The Deal

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao's gaze dimmed. "And my Innate Soul Power is only one. It took me nearly six years to reach rank ten. I'm already far behind everyone else in Class One."

"For me, studying at Shrek Academy is the only shortcut to becoming stronger. If I want to stay and study here, I have to work ten, even a hundred times harder than everyone else, and reach rank fifteen before the freshman assessment."

Xia Linyuan listened in silence, but still mercilessly shattered Huo Yuhao's hopes. "I think you know this, too. With your current strength, that's absolutely impossible."

"Judging by your sallow complexion, you probably haven't had many filling meals in your life. Your body is very frail. Training this hard won't improve you at all. Instead, it'll exhaust the potential of a body that already has no reserves."

Huo Yuhao clenched both fists and forced a strained smile at Xia Linyuan. "But this is the only way I can improve as much as possible in the shortest time."

Xia Linyuan simply looked at Huo Yuhao, his gaze deep and unreadable. No one could tell what he was thinking.

"Heh." Xia Linyuan suddenly chuckled, his smile wicked and unrestrained. "How about this? Let's make a deal."

"A deal?" Huo Yuhao looked at Xia Linyuan in confusion.

Xia Linyuan didn't explain. He took out a Mysterious Water Pill and waved it in front of Huo Yuhao. "If you accept, you'll owe me a favor starting today."

As soon as Xia Linyuan took out the Mysterious Water Pill, a faintly refreshing fragrance drifted into Huo Yuhao's nose, giving his weary mind a sudden jolt.

He stared in astonishment at the cherry-sized pill in Xia Linyuan's hand. Its fragrance was already invigorating, and he couldn't help being shocked.

He didn't know what Xia Linyuan was holding, but he wasn't foolish. Surely anything Xia Linyuan, who had single-handedly raised the Molong Duke Mansion to its current status, offered wouldn't be ordinary.

The unexpected surprise didn't cloud Huo Yuhao's judgment. He remained remarkably calm. "Linyuan, I don't see why I'm worth something this precious just to get a cheap favor from me."

"If I say you're worth it, then you are. I don't need you to think so. I only need to think so," Xia Linyuan said coolly.

Huo Yuyao was left speechless.

"As you just heard, if you agree to make this deal with me, you'll owe me a favor. Whether that favor is cheap doesn't matter. What matters is that when I tell you to do something, you'll do it."

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and was just about to refuse Xia Linyuan's deal when Xia Linyuan continued, "Of course, if what I ask of you crosses your bottom line, you can refuse."

Huo Yuhao froze. Could something this good really happen?

For a moment, the pendulum in Huo Yuhao's heart began to swing uncertainly again.

He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach rank fifteen before the freshman assessment.

On one hand, Xia Linyuan's generous offer tempted him. On the other, he couldn't bring himself to believe that something this good could just fall into his lap.

Seeing Huo Yuyao's conflicted expression, Xia Linyuan smiled faintly and pressed the Mysterious Water Pill into his hand. "The choice is yours. Take some time to think it over."

With that, Xia Linyuan left without hesitation, leaving Huo Yuhao staring blankly at the Mysterious Water Pill in his hand.

When he pushed open the dormitory door, the first thing he saw was Tang Wulin lying on the bed, gazing blankly at the ceiling.

At the sound of the door opening, Tang Wulin instinctively turned her head. The moment she saw Xia Linyuan, she immediately wrapped herself in her blanket, rolled over, and turned her back to him, as if she didn't want to see him again.

Xia Linyuan shrugged helplessly. He didn't force himself on someone who clearly didn't want his company.

Meanwhile, in Dormitory 108,

Huo Yuhao sat on the edge of the single bed, which had nothing but an old bedboard, and stared at the Mysterious Water Pill in his hand, lost in thought.

When I tell you to do something, you'll do it...

Of course, if what I ask of you crosses your bottom line, you can refuse.

Thinking back to Xia Linyuan's firm words, Huo Yuhao felt increasingly unsure.

Click—

Just then, someone opened the dormitory door. There was no need to guess who had come back: it was Wang Dong.

"Taking a bath feels so good." Wang Dong looked completely relaxed, but then she spotted the Mysterious Water Pill in Huo Yuhao's hand.

Wang Dong was astonished. "How do you have a Mysterious Water Pill?"

As far as she knew, Huo Yuhao was so poor that he could only afford plain rice and vegetables for every meal. Where had he gotten a Mysterious Water Pill worth a fortune?

Huo Yuhao looked up at her in surprise. "You're saying this is a Mysterious Water Pill? What's that?"

Wang Dong explained, "The Mysterious Water Pill is a special medicine made by a sect with a water-type Martial Soul. I've heard that making one requires the blood essence of more than a dozen water-type Spirit Beasts and dozens of water-type plants, all specially blended together."

"What does the Mysterious Water Pill do?"

"It's highly nourishing and can raise your Soul Power. Its medicinal properties are also very mild, so Spirit Masters of any rank can absorb it easily."

"Especially for Spirit Masters below rank twenty, it can raise their Soul Power by at least one rank. But that's not even its most precious quality. It can cleanse and regenerate the body's meridians..."

After hearing Wang Dong's explanation, Huo Yuhao was stunned.

He'd known that what Xia Linyuan offered wouldn't be ordinary, but he hadn't expected the Mysterious Water Pill to be so precious. It could purge impurities from the body, nourish the meridians, and raise his Soul Power by one rank.

Seeing Huo Yuhao's astonished expression, Wang Dong guessed what was going on. "Your Soul Power is only rank eleven. You're the weakest in all of Freshman Class One and even the entire first-year class, so I'd recommend taking the Mysterious Water Pill."

Hearing Wang Dong's words, Huo Yuhao tightened his grip on the Mysterious Water Pill, then slowly relaxed it.

Wang Dong was right. His Soul Power was only rank eleven, and his Innate Soul Power had been just one. He was the weakest in all of Freshman Class One and even the entire first-year class. To him, the Mysterious Water Pill was like rain after a long drought. If he missed this chance, there would be no remedy for regret.

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and tipped his head back, swallowing the Mysterious Water Pill.

"Whoa!" Wang Dong suddenly yelped. "Huo Yuhao, why didn't you tell me before you took the Mysterious Water Pill?"

Watching Wang Dong angrily roll up her bedding and leave, Huo Yuhao didn't understand what was going on. Still, he immediately entered a meditative state to absorb the pill's effects.

Not long after Wang Dong left, someone knocked on the door of Dormitory 129.