Dashing Student Chapter 1341: Righteous Path Prodigy

Master Canglan kept his face composed, yet inside, waves stirred in his heart.

He had figured Jue Mingzi as a minor pest that could be squashed without effort, but surprisingly, the guy had won over Master Wuyue and even tied the knot as Dao companion with Master Hanyue.

To strike at him now would demand some serious planning.

Noticing his disciple grinding his teeth in fury, Master Canglan let out a quiet sigh; he had long sensed his disciple's affection for Liu Hanyue.

Truth be told, a mighty and stunning cultivator like her would inevitably draw secret longings from various men.

Even worse, it was a foe who ended up as Liu Hanyue's Dao companion, turning the grudge into something impossible to swallow.

"Oh, you silly boy."

Right then, Yi Mingzi burned with intense loathing, having plotted to use the Demon Sect folks as proxies to wipe out Chen Nan, only for it to backfire and boost Chen Nan's reputation instead.

Imagining Chen Nan alive and basking in the Righteous Alliance's top brass approval thanks to this mess made him yearn for his own end.

"Those Demon Sect idiots are totally worthless; a whole bunch of them, and they still couldn't take down a single Jue Mingzi?"

His eyes shifted to Liu Hanyue. She was the first woman he'd set his sights on, planning to court her once he hit Nascent Soul, but out of nowhere, another guy swooped in and claimed her.

Watching Liu Hanyue's joyful vibe, he couldn't stop picturing steamy moments between Chen Nan and her, a torment worse than death itself.

"Curses, Jue Mingzi, you ought to drop dead!"

He rushed over to his master, murmuring his bitter complaint, "Master, I implore you, you have to eliminate Jue Mingzi; he's my deadliest rival!"

"I'll back you on this, no need to fret." Master Canglan gave a nod, acting the indulgent senior soothing a young one.

"Many thanks, Master!"

Yi Mingzi offered swift gratitude, knowing that with Master Canglan stepping in, victory was all but guaranteed.

"Jue Mingzi, bide your time, Liu Hanyue belongs to me, and all your stuff will be mine as well!"

Once Chen Nan's rewards were sorted, Jiang Wuyue brought up the following issue.

"The Demon Clan’s been stirring up trouble a lot these days, aiming to spark a clash between us and the Demon Sect so they can swoop in for the gains later. We can't allow that to happen."

Yang Xiaotian nodded right away, "You're right, the beef between us and the Demon Sect is just Human Clan business, but the Demon Clan’s got dark intentions; they're not like us, their motives will never match ours, we gotta wipe them out."

"Oh yeah, Jue Mingzi was the one who first tipped us off about the Demon Clan plot; without him, we'd be clueless still."

"Hmph," Qian Shouyi let out a sharp huff, "So you're implying that without Jue Mingzi, the Righteous Alliance would've tumbled into the Demon Clan’s trap and collapsed?"

"In the end, he's only at Golden Core Realm; no need to hype him up that much!"

Yang Xiaotian and Liu Hanyue exchanged surprised glances at Qian Shouyi, never anticipating the typically mild Qian Shouyi to snap like that.

"Has my Dao companion crossed you somehow?" Liu Hanyue demanded icily.

Qian Shouyi had his reasons for speaking out, since Chen Nan had slain his disciple earlier, with no proof but he was convinced it was him.

He'd even schemed to shove Chen Nan onto the front lines, hardly imagining the kid would not just pull through but shine brightly.

Still, to Liu Hanyue’s query, he sidestepped it, "I simply feel that, being just a Golden Core Realm cultivator, even if he's got some value, we shouldn't praise him to the skies."

"Lest we all look pointless by comparison."

Qian Shouyi and Master Canglan shared a knowing look, like minds aligning; each harbored a desire to see Chen Nan gone.

"Heh, pointless or not, the achievements my husband notched are rock-solid." Liu Hanyue gave a cold snort.

Jiang Wuyue rubbed his temples in frustration at the scene, baffled at how one Golden Core Realm guy could nearly spark a spat among Nascent Soul True Men.

"Stop it, you esteemed True Men, bickering over something so minor—do we want the Righteous Alliance’s name dragged through the mud?"

"Jue Mingzi earned merits, so award him another fifty thousand contribution points; let him pick whatever he fancies from the treasure vault, and remove that Soul Locking Talisman on him too. It's improper to bind a talent like that with some seal."

"We'll shelve his personal matters for later; time to focus on handling the Demon Clan!"

Only then did Liu Hanyue ease up, and Qian Shouyi dropped the subject; the apparent calm masked brewing tensions below.

...

At Ten Thousand Treasures Island, the Righteous Alliance's backup forces showed up at last, but the greeting they got was cooler than hoped.

As the reinforcements rolled in, Chen Nan realized it was their cue to head out, so he sought out Xin Zi to say goodbye.

"Alas." Xin Zi breathed a sigh. Though he'd figured keeping Chen Nan around would be tough, the news of departure still drew a heavy exhale.

"Sir, don't ever forget—you're still Ten Thousand Treasures Island's consecrator. Come back anytime for your Spirit Stones."

"You can count on it."

Chen Nan gave his shoulder a gentle pat and smiled in agreement.

Amid send-offs from the island's cultivators, Chen Nan along with Ning Yu and their team of five embarked on the trip home, spirits soaring the whole way.

Truth was, while Chen Nan claimed all the glory from the fight, his teammates still scored perks and hefty prizes as part of his squad.

"Heading back this time, Yi Mingzi won't dare hassle us anymore, will he?" Deng Yunhe piped up out of the blue.

Zheng Yunzhou bobbed his head, "Hard to ignore his ties to this whole affair, especially with how timed it was—the Demon Sect forces popping up right as we did."

"Any further moves against us would scream his involvement too loud."

Chen Nan had no clue on Yi Mingzi's next play, but he was certain that taking out Yi Mingzi was essential; left alive, the threat lingered too fiercely. Pulling it off, though, needed flawless strategy.

Not to mention Yi Mingzi's master was the powerful Master Canglan, fiercely shielding his pupil.

So the scheme called for precise scheming and total secrecy from all, including Ning Yu and the rest.

Their return took a leisurely two days, but reaching the camp left them all stunned.

For right then, crowds of cultivators poured from the camp, clustering excitedly as if there to greet their arrival.

"He's here, Jue Mingzi's returned!"

"Wow, that's Jue Mingzi? So dashing and powerful, I wanna have his baby!"

"The alliance made it official, naming Jue Mingzi a top prodigy of the Righteous Alliance—talk about impressive!"

Chatter filled the air, particularly from female cultivators eager to rush up to Chen Nan.

After all, linking up as Dao companion with a rising star like him promised endless perks down the line.

Being a Righteous Alliance prodigy wasn't just a label; it meant real standing, below the elders but above regular folks.

Even the prodigy status alone could unlock better shares of alliance goodies; the upsides were endless.