At that moment, Yan Shaozhe looked at the outer-court prodigy before him, who seemed carefree but always managed to do something astonishing. His brows furrowed slightly, and his heart was a tangled mess. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Silence settled over the office, broken only by the soft, steady sound of Ma Xiaotao's breathing.
Yan Shaozhe had been gathering his thoughts for a long while and was finally about to break the silence when the sight before him left him utterly stunned.
Su Ming said nothing. He simply lay down on the clean floor and clutched his arm tightly.
His face immediately twisted into an expression of unbearable pain. He opened his mouth and began wailing, his voice thick with grievance and indignation.
"Dean Yan! You have to give me justice! I was just taking a nice walk by the academy lake. Who did I offend? Out of nowhere, someone rushed over and beat me up—and she hit especially hard!"
Su Ming wept with such feeling that his acting was downright exaggerated. While wailing, he sneaked a glance at Yan Shaozhe's expression, then continued his complaint:
"The one who beat me was Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court. Everyone knows she's your direct disciple. I've taken this beating for nothing!"
"You'll have to cover my emotional distress, medical expenses, and compensation for the fright I suffered!"
Watching Su Ming's clumsy, over-the-top performance, Yan Shaozhe felt several dark lines cross his forehead. He understood at once: this wasn't about seeking justice at all. The boy had come to deliberately squeeze some benefits out of him!
But when he examined Su Ming more closely, he found that the Soul Power within him was full, and he was completely unharmed. He didn't have so much as a scratch, let alone a serious injury.
By contrast, his own disciple, Ma Xiaotao, still had several clear fist marks on her body, and her skin was mottled with bruises. It was obvious she had taken Su Ming's heavy blows.
This brat was completely unharmed, yet he'd come running to cry about his injuries first. What an unreasonable nuisance! But then Yan Shaozhe reconsidered. Ma Xiaotao really had been the one to lose control of her mind and attack someone first.
By rights, the academy should compensate Su Ming for that. There was no getting around it. Even as the dean, Yan Shaozhe couldn't show favoritism toward his own disciple.
Left with no choice, Yan Shaozhe gave a light cough to suppress his exasperation and said:
"Student Su Ming, this matter was indeed Xiaotao's fault, and I'm also to blame for not keeping my disciple in line. The academy should give you appropriate compensation. Why don't you tell me what kind of compensation you want?"
That was exactly what Su Ming had been waiting to hear. At Yan Shaozhe's words, most of the pain vanished from his face, and his wailing stopped abruptly.
He sprang nimbly to his feet and dusted himself off. His eyes lit up as he blurted out, "I'm not asking for much. Just give me around a million Gold Soul Coins, plus a few Mystic Water Pills to sweeten the deal!"
At those words, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help rolling his eyes. He raged inwardly: And you call that "not asking for much"?
A million Gold Soul Coins was no small sum. It could buy several top-tier Soul Tools. Did this kid think Gold Soul Coins grew like cabbages by the roadside, ready to be plucked whenever he pleased?
The boy was clearly asking for the moon!
But Yan Shaozhe had spent years navigating academy affairs and had long since become a smooth, seasoned old hand. He kept his expression unchanged, pondered for a moment, then counteroffered:
"The academy really can't give you a million Gold Soul Coins and Mystic Water Pills. But since you were innocently dragged into this, the academy can compensate you with three Mystic Water Pills. How does that sound?"
Su Ming had already made up his mind. He hadn't been hurt at all; he'd only seized the opportunity to ask for a reward. Mystic Water Pills were precious medicines that aided cultivation and nourished the meridians.
They were far more useful than Gold Soul Coins, and three of them already exceeded his expectations. He immediately agreed, afraid Yan Shaozhe might change his mind.
With the deal settled and his goal achieved, Su Ming didn't want to linger. He turned and started to leave the office. But after only a couple of steps, Yan Shaozhe reached out and stopped him.
Su Ming halted and looked at Yan Shaozhe in confusion. Putting on a wary expression, he asked, "Dean Yan, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts and don't plan to compensate me after all?"
Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe quickly waved his hands, afraid Su Ming would misunderstand, and hurried to explain:
"I'm not having second thoughts. I just wanted to ask how you managed to seal the Evil Fire inside Xiaotao."
"Do you have a way to eradicate the Evil Fire completely? If you're willing to tell me, I can give you an additional reward or even double your compensation."
Su Ming calmly shook his head and answered honestly:
"I don't have a way to eradicate it completely yet. My strength is still too weak, and my cultivation is limited. I simply can't resolve her Evil Fire at its source."
"But once I grow stronger and my Soul Power becomes more formidable, I'll be able to reinforce the seal. I might even be able to suppress it for the long term and completely prevent the Evil Fire from erupting."
"I see..." Yan Shaozhe's face inevitably showed some disappointment. But then he thought about it again: having a way to suppress it for now was already an enormous surprise. It was far better than being helpless as before.
He thought for a moment, then quickly asked again, "In that case, when the seal inside Xiaotao weakens in the future and her Evil Fire is about to erupt..."
"Could you find time to come and reinforce the seal for her? If you're willing to help, I'll give you a generous reward each time. I certainly won't make you work for nothing."
At this, Su Ming was delighted. Reinforcing the seal for Ma Xiaotao was a simple task for him.
It wouldn't consume much Soul Power, and he'd receive a steady reward in return. It was an easy win, killing two birds with one stone. He immediately nodded in agreement without hesitation.
The moment he stepped out of the office, warm sunlight spilled over him. Su Ming reflexively raised a hand to shield his eyes, a carefree smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Without drawing attention, he carefully slipped the three cool, smooth Mystic Water Pills in his palm into the pocket of his Soul Tool. His fingertips still tingled with the pills' distinctive, faintly cool touch, carrying a trace of water-elemental spiritual energy.
Thinking of how, with a bit of cleverness, he had managed to get these three hard-won Mystic Water Pills from Yan Shaozhe,
his spirits soared. He immediately began whistling a cheerful tune and headed toward the Shrek dormitories with a light step, barely able to hide his delight.
As he avoided the Shrek teachers and students coming and going, Su Ming was already making plans. He decided on the spot not to waste any time. He would go straight back to his dormitory and, as soon as he found the right moment, absorb the three Mystic Water Pills.
Su Ming knew perfectly well that Mystic Water Pills were no ordinary medicine. They were made from the essence and blood of more than a dozen precious water-element Soul Beasts, combined with dozens of water-element spirit herbs that had grown for many years.
They were carefully refined through a complex process. Their medicinal properties were gentle, yet their effects were powerful. Even throughout Shrek Academy, they counted as rare cultivation treasures.