Black-White Academy Values Dao Heart Above All

While Jade Sea Daoist was still hesitating over here.

Beishan Yin suddenly let out a sharp shout from the other side.

"You beast, why aren't you kneeling?"

Everyone looked over in astonishment.

They saw Beishan Yin glaring at Beishan Hu, his face full of disappointment at his failure to meet expectations.

"How did I usually teach you? I told you to cultivate quietly in the manor and stop going out to cause trouble, but you never listened. You even thought that with your little bit of strength, you counted as fairly decent among your peers."

"But look at Young Master Xia Mang. Born into the imperial clan, he did not stay in his tribe to enjoy the protection of his elders. Instead, he ventured out alone to seek a master... Doesn't that drive to improve, that heart devoted to seeking the Dao, stir you in the slightest?"

"I..."

Beishan Hu knelt there blankly, his face filled with confusion.

"It is also my fault for spoiling you too much in the past." Beishan Yin shook his head. "Forget it. I will not pay the four thousand jin of Essence Liquid you owe Young Master Xia Mang from that wager. If you cannot produce it, then go to Young Master Xia Mang's side and serve as his follower to repay the debt."

"What?" Beishan Hu froze.

A follower?

Wasn't that just a retainer or lackey?

Put more harshly—

He would scarcely be better than a servant.

He simply would not bear the title of master and servant.

I, Beishan Hu, foremost among Anchan Commandery's two great young masters, was supposed to become someone else's follower?

Father, you were selling your son over a mere four thousand jin of Essence Liquid?!

This had to be a joke.

"Young Master Xia Mang."

Beishan Yin sighed. "My son Beishan Hu will be entrusted to you from now on. Though he may be disappointing, he is fairly familiar with the affairs of Anchan Commandery. With him following you, things will be much more convenient for you here in the future."

"Father!" Beishan Hu panicked.

"Shut up." Beishan Yin glared at him. "Why haven't you greeted Young Master Xia Mang?"

"I..." Beishan Hu looked around in bewilderment, feeling as though everyone nearby was watching a good show.

Especially his mortal enemy, Beishan Baiwei.

If not for Beishan Yin's presence, he would probably have burst into laughter and started mocking him already.

"Hu'er, this youth comes from the imperial Xia Mang Clan, and his talent is unmatched. As long as you follow him wholeheartedly and help him grow, your future prospects will no longer be limited to a single Anchan Commandery. As for the mockery of others... those who achieve great things do not fuss over trifles. I am your father. Why would I harm you?"

Hearing his father's voice transmission, Beishan Hu immediately calmed down.

That was right.

Though the Beishan Clan was a feudal lord that occupied the entire Anchan Commandery, ancient and immensely powerful—

If one looked across the entire Great Xia Dynasty, there were far too many forces stronger than the Beishan Clan.

Especially the Great Xia Imperial Clan—the Xia Mang Clan.

There were more than a hundred commanderies ruled by the direct bloodline of the clan alone.

If he could truly use Xia Manggan to enter the circles of the Great Xia Imperial Clan and gain connections...

"Beishan Hu greets you, Young Master."

Beishan Hu was already kneeling, so it was convenient. He directly turned toward Xia Manggan and bowed.

"Is Young Master Hu really going to become someone else's follower?"

"That is ridiculous!"

"Just because that person is from the imperial Xia Mang Clan?"

"What was he thinking..."

The younger generation watching from afar all cried out in shock, their faces filled with bafflement.

However, the Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals nearby revealed looks of admiration.

Among the candidates to become the next Marquis of Anchan, the most favored was Beishan Heihu, the father of Beishan Yin and Beishan Baiwei.

The two were equally powerful, but their personalities were completely different.

Beishan Heihu was like an ancient colossal beast, naturally carrying an imposing, domineering aura that struck fear into anyone who saw him.

He was even more forceful in his actions, holding tremendous prestige among the Beishan Clan's armies. He was a born commander.

Beishan Yin, on the other hand, was a true hero skilled at concealing his strength and enduring patiently.

He normally appeared unremarkable, but whenever he truly showed his methods, they often produced extraordinary results.

Take today's little performance of publicly reprimanding his son and directly making him a follower.

The depth of his intentions, the scope of his planning, and the decisiveness of his judgment—

Ordinary people truly could not compare.

Now it depended on whether this monstrous genius of the Xia Mang Clan would accept Beishan Hu.

The Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals all turned their gazes toward Xia Manggan.

"Let me make this clear first."

Xia Manggan appeared to be speaking to Beishan Hu, but he was actually addressing Beishan Yin. "If you become my follower, I will not make you any promises. On the contrary, if your conduct displeases me—"

"Please rest assured, Young Master Xia Mang. If my son behaves improperly, you may expel him as you please." Beishan Yin smiled. "At that time, I, Beishan Yin, will offer the four thousand jin of Essence Liquid he owes you with both hands."

Xia Manggan smiled.

What a fine method.

With just two sentences, he had limited the matter of Beishan Hu becoming a follower to the four thousand jin of Essence Liquid, leaving Beishan Hu a way out.

If Xia Manggan deliberately sent Beishan Hu to do something dangerous in the future, Beishan Hu could simply pay the four thousand jin of Essence Liquid.

That would be equivalent to repaying the debt, and he would no longer need to follow him.

Naturally, he would no longer need to obey his orders.

"Get up."

Xia Manggan instructed Beishan Hu.

"Yes, Young Master."

Beishan Hu agreed, then decisively rose and went to stand behind Xia Manggan.

Ding.

The host has successfully recruited 'Beishan Hu,' gaining 166 Fortune Value. System reward: 830 Merit Points!

Hearing the notification by his ear, Xia Manggan devoted a sliver of his attention to his Personal Panel.

There, he saw that the [Fortune Value] section had changed to 353/10000,

while [Merit Points] had become 1265.

It had soared in an instant.

[Beishan Hu's Fortune Value is 332... Recruiting someone under my command grants half of their Fortune Value? This is far more worthwhile than making people shocked and awestruck.]

Xia Manggan thought,

[In that case, obtaining the 10,000 Fortune Value needed to evolve the Primordial Chaos Universe into its next form will not be too difficult.]

Earlier, Beishan Yin and his son had played along with each other.

With the perspective of someone who had once been a supreme ruler in his previous life, Xia Manggan naturally saw through their little scheme at a glance.

But it did not matter.

They were merely using each other.

Besides, accepting Beishan Hu cost him nothing.

Yet in the future, he would gain much convenience and many resources in Anchan Commandery.

Why not?

He also wanted to test whether taking in a follower would cause a change in Fortune Value.

After all, if making people shocked and awestruck could earn Fortune Value, there was no reason recruiting followers would not.

Sure enough.

The harvest was abundant.

He had instantly gained two opportunities for "Super Epiphany."

Seeing how quickly his son adapted to his new role and identity, Beishan Yin knew he had taken his words to heart and felt gratified.

He nodded slightly, gave Beishan Hu an encouraging look, and only then spoke again. "Young Master Xia Mang, since you have come to Anchan Commandery to seek a master, have you already chosen where you wish to go?"

"Black-White Academy." Xia Manggan looked at the only young-looking and incomparably handsome man among the Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals, a white-robed youth.

Beishan Hu behind him was quite perceptive.

When Beishan Yin had asked his question, he had already secretly sent Beishan Hu voice transmissions introducing the identities of every Loose Immortal and Earth Immortal present.

That was why he knew this man was the current headmaster of Black-White Academy, Jade Sea Daoist.

When Xia Manggan said, "Black-White Academy,"

everyone thought, As expected.

They then looked toward Jade Sea Daoist, wanting to see whether he would accept Xia Manggan directly as a disciple.

"The first through third days of the twelfth lunar month are when all sect outposts in Anchan City jointly recruit disciples."

Jade Sea Daoist said, "If Young Master Xia Mang wishes to enter our Black-White Academy, you may go to the Academy yourself when the time comes and take the entrance examination."

"Headmaster Jade Sea," Beishan Yin said with a smile, "with Young Master Xia Mang's talent and strength, your entrance examination should be a sure thing for him, shouldn't it?"

Jade Sea Daoist hesitated briefly before finally nodding lightly.

If an unparalleled genius who had comprehended a trace of the true intent of the Great Dao and taken the first step into the Great Dao of Life and Death could not pass the entrance examination—

Then Black-White Academy might as well close its doors early.

Because it would never recruit any disciples at all.

"Then why not simply admit Young Master Xia Mang directly, Headmaster Jade Sea?" Beishan Yin suggested with a smile. "That would save wasting another month..."

"Rules are rules. They cannot be changed lightly."

Jade Sea Daoist looked at Xia Manggan. "Compared with talent, strength, and one's realm of Dao comprehension, our Black-White Academy... values Dao heart even more."

The first update is here. Brothers, if you have votes, please cast them. Recommendation votes are free, and if you do not use them today, they will be wasted.

And monthly votes too. Today is the last day; keeping them in hand would be a waste. Suifeng is not competing for rankings now anyway—there would be no point even if he did—but having more monthly votes makes the achievement page look better, hehe.