Chapter 25

"Absolutely not!" Baliyan almost answered without thinking, his face serious and full of deep concern. "Why don't you rest here for a while, and I'll call the doctor over."

"Then what?" Lu Ping said.

"Then? Just have a good check-up!" Baliyan answered casually, finding the question "then" rather redundant.

"Then what?" Lu Ping asked again.

Baliyan was taken aback. Initially, he was delighted that Lu Ping was engaging in conversation, seeing it as a signal that he might accept his offer, and that everything could be resolved gradually. But now, after a redundant "then," another "then"...

Baliyan looked at Lu Ping.

Lu Ping's expression was very serious, his eyes as determined and unwavering as when he carried Su Tang out of the ruins of the Tower of Soul.

Baliyan suddenly understood that the "then" Lu Ping was referring to was the ultimate "then."

He had no interest in beating around the bush and didn't want to play this kind of insincere game with Baliyan. He wanted Baliyan to be straightforward and tell him directly.

The "then" actually referred to the final outcome...

Baliyan couldn't answer. What was the "then"? Did he hope Lu Ping would enter Xianfeng Academy? Or did he hope to use Lu Ping's strength to elevate Xianfeng Academy's status? There were many "thens," but these real intentions were not the kind of excuses that could entice a young man. Originally, he would need a lot of flowery rhetoric to sugarcoat them, but now, faced with the young man's direct questioning, he was speechless, feeling as if all his words had been drained.

Baliyan forced a smile, knowing that it must look terrible, even worse than crying.

"No 'then'? Then we'll be on our way." Molin added, delivering the final blow to the speechless Baliyan.

This student...

Baliyan hadn't paid much attention to Molin at first, but now he remembered. Wasn't this the student Shu Tang had mentioned?

Lu Ping, Su Tang, Xifan, Molin...

Baliyan suddenly realized that these four students from Zhaifeng Academy, walking together, were all exceptionally talented. Lu Ping was strong to the point where Baliyan felt it was cheating to have him as a student. Xifan had been a headache for Xianfeng Academy for two consecutive years. Su Tang, if not for his sabotage, would have likely embarrassed Xianfeng Academy, and now, after the sabotage, they were even more embarrassed. And Molin, with his Sixth Heaven of the Pivot Soul, was at the top level among students, and his status as a student in advanced studies was a recognition of the academy's reputation. Although his influence might be limited, at least Zhaifeng Academy had him, while Xianfeng Academy did not.

The four had already turned and continued walking, and Baliyan stood in the middle of the road, watching their figures. As the prestigious dean, he suddenly felt a deep sense of despair. They walked away without even discussing his appearance, and the last thing he heard was the advanced student's complaint: "Do we really have to walk all the way back to Zhaifeng Academy?"

The sound faded away.

Baliyan didn't try to use his Resonance Soul to hear more. He turned around, feeling dejected, and was about to return to the academy when his senses suddenly tingled.

This was a survival instinct of a strong person. Baliyan had indeed been embarrassed today, but in terms of strength, the dean of Xianfeng Academy was undoubtedly one of the top ten in the entire Xianfeng region.

Who was it?

Baliyan instantly pinpointed the direction of the target.

The rice fields by the roadside swayed in the wind. A figure was moving quietly, perfectly in sync with the swaying of the fields, leaving no trace.

First-level ability, Farsight!

Baliyan effortlessly used a first-level ability that a person at the Penetration stage of the Surge Soul could master. The figure was immediately brought closer in his vision, becoming much clearer.

This was...

Before he could see the person clearly, Baliyan noticed the corner of a robe caught by the rice fields, revealing a badge with two peaks overlapping.

Baliyan immediately retracted his ability.

This was... a spy from the City Lord's residence.

What mission was he on to pass by here so secretly? Baliyan couldn't help but look at the far end of the road, where the four figures had become very small.

Have they already been targeted...

Baliyan thought silently, but this was no longer something he could control. After standing there for a while, he took a step towards Xianfeng Academy.

Xianfeng City, City Lord's Residence.

City Lord Wei Zhong woke up at exactly 4:45 AM every day. Within 15 minutes, he would complete all the tasks that everyone does after waking up, such as dressing, washing, using the toilet, and having breakfast. At 6:00 AM, he would be ready to sit at his peculiar desk, which was only a meter wide but four meters long.

A mountain of tasks that needed his attention would be piled up in front of the desk every day, and he would sit at the far left end, handling each task one by one until the entire desk was clear.

In fact, he could delegate most of these tasks to his subordinates, but Wei Zhong preferred to handle them personally. He wanted to have control over every detail, and if anything was out of his control, he would feel anxious. Handling these tasks, big or small, made him feel very fulfilled and satisfied.

This morning, Wei Zhong handled a full desk of tasks, and he felt very satisfied. Although he knew that his subordinates sometimes created trivial tasks just to please him, he didn't mind.

After such a morning, Wei Zhong convened his subordinates in the afternoon, carefully arranging many tasks and clearly explaining every detail. It seemed that a fulfilling and perfect day was about to end. But at that moment, he saw his son, Wei Tianqi, who should have been taking the Xianfeng Academy exam, standing outside the meeting hall with a worried look.

Wei Zhong's face immediately turned serious.

At this time, Wei Tianqi should not be here unless something unexpected had happened.

Unexpected, the word Wei Zhong hated the most. He wanted everything to be under his control, and unexpected events were his worst enemy.

"Come in, speak." Wei Zhong used only three words. Another thing he hated was wasting time, which made him extremely efficient in everything he did, even with his own son.

"The Tower of Soul has collapsed, and our third-year students have to go to Bipolar Academy for the exam." Wei Tianqi clearly understood his father's habits and didn't waste any words, using the simplest terms to explain the situation. If his father wanted more details, he would ask.

"How could this happen?" Wei Zhong indeed asked. The Tower of Soul collapsing? He had never heard of such a thing.

"It was a student from Zhaifeng Academy. He destroyed two of our towers today, the first-year and third-year ones." Wei Tianqi said.

"How strong is he?" Wei Zhong didn't express surprise like most people would. Since it had already happened, what good would surprise do? Wei Zhong needed efficiency, and the most efficient way to grasp the key issue was to find out how strong this student was.

"I don't know, but he casually pushed me away, and he also casually pushed away Teacher Big, and then..."

"Wei Hu!" Wei Zhong directly interrupted his son's answer because he said he didn't know, and the subsequent description was vague and couldn't accurately determine the student's strength.

Wei Hu, who was one of the two family guards present at the exam site today, immediately entered the meeting hall upon hearing his name.

"I'm not very clear either." Wei Hu didn't hesitate or equivocate, just honestly stated his judgment. "But I've already sent someone to keep an eye on him." He quickly added.

"Why keep an eye on him? Send someone to find him and tell him I want to see him, and bring him here." Wei Zhong was not satisfied with Wei Hu's meticulous arrangement, clearly finding it not efficient enough.

"I want to see him within half an hour." Wei Zhong said, and this was the efficiency that satisfied him.

"Yes." Wei Hu bowed slightly and quickly left the meeting hall.

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