Chapter 18: A Costly Collision and Student Council’s Intervention

Within the luxurious private room, bathed in the tranquil night, the lighting cast an ambiguous, soft glow.

A sly smile played on the Golden-haired Youth’s face as he spoke intimately to Ye Xuehui.

“Young Master Ye, we’ve been acquainted for years, yet I’ve never once heard of you developing feelings for any young woman.

I happen to know a few beauties of exceptional talent and looks; would you like me to play matchmaker for you?”

Ye Xuehui, holding a crystal-clear wine glass, took a delicate sip of red wine before responding with a serene expression:

“There’s no need; you should save them for yourself.

In my view, romantic entanglements would only bind my steps, scattering my focus like heavy shackles, obstructing my advancement in the Way of the Sword.”

Simultaneously, an inner monologue unfolded silently:

‘Please stop teasing me with girls,’ she thought, ‘who would ever guess that I am, in fact, a girl myself?

A lily romance (TL Note: A Chinese term referring to a lesbian relationship) might appear as beautiful as a sacred flower in the eyes of others, but for me, it remains far too distant.

I won’t indulge in such fanciful dreams.’

The Golden-haired Youth burst into hearty laughter, playfully remarking:

“Hahaha, Young Master Ye, you truly embody the philosophy of ‘no women in one’s heart, the sword becomes divine.’

It seems you must have mastered some profound sword techniques to achieve such a lofty realm.”

Ye Xuehui merely snorted, a look of utter disdain etched across her face.

“Utterly boring,” she declared.

****

The scene shifted, transitioning to the girls’ dormitory at Sacred Sea Academy.

Shangguan Yun, having finished packing her belongings, was just about to head out when she cheekily addressed Ouyang Xiyue, who was meticulously combing her long hair.

“Lord Xiyue, I’ll be back shortly.

Do stay put in the dorm and don’t go sneaking off to other rooms to pry into other girls’ privacy, alright?”

Ouyang Xiyue’s delicate brows furrowed sharply, veins throbbing visibly on her forehead as she roared in fury, “Go to hell!”

Shangguan Yun chuckled as she opened the dormitory door, only for a pained cry of “Ah!” to erupt, indicating she had seemingly collided with something.

Upon closer inspection, a young woman sat on the ground, the supreme fire-element magic essence stone beside her now shattered into countless pieces.

Shangguan Yun rushed forward, her face etched with profound guilt.

“I’m so sorry, truly sorry.

Are you alright?” she stammered.

As she extended a hand to help the young woman up, however, her arm was forcefully pushed away.

The young woman, her face contorted in distress, wailed, “Alright?

How could I possibly be alright!

This is the supreme fire-element magic essence stone I just purchased today, a treasure beyond measure.

What am I supposed to do now?”

Ouyang Xiyue, having heard the commotion, quickly rushed out.

Upon witnessing the scene, she immediately inquired, “Shangguan Yun, what exactly happened here?”

Like a child caught in mischief, Shangguan Yun hung her head low, her voice trembling and meek.

“Lord Xiyue,” she mumbled, “I wasn’t paying attention when I opened the door and accidentally knocked her down, shattering her magic essence stone.”

“Don’t worry, it’s alright,” Ouyang Xiyue said, gently patting Shangguan Yun’s back and offering soft words of comfort.

She then turned her gaze towards the distraught young woman, politely inquiring.

“Madam, what is the value of this item?

I am prepared to compensate you on her behalf.”

“Oh, look at this busybody, sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong!” the young woman retorted, her face flushed with anger and her tone decidedly hostile.

“She broke my item first, so I demand double compensation!

And my medical fees on top of that—a grand total of four hundred thousand gold coins!”

“Ah?

Wh—what?

Four hundred thousand gold coins?” Upon hearing the exorbitant price, Shangguan Yun’s eyes instantly welled up, her voice already thick with tears.

“Lord Xiyue, what are we to do?

Even including my living expenses for this entire month, I only have a paltry thirty thousand gold coins.

I couldn’t afford to pay this much even if you sold me!”

“Four hundred thousand?” Ouyang Xiyue countered, her patience evident.

“Madam, such a demand is quite improper.

While it is true that your item was broken due to our actions, and we are prepared to offer compensation, we will only do so at the original purchase price.

Furthermore, this incident was entirely unintentional.

Opening the door from the inside, we had no way of seeing what was happening outside, nor were we aware of anyone passing by; this was purely an accident.

We have already offered our sincere apologies…” Ouyang Xiyue’s words flowed like a steady stream, her explanation patient and thorough.

Just then, however, voices from other students suddenly broke through the discussion.

“Quickly, everyone, disperse!

The Student Council is here.”

The students, who had been lingering, unaware of the full truth and merely indulging in the spectacle, immediately erupted into murmurs and discussions.

“Four hundred thousand?

That’s an outrageous demand, a veritable lion’s maw!

It was merely an accident, not a deliberate act.

A supreme fire magic essence stone usually costs around one hundred thousand gold coins; for her to demand four hundred thousand is simply preposterous!”

“How utterly shameless!

If I were them, I wouldn’t pay such an exorbitant, unjust sum.”

“Let’s all clear out quickly; this has nothing to do with us.

The Student Council is here, and it would be terrible if we were caught.

It’s lunchtime, after all.”

The crowd slowly dissipated.

Subsequently, a young woman emerged from around the stairwell, walking with a measured pace.

Ouyang Xiyue scrutinized her, realizing it was the very girl who had previously summoned her to the Student Council.

The young woman approached, her gaze silently assessing everyone present.

“I am Yihan, a Disciplinary Committee member of the Student Council,” she announced, her expression serious as her gaze swept over the assembled group.

“What exactly is happening here?

You are aware it’s currently lunchtime, aren’t you?”

“Senior, you’ve arrived just in time,” the aggrieved young woman exclaimed, rushing forward to lodge her complaint with Yihan.

“This girl not only knocked me down but also shattered the supreme fire magic crystal I just purchased!”

“No… it’s not that way at all.

I truly didn’t mean to,” Shangguan Yun stammered, her head still bowed, her voice trembling and meek.

“It was merely an accident.

I was opening the door from the inside and couldn’t see anyone outside… I’m truly sorry.”

“I demand double compensation from them, along with my medical expenses, or else this matter will not be settled amicably!” the young woman declared, hands on her hips, her attitude utterly defiant.

“The magic crystal and medical fees combined amount to four hundred thousand gold coins!”

“Understood,” Yihan stated, then turned to Ouyang Xiyue.

“Student Ouyang, what are your thoughts on her compensation demands?”

“Compensation is certainly due, but this was merely an accident,” Ouyang Xiyue affirmed, her voice firm.

“A door, after all, has no eyes.

We can only compensate at the item’s original price.

Double compensation is absolutely out of the question.”

“They genuinely did not act intentionally; this was undeniably an accident,” Yihan stated, calmly pushing up her glasses.

“Student, your demand for double compensation and medical expenses is rather excessive.

Compensation at the original price is acceptable, and we can perhaps add a small sum for medical fees.

Please, reconsider.”

“No!” the young woman snapped, her tone still unyielding and arrogant.

“There must be double compensation, or this matter will not be settled!

Either meet my demands, or await my father’s intervention.

My father is a member of the Academy’s Board of Directors, and if he were to learn of this, I fear the situation would become far more difficult to resolve.”

No wonder she dared to be so arrogant; she clearly had the formidable backing of a father who served on the Academy’s Board of Directors.

Members of the Board contributed significantly to the institution, wielding influence that was not to be underestimated.

“Beep, beep, beep…”

Just then, Yihan’s phone suddenly rang.

She answered the call, spoke a few respectful words into the receiver, and then adjusted her glasses once more.

“How about this,” Yihan suggested, her tone flat, “you all come with me to the Student Council.

The President wishes to handle this matter personally.”

“The President?

Are you referring to Lord Ye Xuehui?” The previously belligerent young woman’s eyes instantly sparkled, and a giddy, infatuated smile bloomed on her face.

“Excellent!

What are we waiting for?

Please, lead the way!”

Meanwhile, Ouyang Xiyue, standing nearby, felt an icy chill creep up his spine, and cold sweat began to trickle down his back.

His intuition screamed that something truly unpleasant was about to unfold…