97: Chapter 97 The Murong Family's Conspiracy
"This kid is pretty arrogant!"
Su Mu looked at John on the arena, who was completely dominating his opponent.
Senior Duan Tao, who had just recovered from his own battle, stood next to Su Mu, watching the one-sided fight on the arena.
"What kind of monsters are you freshmen this year? It feels like you'd be considered strong even among the sophomores."
Although Senior Duan Tao was only twenty years old, he couldn't help but feel like he was already being left behind by the new wave.
"Just luck!"
But in his heart, Su Mu thought, 'Just the System!'
By this time, John had already defeated his opponent on the arena. He looked toward Su Mu's direction once again, then gave a thumbs-down.
This scene was witnessed by all the spectators and participating team members present.
The cameraman even gave Su Mu a massive close-up.
However, Su Mu didn't react at all.
If it were before Su Mu made a Breakthrough to the third rank, he might have let him show off for two and a half minutes.
But now, since you dare to provoke me like this, I'll beat you for three and a half minutes straight.
Seeing John's provocation, Senior Duan Tao wanted to laugh, but remembering his public persona, he immediately put on a cold face again.
"Junior, he's provoking you right to your face. Aren't you going to respond?"
Without a second thought, Su Mu spoke up.
"Just a dog barking!"
Ignoring John's provocation entirely, Su Mu simply turned and walked away.
"Let's go, Senior Duan, time to eat."
Su Mu walked straight toward Sister Leng and Lin Ruoxi. How could some random nobody be allowed to delay his dinner with Sister Leng Jing?
However, Su Mu had kept his Eye of Prediction active the entire time he watched John fight.
By now, he had already memorized most of John's Combat Techniques.
This was what it meant to despise the enemy strategically but respect them tactically.
When he faced John in the finals tomorrow, as long as it wasn't some unseen trump card, all of John's Combat Techniques would be useless against him.
After all of today's matches ended, the spectators and contestants left one after another.
However, Teacher Wei He, the leading teacher of the host school Kyoto Ability University, did not leave. He sat in his seat, motionless for a long time.
Finally, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello—is this the Head of the Murong Family?"
Helplessly, as a university teacher, he didn't want to get involved with the head of a major family.
But he had no choice. As the leading teacher of China's top academy, if Modu Ability University swept the championships across all three grades, he would undoubtedly be nailed to a pillar of shame.
No one would look at how strong this year's opponents were—the junior Mu Feng, the sophomore Senior Duan Tao, and the freshman monster Su Mu.
These details would be forgotten by time. Only one thing would be remembered: Teacher Wei He, who led China's top academy, was completely crushed in every aspect by the second-place Modu Ability University.
With deep helplessness, he could only call Patriarch Murong Lie.
Yesterday, people from the Murong Family had contacted him, wanting to trip Su Mu up during the competition to test his limits.
This was because any high-level ability user with a bit of discernment could see that Su Mu completely outclassed the foreign exchange student, John, in every aspect except for his cultivation level.
Only John himself and his mentor, Harry, still held onto a mysterious confidence.
If the competition continued like this, they would definitely not be able to see Su Mu's full strength.
"Teacher Wei He, it seems you have finished considering it. Come to think of it, it really is unfair for you to bear this overwhelming infamy all by yourself."
Teacher Wei He's face immediately darkened.
Who rubs salt in someone's wound right off the bat? How is this any different from kicking a cripple's good leg?
"Head of the Murong Family, I want to know how you plan to make John win."
Murong Lie smiled faintly, and the crisp sound of glass bottles clinking came from the other end of the line.
"In a contest of raw strength, John's chances of winning are thirty percent at most. So, we'll temporarily give him a boost."
Teacher Wei He was no fool and immediately understood what Murong Lie wanted to do.
"Using strength-enhancing potions is against the rules. Even if you give it to John, there's no way he can bypass the detection."
On the other end of the line, Murong Lie sneered, his tone carrying a trace of arrogance.
"Teacher Wei He, I'm afraid you've forgotten how my Murong Family made its fortune."
Among the Four Great Families, except for the Dragon Family, each had their own industries.
The Murong Family dealt in potions, the Wang Family in weapons and equipment, and the Li Family in Cultivation resources.
These businesses spanned across every region of China.
As for the Dragon Family, the head of the Four Great Families, they were an extremely special existence and didn't rely on these businesses at all to maintain their status.
"This potion is something I had our potion laboratory specially formulate. Once consumed by an ability user, it takes effect in one minute, boosting their strength by thirty percent. Furthermore, it completely decomposes after ten minutes, making it absolutely undetectable."
Murong Lie's words were filled with confidence.
Hearing this, Teacher Wei He was first shocked by the potion's capabilities, but then a complex expression spread across his face.
"Head of the Murong Family, are you sure this potion can be completely metabolized within ten minutes and leave absolutely no trace?"
"On this point, I am certain. Unless the battle between these two cannot even last ten minutes, but that is impossible."
Teacher Wei He also had no objections to this ten-minute window, because even the two 'fixed' junior matches today lasted longer than ten minutes.
"Fine! Then we will proceed according to your plan, Head of the Murong Family."
Afterward, Teacher Wei He slumped in his seat as if all his strength had been drained from him.
Meanwhile, inside the Murong Family mansion...
"Did you record it?"
Murong Lie said to his confidant beside him.
"It's all recorded."
Murong Lie smiled, then handed a tube of transparent potion to his confidant.
"Hand it to Teacher Wei He before the match starts tomorrow."
For the Four Great Families to grow to their current scale, they naturally couldn't rely solely on industrial development; manipulating people's hearts was absolutely essential.
Although this recording seemed to document the illegal dealings of both parties, the severity of their offenses was actually completely different.
As the leading teacher of the host Kyoto Ability University, Teacher Wei He using a banned potion was a case of knowingly breaking the law.
As for the Murong Family, at most it was considered cheating or providing the tools for the offense.
Combined with the Murong Family's status, they would at most be fined a little, and the reputation of their potion business might take a slight hit.
Moreover, this controversy might even serve as advertisement for the potion. After all, bad publicity is still publicity.
A potion that can boost strength and metabolize completely within ten minutes—how do you think others would view it?
Murong Lie sat on the sofa, took a puff of his cigar, and blew out the smoke.
"Su Mu, I hope you don't possess the potential to make a Breakthrough to the ninth rank. That way, we can all live in peace."
The conspiracy against Su Mu had finished brewing, while Su Mu himself was currently having dinner with the two sisters, Leng Jing and Lin Ruoxi, at a restaurant outside Kyoto Ability University.
"Sister Leng, let me transfer some credits to you!"
Saying this, he transferred all 200 credits he had obtained from Mu Feng over the past two days, plus the 100 credits he had won from playing cards earlier, to Leng Jing.
When Leng Jing saw the 300 credits Su Mu had transferred over, the chopsticks in her hand almost fell.
Leng Jing also had 10 credits, which were issued to her after she was specially recruited into Modu Ability University.
Naturally, she knew that one credit was equivalent to ten thousand yuan.
Su Mu scratched his head and said sheepishly,
"I earned these credits from my Senior Sister and senior. Next time, I'll swindle a bit more."
After saying that, he explained to Leng Jing that the school would reward more credits after the University Ability Competition, and also described how the Seven Star Platform could enhance one's Cultivation.
Only then did Leng Jing accept the credits.