Blackmailing Yan Shaozhe

At this moment, Yan Shaozhe looked at the genius from the outer courtyard who appeared cynical yet always managed to pull off astonishing feats. His brows furrowed, and his heart was a whirlwind of mixed emotions; for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

The office fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft, steady sound of Ma Xiaotao's breathing.

Just as Yan Shaozhe had finished gathering his thoughts and was about to break the silence, the scene before him made him freeze in an instant.

Su Ming didn't say a word; he simply threw himself onto the clean floor and clutched his arm tightly.

His face instantly contorted into an expression of extreme agony, and he opened his mouth to wail loudly, his voice filled with grievance and indignation.

"Dean Yan! You must seek justice for me! I was just taking a peaceful stroll by the lake in Shrek Academy—who did I offend? Someone suddenly rushed up and beat me up, and they were incredibly ruthless!"

Su Ming cried with such vivid emotion and exaggerated acting that he secretly peeked at Yan Shaozhe's expression while wailing, continuing his lament:

"The one who hit me was Senior Ma Xiaotao from the inner courtyard. Everyone knows she's your direct disciple; I suppose this beating was for nothing."

"You'll have to cover the mental damages, medical expenses, and the cost of my shock!"

Watching Su Ming's clumsy and exaggerated performance, black lines couldn't help but slide down Yan Shaozhe's forehead. He realized instantly that this wasn't a quest for justice—it was a blatant shakedown for benefits!

Yet, when he sensed more closely, he found Su Ming's soul power to be full and his body completely unscathed. Far from being severely injured, there wasn't even a scratch on him.

On the contrary, his own disciple, Ma Xiaotao, still bore several clear fist marks on her body, her skin bruised and purple—she had clearly been on the receiving end of Su Ming's heavy blows.

This brat was completely unharmed yet came running to play the victim; it was pure, unreasonable trouble! But as Yan Shaozhe thought about it, it was indeed Ma Xiaotao who had lost her mind and initiated the attack first.

Reason and logic dictated that the academy owed Su Ming some form of compensation. He couldn't shirk this, and even as the Dean, he couldn't show favoritism toward his own disciple.

Helpless, Yan Shaozhe gave a light cough, suppressed his frustration, and spoke:

"Student Su Ming, this matter was indeed Ma Xiaotao's fault, and it was a failure of discipline on my part as her teacher. The academy should provide you with appropriate compensation. Why don't you tell me what kind of compensation you want?"

Su Ming had been waiting for these exact words. Upon hearing them, the look of agony on his face vanished instantly, and his wailing stopped abruptly.

He nimbly scrambled up from the floor, dusted himself off, and with eyes gleaming, blurted out: "I'm not asking for much—just give me a million or so Gold Soul Coin and throw in a few Mystic Water Pill to make it worth my while!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but roll his eyes, his mind screaming in protest: You call that 'making it worth your while'?

A million Gold Soul Coin was no small sum; it could buy several top-tier Soul Tool. Did he really think Gold Soul Coin were like roadside cabbages that could be plucked at will?

This brat was clearly opening his mouth like a lion, deliberately asking for an astronomical price!

However, having spent many years in the academy, Yan Shaozhe was a seasoned veteran of social maneuvering. He kept his expression neutral, pondered for a moment, and countered:

"A million Gold Soul Coin plus Mystic Water Pill is something the academy simply cannot satisfy. However, considering you were an innocent bystander, the academy can compensate you with three Mystic Water Pill. How does that sound?"

Su Ming had already calculated this. He hadn't been injured at all, and this was merely an opportunity to extort benefits. The Mystic Water Pill were rare treasures that assisted in cultivation and nourished the meridians.

They were far more practical than Gold Soul Coin. Three of them already far exceeded his expectations, so he agreed readily, fearing Yan Shaozhe might change his mind.

With the agreement reached and his goal achieved, Su Ming didn't want to linger in the office. He turned to leave, but before he had taken two steps, Yan Shaozhe reached out and stopped him.

Su Ming paused, looking at Yan Shaozhe with a face full of suspicion, and asked with feigned vigilance: "Dean Yan, what are you doing? Don't tell me you want to go back on your word and refuse to pay the compensation?"

Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe waved his hands quickly, fearing a misunderstanding, and hurriedly explained:

"It's not that I'm going back on my word. I just wanted to ask, what method did you use to seal the evil fire within Ma Xiaotao?"

"Is there a way to completely eradicate the evil fire? As long as you are willing to tell me, I can offer you additional rewards or double the compensation."

Hearing this, Su Ming shook his head calmly and said truthfully:

"I don't have a method for complete eradication yet. After all, my strength is still too weak and my cultivation is limited; I simply cannot resolve her evil fire at its source."

"However, once my strength improves and my soul power becomes more formidable in the future, I will be able to reinforce the seal and perhaps even suppress it long-term, completely preventing the possibility of the evil fire erupting."

"So that's how it is..." Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment, but upon reflection, having a way to temporarily suppress it was already a massive surprise—it was far better than being completely helpless as he had been before.

He thought for a moment and quickly asked again: "In that case, when the seal within Ma Xiaotao loosens in the future and the evil fire is about to erupt..."

"Could you spare some time to come and help her reinforce the seal? As long as you are willing to help, I will provide you with generous rewards each time. I will never let you work for nothing."

When Su Ming heard this, his heart bloomed with joy. Helping Ma Xiaotao reinforce the seal was a trivial task for him.

It wouldn't consume much soul power, and he would be guaranteed a reward—it was a win-win situation with no downside. He nodded without hesitation.

The moment he stepped out of the office, the warm sunlight fell upon him. Su Ming instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, a light, playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He discreetly tucked the three warm, cool-to-the-touch Mystic Water Pill into his Soul Tool pocket, his fingertips still lingering with the faint, cool sensation of the pills' unique water-attribute spiritual energy.

Thinking about how these three hard-won Mystic Water Pill were obtained from Yan Shaozhe through a bit of cleverness, he felt excellent. He began to whistle a light tune, walking toward the Shrek Academy dorms with a brisk, irrepressible sense of joy.

Avoiding the teachers and students passing by, Su Ming quickly calculated in his mind. He made up his mind not to waste any time and to head straight back to his dormitory, where he would find the right moment to absorb these three Mystic Water Pill.

Su Ming knew very well that these were no ordinary pills; they were refined from the blood essence of over a dozen rare water-attribute soul beasts, combined with dozens of precious, aged water-attribute spiritual herbs.

Crafted through a complex and meticulous process, their medicinal properties were gentle yet incredibly potent—they were considered rare treasures for cultivation throughout all of Shrek Academy.