Yan Shaozhe's Hush Money

Jiang Wu smiled at Yan Shaozhe. "Dean Yan, after something like this happened, shouldn't the school compensate the four of us?"

Hearing Jiang Wu's words, Yan Shaozhe came back to his senses and couldn't help smiling.

Wasn't this just asking them for hush money? The little fellow was even more interesting than he had imagined.

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly. "Indeed, the school should give you some compensation."

With that, he gestured to the middle-aged man beside him.

The middle-aged man saw the gesture and handed each of them two boxes, with a pill in each box.

Jiang Wu nodded to Yan Shaozhe. "Thank you, Dean Yan."

Wang Dong'er took the boxes and weighed them in her hands, her eyes shining. She leaned close to Jiang Wu's ear and whispered, "This Dean Yan is pretty generous. Buying these two pills outside would cost a lot of money."

Jiang Wu didn't reply. He put the boxes into his Storage Soul Tool and turned to look at Ma Xiaotao on the ground.

The girl in red was still unconscious. Two teachers came forward from behind Yan Shaozhe and helped her up, one on either side.

One of them, a middle-aged woman, raised a hand and pressed it to Ma Xiaotao's forehead. A soft blue light glimmered in her palm. After examining her, she looked up and said, "Dean, she was only knocked unconscious. There's nothing seriously wrong, and her Soul Power is circulating normally too."

Yan Shaozhe nodded. His gaze swept over Jiang Wu, then moved to Wang Dong'er and the others. He pondered for a moment before speaking. "You may go. Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

Jiang Wu nodded and, after bidding Yan Shaozhe farewell, led Wang Dong'er and the others away.

Yan Shaozhe watched Jiang Wu's retreating figure, still feeling some regret.

Such a fine seedling, yet Xian Lin'er had gotten to him first.

Go to Xian Lin'er?

He didn't dare. He knew full well that Xian Lin'er had a serious grievance against him. If he met her, she would surely subject him to a round of biting sarcasm.

Yan Shaozhe took the unconscious Ma Xiaotao back to a secret chamber in the inner court.

Half an hour later, Ma Xiaotao groggily woke up.

"Ugh... my neck hurts. It feels like someone hit me," Ma Xiaotao said, rubbing her neck.

Ma Xiaotao sat up, rubbing her neck. Her memory was a little patchy. She only remembered seeming to see several people standing on the shore as she ran across Sea God Lake; after that, she remembered nothing.

"Awake?"

Yan Shaozhe's voice came from beside her. Ma Xiaotao turned and saw him sitting on a chair in the corner of the secret chamber, a cup of tea in his hand. She couldn't tell whether his expression was angry or helpless.

"Teacher?" Ma Xiaotao stared for a moment. "What happened to me?"

"You're asking me?" Yan Shaozhe put down his teacup and looked at her. "You lost control just now and charged wildly across Sea God Lake toward the shore. Do you know how close you came to causing a disaster?"

Ma Xiaotao's expression changed. She lowered her head and looked at her hands. Fiery red Soul Power flickered at her fingertips, and she hurriedly clenched her fists to suppress it. "I... I can't remember clearly. I just remember my head getting hot, then it seemed like someone was by the lake, and then my neck hurt."

"Your neck hurts because someone knocked you unconscious."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened. "Who?"

"A new student." Yan Shaozhe's tone was a little peculiar. "Eleven years old, level thirty-one, Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul."

The secret chamber fell silent for three seconds.

Ma Xiaotao's expression went from shock to bewilderment, then from bewilderment to disbelief, and finally twisted into a look that said, You're kidding me. "Teacher, you're joking, right? A level thirty-one new student knocked me out? I'm a Soul Emperor, for heaven's sake!"

"Your combat strength is unstable to begin with when you lose control," Yan Shaozhe said unhurriedly. "Besides, that boy is no ordinary student. He has Twin Martial Souls, and his Second Martial Soul is a top-tier dragon type. He struck the back of your neck with his palm, clean and efficient, without wasting even a bit of Soul Power."

Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth, then closed it again.

She might have had a fiery temper, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what state she was in when she lost control: her Soul Power ran wild, and her defenses dropped sharply. It wasn't impossible for an expert to catch an opening and subdue her in one blow.

But the other party was an eleven-year-old with three rings...

"What's his name?" Ma Xiaotao squeezed the words out through her teeth.

"Jiang Wu. Xian Lin'er's newly accepted disciple."

Ma Xiaotao looked surprised when she heard Xian Lin'er's name.

She knew Dean Xian Lin'er hadn't taken a disciple in a long time, mainly because her requirements were extremely high.

"Teacher, why don't you trick that little fellow into becoming your disciple?" Remembering the bad blood between her teacher and Xian Lin'er, Ma Xiaotao grinned at Yan Shaozhe.

Ma Xiaotao's words caught Yan Shaozhe off guard. His hand, holding the teacup, hung in midair, and his expression turned a little peculiar.

"I'd like to." He put down the teacup and sighed. "Xian Lin'er has already taken the boy under her wing. How could I go and snatch him away? If Xian Lin'er found out I was after her disciple, she'd block my office door with a Soul Cannon."

Ma Xiaotao rubbed her neck, but the words only perked her up. "Dean Xian may not get along with you, but that doesn't mean you can't discuss it. Besides, if you talk to her nicely, surely she won't refuse to talk to you at all?"

Yan Shaozhe glanced at her. "When have you ever seen Xian Lin'er and me get through more than three sentences of a civil conversation?"

Ma Xiaotao thought about it. It seemed she really hadn't.

Whenever the two deans met, at least one remark would have a barb in it within three sentences, and within five, one of them would storm off in a huff.

"Then poach him behind her back," Ma Xiaotao said, lowering her voice. "Give him some benefits first, let him know the dean of the Martial Soul Department values him too, and he'll naturally remember your kindness later."

Yan Shaozhe stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly laughed. "You certainly know how to come up with ideas for me."

"I'm just thinking of you, Teacher." Ma Xiaotao stood up with a grin and stretched her neck. Then she suddenly remembered something, and her expression turned serious. "But Teacher, that boy knocked me out with one palm. I have to remember that. Next time I run into him, I have to take his measure."

"Don't do anything rash." Yan Shaozhe raised a hand and made a calming gesture. "He only has three rings right now, and you're already a Soul Emperor. If you go and test him, there's no glory in winning, and losing would be even more humiliating."

Ma Xiaotao curled her lip and said no more.

Yan Shaozhe stood up and straightened his cuffs. "All right, go back and rest."

Ma Xiaotao acknowledged him and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she looked back. "Teacher, what does that boy look like?"

"He's a rather handsome boy, with somewhat long hair and very bright eyes."

Ma Xiaotao said, "Oh," and pushed the door open and left.

Yan Shaozhe sat alone in the secret chamber for a while. The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt.

Of all people, that woman Xian Lin'er had gotten to him first.

He sighed, stood up, and left the secret chamber, heading for the Martial Soul Department's office building.

Meanwhile.

Jiang Wu and the others left the shore of Sea God Lake and followed the academy road toward the dormitories.

All the way there, Wang Dong'er kept turning the box over and over, looking at it. She poured the pill inside into her palm and examined it.