Xu Chunniang was somewhat surprised. Her only interaction with the Headmaster had been that one encounter years ago.
She had never expected the Headmaster to hold such high hopes for her.
She declined, saying, "Although I have been at Heavenly God Academy for thirty-six years, I do not believe I have made any outstanding contributions to the academy. On the contrary, I have relied greatly on the academy. How could I accept the Headmaster's gift for no reason?"
"Scholar Xu shone brilliantly during the practical combat exercises and should have been highly valued by the academy. Yet circumstances forced our hand, and you suffered quite a few grievances instead.
This opportunity is a small compensation from the Headmaster. I hope Scholar Xu will not refuse. After all, strength is the foundation of everything."
As he spoke, Elder Zeng took out an entirely purple bamboo stalk and a rusty copper coin.
Judging from its quality, the Purple Lord Bamboo Elder Zeng had produced was far superior to the one she had obtained. Its rank had even reached that of an Acquired Supreme Treasure.
When the Sky-Gazing Hound saw the Purple Lord Bamboo, its eyes lit up.
"Not bad, hahaha! Purple Lord Bamboo of such a high rank is a rare sight indeed. Girl Xu, what is delivered to your door should not be refused, and he is right—strength is the root of everything!"
"This Purple Lord Bamboo, along with this key to open Heavenly Heart Pavilion, shall be given to Scholar Xu. As for how far you can go within Heavenly Heart Pavilion, that will depend on your own fortune."
"The key to Heavenly Heart Pavilion? Good stuff, hahaha! Back then, I wanted to wander around Heavenly Heart Pavilion, but I had no key and was kept outside by those formations.