"Is something wrong?" Yan Jiaojiao asked curiously. The old man's expression clearly indicated he knew something about Gonan Academy, and the emotion in his eyes seemed to be more shock than anything else, as if he were simply astonished that Gonan Academy still existed.
Jiang Yiling and Xu Changzong exchanged a glance, their movements pausing for a moment before they resumed.
Listening to stories was important, but so were their points!
Xu Changzong had a natural affinity for spirit herbs, making him the fastest at picking them. Yan Jiaojiao used spirit power to pluck herbs, so her speed was also considerable.
Only Jiang Yiling was in a miserable state, looking at everyone else with a large pile in their hands while he only had two or three stalks. He no longer dared to pay attention to the old man's story, burying himself in his work to catch up with the other two.
Hearing Yan Jiaojiao's question, the old man fell into a prolonged silence.
"Little girl, you are truly a disciple of Gonan Academy. There are some things I don't fear telling you."
The old man spoke earnestly, setting down his wine gourd. His eyes drifted into the distance, lost in thought.
Seeing this, a hint of cunning flashed in Yan Jiaojiao's eyes. She secretly signaled to Jiang Yiling and Xu Changzong to "pick faster," taking advantage of the decreasing amount of wine in the old man's gourd to pick frantically.
The three of them, with their six hands, moved with such speed they seemed like afterimages. Yet, none of them complained of fatigue. Jiang Yiling and Xu Changzong worked silently, while Yan Jiaojiao had to guide the old man into talking, buying them more time.
"What do you want to say?" Yan Jiaojiao was genuinely curious.
Gonan Academy was the foremost academy on the Boundless Continent. Although academies like Holy Grail Academy were somewhat displeased with them, constantly slandering them and treating them as a rival, it was easy to understand that if they were not jealous and unable to surpass Gonan Academy themselves, they would not be so fixated.
Yan Jiaojiao had heard of Gonan Academy's great reputation not long after arriving in this world. The two illegitimate daughters of the Yan family had almost fought tooth and nail for a spot to test at Gonan Academy. Although there were scumbags like Tang Xiyue within Gonan Academy, overall, the academy gave Yan Jiaojiao a very good impression.
She couldn't understand the old man's demeanor.
He seemed to think Gonan Academy was quite bad.
Could it be that this old man had also been to Gonan Academy in the past?
"Gonan Academy has demons."
The old man spoke directly, without beating around the bush.
The movements of the three of them stopped in unison.
Jiang Yiling was the first to look up at the old man, "Senior, what do you mean by that..."
The old man assumed Jiang Yiling didn't believe him. He snorted, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp of wine. The liquid flowed down his chin, giving him an exceptionally unrestrained appearance, yet carrying an air of melancholy that made one involuntarily feel a sense of sadness.
"It means exactly what it says. I am not slandering your Gonan Academy; I saw it with my own eyes."
"It's your academy's Master... named Xuan Chen, isn't it? I personally saw him communicating with demons. However, the atmosphere at the time didn't seem very pleasant. But he did know demons."
"I even saw some demons kneeling before him. They were a few very low-ranking demonesses."
None of the three responded.
Jiang Yiling felt a surge of annoyance. Regarding this matter, most people in Gonan Academy who had seen Aruoxi's appearance were already aware of it.
It was just that the sect leaders had not explicitly confirmed it, and everyone had a degree of self-deception, so they avoided the issue and refused to think too deeply about it.
Now that this old man had stated it so bluntly, it left them somewhat flustered, unsure of how to react.
"This does not mean Master Xuan Chen is a demon."
While Jiang Yiling and Xu Changzong were in a state of dazed helplessness, Yan Jiaojiao spoke with certainty.
The two of them looked at Yan Jiaojiao with immense surprise.
Yan Jiaojiao was the one who had almost been killed by Aruoxi and Tang Xiyue!
Moreover, Yan Jiaojiao had been targeted by Xuan Chen and Tang Xiyue and even confined for half a year!
Jiang Yiling had expected someone to speak up for Master Xuan Chen, but he never imagined it would be Yan Jiaojiao.
How was this possible?
Yan Jiaojiao ignored the astonished gazes of her companions. Her stunning face shone brilliantly in the sunlight, its edges as if gilded with golden light, making her look exceptionally beautiful, like a celestial being descended to earth.
"Little girl, you don't believe me? I, this old man, would never lie. Since I've spoken to you like this, it means what I've said is absolutely true."
Seeing that Yan Jiaojiao didn't believe him, the old man's face fell, looking displeased.
Yan Jiaojiao smiled, her voice soft and comforting, "That's not what I meant. As disciples of Gonan Academy, we are naturally aware of certain matters within the academy. However, senior, seeing is not always believing. I am merely reminding you that there is another possibility to this matter."
"You mean, it's possible I misunderstood?"
"I think it's very possible. Firstly, let's analyze it logically. Did you sense any demonic energy from Master Xuan Chen at the time?"
Yan Jiaojiao successfully drew the old man in, making him forget about drinking and focus on thinking.
Yan Jiaojiao gave the stunned pair a look, signaling them not to waste time and to keep picking, while she continued to converse with the old man.
"I did not sense any demonic energy."
Yan Jiaojiao said, "That's right. To confirm if someone is a demon, one must first check for demonic energy. Since you didn't sense any on our master, you cannot be certain this is true. It's possible you were mistaken. Of course, there's another possibility."
The old man was convinced by Yan Jiaojiao's logical reasoning and looked at her with curiosity, "What other possibility?"
Yan Jiaojiao's hands continued to move, and she said with a smile, "The other possibility is that our master was threatened by demons at the time."
The old man slapped his thigh with a loud thwack, "Ah, why did I forget that possibility?"
"That's right, little girl, you are absolutely right!"
"I took things out of context. For so many years, I've told everyone I meet about Gonan Academy's connection to demons. Looking back, I've indeed spread ill talk."
A few dark lines appeared on Yan Jiaojiao's forehead.
She never expected this scruffy old man to be such a gossip.
And to tell everyone he met...
How much did he hate Gonan Academy?
It was fortunate that Xuan Chen's previous deterrence was so great that no one doubted the matter. Otherwise, Gonan Academy would have been condemned long ago.
"But senior, why did you tell everyone you met?" Yan Jiaojiao, unable to hide her curiosity, directly asked her question, "Do you have a grudge against the people of Gonan Academy?"
The old man spat, "That grudge is too much to tell in three days and three nights. It all started when I went to take the entrance exam and failed!"
Yan Jiaojiao and the other two: "..."