As he spoke those words, Yan Shaozhe felt as if his very heart were bleeding. Those were two genuine Spirit Bones! For a man as notoriously stingy as him, parting with two Spirit Bones at once—even if they were merely hundred-year grade or niche secret technique types—represented a staggering loss. Consequently, while Yan Shaozhe maintained a perfectly gentle smile on his face, he was internally screaming curses at those two teachers. He thought they were useless, idiotic, good-for-nothing fools who could do nothing right except ruin his plans. If they had simply done their jobs and kept a proper eye on the situation, he would never have had to cough up such precious treasures to settle this mess. He made a mental note to remember this debt and settle the score with them when the time was right.
Of course, the reason he was acting so generous was not merely to put on a show of magnanimity. When had Yan Shaozhe ever made a deal that resulted in a loss? He viewed this as an investment; everything he gave away now would eventually be returned to him tenfold or even a hundredfold in the future.
"You two students, what do you think of this arrangement?"
Yan Shaozhe's soft voice pulled Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu out of their shocked daze. The two sisters exchanged a quick look, their expressions shifting to ones of pure, unbelievable joy. The younger sister, Lan Susu, stepped forward and gave a deep, respectful bow. Her voice trembled with excitement as she spoke. "Thank you, Dean Yan! We are completely satisfied with this!"
Her current tone was the complete opposite of how she had sounded when she only received the soul ascension pills. Back then, she felt deeply wronged and was only staying silent because she lacked the power to speak out. Now, her gratitude was sincere and her admiration for the Dean's fairness was heartfelt. Yan Shaozhe gave a satisfied nod and kept his perfect smile in place. He told them to find their teacher the next day so they could be brought to the Dean's office for a formal meeting. Lan Susu nodded her head quickly, her eyes shining with happiness. She then turned and walked over to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Her face turned a deep shade of red as she whispered a soft thank you. She paused for a second before adding that they were in Class Seven, then grabbed her sister and ran off into the crowd before anyone could say another word.
At that moment, Yan Shaozhe turned his attention toward Huo Yuhao. "Student Yuhao, it seems we meet again."
The Dean's earlier performance had been staged primarily for Yuhao's benefit rather than the crowd's. It was a successful manipulation. Looking at the smiling man, Yuhao actually had a decent impression of him. He gave a polite bow and greeted the man as Dean Yan. Yan Shaozhe's smile became even warmer as he thanked Yuhao for stepping in earlier. He admitted that without Yuhao's help, Ma Xiaotao would have caused a massive disaster. He pointed toward the unconscious girl on the ground and identified her as his personal disciple.
Wang Dong stepped up beside Yuhao, looking at the Dean with curiosity. He asked how a personal disciple of the Dean could lose control like that and nearly kill other students. Yan Shaozhe looked at Wang Dong and gave the boy a mental thumbs up for asking the perfect question. His smile faded, replaced by a look of profound sadness. He sighed and explained that Ma Xiaotao was a brilliant student from the Inner Court, but her Spirit was the Evil Fire Phoenix. He explained that while the Phoenix is a top-tier Beast Spirit, the Evil Fire version carries an uncontrollable corruption. The more she cultivates, the stronger the fire becomes, making it easier for her to lose her mind. He painted a picture of a competitive girl who simply worked too hard to get stronger, leading to the eruption they saw today.
Wang Dong nodded as he listened, feeling a bit of sympathy for the woman he had previously thought was just a lunatic. Yan Shaozhe then shifted his focus back to Huo Yuhao with an expectant look. "Yuhao, I know your second Spirit possesses the Extreme Ice attribute. That is the perfect counter to her fire. I was wondering if you could help her suppress it?"
Yuhao considered the request for a moment. He didn't see a reason to refuse since he could use this to his advantage. He told the Dean that if he had the time, he wouldn't mind helping. However, he clarified that his ice could only suppress the symptoms, not fix the underlying cause. During the brief time he spent freezing the fire earlier, he realized how stubborn and deep-seated the corruption in Ma Xiaotao really was. It was not something that could be cured easily.
Yan Shaozhe knew how hard it was to remove the fire, but he didn't care about a permanent cure. His real goal was to pair Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao together as a couple. If they were together, Yuhao could suppress the fire for the rest of her life. He couldn't tell Yuhao that yet, so he simply sighed and agreed that a total cure was difficult. He suggested they take things one step at a time. Yuhao nodded and didn't offer any more information. He looked up at the dark sky and noted that night had fully arrived. He told the Dean to contact him when needed and prepared to leave. Yan Shaozhe thanked him again and told them to get some rest.
Yuhao bowed and began walking back toward the dorms with Wang Dong. As they moved away from the lights of Sea God Lake, Wang Dong asked if he really intended to help that woman. Yuhao confirmed it with a simple hum, noting that it wasn't much trouble and he wanted to prevent more accidents. Internally, Yuhao was thinking about his past life ten thousand years in the future. He needed to check the historical records in the library. He had focused on himself before, but he vaguely remembered having an older sister figure named Ma Xiaotao in that timeline. However, ten thousand years was a long time, and he knew that history books were often filled with lies and inaccuracies. He would have to research carefully to find the truth.
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