Chapter 950: Ingrate
"Called for you?"
Looking at the Goldenleaf King, who was going to interrogate them, the mouths of the master teachers twitched uncontrollably.
We were talking about the conflict between the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Lu Feng, who in the world called for you?
Can you stop being so narcissistic?
Lu Feng’s eyes also began flying around the place.
Who in the world would call for you given that ugly face you have?
Just as he was about to speak, the tall and ugly fellow walked over and said, "I was just thinking about how I should explain it to you all, but since you have already recognized me, I guess there’s no longer any need."
Walking up to the master teachers, the ugly fellow stretched his hands forward to release the shackles binding them.
"What are you doing?" Everyone leaped in shock, alarmed by the other party’s actions.
Explain?
Recognized?
Recognized your head! We are righteous master teachers! We have never come into contact with any Otherworldly Demons before, so don’t you act chummy with us! Who in the hell knows you?
Seeing the master teachers acting warily around him despite clearly knowing his true identity, the Otherworldly Demon scratched his head in confusion.
"What am I doing? How are you going to leave if I don’t release your shackles?"
Naturally, the Otherworldly Demon was Zhang Xuan in disguise.
When he heard someone calling his name before entering, he couldn’t help but feel a little perplexed. Thus, he pushed open the door to take a look, and when he realized that the one who was speaking was Lu Feng, he immediately realized what had happened.
The other party must have recognized him and was currently explaining things to the others in his stead.
Why else would they have said his name in such a desperate situation?
Even though he was perplexed as to how Lu Feng was able to recognize him, this did work in his favor. There was no time for him to explain, and he had no idea how to do so either!
"Leave? What do you mean?"
"If you wish to kill us, so be it! Don’t even think that we will be so foolish as to fall for your ploy!"
"Scram, the likes of you aren’t worthy of touching our shackles!"
"We came to the Subterranean Gallery knowing that death will eventually befall us. Don’t even think that you can win us over with such cheap ploys!"
Seeing that the Otherworldly Demon was attempting to set them free, the group harrumphed coldly.
Incongruous actions could only mean that treacherous intentions were hidden beneath the exterior. Just from the shameless face the other party had, they were certain that he wasn’t a good person.
To try to buy them over with such trivial acts, wasn’t the other party looking down on the dignity of master teachers a little too much?
Facing the looks of disbelief of the group before him, treating him as if he was a villain, Zhang Xuan exclaimed anxiously, "I am here to save you!"
Weren’t you speaking up for me a moment ago? Why are all of you snubbing me now?
"Save us? An Otherworldly Demon King like you would be so kind as to save us?"
"To intend to win our hearts over using such a cheap ploy, aren’t you making light of us?"
The master teachers sneered coldly.
"I..."
Not expecting to be misunderstood in such a manner, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly before turning to School Head Lu Feng. "School Head Lu, even if they don’t they believe me, surely you trust me, right?"
As he spoke, his body jolted as his muscles began contracting with creaking sounds, reverting back to its original look.
"I am Zhang Xuan."
"Zhang Xuan?"
Lu Feng was stunned for a moment before his eyes widened in astonishment, and his body stiffened in horror. His shock gradually turned into rage as he roared ferociously, "You... As I expected, you are an Otherworldly Demon King! I shall kill you right now!"
Back then, Zhang Xuan’s teacher had offered an extremely rational explanation to the various peculiarities surrounding Zhang Xuan, and this had left Lu Feng feeling extremely regretful that he had nearly prematurely terminated the journey of a talented master teacher. Out of sheer remorse for his deeds, he had chosen to head to this wretched land in hopes of repenting for his sin with his life.
He had thought that this death would cleanse him of his sins, but who would have thought that just as he was on the brink of death, he would see an Otherworldly Demon King morphing into Zhang Xuan’s form!
In other words, that fellow had deceived all of the school heads and him!
"You have misunderstood." Zhang Xuan clearly hadn’t expected that reverting back to his original form would deepen the misunderstanding the others had of him. Thus, he hurriedly explained, "I really am not an Otherworldly Demon. I am a master teacher, and I came here specially to save you all."
Peng!
But before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a powerful force blasting toward him. Turning around, he saw an elder sending a kick toward his back.
With a nimble side step, Zhang Xuan dodged the attack as his face darkened in displeasure. "What are you doing?"
He had come here to save them out of goodwill, yet they had actually attempted to assault him from behind. They were getting overboard.
It was fortunate that they were severely injured and their cultivation had been sealed, or else even Zhang Xuan would have had a tough time dealing with an abrupt assault from a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert.
"I have long heard that the Otherworldly Demon Kings are able to disguise themselves as humans perfectly, such that even master teachers are unable to tell them apart. However, I truly never expected for one to actually successfully sneak into the Master Teacher Academy and even become its principal!" one of the elders roared furiously.
"Now that I know the truth, I will bring you down today even at the expense of my old life!"
"We must kill him by all cost..."
"As the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he has access to countless secrets of mankind. If he reports them back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind will be in peril."
...
The many master teachers stood up and surrounded Zhang Xuan. Their eyes were crimson with rage, and if looks could kill, the man before them would have been torn to shreds that very instant.
It had just been a moment earlier that they had wondered if that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon King, and the very next moment, a huge Otherworldly Demon morphed into the latter’s form.
The truth couldn’t have been any clearer to them at that very moment!
It was one thing for an Otherworldly Demon to have infiltrated the Master Teacher Academy, but to become its principal on top of that... Who knew how many secrets of mankind he had leaked out to the Otherworldly Demons already? As master teachers, they would never be able to forgive themselves if he was allowed to do as he pleased.
Lu Feng was also on the verge of erupting in anger.
He had thought that Zhang Xuan, as the disciple of Yang Xuan, a Celestial Master Teacher, couldn’t possibly be an Otherworldly Demon, but having seen the Otherworldly Demons obey his words and him morphing from an Otherworldly Demon into a human...
To think that they, master teachers, would be made fools of by the Otherworldly Demons. Frustrated and furious, he clenched his fists tightly as his teeth creaked under the immense pressure of his clenched jaw.
How he hated the fact that he hadn’t been more forceful in exposing the other party’s identity back then! If only that had been the case, perhaps they wouldn’t have found themselves in such a disastrous situation.
"You misunderstand; I am human!" Noticing the rage boiling amid the crowd, as if they were going to devour him whole, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked his wrist, and the Byzantium Helios Beast swiftly appeared before him.
"You should recognize him, right? This is the righteous tamed beast of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios Beast. There is no way he could possibly submit to an Otherworldly Demon..."
But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Lu Feng abruptly stood up and roared, "Everyone, don’t listen to him! It’s due to this that I erroneously trusted him, thus bringing crisis upon the Master Teacher Academy. You must be daydreaming if you think that the same tricks will work on me once more!"
Another two more master teachers stood up.
"Indeed, we can’t trust his words. I saw with my own eyes how he commanded the Otherworldly Demons previously!"
"On top of that, the killing intent he exuded was condensed and powerful; at the very least, he must be a King among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Furthermore, I clearly heard with my own ears that the other Otherworldly Demons called him Goldenleaf King!"
Facing the master teachers who were completely convinced with their judgement, Zhang Xuan’s complexion turned incredibly ugly.
Had their cultivation not been sealed, they would have surely pounced forward to kill him on the spot.
What the heck was this?
He had gone there to save them, and it was one thing for the other party to doubt his kind intentions, but to be misunderstood as an Otherworldly Demon on top of that...
If they didn’t believe him, there was no way he would be able to lead them to safety even if he were to free their shackles!
The situation was truly getting out of hand.
On top of that, it isn’t safe for me to reveal my identity as a Celestial Master Teacher here. Zhang Xuan felt frenzied.
There were simply far too many Otherworldly Demons in the area, and they had each reached Saint realm. If he were to attempt to reveal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, there was no doubt that it would catch their attention. If so, not only would he be unable to save the master teachers, he could very well die there as well.
It was to conceal this news from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he had chosen to keep it hidden as long as possible. Once news spread, endless trouble and assassinations would surely come his way. By then, not only him, but the safety of those around him would be at stake as well!
However, if he didn’t reveal this identity, it would be nigh impossible for him to reverse the prejudice these master teachers had of him and convince them to leave with him!
Incredibly vexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Lu Feng and urged with a nearly pleading tone, "Lu Feng, I am really a master teacher. I have come here to save you."
"I know that you are master teacher, but I also know that you are an Otherworldly Demon King!" Lu Feng sneered coldly. "Trying to deceive me once more? Dream on!"
"I..."
Seeing the sharp hostility in the other party’s eyes, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel frenzied.
Why did it seem like the situation was getting worse with his explanation?
With these master teachers antagonistic against him, what was he to do?
...
While Zhang Xuan was at a loss as to how he should clarify the situation, in the main hall where Tong Yue was seated in, a silhouette flashed across the room. The Otherworldly Demon that had left a while ago had returned hurriedly.
"Leader... Our King has arrived!"
"King? What King?" Tong Yue was taken aback by the abrupt news.
"His Highness, Greenleaf King!" the Otherworldly Demon swiftly replied.
"Greenleaf King? His Highness has arrived?" Tong Yue was astonished.
They were subordinates of the Greenleaf King, and the reason they had captured those master teachers was to offer them as tributes to breach the seal so that their King could come over. Who could have known their King would have already come over even though they hadn’t done anything yet?
"That’s right!" The Otherworldly Demon nodded.
"Hurry up and bring me to him! I have to welcome him." Not daring to hesitate in the slightest, Tong Yue quickly made his way out.
Just as he arrived at the door, he saw the Greenleaf King walking in with another middle-aged man, chatting with smiles on their faces.
Stepping forward, he kneeled onto the ground and bowed deeply. "Tong Yue pays respect to Your Highness!"
The Greenleaf King smiled in satisfaction. "Un, well done. This base is indeed big enough to house an army of a hundred thousand!"
The Greenleaf King boasted a physique even larger than Tong Yue, and his face was pale and devoid of any facial hair. There was an air of valiance between his brows, which granted him an authoritative aura, reminiscent of a person who held great power.
The killing intent that emanated from his body felt so concentrated that it seemed almost tangible. Just a look at him, and one would suddenly feel as if one had descended upon a harsh battlefield with death lingering just around the corner.
"Your Highness, I am honored by your compliments!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Tong Yue thanked him before discreetly turning his gaze to the middle-aged man beside the Greenleaf King.
The other party’s physique was slightly shorter and smaller than his King’s, but there was an air of coldness around him that left one shivering.
The middle-aged man surveyed the surroundings for a moment before remarking nonchalantly, "This base is indeed well-built, and it is located in close proximity to the seal. However, the mountains in the surroundings make it easy for enemy soldiers to conceal themselves in the area, and that will place us in a dangerous position!"
"This..." Unsure of the other party’s identity, Tong Yue had no idea what to make of the other party’s remarks, so he turned a doubtful gaze to the Greenleaf King to seek his opinion.
"Yin Shou is an expert on this field, so worry not and heed his words!" the Greenleaf King said.
"Yes!" Tong Yue turned to the middle-aged man, clasped his fist, and bowed deeply. "Lord, may I know what kind of changes should be made?"
"Simple. You just have to move these mountains away. The area within a hundred li radius of our camp should be completely flat so that we will have an unhindered view of the surroundings," the middle-aged man said.
"Move these mountains away?" Tong Yue’s mouth twitched.
The mountains within the Subterranean Gallery weren’t too tall, but they extended far into the distance. Even with everyone on the job, it would be an arduous task, requiring at least a month or two at the very minimum.
"Send someone to do it and accomplish it as soon as possible!"
Noting the expression on Tong Yue’s face, the Greenleaf King chuckled. "Right, I forgot to introduce to you. Brother Yin possesses great fame, so you must have heard of him before as well. He is a member of our Ten Kings of Qingtian...
"... the Goldenleaf King!"