Removal

The trail fell into an eerie silence, leaving everyone bewildered.

Xu Hu was perplexed. He had been under the impression that he was aiding Mr. Nie's apprentice, so why did Mr. Nie suddenly slap him?

Feeling the throbbing pain on his left cheek, Xu Hu suppressed the aggrieved anger welling up inside. He dared not question Mr. Nie, despite the confusion.

The Alchemy Society members, initially excited about witnessing Horn's punishment, now stood in disbelief. What they anticipated to be a severe reprimand for Horn turned into a shocking display of violence against Xu Hu.

Cheng Zhi, wearing a frozen smile, confronted Mr. Nie, questioning his actions. "Master, what are you doing? Director Xu is helping us! Why attack him?"

Liu Na, joining Cheng Zhi, pointed towards Horn, reminding Nie Jiuxuan of the supposed insult. "Mr. Nie, this kid disrespected you! He treats you like trash – you must not let him go!"

Horn's expression remained stoic as he observed Nie Jiuxuan.

Tang Yuxin and Wang Menglu, equally confused, found the unfolding events drastically different from their expectations.

"Mr. Nie, we're all members of the academy's alchemy club. We can testify that this kid truly doesn't respect you or Mr. Cheng!" claimed the Alchemy Society members, attempting to tarnish Horn's reputation.

Nie Jiuxuan, seething with anger, faced an onslaught of accusations. Horn was known for ruthless actions, and the members urged Nie Jiuxuan to take severe measures.

"Kneel down!" Nie Jiuxuan demanded, placing his palm on Cheng Zhi's shoulder.

A burst of terrifying power exploded in Nie Jiuxuan's palm.

Cheng Zhi's knees buckled, and with a resounding bang, he was forced to kneel on the ground. The floor tiles cracked under the impact, leaving Cheng Zhi looking aggrieved. "Master, what are you going to do?" he questioned.

Nie Jiuxuan remained silent, ignoring Cheng Zhi. Instead, he respectfully approached Horn and said, "Mr. Su, are you not frightened? It's my fault in discipline! Please punish me!"

Tang Yuxin and Wang Menglu stared in disbelief at Nie Jiuxuan. The moment he referred to Horn as Mr. Su and admitted his mistake, they were left stunned. Nie Jiuxuan, once authoritative, now seemed like a student apologizing to his teacher.

Xu Hu, having just gotten up from the ground, found the scene astonishing. Mr. Nie, known for his arrogance, addressing a young boy with such respect was unfathomable. More surprisingly, Nie Jiuxuan bowed his head and apologized to Horn. It was an outrageous scene.

The Alchemy Society members, with faces as ugly as can be, realized they had made a grave mistake. Regret gnawed at them as they grappled with the unexpected turn of events.

Cheng Zhi, wide-eyed with disbelief, questioned Nie Jiuxuan, "Master, you actually called him Mr. Su? Were you deceived by him? What does he have that deserves your attention?"

Nie Jiuxuan turned around and ordered, "Kowtow to Mr. Su! When Mr. Su says stop, you stop kowtowing! Do you hear it?"

Cheng Zhi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't bring himself to kowtow to Horn and apologize.

Liu Na, unable to comprehend the situation, yelled at Horn, "Tell me quickly, what method did you use to deceive Mr. Nie? Admit that you are a liar!"

Horn remained composed, observing the chaotic scene with a calm demeanor.

Without waiting for Liu Na to finish her accusations, Nie Jiuxuan swiftly kicked a stone, sending it flying through the air like a bullet. The stone hit Liu Na, breaking through her Qi Condensation realm defenses. A sickening sound followed as the stone pierced her stomach, causing her to groan in pain and collapse to the ground, clutching her injured stomach.

"You have no say here," Nie Jiuxuan declared, his voice stern. "Daring to slander Mr. Su in front of me, you deserve this!"

Nie Jiuxuan then turned his attention to Cheng Zhi, questioning his loyalty. Before Cheng Zhi could utter a word, Nie Jiuxuan kicked him in the stomach, creating a bloody mist as Cheng Zhi flew backward and crashed into a stone bench.

Cheng Zhi let out a painful scream, accusing Nie Jiuxuan of being an evildoer. Nie Jiuxuan, unmoved, disowned Cheng Zhi as his disciple.

"You ungrateful evildoer! Since you are unwilling to kowtow and apologize to Mr. Su, from now on, you are no longer my disciple, Nie Jiuxuan," he declared. "I was blind in the past. Troublemakers like you are not suitable to be Alchemists. In the future, you will only harm others and yourself!"

After scolding Cheng Zhi, Nie Jiuxuan took out his mobile phone and dialed a number, stating, "Do something for me!"

"Expel Cheng Zhi from our Alchemist Association in Linzhou. Report to the Imperial Capital General Association immediately. Cheng Zhi has ill intentions. Remove him from the Xia Kingdom's alchemy community, ensuring he can never practice alchemy again!" Nie Jiuxuan's instructions were firm.

Once an Alchemist was expelled from the General Assembly, they could no longer practice alchemy. If discovered, severe consequences awaited them, including the possibility of having their hands chopped off.

After delivering the instructions, Nie Jiuxuan ended the call, recognizing Cheng Zhi's malicious intent behind the whole situation. Despite his initial willingness to seek mercy on Cheng Zhi's behalf, Cheng Zhi's stubbornness led Nie Jiuxuan to take drastic measures.

Cheng Zhi, lying on the ground, turned pale upon hearing Nie Jiuxuan's call. The identity of a one-star Alchemist, which he had worked so hard to attain, was on the verge of being stripped away. The realization hit him hard.

Abandoning his pride and integrity, Cheng Zhi crawled to Horn, kowtowing desperately. His forehead made heavy contact with the ground repeatedly, and soon blood began to drip from his forehead.

Tang Yuxin and Wang Menglu watched in disbelief as Cheng Zhi, who had appeared aloof just moments ago, now begged for mercy like a dog. The stark contrast left them stunned.

Minutes later, the mobile phones of the Alchemy Club members vibrated, indicating the arrival of an important announcement. They had been eagerly awaiting updates from the Alchemist General Assembly.

The announcement revealed Cheng Zhi's expulsion, complete with detailed identity information and a high-definition photo. Overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, members of the Alchemy Society collapsed on the ground one by one, their faces drained of color.

In the face of such consequences, obtaining forgiveness from Horn seemed like an impossible task now.