Chapter 50: The Hearing

Wang Zen, Chu Jiahai and Lu Daomeng watched as the carriage slowly melted into the horizon.

“Thank you, Teacher Daomeng for calling me to say goodbye to Sir Drools-a-lot.” Zen bowed to Daomeng.

“Huh?” Lu Daomeng looked like he had been woken from a daydream. “That’s not why I called you here.”

“It wasn’t?” Zen titled his head in confusion.

Lu Daomeng shook his head before saying, “The real summons is at the headmaster’s office, I’m afraid.”

“The… headmaster?” Zen said.

Lu Daomeng nodded, “It seems Xu Hau is very angry about last nights incident.”

“Last night’s incident?” Jiahai repeated.

Zen waved him to silence, “But I thought we explained to her what happened!”

“She was unsatisfied, so now we have to attend a disciplinary hearing with the headmaster… your disciplinary hearing.”

“What incident?” Jiahai repeated.

Zen waved him to silence with more vigour, his anxiety making him more annoyed with him. “What-What do we do?”

“Well, you have to go to the hearing and I’ll join you, do what I can.” Lu Daomeng said before turning on his heels and walking away. He stopped and looked back at Zen. “Well? Are you coming?”

“M-Maybe I shouldn’t attend,” Zen reasoned. “Maybe they’ll have forgotten by now.”

“What kind of fairytale do you think you live in?” Lu Daomeng said in disgust. “This isn’t the kind of world where your problems go away simply by closing your eyes and wishing so. Now, come along. It would not do to keep the headmaster waiting if we were to be late.”

Wang Zen hung his head before following after Lu Daomeng.

“Wang Zen… I still don’t know what’s going on?” Jiahai said.

“Give it a few hours,” Zen said without looking back, “soon everyone will know.”

-

They arrived on time at the headmasters office with the female teacher that Lu Daomeng had asked for assistant the previous night already there. The headmaster sat in his throne like chair made of black beast fur, behind a table made of the finest wood. The silver haired man was the second oldest person Zen had met and one of the strongest, his power, which he made little attempt to hide, swirled around the room. Zen guessed he was in the upper levels of the Elemental Stage of cultivation, perhaps a King or Emperor stage.

The two teachers and the headmaster exchanged small talk while they waited for the final participant of the hearing. Ten minutes later, Xu Hau entered the large office. She briefly glanced at the two teachers and Wang Zen before bowing to the headmaster.

“Headmaster,” she said.

“Miss Xu Hau,” the headmaster said, nodding to her. “This hearing can now begin. Now, what is your issue against this young man?” the headmaster gestured to Wang Zen.

“This boy entered the girls’ bathhouse to peek at the girls inside,” she began.

“But that’s not true…” Zen began until a hand painfully grasped his shoulder. He flinched as he looked up at Lu Daomeng.

“Do not speak out of turn, Wang Zen.” Lu Daomeng, easing his grasp on the boy’s shoulder when he saw he was not going to argue.

Xu Hau continued with her part. “…and when I tried to discipline him, Teacher Lu Daomeng stopped me.”

The headmaster turned to Lu Daomeng, and on que, Lu Daomeng began recounting events from his perspective, ensuring to highlight that Wang Zen never meant what happened.

The headmaster rubbed his chin after Lu Daomeng spoke. “Tell me, this beast youwere hunting, did you find it?”

“No.”

“Yes.” Lu Daomeng and Wnag Zen both answered at the same time.

Everyone looked at Wang Zen.

“You saw the beast?” Lu Daomeng said in confusion.

“Yes, because of everything that happened, I forgot to mention it.” Wang Zen said. “I was attacked by the beast outside of the bathhouse.”

“More lies!” Xu Hau said. “I did not see any beasts.”

“It was before you came,” Wang Zen said.

“Describe this beast boy,” the headmaster said.

“Well… I did not really get a good look at it because it was so fast…”

“Of course,” Xu Hau sarcastically said.

“But it had canines this big,” Wang Zen said, making an approximation with his index fingers. “And… and it was white.”

“Are we really expected to listen to this, Headmaster?” Xu Hau said. “The boy is obviously lying. I say he be dealt with swiftly.”

The headmaster hummed in thought. “Fine, I will take into consideration what has been said and in three days time, we will reconvene and I will give my verdict.”

Everyone bowed before leaving.

-

“Hey, I did well in there, huh?” Wang Zen said. “At least now I have a chance.”

Lu Daomeng sadly shook his head. “That is just a formality, so that the headmaster does not look like he is bedning to the will of the City Lord’s family too easy.”

“What? But he said he’d consider it.”

“He’s already made his decision, I’m afraid.”

“What-What can I do?”

“For now, pack your bags and get ready to leave.” Lu Daomen said.

Wang Zen stopped, staring at the older man in shock.

“Sorry kid,” Lu Daomeng gave Wang Zen a sad smile. “Tell your father I’m sorry there was no more I could’ve done.” He continued on.

-

Wang Zen dragged his feet as he exited the building that housed the headmasters office. His mind was abuzz with a lot of things. Although he always wanted to go home, he did not like this method. He would be returning home as a disgraced who tarnished his family’s name.

“It seems you realised what will happen to you.”

Zen looked up at Xu Hau, who looked down at him in disgust.

“Lucky for you, I think I can stomach your presence on this academy and drop the hearing.” Xu Hau said.

Zen’s head peeked up excitedly at this.

“But, you’ll have to do something for me, Wang Zen.”