"But I'm not sure now, Fifth Sister... forget it, I'll call you Your Holiness the Pope."
"I don't know if Your Holiness the Pope has taken my words to heart. If not, then things could take a turn for the worse."
Ying Yanyang sighed, his tone complex.
He had offered words of counsel on the stage, which had instead elicited a cold and deeply hidden killing intent from the other party. A feeling of intense frustration washed over him.
But Ying Yanyang quickly cast this frustration aside, as his plan was centered around Wang Zhong, and contrasted with the one laid out by Bibi Dong.
With a spirit bone, Bibi Dong had not only proven her high regard and admiration for Wang Zhong but had also elevated the entire academy's atmosphere to an extremely fervent level.
Ying Yanyang could imagine the passion that all the students in the academy would unleash over the next five years for that spirit bone.
Moreover, this spirit bone had become the fuse for the relationship between Wang Zhong and Ying Yanyang. If Ying Yanyang didn't have a very clear understanding of Wang Zhong's character, their relationship could have very well plummeted to freezing point after five years.
And at that time, Bibi Dong's other scheme would have succeeded.
Since she wanted to be Wang Zhong's teacher, she would absolutely not tolerate a second person holding a teacher-student relationship in Wang Zhong's heart. Ying Yanyang, who had taught Wang Zhong for a year, was a potential threat that Bibi Dong had to eliminate.
Five years later, regardless of whether Wang Zhong won or lost, Bibi Dong would accept Wang Zhong as a disciple at that moment.
If Wang Zhong defeated Ying Yanyang, then under absolute glory and the boost of victory, the matter would naturally come to pass, and no one would question it. For Ying Yanyang, the defeated party, to lose to his own student, how humiliating would that be? Wouldn't he harbor hatred and resentment?
If Wang Zhong lost, it wouldn't matter either. Being able to fight a Spirit Sage, as long as Wang Zhong's defeat wasn't too embarrassing, Bibi Dong could accept Wang Zhong without any burden based on his courage, conviction, and his own talent.
With two possible outcomes, no matter who won or lost, the relationship between Ying Yanyang and Wang Zhong would no longer be a pure teacher-student one. A rift would surely form between them. With a little manipulation later on, the name Ying Yanyang would fade from Wang Zhong's sight.
One spirit bone, three schemes, two futures, all leading to one result!
Bibi Dong's strategic maneuvering was astounding!
The spirit bone was not a reward, but compensation! Either it compensated Ying Yanyang for his hard work in nurturing a prodigy for Bibi Dong! Or it compensated Wang Zhong for her having personally destroyed a budding teacher-student bond.
"She will know, she will definitely know, all that you have done for her."
Yue Shan clapped Ying Yanyang on the shoulder, his tone firm.
"Alright, since you know and have planned everything, we won't ask further."
"Her Holiness the Pope has suddenly postponed the grand competition, and the exact date hasn't been set yet. I need to go back and look after those brats. I'm leaving!"
Yue Shan nodded to Shuang Yuelian, and after she dispelled the barrier, he strode away.
Shuang Yuelian and Xia Xuan also learned that the matter was resolved and took their leave.
After everyone had departed, Ying Yanyang looked out the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound.
"Compensation! Fifth Sister, you feel guilt in your heart, don't you! To scheme against your former Fourth Brother, with your once kind nature, you must be in great pain."
"But what happened to you that made you do this, even at the cost of my killing intent and your own pain?"
"You are suspicious and uneasy with everyone. Is it because you, as Pope, must maintain autocracy, or is it for some other reason!"
"Qian Renxue, nine years old. Ten years ago, you also disappeared around the time of her birth. Plus her appearance, which resembles you by at least forty percent, and the Angel Martial Soul!"
"I truly don't wish to believe the truth of this suspicion."
His eyes tightly shut, Ying Yanyang's clasped hands behind his back clenched into fists. The killing intent surging around him was almost tangible.
"In our eyes, the Pope is not that formidable."
"Why didn't you tell us? After so many years of living and dying together, is our friendship not worth your trust?"
"However, there is still hope."
Ying Yanyang's eyes suddenly snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing within them.
"If you've made up your mind to take Wang Zhong as a disciple, and you want to use familial affection as leverage, then there's still a chance to find the person you used to be."
"That child, Wang Zhong, possesses a special magic. As long as you treat him with sincerity, he has a warm healing power that can mend hearts."
Just then, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Teacher, may I come in?"
Wang Zhong's voice came from outside. Ying Yanyang chuckled and shook his head. He had just thought of Wang Zhong when he arrived; it was quite a coincidence.
"Come in, the door isn't locked."
Ying Yanyang put away three cups, took out a clean one, poured a drink, and pushed it across the table.
Wang Zhong entered the office at that moment, his expression complex.
"Please sit. It's not your first time here. Once is unfamiliar, twice is familiar. Don't be reserved."
He waved his hand casually, signaling Wang Zhong to sit. Ying Yanyang looked at Wang Zhong and asked, "Can you tell me why you've come to see me?"
"Teacher, do we really have to fight?"
Wang Zhong held the warm tea in his hands, his tone laced with dejection.
"Of course. This is a challenge that has already been personally accepted before the Pope and all the teachers and students. No one can easily revoke it. Not even Her Holiness the Pope can stop it."
Ying Yanyang sat on the sofa, his expression calm and his tone indifferent.
Hearing this, Wang Zhong's eyes lowered slightly, his face growing more complex.
Ying Yanyang chuckled and sighed at Wang Zhong's expression.
"Wang Zhong, what do you think is the happiest thing for a teacher?"
"A promotion, a raise, or receiving a group of intelligent, diligent, and motivated students! Of course, those are all great, but for me, the happiest thing is to see my students surpass me, their teacher, with a firm and confident demeanor!"
"As the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, the power, wealth, and status I possess are far beyond what others can attain. What I desire most is to see you talented children grow."
At this point, Ying Yanyang tapped the table, drawing Wang Zhong's attention to himself.
"Your growth proves the meaning of my existence as a teacher."
"You don't need to worry that I, as your teacher, will suffer greatly if I lose to you, or experience any imbalance in my mindset, or regard you as an enemy."
"Such a thing would simply not happen to me."
He observed Wang Zhong's demeanor and expression, and then said these words with a rather peculiar look on his face.
However, at these words, Wang Zhong's expression suddenly brightened.
"Really?"
"Hahaha, hahaha!"
Ying Yanyang burst into laughter. He never expected that Wang Zhong would be worried about something like this.
A Great Spirit Master of only level twenty-four was actually concerned whether a level seventy-four Spirit Sage would have a change in personality or mindset if he lost to him, and he was thinking about how to comfort him at that moment.
It was amusing, but also extremely interesting!
"Wang Zhong, oh Wang Zhong, I sometimes truly don't understand where your fearless courage and your utter lack of apprehension come from. Should I call you naive, or should I call you arrogant?"
"There is a gap of a full fifty levels between us. Do you have confidence that you can catch up and defeat me within five years?"
"On the stage, your teacher will not hold back any punches because you are my student."
Ying Yanyang's face was smiling, but his tone was genuinely serious. Like Wang Zhong, he also had a stubborn side; winning was his consistent principle.
"Give me time, and I will surpass everyone in this world!"
"Including you, Teacher!"
At this moment, Wang Zhong's expression was spirited, his confidence radiating like the scorching, dazzling sun.