Goal Achieved, Huo Yuhao: A Profitable Venture!

Yan Shaozhe's brows were tightly locked, caught in a dilemma.

Just then—

A low, resonant voice rang out.

"These are three thousand-year Soul Bones, including the wood-attribute and water-attribute ones you require. Let this matter end here, how about it?"

The voice was not loud, yet it was like a massive boulder cast into a calm lake, stirring up ripples layer upon layer.

Everyone turned their heads simultaneously, following the sound.

A middle-aged man had arrived at some point and was now standing behind Zhou Yi.

The middle-aged man was about 1.8 meters tall with exceptionally broad shoulders, as if he could shoulder a thousand-jin burden.

He wore simple cloth garments, his thick, sturdy arms exposed, revealing muscles as angular and defined as granite.

His skin was slightly dark, a bronze hue typical of someone who spent years working with fire and metal.

His facial features were sharp, his silhouette resolute, and his eyes were deep and heavy, like ancient wells with no visible bottom.

He stood there quietly, doing nothing, yet he projected a sense of standing like a mountain—heavy, steady, and unshakeable.

Fan Yu.

An eighth-rank Soul Master, a pillar of the Soul Guidance Department, and the youngest genius in Shrek Academy to ever reach the eighth rank.

He was also Zhou Yi's husband.

A series of low gasps erupted from the surroundings—

"Teacher Fan Yu!"

"It's Teacher Fan Yu from the Soul Guidance Department!"

"Shouldn't he be at the Soul Guidance Department? Why is he here?"

The students whispered to one another, their gazes shifting back and forth between Fan Yu and Zhou Yi.

The moment Zhou Yi saw Fan Yu arrive, her expression brightened, and the panic and unease in her eyes dissipated by more than half.

She subconsciously leaned toward Fan Yu, as if she had found her backbone.

Fan Yu did not look at her; he simply stood there quietly, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao.

With a gentle wave of his right hand, he retrieved three items from the storage Soul Tool at his waist.

They were three bones.

One was a left arm bone, entirely translucent white with faint cyan patterns flowing across its surface, emitting a gentle wind-attribute aura.

One was a left leg bone, appearing a faint blue like solidified ripples, with the faint sound of tides echoing from it.

And there was a right arm bone, entirely emerald green like fine jade, radiating a rich aura of life.

The three Soul Bones hovered before Huo Yuhao, rotating slowly and emitting a soft glow.

Over a thousand years old.

Wood-attribute, water-attribute, wind-attribute—one of each.

A collective intake of breath sounded from the crowd.

Soul Bones!

And three of them at once!

All over a thousand years old!

This was an incredibly grand gesture!

"Is... is this a Soul Bone? Three Soul Bones?"

"Good heavens, in all my life, this is the first time I've seen a real Soul Bone!"

"Teacher Fan Yu is truly worthy of being an eighth-rank Soul Master; he just pulls out three thousand-year Soul Bones like it's nothing!"

"Huo Yuhao has hit the jackpot! Three thousand-year Soul Bones! Most people never see even one in their entire lives!"

Amidst the chatter, Fan Yu remained expressionless, watching Huo Yuhao calmly.

His voice was steady and heavy, carrying a tone that brooked no argument:

"Student Huo Yuhao, let this matter end here, how about it?"

Though phrased as a question, it carried a sense of certainty.

Three thousand-year Soul Bones in exchange for Zhou Yi not having to kneel.

In anyone's eyes, this was a massive profit for Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao's gaze fell upon the three hovering Soul Bones.

Deep within his eyes, a glimmer of translucent white light quietly swirled—his Spirit Eye martial soul remained in its manifested state, and his Spirit Detection had never ceased.

The quality of the three Soul Bones was laid bare before him.

That wood-attribute right arm bone was approximately three thousand years old, perfectly preserved and brimming with soul power.

A water-attribute left leg bone, approximately twenty-five hundred years old, of excellent quality.

A wind-attribute left arm bone, with an age of over eighteen hundred years.

Both were genuine thousand-year soul bones.

Moreover, just as Fan Yu had said, they included the wood and water attributes he required.

A trace of satisfaction flashed through Huo Yuhao's heart.

His goal had been achieved.

From the moment he made the wager with Zhou Yi, he had already calculated this step.

He knew that with Zhou Yi's personality, she would never kneel in public.

He also knew that standing behind Zhou Yi was Fan Yu—an eighth-rank soul master and a pillar of the Soul Guidance Department.

When Zhou Yi was pushed into a corner, Fan Yu would inevitably step forward.

And for Fan Yu to protect Zhou Yi, he would necessarily have to bring out something of sufficient weight to trade.

Soul bones were the best choice.

Because Huo Yuhao truly needed soul bones.

He wanted to refine a certain medicinal pill, and the raw materials for that pill required a wood or water-attribute soul bone as a catalyst.

He had been worrying about where to obtain such precious materials, and Zhou Yi had delivered them right to his doorstep.

Thus, he had taken advantage of the situation to set this wager.

First, to vent his anger and let Zhou Yi know that not every freshman could be manipulated by her.

Second, to exploit Zhou Yi's reluctance to fulfill her promise and extort a fortune.

Two birds with one stone.

As for whether Zhou Yi would trip him up or make things difficult for him in the future—

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly in his heart.

There was still a long road ahead.

He had plenty of ways to deal with Zhou Yi.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao shifted his gaze from the soul bones and landed on Fan Yu.

This was his first time seeing Fan Yu.

But in his mind, those fragments of original memories belonging to the transmigrator "Wang Teng" had long since outlined this person with perfect clarity.

Fan Yu.

In the original story, he was Huo Yuhao's mentor at Shrek Academy and the person who guided him onto the path of a soul master.

An eighth-rank soul master, exceptionally talented, steady and reliable, with an almost obsessive love for soul tools.

But at the same time, he was also Zhou Yi's husband.

In the original story, Fan Yu was not unaware of Zhou Yi's various harsh actions.

Yet he chose silence, chose indulgence, and even cleaned up after her when she caused trouble.

If not for Fan Yu supporting her from behind, Zhou Yi would never have dared to expel students at will.

To say that Fan Yu was completely ignorant of Zhou Yi's actions, and that it was all Zhou Yi's doing alone—

How could that be possible?

A trace of indifference flashed through Huo Yuhao's heart.

But these things had nothing to do with him.

Fan Yu was his teacher in the original story, but so what?

That was the original story.

The current him was Huo Yuhao, living a second life.

His path, he would walk himself.

His debts and grudges, he would settle himself.

At this moment, Fan Yu had brought out three thousand-year soul bones to trade for Zhou Yi not having to kneel.

Huo Yuhao accepted this deal.

Not because he was giving Fan Yu face, but because his goal had already been achieved.

Zhou Yi's reputation in the Outer Court was already ruined.

Today's events would spread throughout the entire first year, and even the entire Outer Court, before long.

Everyone would know that Zhou Yi had made a wager with a student, and when she lost, she had to rely on her husband to step in and settle it with soul bones.

Whether she knelt or not was merely a matter of venting anger.

Having her reputation destroyed was far more painful for her than kneeling.

As for Huo Yuhao, he had obtained the spirit bone he wanted and, incidentally, vented his pent-up frustration.

A massive profit, no losses.

Huo Yuhao raised his head, meeting Fan Yu's gaze.

There was no expression on his face; he simply gave a faint nod.

"Fine."

A single word.

Concise and decisive.

No superfluous nonsense.

Fan Yu was slightly taken aback, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

He had expected this youth to haggle or seize the opportunity to demand further conditions.

After all, while trading three thousand-year spirit bones to prevent Zhou Yi from kneeling was already an immense benefit, given the cunning and methods the youth had just displayed, he might not have been satisfied with just that.

Yet, he had agreed just like that.

So readily that it was unexpected.

Fan Yu looked at the youth before him, a complex feeling rising in his heart.

He was, of course, aware of Zhou Yi's actions—the wheel battles against seventy-one students, forcing Wang Gang to swallow the Blood Soul Pill; he knew it all.

But he had chosen silence, choosing instead to step in and handle the aftermath.

Because Zhou Yi was his wife.

He loved her.

Even knowing she was in the wrong, he could not stand by and watch her be forced to kneel.

Thus, he had accepted Huo Yuhao's terms on Zhou Yi's behalf.

Three thousand-year spirit bones were easily obtained for him; some inner court students from the Martial Soul Department would come to the Soul Guidance Department to trade for soul tools for protection during their inspection missions.

And these thousand-year spirit bones, dropped by Evil Soul Masters and considered trivial to them, became the currency of the trade.