Chapter 139 Damn Tacit Understanding

Luo Lan was slightly taken aback. This "you" was very targeted. Although their positions were different, Karida would never have lowered herself to confront a disciple directly before.

"Is it because of Junior Brother Wang Feng?" Luo Lan smiled, not giving Wang Feng and Karida any chance to set the tone: "Regardless of what Junior Brother Wang Feng said about me in front of the Headmistress, please forgive my boldness. Competition is not wrong, but for a mere election of the President, causing Rose disciples to attack each other and spread slander is detrimental to Rose's development and goes against the Headmistress's intention of entrusting power to the students!"

Luo Lan subtly implied that Ma Tan's incident was orchestrated by Wang Feng.

Wang Feng and Nuoyu remained silent, utterly confused. Was Ma Tan's trivial matter worth such attention from Karida?

Moreover, Karida's expression seemed off. So calm, it felt like something was about to happen. Before figuring out the situation, they decided to stay low-key. Nuoyu gave him a look to remain quiet.

Karida waved her hand and said calmly, "I called you here for another matter. Come out."

Luo Lan was slightly stunned. When he saw who came through the door, his brows immediately furrowed. It really was... Ma Tan.

"Headmistress, Ma Tan's incident was undoubtedly the work of a villain. I know his character; he wouldn't mess around with a Beastman," Luo Lan said calmly, surprising even Ma Tan.

Karida smiled, "Ma Tan, do you have anything to say?"

Ma Tan looked at Luo Lan, unsure what to say, "Headmistress... I... I..."

*Bang!*

Karida slammed the table, "Ma Tan, are you trying to waste my time?"

"No, no, Headmistress, everything I said is true. It was Luo Lan who ordered me to follow Wang Feng. Every move he made, I reported back to Luo Lan!" Ma Tan couldn't handle the pressure like Old Wang. Most importantly, he had already spilled everything yesterday.

Being abandoned by Luo Lan had completely shattered Ma Tan's fragile nerves. He connected recent events, deciding to falsely accuse Luo Lan of being a spy for the Nine Gods Empire. He didn't expect Luo Lan to actually speak up for him.

Luo Lan's expression gradually shifted from calm to disbelief, "Ma Tan, what are you trying to say? Headmistress, you're a powerful returnee from traveling the continent. What does this mean? If you want Wang Feng to be the President, just say so, and I'll step down."

Almost instantly, Old Wang understood. Damn, a big fish, could this be possible???

"Hehe, Luo Lan, looks like you still value my strength. Just admit it!" Old Wang jumped in.

"So what if I did? I investigate all my competitors. Is there a problem with that?" Luo Lan replied calmly.

Old Wang clapped his hands, "Good, you admitted it."

"Admitted what? I did have someone follow you," Luo Lan laughed, "For this, should I be punished?"

"Following isn't much, but assassination is related to you." Old Wang smiled, "I've been chased multiple times by people from the Nine Gods Empire, who knew my every move. And you, the one following me, knew my movements best."

"So what?" Luo Lan sneered, "Knowing your whereabouts means I'm a traitor? Ridiculous!"

"Hehe, you're not surprised by the Nine Gods' attempt to assassinate me."

Luo Lan was slightly stunned. Ma Tan, beside him, was both shocked and delighted. He had only intended to bite Luo Lan, but if Luo Lan was indeed an imperial spy, he might have done a great deed.

"As a member of Rose, don't you know we caught two imperial assassins?" Old Wang laughed, "They confessed to your identity. Can you still pretend?"

Luo Lan became wary. At this point, he wouldn't fall for it again, instead sneering, "Accusations can always be fabricated. This is an insult to me and my family! Headmistress Karida, I demand..."

"I heard spies have tattoos, even members of Rose." Nuoyu, who had been unnoticed, suddenly spoke.

The room fell silent as everyone looked at Luo Lan. Clearly, this was a question he couldn't avoid.

"Ha ha..." Luo Lan laughed coldly, "Today, let me show you clearly, but this insult won't go unpunished!"

He took off his shirt, revealing well-defined muscles. Ma Tan stared wide-eyed. After knowing him for over three years, he had never known if Luo Lan had any tattoos. Seeing none, but noticing scars, was unsettling.

"Scars can be fake," Nuoyu said.

Luo Lan glanced at him, surprised. Old Wang laughed, "Almost got fooled. Maybe it's half-true, but fakes can't last!"

Karida watched Luo Lan with a faint smile.

Wang Feng, once part of the empire, knew the secrets of tattoos. They were permanent marks, and while some methods could conceal them, they couldn't be removed entirely. With the right techniques, they could always be revealed. But he never expected it to be Luo Lan.

Luo Lan took a deep breath, slowly buttoning his shirt. At this point, seeing Karida's gaze, he knew he was exposed. More concrete evidence? Did Karida need more proof to suspect an imperial spy?

Luo Lan glanced at Nuoyu, "That day, did you intentionally strip me?"

Nuoyu nodded, "We analyzed Rose's structure and confirmed a list of thirty-two suspects. You were one of them."

Old Wang looked at Karida and then at Nuoyu... Damn...

Beside them, Ma Tan was ecstatic, wanting to shout, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck.

His eyes widened, and he clutched his throat, "Hea... Head... I... mer... it... joke..."

Incoherent words gurgled from his throat as he fell backward. In his final vision, Karida's faint smile and the cold short sword in Luo Lan's hand lingered.

"Never thought a useless person would ruin everything," Luo Lan said calmly. Without Ma Tan's meddling, Nuoyu and Karida wouldn't have connected scars to concealing tattoos.

*Swish!*

A cold glint appeared, targeting Wang Feng this time. But Karida remained motionless.

Was Karida planning to eliminate him too?

Luo Lan moved swiftly, closing the distance quickly. Before Old Wang could react, the blade was at Wang Feng's neck. Feeling the threat of death, Wang Feng stiffened, but suddenly the sword stopped mid-air, followed by a 'whoosh'!

A thin thread of soul force locked the dagger, preventing it from moving further.

Then Wang Feng felt something pull behind him as Nuoyu rushed forward. Within seconds, their soul forces filled the room.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Soul forces erupted, and figures flew. Luo Lan launched a fierce attack, but Nuoyu defended with bare hands. Not just bare hands; his hands formed a web, and more threads appeared, dividing the space.

Luo Lan's attacks became even more ferocious. Although he knew that with Karida around, he had no chance, how could he know without trying?

Old Wang watched in shock. Luo Lan's current level of attack was significantly higher, yet he couldn't do anything against Nuoyu... Was this still the Nuoyu he knew?

Facing such attacks, Nuoyu remained calm and used soul force threads to seal off all exits. The space for evading kept shrinking, and when a thread grazed Luo Lan's body, it instantly cut through his soul force defense, causing blood to splatter...

Suddenly, Luo Lan stopped moving. "Red Spider Yan Ruoyu, indeed extraordinary, Headmaster, I concede."

At this moment, the entire room was completely under Yan Ruoyu's control, like a giant spider web. Moreover, a small red spider had already crawled to Luo Lan's ear, ready to render him helpless with any extra movement.

Old Wang also understood. That night, the female assassin paused not because of Tai Kun's strength but because she was bitten by Nuoyu's soul beast.

Indeed, this was another form of soul beast.

Despite this, Luo Lan did not panic or attempt suicide; instead, he smiled. "I still failed. Death Rose is truly remarkable. Headmaster, when did you start suspecting me?"

Karida looked at Luo Lan. Even upon confirming this, her heart felt somewhat strange. Nine Gods truly infiltrated everywhere. "We didn't suspect you at first. We just believed there must be a spy in Aurora City, so we conducted self-inspections in each district. The lockdown on Aurora was strict, especially within the Holy Sanctuary. Yet, the assassins always managed to pinpoint Wang Feng accurately. There must have been an insider with considerable authority. That's when we started suspecting you."

Karida said calmly, "Yan Ruoyu's battle at the Gun Institute Academy was the first test. As for Wang Feng's analysis and Ma Tan's tip-off, they were merely icing on the cake. Your family has been hiding for decades; you've been quite dedicated."

"Brilliant!" Luo Lan understood. "If Yan Ruoyu had come secretly, I would have been suspicious. But by acting openly and placing himself next to this fool, he made me believe he was just a useless second-generation noble. I underestimated you."

Cough, damn it. Why am I the fool? I'm the hero here!

"Luo Lan, I am ashamed of you!" With the matter settled, Old Wang jumped out indignantly before Karida, determined to distance himself from these imperial devils: "You have a prestigious family and have received great favors from the Alliance and the Rose, yet you changed allegiance and became a lackey of the Empire, betraying your own people! Where is your conscience? I, Wang Feng, may have been born in Nine Gods, but since joining the Alliance, I have felt the warmth of Headmaster Karida..."

"Wang Feng, Wang Feng!" Luo Lan burst into laughter: "You shameless flatterer are the disgrace of the Empire!"

"Pah!" Old Wang said proudly: "I chose the right path. I am the pride of the Blades. The Empire will fall because of me, Wang Feng. You, mere lackey..."

Before he finished, Karida waved her hand, and the ghostly presence of Lan Tian appeared behind everyone.

"Take him away," Karida instructed. "Notify the Holy City."

Old Wang was stunned: "Dage, shouldn't we execute traitors immediately?"

Karida shook her head slightly, showing little joy. Luo Lan laughed aloud: "Hahaha, do you think I'm some expendable pawn? We are of noble imperial royal blood!"

Wang Feng looked at Karida, then at Lan Tian and Yan Ruoyu, suddenly understanding something. There must be some tacit agreement between Nine Gods and the Blades, possibly with Nine Gods holding the upper hand. Minor figures could be killed freely, but important ones were valuable assets.

"Wang Feng, soon you'll see the fate of traitors," Luo Lan sneered. "We will meet again!"

Eh... Not killing him?

Old Wang panicked, feeling lost.

Brother, if you survive, don't come after me!

(Recommend "Wu Zhetian," a tale of a martial arts genius adept at taking advantage.)