Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Funds

Rune Academy.

"How could we have only twenty million elemental stones?" Song Cheng exclaimed irritably, "In the past, the Rune Academy always had thirty million."

Huang An wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said awkwardly, "Principal, the quality of this year's freshmen is not high. We have very few level-two rune masters, so..."

"What did you say? This year's freshmen aren't of high caliber?" Song Cheng, hands on his hips, laughed sarcastically.

Huang An chuckled dryly. The quality of this year's freshmen was, in fact, very high.

Three with level eight talents, two with level seven, far surpassing previous years. The issue was, none of them belong to Fu Academy!

What's most annoying is that the one who was supposed to be in the Rune Academy has now gone to another academy.

"Damn it!" Song Cheng gritted his teeth, pacing restlessly in the room. He suddenly turned to Huang An, asking, "How much funding did the Inscription Academy receive?"

Huang An hesitated before answering, "50 million."

When applying for funds, Mu Chen drew three distinct level-three inscriptions on the spot, impressing many. The Principal granted Xia Qingyan's request for fifty million funds with a flourish.

Previously, their Fu Academy would receive more funds than the Inscription Academy. Not this time, though.

"How much did the Alchemy Academy apply for?" Song Cheng asked shakily.

"40 million," Huang An replied.

The Alchemy Academy has always been the leader among all magic academies. This time, due to the rise of Mu Chen, an anomaly in the Inscription Academy, the Alchemy Academy's funding came in second.

"Is there really this much?" Song Cheng frowned.

At least the Pill Academy has Lan Ruofeng to uphold their reputation. Even though Lan Ruofeng doesn’t exhibit extraordinary prowess like Mu Chen, he is still a level-three pill master. The overall quality of the Pill Academy is much higher than the Rune Academy.

Alchemy Academy.

Lu Han looked at the elemental stone card in his hand and chuckled helplessly.

The Alchemy Academy had always been at the top among the magic academies. Yet this time, when it came to funding, they ranked behind the long-declining Inscription Academy.

After the funding was allocated, the triumphant Xia Qingyang came over and taunted Lu Han. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"The headmaster is too biased towards that girl Xia Qingyang," Yan Wu couldn't help but say. Thinking of Xia Qingyang's arrogant demeanor made Yan Wu quite upset.

"Exactly! Inscription Academy has Mu Chen, but our Alchemy Academy has Lan Ruofeng! Both are third-tier, making it a tie. Overall, our Alchemy Academy is surely stronger," Tai Shuming expressed resentfully.

"Alright, although both are level-three spell masters, Mu Chen is much stronger than Lan Ruofeng. With such a prodigious talent in the Inscription Academy, it's only natural for the Principal to favor him," said Lu Han.

Hearing Lu Han's words, Lan Da felt mixed emotions. Despite the bitterness, Lan Da knew what Lu Han said was true.

"Alchemy, Rune Magic, Inscription Art - achieving level-three in all three, and still being the most powerful among the freshmen, Mu Chen is truly against the heavens," Lu Han couldn’t help but comment.

Uncle Tai knitted his brows and remarked, "I wonder if he'll continue to defy the heavens like this."

Third-tier Dan techniques, rune arts, and inscriptions might be intricate, but they can be mastered with dedication. However, for the fourth tier, without diligent study and aptitude, one cannot tread there.

"By the way, Ye Shi has finished his seclusion and advanced to an eighth-level martial master," said Tai Shuming.

"Eighth-level martial master? How did he progress so quickly?" Yan Wu asked in surprise.

"Indeed! Worthy of someone with level-eight potential. Just a brief seclusion, and his cultivation surged," Tai Shuming exclaimed.

Inscription Academy.

"Sis, the Dean seems quite generous this year!" Xia Qingli joyfully said, holding her spirit stone card.

Xia Qingyan sighed slightly and said with a touch of regret, "Had I known he'd be this generous this year, I should have asked for more."

In previous years, when Xia Qingyan asked for funds, she would demand high prices. Despite Principal Lian Chengkong appearing aloof and detached, he was very good at bargaining.

It's not surprising; after all, Lian Chengkong has lived for several centuries. With that much experience, bargaining is second nature to him.

"If you had asked for more, the Principal might have felt the pinch," Xia Qingli smirked.

"Mu Chen is truly a treasure," Xia Qingyan couldn’t help but comment.

Xia Qingli nodded and suddenly mentioned, "I heard he's been studying formation arts."

Xia Qingyan, with her eyes narrowed in astonishment, said, "Studying formation arts? How many brains does he have to even delve into that?"

"Mu Chen is not someone we can understand by common standards. When he was considering a transfer, it wasn't our Inscription Academy that was his priority, but the Formation Arts Academy," Xia Qingli said with a smile.

"Where did you hear this from?" Xia Qingyan asked suspiciously.

"From a student who was helping Ye Shi. I heard Mu Chen did consider the Formation Array Academy, but he heard that the old man there is fickle, and he feared he couldn't resist the principals of the Pill and Rune Academies. That's why he didn't choose the Formation Array Academy," explained Xia Qingli.

Xia Qingyan chuckled, "Mu Chen truly underestimated that Principal of the Formation Array Academy."

He's a genuine sly fox! As the saying goes, the dog that's going to bite doesn't bark. Even though that old man always appears amiable, he's quite formidable.

That old fox acts naive all the time, and as a result, some think of him as naive.

If that old man knew Mu Chen didn't choose the Formation Array Academy because he deemed him weak, he'd surely regret it.

...

Ye Shi had been in seclusion for over half a month. Not seeing Mu Chen for so long, he missed him deeply.

With high spirits, Ye Shi headed towards the Inscription Academy, but halfway there, Ye Rong suddenly burst out.

Ye Rong had been keeping tabs on Ye Shi during this time. Not long after Ye Shi left his seclusion, she got the news.

Seeing Ye Rong, Ye Shi felt instantly annoyed.

"What are you trying to do?" Ye Shi asked impatiently.

Ye Rong stared at Ye Shi, gritting her teeth, and said, "Father is here."

Ye Shi rolled his eyes and remarked, "Oh, really?"

"Shouldn't you go see father?" Ye Rong inquired.

Ye Shi rolled his eyes, remarking, "Why should I see him?"

Ye Rong frowned and said, "He's your father!"

Ye Shi pursed his lips, irritably saying, "He isn't. He once said that I'm not his son."

Ye Shi used to think Ye Xun didn't like him and that's why he said that. But now he knows, he never was to begin with.

Because he isn't Ye Xun's son, no matter what he does, he'll never gain Ye Xun's approval.

It suddenly dawned on Ye Shi how, as a child, he trained hard to earn Ye Xun's praise. Yet, the better he performed, the more disdainful Ye Xun became.

Ye Shi now understood: the better he performed, the more it highlighted how Ye Xun's biological children paled in comparison to him. No wonder Ye Xun increasingly resented him.

"How could you do this?" Ye Rong lamented, visibly upset. She had waited for Ye Shi to finish his meditation, only to find he refused to meet Ye Xun. All her patience had been in vain.

Back when he was at the Ye residence, Ye Shi always respected Ye Xun and heeded his words. Now, he's changed drastically.

Ye Shi, hands on his hips, stated, "This is who I am now."

"If you won't visit him, at least transfer a million to father's spirit stone card," Ye Rong said.

Ye Shi rolled his eyes. Jokingly, all his money was hard-earned by Mu Chen. He himself was hesitant to spend it. Why would he give it to Ye Xun?

"I won't," Ye Shi said decisively.

Ye Rong, filled with anger, exclaimed, "Father is out of spirit stones and is about to be evicted! He could end up homeless! Don't you care?"

Ye Shi shrugged, saying, "I don’t know! He's brought his misery upon himself. Deserved."

"Ye Shi, you live here in luxury, spending money as if it grows on trees, while your own father is left destitute. How can you live with yourself?" Ye Rong exclaimed with indignation.

Ye Shi snorted, "Why should I feel ashamed?"

Wasn't that how Ye Xun treated him back in the day? Forcing him out with nothing.

Compared to his past situation, Ye Xun was still better off. After all, as a nine-star martial artist, he could easily find a job to make ends meet. But when Ye Shi was kicked out, he was just a young martial artist without enough strength to even defend himself.

Zhuang Yu, accompanied by a few others, approached, saying, "Ye Shi, you've crossed a line."

Ye Shi rolled his eyes. He was speaking with Ye Rong. Why did Zhuang Yu need to butt in and be so nosy?

"Mind your own business," Ye Shi snapped.

"I can't stand by when I see injustice," Zhuang Yu retorted righteously.

Irritated, Ye Shi countered, "What's wrong with you?"

Face reddening, Zhuang Yu responded, "I heard everything."

Ye Shi narrowed his eyes and questioned, "And what did you hear?"

Zhuang Yu, looking serious, said, "You, Ye Shi, live in opulence, splurging without a care, yet you leave your father to be destitute. With your wealth, you can't even spare a bit for your own father. Don't you feel guilty?"

With a stern face, Ye Shi said, "Why would I feel uneasy? I'm at peace within."

"Ye Shi, as the saying goes, there's no lasting grudge between a father and son. He gave you life, and no matter what he did, you should forgive him."

"Exactly! Ye Shi, a son should never speak ill of his father. Filial piety is a fundamental virtue."

"Come on, Ye Shi! You're worth tens of millions, aren't you? Giving a mere million to your father is a drop in the ocean for you."

"Ye Shi! Elder Jing would be so disappointed if he knew how you treated your own father."

"Remember your roots, Ye Shi. Your ingratitude is unbecoming. Regardless of everything, your father did raise you."

……

Ye Shi's face darkened as he listened to the remarks of the few men standing next to Zhuang Yu.

Ye Rong, her face slightly flushed, looked at Zhuang Yu, surprised that he would still help her after how she had offended him last time. "Zhuang, I apologize for what happened before. You are truly magnanimous and sensible."

Zhuang Yu waved it off with a gracious smile, saying, "Let's not talk about the past; I've already forgotten it."

Hearing Zhuang Yu's words, Ye Rong felt much relieved.

Everyone in Zhuang Yu's group cast reproachful looks at Ye Shi, as though he had committed some heinous crime.

Ye Shi abruptly lifted his gaze, coldly staring at Zhuang Yu, "If you're done talking, step aside."

Zhuang Yu shook his head in dissatisfaction, "Ye Shi, you haven't explained yourself."

Unable to contain his anger, Ye Shi drew out a whip and lashed it at a nearby stone pillar. The thick pillar shattered into pieces from the force of his furious strike.

Seeing the whip in Ye Shi's hand, Zhuang Yu felt a pang of fear, "Ye Shi, what are you planning? We're in the academy; fighting is prohibited!"

"I know. I won't make the same mistake twice," Ye Shi replied calmly.

He didn't want to be repeatedly punished because of the likes of Zhuang Yu and Ye Rong.

"While the academy forbids brawling, challenges are allowed. If any of you stand in my way, be prepared to face my challenge on the duel platform," Ye Shi declared coldly.

Zhuang Yu frowned, "Relying on your strength to bully others is no skill, Ye Shi."

"So, it's fine for a bunch of weaklings like you to block my path, but I can't issue a challenge?" Ye Shi said with a derisive tone.

"You..." Zhuang Yu's face turned red with anger as he glared at Ye Shi.

The young men beside Zhuang Yu shrank back, intimidated by Ye Shi's fierce demeanor.

Ye Shi snorted coldly and turned to leave.

No sooner had Ye Shi stepped away than an instructor, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, quickly approached him, "Mr. Ye Shi, you've damaged public property. You owe a compensation of a hundred thousand stones."