The Pill Academy's Wealth

Lin Xulun stood before Su Deyu with a strange expression, saying nothing.

He did not know what to say.

But when Su Deyu saw this, his heart gave a lurch.

Just how much trouble had Xia Yu caused? Even after I said all that, Junior Brother Lin still won't agree.

Whenever he had said something like this before, Junior Brother Lin had always agreed.

It seems Xia Yu's sins run deep.

Su Deyu suddenly felt a little regret. Why had he taken a liking to this fellow's talent and ruthlessness back then and agreed to accept him as his disciple?

Honestly...

Being a master is so hard!

He straightened his clothes and bowed respectfully to Lin Xulun.

"Junior Brother Lin, Xia Yu really is still young. He has the makings of something great. I'm begging you as your senior brother-please spare him!"

"If that won't do, then put these old bones of mine at your disposal, all right? Whatever you want in the academy, just take it. Will that do?"

"Senior Brother Su, what could I possibly put you to work on? You don't even know how to refine pills."

Lin Xulun rolled his eyes and said, "Do you think there's anything left worth taking in this academy? If not for our Pill Academy, the whole academy would probably struggle to put food on the table."

Su Deyu's expression instantly turned strange.

How embarrassing!

Junior Brother Lin isn't easy to coax. He looks as though all he knows is pill refinement, but he actually sees everything crystal clear.

What am I supposed to do?

In truth, Lin Xulun was secretly astonished at that moment too.

He had never imagined that Su Deyu valued Xia Yu so highly.

Devoted entirely to pill refinement, he knew nothing of Xia Yu's achievements in battle.

At sixteen, Xia Yu had reached the Spirit Origin Realm, killed several King Realm cultivators, and all but fought his way through both the outer and inner sects of the Martial Saint Academy single-handedly.

As for his character, he had been willing to beg Lin Xulun for his sister's sake.

With peerless talent and such deep loyalty and affection, who would not like a young man like that?

To men like them, passing on their legacy was the most important thing of all.

Finding a successor with impeccable character and unrivaled talent was a blessing as great as the heavens.

But Lin Xulun did know Xia Yu's talent for pill refinement. A sixteen-year-old top-level King-Tier Alchemist who could step into the ranks of Emperor-Rank Alchemists at any moment was simply unimaginable!

What kind of power could have raised such an outstanding young man?

He knew very well that Xia Yu lacked strength. Once he became strong enough, Emperor-Rank Alchemist would definitely be only his starting point, not his final destination.

As someone determined to become a grandmaster of pill refinement, Lin Xulun would never let this opportunity slip away.

Was saving face more important than pill refinement?

Suddenly, something occurred to him. His expression turned serious as he said, "Senior Brother Su, I don't want anything else. I only want one person from you."

Su Deyu froze. One person? Who in the Dao-Seeking Academy could Lin Xulun possibly need?

Then he thought it over. This was a good thing. It was only one person, and Lin Xulun would not kill anyone. He probably just wanted someone to run errands. Easy!

"All right. Anyone in the entire Dao-Seeking Academy-just name them, and I'll make sure they're sent over to you."

Su Deyu agreed without hesitation.

"I want Xia Yu," Lin Xulun said calmly.

This time, Su Deyu was stunned.

He wants Xia Yu?

Xia Yu caused a disaster, so why does he still want him?

"Junior Brother Lin, do you want to take Xia Yu as your disciple? Is his talent for pill refinement that good?"

Su Deyu asked tentatively. He thought Lin Xulun might have developed an appreciation for Xia Yu's talent.

If that was the case, everything would be easy to resolve.

Then Lin Xulun shook his head and said, "No. I want to take him as my teacher."

"Having him take you as his master isn't out of the question," Su Deyu said reflexively.

Suddenly, he went rigid.

He stared at Lin Xulun in disbelief and said, "What did you say? Did I hear you wrong? You said you want to take him as your teacher?"

Lin Xulun nodded and said earnestly, "You heard me right. I want to take him as my teacher. He said it would be fine as long as you agreed!"

Nearby, Xia Yu froze. Did I say that?

Su Deyu was utterly dumbfounded. What on earth is this?

No, even if Xia Yu has a decent talent for pill refinement, you want to take him as your teacher?

Isn't that complete nonsense?

He should be taking you as his teacher!

"He's only sixteen, and you want to take him as your teacher? Junior Brother Lin, are you sure you don't have a fever?"

Su Deyu could not help asking again.

It was simply impossible to accept.

The Great Xia Dynasty's foremost Pill Master wanted to take a sixteen-year-old boy as his teacher. This...

Who would believe it?

Lin Xulun frowned and said, "I'm sure. Now tell me, do you agree or not?"

"If you don't, then from now on, none of the Pill Academy's income will have anything to do with the Dao-Seeking Academy!"

Su Deyu froze!

You call this asking whether I agree?

Do I even have a choice?

"But Xia Yu is my disciple. No, he's my final disciple. If you take him as your teacher, then our seniority... it'll be all mixed up."

Su Deyu looked troubled, but inwardly, he was blooming with delight.

Junior Brother Lin, so even you have a day when you need to ask me for something!

"He took you as his master, while I'm taking him as my teacher. Taking you as his master follows your Martial Academy's rules. But you're also the dean of the Confucian Academy. Don't you know the rules for teachers?"

"Besides, seniority? Haven't you heard that whoever has attained mastery can be a teacher? Don't you know we can each use our own forms of address?"

Lin Xulun spoke coldly. He had already considered this issue.

In truth, there was something else on his mind that he did not feel comfortable saying.

Is seniority more important than my pill refinement?

He and Xia Yu were not related by blood anyway.

Su Deyu stood stunned for a moment before saying, "All right. I have no objection."

Lin Xulun nodded, turned, and walked up to Xia Yu.

"Lin Xulun pays his respects to Teacher Xia! From today onward, you are the Pill Academy's supreme elder."

Lin Xulun bowed respectfully.

Everyone around them was left dumbfounded.

"He's actually serious!" Su Deyu muttered.

The people from the Confucian Academy, Weapon Academy, and Formation Academy all looked astonished.

They had only just heard that an extraordinary fellow had arrived at the Dao-Seeking Academy and become the dean's disciple. How had he become the Pill Academy's supreme elder in the blink of an eye?

Xia Yu was speechless too.

He did not even dare refuse. He was still counting on Lin Xulun to help with his sister's condition.

After all, Shangguan Ming Yue had gone who knew where. Even the Seventh Princess, An Qing, did not know.

Xia Yu looked at Su Deyu, his meaning clear: You're my master. Is it really all right for me to take a martial uncle as my student?

Su Deyu thought for a moment, then gave a dry cough and said, "Xia Yu, you don't need to feel burdened. In the Martial Academy, you are my final direct disciple."

"As for the Pill Academy, you would be a teacher, not a master. There is a distinction. If you're willing, I have no objection."

Xia Yu hesitated.

He had only just left Huai City, fought two battles, found himself a master in the blink of an eye, and then become someone else's teacher.

Too much had happened in a single day.

It was a little hard to take in.

"Teacher, if you become the Pill Academy's supreme elder, you can use all of its resources, including ancient pill-refinement texts and incomplete pill formulas. Perhaps you could find a way to resolve the Water-Fire Constitution."

The moment he heard that, Xia Yu's eyes lit up.

"And from now on, ten percent of the Pill Academy's total income will belong to you, Teacher. Cultivation requires a great many spirit stones, and the Pill Academy earns more than any other branch of the Dao-Seeking Academy, without exception."

Lin Xulun dropped one bombshell after another.

"How much does the Pill Academy earn in a year?" Xia Yu could not help asking.

If he had enough spirit stones, how much of his small world could he awaken?

"After deducting the expenses of the entire Dao-Seeking Academy, the spirit stones our Pill Academy earns in a year amount to only a few hundred million low-grade spirit stones."

"What? A few... hundred million?"

Xia Yu knew that in Huai City, a single low-grade spirit stone cost a hundred taels of gold.

A few hundred million?

How much gold would that be?

"Yes, but your share will be calculated from the total income. Ten percent would give you at least fifty million low-grade spirit stones a year."

"Fifty million?" Xia Yu's eyes widened.

"More or less. If you can provide good pill formulas, Teacher, and we refine better Spirit Pills, your annual share could even reach over a hundred million," Lin Xulun said with complete confidence.

"Over a hundred million!"

Xia Yu's eyes went utterly fixed.