Something Must Be Done

Xu Wei worried about his failure, but Mu Xiang Li thought even more. He was considering whether he could win, and if he should adhere to the principles of dealing with people, leaving Instructor Xu some face. If even a student like him couldn't be defeated, it would be difficult for the team to be led in the future.

Mu Xiang Li was indeed overthinking things a bit. Although Xu Wei had suppressed his cultivation realm, his combat experience was truly too rich.

Sensing Mu Xiang Li's discerning eye, Xu Wei no longer fought according to a fixed pattern but incorporated more feints and variant moves.

With more feints and variant moves, dodging solely by red light warnings and reaction speed became very difficult. Mu Xiang Li quickly became flustered, suppressed to the point of breathlessness, only able to barely hold on.

"This young fellow is truly a slippery fish, so hard to pin down." Although Xu Wei suppressed Mu Xiang Li, preventing him from counterattacking, he still couldn't subdue him.

Moreover, after sparring for a while, he suddenly didn't want to end this match. He was genuinely teaching Mu Xiang Li, but in the process of sparring, he also found flaws in his own techniques through Mu Xiang Li.

With his strength, he would normally only gain such insights when sparring with experts of equivalent or even greater strength.

It was like playing chess; one could only improve by playing with strong opponents. Playing against bad chess players would only lead to regression. He hadn't expected to gain quite a bit from sparring with a novice like Mu Xiang Li today.

As Xu Wei hesitated, he saw Mu Xiang Li stagger back, then prop his saber on the ground, waving his hands frantically: "No, my qi can't keep up."

Xu Wei then realized that the two of them had been fighting for a very long time. Although he had suppressed his strength, his Qi Mansion qi flowed continuously. As for Mu Xiang Li, someone who had opened his Qi Mansion less than half a year ago, being able to persist for so long was truly extraordinary.

"Isn't that right? To be able to contend with Instructor Xu like that."

"Instructor Xu suppressed his strength." "I know, but even so, being able to persist until qi exhaustion is very impressive."

"Is that just 'very impressive'? That's 'too impressive'!"

While they themselves were defeated in two or three moves, Mu Xiang Li could entangle with Xu Wei for so long. This made many people admire him, but at the same time, they felt a great sense of failure and doubt.

If someone like him wasn't in Group One, then how strong must the people in Group One be?

Xu Wei saw this in their eyes. Regarding his previous thought of keeping Mu Xiang Li in Group Two for a while longer, he now had a new attitude.

Mu Xiang Li was truly not suitable to remain in Group Two. Grouping was meant for people of similar strength to compete with each other, thereby stimulating their best selves. Having someone slightly stronger as a leader was not necessarily a bad thing.

But if there was someone whose talent completely surpassed everyone else, it would likely have the opposite effect, severely impacting the confidence of a portion of the people.

Seeing these people admire Mu Xiang Li, Xu Wei was very dissatisfied. He needed "competition," not "admiration."

Xu Wei loudly said: "The rest of you have watched long enough. Come up, follow the previous order, and each of you spar with me once more. If anyone makes a similar mistake, you won't get dinner."

Upon hearing that they had to practice another round, everyone indeed no longer had the mind for idle chatter and began to mentally strategize how to face Xu Wei.

Mu Xiang Li rested to the side. If it weren't for the fact that after Guangju Pavilion, he seemed to have received a mission reward, and his Qi Mansion had instantly become much fuller, he knew he absolutely couldn't have persisted until now; he would have likely been defeated long ago.

He had originally intended to remain humble and diligently study at the academy. But "experience points" were truly too enticing.

"How can I stir up some more trouble?" Mu Xiang Li pondered, preparing to find an opportunity to consult his master, to see if he could repeat old tricks, using student files or cultivation methods and secret manuals to check for spies in the academy.

Waiting for others to make the first move was not his style; actively setting up traps and inviting the lord into the game was what he enjoyed most.

"I will definitely be a qualified old fisherman in the future," Mu Xiang Li secretly thought.

After half a day of contemplation, having roughly made his preparations, he immediately acted, finding Shi Bei Xing that very night.

"You're not cultivating or resting; why are you looking for me?" Shi Bei Xing was also still awake. As the Chief Instructor of Longwu Academy, he had many matters to worry about.

Mu Xiang Li complained: "Master, I am your Core Disciple after all. How long has it been since you taught me?"

Shi Bei Xing glanced at him: "What I teach and what Longwu Academy teaches are no different. What is currently being taught is enough for you to learn."

He said so, but thinking about how he had been busy with Longwu Academy during this period, and how Mu Xiang Li, while he was distracted, had repeatedly surprised Xu Wei and continuously displayed powerful talent, he felt that he, as a master, was truly unworthy.

Thinking of this, Shi Bei Xing put down the work in his hands and asked: "What is it you want, speak."

Mu Xiang Li immediately said: "Master, the Night Patrol Division is still worried that there are spies embedded in our academy. Should we think of a way to expose these spies?"

He had thought he came to ask for favoritism, but it turned out to be this matter.

"You're not diligently cultivating, but instead wholeheartedly working for the Night Patrol Division, are you?" Shi Bei Xing coldly snorted.

Mu Xiang Li secretly thought, *I am wholeheartedly working for Zhou Yi, for setting up missions, and collecting experience.*

Of course, he couldn't explain this to Shi Bei Xing, so he could only say: "I am also wholeheartedly working for His Highness. The people of Wenhua and Longwu Academies can be said to be the future of Xi Yu. If someone hidden within them causes sabotage, the threat is immense.

I analyze that if there are spies, they are either hidden in Group One or Group Four.

Master, think about it: the most outstanding geniuses certainly cannot be sent as spies. But to gain access to the geniuses of Longwu Academy, to collect the highest-level martial skills and cultivation methods of Longwu Academy, one must, of course, enter Group One. Therefore, most of those sent would have strength at the bottom of Group One. Wenhua Academy is similar.

As for why some would be hidden in Group Four, I believe the spies hidden in Group Four are deathsworn. They have only one mission: at the necessary moment, they will not hesitate to sacrifice their lives to cause destruction, for example, by poisoning. If they can sacrifice one spy to poison many geniuses of Longwu Academy, these people will definitely do it.

Therefore, Master, silently observing the situation is not necessarily the best choice. Waiting for others to finish their plotting before reacting might be too late."

Mu Xiang Li spoke at length, and he actually managed to persuade Shi Bei Xing a little.

"What is your plan?" Shi Bei Xing asked.

Mu Xiang Li said: "Spread news that Longwu or Wenhua Academy has hidden important items. What exactly it is, Master, you'll have to be a bit creative, it must be attractive enough.

As for spreading the news, just leave it to the Night Patrol Division. Once other countries hear this news, they will certainly order those hidden in Wenhua and Longwu Academies to investigate. Then we will make our move."

Shi Bei Xing thought for a moment, then asked suspiciously: "This trick, haven't you just used it once? Do you think anyone will fall for it again?"

Mu Xiang Li smiled and said: "A trick doesn't need to be numerous, as long as it's effective. For a spy, as long as the content of the news is attractive enough, even if there's only a one-tenth chance that the information is true, they will have to verify it themselves. Master, what do you think?"

Shi Bei Xing looked at him deeply: "I will consider it."