Yuliana drew a deliberate breath, stepped forward, and slid herself between Jared and the tutor. Her voice remained calm, yet ripples of unease twitched beneath eyes.

“Mr. Chance, our student was indeed at fault first, yet severing an arm in public is… Extreme… Lord Gale holds considerable influence in Celestia. If this gets magnified, you will gain nothing…”

“Allow the academy physicians to treat the student now. I shall report the matter to the king and see it handled properly, will that suffice?” asked.

Gone was any notion of seeing Jared as a pawn. An Earthly Immortal Realm Level One cultivator who crushed an Earthly Immortal Realm Level Seven opponent while debating philosophy was clearly no one’s expendable piece. Even if served a faction, himself was surely a centerpiece.

Such a man must not be provoked, not until discovered what, exactly, wanted there. Jared spared Yuliana a brief glance, then fixed on Westley, who was clutching his mangled arm. “You called me worthless… Looking at you now, I see the true waste of talent. You were never worth my full strength.”

“Y-You!” Westley trembled from skull to heel, yet couldn’t step forward. Teeth grinding, hissed, “My father will never forgive this. You’ll regret it! Just wait!”

“I’ll wait,” Jared replied, voice flat as winter stone. “But the next time you flaunt empty bravado, I won’t stop at one arm.”