A Minor Stir

When Jiang Donghua entered the gates of Jia Nan Academy carrying a bulging animal-hide bundle, he immediately drew countless strange looks.

After half a year of secluded cultivation in the mountains, his clothes were already ragged, his hair hung in a messy tangle, and various hide pouches and herb baskets dangled from his body. He looked exactly like a wild man who had just emerged from the deep forest.

"Which branch is that student from? Why does he look like a scavenger?"

"Shh, keep it down. He might be one of those lunatics from the Alchemy Department..."

Several passing students whispered among themselves. Jiang Donghua's ears twitched slightly; he heard every word clearly, but merely shrugged it off.

Just then, several female students in pale purple academy uniforms approached from ahead.

They were all beautiful and graceful, a well-known little clique within the academy.

Jiang Donghua halted, instinctively recalling how he had been crazily pursued by a group of female students half a year ago. His scalp immediately tingled.

"Don't tell me it's happening again!"

He nervously swallowed and was about to lower his head and hurry past when the girls merely shot him disgusted glances. One of them even pinched her nose and rolled her eyes in revulsion.

"Ugh, where did this wild man come from? He reeks."

"Come on, come on. Don't let his bad luck rub off on us."

The girls quickened their pace and detoured around him as though avoiding the plague.

Jiang Donghua stood there in a daze. After a long moment, he suddenly grinned.

"Awesome!"

Jiang Donghua sighed from the bottom of his heart. The girls who had pursued him so crazily half a year ago could not even recognize him now.

The feeling of being completely forgotten was even more comforting than breaking through to a higher realm.

"Looks like spending half a year in seclusion wasn't without its benefits."

Jiang Donghua ambled into the Mission Hall.

Quite a few students around him cast disdainful looks his way, but he did not care in the slightest and headed straight for the mission handover counter.

The receptionist was an Eight-Star Battle Master named Lin Yan, a fairly well-known senior student in the academy.

Lin Yan looked up at the scruffy fellow before him and frowned slightly, but his professional bearing kept his tone polite.

"Junior Brother, are you here to accept a mission or turn one in?"

Jiang Donghua said nothing. He merely slowly took out two mission jade slips from his pocket and casually tossed them onto the counter.

Lin Yan lowered his head to look, and his pupils abruptly contracted!

"Slay a First-tier Demonic Beast, the Red Scale Python!"

"Gather Ghost Grass."

Both of these missions had been issued half a year ago, and both were extremely difficult!

Especially the mission to slay the Red Scale Python. One needed at least the strength of a six- or seven-star Battle Master to dare accept it, and many had even returned severely injured because of it!

Lin Yan abruptly looked up and scrutinized the seemingly scruffy youth again, his heart filled with uncertainty.

"This guy has either already touched the threshold of Dou Shi, or..."

"He's already broken through to Dou Shi?!"

At that thought, Lin Yan's attitude immediately became much more respectful, and his tone turned cautious.

"Senior Brother, please wait a moment. I'll handle the handover for you right away."

Jiang Donghua lazily grunted and pulled out a bundle of herbs that gave off a faint ghostly glow from his pack, casually tossing it onto the counter.

"Ten stalks of Ghost Grass. That's enough, right?"

Lin Yan hurriedly nodded. "Enough! Of course it's enough!"

He hurriedly registered everything, occasionally sneaking glances at Jiang Donghua, growing more shocked by the moment.

"Just who is this guy? Why does it seem like I've never seen him in the academy before?"

Soon, the procedures were complete, and Lin Yan respectfully handed over a badge.

"Senior Brother, this is your mission reward, including Contribution Points and gold coins. Please keep it safe."

Jiang Donghua did not even look at it. He casually stuffed the badge into his clothes and turned to leave.

Lin Yan opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not dare speak.

Only after Jiang Donghua's back disappeared through the Mission Hall entrance did a low murmur of discussion erupt around them.

"Damn, who was that guy? He actually completed the Red Scale Python mission?"

"Looking at him, could he have broken through to Dou Shi?"

"No way, right? How old is he?"

Jiang Donghua slowly wandered over to the entrance of the Alchemy Department.

This blackstone building was still as imposing as it had been half a year ago. However, the Medicine-Appraisal Jade Bi that had once been used to verify students' identities was gone. In its place stood two students holding staffs, leaning lazily against the gate pillars as they chatted.

"Stop!"

One of the square-faced students spotted Jiang Donghua approaching and immediately stepped across the way, his long staff flashing out to block the entrance. He pinched his nose with a disgusted expression.

"Where did this beggar come from? The Alchemy Department isn't a place for you. Get lost!"

Jiang Donghua paused and looked up at the familiar building before glancing down at himself.

His clothes were tattered, his hair was a mess, and several animal-hide pouches carrying the scent of herbs hung from his body.

"Tch, I really do look a little shabby."

He muttered to himself.

"Did you hear him? Get lost already!"

The other, tall and thin student impatiently swung his staff. The wind from it whistled through the air, faintly carrying fluctuations of Battle Qi.

Jiang Donghua grinned. Not only did he not retreat, he instead took another step forward.

"Senior Students, I'm from the Alchemy Department."

"Hahaha!"

The two guards looked at each other, then burst into exaggerated laughter.

"You? From the Alchemy Department?"

The square-faced student laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh.

"Which student in the Alchemy Department isn't dressed impeccably? Look at you. You probably can't even tell medicinal dregs apart."

The tall, thin student sneered even more mockingly.

"If you're from the Alchemy Department, then I'm the Dean's personal disciple!"

Jiang Donghua shrugged, unangered.

Their argument soon caught the attention of several students inside the Alchemy Department.

Several students in pale purple academy uniforms frowned as they came out, wanting to see who was causing trouble at the entrance.

But when they clearly saw Jiang Donghua's face, they froze for a moment before their eyes suddenly widened.

"Wait! Isn't that Jiang Donghua, the one Instructor Mo Xuan personally recruited half a year ago?!"

"Jiang Donghua?! Didn't he go into seclusion?!"

"Hiss... It really is him! I remember when he first entered the academy, Instructor Mo Xuan personally stepped in and forcibly poached him from the Fire-attribute Battle Qi Department!"

The moment those words were spoken, the faces of the two guards at the entrance turned the color of pig liver, and cold sweat instantly poured down their foreheads.

Instructor Mo Xuan was one of the Alchemy Department's ten great elders. He was solitary by nature and rarely accepted disciples.

Moreover, his strength as a Dou Wang already made him one of the strongest figures in Jia Nan Academy. With the additional status of a Fifth-grade Alchemist, countless factions would bow before him!

And now, the disciple he had openly declared he would protect had been stopped at the entrance by two insignificant nobodies like them.

Wasn't that practically courting death?

Half a year ago, he had personally made an exception and poached Jiang Donghua from the Battle Qi Department, even promising him the treatment of a First-grade Alchemist right away!

A First-grade Alchemist received treatment in Jia Nan Academy that surpassed ordinary students by countless times!

The medicinal resources one could collect each month alone were enough to make countless people green with envy!

And now, the two of them had actually stopped this important figure outside and called him a beggar?!

"Senior Brother Jiang! We... we failed to recognize your greatness!"

The square-faced guard instantly forced out a smile uglier than crying. He hurriedly put away his staff and bent so low that his waist nearly touched the ground.

The tall, thin guard was sweating profusely as well, stammering.

"Y-Yes! Senior Brother Jiang, you're a magnanimous man. Please don't lower yourself to our level!"

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow and looked at them with a faintly amused smile.

"So, can I go in now?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Please come in! Please!"

The two hurriedly cleared the way, wishing they could personally lead him inside.

Jiang Donghua shook his head, too lazy to hold it against them, and strode in.

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