Chapter 24: The Passionate Ye Xin

"Third Prince, I'm fine," Ye Ling managed a forced smile.

"Call me Third Brother," Tie Shudeng laughed. "How many times have I told you? You never seem to change."

Before Ye Ling could reply, a gloomy voice drifted over. "Third Brother, you see Ye Ling, but can't you see me?"

Tie Shudeng slowly turned around. The speaker was Tie Renhao. He frowned, "Of course I see you. What is it? Do you want something from me?"

"What do I want?" Tie Renhao drew a deep breath, then roared, "Ye Xin wants to kill me!"

Tie Shudeng was a little surprised and glanced at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin shrugged. "Third Brother, you can't blame me. Ling'er and I were just heading into the academy, then this fellow came charging at me, yelling to fight and kill. So I had my family guards teach him a little lesson."

"You're spouting nonsense!" Tie Renhao roared. He had ample reason to shout—the so-called 'little lesson' was nothing less than Haofei trying to kill him. But to spar verbally with Ye Xin, he was leagues behind.

"Oh Tie Renhao, Tie Renhao, I thought you were rough and unreasonable, fierce and domineering, but at least a warrior. I never imagined you'd stoop so low, to deny what you just did. Do you think you can deny it?" Ye Xin wore a mocking smile. "Wasn't it you who first came at me, Ling'er stood in front of me, and you said we should both die together, right?"

"You... that's nonsense..." Tie Renhao's mind struggled to keep up. His main argument was that Ye Xin had ordered his guards to kill him, but Ye Xin twisted it into who struck first, leaving Tie Renhao momentarily at a loss for rebuttal.

"So many people saw, Tie Renhao, and you still want to argue?" Ye Xin said, sweeping his gaze around. "Fellow students, I know I'm not much better than that guy, not exactly a good person, but that doesn't mean you can turn truth upside down just because I'm not a good person. I was simply entering the academy, but he came charging out, shouting to fight and kill, so of course I had to protect myself!"

The surrounding students whispered amongst themselves. What Ye Xin said was true—they'd only gathered after hearing Tie Renhao's shouts.

"You... you..." Tie Renhao seethed. Ye Xin, by debasing himself, had dragged Tie Renhao down with him—neither was a good person, so both must be bad. The problem was, Ye Xin's infamous reputation preceded him, but Tie Renhao wanted to be a man of honor; how could he let himself be compared to Ye Xin?

"I'll put it simply. Yes, I've done plenty of bad things in the past, but my father was alive then, I had someone to rely on, so naturally I was a bit more unruly than other children. I knew no matter how much trouble I caused, my father would try to protect me." Ye Xin paused, his face clouded with sorrow. "But what do I have now? What does the Ye family have? When I see the Fifth Prince, I want nothing more than to avoid him—I can't afford to provoke him. But he won't let me go. What am I supposed to do?"

Hearing this, the students were moved. Yes, Ye Xin had bullied many, but none of them. Those who hated Ye Xin were mostly scions of noble families, all within their own circles.

Because it didn't concern them, the students' dislike for Ye Xin wasn't deep. Now that Ye Xin again debased himself, painting himself as a stray dog, and invoked Wolf Commander Ye Guanhai, he instantly aroused their sympathy.

After all, everyone in the Kingdom of Dawei knew that Ye Guanhai had once won many battles. Without him, Dawei might not exist.

Tie Renhao's face grew stiff. His intelligence was inversely proportional to his strength. Not only had the students been persuaded, but even he was caught in Ye Xin's logic. Yes... Ye Xin was so pitiful, was it really right to give him a beating? No, no! At last Tie Renhao snapped awake—he absolutely couldn't side with Ye Xin. Before he could speak, Ye Xin's shout rang out.

"But don't forget, I'm Ye Xin! Ye blood runs in my veins!" Ye Xin pounded his chest, roaring, "I know I've done wrong, I'm sorry to you all, so I avoid you, give way to you, but if you won't let up, always want to make trouble for me, then I'll fight to the end! Even a cornered dog will jump the wall—life for life! Who's afraid of whom?!"

"Well said!" a student suddenly shouted.

"That's right, real backbone!"

"Now that's a man!"

The students around began to clamour. In fact, they weren't giving Ye Xin respect, but offering heartfelt reverence for Dawei's former war god.

Tie Renhao was confused again. What was happening? If it were Third Prince Tie Shudeng rallying the crowd, that'd be normal. But Ye Xin? Who was he to win such support?

Tears glimmered in Ye Ling's eyes as she stared at Ye Xin, deeply moved.

Xue Baiqi and Haofei stood motionless, like monks in meditation, though their hearts were bursting with amusement. When Ye Xin first joined the Heaven's Wrath Battalion, he could bluff them round and round. To spar words with Ye Xin was pure folly. Every warrior in the battalion believed Ye Xin's tongue was worth ten thousand soldiers. Mister Ghost once joked: "Want to kill Ye Xin? Very simple. Just surround him and unleash your life skills—whatever you do, don't let him speak. If he opens his mouth, the situation will turn absurd, bizarre, and unstoppable."

"Shut up!" Tie Renhao shouted with all his might.

"You should shut up!" Tie Shudeng barked back, unceremoniously. He had listened long enough to understand what had happened. After a brief pause, he turned to Ye Xin. "Xin, when did you come back?"

"Yesterday," Ye Xin answered.

"What are you doing at Longteng Martial Academy today?" Tie Shudeng asked.

"What else? Of course to study at the academy." Ye Xin's passionate mood finally calmed. His voice quivered slightly. "I know I lack the talent to cultivate, but I'm not resigned… so I want to try one last time. Maybe a miracle will happen… who knows?"

Others could let it pass, but Deng Duojie felt as if she'd swallowed a fly; disgust churned in her stomach. The morning's events were vivid in her mind—Ye Xin hadn't wanted to come to Longteng Martial Academy, but bowed to Deng Qiaoying's pressure. Now he spoke with such lofty pretense… Could he be any more shameless?

"You just returned yesterday, today you want to enter the academy, and then you happened to run into Fifth Brother? Quite the coincidence…" Tie Shudeng smiled, though his smile was cold. He then turned to Tie Renhao. "Fifth Brother, you came from over there?"

Tie Renhao was still glaring at Ye Xin, not paying attention to Tie Shudeng's words. Tie Huizhen beside him nodded. "Yes, Third Brother."

"That's very interesting," Tie Shudeng said quietly. "You could have entered the academy through the side doors—there are two. Why come to the main gate?"

Tie Huizhen hesitated. "Sister Deng told us to come to the main gate, said there was something to discuss."

"Oh..." Tie Shudeng drew out the word, then looked at Deng Duojie.

Deng Duojie never expected to be exposed at such a critical moment. She was flustered, her face pale.

"Cousin, so this is your handiwork!" Ye Ling said, each word icy cold.

Ye Ling was clever—she'd assumed it was coincidence, but Tie Shudeng's questioning revealed the truth.

"Ling'er, I don't know what you're talking about," Deng Duojie frowned.

"So that's how it is… Miss Deng wanted to teach Ye Xin a lesson, but couldn't do it herself, so she called the Fifth Prince," a student whispered.

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" another agreed. "The Fifth Prince has a grudge against Ye Xin—using him as a knife, there's no better choice."

"What grudge does the Fifth Prince have with Ye Xin?" another asked.

"Don't tell me you don't know? I've only been at the academy two years, and even I know. I heard the Fifth Prince was beaten up by Ye Xin nearly every day as a child."

"Dare to beat the Fifth Prince? That's insane!"

"I'm not insane, but you're blind. Didn't you see what just happened?"

"Ha… Back then, the Wolf Commander was still alive; the ruler had to give him some face."

The noise grew louder. Deng Duojie's face turned even paler. This time, she'd truly shot herself in the foot—exposing herself, and offending Tie Renhao and Tie Huizhen. Who likes to be used?

Inside the academy, Sun Meifang's expression was also dour. She racked her brains but couldn't think of a solution, nor dared to intervene, so she lurked at a distance.

"Some people, thinking themselves clever, believe they can treat the world as monkeys," Tie Shudeng sneered. "We're all about the same age, studied the same things—who's really smarter than whom? Heh… Last time, you tricked Father, causing a disaster. What, you want to play tricks again? Such people are contemptible, their hearts deserve condemnation!"

By the end, Tie Shudeng's tone was severe. Deng Duojie's body trembled involuntarily, yet she dared not speak.

This time, using Tie Renhao to deal with Ye Xin was a minor matter. Even if word reached the palace, people would laugh it off, saying children are often rash, and it would pass. But the matter Tie Shudeng left unsaid—if it came to light, it might well turn bloody.

"Xin, pay them no mind. Let's go in," Tie Shudeng said, reaching out to clasp Ye Xin's shoulder.

"Third Prince," Feng Qishan approached.

"Dean Feng, I haven't graduated yet; I'm still a student. I don't dare accept the title 'Prince,'" Tie Shudeng replied hurriedly.

"The Prince humbles me," Feng Qishan sighed. "But… shouldn't you be serving in the army? Why have you returned?"