'What a hassle…' Su Chen thought, shaking his head as he watched Qi Chuan disappear.
He grabbed a few people to ask for directions to the Mysticism classroom, only to be met with a wave of shocked stares. A few of them were even heading the same way.
When Su Chen arrived, he finally understood why those guys had looked so surprised.
The classroom was a large lecture hall, already packed to the brim with people sitting and even standing. At Southwind Academy, if Jiang He wasn't a household name, she was pretty close.
'There are so many people…' Su Chen was stunned. Ninety-five percent of them were male students, and it was standing room only.
Southwind Academy offered quite a few subjects, mostly geared toward miscellaneous professions.
Mysticism sounded impressive, but it was really just a theoretical course. It covered general knowledge about certain professions and worldly secrets—nothing too deep.
The only reason so many people were here was because of Jiang He's personal charm.
The class hadn't started yet, and a low buzz filled the entire room.
"I heard Teacher Jiang has a new favorite… Ugh, why couldn't it be me?"
"It's probably an upperclassman, right? Zhang Hengyu, maybe? I heard he's already become a Professional."
"This time seems different. Teacher Jiang personally handled the guy's enrollment. It's like she's grooming him or something…"
"Fuck, what a lucky bastard. I wish Teacher Jiang would give me a good whipping…"
Su Chen was speechless. 'How does news travel so fast? Don't these guys have anything better to do?'
The chatter suddenly rose in pitch before abruptly falling silent. All that could be heard was the CLICK-CLACK of approaching footsteps. Jiang He had arrived.
Sharp intakes of breath could be heard all around.
Jiang He had changed her outfit. She wore a form-fitting, sleeveless purple turtleneck sweater and high heels.
Her gaze swept across the room, meeting Su Chen's for a split second before casually moving on as if nothing had happened.
Though rumors of her wild and flirtatious nature circulated in private, Teacher Jiang was a woman of few words in the classroom. She projected a cold aloofness, and this contrast, combined with her status, created an unparalleled charm.
"...Today, we will be discussing the Day Fog and the Night Fog..." Her voice was crisp. Behind her, various images appeared on a screen.
Countless pairs of burning eyes roamed over the teacher's body, but Su Chen listened intently.
"...The Day Fog and Night Fog transition at six o'clock, each lasting for twelve hours. During the Day Fog, the dangers in the wilds are significantly lower. Conversely, the dangers increase during the Night Fog..."
"...However, expeditions to explore ruins or conduct patrols can't be limited to just twelve hours. How to effectively avoid the Night Fog is a subject of perpetual research..."
"...Morning Star Stone... a material used in the construction of city walls. It can insulate a certain area from the fog's influence, and the monsters within the fog tend to keep their distance from it..."
This was exactly the kind of theoretical knowledge Su Chen needed.
...
Elsewhere, Zhou Zhong handed over a bag of Gold Coins and received a paper document from a middle-aged man.
"Remember to burn this after you're done reading," the man instructed before hurrying away.
Zhou Zhong's gaze fell upon the paper. As he scanned it, his surprise grew. 'He's actually a refugee? But how would he know Bai Fengxi?'
'Hmm, a friend's daughter... parents are both dead. I think I'm starting to get it, but I'll still need to verify this...'
...
After Jiang He's class ended, the students, still basking in the afterglow, watched with longing eyes as their teacher left before finally packing up their things.
Su Chen silently followed her. To the astonishment of several onlookers, he entered Jiang He's private office, where she was alone.
"Qi Chuan came to see me," Su Chen said directly.
A flicker of emotion crossed Jiang He's face. "He's moving fast. He's not even trying to be discreet anymore."
"He's a deep one, and he never shows his emotions. I'm afraid he's already guessed that there's more to you than meets the eye. You didn't blow your cover, did you?"
'Never shows his emotions?' Su Chen recalled the man's contorted, furious face and gave a simple reply. "It's fine. I managed to bluff my way through."
"He also tried to tempt me with a spot in the priority development program."
"A spot in the priority development program?" Jiang He scoffed. "He's got some nerve making a promise like that. Even I would have a hard time arranging that, let alone..."
She trailed off, as if a thought had just struck her.
Then, her expression turned excited. "Do me a favor."
"No," Su Chen replied, shaking his head. "I have no interest in getting involved in your business."
Jiang He added, "There's something in it for you. Accept his offer. Let him pull the strings to get you on that priority development list. The academy will pour a ton of resources into you."
"Hmm..." Su Chen paused. The importance of resources was self-evident.
He had almost no way to acquire the consumables, further Body Refining methods for the Warrior profession, or even information on how to advance to subsequent tiers.
But there were risks involved as well.
Still, Qi Chuan had clearly targeted him, and he currently had no way of getting out of this situation.
His decisive refusal just now had merely been a tactic to see what price Jiang He would offer.
"What's your objective?" Su Chen asked.
Jiang He explained, "I want to see who's backing him. We've found the person who altered your records, but he was just a hired hand. To actually get you onto the priority development list... that's not something that can be done with money alone."
"Besides, the price he's willing to pay just to find out what happened that night is a little steep. He'll probably ask you to do other things for him."
'So, I'm the bait and the mole,' Su Chen thought, his face impassive. "And what's your price?"
"Aren't you getting..." Jiang He began, but Su Chen cut her off. "That's the outcome, not a benefit you're providing. I'm caught in the middle here. I need more."
"What do you want?" Jiang He asked, intrigued.
"The advancement method for the Warrior's Tier Two Profession," Su Chen stated his price.
"I don't know it," Jiang He said, shaking her head. "And I can't give it to you. Ask for something else."
She looked completely unfazed, confident in her position. Su Chen remained expressionless.
'In truth, ever since leaving that villa, it's been difficult for me to gain any advantage over Jiang He. That's why I had to do everything I could back then to get some kind of leverage over her.'
'The Blood Oath Contract was something best left unmentioned unless things turned completely hostile.'
Su Chen's expression seemed to sour. He said in a low voice, "A physical Training Technique suitable for a Professional..."
Seeing his reluctant expression, Jiang He's mood brightened. "That, I can do."
'I can finally breathe,' Su Chen thought with relief. 'The Training Technique was my real goal anyway. Information on Tier Two Professions is useless to me right now. I only brought it up to make it seem like I was reluctantly backing down.'
With the terms agreed upon, Su Chen didn't leave. He puffed out his chest and said, "There's one more thing. I'm broke."
He emphasized, "I don't even have money to eat."
"So I'm really keeping you now," Jiang He said nonchalantly. "Fine. I'll transfer some money to your account."
Having gotten what he wanted, Su Chen left, satisfied.
However, he was startled the moment he stepped out. The corridor outside the office was packed three rows deep with people. Someone had clearly called their friends over to get a look at the rumored toy boy.
"Holy shit, it's really him! He was standing right next to me in class, acting all serious."
"Damn it, I've got just as much charm as he does!"
"..."
The countless stares filled with envy, jealousy, and hate made Su Chen extremely uncomfortable as he beat a hasty, helpless retreat.