The dean's office.
"Yunxiao, could you tell me why you chose the Practical Soul Tool Department?"
"Was it because you liked soul tools?"
Xian Lin'er sat in her office chair and asked with a smile.
She hoped to hear something like "I like soul tools" from Gu Yunxiao.
That way, even if the Martial Soul Department managed to snatch Gu Yunxiao away, they would never win his heart.
"I wouldn't say I like them. I just wanted to learn a little."
Gu Yunxiao shook his head, his expression calm. "The main reason was that the Practical Soul Tool Department only has one hour of classes a day."
The corner of Xian Lin'er's mouth twitched. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
Just as Mu En had guessed, Gu Yunxiao had simply taken a fancy to the freedom her department offered.
"You... ah."
Xian Lin'er sighed, then changed the subject. "The dean of the Martial Soul Department will be here shortly. He wants to speak with you."
"Sure."
Gu Yunxiao nodded, pulled out a chair, and casually sat down, without the slightest trace of nervousness.
Watching him, Xian Lin'er wore an odd expression.
She suddenly felt that something about this whole affair was wrong. Twelve parts wrong out of ten, yet she couldn't put her finger on it.
It felt as though... Gu Yunxiao was leading them around by the nose!
Before long, a presence descended outside the office door.
Gu Yunxiao and Xian Lin'er looked toward the door almost simultaneously.
"What keen senses." Xian Lin'er was surprised by Gu Yunxiao's perception and reaction.
Click.
The door swung open, and a refined middle-aged man walked in.
His aura was gentle yet powerful, and a force of light radiated from him.
It was Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department.
"Lin'er..."
Yan Shaozhe smiled.
Yet the moment Xian Lin'er saw him, displeasure appeared on her face. She turned her head away, unwilling to acknowledge him.
Yan Shaozhe felt awkward, but quickly recovered and turned to Gu Yunxiao. "Hello, Yunxiao. I'm Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department."
"Dean Yan."
Gu Yunxiao gave a slight nod.
The aura Yan Shaozhe gave off was about on par with Yao Ling, one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
Still, that was very powerful by his current standards.
"Dean Yan, Dean Xian said you wanted to speak with me. What was it about?" Gu Yunxiao asked, feigning ignorance.
"It's about..."
Yan Shaozhe had been about to explain, but seeing Xian Lin'er's unhappy expression, he swallowed his words and motioned for Gu Yunxiao to follow him.
"Come with me. Let's talk outside."
Yan Shaozhe led the way.
Gu Yunxiao followed behind him.
They reached the end of the corridor outside the office, where there were neither students nor teachers.
"Yunxiao, I'll get straight to the point."
Yan Shaozhe smiled. "I'd like to invite you to join the Martial Soul Department. This won't interfere with your status as a student of the Soul Tool Department."
"You can enjoy the resources that come with both memberships, and you'll receive the best of everything."
"With your talent, only the Martial Soul Department can nurture you into a truly powerful expert."
"Soul tools are external aids in the end, merely flowers added to brocade. Once you've become a peerless expert, it won't be too late to learn how to use them."
With that, Yan Shaozhe looked at Gu Yunxiao with a smile.
But Gu Yunxiao shook his head. "I'm not joining."
Yan Shaozhe was surprised, but patiently asked, "Could you tell me why?"
"The Soul Tool Department only has an hour of classes a day. The Martial Soul Department has at least six, sometimes nearly ten."
"If I join, you'd better be prepared for me to skip class, Dean. Not once or twice, either, but fifteen or twenty times."
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly.
The corner of Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched violently. He was speechless.
Had any other student dared say that, he would have expelled them on the spot.
But this was Gu Yunxiao... he had to talk things through.
"Ahem."
Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat and forced a smile. "You certainly know how to joke, Yunxiao. You're a good boy. Surely you wouldn't skip class?"
"Would you like to find out, Dean?"
Gu Yunxiao countered with a question.
This brat! Yan Shaozhe's eyebrow rose, and he nearly cursed inwardly.
He had thought Gu Yunxiao was a "good boy," only to discover that he was a "naughty boy."
"Yunxiao, the academy is doing this for your own good. With your talent, staying in the Soul Tool Department is truly a waste of time." Yan Shaozhe was growing anxious.
Gu Yunxiao merely smiled without speaking, watching him quietly.
"..."
Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a long moment, then steeled himself and offered a temptation. "Yunxiao, as long as you're willing to study in the Martial Soul Department, the academy can give you a soul bone."
"How old?"
"Ten thou... a thousand years!"
"Dean, I'll need to think about it. I'll give you an answer in a thousand years," Gu Yunxiao said casually.
This time, not only did Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitch, but the corners of his eyes did too. He was utterly frustrated.
"Yunxiao, what if it were a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
Yan Shaozhe asked tentatively.
Without even thinking, Gu Yunxiao replied, "Then I'll give you an answer in ten thousand years, Dean."
Is this brat making a fool of me? Yan Shaozhe grumbled inwardly.
Not even a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone would do?
Did he actually want a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone? That was opening a lion's jaws far too wide!
"Dean, if there's nothing else, I'll be going." Gu Yunxiao waved and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait!"
Yan Shaozhe hurried forward and blocked his path. "Yunxiao, if you want more time to arrange as you please, that's no problem either."
"You can join the Martial Soul Department but spend most of your time studying in the Soul Tool Department."
"You'll only need to attend one class in the Martial Soul Department every month-no, every seven days."
The immediate priority was to get Gu Yunxiao into the Martial Soul Department. Everything else could wait.
"I'll need to think about it. I'll give you an answer before next month."
"One class every two weeks!"
"Every month!"
"Deal."
Gu Yunxiao smiled, then changed tack. "Also, don't forget the soul bone you promised me, Dean. I want an ice-attribute one."
"!!!"
Yan Shaozhe trembled, forcibly swallowing the curse that had risen to his lips.
Too far. This is going too far!
Gu Yunxiao, this heir to the Clear Sky Sect, is nothing but a bandit!
What's going on with the Clear Sky Sect? How did they raise a bandit like him as their heir?
"Fine... fine. Since the dean has promised, naturally he won't go back on his word." The corners of Gu Yunxiao's mouth tugged into a very strained smile.
"Ten thousand years, not a thousand."
Gu Yunxiao reminded him.
"You..."
Yan Shaozhe truly wanted to curse now, but forced it down and produced a smile uglier than a crying face. "Just... just wait. I'll put in a request for you."
"Thank you, Dean."
The corners of Gu Yunxiao's mouth lifted slightly in an utterly harmless smile. "I hope to see that ice-attribute Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone within three days."
"..."
Yan Shaozhe was so angry that his breathing quickened. He was close to having a heart attack.
In his eyes, Gu Yunxiao's smile was no different from a devil's grin.
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