Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, True or False Chapter Thirty: The Meeting

Huo Ye noticed Remy’s reaction, and suddenly his brows knit tightly, as if he had discovered something. He asked Remy, “Remy, where’s your bathroom?”

“Ah?” Remy hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward a door and said, “It’s that one.”

Huo Ye got up and walked to the bathroom. When he came out, he was holding a soaking wet towel. Without saying a word, he grabbed Remy’s shoulders, turned him to face himself, and began wiping Remy’s face vigorously.

“Mm? …Mm!” Remy was startled, momentarily at a loss.

As the grease and grime were wiped away, Huo Ye frowned, glancing at Remy’s eyes. A large ring of purple bruising stood out sharply against his pale skin.

“Ah!” Alice cried out at the sight of Remy’s bruised eye. She rushed forward, cupping his head and twisting it left and right. “What happened? Who hit you like this? Why would they hit your face?”

“Easy, his neck is injured too,” Huo Ye interjected, scolding her. Just now, when he’d wiped Remy’s face, his fingers had touched Remy’s neck and he noticed a cervical sprain.

Alice immediately let go. Remy, holding his aching neck, said, “I’m fine. It happened during the defense battle on the city wall—I got hurt by accident.”

But Huo Ye said, “Remy, what are you trying to hide from us? Would a calamity really punch your face and leave you alive? Now I understand why clean-freak Remy spoke to us with a face full of grease—not because he’s careless, nor because he forgot to wash, but to cover up the bruises on his face. Obviously, those marks were left by a human fist.”

Huo Ye’s questioning left Remy silent. He didn’t know what to say. Lying was never his forte, and after years of friendship, he could hardly hope to fool Huo Ye.

Huo Ye asked, “Is someone bullying you?”

There was reason for the question. Remy had always been passive and accommodating, possessing ability but lacking confidence, unable to speak up even when bullied. As children, when he was picked on by peers, it was always Huo Ye who stood up for him.

Remy blinked, as if weighing whether he should tell Huo Ye.

Just then, a loud banging came from downstairs—“Remy, come out! Stop pretending you’re not home. I told you to come out—did you hear me?”

The door was being battered so loudly it shook the house. Remy was sweating profusely now, realizing his situation could no longer be concealed.

Huo Ye looked at Remy and sighed, then said, “Go open the door for that person downstairs. I think once we see for ourselves, things will be clear.”

Huo Ye didn’t force Remy to reveal his troubles, but chose to see the truth firsthand.

Remy nodded. “Alright.”

The three went downstairs. Remy opened the door, while Huo Ye and Alice stood on the stairs, quietly listening to what unfolded below.

Before leaving, Huo Ye patted Remy’s shoulder and said, “Remy, show some courage. Believe in yourself.”

Remy hesitated, then nodded firmly.

The sound of the door swinging wide echoed, and Remy’s timid voice could be heard, “Senior… why are you here?”

“Stop pretending! School’s started, your basic points should have been credited by now. Hurry up and pay your tribute for the month.”

“But I need points too. If I give them all to you, what will I do?”

“That’s not my problem. Don’t you sell those little gadgets of yours? When you sell them, same old rules—seventy-thirty split.”

Huo Ye sighed as he listened. “It’s all clear now. That guy downstairs is extorting Remy because he’s his senior, even beating him.”

“This is outrageous!” Alice couldn’t take it anymore and was about to rush downstairs to defend Remy.

Huo Ye reached out and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to help Remy chase him off! How can you just watch Remy be bullied? Now I know why he hardly came to me this past year—he was afraid I’d find out he was being bullied.”

Alice was furious, ready to storm downstairs and, if she could, put a bullet in Remy’s so-called “senior.”

“Oh, you go down, beat him up, and then what? When we’re not around, Remy will still be bullied. We can’t just treat the symptoms,” Huo Ye reasoned.

Alice pouted. “Then what do you suggest?”

Huo Ye took his twin demon-slaying blades from his storage box, gently pushing one from its sheath with his thumb. “You have to pull weeds out by the roots, or spring winds will bring them back.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “You’re planning to kill him?”

Huo Ye grinned, like a mischievous child. “Not quite, but I’ll need to use some tough measures.”

————————————————————

Meanwhile, the heads and deputies of the major clubs had gathered for an emergency meeting to discuss the sudden upheaval.

“It seems everyone here has underestimated the Little Reaper—no, ‘Huo Ye,’” Xiao Linghuo began. Among all the club leaders, he had the most contact with Huo Ye. Not that it was much, but compared to the others, he was the best acquainted. When it came to understanding Huo Ye, none present surpassed him.

What kind of person was he?

Powerful, without question. Elegant, perhaps, but that seemed more surface-level; beneath that gentle smile was a subtle, soft-edged aggression.

Xiao Linghuo thought this description apt. Calling him fierce or arrogant wouldn’t be accurate, for in every interaction, every gesture, he was as warm as a spring breeze. Yet, no matter what, he always ensured his position was unassailable—there was always something unfathomable about him.

“Is that so? At least, I don’t see it that way,” Tan Xiao chimed in.

Tan Xiao, tall and slender with unremarkable looks, sat in his chair with his massive hammer beside him—the handle as thick as his own thin arm, an odd juxtaposition. Yet it was with that hammer that he had earned the title of Bancroft’s top seat.

He continued, “A person’s gaze reveals much. I saw ideals and conviction in his eyes, and a boundless ambition—far greater than any of yours. That ambition will drive him to keep growing stronger. He’ll be my lifelong rival.”

No one else replied. They were used to the Dark Hall president’s dramatic words, but the meaning behind them was worth pondering.

It was no wonder the Dark Hall hadn’t tried to recruit Huo Ye so aggressively. Tan Xiao wanted him as an opponent. It made sense—Tan Xiao had already bested all comers at the academy, and among his peers, he had no equal. Unable to find stronger foes in the military, he naturally hoped for a fated rival.

Huo Ye, the sudden and formidable transfer student, seemed to fit the bill. Both were aligned with the dark arts, adding a layer of destiny to their rivalry.

Yet, among those present, there were others who could match Tan Xiao. Someone glanced at another figure—a beauty with a classical air, president of the Sacred Ring of Light, and eldest daughter of the Huo clan: Huo Xialan.

Huo Xialan rarely sparred with others at the academy, preferring to accept missions to defeat powerful calamities, as if to temper her swordsmanship. Who could say why? Eastern martial arts always retained their unique tradition and allure.

Even now, many gifted practitioners wield methods inherited from the old era—some called it martial arts, some ninjutsu, some magic, some yoga. They substitute supernatural abilities for the energy systems of those old techniques, transforming them into supernatural arts. One must admit, the wisdom of the ancients is beyond imagination; these arts are incredibly powerful, as is Huo Xialan’s swordsmanship.

Huo Xialan had once fought Tan Xiao. He won, but only with difficulty, and though she lost, she seemed to have held something in reserve. Tan Xiao, however, was a straightforward man, uninterested in rivalry with women, and did not consider Huo Xialan a true opponent. The question of who was stronger remained unsettled.

At this moment, Huo Xialan spoke up. “If he wants to start a club, there’s nothing we can do to stop him. Whether he sweeps the academy like a hurricane or fades like a leaf into the sea depends on his own abilities. Gathering us here is pointless. You just want the seven clubs to join forces and suppress Huo Ye, who might threaten your share. But I’m sorry—the Huo clan has its principles. If others do not offend us, we do not offend them. Competition is a matter of skill. As for what you did to the Sacred Ring of Light, I won’t hold it against you, nor will I stoop to your level. I bid you farewell.”

She stood, turned, and left. Her vice president smoothed things over and followed.

Tan Xiao now stood as well. “I don’t reason things out much, but Huo Xialan’s words are what I would say.” He too departed the meeting.

Thus, after the two presidents left, the summit of the seven clubs ended without resolution.