Zhang Zhao Wasn't Riding Here

Watching Zhao Yuanbu's supremely confident expression, Bai Qingshan wanted to retort, but in the end, he said nothing.

In truth, Bai Qingshan had considered the possibility Zhao Yuanbu mentioned from the start, but he really had no other options.

He knew his own circumstances. His Innate Two Extremes Soul Power talent was mediocre, and as a commoner, his resources were mediocre too. As for backing, his was anything but mediocre—after all, he simply did not have any.

With average talent and average resources, and taking medicines that would harm his future potential, Bai Qingshan had understood something clearly the day he reached level forty: unless he encountered some special opportunity, he had not even the slightest chance of becoming a Five-ring Soul King in this lifetime.

His innate foundation was poor, ordinary medicines damaged his future too severely, and with his Innate Two Extremes paired with a foundation of one white, two yellow, and one purple soul rings, a four-ring Soul Ancestor was already his limit.

At his level, the medicines he could access could not solve even the slightest of his problems. They could not even raise his Soul Power by another level.

After breaking through to level forty-one, he had been stuck there ever since, his Soul Power utterly unable to budge.

Under such circumstances, even without Xiao Qiang, he would have considered nurturing some talented genius and relying on whatever bond they might share in the future to seek a way to break through to Five-ring Soul King.

Then Xiao Qiang, who possessed innate fifth-level Soul Power and a Body Spirit, came to him on his own. At that time, Bai Qingshan had no reason to refuse.

Xiao Qiang did not even need to say much. As someone who had clawed his way up from the very bottom, Bai Qingshan knew what resources meant to a Soul Master.

Talent was one aspect, but whether one ate vegetables, meat, or soul beast meat was an entirely different matter for a Soul Master.

Thus, after Xiao Qiang merely said that chicken feed could not raise a phoenix, Bai Qingshan handled many matters himself.

The Sun Moon Empire did not have many soul beast resources, but fortunately, they were in Eastsea City. There were few soul beasts on land, but some fish in the sea occasionally carried soul beast bloodlines. Though many were not even ten-year soul beasts, they were still soul beasts, and as vice principal, Bai Qingshan could grit his teeth and barely afford them.

That gritting of teeth continued until Xiao Qiang was fourteen. Bai Qingshan had gone from a fairly well-off middle-class man to nearly a debt-ridden vagrant.

The only reason he had not become a vagrant was that he still had a respectable job. As a four-ring Soul Ancestor and a Soul Engineer, no matter how destitute he became, he would not end up on the streets.

Still, his life had grown more miserable by the day. His family property had been sold off two years ago, and for the past two years, he had only barely held on by going into debt.

He knew there was a chance his investment would yield nothing, but if he did not take a gamble now, then after waiting a while longer, he reckoned he might no longer have the chance.

At his current age, waiting another ten years would be manageable. But if ten years passed and then he had to wait another ten years...

He was, in the end, only a four-ring Soul Master. He did not have that many decades to wait.

"Principal, you're right. Let's not talk about that. About the matter of advancing my salary..." Bai Qingshan said with an ingratiating smile.

"An advance on your salary?"

"Yes. After all, I owe rather a lot over there. Do you think you could..."

"No." Before Bai Qingshan could finish, Principal Zhao Yuanbu interrupted him.

"It wasn't me who spent your money. If you want money, go find that brat Xiao Qiang. Don't come looking for me."

Zhao Yuanbu spoke with a cold face. The mention of Xiao Qiang filled him with anger.

Xiao Qiang's innate fifth-level Soul Power was already quite impressive in a place like the Sun Moon Empire, especially in Eastsea City, a second-tier city.

Thus, Zhao Yuanbu had initially intended to recruit Xiao Qiang into his family. That was also why the family had made him the principal of this academy.

Yet just as he was preparing to recruit Xiao Qiang, Xiao Qiang handed him a long list of required resources. The sight of those resources made Zhao Yuanbu's heart ache, so he refused Xiao Qiang without a second thought.

But Xiao Qiang's talent was undeniably good, and Zhao Yuanbu had heard at least a little about the rumors surrounding the Body Sect. Though, like Bai Qingshan, he did not know the specifics of the Body Sect, the existence of such rumors showed that Xiao Qiang's talent was exceptionally high.

Naturally, Zhao Yuanbu wanted to recruit someone so talented and have him become a powerful supporter of his branch in the future.

But just as he decided to halve the resources Xiao Qiang wanted and arrange to marry his cousin to Xiao Qiang once he came of age, Bai Qingshan actually agreed to provide the resources Xiao Qiang had requested.

His original plan had been abruptly disrupted. Recruiting Xiao Qiang was now impossible.

After receiving more money and enjoying better treatment, how could someone be expected to accept less money and do more work?

Zhao Yuanbu had developed a deep grudge against Bai Qingshan, who had casually disrupted the market, but he had only recently been transferred into this academy. Furthermore, Bai Qingshan handled almost all the work, so he really could not do much.

Compared to the established Bai Qingshan, he was ultimately an outsider who had been parachuted in as a leader. There was no issue asking people to work, nor was there any issue confronting Bai Qingshan. As long as he spoke as principal, people would certainly side with him.

But the problem was that he had to offer benefits to those who sided with him. After all, who would work for him if there was nothing to gain?

It was clearly no longer possible to win Xiao Qiang over with a small amount of resources. Even if he defeated Bai Qingshan and then tried to recruit Xiao Qiang with limited resources, not only would Xiao Qiang certainly feel dissatisfied, but when he needed to provide resources to others to oppose Bai Qingshan, the resources he gave them might far exceed what Xiao Qiang had originally asked for.

Unless necessary, do not expand your enemies. Rather than bicker with others, it was better to cultivate properly. After all, strength was supreme in this world.

Giving out resources without gaining several times the benefits was not worth wasting the time and effort.

What was more, Bai Qingshan had given all his resources to Xiao Qiang. When Zhao Yuanbu wanted to take in others as his lackeys afterward, he could use even fewer resources.

For the resources that would have gone to one high-quality talent, he could obtain three somewhat more ordinary talents while spending less than half of what Xiao Qiang had demanded. Overall, Zhao Yuanbu had not only avoided a loss—he had even gained something.

But when he thought of Xiao Qiang's talent and then saw Bai Qingshan come to ask for an advance on his salary, if he did not mock Bai Qingshan a few times, where else could he vent the resentment of having someone snatched away from him?

"Principal, you know Xiao Qiang's situation. How am I supposed to ask him for money now?"

"That is none of my concern. That is your problem. Since you chose this path yourself, walk it yourself. Don't come looking for me when there's nothing wrong, and don't come looking for me when there is." Principal Zhao Yuanbu took a sip of tea, set down his cup, and spoke with an impatient expression.

Hm? Xiao Qiang? Looks like I really didn't take the wrong path. I got it right on my first time delivering something. I'm amazing.