Reward

“Either behave yourself and continue being the genius you are. Keep that power hidden, and don’t use it in public again.”

“Or else…”

White Tiger didn’t finish, but the meaning was perfectly clear.

“I understand,” Chen Guan said.

“Good.” White Tiger’s tone finally relaxed. “Kid, you really made a mess this time. Still, it’s not all bad. Getting personally warned by the Chairwoman—you’re the only one in the Guiyuan Group who’s ever had that kind of distinction.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Of course it is.” White Tiger laughed. “All right. When the soldiers come, meet them with soldiers; when the flood comes, block it with earth. She didn’t blow up on the spot, so there’s still room to maneuver. Keep your head down for a while and don’t cause any more trouble. We’ll talk again after things blow over.”

“Got it.”

After ending the call, Chen Guan lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Just as White Tiger had said, he would deal with the future when it came.

If this had happened when Chen Guan had first arrived in this world—if the ruler of the world had threatened him back then—he might have felt uneasy and panicked.

But now, Chen Guan had grown strong enough to stand on his own. Su Jin’s words no longer bothered him all that much.

After all, he couldn’t die. He remained as laid-back as ever: whenever trouble arose, he called for backup; whenever someone attacked him, he teleported away. Once he finished adding his points—

I don’t eat beef.

…

The next day, at ten in the morning, in the small reception room outside the principal’s office.

Sixteen people had been summoned there by a single notice.

There were no gold bars or penguins, but the huanghuali wood tea table gave off a delicate fragrance, while ink paintings hung on the walls. Everywhere one looked, there was an understated luxury.

But at that moment, no one was in the mood to appreciate it.

Qin Wu kept shifting around on the sofa, unable to sit still.

“What kind of setup is this? The principal and Dean Sima are personally inviting us to dinner. Why do I feel so uneasy?”

As a problem student in his youth, Qin Wu always felt out of place in this seat. It was usually reserved for people who were about to be punished.

Just then, the door to the reception room opened.

Principal Ren Ping and Dean Sima Ming, who had finally shed the word “vice” from his title, entered one after the other.

Both wore smiles on their faces. It was rare to see the two of them looking so cheerful.

“You’re all here. Sit, sit. No need to be nervous.”

Ren Ping waved with a smile. He was wearing a casual-style Tang suit today, which made him seem less imposing and gave him the warmth of an elder.

Sima Ming still wore his usual stern expression, unchanged for a thousand years. However, when his eyes swept over his prized pupil, they softened considerably.

Looking at Ren Ping’s model-teacher-like bearing, Chen Guan couldn’t help recalling what Qin Wu and An Changqing had said earlier.

…Damn it. I can’t look at him the same way anymore…

“The dishes will be here soon. Today’s meal is to celebrate your victory.”

Ren Ping waved a hand, and the teapot floated up on its own, pouring tea for everyone. Amid the curling steam, his voice was warm and gentle.

“In this exchange tournament, you brought Huaqing an enormous amount of glory. Especially in the finals—you took both first and second place. That’s never happened since Huaqing was founded.”

“It was all thanks to the guidance of you and Dean Sima,” An Changqing replied politely. Courtesy was practically carved into his bones.

“Haha, your own efforts were the key.”

Ren Ping smiled and clapped his hands. Right on cue, the cafeteria staff began bringing out the dishes.

“Today’s theme is celebration—and rewards.”

The instant he heard the word “rewards,” Qin Wu’s eyes lit up like two-hundred-watt lightbulbs.

“Principal, what good stuff is the school giving us?”

“You’ll get your share.”

Amused by Qin Wu’s money-grubbing expression, Ren Ping took out a tablet from beside him, swiped a few times, and pushed it toward the four students.

“First, the standard reward: ten thousand credits each, along with permission to choose any three A-grade materials or finished items from the school treasury.”

Listening to Ren Ping, Chen Guan couldn’t help thinking back to the period right after he had first enrolled.

What kind of miserable days had he been living before?

For Chen Guan, who no longer needed to borrow the advanced cultivation chamber, what difference was there between his credit balance and a sideways eight?

“There’s more.”

Ren Ping smiled and tapped the screen. The display changed.

“This is the qualification to enter the secret realm, as promised from the beginning.”

Sima Ming took over. “We call it the Void Secret Realm. The environment inside is extremely harsh.”

“But at the same time, a special species lives there—the Void Beasts. Just as we agreed at the start, you may take whatever you harvest.”

“Of course,” Sima Ming added, “since this is your first time entering, I’ll personally lead the team and escort you for your safety.”

“I won’t interfere with your hunting. However, if you encounter a danger beyond what you can handle, I’ll step in.”

“My task is to bring every one of you back in one piece.”

With Sima Ming, a towering expert, protecting them, the students’ final worries vanished, leaving only boundless anticipation.

After all, not everyone came from a family wealthy enough to raise Void Beasts as pets and playthings like Su Yuehe’s family did.

Even Qin Wu was tempted.

Chen Guan was delighted as well.

His silly little leopard would get to secretly evolve again.

Maybe this time it could finally solve its inability to speak. Chen Guan was more than happy to see his leopard grow stronger.

Perhaps if it kept evolving, it would eventually become like Guan Jinyue and be able to take off on a journey whenever it pleased.

When that happened, he really wouldn’t be able to choose it anymore.

…

Early the next morning, the sixteen students, including Chen Guan, were personally escorted by Sima Ming to the deepest part of the academy.

“This is Huaqing’s treasury, codenamed Kunlun.”

Sima Ming’s voice was as rigid as ever. He walked up to the dozens-of-meters-tall gate and pressed his palm against the identification panel.

“Iris, voiceprint, and genetic sequence. Triple verification.”

“Beep. Verification successful. Welcome, Dean Sima Ming.”

As soon as the cold mechanical voice finished speaking, a low rumble echoed through the area. The massive gate slid open to both sides, revealing a passageway glowing with soft white light.

“Whoa…”

Qin Wu’s mouth fell open wide enough to fit a lightbulb. He stared at the bands of light flowing along the walls of the passage, looking like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.

The principal might not be rich, but the school itself was rolling in money. That was why so many of its faculty members were retired Great Wall operatives.

Chen Guan surveyed his surroundings. The security here was probably tight enough that even White Tiger couldn’t get inside.

“A-grade resources are in the middle section. Feel free to look around.”

Sima Ming led them through a long passage and into a vast hall with an extremely high domed ceiling.

Countless pillars of light descended from the ceiling. An item floated inside each one—weapons and armor, exotic flowers and rare herbs, and all manner of other treasures.

An Changqing didn’t hesitate in the slightest. He headed straight for the sword section.

He had no particular practical needs, but he loved collecting famous swords.

Chen Guan’s goal was clear as well. At this point, he didn’t need all that much, but he was lacking a backup weapon.

After this tournament, everyone probably knew that the scythe was Chen Guan. So Chen Guan felt that, from time to time, he needed to keep a lower profile.