Chapter 66: The Death of Zhao Tianping
Chapter 66: The Death of Zhao Tianping
Zhao Tianping stared at Ling Yi, who seemed to descend from the sky and suddenly appeared before him, completely dumbfounded.
His information channels were ultimately lacking a bit. Plus, since he had been abandoned by Sun Qingbo, he did not get the news of Ling Yi’s return right away.
“How can you be here?”
He frowned; the deep confusion in his eyes was impossible to hide.
“That’s right, I should be in the Chaos Zone, and I should already be dead. So why do I not only have the spare time to expose your ugly deeds online, but also show up in front of you? So surprising! Why is that?”
Ling Yi looked at Zhao Tianping. Behind his calm gaze and the teasing mockery lay a deep-seated hatred!
Ever since he learned that Zhao Tianping was the main culprit behind his adoptive father’s death, Ling Yi had not spent a single day without wanting to kill this beast with his own hands.
But just as his adoptive father had said, the gap between him and Zhao Tianping was simply too huge!
Whether it was personal strength or social status, there was simply no comparison.
For Zhao Tianping, killing him was like crushing an ant, and he had countless ways to do it.
But this world is always full of all sorts of unexpected things.
Neither Zhao Tianping nor Ling Yi himself had expected this day to come so soon.
Even during the Graduation Ceremony, Ling Yi hadn’t thought about this.
At that time, he wanted to spend a year dealing with Zhao Tianping, but that was just a wish.
Who would have thought the enemy would take the initiative to send him a helper?
So he really had to thank Sun Qingbo, the Deputy Prime Minister, properly later. He was a good man.
If it weren’t for Qian Luoying, Ling Yi wouldn’t be here now.
But he had her!
With Qian Luoying by his side, that was Ling Yi’s greatest confidence.
Even though it meant not solely relying on his own ability to kill his enemy with his own hands, this wasn’t a formal sparring match on a stage. Ling Yi didn’t care about that!
“You dare to attack me in public? Are you tired of living? Take one step and try!” Zhao Tianping’s mentality was somewhat shattered.
Ling Yi’s appearance was just too sudden and unexpected. The press conference he had rushed to organize was about to become a joke again right before his eyes.
Just like that Graduation Ceremony!
It was like a haunting ghost!
Even at this moment, Zhao Tianping still did not believe he was in any danger.
What the hell kind of joke was this?
What kind of thing was standing before him?
A crippled… Second Order Acupoint Activation martial artist.
Even if he wasn’t crippled, so what?
A weakling at the mere Second Order, was he a match for him?
He could crush him with one slap!
Zhao Tianping narrowed his eyes, sizing up the young man before him. A thought quickly formed in his mind—
How could he provoke Ling Yi without being obvious, make him lose all reason and attack him!
As long as Ling Yi dared to strike, then he would be justified in striking him dead in retaliation!
As for the woman standing beside Ling Yi, wearing a mask but unable to conceal her noble air… Zhao Tianping paid her no mind at all.
God knows where some fool who didn’t value their life had come from!
A woman, what could she do except open her legs in welcome…?
So while he thought about how to provoke Ling Yi, he was also curious. Had this young man lost his mind?
Where did he get the confidence to come here and tear their relationship apart face-to-face?
Who gave him the courage?
Zhao Tianping looked coldly at Ling Yi and shouted, “Do you have even the slightest bit of respect for me in your eyes?”
“I am your principal!”
“Even though you have graduated from this school, I am still the principal of this school!”
“What does Principal Shen’s death have to do with me? I don’t know why you insist on throwing dirty water on me.”
“But Ling Yi, right here today, in front of all the media, I tell you the truth: If I, Zhao Tianping, had anything to do with your adoptive father’s death, may I die a horrible death!”
“So I hope you calm down, be rational, and get out of here immediately!”
Ling Yi looked down at Zhao Tianping, who was acting all righteous, and suddenly laughed.
“Do you want to make me attack you first? This way, you can strike back in response, and then…”
Ling Yi smiled, “…accidentally kill me?”
“Then shed a few crocodile tears, saying you acted in a moment of passion, accidentally going too far?”
“Crime of passion, killing someone who was trying to attack you… Oh dear, look at this mess, everyone can forgive that, right?”
Zhao Tianping didn’t expect Ling Yi to calm down and even dare to mock him in such a teasing tone. He felt extremely angry.
“Ling Yi, this is purely a villain’s heart. I want to ask, when are you going to stop this nonsense? The reason I can tolerate you all this time is not just because of Principal Shen, but also because you are a talent! Even though you are crippled, you still possess pure martial skills. You can still contribute a lot to Great Qin!”
“I don’t want to trouble someone like you. I know that throwing dirty water on me wasn’t your real intention. You are too young, just being used. Turn back, young man!”
Since provoking him wouldn’t work, he might as well use this to solidify his position!
Weren’t the very purpose of calling this press conference today to clear his name?
Zhao Tianping quickly changed his thinking and felt that Ling Yi’s appearance might not be a bad thing at all.
If he could thoroughly subdue him right in front of everyone, then who would dare throw dirty water on him ever again?
Then, with his status and position, he could still rise smoothly in his career!
The dialogue between the two was being broadcast live without reservation by the lenses of the many media members below.
The entire internet had completely exploded.
Zhao Tianping’s subordinates were also desperately buying commenters to whitewash their master on the public opinion battlefield.
Those people were tied far too deeply with Zhao Tianping; they were all grasshoppers on the same string, sharing glory and disgrace together.
At the press conference venue.
On the stage.
Qian Luoying stood there quietly. She could clearly feel the grief and indignation in Ling Yi’s heart right now, and she could also sense a powerful, ready-to-burst aura from Zhao Tianping.
So she remained highly vigilant, absolutely not letting Zhao Tianping harm Ling Yi.
“Have you said enough?” Ling Yi suddenly said to Zhao Tianping.
Zhao Tianping looked coldly at Ling Yi. The pity in his eyes as he faced the cameras grew even stronger, but the energy of the Golden Body Peak within his body was already fully prepared, quietly surging!
If Ling Yi dared make any strange move, he would absolutely strike back without the slightest hesitation!
It would definitely be a single, decisive kill!
Just like Ling Yi said, acting in passion, a crime of passion…
That was exactly what he was thinking!
“Had enough? Then go die.” Ling Yi said, and from his palm emerged that incredibly sharp blade.
He walked step by step toward Zhao Tianping.
Only three or four meters separated the two of them, just a few steps away.
At this moment, an inexplicable excitement actually rose in Zhao Tianping’s heart. This feeling… was even a bit like the sensation he had when he killed for the first time, when he took out that colleague who reported him for corruption.
Daring to pull a knife on me… even such a small knife, it’s still a weapon for killing!
So, Ling Yi, oh Ling Yi, you brought this upon yourself, don’t blame me!
Watch me—
Huh?
What’s going on?
Why can’t I move?
I… damn!
Zhao Tianping was instantly stunned!
His originally calm face turned deathly pale in an instant!
Just as he was about to throw a punch to blow Ling Yi’s head apart, he suddenly and horrifyingly discovered that… he couldn’t move!
It was as if an invisible shackle, like a divine chain, had tightly bound him!
At the same time, a terrifying aura firmly locked onto him, like a sharp sword, hanging right above his head!
It was that woman!
That woman he had looked down upon!
Fine beads of cold sweat seeped out from Zhao Tianping’s forehead.
A chill rising from his spine instantly spread throughout his entire body…
He finally understood where Ling Yi’s confidence and courage came from.
“Ling Yi… you, calm down. Whatever it is, we can talk slowly. I didn’t harm your adoptive father. The one who killed him was Lu Qingming, the State Preceptor of Chu State. It wasn’t me!”
Zhao Tianping was truly scared!
The killing intent in this young man’s eyes was something he himself had felt countless times; he knew exactly what it meant.
“Ling Yi, don’t do anything. Everything can be discussed. This is all a misunderstanding. Someone is slandering me! Ling Yi…”
He knew countless cameras were focused on him. He knew his performance today would be seen by countless people, who would then despise him, mock him, spit on him, curse him… but he didn’t care.
As long as he could live, he just wanted to survive!
He had struggled so hard all these years, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. He had secretly caused the deaths of so many people; even a Dao Enlightenment Master like Shen Xiaowu had been trapped to death by his schemes… It wasn’t to wait for revenge to come to his door and be killed in public!
He wanted to live. He wanted to achieve Dao Enlightenment. He wanted to become one of the most powerful people in Great Qin!
“How did you betray my adoptive father?”
Across the few steps, Ling Yi arrived in front of Zhao Tianping in the blink of an eye. The sharp knife in his palm lightly pressed against Zhao Tianping’s throat, which, unable to channel protective energy, was as soft as a normal person’s.
“Tell the truth, and I will…”
Ling Yi whispered, his voice like a demon king’s from the deepest hell.
“I, I, I… I didn’t…”
The tip of the blade pierced his throat slightly.
A drop of blood seeped from Zhao Tianping’s throat.
This new principal of Zongwu Academy, at the Golden Body Peak stage, instantly let out a terrified scream: “Don’t kill me!”
“Speak…” Ling Yi’s voice remained low and deep, as if carrying an inexplicable power.
Even though fear filled his entire mind and heart, Zhao Tianping still knew, more clearly than anyone, that about this matter, even in death, he could not tell the truth!
Because this young man before him clearly harbored the strongest intent to kill him!
No matter what he said, or how he said it, he likely couldn’t escape death!
But for some reason, at this moment, he found it impossible to control his words!
“I…”
Zhao Tianping was resisting this shocking, overwhelming inexplicable force, but he didn’t know what he was fighting against.
“I provided information… to… Lu Qingming. I had long wanted to…”
The entire venue instantly erupted in uncontrollable uproar.
The entire internet completely exploded!
The new principal of Zongwu Academy, for his own selfish gain, had conspired with the State Preceptor of Chu State to kill the former principal!
And that wasn’t all…
Far from it!
No one knew why, but Zhao Tianping acted as if possessed, confessing one unsolved cold case after another!
So many details that no one except the real perpetrator could possibly know… he spilled them all.
A full twenty minutes!
After the uproar, the small auditorium fell so quiet it seemed there was no one there!
Everyone stared dumbfounded at Zhao Tianping on the stage.
They were all completely stunned.
Fortunately, Deputy Prime Minister Sun Qingbo understood his ambitious but incompetent student and hadn’t involved him in the plan against Qin Hao, nor had he included him in the “major affairs” faction.
Otherwise, this night would have been even more eventful.
Finally, after Zhao Tianping described in detail the process of plotting against the Old Principal, his face was completely ashen!
Throughout the entire process, he had been resisting!
But he couldn’t resist at all!
In the end, he even became numb.
A person who feared death to the extreme now desperately wished for death.
But the other party had no intention of letting him off, forcing him to confess every shameful deed before finally releasing the influence over him.
At this moment, Zhao Tianping didn’t even have the strength to say, “I made it all up.”
Ling Yi looked at him quietly. Zhao Tianping also stared blankly at Ling Yi.
“You can die now.” Ling Yi said.
Just like stabbing that thug in the belly many years ago, the extremely sharp knife was thrust hard into Zhao Tianping’s stomach.
Their statuses were worlds apart!
But the reaction was the same.
Zhao Tianping’s ashen face instantly twisted, and tears streamed down.
Just one stab.
And Zhao Tianping already reacted like this.
No different from the reactions of those he killed before they died.
“Does it hurt?”
Ling Yi looked at Zhao Tianping, his calm gaze like a demon’s stare in Zhao Tianping’s eyes.
“My dad, dragging his maimed body while fleeing with me, hurt even more than this.”
Ling Yi spoke softly to him, “So I’m actually going easy on you.”
On Zhao Tianping’s twisted face, his eyes were filled with pleading.
“Give me… a quick one!”
These were his last words left in this world.
Not because he finally acted like a man at the end, but because his mentality had completely collapsed, only seeking a swift death.
Thud!
A stab into the heart.
Zhao Tianping’s eyes suddenly widened.
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
His body fell backward, landing on the stage with a heavy thud.
The dead-silent venue immediately erupted in uncontrollable gasps of shock!
Ling Yi, calm and unhurried, bent down, grabbed one of Zhao Tianping’s pant legs, and dragged him out like pulling a dead dog.
In the camera lens, only a tall figure dragging a corpse slowly walking away remained.
And behind the camera and on the other side, countless faces… frozen in shock.