Chapter 174: Su Li’s decision Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas "Grand Elder, shouldn’t you give me a good explanation on some matters?" Patriarch Su Bo Ya had a dignified expression mixed with a trace of rage, and his eyes stared fixedly at the old man. "Patriarch, what do you mean?" A bad premonition arose within Su Nan’s heart, as he understood the Patriarch and thus knew that the Patriarch wouldn’t be so enraged over some small matter. "Paladin Academy’s Zhan Xiong just left our Su Clan." Su Bo Ya’s face was extremely unsightly as he said, in a low voice, "Grand Elder, I left this matter to you because I trusted you would be able to deal with it properly and because Su Tong is your grandson... But what you did this time did indeed lack consideration, and not only were you unable to kill Duan Ling Tian, you even brought great trouble for our Su Clan." Su Nan reacted after hearing what Su Bo Ya said, and his face went pale. Could it be that the plan had failed? "Patriarch, what actually happened?" Su Nan’s breathing became hurried. "Just a while ago, Paladin Academy’s Vice Dean Zhan sent over the corpses of Su Ping and Su Zhi...." Su Bo Ya took a deep breath. Su Ping? Su Zhi? Su Nan’s face went grim. "Patriarch, Su Ping and Su Zhi are dead?" Su Ping and Su Zhi were precisely the two pawns within his plan, pawns that would cooperate with Su Li to slaughter Duan Ling Tian. "Exactly. Not only are they dead, but they were even killed by that Duan Ling Tian!" Su Bo Ya said, in a low voice. "It would’ve been fine if they had succeeded and killed Duan Ling Tian... Paladin Academy would expel them at most, and it would have no effect on our Su Clan. But not only did they not kill Duan Ling Tian, they were even killed by Duan Ling Tian! Now in order to give Duan Ling Tian an explanation, the Paladin Academy’s Vice Dean Zhan isn’t willing to let the matter go!" "Do you know that just for this matter, that Vice Dean Zhan reduced our Su Clan’s yearly recommendation quota to Paladin Academy from five to three!?" As Su Bo Ya finished speaking, the rage on his face grew stronger! In the past, five places weren’t even enough for the group of Su Clan higher-ups to divide amongst themselves. Now that it had been reduced to three, he could imagine the expressions on the faces of those higher-ups once they found out about everything. Su Nan’s body trembled and his face went ghastly pale when he heard this. He really went for wool and came home shorn! "No.... Impossible... It’s impossible that they’d attack Duan Ling Tian before Su Li drugged him!" Su Nan was unwilling to believe that all this was real. "Humph!" Su Bo Ya’s face sank as he grunted coldly, then he flicked his sleeve and turning around to leave. "Grand Elder, if you’re unable to deal with this matter, then feel free to speak up; I’ll send someone else to deal with it." After Su Bo Ya left, Su Nan pondered for a long time but was still unable to wrap his head around it. The plan that he considered to be perfect, why would it turn out like this? There was only one possibility, which was Su Li didn’t follow the plan and even sold him out. Su Li had joined forces with Duan Ling Tian to cheat and kill the two disciples of his Su Clan. Right at this moment. "Grand Elder, there’s a letter here for you." Just at this moment, a humble voice sounded from outside the courtyard, and a Su Clan disciple passed a letter to Su Nan. Su Nan received the letter and opened it to take a look. "Grand Elder Su Nan, I’m truly sorry. I accidentally let the wine cup slip during lunch at noon today,and caused your people to mistake it for the secret signal to slaughter Duan Ling Tian...." Signed, Su Li. There was only this short passage of words on the letter, but it angered Su Nan to the point that his body trembled and the lifeblood within his body roiled. "Pu!" In the end, Su Nan was forcefully angered to the point that he spat out a mouthful of blood. Su Nan’s eyes flickered with a lustre of bloodthirst, and his icy-cold voice emitted coldness that reached the bone. "Su Li, I’ll make your entire family be unable to die a natural death!!" Su Tong, who was not far away, had an extremely unsightly expression. He had perceived that his enemy, Duan Ling Tian, had survived. Paladin Academy. Duan Ling Tian sat cross-legged in cultivation atop a large tree at the side of the Martial Arts Practice Ground, and he was fully immersed in a peaceful state. "Duan Ling Tian!" Suddenly, an anxious voice jolted Duan Ling Tian awake. Duan Ling Tian opened his eyes to notice Tian Hu hastily running over from afar.... Duan Ling Tian turned over to drop drown from the large tree before going to greet Tian Hu. "Tian Hu, what happened?" "Duan Ling Tian, Su Li has left." Tian Hu smiled bitterly. "Left?" Duan Ling Tian didn’t react for a moment. "This is the letter Su Li left for you." Only after Tian Hu passed over the letter did Duan Ling Tian’s face turn serious. Duan Ling Tian opened the letter. "Duan Ling Tian, when you see this letter, I’m probably already riding the Ferghana Horse I bought with the money you lent me. I’m going to return home...." "Last night when I left the Su Clan estate, I had already made this decision. Even if I, Su Li, have to give up my future, I still wouldn’t harm my own friends. I’ll be bringing my parents along once I leave home this time. As for where I’m going, I haven’t thought of it yet. Maybe I’ll leave the Crimson Sky Kingdom." ... "Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye, and say goodbye to Xiao Yu and the others for me." "Maybe one day in the future we’ll meet again... At that time, I’ll return the money I owe you." Signed, Su LI. Swoosh! Duan Ling Tian crushed the letter in his hand into a ball. Besides containing these words of farewell, the letter which Su Li wrote him also explained what exactly happened.... Su Li left Paladin Academy and gave up his own future. Number one, for the sake of his parents’ safety. Number two, for the sake of Duan Ling Tian, this friend of his! At this moment, many of the questions within Duan Ling Tian’s heart were unraveled. Why Su Li accidentally slipped and dropped a cup, and why those two Su Clan members had attacked him with so much confidence.... So it turned out that those two Su Clan members thought that Su Li had made him consume an Origin Freezing Pill. "Su Li." Duan Ling Tian’s heart trembled. Although Su Li was usually quiet and reserved, at this moment, he could feel the friendship of Su Li. For the sake of Duan Ling Tian, this friend of his, Su Li was willing to give up his future! "Su Li, I believe in you. We’ll surely meet again." Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath, and a trace of anticipation flashed within his eyes. His mood was slightly heavy. Duan Ling Tian, however, didn’t know that after parting ways today, his next meeting with Su Li will be many years later.... "Duan Ling Tian, Su Li left?" Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun walked over. "Take a look." Duan Ling Tian sighed and passed over the letter that was crumpled into a ball to Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu opened the letter, and Xiao Xun and Tian Hu gathered together to read it as well.... "That Su Clan’s Grand Elder, despicable!" After he finished reading the letter, Tian Hu’s face went extremely gloomy, and he gnashed his teeth in fury. He and Su Li became friends from battling each other, and they had even entered the Star General Department together. He’d long since taken Su Li as a good friend within his heart, but never had he imagined that Su Li would leave like this. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 In the future, he wondered if there would be a chance to meet again! After they finished reading the letter, rage appeared in the eyes of Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun, and at the same time, it was mixed with a trace of admiration. Su Li gave up the great future before him for the sake of his friend and thus had left.... Such actions were worthy of respect! Duan Ling Tian once again sat atop the large tree and rested himself on the tree trunk. He looked up through the luxurious foliage into the bright, blue sky.... "Su Clan... Since you want to play, then I’ll accompany you and play nicely!" Duan Ling Tian’s eyes slowly narrowed, and a cold expression appeared on the corners of his mouth. Su Li’s departure caused Duan Ling Tian’s mentality to undergo a certain degree of change. The current Duan Ling Tian seemed to have once again become that cold and unfeeling weapons specialist he formerly was. At dusk. Outside Paladin Academy, a luxurious carriage was parked at the side of the road. The person who drove the carriage was a white-browed old man with extraordinary bearings, and with a glance anyone would know that he was no simple figure. Duan Ling Tian noticed the carriage as soon as he walked out of Paladin Academy’s gate, but he paid no attention to it. He said his farewells to Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun before walking forward by himself. Just when he passed by the side of the carriage. Whoosh! A figure that was fast like a bolt of lightning seemed to move like a ghost and blocked in front of Duan Ling Tian. Only now did Duan Ling Tian notice that the person who before his eyes, was precisely that white-browed old man who drove the carriage. "Hmm?" Duan Ling Tian’s face sank. At this moment, he could feel the changes of the two little pythons that were concealed within his sleeve. Relying upon the experiences of Rebirth Martial Emperor and his own Spiritual Force, he could deduce the old man’s cultivation level. This old man was a seventh level Nascent Soul expert or above. In terms of strength, he was even not inferior to the Third Prince’s manager, Hu San! However, this white-browed old man obviously wasn’t at the level of being a Half-step Void Stage expert like the Divine Might Marquis. Unless a figure like this were to surprise attack him when he was completely defenseless or not on guard, he was confident in instantly killing the old man by relying on the Bone Corrosion Inscription! "You are Duan Ling Tian?" The white-browed old man asked in a low voice, as he scrutinized Duan Ling Tian with a condescending gaze. "F**k off!" Duan Ling Tian’s gaze was ice cold and his face sank. He had always disdained paying attention to this sort of old fellow who get self-conceited because of their seniority. The white-browed old man was startled. He obviously had never imagined that Duan Ling Tian would dare have such an attitude towards him. Instantly, a trace of rage appeared on his face... Just when he was about to lose his temper. "Old Bai, don’t forget our real motive." A man’s voice that didn’t have any fluctuations in emotion sounded from within the carriage, causing the white-browed old man to instantly restrain his fury. Duan Ling Tian’s brows rose, and he was slightly surprised. It looked like the person inside the carriage wasn’t simple. The white-browed old man suppressed his rage and said to Duan Ling Tian, "Duan Ling Tian, my liege requests your presence." "Sorry, I’m not interested." Duan Ling Tian shrugged indifferently. "Don’t move!" Right at this moment, a delicate shout echoed out from within the carriage. This time it was the voice of a woman. This voice seemed as if he had heard it somewhere, but Duan Ling Tian couldn’t recall it for a moment. Subsequently, the voice of the woman sounded once more. This time she spoke to the man within the carriage. "Cousin, this Duan Ling Tian doesn’t know what’s good for him. I think we should just ask Old Bai to directly kill him." Subsequently, it was deathly silent within the carriage. "It’s her?" Duan Ling Tian finally remembered. Wasn’t this voice the voice of that Tong Li? Then the person who she called cousin... Besides the Fifth Prince, who could it be?