and his mind suddenly went blank. When he first saw Fan Jin made his appearance and looking completely recovered, he knew deep down inside that the game was up. And now that Fan Jin was unhesitatingly revealing everything that had happened before all the disciples of the Zephyr Academy, Ning Rui saw that everything was over for him!
The murder of Fan Qi and the framing of the crime onto Fan Jin was not completely thought out in the first place. With Fan Jin having miraculously recovered suddenly, it would only require a little explanation and the real truth would be revealed!
Chapter 730: "Eighth Slap (11)"
With Fan Jin cornering him with every statement he made, Ning Rui had nowhere else to run. He saw that the gazes the disciples and teachers of the Zephyr Academy were giving him were all filled with disbelief and contempt. It was obvious that they had all begun to believe Fan Jin's words.
After all, from the moment that Fan Zhuo had revealed Fan Jin's real identity, the reasoning he had used to accuse Fan Jin of murdering Fan Qi as he coveted the Headmaster's position had already been overturned!
Added to that, Fan Jin's sharp and precise explanation of the events had made all the others seen that even if Fan Jin wanted to kill Fan Qi, he would not have planned it so poorly to allow himself to be so easily caught at it!
They had been father and son and Fan Jin had always had a close relationship with Fan Qi, which further proved that Fan Jin did not have a good reason to kill Fan Qi.
Ning Rui on the other hand.....
Ning Xin's prior fate was common knowledge and everyone had even greatly praised Ning Rui having righteously punished even his own daughter in the name of justice. But now it only seems that Ning Rui had had no other choice at that moment!
The dagger stares that everyone was throwing upon him made Ning Rui sweat profusely. Gongcheng Lei who was standing beside him had turned deathly pale as he looked anxiously at Fan Jin, thinking how much Fan JIn still remembered of that day's events, and whether Fan Jin remembered that he had colluded with Ning Rui.....
Ning Rui realised that with the way things stood at that moment, no matter how much he twisted the facts, he would not be able to dispute his involvement in the matter anymore!
At Fan Jin's side, was Fan Zhuo. As long as Fan Zhuo was there and continued to bear witness and affirm Fan Jin's identity, any argument that he put up further would only make him be seen as a clown.
Ning Rui's fists were clenched tightly, unable to accept the fact that his life would soon be finished here. He had been just a step away from concluding the whole issue and he had only needed to bring the disciples of the Zephyr Academy to the Heaven's End Cliff. Gu Ying would not have bothered him after that and he would have been able to continue his position as the Headmaster of the Zephyr Academy. Even if all the Zephyr Academy's disciples and teachers were lost in the expedition, he could have easily promoted the disciples from the branch division up and in a few years, he would have been able to make the Zephyr Academy regain its status as one of the top academies throughout the land! He could have been the much envied Headmaster of a prestigious Zephyr Academy!
The status and position he had longed for his entire life had been right before his eyes and was almost within his grasp. But all that had been dashed by two young kids in their teens and upset all his plans, crushing his dreams!
How could Ning Rui not hate them!?
But now, they was no way he could turn things around anymore, but only.....
Ning Rui's turned and fixed his venomous eyes onto the thoughtful Gu Ying at the side, a vicious malice came into his eyes and they suddenly flashed brightly.
[So what if Fan Jin has been cleared of his crime? So what if his own evil intentions had been exposed before everybody?]
[All these people in the Zephyr Academy had not long more to live anyway. When they reach the Heaven's End Cliff, they will all die there anyway. And nobody will know a thing about the events that occurred here today!]
"Gu Ying, do you still want these people to go down the Heaven's End Cliff?" Ning Rui asked in a low voice, whispering to Gu Ying beside him.
Gu Ying had been trying to ascertain if Jun Xie was in the horse carriage when he suddenly heard Ning Rui's words. He frowned slightly and ask: "What? Are you going to back out?"
Ning Rui laughed instead and said: "I'm not going back on my word, but there are people here trying to disrupt our plans and since you had intended to get rid of all three members of the Fan Family all along, and the two we had initially missed out have now presented themselves before us. Aren't they being very thoughtful to save us a lot of time looking for them?"
Gu Ying raised an eyebrow and simply replied: "If you wish for them to be dead, I can just kill them anyway."
He had no interest in Fan Zhuo and Fan Jin at that moment. The only thing he wanted to know was where the one who had repeatedly outsmarted him, Jun Xie was!
Having gotten Gu Ying to agree, Ning Rui was finally able to feel a little more relieved. His expression no longer showed fear. As long as all these people were dead, then, nobody would ever find out about all his insidious deeds, and he would be able to still be the Headmaster he had always dreamed of!