<h4>Chapter 1222: Exnation</h4>


    After Liu Yintong and the others left, it was strangely quiet. Although they acted very confidently when arguing with Zhuo Sheng earlier, they knew that Chu Yue had be someone they couldn’t offend since he was now under Rong Xiu’s protection. However, it just so happened that they ‘offended’ him a while back. Even they themselves had no idea what their lives in the academy would be like in the future.


    Gong Sheng felt especially depressed and annoyed. As he was walking next to Liu Yintong, he could see her tightly knitted eyebrows if he so much as slightly turned his face toward her. She seemed to be somewhat distracted and lost in thought as she walked forward.


    He, of course, knew what was on her mind, and that was the reason why he felt all the more miserable.?<i>It must be because of him!</i>


    He felt angrier the more he thought about it, and it was like his anger was about to burst out from his pounding chest. Finally, when he couldn’t contain his anger anymore, he looked back and said to the rest, “You guys go ahead first. I have something to say to Ah Tong.”


    The others didn’t dare to say or ask anything when they saw how dark his expression was, and they just quickly took off.


    Soon, it was just the two of them left.


    Liu Yintong stared at Gong Sheng in bafflement. “What’s wrong?”


    Gong Sheng tried his best to hold his anger back. “Ah Tong, you’re still thinking about Rong Xiu, right?!”


    A sh of panic appeared in Liu Yintong’s eyes, and she quickly averted her gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”


    Gong Sheng’s pitch rose. “Isn’t that so? I bet you’ve been thinking about how you can go up and talk to him ever since he came back to the academy! You’re so smitten with him, but unfortunately, he probably doesn’t even remember what you look like! Must you do this to yourself, Ah Tong?!”


    Liu Yintong’s countenance darkened. “I was just thinking about Chu Yue. You—”


    “Chu Yue? Chu Yue?! He probably wouldn’t have even crossed your mind if he didn’t have a connection with Rong Xiu!” Gong Sheng knew her too well. Even though Rong Xiu had left the academy a few years ago, he was still able to grab attention whenever he appeared, and that attention came from Liu Yintong as well.


    Liu Yintong looked away and exined, “I’m just feeling a bit regretful. I shouldn’t have offended Chu Yue back then! Now that he has Rong Xiu behind him, I—”


    “What are you regretting? What’s there to be afraid of? You’re afraid that he’ll talk bad about you in front of Rong Xiu? Given Rong Xiu’s temperament, do you really think he cares about that? We’re nobodies to him. It doesn’t matter what trash Chu Yue says to him about you.” Gong Sheng scoffed. He didn’t think Rong Xiu would take the trouble to get revenge on them just to help Chu Yue vent his anger. “Let me put it this way: Even if you manage to butter Chu Yue up into singing your praises in front of Rong Xiu, he won’t spare you a second nce.”


    The more Gong Sheng said, the darker Liu Yintong’s countenance was. It got to the point that her fists were both tightly clenched, and her body was trembling slightly.


    “Don’t forget that he already has a princess consort!”


    <i>p!</i>


    Liu Yintong delivered a hard p to Gong Sheng’s face, which turned red and swollen immediately.


    “I know all that! I didn’t need your lecture!” Her face was scrunched up in anger, and her lips were pale as she turned around to leave.


    Gong Sheng instinctively moved to follow her, but he stopped as soon as he took his first step. A hint of pain shed in his eyes as he watched her walk further and further away from him. In the end, he walked off in another direction.


    …


    When Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng arrived outside the mountain where Rong Xiu was staying, they realized that a crowd was already gathered there.


    Everyone was looking toward Jiuheng Peak with shock and curiosity. Clearly, they had alsoe after hearing the rumors.


    Whispers could be heard from the crowd. “Is it true that Rong Xiu will be mentoring Chu Yue?”


    “Of course, it is! Many people saw theming back together just now! It seems that Chu Yue will be staying at Rong Xiu’s ce for some time!”


    “Eh? Isn’t Rong Xiu known to be aloof, arrogant, and unapproachable? Howe he’s suddenly willing to mentor a freshman?”


    “I heard that Chu Yue took a blow for Rong Xiu… Could that be the reason why?”


    “Tsk, tsk. Rong Xiu is the Sky-Cloud Empire’s saint. People will flock to die for him as long as he gives the order. Why would he value Chu Yue so much for something so trivial? From what I heard… Both of them actually knew each other long ago!”


    “What? For real?! Howe we’ve never heard about this before? I thought Chu Yue was just an ordinary person with no background!”


    “Pfft! There’s no way an ordinary person can have a red-tailed phoenix as their contracted fiend. Besides, which ordinary stage-seven warrior can defeat a stage-eight warrior? From Rong Xiu’s attitude, it’s not hard to tell that they knew each other long ago!”


    There were all sorts of spections from the crowd.


    Luo Shishi and Zhuo Sheng looked at one another. Strictly speaking, they knew nothing about Chu Yue’s background even though they were on close terms with him.


    “It looks like I have to ask that fe about this… He’s way too low profile if he really knows Rong Xiu on a personal level!” Zhuo Sheng stroked his chin.?<i>Had it been someone else, they would’ve spread the word to everyone on their first day of school!</i>


    Luo Shishi fell deep into thought.?<i>From the first time we met, I knew that Chu Yue had to be of extraordinary background from the way he carried himself. However, I didn’t expect him to know Rong Xiu. While other people might be still trying to guess the truth, I’m certain about it because neither Rong Xiu nor Chu Yue are the type of people to do that for a stranger. I bet they know each other very well!</i>


    Jiang Zhiyuan imed herself to be a childhood friend of Rong Xiu’s, and there were even rumors that she would be the Sky-Cloud Empire’s Princess Consort at one point. However, it was clear that she wasn’t important to Rong Xiu.


    It was different for Chu Yue, however. The fact that Rong Xiu was willing to spend his patience and energy to guide Chu Yue proved that thetter was much closer to him than Jiang Zhiyuan was.


    Nobody knew what sort of background Chu Yue had for him to be treated this way by Rong Xiu though. And since they couldn’t enter Jiuheng Peak, they naturally couldn’t find out what was going on inside as well.


    Just then, someone whispered, “Rong Xiu and Chu Yue have been inside for quite some time. Why aren’t they out yet?”


    …


    Isted from themotion outside, Rong Xiu and Chu Liuyue sat facing each other in the room.


    Chu Liuyue said, “I’ve followed you here. Can you exin it to me now?”