Bu Wuchen drew a deep breath, infused his voice with mystic power, and thundered, "Someone in charge, get out here!"
"I'm here to take the Pill Hall qualification exam!"
Last time, Bu Wuchen had politely knocked and offered his greetings, humbly seeking guidance, only to be turned away by Lin Taoshu and freely insulted by the Pill Hall disciples;
This time, Bu Wuchen simply got straight to the point and came kicking down their doors, his knife-sharp gaze bearing down on everyone inside the Pill Hall!
Lin Taoshu flew into a rage. "You little bastard, you still dare come back?!"
"Who's the little bastard cursing?"
"The little bastard's cursing you, uh..."
After blurting that out instinctively, Lin Shutao immediately realized his mistake, his old face turning a deep purple.
Seeing the mocking amusement filling Bu Wuchen's eyes, Lin Taoshu ground his teeth in hatred.
With a savage expression, he said, "You only slunk away with your tail between your legs yesterday. What gave you the confidence to shamelessly come running back today, clamoring to take the Pill Hall qualification exam?"
"I'll say it again: as long as I'm still the Pill Hall's chief master, you can forget about becoming a student here!"
"Remember that. Never!!"
"You'd better obediently scurry back to the beginner class."
"Come to think of it, you're almost sixteen. You won't be able to stay in the beginner class much longer, either. Treasure these final days at the academy!"
"Once you're forced to finish your studies and lose the protection of your status as a Blood Dragon City Academy student, let's see how you die then!"
"Lin Shutao, aren't you throwing your authority around?"
Just then, Xia Nuoyi, who had deliberately stayed some distance behind Bu Wuchen, appeared.
Her expression was icy as she said, "Has Zhou Wan'en passed the headmaster's position to you? Just look at your arrogance!"
At the sudden sight of Xia Nuoyi, Lin Taoshu's aged eyes widened in surprise.
He clearly hadn't expected that Xia Nuoyi, with her lofty status, whom many in Blood Dragon City regarded as a "demoness," would ever stand up for someone else.
However, relying on his dual status as Blood Dragon City Academy's chief alchemist and the Lin Lineage's foremost alchemist Attendant, Lin Taoshu wasn't particularly afraid of the girl before him.
He sneered twice. "Heh, as an honorary deputy headmaster, you don't seem to have the authority to interfere in my Pill Hall's affairs, do you?"
"Don't you think you're being a dog catching mice, meddling in someone else's business?"
"Or do you have some secret relationship with this rather handsome pretty boy?"
"Old bastard, are you tired of living?!"
Xia Nuoyi's eyes narrowed, thick killing intent showing within them!
"Hum!"
As her fury surged, the pressure of her Divine Communion Realm cultivation swept outward in the blink of an eye!
Lin Taoshu, who had just been shooting his mouth off, immediately stumbled several steps backward, breaking into a cold sweat.
Only now did he seem to remember what a terrifying existence he had provoked!
Yet the secret he had happened to learn earlier still gave Lin Taoshu grounds to feel secure-
"Heh, surely you wouldn't kill me here on the academy's sacred grounds over a mere joke, Deputy Headmaster?"
"Others may fear the Great Xia Merchant Alliance behind you, whose businesses blossom across the entire continent, but my Lin Lineage isn't quite so easily intimidated!"
"From what I know, because of a certain unspeakable reason, the Great Xia Merchant Alliance is currently like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river, unable even to save itself, isn't it?"
"For the Great Xia Merchant Alliance as it stands now, any misstep could send it sinking deeper into the mire..."
At these words, the pretty face of the girl in green gauze paled slightly.
She hadn't expected the decline of her lineage, which shouldn't have been known to outsiders at this stage, to be known to an obscure lineage tens of thousands of miles away.
For a moment, the killing intent in her eyes grew even stronger!
But just as Lin Taoshu had said;
Unless she had absolutely no other choice, she couldn't heap snow onto the frost already burdening the storm-tossed Xia Clan...
Seeing her brow furrow tightly while she remained silent;
Lin Taoshu, who had still felt somewhat uneasy, immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Having his fingers wrapped around the other party's lifeline felt simply wonderful!
Facing Bu Wuchen, he laughed with even greater abandon. "Hahahahaha! See that?"
"The help you brought is utterly useless!"
"Get lost already, and spare my eyes the filth!"
At this point, Lin Taoshu seemed to suddenly remember something, and a wicked smile tugged at his lips-
"Oh, right. You could actually try returning my Lin Lineage's two unique manuals, the cultivation method and mystic technique;"
"Then get on your knees, kowtow to me, and admit your mistake."
"If I'm in a good mood, I might actually bestow a chance to take the Pill Hall exam on you. How about it?"
Lin Taoshu was utterly pleased with himself now!
So what if the honorary deputy headmaster stepped in?
So what if she was a fierce, ruthless demoness?
None of it worked on him!
Just then, a slightly hoarse, cold chuckle rang out-
"Heh, truly worthy of being the Pill Hall chief master I selected..."
"That arrogant bearing of yours, looking down on everyone, is quite something, isn't it?"
As those words fell, a short, lean old man strode into the Pill Hall.
The figure's sudden appearance instantly froze the expression on Lin Taoshu's face, which had been so smug just a moment earlier!
Immediately afterward, he sprang up with a whoosh, as though his backside had been scorched by fire.
After yielding the seat of honor, he stammered guiltily, "Ah, well, ahem..."
"Headmaster, w-what brings you to the Pill Hall? Please, please, take the seat of honor!"
As it turned out, that thin, small old man with utterly unremarkable features;
The sort of old man who would draw no special attention whatsoever in a crowd, was none other than Blood Dragon City Academy's headmaster, Zhou Wan'en!
Though already past sixty, the old headmaster still looked full of vigor.
His mystic cultivation stood at the Divine Communion Realm fifth layer;
Combined with his specialized professional status as a Mystic Realm alchemist, this made Zhou Wan'en a powerful existence capable of challenging even Blood Dragon City's city lord!
Lin Taoshu, normally so arrogant, overbearing, and disdainful of everyone, only behaved this "humbly and courteously" when facing Dean Zhou...
Hiss, surely Dean Zhou didn't hear what I just said?
Guilty as a thief, Lin Taoshu thought, This old fellow cares especially deeply about the academy's students.
If he heard what I said earlier, I could be in trouble!
In truth, over recent years, Lin Taoshu had controlled the lifeblood of the Pill Hall's assessments and had committed no shortage of dirty deeds, accepting bribes and subjecting female students to casting-couch arrangements.
If a few words now cost him that lucrative post, this man surnamed Lin would be so furious he'd shut himself away!
"Huh? Why is he here too?"
The next moment, Lin Taoshu's gaze couldn't help falling on the tough-looking middle-aged man who had entered the Pill Hall right after Dean Zhou.
He wondered inwardly, Why is Song Hechuan of the Song Clan Pill Workshop accompanying Dean Zhou?
Just then, Song Hechuan seemed to have only just recognized Bu Wuchen;
His face lit up with delight. He walked over in a few strides and clasped Bu Wuchen's hand. "Master Bu, it's truly a great honor to see you again!"
"Who? Him? Master?"
Lin Taoshu looked utterly bewildered. "Has... has there been some mistake?"