106 Chapter 105: Conspiracy (1/2)

”That's quite the accusation you're making.” Teacher Jiao stared at me sternly. ”Do you have proof?”

”…proof?”

Oh, damn. I realized that I didn't have any evidence to back up my claim. To be fair, what exactly did he expect me to do when I overheard the student council members' conversation? To have a recording device out? I was too busily trying to eavesdrop that it had completely slipped my mind. Not to mention, the recording device wouldn't be capture the muffled voices from behind the door.

Seriously, it wasn't as if we all walked around with our recording devices switched on 24/7. That was just impractical.

”Uh, how am I supposed to collect proof? I just overheard their conversation…”

”How do you expect me to act based off just that?” Teacher Jiao looked a little frustrated. ”Look, it's not that I don't trust you, but consider my point of view. These guys are the student council. They have earned the trust of everyone. Now a single person comes up with what sounds like an absurd accusation – you'll need more than 'I overheard them talking about this' to convince me that you're telling the truth. Even if I approach them now, they'll just deny it, and it'll be your word against theirs. And surely you know who the other teachers and Principal Xiao Zhang will believe, right?”

He was right. I didn't think things through. Did I really think I could just show up, tell the teachers what I overheard, and expect them to believe me? This was the student council I was talking about here, students supposedly selected because they were responsible, upright and exmplars of good behavior, as well as supposedly being role models.

If it came down to my word against theirs, there was never any doubt who everyone would believe.

Furthermore, now that I thought about it, even if I was fast enough to record the rest of their conversation after they admitted to rigging the matches, they didn't really talk much about it other than taking care of me and Zhu Jiao by any means possible. Which was ambiguous enough to the point where nobody could accuse them of anything.

At least not ”legally” anyway.

Even so, I couldn't afford to give up.

”But if what I said is true, then it would be too late the moment they attack Zhu Jiao,” I protested. Right now I was more worried about my friend's wellbeing than getting into trouble over ”false” accusations. ”Isn't it possible to protect him before his match against Bai Ning Xue?”

Teacher Jiao sighed. ”I can't promise anything, but I'll try to keep an eye on Zhu Jiao. If they try anything, I'll act. But if they don't…” He glared at me. ”You'll be punished.”

”That's fine.” I nodded, relieved. If Teacher Jiao was watching Zhu Jiao, then I could rest easy. Even the student council members wouldn't be stupid enough to go against a teacher. ”Please watch out for Zhu Jiao.”

”…”

Teacher Jiao studied me and sighed. He obviously could tell that I wasn't lying, but he wasn't very keen on suspecting the student council either. He probably knew them enough to believe they weren't the type to resort to such despicable measures.

”Anything else?”

”No.” I shook my head and replied honestly.

Teacher Jiao grunted and dismissed me with a wave. I bowed politely and left. I could feel his gaze on me before I stepped out of the door.

”Oh, one more thing.”

I paused and glanced back at Teacher Jiao quizzically. He still seemed skeptical of what I told him, but he could at least tell that I wasn't lying. He stared at me sternly.

”If what you say is true, you should watch out for yourself as well.”

”Well…” I considered his words for a moment. ”I don't know. Like I said, it seems that Li Chun Long plans to beat me in a match, so there's very little that he could do. At least not in front of Teacher Cai.”

”…yeah.” Teacher Jiao exhaled as he leaned back on his chair. ”Even so, be careful. I'll believe you for now, but remember. If you're making this up…”

”I understand.”

”For now, I'll keep an eye on Zhu Jiao. I don't think Principal Xiao or the other teachers will believe me if I tell them, but I'll write up a report just in case.” He grimaced at the thought of more paperwork. ”Hmm, maybe I should tell Teacher Cai, just in case.”

”I'll be counting on you.”

”Sure, sure.” Teacher Jiao waved impatiently. ”You be careful yourself.”

I bowed one last time before leaving the room. With that done, I decided to implement some countermeasures of my own.

*

”Ning Xue's match is tomorrow, isn't it?” Yuan Mei asked as she walked into the student council office.

Inside, Gu Chun Song sat on a couch with his hands clasped and his chin lowered in deep thought.

”Yeah, that's right,” he replied distractedly as Yuan Mei approached. He glanced at the mask on the table. ”So we have to take care of Zhu Jiao before the match, right, Yuan Mei?”

”Hmm,” Yuan Mei affirmed. ”There's still the matter with Fei Wu, but Chun Long promised to take care of him in the tournament match. I don't think Fei Wu can defeat Chun Long, especially since Chun Long has mastered the twelfth level of the Solar Celestial Dragon Formula. There isn't anyone in the academy, other than Ning Xue…and probably Zhu Jiao, who can beat him.”

”So you think we can leave Fei Wu to Chun Long?”

”Yes. Even if Fei Wu defeats Chun Long by some miracle, we can still take care of him before the final.”

”Good point.”

Whoa. These guys. They probably didn't know I was eavesdropping on them, and I was seething with every word I heard. I would have attacked them, but I would get into trouble for that, and again, I had no proof. It was their word against mine.

Well, actually, I had the sense to record their conversation right now, so there was that. Now all I needed to do was get this recorded dialogue to Teacher Jiao and he would accept it as evidence. I was so glad I decided to spend my evening camping outside the student council office instead of returning to the dormitory.

I had waited long hours fruitlessly, but achieved nothing…it was only after dinner when I finally spotted Gu Chun Song entering the room. Feeling a bit of hope flare up, I waited for a bit before Yuan Mei finally showed up. Not wanting to repeat the mistake yesterday of not possessing proof, I had taken out my cellphone and used the recording function.

As I expected, the voices were muffled, but thankfully Yuan Mei had left the door open. That slight fortune allowed me to record their every word clearly. Now I had best leave before they noticed that I was here…

”Let's take care of Zhu Jiao right now.”

Gu Chun Song's words caused me to freeze. Halting my withdrawal within the shadows, I paused and strained my ears to listen further.

”With the exception of Tian Yong, call the others. Contact Xin Lai, Guo Qiang, Ding Yan, Chun Long and Xin Xia and get them to assemble.”

”We're leaving Tian Yong out of this?” Yuan Mei asked uncertainly. Gu Chun Song nodded.

”He's too close to Zhu Jiao and Fei Wu. They're in the same class, and pretty good friends. He won't agree to this. I trust him, but it's best not to let him know or he might stop us. Or inform his friends about this.”

”Chun Song.”

There was a tinge of anxiety in Yuan Mei's voice now. Idiot. It was too late to regret anything. She was already deep into this shit as everyone else. I even had the evidence.

”I don't know how you plan to take care of Zhu Jiao, but the semifinal between him and Ning Xue is tomorrow. If something major occurs tonight, then the other students and even the teachers will suspect something…”

”Don't worry about it,” Gu Chun Song cut her off. ”Zhu Jiao is naïve and trusting. He's pretty gullible. He has always seen me as a real older brother. He trusts me completely.”

What the fuck?! No? I don't remember Zhu Jiao ever thinking of this guy as an older brother?!

”If I call him, he will definitely come.” Gu Chun Song put on his mask, concealing his features for the rest of the story. ”We can settle this quietly.”

Fuck you, no! I was pretty sure Zhu Jiao didn't even know who Gu Chun Song was! Why the hell would he trust you and come out alone at night?! I had never heard Zhu Jiao mention anything about knowing Gu Chun Song or having brotherly relations with him throughout our long friendship! Hell, neither of us even knew who Gu Chun Song was until this late into the story, during the tournament arc! He was just a random character who showed up out of nowhere for the story to enter into a new arc and have new dramatic developments!

However, this was no time to complain against logic. If Gu Chun Song was telling the truth and had some sort of relationship with Zhu Jiao that I didn't know of, then my good friend would be in serious trouble if he agreed to meet with him!

And I still had to deliver the proof to Teacher Jiao. But if Teacher Jiao wouldn't be in his office right now, having gone home for the day (most likely with Teacher Yi). So much for keeping an eye on Zhu Jiao. Not that I could blame him, though – what was he supposed to do? Act as a bodyguard? That would have been too blatant and reeked of favoritism and paranoia.

No, I had best contact Zhu Jiao.

”?! I can't get through!?”

Despite calling him with my cellphone, I found the line engaged. No doubt Gu Chun Song was calling Zhu Jiao and calling him. Why would Gu Chun Song have Zhu Jiao's number? Was he telling the truth, after all?

Come to think of it, Zhu Jiao had no obligation to tell me everyone he befriended or had a relationship with. And we sort of drifted apart over the last two years when I was trying to assimilate all that demonic qi from the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect.

”Ugh!”

Feeling a sense of frustration, I hurried toward the dormitory, hoping to catch him before he could leave. Using my footwork techniques, I literally flew across the campus grounds and reached the male dormitory in no time at all. Twisting around the entrance, I began running up the winding stairs and toward the level where Zhu Jiao stayed at.

Please let me make it in time!

Praying fervently, I bounded up the stairs three at a time, hurling myself forward. And then I heard the sounds of footsteps as someone descended from above.

Is that…?!

”Oh? Wu, you've just come back?”

Zhu Jiao peered down on me from above, looking puzzled. I understood why – it was fairly late at night, almost eleven now. Camping outside the student council office had taken up a lot more time than I anticipated.

”You…where are you going?”

Panting after using so many footwork techniques, I leaned on the railing and stared up at him. Zhu Jiao scratched his head sheepishly.

”Oh, I got a call, a senior asking me to meet him right now. Probably offering me advice for tomorrow's semifinal match against Ning Xue.”

”Is it from Gu Chun Song?” I asked. Zhu Jiao's eyes widened.

”How did you know?”

”Don't go!” I told him firmly. ”It's a trap!”

”Hmm?” Zhu Jiao stared at me in bewilderment. ”What are you talking about, Wu?”

I tightened my grip on the railing and gritted my teeth, not sure how to break this to him. ”The student council is planning to eliminate you right now. The fact that you advanced to the semifinals after beating three student council members in a row and graduating top of the group of death that they put you in has disturbed them.”

”What?”

Zhu Jiao's mouth was hanging open. He shook his head dismissively and scoffed.

”What are you talking about? That's impossible. I'm going out because Senior Chun Song called me.”

”Yeah, and that Gu Chun Song is the mastermind who's scheming your elimination.” I held up my cellphone.

”No way,” Zhu Jiao snapped. ”That's impossible.”

”Listen to this!” I urged him as I hit the play button. Zhu Jiao listened to Gu Chun Song's conversation with Yuan Mei and turned pale.

”No way…” He repeated, his face ashen. ”I know that Senior Chun Song is part of the student council, but we've known each other before we entered the academy.”

”Huh? You did?” I was completely unaware of that fact. Zhu Jiao shrugged, as if saying that it wasn't something he thought was worth mentioning. It was true, though. Given that Gu Chun Song was a couple of years older than us, the rest of the class had completely no interaction with him. There was no reason for Zhu Jiao to introduce us to him or inform us of his relationship, even if I had been friends with him for over three years.

”Why…? Why, Senior Chun Song?”

Right now, Zhu Jiao was in complete denial, shaking his head in disbelief. He held his temples, on the verge of tears. He evidently did not hear my question or was in no mental state to answer it. I felt bad when I saw his dismay.

”Do you think he will value you more than Bai Ning Xue?”

”What does Ning Xue have to do with anything?” Zhu Jiao snapped. ”This is just an inter-school tournament. I know Senior Chun Song has a crush on Ning Xue, but so does ninety percent of the male population in school. Du Lang too…”