"Ah!"
One of them, the more timid one, actually cried out in fright.
The other two were also startled, and then they desperately tried to stop the one who had cried out.
"What are you doing?"
Compared to the panic of the three, Yan Jiaojiao appeared much calmer, her clear eyes looking directly at them and asking.
The three of them were actually a little flustered by her clear gaze. After stammering for a while, the leader mustered his courage again and pretended to be righteous, saying, "What business is it of yours? You don't even call us 'senior brother' when you see us. You truly have no manners!"
The chef in the kitchen had already prepared all the food. Hearing the commotion over here, he walked over carrying a food basket, "What's going on?"
Those three students clearly looked a little flustered.
Yan Jiaojiao, however, took the food basket and said to the chef, "Uncle, why don't you first ask them if they've added any seasoning to the food you made?"
"You're slandering us!" the leader immediately retorted, raising his hand to snatch the food basket from Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Jiaojiao skillfully dodged, "What, trying to destroy the evidence?"
"Give it to me!" The man lunged again to snatch it, his actions clearly revealing his guilt.
Those who could work at Gunan Academy, even kitchen chefs, had some skills. Seeing them entangled with Yan Jiaojiao, the plump chef channeled spiritual energy into his hand and pushed the student away with a casual shove. He then glared at the three of them warningly. Seeing that they had calmed down, he took the food basket back from Yan Jiaojiao.
"I've been cooking spirit dishes at Gunan Academy for half my life. Every student has gained spiritual energy from my cooking. If you dare to put poison in my food, you're ruining my reputation. I'll wring your heads off, you three scoundrels, and stew them for soup!"
The plump chef said indignantly as he opened the food basket to inspect it. The first layer was fine, and the second layer was also fine.
When he was about to open the third layer, Yan Jiaojiao stopped his hand and smiled, "Uncle, let me open it for you."
The three students were already trembling, but they dared not move rashly with the plump chef present. Seeing Yan Jiaojiao stop them, they even had the illusion that Yan Jiaojiao was going to let them off the hook. They all cast pleading glances at Yan Jiaojiao, as if they had forgotten that they were the ones who had intended to harm Yan Jiaojiao earlier!
Heh heh! They were indeed too young!
Yan Jiaojiao decided to teach these children what it meant to admit their mistakes and stand tall to accept punishment.
Her slender fingers steadied the food basket and gently lifted the last layer. Inside, a small snake with pointed ears and sharp fangs leaped out, intending to bite Yan Jiaojiao's finger!
The plump chef cried out in shock, "Bait snake!"
Yan Jiaojiao, however, was unmoved. She lightly released the beastly pressure within her body, and the bait snake deflated like a punctured balloon and fell straight from mid-air. It slowly coiled on the ground, not daring to move, a far cry from its earlier arrogant demeanor.
The plump chef, still shaken, casually grabbed a basin, walked forward, and skillfully covered the bait snake with it, trapping it inside.
The plump chef then looked at Yan Jiaojiao, "It didn't bite you, did it?"
The incident had happened too quickly. Humans were not sensitive to beastly pressure, so no one noticed how Yan Jiaojiao subdued it. They even thought the bait snake had simply fallen on its own.
Yan Jiaojiao shook her head, and the plump chef breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked angrily at the three students, "Fine, you actually dared to put a poisonous creature like a bait snake in my spirit dishes. How did this young lady offend you to be so heartless and bully a woman? Where is the spirit of a true man!"
The plump chef was still not appeased. He continued, "Come, come with me to see your sect leader and let them see what good deeds you've done!"
"No, please, we were wrong, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the timid student immediately burst into tears. This was akin to harming fellow disciples. If the sect leader found out, at best they would be confined and forced to labor, and at worst, they would be expelled from the sect!
The leader also regretted his actions, completely unable to understand how he had been blinded by lust. It was only because Tang Xiye had cried and acted coy for a few moments that he had foolishly agreed to such a poisonous act.
However, the plump chef could not tolerate these brats who had almost ruined his reputation and almost implicated him. He immediately shouted, "You are truly unworthy of the name Gunan Academy. Not only are your hearts impure, but you also lack the courage to admit your mistakes. What kind of cultivation are you pursuing, and what kind of immortality are you hoping to ascend to?"
The three students were speechless, trembling with fear, their previous arrogance completely gone.
Yan Jiaojiao found it quite amusing and calmly watched their regretful expressions.
It was good, she thought, to let them learn a lesson and make an example of them.
Yan Jiaojiao followed behind the plump chef, watching as he dragged the three of them forward, almost beating them all the way to the sect leader's council hall.
Coincidentally, all five sect leaders were present in the council hall. Sheng Mobai and Jiang Yiling were standing below, clearly reporting something.
When Yan Jiaojiao and her group suddenly barged in, everyone stopped.
Sheng Mobai's gaze was particularly fervent. If not for the presence of the five sect leaders, he would have eagerly stepped forward and called out, "Little lady Jiaojiao."
Yan Jiaojiao pretended not to see him and remained standing quietly beside the plump chef.
"Esteemed sect leaders, these three brats put a bait snake in the spirit dishes I made. What do you say we do about it?" the plump chef asked angrily, pulling one of them forward.
The sect leaders frowned upon hearing this, and Sheng Mobai and Jiang Yiling were also surprised.
Although the academy knew that student disputes could not be completely forbidden, such a heinous incident had not occurred in over a hundred years. Being bitten by a bait snake was incurable!
"Were they trying to harm Yan Jiaojiao?" Sheng Mobai immediately asked.
The plump chef paused, then turned to Yan Jiaojiao and asked, "Your name is Yan Jiaojiao?"
Yan Jiaojiao nodded.
The plump chef then turned back and replied, "Yes, they were trying to poison this young lady named Yan Jiaojiao!"
Immediately, the plump chef explained the entire incident.
Luo Guiyuan's facial muscles twitched imperceptibly, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes as he looked at the three students.
Shangguan Yuan, uncharacteristically lazy, sat up straight in his chair and looked down at the three people, coldly asking, "These are students from the Golden Sect, aren't they? What deep-seated hatred do you have for our disciples?"
"Ah!" Luo Guiyuan immediately interjected, "It's a personal grievance. Although it has nothing to do with our sect, we are indeed negligent in our management. Sect Leader Shangguan, please forgive us."
"For such a heinous act, the responsibility lies from top to bottom. A simple apology may not suffice." Seeing Luo Guiyuan's intention to protect them, Shangguan Yuan became even more displeased and gave him no opportunity to downplay the matter.