Chapter 44: Peace Is Not Begged For
Chapter 44: Peace Is Not Begged For
As a fourth-rank Golden Body Expert, Zhao Tianping naturally saw the subtle exchange between Ling Yi and Luo Xue. A flash of anger immediately crossed his eyes.
The earlier boos had already filled him with fury. He had barely restrained himself from losing control, but he was already on the verge of exploding.
With a gloomy expression, he quickly strode up to Ling Yi. The girl standing beside Ling Yi as a ceremonial assistant was trembling with fear; upon closer look, her hands were even shaking slightly.
“Ling Yi.”
Zhao Tianping gazed at Ling Yi with an indifferent face.
At this point, he really couldn’t keep up the act anymore.
He deeply regretted it in his heart.
Not regretting that he had targeted Ling Yi before, but regretting why he hadn’t completely eliminated him!
Wang Fu was also a waste!
A dignified fourth-rank Golden Body Expert, chasing down a crippled student, had actually failed!
Pathetic trash, deserved to die!
The person sent to temporarily placate him was beaten black and blue by a bunch of lawless little brats—
Who was that beating?
The fists and slaps landed on Vice Director Wei, but they were smacking Zhao Tianping’s own face!
So, apologize?
Apologize my foot!
He would die before apologizing to Ling Yi!
Ling Yi looked calmly at Zhao Tianping, then suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth. He didn’t want lip-readers to know what he said through the camera lenses.
Amid the impassioned background music, Ling Yi looked down at this mortal enemy.
“Fuck off!”
Zhao Tianping was stunned.
So undignified!
He never expected Ling Yi to curse him to his face!
Utterly disgraceful!
As an upper-class figure, he was, of course, a respectable man.
He believed in the principle that gentlemen, even when breaking ties, did not exchange harsh words; at most, they stabbed each other in the back.
But in his view, this should be a rule, a tacit understanding among respectable people!
Yet you actually cursed and swore?
Shen Xiaowu… raised such a scoundrel?
So uncouth!
“You are vulgar!”
“This is just the beginning. I survived by crawling through mud and blood since I was little; I have plenty of words more vulgar than this!” Ling Yi stared at Zhao Tianping. “You plotted against my father. What’s a mere curse? I’ll kill you with my own hands later.”
Zhao Tianping slightly tilted his head back, looking at Ling Yi. He also covered his mouth; amid the loud background music, he said coldly,
“I’m not like a worthless piece of trash like you. At most, you only dare to cover your mouth and curse me here. What else can you do?”
“As for me, I don’t even need to do the killing myself.”
“Even if the one killed… is your Adoptive Father!”
“Tsk tsk, a Dao-Entering Expert, pah!”
“I finished him off while chatting and laughing. You know, they call this ‘planning strategies within a command tent, determining victory a thousand miles away.'”
Being cursed to one’s face, even the best temperament would be driven mad with anger.
Looking at Ling Yi, Zhao Tianping didn’t hesitate to strike back with sharp words.
He knew this young man before him must have long known he was the enemy, so he didn’t want to hide anything.
Ling Yi suddenly smiled. The mockery in his bright eyes was clearly transmitted through the camera lenses.
Still covering his mouth, he said, “During that last exchange, even though I covered my mouth, I was recording. Specifically for trash like you who had no mother to teach you.”
Zhao Tianping was slightly taken aback, then narrowed his eyes and sneered, “So what?”
“Zhao Tianping, we’ll settle our score later.”
“I’m telling you this just to let you know, you’re a self-righteous idiot!”
“Within a year, I will definitely cut off your dog’s head in public to pay respects to my dad.”
Zhao Tianping: !!!
He stared at Ling Yi, his expression growing even gloomier.
Numerous cameras at the scene were trained on the two of them. In the entire auditorium, aside from the background music whose volume had been turned up again, everyone watched this scene in dead silence.
No one knew what the two were saying.
The music was jubilant; the atmosphere was oppressive.
“When my dad sees only your dog’s head left, he’ll be very gratified,” Ling Yi said, staring at Zhao Tianping.
“Childish!”
A trace of disdain flashed in Zhao Tianping’s eyes. With his back to the cameras, he narrowed his eyes at Ling Yi and said, “You, a worthless piece of trash, won’t live long either.”
As he spoke, a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He prepared to take the certificate and graduation cap from the ceremonial assistant’s tray.
But Luo Xue beside Ling Yi stepped forward first. She took the graduation cap from the tray and said flatly, “Take your dirty hands away. He doesn’t like it!”
Then, under the stunned gazes of countless people, she turned and carefully placed the cap on Ling Yi’s head.
She then placed the diploma in Ling Yi’s hands.
After helping Ling Yi put on the cap, she tilted her head to look, then reached out to adjust it slightly.
“So handsome! Rumor-has-it boyfriend, congratulations on graduating!”
Luo Xue said this with a radiant smile.
The audience below was silent for a moment. Then, extremely enthusiastic applause, mixed with whistles, broke out simultaneously.
Zhao Tianping’s face was as dark as water.
Standing there, he coldly glanced at Luo Xue, then at Ling Yi, before striding off the stage.
The newly appointed executive vice president of Zongwu quickly picked up the microphone and rapidly announced the end of this segment, moving on to the next: the graduate representative speech.
The group of young people on stage paid no heed. They exchanged glances, then directly threw the graduation caps off their heads!
Then they cheered loudly.
The entire auditorium instantly erupted in earth-shaking cheers.
The sound immediately drowned out the noisy background music, and it was much more joyful.
Returning to their seats, a group of girls sitting together giggled and teased Luo Xue, while the guys exchanged knowing looks toward Ling Yi, whose expression remained unchanged.
Ling Yi glanced at them. It was just a routine action; it wasn’t like they kissed, hugged, or lifted each other up in public. Why so excited?
The female student representing the graduates had now taken the stage. The audience below still gave face, erupting in warm applause.
Resentments had their source, debts their debtor. These young people, about to leave the ivory tower and step into society to become Children of the Jianghu, clearly distinguished gratitude from grievance.
“Thank you all for such warm applause, thank you, really thank you so much, I’m overwhelmed!”
The girl who took the stage was also very pretty. She was over 1.7 meters tall, wearing trousers on the bottom and a delicate printed shirt on top. Her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, and she wore light makeup. She looked both refined and capable, yet still youthful and lively.
Her first sentence drew a wave of light laughter from below.
But this laughter sounded very harsh in the ears of Zhao Tianping and his group.
“First, I need to clarify something, well, it’s also what I wanted to say in my speech today… I didn’t expect to become this year’s graduate representative. I always thought it should be Senior Brother.”
Senior Brother, two very ordinary words that appear in any school, and quite frequently.
But at Zongwu Academy, in this specific context, everyone knew who it referred to.
“In fact, it really should have been Senior Brother.”
“Sorry, any objections to me saying that?”
She asked with a smile.
“No objections!” came the booming reply from below.
The girl smiled, not even glancing at the school leaders below whose faces were turning darker.
Her original script was not written like this.
After she took the stage, she didn’t even have a script in her hand!
“I believe everyone recognizes the contributions Senior Brother has made to the academy over the years. Most of us here today have probably been guided by Senior Brother.”
“Of course, also those juniors who couldn’t be here but are probably watching this livestream!”
“So, we all love Senior Brother, right?”
Instantly, a wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the audience, with countless people shouting, “Right!”
The girl nodded gently. “Especially since Senior Brother is such a lazy person, yet he was willing to guide others. And everyone he guided showed clear improvement!”
The camera cut to Ling Yi, who wore a bitter smile.
The girl continued, “Recalling that competition with the students from Great Chu Academy, although Senior Brother didn’t take the stage himself, the brothers and sisters of the Champion Class showed so much of his influence in their fighting during the matches. Am I right?”
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the middle of the second row.
A group of people nodded vigorously without hesitation. If not for Ling Yi stopping them, they would have spoken up long ago!
Inside and outside the venue, another wave of exclamations arose.
Previously, many people had actually criticized this, thinking Ling Yi was too lazy, lacking team spirit. He never seemed to consider himself a member of the Champion Class. No matter the competition, he was never seen.
But there was no choice. Whether it was the students of Zongwu Academy or the members of the Champion Class, they all fiercely defended Ling Yi.
The unity of the Champion Class also left many people wide-eyed and unbelieving.
The most direct example was that press conference some time ago. It showed everyone the unity of the Champion Class.
Now, after this graduate representative girl on stage mentioned it, those who originally had doubts about Ling Yi began to waver.
So, this guy not only started mentoring students early on, but was also a champion coach?
“So I want to say, Senior Brother’s presence is a blessing for our year, no, for the entire academy! Being guided by him is an even greater blessing! Compared to Senior Brother, I have no right to stand here!”
The girl now sped up her speech because she saw some school leaders below with dark faces, seemingly about to get up and leave!
Want to go? You’ll still have to hear me finish!
“Senior Brother faced injustice not long ago. At that time, few of us graduates were at the academy; we were scattered everywhere, busy with our own futures. When we heard the news, we were shocked, angry, and heartbroken!”
“We couldn’t imagine, for someone as nearly perfect as Senior Brother, what kind of madness, what kind of shameless, lowly person would try to smear him?”
“Principal Zhao, was it you?”
The girl’s gaze directly fell on Zhao Tianping, sitting in the center of the first row, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
At the same time, many cameras focused on Zhao Tianping, who remained silent.
“Of course, it couldn’t be Principal Zhao,” the girl said with a smile, straightening her back, her tone calm. “This kind of thing was naturally done by those who have already been expelled… people with who knows how much water in their brains! Yes, they must take the blame! Principal Zhao surely didn’t know!”
The sarcasm was unmatched, provoking a burst of laughter below.
“Fortunately, the brothers and sisters of the Champion Class pulled through. One press conference exposed the ugly truth of those villains.”
“Certain people had no choice but to clear Senior Brother’s name!”
“But is that the end of it?”
“As the headmaster of Zongwu Academy, Mr. Zhao, shouldn’t you offer Senior Brother a sincere apology on this important day?”
“Is saying ‘I’m sorry’ really that difficult for someone of your stature?”
“To be honest, your face, in the eyes of us here, is worthless!”
“The deafening boos earlier were the best proof!”
Although the girl spoke quickly, her points were clear and logical.
Actually, her microphone had been turned off!
But this didn’t faze her at all. For someone who practiced singing daily from a young age, speaking loudly with passion was really not difficult.
When her speech clearly went off track earlier, the background music started for half a beat, then abruptly stopped.
Jian Ying sat expressionless in the second row, put her phone in her pocket, curled her lips, and snorted through her nostrils.
“Bravo!”
With the girl’s words, another round of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted below.
Zhao Tianping stood up and left his seat.
The girl on stage now noticed her microphone was on again. She was slightly surprised but paid no mind and continued.
“It seems Principal Zhao can’t bring himself to apologize. That’s alright. Here, I’ll boldly and shamelessly, on behalf of everyone at Zongwu Academy who feels Senior Brother was wronged, bow to Senior Brother. Thank you for guiding everyone over the years!”
As she spoke, the girl walked to the center of the stage and bowed towards Ling Yi below.
Amidst the enthusiastic applause from the entire venue, Ling Yi stood up, moved yet somewhat helpless, clasping his hands together towards the girl on stage in thanks.
The girl smiled, returned to the podium, and said, “Actually, I have a lot more to say for my graduation speech, but it seems I’ve already upset the leaders. So, I won’t say much more. I’ll just say a few final words and end.”
“Don’t worry, we support you!”
“What’s there to fear? Right and wrong will be judged by the public. They acted shamelessly and blame others for fighting back?”
“A bunch of shameless people! Look at what they posted on the internet with their alternate accounts. Booing them is being lenient!”
“Yeah, such national traitors should just get out of Zongwu!”
“We at Zongwu don’t want spineless leaders!”
Listening to the waves of angry shouts coming from behind, Ling Yi looked confused. He turned to Luo Xue.
Luo Xue whispered, “You don’t know yet? Just this afternoon, before the ceremony started, someone exposed online that Zhao Tianping and some others used alternate accounts to advocate that Great Qin’s annual military spending was too high and they should reduce the army…”
“There’s such a thing?” Ling Yi was somewhat surprised, frowning slightly.
Great Qin’s army was already pitiful enough. Surrounded by five other states except Han State, which had no shared border, it bore immense national defense pressure.
Although currently only Chu and Zhao showed hostility towards Great Qin, who knew if the other three or even four states would seize the opportunity if war broke out?
Not to mention the Spatial Rifts within Great Qin’s borders, where Beast Tides could erupt at any moment…
In this situation, those scoundrels were still advocating for army reduction. Calling them national traitors was absolutely right.
“That’s not even the most disgusting part. Do you know what the most disgusting thing is?” Luo Xue said with a cold laugh. “Someone dug up that Zhao Tianping’s alternate account actually promoted that Great Qin should completely give up its claim to Eastern Sea City in exchange for peace…”
“Trash!” Ling Yi couldn’t help but say angrily.
“Now you know why there was such loud booing when he came on stage?” Luo Xue whispered.
Ling Yi couldn’t help but give Luo Xue a strange look. “How were these things dug up?”
Luo Xue smiled but didn’t answer.
Ling Yi thought to himself, so it really was you guys!
The girl stood on stage, speaking seriously, “A few final thoughts. Let me leave everyone here, and friends watching this graduation ceremony, with one sentence.”
“On the day we entered the school, at the whole-school assembly, Principal Shen said something I remember to this day. He said, peace is never something you beg for on your knees!”
“Life is short. Everyone would rather be a peaceful dog than a person in troubled times.”
“But if you’re born in troubled times, you don’t have the right, and others won’t allow you to be a peaceful dog!”
“The purpose of our Zongwu Academy has always been only one… to cultivate high-level elite talents!”
“Our mission is also only one… to protect our home and nation, to strive for the rise of Great Qin!”
“I hope all juniors remember the purpose of our Zongwu.”
“I hope you all remember what Principal Shen once said—”
Countless voices from below shouted in unison, “Peace is never something you beg for on your knees!”
In that moment, the eyes of countless young people reddened.
“My speech ends here. Thank you!”
The girl on stage showed a calm smile, bowed, and left the stage.