Chapter 2298 Rectifying the Academy (Part 3)

Yang Xiao: “…”

Yang Xiao thought to himself, that was close; he almost cursed the Dharma Sect for taking advantage of the situation, saying they were shameless. But he never expected his own people to be the same.

Indeed, it was the Yin Temple Alliance, brothers sharing good vibes. If you are not family, you don’t enter the same door; when the neighbor has a fire, I make a fortune; everyone is of the same kind, no one should criticize others.

Moreover, looking at Elder Zhou Shen’s nonchalant demeanor, it seems he’s done similar things many times before, he’s used to it.

It can be imagined that the ultimate fate of those Poison Sect experts caught by the Esoteric Sect will not be good. Once their total value is squeezed dry, eighty percent of them are sent into the Alchemy Furnace, and chances are, the elixir he ate not long ago was contributed by them.

If it were in the past, Yang Xiao would have sternly rebuked such immoral, dishonest behavior, but now he is the adopted son of Cannibal Buddha, the young priest of the Esoteric Sect. He only wants to say that they must keep a tight watch on quality and not let these people sacrifice in vain; they must respect them.

In the afternoon, after a busy morning, Sheng Yanlin finally got a breather and returned to the Dean’s office to have lunch with Yang Xiao.

During the meal, they naturally chatted about the current situation of the Academy. Sheng Yanlin put down his chopsticks, sighed, and bluntly said the Academy’s state wasn’t good.

Sheng Jingxuan squandered a large portion of the rich legacy he left behind, coupled with the previous great battle, the Academy elders suffered heavy casualties. The Academy’s overall strength now is less than half of its peak period.

Sheng Jingxuan died easily, but he had signed many agreements that sold out the Academy’s interests. How to abolish these agreements is also a big headache, as some people and interests involved are not willing to be offended easily, even by him.

“Elder Sheng, in my opinion, the urgent task is to strengthen the Academy’s power. Those elders who followed Sheng Jingxuan need not be exterminated; many of them were just trying to make a living, not guilty of great crimes.”

“Listen to me, giving them some punishment is enough. Give them a chance to make up for their faults, and they will be grateful to you.” Yang Xiao suggested, knowing that mixing in the world of martial arts requires real strength; you can’t fool anyone.

Moreover, Elder Sheng had just returned to the Academy; starting a killing spree wouldn’t sound good if spread outside. Progress should be gradual, blending tough and soft measures.

Eliminate hardliners, win over moderates, develop progressives; this is the essence of the struggle and a blueprint that can be copied.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Yanlin squinted his eyes, giving Yang Xiao a satisfied look, “Not bad, Little Yang, you have the same thoughts as your teacher. I’ve already issued orders: no mass punishment.”

“If possible, don’t kill; if possible, don’t punish heavily; if possible, don’t punish lightly. Those deserving rewards must be heavily rewarded. At the same time, I’m also employing a large number of newcomers, striving to restore the Academy to 70-80% of its peak strength within a year.”

“Elder Sheng considered everything thoroughly.” Yang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, “These measures can ensure the normal operation of the Academy, but only guarantee the stability of the Academy’s middle-level strength. Right now, we’re lacking in high-end power at Peak of Ghost Level and above. How do we fill this gap?”

During the previous battle, the Academy’s high-end power was heavily engaged, suffering severe losses. Currently, even counting him and Elder Sheng, the power at Ghost Level Peak and above is less than ten people, and several of them are seriously injured.

“I’ll find a way for that; what you’re seeing now is not the real strength of Yiling Academy.”

“After Sheng Jingxuan drove me away, many of the veteran elders of the Academy were dissatisfied with him. These people have all suffered different degrees of persecution.”

“Some are in secluded training, out of sight, out of mind; others were forced to leave the Academy, or sent to remote areas. Now that I’m back, if I send a message, they will surely return to serve me.”

“I’ve already asked Elder Su to handle this; you can rest assured.” Sheng Yanlin gave Yang Xiao a comforting look.

“Once these people return, gathering three to five Half-step Nether Realm individuals should be no problem. With you and me, Yiling Academy will surely regain its former glory.” Although Sheng Yanlin looked weary, his eyes were bright.

“Little Yang, next, I need you to do something for me.” Sheng Yanlin said, “Last night, Elders Sun and Jiang captured a few individuals who secretly helped Sheng Jingxuan with covert matters. These people also have ties to the Dharma Sect, but no matter how they were questioned, they just stubbornly refused to speak, putting us in a passive position.”

“Just that?” Yang Xiao thought it was ridiculously simple; he loved interrogation because it gave him a sense of accomplishment.

“Yes, I’ll leave this matter to you. Go get those people out in a while, and within three days, you must make them talk.”

“In a few days, I will hold a celebration inside the Academy; many prominent figures in the world of martial arts will come. Before that, these matters must be properly resolved and not leave any handle for others.” Sheng Yanlin’s tone became much more serious.

“Don’t worry, Elder Sheng, you won’t need three days. I’ll guarantee they’ll confess by tomorrow morning and be very cooperative!” Yang Xiao declared decisively.

Knowing that there were others waiting for him, Yang Xiao quickly went to the interrogation room after eating, standing behind the one-way transparent glass wall, seeing inside where people were being whipped, occasionally stopping to catch their breath and trying to speak reason. Yang Xiao was almost amused.

To interrogate like this and extract information would be a miracle; it seemed more like a massage, what were they doing? He thought these people were at too low a level.