After a few brief exchanges, the eight people in the cafeteria had gotten basically acquainted with one another. The strange atmosphere lasted only a short while before someone spoke up to break the silence.
"Oh, right, lecherous tiger. Yesterday, you said the academy was poor, but why would it be poor? Some of the teachers we met were in their sixties, while others were in their seventies. Based on their ranks, the subsidies they could receive from Spirit Hall should already be astronomical. Supporting such a small academy shouldn't be much of a problem, should it?"
The one asking was Xiao Wu.
Dai Mubai gave her a somewhat strange look, then shook his head and explained, "If things were as you said, then of course the academy wouldn't need to worry about income. But that isn't the case."
"The subsidies provided by Spirit Hall are actually funded by the empire and distributed on its behalf by Spirit Hall. Subsidies are only given up to the Soul Elder rank. You receive one hundred gold coins per month, just like I do now."
"Once you exceed the Soul Elder rank, not only does the subsidy not increase, it disappears instead. In other words, Soul Ancestors and Soul Masters above that rank cannot receive any subsidies from Spirit Hall. Whenever you go to Spirit Hall each month to collect your subsidy, they test your Soul Power, right? That is to determine whether your Soul Power has surpassed level forty. Once it does, the subsidies immediately stop."
"Huh? Why is it like that?"
Xiao Wu was momentarily dumbfounded.
In response to Xiao Wu's question, Dai Mubai merely gave a simple explanation of imperial expenditures and how the various nations and factions treated powerful independent Soul Masters.
Xiao Wu nodded, then could not help saying