I'll even show you crossdressing men.

Maybe others will say things like cheating after they find out about this, but what does it matter? Can they deny that they are all students of Tenshoin?

As long as you are a student of the Heavenly Courtyard, regardless of the victory, she has granted you the right to participate. The judges of the Mage Tower have not said anything, so what gives you the right to say anything?

She was certain that the group of people in the Mage Tower, who were unassuming yet truly at the heart of the continent, would not do something so foolish.

Therefore, she was able to put her mind at ease, and she could finally give an explanation for this matter.

Seeing that their conversation seemed to have come to an end, Ziqing finally had a chance to speak.

Although I don't want to discourage them, it's better to clarify some things before we start, so as to avoid some trouble, right?

"Um, I have something to say about the academy competition..." Forget about ruining the atmosphere for now, just focus on doing your job.

For the sake of Ji Xiuyu, and for the sake of Alicia and the others, these things need to be said...

PS: Update 4/4, completed, and updated by the way. Please vote! _(:з」∠)_

Chapter 248: The Uninvited Guest

"First, we cannot confirm how much weight strength will play in this competition, since it is a points-based system and there will definitely be many events. As far as I know, in previous college competitions, there have been instances where the evaluation was based entirely on individual ability rather than strength. There have also been instances where both strength and ability were tested, with each receiving half of the evaluation. It is certain that pure strength evaluation is not very common, and the last competition was one of them."

"Historically, there has never been a case where the same format was held one after the other, or even three times each before the same format was encountered again. As long as the rules remain unchanged, it is certain that this competition will not be judged solely on skill. Several other formats are possible besides this one."

"Second: In this strength-based competition, will there be any restrictions on the level of strength required for all participants to participate? After all, different training environments, ages, and cultivation abilities result in significant differences in strength at a certain stage. These differences don't necessarily represent a true gap, so restrictions are necessary. To what extent will these restrictions apply, or rather, how many abilities will be restricted?"

"Third: The purpose of the competition. In the past, there was an implicit agreement that these competitions would not be held when there was a crisis on the continent, and would only start after the crisis had passed. But now, with the undead army outside, the demons inside, and insectoids and monsters inside, it is not a suitable time to hold the academy competition. But I still want to inform Alicia that you can participate in the competition."

"Could we imagine that this academy competition is being used as a pretext for something else? Judging from the perspective of the people at the Mage Tower, this is quite possible."

Zi Qing didn't stand on ceremony and voiced all the questions that had been on her mind.

She believed that Ji Xiuyu and the others would understand her, after all, this was for everyone's good and to be responsible for everyone, not to deliberately cause trouble.

Just as she had feared, holding an academy competition at this juncture would be hard to believe without the people at the Mage Tower having their own agenda.

Alicia has a lot of experience, and her position as the head of this academy is definitely not solely due to her strength. In terms of wisdom, she is second to none.

What Zi Qing could think of, how could she not have thought of? But even if she had thought of it, this was something that had to be done.

"Qing'er, is it really necessary for us to pursue this matter so much?" Ji Xiuyu asked gently, looking intently at her pretty face.

"I understand." Just as Ji Xiuyu cared deeply about Chu Ying, Zi Qing felt the same way about Ji Xiuyu.

After encountering certain events that involved him, he subconsciously wanted to get to the bottom of things to ensure that the young master was not in any danger.

But thinking about all that seems less important than one thing: even if we understand these things, what can they do to avoid them?

This time, Ji Xiuyu is not competing for himself, but for Alicia, Ye Xuexin, and Qingyun.

The former is an elder he deeply respects, someone with whom his mother has an excellent relationship. The latter two are young girls who like him, but whose abilities have reached a bottleneck and who need a place to grow.

Their talent is no less than Bai Yu's and the others, but they are still stuck at the seventh level, which is a problem.

This is not only related to their upbringing, but also to their abilities. Only in the right environment can they break through their limitations and truly reach the realm of heroes.

At that time, the two of them might make rapid progress in the Hero Realm because they were stuck at the seventh level for so long, and might even touch the edge of becoming legendary.

His wish was for the two of them to grow up and at least have the strength to protect themselves in chaotic times.

Besides the two of them, there is one more spot, which Ji Xiuyu intends to reserve for Lina.

He will discuss this issue with her. It's just an idea for now, but whether or not to go is up to Lina herself.

"Miss, a guest has arrived." When it comes to serious matters, Bai Yu usually leaves on her own.

She knew her own personality; she could easily bother them if she stayed here. Her departure would prevent many things from happening, which would be a good thing for everyone.

However, staying outside the door wasn't without its problems. At least as a proper maid, Bai Yu always followed the proper duties of a maid when there was something to do.

"What day is it today?" Some people were curious. It was one thing for Alicia to come to visit, but why were there other people?

"It seems to be the person in charge here." Bai Yu didn't know how to describe it. In the past, all matters involving this were handled by Fei Gong Qian Se. Now that she was not here, she had encountered it herself, so she was a little confused.

“Politicians are no good.” Zi Qing was in charge of internal affairs, but she and Fei Gong Qian Se were the two pillars that kept the Chu family from collapsing after Chu Ying left, so she naturally understood what kind of people these people were.

The fact that they're coming to see their young master at this time suggests that something bad has happened.

"Let them in." Whatever it is, we'll find out once we see it.

"Okay." Bai Yu keenly sensed that there might be a problem, but since the young master had told her to release the people, she had no way to refuse and could only open the door.

As soon as the door opened, several fierce-looking men barged in, shouting as they went, "Is Ji Xiuyu here? Is Ji Xiuyu here?"

"I'm here!" Their shouts were so loud that they could be heard even across a courtyard.

Ji Xiuyu's delicate brows furrowed, giving him an appearance that evoked excessive tenderness. He sensed that this matter was not simple, but instead of backing down, he responded to their shouts with words imbued with energy.

A strange voice rang in their ears. These individuals, though not weak, were not at a level of understanding and had no idea just how terrifying the power of the person who could utter such words truly was.

They were overjoyed to hear his answer; oh, he was there! That makes things much easier.

"Don't be impulsive." Bai Yu walked behind them, white flames burning on her body. She was furious that they dared to call her young master like that; these people absolutely had to die.

Just as she was about to make a move, Tina stopped her, gently shaking her head to prevent her from acting recklessly.

"Xiuyu, let's leave for a bit and see who dares to mess with you." Hearing their shouts, it wasn't just Baiyu and the others whose expressions changed; Alicia's face also turned grim.

She stood up, said a few words to Ji Xiuyu, and then headed back the way he had come, hiding in a small cubicle to watch what was happening...

Chapter 249: An Unexpected Disaster

"Haha, Ji Xiuyu, it's good that you're here. I'll see if you can..." The door to the hall was pushed open roughly, and several burly men rushed in. Before the leader could finish speaking, he didn't know what to say next.

Staring blankly at the girl with her delicately furrowed brows, dressed in casual clothes, and with her long hair cascading down like clouds, she resembled a fairy descended from the heavens to the mortal world, or a goddess of unparalleled perfection from legend, I was at a loss for words.

"You...you...you..." His voice changed, no longer so irritable, but with a gentle tone he had never used even with his own mother, trying to speak, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He was alright, but the people behind him were either bleeding from their noses or had their legs clasped together, seemingly lost in thought.

"Excuse me, what can I do for you?" Ji Xiuyu had seen their disgraceful behavior, but she did not show any displeasure and asked them softly.

Is it just my imagination? Why do I always feel ashamed of everything I've done in the past when I hear her voice?

They even felt that her radiance was too dazzling and would hurt them, and dared not look directly at the girl.

"Hmm?" Still no answer. What exactly do they want to do?

Ji Xiuyu looked puzzled and tilted her head slightly as usual.

This action, which would normally seem so ordinary, is now like adding fuel to the fire.

"So cute!" "So adorable!" "I'm going to die..." They had never seen such a beautiful girl in their lives. Coupled with her adorable actions, some people couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, not even daring to look at her feet.

They had just seen it, and those feet seemed to be created by nature, making them unable to resist. How could they possibly dare to look again?

"...You guys?" Ji Xiuyu really didn't know what to say. She suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, which reduced her attractiveness a little, allowing the leader to finish speaking.

"Well, we're here to see you, Miss Ji Xiuyu. We have some questions for you." After swallowing a few times, feeling it was blasphemous, he slapped himself a few times to clear his head before stating his purpose.

"Okay, go ahead and ask." Ji Xiuyu sat back down on the sofa gracefully, looking at him with a gentle smile, as if to reassure him.

Unfortunately, his smile was too devastating; how could he dare to look at it? He was afraid that if he looked any longer, he would be unable to say anything he wanted to say.

“Someone reported that you were colluding with the demons that invaded the city, and they even provided evidence, so we wanted to ask what happened.” As he said this, his face turned red.

If it weren't for official business, he would have fled in shame.

That bastard actually said she colluded with those evil spirits in order to get this city. Is he blind or does he think we're blind too?

With her beauty alone, even if she did nothing, just a word to the mayor and the city could be completely transformed into the city under the Ji family name.

While it is true that strength is the standard by which a person is judged, when another factor exceeds the scope of measurement, it also becomes a symbol of status.

For example, Naragur, she is not strong, but her magic skills are superb, and she has shops all over the continent, making her incredibly wealthy.

If the daughter of someone of this caliber were to meet the king of a kingdom, wouldn't she receive the treatment of a distinguished guest?

There are also several famous songstresses on the mainland who, despite lacking real talent, have many legendary and epic suitors. Coupled with their popularity, they hold a very high status.

Similarly, when a person's beauty and charm exceed expectations, it is also a symbol of status.

Just as he thought, someone like Ji Xiuyu would probably have a pretty good chance of getting the position if he asked the mayor for it.

That's why he thought that person in Gaomi was completely blind; otherwise, they wouldn't have done those things.

It's bad enough that he's blind, but he also embarrassed us in front of our goddess. Don't let me see him again, or you're dead meat.

"Ah? Is that so? Where is the evidence? May I see it?" Ji Xiuyu's expression also changed. Although the matter was not yet settled, it could not be denied that someone was doing something.

The best course of action now is to examine the so-called evidence and find that person, which would prevent a great deal of trouble.

Upon hearing Ji Xiuyu's words, the leader did not hesitate and immediately took out an official letter from his pocket, intending to hand it to Ji Xiuyu.

Generally speaking, such evidence is not something that can be shown directly to someone suspected of being a criminal, lest they tear up the evidence.

But now he was hoping that Ji Xiuyu would fly into a rage and tear up the official letter, so that they could forget about the matter with a clear conscience and go back to report that it wasn't her or anything.

However, his official letter was taken away by another girl as soon as it was delivered.

It was only then that he noticed there was another purple-haired girl here, whose purple hair was no less striking than that of the goddess-like girl. However, she was dressed in a maid outfit and didn't say a word, which is why her presence was overshadowed by Ji Xiuyu.

"Let me take a look at the things for Miss first. After all, if they harm Miss in any way, I can take her place."

Zi Qing's words seemed casual; she opened the official letter, glanced at it, and then frowned.

"Miss, here you go." Zi Qing handed the official letter to Ji Xiuyu. For a moment, her expression was a little off, but she didn't show it because of the situation.

"Is that all?" The above consisted of some words and so-called evidence... those photos taken from a distance, the figures resembling him from behind, but...

After handing the official letter back to the leader, Ji Xiuyu turned around and slightly pulled down the collar of her clothes on her shoulder, revealing her snow-white shoulder.

Her alluring, half-concealed look, combined with her expression, is incredibly seductive, enough to make anyone lose their life.

"Pfft..." He suppressed the urge to have his nose bleed and compared the photo with Ji Xiuyu's current appearance.

The same pose, the same exposed shoulders, but there's simply no way to compare them, okay?

The difference between the Ji Xiuyu in the photo and the real Ji Xiuyu is like the difference between a country girl and a goddess. How could they be the same person?

Now there's no need for evidence. He simply killed the official letter, stuffed it all into his mouth, and ate it right before Ji Xiuyu's astonished eyes.

"Gulp~" He seemed to be choking, and he waved his hands, trying to find water.

A glass of water was handed to him at that moment.