A Firm Stance Gives the Soul Tool Department Confidence

"All courses and Soul Tool provisions would be covered by the academy.

Even the finished Soul Tools would all belong to them. The academy would not take a single coin.

All the academy asked of them was to learn new knowledge. The academy was raising them, not so they could grow muscles without growing brains."

He stared at Yan Shaozhe and said, word by word,

"Nor was it so they could hold their heads high day after day, believing that the Martial Soul Department was naturally superior to the Soul Tool Department."

Yan Shaozhe's expression changed several times. In the end, he took a deep breath and did not argue further, only nodding. "I understand."

Chen Xuan did not look at him again. He turned to Xian Lin'er.

"You need to hurry up as well. If the Soul Tool Department lacks teachers, recruit them from outside. Don't save money for the academy.

Three years from now, I want any random third-year student from the Outer Court to be able to skillfully activate a basic defensive Soul Tool."

Xian Lin'er rose to her feet, her voice clear and bright. "The Soul Tool Department will definitely accomplish it."

Chen Xuan nodded. "Good. Go get to work."

The two rose and took their leave. When Xian Lin'er reached the door, she suddenly looked back at Chen Xuan. Her gaze was complicated, but in the end, she said nothing and turned to leave.

Yan Shaozhe lagged a step behind. He bowed once more to Mu En and Chen Xuan before withdrawing from the quiet room.

The door closed again.

Mu En leaned against the couch and suddenly laughed. "Xuanzi, you're cutting into his flesh here. That kid will be plenty unhappy when he goes back."

Chen Xuan sat back down, picked up the chicken leg, and took a careless bite.

"What could he do even if he was unhappy? That little bastard is the stingiest. If I hadn't put it that way, he definitely wouldn't have been willing to make concessions."

He paused, then added,

"Elder Mu, just wait and see. Once he sees that the Soul Tool Department can really be useful, he'll run faster than anyone."

Mu En shook his head, his smile deepening. "You really calculated everything."

Chen Xuan waved a hand. "Calculated or not, we'll do it first and talk later."

He stood and gave Mu En a crooked bow.

"You rest up. This old man will go take another look around the Soul Tool Department and discuss the equipment list with Lin'er first."

With that, he strode out of the quiet room. Before leaving, he did not forget to grab the oil-paper parcel from the table.

After the door closed, Mu En gazed at the empty doorway, and a faint smile slowly appeared at the corner of his lips.

"That old fellow really does seem like a different person."

After leaving the Sea God Pavilion's main building, Chen Xuan did not head straight for the Soul Tool Department. Instead, he first stood at the entrance and narrowed his eyes at the sky.

The sun had already begun to slant westward.

He opened the oil-paper parcel, took out another chicken leg, devoured it in a few bites, tossed the bone aside, and headed toward the Soul Tool Department.

The wind from Sea God Lake blew in from the side, carrying a damp chill as it puffed up his old robes slightly.

He did not walk quickly, but his strides were wide. His grizzled hair streamed behind him, and from a distance, he truly carried some of the bearing of an old powerhouse.

Though he was still chewing on a chicken leg.

The Soul Tool Department's grounds were near the western side of the Outer Court and covered a fair amount of land.

Several gray-white stone buildings stood in an orderly arrangement. Before them was a level testing ground, and farther away stood several warehouse-like structures.

Though it could not compare to the grandeur of the Martial Soul Department, everything gave off a sense of order and solidity.

As Chen Xuan approached, he nodded inwardly. Now this looked proper.

He did not have anyone announce him and simply stepped into the main building.

The corridor was not particularly wide, but it was kept spotless.

Structural diagrams of various Soul Tools were posted on both walls.

Some of the blueprints were already old, their corners curled up, but it was obvious they had been carefully preserved.

Lights were on in several classrooms. Students bent over their drawings inside, and the faint sound of metal scraping could occasionally be heard, as though it came from somewhere far away.

Several students came down the stairs. When they saw him, they froze for a moment before hurriedly stopping to bow. "Elder Xuan!"

"Where's your dean?" Chen Xuan asked.

"The dean and Vice Dean Qian are holding a meeting on the second floor," one student answered.

Chen Xuan nodded and went upstairs.

The door to the room at the end of the second floor was half-open, and voices drifted from inside.

"The Inquisitorial Legion is asking for people again. They said they lack several defensive Soul Tools for missions."

"What good is lacking them? They haven't given the Soul Tool Department much support over the years. Now they remember us."

"You can't put it that way. The Inquisitorial Legion is still working for the academy.

But we truly don't have enough manpower. With only these few teachers, we simply can't handle everything."

Xian Lin'er's voice came from inside. It was as cool as ever, but it carried a faintly suppressed weariness.

Chen Xuan stood at the door for a moment before reaching out to push it open.

The door opened.

Five or six people sat inside. Besides Xian Lin'er, there was a slightly plump middle-aged man, the Soul Tool Department's vice dean, Qian Duoduo.

The others were all core teachers of the Soul Tool Department. When they saw him, they were all startled and hurriedly rose to bow.

"Elder Xuan."

"Sit." Chen Xuan strode inside, pulled over a chair, and sat down. "This old man came to take a look. Continue."

The teachers exchanged glances, none of them quite daring to sit. Xian Lin'er said, "Go back and prepare the materials first. We'll discuss it again tonight."

Everyone hurriedly acknowledged her and filed out. Qian Duoduo also started to rise, but Chen Xuan stopped him with a raised hand. "You stay. There's something to discuss later."

The room fell quiet again.

Xian Lin'er poured Chen Xuan a cup of tea and respectfully asked, "Elder Xuan, why did you come here personally?"

"Do you understand what was discussed at Sea God Pavilion today?" Chen Xuan asked.

"I do." Xian Lin'er nodded. "You asked me to submit the Soul Tool Department's needs for the next five years within three days.

That includes the matter of equipping the Inquisitorial Legion with Soul Tools. I'll include that as well."

Chen Xuan grunted. "That's why this old man came.

The Inquisitorial Legion still hasn't been equipped with Soul Tools. That won't do.

From now on, when they go on missions, they cannot lack defensive equipment, communication equipment, or escape tools. This matter cannot be delayed any longer."

Xian Lin'er nodded, though her brows furrowed slightly. "Elder Xuan, I've wanted to do this for a long time.

But the Soul Tool Department truly lacks manpower.

If we are to equip the Inquisitorial Legion on a large scale, progress will be very slow with only the current teachers and students.

Materials are manageable. What we lack most are people capable of leading teams."

Chen Xuan looked at her without speaking.

Xian Lin'er continued, "The Martial Soul Department won't possibly release anyone.

Our own teachers each have a pile of classes to teach, and they also need to keep up with research. Asking them to make equipment for the Inquisitorial Legion on top of that is truly rather difficult."

Qian Duoduo nodded as well. "Elder Xuan, to be honest, I'm nearly being split into three people by myself."

After hearing them out, Chen Xuan set his teacup on the table.

"Can a living person be suffocated by holding in piss? If you lack people, go find them. Stop staring at the Martial Soul Department's few people."

Xian Lin'er was stunned.

"At worst, have the academy spend heavily to hire people from the Sun Moon Empire.

The Sun Moon Empire may not have much else, but Soul Engineers are everywhere. If we offer enough money, are you afraid no one will come?"