Chapter 195: Distant Curse

Xue Cangbai was taken aback for a moment before he recalled the Holy Sanctuary disciple who had recently been embroiled in a scandal with his daughter.

Honestly, Xue Cangbai hadn't believed a single word of the rumors about Wang Feng and Xue Zhiyu being in a relationship. He knew that man was just a smokescreen set up by his two daughters, most likely at Xuecai's suggestion.

He had turned a blind eye to it, planning to expose the truth only when the deadline for their agreed-upon Ice and Snow Festival arrived. This way, he could avoid the trouble of his daughters coming up with another scheme if he exposed them too early.

But he never expected that this temporary indulgence would lead to today's bitter outcome. Xue Cangbai didn't know how Wang Feng and Oscar had met, but the idea of Zhiyu marrying a southerner, and one who was known as a radical, Karida's junior no less...

That was just ridiculous!

"It must be that girl Xuecai causing trouble again, going to the clan elders for help. They dote on her the most, so this is really no surprise..." Xue Cangbai said angrily: "In the past, her own mischief was bad enough, but now she's dragging Zhiyu into it and even deceiving the clan elders. This is a complete joke!"

"Your Majesty, we have no evidence yet to make such a conclusion," the Queen Oona said with a smile: "Do you not know the character of the clan elders? They aren't easily swayed by two young girls. Perhaps we should listen to what the clan elders have to say and see what kind of person this Wang Feng really is?"

"I've already had him investigated," Xue Cangbai threw the letter onto the table irritably: "Eighteen years old, two years younger than Zhiyu, still a boy, unreliable, and from the south, all talk and no action!"

Oona laughed: "Your Majesty, that's not fair. You haven't even met Wang Feng, how can you say he's all talk and no action?"

"Do I need to see it with my own eyes?" Xue Cangbai sneered: "At his age, he dares to boast about mastering the Third Order Rune and even staged a grand performance with his mentor from the Holy Sanctuary's Rune Division... He must have been threatened by Xuecai, that little brat is becoming more and more out of control!"

"The rules of the Holy Sanctuary are strict; Xuecai wouldn’t dare to do anything outrageous, no matter how bold she is..."

"She’s used to causing trouble; what could she possibly be afraid of?" Xuecangbai waved his hand. "Let’s not talk about her! As for Wang Feng, we should at least clarify his identity first. I’ve already sent a messenger to the Rose Holy Sanctuary; it shouldn’t take long to get accurate information."

"What about now?" said the Queen Ouna. "The clan elders have protected both races for two hundred years. If we go against their will, the emperor might face all sorts of criticism."

Xuecangbai pondered for a moment. "We should still prepare for the engagement ceremony at the Ice and Snow Festival. There’s about a month left, and I’ll take the time to properly assess him. If he truly has talent, that’s one thing, but if he’s just a paper tiger, then forget it!"

The Queen Ouna giggled. "Your Majesty, I think you’re just reluctant to let Zhiyu go."

"A girl must marry eventually; what’s there to be reluctant about? I’m doing this for her own good!" Xuecangbai glared and said, "How good is Aota? He loves her and is devoted to her, and he has the potential to become the most powerful Ice Spirit Prince in history… What does Wang Feng have besides a pretty face that girls love? How can he even compare?"

...

Karida had a very strange feeling. She felt as though her good luck had run out, and the past half-month had been nothing but a series of frustrating events.

The Dean Hawkland being reassigned and Wang Feng mysteriously disappearing were enough to give her a headache, but now there was also the issue with the Martial Dao Courtyard’s Dharma Master.

After the incident with Luo Lan, this guy should have been asked to step down by the Holy Sanctuary due to his responsibility. However, after some unknown maneuvering at the Alliance Parliament, the retirement order never came through. Instead, he received a promotion and was appointed as the Deputy Principal of the Rose Holy Sanctuary.

Although Karida was aware that the current Alliance Council was black and white mixed, only concerned with interests and nothing else, she hadn’t expected it to be this outrageous.

Originally her opponent, after the Luo Lan incident, the antagonism between them became even more pronounced. They had already torn off their masks and no longer needed to pretend for each other’s sake.

As a result, the board meetings were filled with constant arguments, big or small, never ceasing. The noise gave Karida a headache, and sometimes she really felt like escaping from all this chaos, finding a quiet place to stay for an entire day, doing nothing, thinking about nothing, just letting her tired mind rest. Unfortunately, such a luxury was nothing more than a wish.

Sigh...

A ghostly figure of Blue Sky appeared before her desk, placing a sealed letter on it: "My Lord, a confidential letter from the Ice Spirit Kingdom's ruler."

The Ice Spirit Kingdom? Karida paused, rubbing her temples in frustration.

If she remembered correctly, the Ice Spirit Kingdom's ruler, Snow Cypress, might not be as corrupt as some of the decaying members of the Blade, but his thinking was rigid and outdated, a typical conservative who advocated friendly coexistence with the Nine Gods. He was one of her political opponents.

"What does the Snow family want?" She frowned as she opened the envelope, but the moment she read the first sentence, she immediately perked up, sitting straight and reading every word carefully.

"This guy..." A rare smile appeared on Karida's face: "He actually went to the Ice Spirit Kingdom!"

"Who?"

"Wang Feng!"

Lantian was taken aback. It was thousands of miles away from Aurora City, in a completely different direction, and at this time of year, the mountains should be sealed by heavy snow. How could Wang Feng possibly make it there? "Could it be fake?"

Karida smiled and tossed the letter to Lantian.

Lantian quickly scanned it and immediately recognized its authenticity. It was indeed written by Snowcypress, with the seal of the Ice Spirit Kingdom's ruler. Apart from some polite greetings to Karida, it inquired about matters concerning Wang Feng, mentioning his transfer as an exchange student to the Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary.

It was clear that Snowcypress was not entirely certain about Wang Feng's identity, but the letter contained questions for verification. Based on the descriptions of appearance and characteristics, it was undoubtedly Wang Feng.

"Milady, I'll go take a trip," Lantian said, feeling a sense of relief.

Recently, the Rose had been particularly lacking in vitality. The major divisions seemed to have quietly returned to the state they were in before Wang Feng's arrival, a state of powerlessness. Even the recently empowered self-governing council was in chaos, becoming a point of attack against Karida's decisions in the high-level meetings.

To be honest, no one realized it when Wang Feng was around, but now that he was gone, it became apparent how important he was to the Rose. Many things weren't just surface-level; you could say he was truly capable or just lucky, but the facts were right there, impossible to ignore.

But Karida said, "I will go personally."

"Then I will accompany you."

"No need, I'll go check what that guy is up to and take a walk to clear my head," Karida smiled.

　A fleeing spy? A trap set by the Nine Gods?

　Honestly, neither seemed likely, and Karida wasn't afraid. More importantly...

　"The situation with the Rose has become too complex recently. That old fox Damocles has been pulling in quite a few people, who are still hiding for now. If I'm not around, they will surely come out of the woodwork. Stay here and keep an eye on who they are," a fierce glint flashed in Karida's eyes: "Remember these traitors, and when I return, we'll catch them all at once!"

　"Understood!"

　......

　With Old Wang gone, life in the Rose Holy Sanctuary was tough for more than just Brother Da.

　Fan Tansi was also having a hard time. The first few days after Wang Feng left were manageable, as he had been 'taken down' by Rachel. Yes, he couldn't resist his ex-lover's advances.

　How could a boy who hasn't truly experienced the storms of life escape the deliberate seduction of a manipulative woman? Men often think with their lower halves, mistaking it for love. To see through such illusions, one needs the wisdom that comes with experience.

　Rachel had him completely under her spell, and the passionate days gave Fan Tansi a brief period of bliss. However, as news of Wang Feng's disappearance began to spread in the Holy Sanctuary, Rachel started to become more cautious, her enthusiasm clearly waning. This was followed by real trouble.

Karida was on a mission away from Rose, and Vice Principal Damos of the Martial Dao Courtyard became the acting principal. He quickly gained the support of several instructors who believed that the Rose Holy Sanctuary was “a den of iniquity.” The Student Council, originally managed by Fantasi, Su Yue, Yin Fu, and others for Old Wang, soon saw a change in leadership, with the reason being that the Student Council could not function without a true president.

The new president was one of Damos’s people, a specially recruited talent from Phoenix City named Lin Yuxiang, a brilliant martial artist. Handsome and fierce, he wielded a silver spear to defeat three top experts of the Martial Dao Courtyard, making him the talk of the town at the Rose Holy Sanctuary.

The new president wasted no time in making his mark. The heads of the Exorcism Academy and the Foundry, Yin Fu and Su Yue, were both replaced. Rachel, being quite pragmatic, abandoned the worthless little fatty and embraced the newcomer, securing her position as the head of the Gun Institute Academy.

The entire Rose Holy Sanctuary was in a state of chaos.

But that was only part of the problem. More critically, the new president had his eyes on the business between the Institute of Potions and Old Wang.

His demands were straightforward: if Fantasi wanted to continue collaborating with the Institute of Potions, the original payment of 20 euros per potion apprentice would have to be increased to 50 euros.

With Wang Feng absent, Dean Famier showed little interest in this so-called business and focused entirely on her research, no longer getting involved. As a single department head, Famier lacked the power to challenge the new president. Moreover, the price increase would benefit the Institute of Potions as a whole, even if the new president took a cut. The disciples of the Institute of Potions were willing to accept it, and Famier couldn’t stop them.

Fantasi suffered consecutive blows in both love and business, but the contract with the orcs was still unfinished. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and maintain the status quo, even if it meant no profit or even a loss.

He had hoped for some help from the Eight Divisions, but that was merely wishful thinking.

The Eight Divisions had never been interested in the power struggles within the Holy Sanctuary. Yin Fu had only taken the position of head of the Exorcism Academy to help Wang Feng. Now that Wang Feng was gone, they readily gave up those positions when others tried to take them, especially since the other party’s reasons were simple and their attitude respectful. The Eight Divisions believed that such tedious guild affairs should not be their responsibility.

Hei Wukai and Yin Fu had never been particularly involved in the affairs of the self-governing council, nor did they have any interest in the internal strife of the Rose. In the past, they participated due to their personal friendship with Wang Feng. Now that Wang Feng was gone, there was even less reason for them to compete, so they naturally stepped back.

With various setbacks, Old Wang's faction, which had once been on the rise within the Rose, suddenly became the easiest target for bullying. Those who had always disliked them, envied them, or harbored grudges, as well as those from Luo Lan’s faction, all came out of the woodwork. Life became increasingly difficult.

Rune Dormitory...

When Old Wang was around, this place served as the team's 'office.' Even without Old Wang, the tradition continued.

The bed had long been turned into a pigsty by Winnie, with footprints all over the quilt. In the past, Wang Feng would have scolded her, but now Winnie was the legitimate leader of the team. Who dared to scold her?

Everyone was in a meeting, though it was more like a session to vent their frustrations.

"The Martial Dao Courtyard wants to expel me. Dean Damos was almost ready to sign off on it. Fortunately, Kela intervened and saved me," Wu Di said with a face full of remorse. It wasn't that the Martial Dao Courtyard was being unfair; he had simply messed up a recent evaluation: "I’m just too stupid."

He hung his head in shame.

"Worry, worry, worry—what’s there to worry about? Being expelled isn’t the end of the world. Let me tell you, I’ve been expelled from seven Holy Sanctuaries, and I’m still living just fine..." Winnie marveled at herself; she had never thought she would be the one comforting someone else.

"Kela’s presence still gives them pause. After all, Kela is our star," Fantasi said, even more troubled: "But things are even harder for me now. You all know about the business with Feng. Lin Yuxiang not only took half the payment but has also set a deadline, demanding that I hand over the entire potion trade within a month. He says that business involving cooperation with the sub-campuses should be controlled by the self-governing council, led by the president... As if I’d let him control anything! This is outright robbery!"

The team led by Old Wang was well aware of the matters concerning Fantasi and the Institute of Potions. They relied on Fantasi for their 'team funds.' Now, with the situation turning against them, Winnie leaped out of bed in a flash.

"Damn it, I've never been robbed in my life! Is he crazy? He should have found out who he's dealing with!" Winnie fumed, "Just because the tiger isn't showing its claws, they think I'm a sick cat. I'll go and crush him right now!"

"Calm down! Calm down!" Fantasi and Wu Di quickly held her back.

Kela, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, "Winnie, you were just warned by the principal yesterday..."

"What principal? Just a temporary one!" Winnie shouted, but her bravado waned, "He's not even the real principal, what's so great about him?"

Karida had been away for a few days, and the school affairs were being handled by the interim principal, Damos. This guy was completely different from Karida and didn't give the Li family any special treatment.

In fact, at the level of the principal of the Holy Sanctuary, even an interim principal was no pushover. They all had their own backing, and no one could be intimidated by anyone else. Winnie Lee was brought in by Karida, and naturally, she was seen as Karida's person. The fact that Damos hadn't specifically targeted her was already a huge favor to the Li family, but he certainly wouldn't continue to indulge her.

Damos had already summoned Winnie yesterday to reprimand her, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the previous antics of Old Wang's team. Although he repeatedly blamed Wang Feng and claimed it had nothing to do with Winnie and the others, he added that with Wang Feng gone, past issues would be forgiven. However, if Winnie or any other team members caused trouble in Rose, they would be expelled immediately.

To be honest, expulsion wasn't something Winnie feared, but the problem was that if she couldn't stay in Rose, Dark Demon Island would be her only option, and she didn't want to go to that place even the ghosts feared.

This time, the little witch had truly met her match and was genuinely intimidated into submission.

Reasoning doesn’t work, and neither does force.

So frustrating, so stifling!

Suddenly, he missed Old Wang. In the past, everyone thought that guy was just a freeloader, doing nothing all day, yet everyone lived happily. For example, with these current troubles, if Old Wang were here, would that new president’s rank be higher than Luo Lan’s? He’d have him stripped in no time!

The four of them frowned and discussed for a long while but came up with nothing. Winnie, furious, stomped her foot hard, “Wang Feng, you bastard! Where the hell did you go?”

Winnie was truly upset. There actually were people in this world that even the Li family’s intelligence network couldn’t find. Did Wang Feng turn into a butterfly and fly away?

Bah! If you dare to make me suffer so much, I hope I never find you, or I’ll bite you to death!

“Ashibā, just stall, do whatever it takes to stall until Wang Feng comes back!”

……

“Achoo!”

Old Wang sneezed, sensing the curse from afar.

It must be that Brother Da is missing him. Being too handsome just attracts trouble, and he hasn’t even dealt with the one right in front of him.

Xue Zhiyu sat opposite Wang Feng. After returning from the harsh winter, she felt that things had changed too quickly and were somewhat beyond her control.

To be honest, when they first staged this play with Xuecai, everyone expected Wang Feng to be exposed very soon. After all, the people they were trying to deceive were the most intelligent in the Ice Spirit Kingdom. Everyone thought about how to deal with being exposed, but no one considered what it would mean if the act was too successful!

Now, even the guardian deity of Ice Spirit has been deceived, which should be a cause for celebration, as their plan has succeeded beyond all expectations. But an engagement? That’s just too much.

"Father already knows," Xue Zhiyu said, half-laughing and half-crying. No one had anticipated things would escalate to this point: "There will likely be a series of actions following this. It involves the dignity of the royal palace, so it won’t be easy, nor will it be within my control anymore. You need to be mentally prepared for anything."

"Your Highness, what are your plans?" Old Wang was not at all flustered. He knew that true gold fears no fire; even if everything came out in the open, he was still a disciple of the Holy Sanctuary. Could talking about free love really lead to execution? "I can help you hold on for a bit, but not for long."