Dugu Bo was broad-minded as usual and said irritably, "Kid, you really are ruthless."
"All the students here are nobles. Once something happens, the nobles will definitely submit memorials to impeach them. One or two complaints might still be manageable, but if all the nobles unite together, even Xue Ye won't be able to suppress it."
That was simply the reality of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The Star Luo royal family held absolute authority over its court, but the Heaven Dou Empire could not achieve that.
For the sake of maintaining its rule, the imperial family had no choice but to compromise with the nobles.
If they wanted to save Xue Xing while avoiding him losing half his life in the process, the best method was to use up this favor and have Dugu Bo personally step in to resolve matters.
"To destroy someone, you must first let them go mad. Just wait and see. Once Prince Xuexing gains power, he'll definitely leave behind all kinds of incriminating evidence."
"If there's any other option, it's best not to make a move against the nobles."
The nobles were the foundation of the empire. Xue Qinghe had not been in power long enough to control all of them.
If the empire were thrown into chaos and the Star Luo Empire took advantage of the situation, wouldn't they just be handing victory to someone else?
"This old man will listen to you. So what do we do next?" Dugu Bo asked.
"Qin Ming hasn't returned yet. In order to stabilize a powerhouse like you, the imperial family will definitely accept your side of the story for now. But if Qin Ming is dealt with immediately, this one-man show won't be easy to continue."
"For the next few days, don't go anywhere. When Qin Ming comes back, act a little ambiguous about the matter and let it appear as though things have blown over."
Dugu Bo could not help asking, "Wasn't the point to use this opportunity to bring down the three education committee members?"
Wu Qi gave a cold smile.
"Don't rush. This is only the appetizer. The real show is still coming."
If Qin Ming wanted to solve Shrek Academy's tournament qualification issue, he would definitely set his sights on the Emperor Team's Second Team.
But now, the Second Team was already full, so Shrek Academy would never be able to get in.
And in order to avoid losing face in front of his alma mater, Qin Ming would definitely pull some questionable tricks.
The first time, the three committee members protected him. But if there was a second incident and someone deliberately made a huge issue out of it, the three committee members would inevitably be dragged down as well.
At that point, even without Wu Qi taking action personally, Prince Xuexing would bite down hard on them.
"Rome wasn't built in a day. Making Xuexing expose his own problems will be a long process, so we must stay patient."
Dugu Bo nodded seriously.
"A brilliant plan indeed, though Yan Yan will have to suffer a little."
As long as Qin Ming died in the end, enduring things for now was acceptable.
Of course, Dugu Bo could directly kill Qin Ming himself. But if he really did that, Dugu Yan's position would become extremely awkward.
For the sake of his granddaughter, Dugu Bo was willing to sacrifice anything.
"Oh right, give me a copy of the Sunset Forest map. We're heading out tomorrow to hunt Spirit Beasts."
Outside Sunset Forest, in the Spirit Beast town.
"Little Wu, this time I'm the only teacher accompanying you all for the Spirit Beast hunt. Are you sure that's okay?" Sun Buyu asked nervously.
The three education committee members were tied up dealing with the Emperor Team's First Team affairs and could not spare time to escort them.
"If we're only dealing with four- to five-thousand-year Spirit Beasts, we can handle it ourselves. What's there to be afraid of?" Wu Qi replied with a smile.
Hidden in the shadows was still the Golden Eagle Spirit Douluo.
Compared to the Star Dou Forest, the overall strength of the Spirit Beasts in Sunset Forest was far weaker. As long as they avoided the core region, Golden Eagle Spirit Douluo would be enough to handle any situation.
Combined with the map provided by Dugu Bo, they could avoid accidentally entering the territories of powerful Spirit Beasts. As long as they themselves did not act recklessly, there would be no danger.
Sun Buyu still looked uneasy.
"How about I invite two Heaven Dou-level teachers to back us up?"
Changkong patted him on the shoulder and laughed.
"Teacher Sun, Brother Wu is cunning as a fox. His research into spirit master theory is no worse than those veteran scholars."
"A lot of the time, he can solve problems with the smallest possible cost. If he says it's enough, then it's enough."
Wu Qi rolled his eyes at him and casually took out the map Dugu Bo had provided.
"Teacher Sun, I came prepared. Believe me now?"
With this map, there naturally would not be any issues.
Sun Buyu gave a dry laugh. He seemed to have forgotten just how close Wu Qi's relationship with Dugu Bo was.
For a moment, he considered asking about what exactly had happened with the Emperor Team, but quickly gave up on the thought.
The reason was simple: the duration of a Spirit Beast hunt was unpredictable. If they only returned a month later, Qin Ming and the others would already be back by then, so there would be no need for him to ask personally.
Maintaining their spirit fighting formation, the Emperor Team's Second Team entered the forest, while Sun Buyu followed along the flank, ready to provide support at any moment.
Inside the town, a hidden group of people watched them closely from the shadows.
"Boss, is it them?"
The burly man nodded, a ruthless expression appearing on his face.
"We're being paid to do a job. Make it quick and clean."
One of the lackeys could not help muttering, "They actually dare target people from the Royal Academy? The employer's got some nerve. Who exactly are they?"
According to imperial law, in hired killings, the employer bore the main responsibility, while those carrying out the deed received relatively light punishment.
When the time came, they could simply hide deep within the forest, and the empire's law enforcement teams would have no way of catching them.
The empire had established such laws in hopes of extracting information about the people who hired the killers.
But assassins had their own rules as well.
The burly man cursed angrily, "Shut the hell up, all of you! Don't break the rules!"
Yu Tianheng hurried back to the academy, dusty from travel, only to be immediately dragged away by the three education committee members.
That day, Yufeng and the others had not explained every detail clearly, so Yu Tianheng only knew the general outline of events.
From what he understood, Dugu Yan had indeed overreacted unreasonably. However, Qin Ming's actions were also difficult to defend.
After some thought, he chose a neutral explanation that offended neither side.
But the three committee members were not fools. If things had really happened the way Yu Tianheng described, Dugu Yan would have had no reason to return to the academy early, much less request an escort from the Soto City guard force.
It was obvious that she believed her personal safety had been threatened.
However, the three committee members also could not believe that Qin Ming would harm his own students.
As they questioned further, the discussion inevitably turned toward the Shrek Academy team.
After the misunderstanding that night had been resolved, Yu Tianheng had developed a good impression of them, so his words naturally leaned in their favor.
Zhilin questioned him.
"If it was only normal injuries from the match and a verbal argument afterward, would Yan Yan and Ling Ling really react this strongly? Tianheng, are you actually telling the truth?"
If he revealed that Tang San had threatened Ye Lingling, Qin Ming's plans would be completely ruined.
Compared to Wu Qi and the others, Yu Tianheng would much rather become classmates with the Shrek Seven Devils.
Because of that, he kept silent about the matter and stubbornly insisted it had only been a verbal conflict.
After Yu Tianheng left, the three committee members exchanged looks.
"Do you believe him?" Bai Baoshan could not help asking.
Meng Shenji frowned.
"The issue isn't whether we believe him. The issue is whether His Excellency Dugu will believe it."
"It's already been an entire day and they still haven't come out. Yan Yan was probably seriously injured, and His Excellency Dugu is treating her wounds, so he can't leave right now."
"If that's really the case, then no one will be able to withstand His Excellency Dugu's retaliation. And if Prince Xuexing or even the imperial family decides to pursue the matter, Qin Ming will undoubtedly die."
"His Highness the Crown Prince intends for us to handle this ourselves. Zhilin, make a trip immediately and bring Qin Ming back as quickly as possible."
"If we can learn the full details in advance, we might still have a chance to protect him."
Qin Ming was not only a talent they valued highly, but also part of the "political achievements" they intended to present to Xue Qinghe.
If something happened to him and that achievement was lost, their standing in Xue Qinghe's eyes would inevitably decline.
For the sake of their family's future generations, they had to leave behind an excellent impression before retiring and secure their family's prosperity.