Chapter 1446: Treat Her Well

Right now, the two of them looked like a pair of furious roosters, glaring at each other with unrestrained hostility.

However, neither made a move.

One couldn't defeat the other, while the other dared not fight.

After a long standoff, the Great Daoist Brush Master took a deep breath and softened his tone of voice. "Right now, we can only work together. You deal with that Sui Gujin.

"After all, you're the father of her child. A father disciplining his own son, no one would question that. Against you, her shield is completely useless. Leave the rest to me."

"Scram." Ye Guan waved him off. "Get as far away from me as possible. I don't want to see your face."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

The Great Daoist Brush Master hurried after him, speaking anxiously, "Don't be impulsive! Her identity is far more significant than you can imagine. And clearly, she's been planning this for a long time; something's not right here.

"Even I can sense that. Do you really think that this is just a simple thing? If we don't team up now, things can spiral out of control."

Ye Guan coldly replied, "Then go deal with her yourself. Don't drag me into it."

"Deal with her, my ass!" The Great Daoist Brush Master was on the verge of exploding from rage.

Messing with Ye Guan, so long as it didn't go too far, wasn't a big issue. After all, the three swords could afford a loss. As long as Ye Guan stopped building a brand-new Order, no one would say anything.

They had already given him two paths to choose from.

In short, as long as he didn't push Ye Guan too far, Ye Guan's backers would turn a blind eye.

But the baby in Sui Gujin's womb? That was an entirely different story. Damn it, that child is still inside her!

If he were to make a move against that kid... He'd stir up a storm of public outrage. Just the thought of it alone was terrifying. The Great Daoist Brush Master caught up again. "Stop being so emotional, all right?! Like they say, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

"Right now, we're on the same side, and you—"

Schwing!

Ye Guan suddenly drew his Qingxuan Sword and pointed it at him. "Scram!"

The Great Daoist Brush Master fell silent.

A moment later, he was the only one left in the area. His face was dark with frustration. He was so pissed that he felt like coughing a mouthful of blood.

He'd gotten nothing out of this. Absolutely nothing.

What a shit deal!

"Just my luck..." he muttered bitterly. Looking toward the direction Ye Guan had left, he grumbled, "Your father never managed to stay cool for more than three days; let's see how long you can last."

With that, he vanished.

***

When Ye Guan saw the man in front of him, he was visibly surprised; it was Que Zhan.

Ye Guan asked, "What are you doing here?"

Que Zhan replied, "I've come to join you."

"Didn't you say you'd follow whoever became the ruler?"

"That was the plan. But after watching everything play out, I've changed my mind."

"Why?"

"I grew up without any family. Now, I'd like to recognize someone as my aunt."

An aunt?

Ye Guan was a bit stunned. From what he knew of Que Zhan, the guy had always been stern and proper; he was definitely not someone who would joke around.

Que Zhan earnestly said, "Your aunt is powerful. Following you offers a much better future."

He wasn't lying. He witnessed everything that happened in the Ruler Divine Temple. That lady in the plain skirt's strength was downright terrifying. He'd never seen anyone like her.

She was even more fearsome than the legendary Heavenly God. In his somewhat blurry memories, the Heavenly God was invincible.

Of course, he had a bit of a personal fondness for Ye Guan, too. Eighty percent reality, twenty percent emotion. He made no effort to hide his reasons.

In Que Zhan's eyes, it didn't matter whether it was for practical reasons or personal feelings; what mattered was that he had already made the decision to follow Ye Guan, and he would stay loyal until the end.

Ye Guan laughed. "Then follow me."

Que Zhan bowed deeply. "How should I address you?"

"Just call me Brother Ye."

"That doesn't feel right."

"I think it sounds great."

Que Zhan didn't argue and nodded.

Ye Guan said, "On behalf of Guanxuan Academy, welcome."

"It's my honor."

Ye Guan was genuinely pleased to have Que Zhan join. Right now, there was no one capable of defeating this man in this observable universe. Before, perhaps only the Great Daoist Brush Master and Sui Gujin could have taken him down.

Ye Guan suddenly thought of something. He turned, raised his right hand, and gently waved it. A massive Time River appeared before him. He moved his hand backward, and time began to rewind, showing images of the past.

Soon, he saw the moment he fought Yi Nian.

Of course, at that time, she was still known as Fan Zhaodi.

When the scene showed him stabbing her, his vision suddenly blurred. He knew her heart had to be in unimaginable pain at that moment. With trembling hands, he rewound the river.

Soon, he saw Yi Nian and his plain-skirt aunt talking together.

Something strange happened just then. Plain-Skirt Destiny looked straight at him.

Standing beside Ye Guan, Que Zhan's eyelid twitched.

She could see through time just like that?

Plain-Skirt Destiny looked at him and said, "Treat her well."

The Time River stopped abruptly. Then, it faded away. While Plain-Skirt Destiny was present in that timeline, no one could peer into it unless she allowed it.

Ye Guan withdrew his gaze and smiled.

So... Aunt has been helping me behind the scenes all this while.

Everything finally made sense.

"Aunt... I can handle this on my own."

With that, he left with Que Zhan and returned to the Guanxuan Academy.

After years of quiet development within the tiny pagoda, the academy became more structured, and Ye Guan's faith began to take on a faint purple hue.

Mu Shuo was leading the others in managing the affairs of the Guanxuan Universe. Since Sui Gujin had left with Soul and the others, Mu Shuo was acting as the lead.

Seeing Ye Guan's return, Mu Shuo and the others stood up and bowed.

Ye Guan walked to the main seat and gestured, "Everyone, please sit."

The others finally took their seats.

Ye Guan looked at Mu Shuo and smiled. "No need to be so formal. Tell me about the academy's recent progress."

"Okay," said Mu Shuo. She then spoke at length while Ye Guan quietly listened.

They talked for several hours. When she was done, Ye Guan nodded and said, "Very good."

Mu Shuo glanced at him but said nothing.

From that day onward, Ye Guan began personally helping manage the academy. He reviewed every rule Sui Gujin had left behind, studying, implementing, and improving them step by step.

The Ten Desolate Universe, the Other Shore Civilization, and the Forbidden Wildlands were gone. Now, there was only the Guanxuan Universe.

Ye Guan wanted to visit Nalan Jia and the others, but unfortunately, the seal inside the pagoda was still active, so he still couldn't enter it.

He didn't try to force it, as he finally understood what his aunt wanted him to do.

One day, Ye Guan came to a wide plaza. Hundreds of students were seated in neat rows across the plaza, and they were quietly listening to a lecture.

The lecturer was a man in a simple robe. He was holding an old scroll as he said, "A gentleman cultivates himself through serenity, and nurtures virtue through frugality..."

The man was none other than Gu Chen.

The students listened intently, and Gu Chen taught with care.

Eventually, he closed the scroll and smiled at his students. "Any questions?"

A female student stepped forward respectfully. "Teacher, I have a question."

Gu Chen said, "Please speak."

The female student said, "The academy promotes the Guanxuan Laws, calling it a new system of law, but in truth, it's making us build a god. And that god is the Academy Master. If one day, the Academy Master's decisions contradict the laws, who should we follow, the Academy Master, or the laws?

"If we obey the Academy Master and ignore the laws, then the idea that 'all are equal under the law' becomes laughable, and the people will lose faith. Even worse, the powerful might exploit that precedent to oppress the weak, turning the Guanxuan Laws into a tool of tyranny.

"But if we disobey the Academy Master and follow the laws, but the Academy Master created the law and reserves all right to its interpretation, what are we supposed to do then?"

The female student looked straight at Gu Chen. "Teacher, forgive my boldness, but I believe the Academy Master holds too much power. That power should be curbed, for the sake of all life."

Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Some were stunned, some were doubtful, while some were outright furious.

A young man stepped forward, pointing at her. "Shen Yi! How dare you speak such outrageous nonsense! Don't you know everything we have today is thanks to the Academy Master? How can you question him like that?!"

Shen Yi's expression didn't change. "Guanxuan Laws, Article 320: Every citizen of the Guanxuan Universe has the right to free speech. This law was set by the Academy Master himself...

"How can you question him like that? How dare you!"

The young man was rendered speechless by her sharp retort, and his face turned livid with anger.

Many in the crowd began voicing their criticisms toward Shen Yi, but she remained calm and composed, unfazed by their accusations. Her eyes were fixed on Gu Chen, clearly waiting for an answer.

Gu Chen didn't respond. Instead, he turned to look at Ye Guan on his right and smiled.

"Why don't you answer this one?"

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Everyone turned and was shocked upon seeing Ye Guan.

They quickly bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Academy Master."

Shen Yi also froze when she saw Ye Guan, clearly not expecting him to be here. She stood there in a daze.

Ye Guan slowly stepped forward, offering a gentle smile. "No need for formalities, everyone."

The crowd gazed at him with undisguised admiration in their eyes.

At this point, Ye Guan's status in the Guanxuan Universe was beyond words; countless people would willingly give their lives for him.

Ye Guan looked over at Shen Yi.

The moment their eyes met, Shen Yi faltered a bit, and she instinctively looked away. However, she quickly gathered herself and met his gaze directly. Her eyes were filled with defiance, but her clenched fists betrayed her nervousness.

Ye Guan smiled and walked over to the statue of himself nearby. He said nothing and used his hand as a pen to write a line beneath the statue.

When everyone saw what he wrote, they were stunned. Even Gu Chen was taken aback.

"If you think the Academy Master is no longer qualified, overthrow him."

That was his answer.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "That's all. This class is adjourned."

Everyone bowed deeply before leaving.

Even Shen Yi bolted, ready to flee the scene.

"Shen Yi, was it? Stay here."

Soon, only Ye Guan, Shen Yi, and Gu Chen were in the plaza.

Shen Yi stood with her head lowered, silent.

Gu Chen chuckled, "Weren't you quite bold just now, little girl?"

Shen Yi immediately looked up at Ye Guan, trying her best to appear unafraid.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Let's take a walk, the three of us."

Gu Chen nodded. "Sure."

Shen Yi stayed silent.

Ye Guan walked in the middle, Gu Chen on his left, and Shen Yi on his right.

Ye Guan asked, "Gu Chen, what do you think of Shen Yi's words?"

Gu Chen thought for a moment before replying, "She's not wrong. But we can't just look at one side of things; we need to consider the bigger picture. Right now, the Guanxuan Universe is still in its infancy.

"If we don't create a 'god' figure, how can we hope to stand against other universes? How are we going to protect ourselves?"

"She pointed out a real issue, but she missed the larger one. Without the Academy Master, our god, the Guanxuan Universe could be swallowed up at any time.

"If that happens, our lives would be a hundred or a thousand times harder than they are now. We might not even survive."

Shen Yi stayed silent. She couldn't refute that.

"The Academy Master has never enslaved the masses. He genuinely hopes that everyone can grow stronger. That's undeniable. And creating a god isn't about control, it's about building something greater, a better Order, together.

"He doesn't want to fight alone out there while everyone else stays safe behind him. From that angle, I support what he's doing. Of course, Shen Yi's words shouldn't be ignored either."

"The Academy Master won't always be the Academy Master. What if, one day, someone else takes over, and they aren't so great..." Gu Chen trailed off.

Ye Guan smiled, "You're thinking about what if I change one day? What if I suddenly decide that the masses are worthless and start enslaving them, or what if I even sacrifice them outright? By then, it's too late, isn't it?"

Gu Chen quickly waved his hands. "I didn't say that, Academy Master!"

Ye Guan laughed heartily, "Gu Chen, you've really changed. You're nothing like that reckless kid who used to gamble all the time."

Gambling...

Gu Chen's face immediately turned red. "Academy Master... let's not bring that up again. That's ancient history. Please, if the students ever discover that, my reputation will go down the drain!"