"Sorry for the trouble..." Su Chen shook his head inwardly as he watched Qi Chuan disappear.
He grabbed a few people and asked for directions to the Mysticism classroom, only to receive stunned looks. There were even a few people heading the same way.
Only when he arrived did Su Chen understand why those people had looked so shocked.
It was a massive lecture hall, already packed to the brim with seated and standing students. At Southwind Academy, Jiang He was not quite universally known, but close enough.
"There are way too many people..." Su Chen was surprised. Ninety-five percent of them were male college students, and only standing room remained.
Southern Academy offered quite a few courses, most of them geared toward miscellaneous professions.
Mysticism sounded impressive, but it was actually just theoretical knowledge—introducing certain professions or the hidden secrets of the world. Half serious, half not.
The reason there were so many people was still Jiang He's personal charm.
Before class began, the entire classroom buzzed with low murmurs.
"I heard Teacher Jiang He has a new flame... Sigh, why couldn't it be me?"
"Must be an upperclassman, right? Is it Zhang Hengyu? I heard he's already taken up a profession."
"This time seems different. Teacher Jiang personally handled that guy's enrollment paperwork. Looks like she wants to raise him up..."
"Fuck, where did that lucky bastard come from? I really want Teacher Jiang He to whip me hard..."
Su Chen was speechless. How had the news spread so quickly? Did these people have nothing better to do all day?
The voices suddenly rose, then fell abruptly silent. Only the click-clack of footsteps could be heard as Jiang He arrived.
Sharp inhalations sounded all around.
Jiang He had changed her outfit. She wore a purple sleeveless sweater that clung tightly to her skin and wrapped around her neck, along with high heels.
Her gaze swept across the room and met Su Chen's for a moment before she casually looked away.
Though rumors claimed that Teacher Jiang He was promiscuous and seductive in private, she did not speak much during class. Instead, she carried an aloof air. That contrast, combined with her status, gave her unparalleled charm.
"...Today, we'll be discussing Sun Mist and Night Mist..." Her voice was crisp as various images appeared on the screen behind her.
Countless heated gazes traveled over the teacher's body, but Su Chen listened intently.
"...Sun Mist and Night Mist are divided at six o'clock, each occupying twelve hours. During Sun Mist, the dangers in the wilderness are greatly reduced. In other words, they rise during Night Mist..."
"...But exploring ruins or conducting patrols cannot possibly be limited to twelve hours. How to reasonably avoid Night Mist is an eternal subject of study..."
"Morningstar Stone... a construction material for city walls. It can isolate mist contamination within a certain area, and the monsters in the mist will also keep their distance..."
This sort of theoretical common knowledge was exactly what Su Chen needed.
Elsewhere, Zhou Zong took out a bag of gold coins and accepted a sheet of paper from the middle-aged man before him.
"Remember to burn it after reading," the man reminded him before hurrying away.
Zhou Zong's gaze fell on the document. As he scanned it from top to bottom, he could not help but be surprised. "He's actually a refugee. But how does he know Bai Fengxi?"
"Hmm, a friend's daughter... Her parents are both dead. I think I understand now, but I still need to verify it..."
Jiang He's class ended, but the crowd had yet to recover. They watched eagerly as the teacher left before finally packing up and departing.
Su Chen silently followed her. Amid the astonished gazes of certain people, he entered Jiang He's private office, where she was alone.
"Qi Chuan came to see me," Su Chen said directly.
Jiang He's expression shifted slightly. "He moved that quickly? He's not even trying to hide it anymore."
"He's extremely calculating and never reveals his emotions. He has probably already guessed that you're not ordinary. You didn't give yourself away, did you?"
Never revealed his emotions? Su Chen recalled his wronged brother's savage expression and simply replied, "It was fine. I fooled him."
"He even tried to tempt me with a spot on the priority cultivation list."
"A priority cultivation spot?" Jiang He immediately sneered. "He really dared to promise that. Even I can barely interfere with it, let alone..."
At that point, Jiang He suddenly stopped, as though she had thought of something.
Then she said excitedly, "Do me a favor."
"No." Su Chen immediately shook his head. "I'm not interested in getting involved in your affairs."
Jiang He added, "It will benefit you. Agree to him and have him get you onto the priority cultivation list. The academy will pour quite a few resources into you."
"Hmm..." Su Chen paused slightly. The importance of resources went without saying.
He had almost no channels through which to obtain the consumables needed to continue developing the body-tempering methods of the Strongman, or even information on advancing to later professions.
But there were risks as well.
Still, Qi Chuan had clearly set his sights on him, and he currently had no way to escape.
The reason he had refused so decisively earlier was merely to hear Jiang He's offer.
"What's the objective?" Su Chen asked.
Jiang He explained, "I want to see who exactly is behind him. We've already found the person who altered your records, but he was only doing it for money. If Qi Chuan truly gets you onto the priority cultivation list, that won't be something money alone can accomplish."
"And for the sake of learning what happened that night, the price he paid was a little high. He'll probably ask you to do other things too."
So it was fishing plus undercover work. Su Chen remained impassive. "What are you offering?"
"Aren't you getting..." Jiang He was interrupted before she could finish.
"That's the result, not a benefit from you. I'm surviving in the cracks. I need more."
"What do you want?" Jiang He asked with interest.
"The method for advancing the Strongman to its second-tier profession," Su Chen named his price.
"I don't know it." Jiang He shook her head and said flatly, "And I can't give it to you. Pick something else."
She looked completely confident, while Su Chen remained expressionless.
In truth, after leaving the villa, he had found it difficult to gain any advantage over Jiang He. That was why he had tried every possible way back then to secure some means of holding her in check.
The Blood Oath Contract was not something worth bringing up unless they were ready to completely fall out.
Su Chen's expression seemed somewhat grim as he said in a low voice, "A body-training method belonging to a professional..."
Seeing his helpless appearance, Jiang He was in a pleasant mood. "That, I can provide."
Su Chen inwardly sighed in relief. The training method had actually been his main goal. Information about a second-tier profession was useless to him now; he had only brought it up to create the impression that he had no choice but to make a concession.
Having reached an agreement, Su Chen did not leave. He puffed out his chest slightly and said, "There's one more thing. I have no money."
He emphasized, "I don't even have money for food."
"So it really has become keeping a pretty boy." Jiang He said lightly and casually, "Got it. I'll transfer some money to you."
Having gotten what he wanted, Su Chen left in satisfaction.
But the moment he stepped outside, he was startled. The hallway outside the office was packed several layers deep with people. Someone had clearly called in friends to witness the charms of the pretty boy.
"Holy shit, it's actually him. He was standing next to me during class, acting all serious."
"Fuck, my charms aren't any worse than his."
"..."
The looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment made Su Chen deeply uncomfortable, and he left in helplessness.
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