Dean Deng

"The academy dean? Old man Deng? What's wrong with him?" Chen Miemie hadn't expected the flames of this conspiracy to spread all the way to the academy.

Yi Shuangzi picked up the teapot and refilled her empty cup.

"After the incident with my father, our Yi family initially investigated not just Bishop Jing, but Dean Deng as well.

From the perspective of 'who ultimately benefits is who is suspected', the one who inherited my father's position among the Big Three was this Dean.

Bishop Jing was ultimately confirmed to be guilty, but that doesn't mean Dean Deng didn't play a part.

Back then, among the Big Three, both the Commander and the Bishop died in battle, and all the elites of Sixiang City were wiped out with them. The entire city instantly fell into chaos.

Internal power struggles erupted, and external alien races took advantage of the weakness to invade. Since the city had lost almost all of its powerful fighters at the time, the situation was even more severe than the recent seal restoration.

The result was this.

Commander Sun ascended to the position of Commander within a month. He represented the strongest official municipal power, which wasn't surprising.

What was puzzling was this.

Bishop Jing, who had always fought with my father for power, seemed like a different person after he returned.

As the only remaining Mystery Stage 6 in the entire city, monopolizing the power of the Sun and Moon Church, he actually refused to accept the title of Bishop among the Big Three.

He only served as 'Acting Bishop' and requested that a newcomer be elected. He claimed he would step down from the acting position once the city's crisis was over.

Just like that, after those few crisis-filled years, the Dean truly took power."

Chen Miemie listened for a long time, treating it purely as a story.

"The suspicion you mentioned does exist, but this is still about your revenge. I don't see how it relates to me."

Yi Shuangzi continued to speak at an unhurried pace.

"The connection will become clear in a moment.

Because I monitored Father Jing for a long time, I might be one of only two people in the entire academy who knows Teacher Jing's true identity.

The year Teacher Jing joined the academy was the very same year the Dean officially came into power."

"Are you saying that Father Jing joining the academy was part of some sort of deal with old man Deng?"

"I have no evidence, but I believe so.

Sixiang Academy has a long history and is the cradle of the city's powerhouses. Its various systems are very strict.

Not just for the students, but for the teachers as well.

Before Teacher Jing, this divination teacher, there had never been a teacher who had the privilege of not having fixed class times and being completely unreachable.

For someone like that to be granted such privileges, it makes no sense that Dean Deng would allow him to be hired without knowing the full situation."

Chen Miemie frowned slightly. "According to normal logic, it indeed doesn't make sense."

"What comes next concerns you, Chen Miemie.

During your fourth year, you were attacked outside the city, right?

Your mother, Chen Miaomiao, appeared, killed all the attackers on the spot, and blasted the mountain range there into a rift valley."

"That's right."

"Then have you ever wondered what a few fourth-year students with a Mystery level of only 0.8 were doing running outside the city?

Even graduating classes with a Mystery level of 0.99 face near-certain death out there. Even with a leading teacher, once they encounter anomalies, the teacher can barely protect themselves. For fourth-years to go out is practically suicide."

Chen Miemie blinked. He didn't have memories from that time, so how would he know?

Yi Shuangzi didn't keep him in suspense.

"We are in the same year, and I was there that day too.

Dean Deng gave special approval, and a few teachers led the team. They actually claimed it was to let outstanding students get some training and broaden their horizons.

I was panicking at the time, thinking someone was trying to eradicate me by pulling up my roots.

But I later found out that I was just a tag-along. The real target was you."

Chen Miemie shook his head. "Dean Deng gave special approval, and we just happened to be attacked by Father Jing's people. Were these 'outside the city training' sessions frequent?"

Yi Shuangzi replied, "That was the only time. They said it was educational reform in nature, an experimental first try."

At this point, a relatively complete line of motivation and logic had formed.

It seemed to indicate that Dean Deng had once helped Father Jing make a move against Chen Miemie.

If that was truly the case.

Then even if the old score between Chen Miemie and Father Jing was settled, the debt owed by Dean Deng wouldn't just vanish into thin air.

"You've successfully convinced me. I am willing to investigate this Dean Deng with you."

"Chen Miemie, we are classmates, and cooperation requires honesty.

Therefore, I need to clearly express my true intentions without hiding anything, to avoid conflicts later.

As long as Dean Deng didn't murder my father and only collaborated with Bishop Jing later to harm you, then he isn't really my enemy.

The reason I, or rather our Yi family, want to deal with him isn't simply to punish him, but to take back the power that belongs to our family, the power of one of the Big Three."

Chen Miemie did some mental calculations.

"That's a bit unfair, isn't it? Even if old man Deng is bad, I don't necessarily need to cooperate with you to deal with him.

In this so-called cooperation, after we work hard together to bring him down, your family gets to pluck the fruit and secure a position among the Big Three, while I just deal with an old man and get nothing?"

"True, so whatever you need, we will give you if we can.

Also, I want to clarify one thing. It's not like bringing down Dean Deng means my family can easily pluck the fruit and take power. His fall only leaves the position vacant; my family will still have to gamble and fight with various factions afterward."

Chen Miemie leaned back against the sofa and stretched his body.

"Yi Shuangzi, although you weren't truly trying to protect me before, you objectively provided me with assistance.

Today, you've provided a lot of information and answered some of the doubts in my mind.

Taking all this into account, I owe you a favor.

By choosing to come to my home to establish a partnership, you must have considered my strength or the forces behind me.

To repay your sincere attitude, I'll also give you some information.

The tip of the iceberg you see now is far from the true power on my side.

The waters here are very, very deep, beyond your imagination. It's not just a matter of a few bishops and deans.

If you leave now, I can pretend you were never here."

Yi Shuangzi looked into Chen Miemie's eyes.

Back at school, she had observed these eyes countless times.

But since graduation, she gradually found herself unable to read the deep gaze within them.

Chen Miemie seemed like a completely different person, full of mystery.

"Chen Miemie, I have endured for ten years, suffered for ten years. For the sake of investigation and self-preservation, I've even forgotten my true self. For someone my age, I have practically lived entirely in hatred.

The various factions in Sixiang City are complex and deeply rooted. Since my father passed away, everyone has been kicking us while we're down. I've already sought out all the allies I could find.

In this crisis of Sixiang City, you are a newly rising force. I made up my mind before coming here that I must form an alliance with you.

There aren't many opportunities in this world, and I can't wait another ten years."

"You've thought it through, and this is your final answer? Can you represent the Yi family?"

"I am currently the head of the Yi family. I am very certain of my choice."

"For me, it's acceptable in the short term. But in the long term, there are no partners. The seat on the Triumvirate Council is your family's. All I want is one thing, from now on, you and the Yi family behind you take orders from me."

Yi Shuangzi did not quite understand. "Are you saying you want to control our entire family?"

The steam from the teacup in front of Chen Miemie curled into the air, and his gaze seemed to drift far away along with the vapor.

"No, I want everyone on the Council of Three to be my people.

What I want to control is not just a single family, but the entire city of Sixiang."