"What cicada?"
Huang Zhi subconsciously asked. But very soon, he returned to his senses and pointed to Chen Chao and shouted, "Who are you?! You're actually in Miss Xie's house!"
Seeing that Chen Chao's clothes was not an academy student's attire and seeing that he had a saber at his waist, he was even more certain that this youth in front of him was not an academy student. Since that was the case, how could he appear in the academy?
Furthermore, it was even in the courtyard of his beloved Miss Xie!
The two had just met for the first time and Huang Zhi already loathed this person in front of him to the extreme.
Chen Chao did not speak, there were already countless students by the lake who cast their line of sights over. Their current interest in this small courtyard was not because of Huang Zhi, but because of Chen Chao, and because he walked out of that Xie Family girl's courtyard. It naturally went without saying that it could attract countless people's concern.
The Xie Family girl had long already become a celebrity in this generation of students in the academy.
Looking around, he discovered that there were already quite a few students who were paying attention over here because of Huang Zhi's words. Chen Chao frowned slightly with some displeasure.
But since he knew that the cicada in springtime was not talking about him, Chen Chao was actually still very happy in the depths of his heart at this moment.
But he pondered for a little too long, making Huang Zhi feel uncomfortable. At this moment, this academy's student only took it as that the youth in front of him disdained to converse with him. Hence, his loathing of Chen Chao went up another level. Suppressing his anger, he stared at Chen Chao and said with emphasis on each word, "You're not an academy student. How can you appear here?!"
Chen Chao returned to his senses. Looking at this scholar in front of him, he asked, "You're an academy student?"
Huang Zhi was wearing the academy's uniform today. As long as others saw this uniform, they would naturally know his identity without needing to ask. But, this person in front of him actually still said this, which was asking while knowing the answer.
Huang Zhi gave a cold snort, "Of course."
When he said this, he said it with very strong pride. This pride was very obvious and very deliberate, showing that he did it on purpose.
He was telling Chen Chao that being an academy student was very impressive.
This kind of thing was naturally impressive in the Great Liang Dynasty.
Chen Chao nodded his head and seemed to be admiring greatly as he said, "So that's how it is, that's really amazing."
When he said this, the surrounding students already gathered around. Many people were looking at these two people.
Countless gazes landed at the courtyard entrance.
……
……
Xie Nandu who was sitting before the window asked, "What happened?"
Last night, she actually did not sleep all night and heard Huang Zhi's voice outside the door in the early morning. Regarding this guy who would practically come every day, her initial indifference already became the present annoyance. Otherwise, she would not have told Chen Chao previously that it was a little annoying even though summer was not here yet.
But today, she just heard one call and did not hear anything else. Only then, did she find it a little strange.
Liu Ye quickly ran out to take a look and ran back again very quickly before saying, "Miss, that guy started talking with that guy at the entrance."
The two guys in this sentence were both guys that she did not like. Hence, there was this strange-sounding sentence.
"They started talking?" Xie Nandu asked rather curiously, "Just talking and not cursing people?"
Liu Ye nodded and said, "Seems like that guy asked that guy if he's an academy student. That guy said that he was, then that guy..."
"Alright." Xie Nandu interrupted Liu Ye's talking with a frown and said, "Can't understand what you're talking about."
Xie Nandu instructed, "You go and take a look... forget it, I'll go and see for myself."
Xie Nandu got up, walked out of the house, and said, "Bring a chair into the courtyard and grab some dried fruits. Make it preserved fruits, those are sweet."
……
……
"Of course."
Guo Fengjie could not help but agree with it, which was also considered to be supporting his close friend.
But, Chen Chao did not even look at him and said with a slight smile, "Then may I ask what's your relationship with Miss Xie?"
Huang Zhi was taken aback. He frowned, but still said very quickly, "Classmates."
Studying together in the academy. Although Xie Nandu was presently the dean's disciple, there was no problem with him saying that they were classmates.
Chen Chao nodded his head and said, "So that's how it is."
Listening up to here, Huang Zhi did not know what medicine this youth was selling in his gourd. But, he already vaguely felt that something was not right, so he furrowed his brows and wanted to speak.
Before he could open his mouth, Chen Chao smiled again, "Since Young Master is an academy student, then you're naturally wealthy in knowledge and profoundly learned. I presently have two questions that I would like to request Young Master to elucidate. I wonder if Young Master can answer them?"
Before Huang Zhi had time to think about it, he saw that the girl he loved had already walked out and went to sit in the courtyard, looking over at the door.
"Ask away." Huang Zhi unconsciously straightened himself.
Chen Chao refrained from smiling and asked, "My first question, since Young Master is an academy student, do you know the academy's rules?"
"That's of course. We have all memorized the academy's rules when we joined, I naturally know them." Huang Zhi raised his head, thinking to himself: how can this stump me?
Chen Chao nodded his head. He did not care what he thought either and opened his mouth to ask, "Since you know the academy's rule, then can Young Master tell me if there's any article in the academy's rules that forbids outsiders from entering the academy?"
The moment this sentence came out, the students by the lake were all stupefied.
They originally thought that this youth who appeared from god knows where would ask those questions in the classics to make things difficult for Huang Zhi. But, they did not expect that he just asked the simplest question.
Someone remembered their conversation right at the start in front of the courtyard door.
At that time, Huang Zhi asked Chen Chao something: you aren't an academy student, how can you appear here?
Now, his question was questioning this sentence.
Huang Zhi's expression became ugly. He recalled the academy's rules very quickly in his mind, but he did not find one that forbade outsiders from entering the academy.
Actually, long before this, there were many outsiders in this academy. It was just that people like Huang Zhi had always subconsciously felt that the academy was a sacred place and should only allow the academy's students and teachers to enter.
It was only when this question picked out the problem, did it become a little troublesome.
Because the academy's rules were right there, no one could refute them.
Looking at Huang Zhi who had an ugly expression, Chen Chao pressed on, "Young Master please clarify my confusion."
Huang Zhi gritted his teeth. The answer was at the tip of his tongue, but he could not say it no matter what.
Chen Chao had a face full of worry as he said, "What's the matter? Does Young Master have anything that you find difficult to express?"
Huang Zhi's expression was ugly, but in the end, he still squeezed a few words out, "It doesn't say that."
Some mocking laughter sounded out by the lake. Those were all students who were at odds with Huang Zhi normally. Seeing this guy get deflated at this moment, they were naturally happy.
Chen Chao heard it too. It was just that he was not prepared to let Huang Zhi off just like this. He continued to ask, "My second question is, since this Young Master and Miss Xie are just classmates, then what does my appearance here... have to do with you?!"
His voice suddenly rose an octave and all the students by the lake could hear him clearly. Many people immediately became absentminded. How could they have imagined that this youth's second question would actually be so direct?
Was he exposing his relationship with the young girl in the courtyard?
But, that Xie Family's girl was already the dean's last disciple. Who were you?
When Xie Nandu who was currently sitting in the courtyard to watch the fun heard this, her face turned slightly red and she was a little happy.
Last time, she asked that boy whether he liked her or not and did not get an answer.
But, she was still very happy that he said that.
"Miss Xie and I are just classmates, but who are you?!" Huang Zhi gritted his teeth and stared fixedly at the youth in black in front of him.
What he wanted to ask was naturally not who the other party was. What he wanted to ask was actually: what qualification do you have to ask this?
Chen Chao naturally understood, so he smiled, "Is it your business who I am?"
This sentence sounded rather roguish, so it made Huang Zhi a little angry.
He was speechless with anger.
Chen Chao smiled slightly and said, "But, I can still tell you who I am. I'm the friend of that Miss Xie who's in the courtyard."
When he mentioned this, Huang Zhi naturally remembered that incident.
He only knew about that incident that set off a huge storm in the Divine Capital a few days ago by asking someone about it. Turns out that the girl he liked had been helping that young warden who came from Tianqing County all along.
The youth wearing black in front of him now was also carrying a saber.
"You're that warden?!"
Huang Zhi suddenly said, his expression ugly, "You killed foreign land cultivators without authorization! You should still be in the Court of Judicial Review's prison at this moment!"
He still did not know what happened yesterday, which was nothing special either. After all, not all news could spread so fast, let alone that he was just an ordinary student.
Some things could not be heard.
Many voices sounded out again by the lake. Two major things happened in the Divine Capital recently. The first was Xie Nandu acknowledging the dean as master. The second was the matter of Chen Chao killing cultivators without authorization. The two incidences were both not small, but because one was near and the other was distant, the academy only knew a little more about the former at this moment.
"That's right, this official is Tianqing County's warden." Chen Chao lifted his robes, revealing that waist token.
Chen Chao looked at Huang Zhi and said indifferently, "Do you think that the Court of Judicial Review's prison can be entered and exited at will?"
This sentence was already answering Huang Zhi.
Huang Zhi was stunned. Previously, he spoke from extreme anger. He only reacted at this moment. If not for that the Court of Judicial Review judged this youth as innocent, how could he possibly leave?
Chen Chao looked at Huang Zhi and shook his head, "Looking at you, you're not as good as those demons that this official has killed before."
This sentence sounded somewhat contemptuous and it even compared Huang Zhi to demons. It crushed his last shred of reasoning all at once.
"Uncouth martial artist!"
He just happened to see the saber at Chen Chao's waist when he was overwhelmed with anger and this sentence blurted out.
It was just that when he said this, regardless of whether was it Guo Fengjie who was beside him, or the many students by the lake, they all frowned at this moment.
Uncouth martial artist, these few words could come out of the mouths of foreign cultivators, but they could not come out of their mouths.
There were many martial artists in the Great Liang Dynasty's government and the public.
That great general at the northern frontier was a martial artist. But he had resisted demons in the northern frontier army for many years and gave his all for the Great Liang Dynasty. Could it be that he was an uncouth martial artist too?
That Warden of the Great Liang Dynasty was a martial artist too. He was currently in the Divine Capital, could he be called an uncouth martial artist too?
Most importantly, the Great Liang Dynasty's emperor was a martial artist too...
"Uncouth martial artist?"
Chen Chao raised his brows as if he heard a very interesting statement.
He looked at Huang Zhi thoughtfully and narrowed his eyes, "Martial artists are uncouth? Are you scholars impressive?"
He said these two sentences with strange emotions.
Huang Zhi frowned, also realizing his slip of the tongue. But at this moment, so many people were looking at him here, he could not open his mouth.
Chen Chao smiled and did not speak.
It was just that the sheathed broken saber at his waist arrived in his hand at god knows when and he swung the saber out along with its sheathe.
Huang Zhi lost his balance and flew straight out, falling heavily into the lake.
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