After dropping Li Tianlan off near the Sky Academy, Military Counselor took his leave.
Given his current status, he certainly should not show up in such a sensitive place as the Sky Academy.
In the final battle of Changdao, Samsara Palace had made a clean break with Zhongzhou State, and they were even on opposite sides. Although the few Super Masters of Samsara didn’t attack the elites of Zhongzhou State, they stood with people from the Purgatory of Heaven Capital, asking w.a.n.g Tianzong to withdraw from Heaven Capital.
No matter how detached Beihai Province and the w.a.n.g family of Beihai were, they belonged to Zhongzhou State, which was the fact that no one could change. Samsara Palace didn’t commit treason by doing so, because it wasn’t a force that belonged to Zhongzhou State, after all. But their change of stance was no doubt equivalent to choosing to stand against Zhongzhou State. For Zhongzhou State, the current Military Counselor was an enemy.
Li Tianlan watched Military Counselor leave.
The black Audi was getting further and further away. He knew that there must be a different scene in the car now.
When he wore his cloak, he was Military Counselor.
Who knew who he was when he took off his cloak?
Li Tianlan didn’t know and didn’t ask.
Because it no longer had anything to do with him.
Li Tianlan slowly turned around. After a few months, he returned to the Sky Academy.
The boulder, which resembled a monument, was still standing on the ground before the gateless Sky Academy.
Li Tianlan saw his name at the top of it.
He looked at it for a long time. No one knew what he was thinking.
The autumn wind was soughing, and the sun was setting.
The wind was blowing south in the dusk. Li Tianlan turned and walked toward the south. His spotless white clothes floated in the wind. He walked unhurriedly, like a cloud on the ground.
The Sky Academy was quiet.
During this period, students were basically taking all kinds of theoretical courses, and Actual Combat Lessons were about to over.
Li Tianlan walked to the Political Department.
It was just over a month since the final battle of Changdao was over, and it was easy to generate agitation after the general trend temporarily stabilized. If he wanted to know what was going on over the past month, he naturally needed to look for an insider.
Tribulation, the head of the Political Department, and Zhuang Huayang were insiders, but Li Tianlan didn’t have to think twice about who he should visit.
The office building of the Political Department was located in the center of the Sky Academy. When he got here, the quiet Sky Academy finally had some vitality. Teachers and students moved around. One newly dismissed cla.s.s emerged from the training ground in a neat line and walked past the Political Department.
Li Tianlan did not spot any familiar figure in the crowd and then ignored it.
But when he looked at the others, they saw him, too.
There was a sudden hush in the evening near the Political Department.
Even the advancing line froze in place.
The teacher who led the team stared at Li Tianlan in disbelief.
Li Tianlan may not know him, but he would never forget him anyway.
He was Zhou Mo, who was in charge of the Firearms Control Lesson of a regular cla.s.s. He was one of the two teachers who were sent to test Li Tianlan on his first day at the Sky Academy. The test back then ended in a humiliating and horrifying way. To save his companion, he was nearly pinned on a tree by Li Tianlan’s spear at a distance of dozens of meters.
He had just recovered from his injury, and today was his first day with his students.
Then he saw Li Tianlan.
His face was a little pale. He had some doubts and instinctive fears.
Everyone knew that Li Tianlan had died in Changdao. The Sky Academy held a farewell party for him, and President Li Huacheng personally engraved his name on the monument.
When everything was settled, he reappeared in the Sky Academy!
Zhou Mo even thought that he had really seen a ghost.
The figure in white in his sight walked straight toward the office building of the Political Department, without pausing for a moment.
Behind him, more and more people noticed Li Tianlan.
The silence and dullness faded away.
There was a flurry of discussion.
Li Tianlan!
The one who ranked ninth on the Divine List, the Heavenly Son of Zhongzhou State who was supposed to be remembered by all the people, reappeared in the Sky Academy.
With confusion and uncertainty, the news swept across the entire Zhongzhou State like a hurricane.
…
The Political Department was more potent than the Sky Academy’s teaching affair office, but also more decentralized. But one thing was clear, however, was that the work scope of teaching affair office focused on students, while the main work scope of the Political Department concentrated on teachers. Besides, the credit statistics of students and the task system of the Sky Academy were also the main work contents of the Political Department.
So in the Sky Academy, the Political Department had the most staff. Nearly 60 people worked inside a three-story building that looked old.
At dinnertime, the office building of the Political Department was deserted.
Dressed in a uniform, a man of 30 years old or so pa.s.sed by Li Tianlan and glanced at him. He asked with some doubts, “Who are you looking for?”
“Is Minister Situ here?” Li Tianlan asked.
Tribulation’s full name was Situ Wanjie, but fewer and fewer people called him that name these days.
“You are?”
Even if Li Tianlan was a hero, not everyone knew him. The man in front of him obviously didn’t know him. There was increasing suspicion and even vigilance in his eyes.
Given Li Tianlan’s age, he was definitely not a teacher in the Sky Academy. Wearing a white coat, he didn’t look like a student at all. Anyone would doubt his ident.i.ty if they didn’t know him.
“I am…”
Li Tianlan opened his mouth. But before he had finished speaking, there was a sudden, crisp sound of doc.u.ments landing on the stairs.
The thick folder fell on the ground, and numerous materials were flying down. Qin Ke, the deputy director of teaching, who was not on good terms with Li Tianlan at first, stood behind the flying materials and looked at Li Tianlan in shock.
Li Tianlan was surprised as well.
“Director Qin.”
The man in a military uniform who stopped Li Tianlan greeted her confusedly. He pointed at Li Tianlan and said, “The man wants…”
“Ah…”
Qin Ke, who was as cold as an iceberg in front of everyone, came to herself suddenly. “It’s all right. Leave him to me. Go about your business.”
The man in a military uniform nodded, glanced at Li Tianlan, and turned to leave.
“h.e.l.lo, teacher.”
Li Tianlan gave a calm greeting.
“You… you…”
The look of shock in Qin Ke’s eyes was thicker and thicker. She partic.i.p.ated in the final battle of Changdao in person and also saw the end of Li Tianlan. On the seventh night of the final battle of Changdao, the woman in white pierced through Li Tianlan’s heart with a sword without any hesitation.
He sustained such serious injuries… How on earth did he survive?
“I’m in luck.”
Li Tianlan seemed to read Qin Ke’s doubts. “I survived. Is my martial uncle here?”
“Yes, yes,” Qin Ke replied.
She was dumbstruck. Then she crouched down and scrambled to sort out the papers.
“He’s talking to the princ.i.p.al in his office on the second floor. Go find him there,” she responded, and her mind was a little confused.
Looking at Li Tianlan, who was going straight upstairs, she suddenly had a feeling of dizziness.
How did he suddenly become handsome?
Qin Ke looked at Li Tianlan carefully. She whispered, trying to calm herself, “Welcome back, Young Governor.”
“Thanks.”
Li Tianlan nodded and went straight to the second floor.
The minister’s office faced the stairs. Li Tianlan went to the door and knocked.
“Come in.”
The next second, the air around him seemed to be vibrating. Tribulation’s voice almost sounded in his ear.
In fact, as the director of the Political Department of the Sky Academy, though Tribulation had no definite rank, he was more than qualified to have a full-time secretary. However, he rejected such an arrangement from the very beginning. Plus the office was so soundproof that, if it weren’t for his horrible strength, he would have to open the door himself every time someone came.
Li Tianlan opened the door and went in.
The large office was decorated comfortably and luxuriously. The previous director Ye Fengcheng was clearly a man who enjoyed life. At a glance, Li Tianlan saw the princ.i.p.al of the Sky Academy on the sofa slanting towards the door. Zhuang Huayang was sitting on the sofa, talking to the young man beside him.
The moment Li Tianlan walked in, the three of them all froze at the same time.
Zhuang Huayang even thought that he had an illusion. He shook his head violently and looked at the young man walking into the office. He said in disbelief after a long time, “Tianlan?”
Tribulation calmed down after a moment of shock. He was not surprised or excited by Li Tianlan’s resurrection. His eyes were calm and gentle as if he had known it all.
“I’m relieved to see you back,” he said.
…
Li Tianlan was also in a daze.
He looked at the Tribulation in front of him.
A completely different man from the one he remembered.
The familiar black clothes became comfortable casual wear. The silver mask that had covered his face for years was removed, revealing a pale face with sharp, hard lines. With short hair, his thin, almost skinny figure sat there, giving people a unique visual impact.
This was a man as sharp as a sword.
“Sit here.”
Tribulation motioned to Li Tianlan. After removing the mask, his voice was still deep, but not hoa.r.s.e, sounding pleasantly magnetic.
Li Tianlan went and sat down opposite Zhuang Huayang. He looked at the somewhat dazed Zhuang Huayang and said with a nod, “Princ.i.p.al, long time no see.”
“This…”
Zhuang Huayang took a deep breath. He first looked at Li Tianlan, and then looked at the abnormally calm Tribulation. “What’s going on here?”
“You didn’t die?” he asked, looking at Li Tianlan.
…
“I’ve died once,” Li Tianlan replied very simply.
…
“Back from the dead?”
Zhuang Huayang was in disbelief.
“This is how things are.”
Li Tianlan’s expression was impa.s.sive.
“Let’s not talk about that,” Tribulation said all of a sudden.
He was as calm as if nothing had happened. Then he continued slowly, “Tianlan, the princ.i.p.al and I are discussing the three most critical things that have happened in the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State in recent days. They’re all related to you, so join us.”
Li Tianlan nodded and said, “Fine.”