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"Six... Six Qi Vortexes??"

"Am I seeing things?"

"Brother Shen only had three Qi Vortexes..."

"Good grief!! He was still hiding his skills! This kid was still hiding his skills!"

The apprentices surrounding them burst into cries of astonishment at the sight.

Even Li Miaomiao, the Martial Dao beauty, had her eyes wide with disbelief.

So the real genius wasn't Shen Yifan, but this Lin Guanhuo??

At that moment.

Even Instructor Zhou Cang was completely shaken.

"Good! Haha!"

"Good!"

Instructor Zhou Cang let out a hearty laugh and praised him twice.

He really hadn't misjudged him!

Lin Guanhuo really was a genius!

Fortunately, he hadn't driven Lin Guanhuo out in a fit of anger earlier.

Otherwise, wouldn't he have handed such a genius over to another martial academy or sect?

Zhou Cang looked as delighted as if he'd discovered a priceless treasure.

The Demon Suppressing Division had encountered talents who could cultivate the Demon Suppressing Breathing Technique to six Qi Vortexes in a single day before.

But never someone as young as Lin Guanhuo.

This boy's future was limitless!

"Not at all. Brother Shen gave me excellent guidance." Lin Guanhuo clasped his fists and replied politely.

The apprentices present were already stunned by Lin Guanhuo's six Qi Vortexes.

Hearing those words, Shen Yifan in particular—

His expression instantly turned sour, like a steamed eggplant.

Humiliation!!

Utter humiliation!!

It was practically a slap in Shen Yifan's face.

After all, even a fool knew that bronze couldn't instruct a king.

"Y-You're the one with great insight, Brother Lin. Heh... heh..."

Shen Yifan chuckled awkwardly.

Soon, it was time for dinner.

The canteen was bustling with noise.

The apprentices lined up to collect steamed buns and stewed meat.

Shen Yifan, the genius who'd been the center of attention earlier, carried his tray over and sat down wherever he pleased.

He looked a little dejected, clearly shaken by Lin Guanhuo earlier.

He hadn't expected there to be a hidden genius among the apprentices. It seemed he'd misjudged Lin Guanhuo.

It's fine. There's still the Monthly Exam! I can still turn things around!

I've made good progress these past few days. My family bought me several more bottles of Qi Boosting Powder, so I should be able to break through to Body Tempering third-grade before the Monthly Exam!

When that happens, I'll still be the brightest genius in this batch of apprentices!

Lin Guanhuo! This contest isn't over yet!

Shen Yifan clenched his fist, and his confidence returned in an instant.

Just then.

Instructor Zhou Cang strode into the apprentice canteen and headed straight for Lin Guanhuo in the corner.

"Lin Guanhuo, come with me."

Zhou Cang beckoned to Lin Guanhuo, then entered the South Canteen Room.

Lin Guanhuo followed at his call.

The South Canteen Room of the apprentice canteen was a place reserved for instructors, administrators, and clerical officers to eat during the apprentices' training period.

At the sight of this, every apprentice present stopped what they were doing.

They all knew exactly what this meant: special treatment.

It was the privilege of a genius.

Lin Guanhuo entered the South Room, which resembled a private dining room in a restaurant.

Several tables were set up inside, and people were eating.

Zhou Cang pointed to a spot by the window, then said to a canteen worker, "Put another table there. Give him the same meal as us."

"Right away, Instructor Zhou. You can count on me."

The worker nodded and bowed, then hurried off to fetch a table.

Zhou Cang turned to Lin Guanhuo and said, "Eat here until you leave Apprentice Plaza. You're young, so you need plenty of nourishment."

Lin Guanhuo didn't stand on ceremony. "Thank you, Instructor."

Zhou Cang nodded and said no more.

That was just how he was. If he valued you, he gave you resources. There was no need for all that empty politeness.

Soon, the food arrived.

A large platter of braised beef.

There were also meat buns and a bowl of bone broth, all of it fragrant.

"Take your time. There's more if you're still hungry."

As the worker set down the dishes, he said quietly, "Young man, you're the first apprentice ever to eat in this South Room. Instructor Zhou really looks after you."

After dinner, Lin Guanhuo returned to the dormitory and locked the doors and windows.

He pulled a set of black, coarse-cloth clothes that he rarely wore from under the bed and changed into them.

Then he put on a wide straw hat that covered most of his face.

He'd nearly spent all his silver already, and now he was out of money.

To keep up his intense cultivation, he had to get his hands on more cash.

The most valuable thing he had now was that nugget of Dog Head Gold.

Gold was inconvenient to spend, so Lin Guanhuo planned to go to a Money Shop in the city and exchange it all for silver.

He acted at once. After changing, he left the apprentice dormitory while it was still not quite dark.

About half an hour later, Lin Guanhuo arrived in front of a pavilion.

A huge gold ingot sculpture adorned its roof, and the sign beneath it bore the words "Taihe Money House."

It was the largest Money Shop in Blackwater City, with powerful backing and an excellent reputation.

Though it was already evening, the Money House was still brightly lit.

Keeping his straw hat low, Lin Guanhuo approached an unoccupied counter.

"Exchange this."

His voice was hoarse. He pulled the heavy nugget of Dog Head Gold from his sleeve and gently placed it on the counter. "Half in banknotes, half in silver."

The clerk behind the counter was middle-aged and had been working an abacus.

Seeing such a huge lump of gold casually tossed onto the counter, he was clearly taken aback.

A gold nugget that big had to weigh at least thirty or forty taels!

The clerk didn't dare be careless. He quickly picked up the gold, examined its purity, and weighed it.

"Sir, this gold is of excellent quality!"

The clerk's manner grew more respectful. He rapidly clicked his abacus and said, "It can be exchanged for six hundred taels of silver ingots."

Six hundred taels!

That was enough money for an ordinary person to live comfortably for the rest of their life!

"Exchange it," Lin Guanhuo said tersely.

"Certainly."

The clerk worked swiftly and soon counted out the silver.

Six banknotes worth fifty taels each, along with a large pile of gleaming broken silver, were placed before Lin Guanhuo.

Lin Guanhuo waved his hand, stowing all the silver in his Brocade Bag, then turned to leave.

"Sir, please wait."

Just as Lin Guanhuo was about to leave,

The clerk suddenly smiled and offered him a calling card. "You seem to have money to spare. Would you be interested in investing?"

"Investing?" Lin Guanhuo was taken aback.

"Precisely."

The clerk smiled as he made his pitch. "Our Taihe Money House works closely with the Demon Suppressing Division and all the major martial academies. You can trust our strength. Several properties south of Blackwater City are being sold at a low price right now... And we also do business in nearby Rock City and Giant Forest City."

"In this Chaotic World, money in your hands is dead money. Only money that makes more money can provide for the long term. If you're interested, we can..."

"No, thank you."

Lin Guanhuo was speechless.

He cut the clerk off and walked away.

As he walked down the street, Lin Guanhuo weighed the Brocade Bag in his hand.

An Ordinary Servant of the Demon Suppressing Division earned no more than ten taels a month.

To save up six hundred taels, he'd have to work for five years without eating or drinking.

And all he'd done was kill a Dog Demon.

"Kill and rob, and you'll strike gold; slay demons and purge evil... now that's a real windfall."

Lin Guanhuo lowered the brim of his hat, and his figure quickly vanished into the shadows of the street.