"Wang, what you've done is not right," Liu Shen said, his expression grim. He had come to deliver Wang Linchi's subsidy: a second-tier subsidy consisting of one thousand Excellent Level Soul Kinds and ten thousand yuan. At that moment, his heart felt like it was bleeding. He had originally wanted to pocket the subsidy because Wang Linchi's actions had infuriated him. They had an agreement that Wang Linchi would sell the Soul Skill exclusively to their Liu Family and not to the Court, yet Wang Linchi had gone ahead and done so anyway. However, the dean had found out about his intentions and, after a light reprimand, Liu Shen had reluctantly brought the subsidy to Wang Linchi, though his expression was far from pleasant.
"What are you talking about, Teacher Liu? When have I ever done something improper?" Wang Linchi feigned ignorance.
A glint of coldness flashed in Liu Shen's eyes before he lowered his voice. "You promised not to hand over Soul Seed Boiling to the Court, only to sell it to my Liu Family."
"Yes, and the Soul Seed Boiling I submitted to the Court isn't the Liu Family's version; it's the Court's version. Their effects are different, so how can you claim they're the same Soul Skill? Even if you reported this to the Court, they would say the same," Wang Linchi replied, no longer feigning ignorance now that Liu Shen was being direct.
"Right, they are indeed different," Liu Shen said, gritting his teeth. "The version you gave the Court is ten percent more effective than the one you sold our Liu Family, and its duration is also fifty percent longer! Today, you must give me an explanation, or else..."
Before Liu Shen could finish, Wang Linchi nonchalantly picked up the stack of ten thousand yuan. "Teacher Liu, the Court and the Academy are generous. You contributed nothing yourself, merely using the Academy's subsidy to acquire a Soul Skill. What loss have you possibly incurred?"
The implication was clear: Liu Shen had contributed nothing, using what rightfully belonged to Wang Linchi to trade for his Soul Skill. Yet now, he felt Wang Linchi was scheming. It's like a corrupt official who fails to embezzle money and then claims to have suffered a loss—what kind of reasoning is that?
Moreover, Wang Linchi wasn't wrong; the two Soul Skills were indeed different. Liu Shen only mentioned the improved effect and duration, conveniently omitting the longer cooldown and more significant side effects of the Court's version. Neither of them were exactly paragons of virtue, yet Liu Shen had the audacity to portray himself as the victim.
"You... Fine, fine, fine! I never expected I'd nurtured such an ungrateful brat!" Liu Shen exclaimed, his tone malevolent.
"Teacher Liu, you're mistaken. You haven't helped me with anything. I went through the official procedures and passed the Academy's review," Wang Linchi retorted, a hint of mockery in his voice. These procedures had been handled by Liu Shen himself; they couldn't be more legitimate. If Liu Shen wanted to nitpick or find fault with them, he himself would have to bear responsibility.
He knew Liu Shen was upset because he hadn't given him the second-generation Soul Seed Boiling. But why should he? If he had truly given it to him, it likely would have gone down the drain, just like his second investment in Yan Ming King, only to receive some perfunctory, insincere praise.
"Hmph! We'll see about that!" Liu Shen got up abruptly, preparing to leave.
Just as he turned, he nearly collided with someone, which made his heart leap into his throat.
It was none other than the dean of Qinghe Academy. The dean, seemingly oblivious, patted Liu Shen's shoulder. "Ah, Liu Shen, you've done very well. You've been in this position for quite a while without any change, haven't you?"
"Y-yes, Dean," Liu Shen stammered, certain that the dean had overheard his entire conversation with Wang Linchi. The dean was an Elite Gold Level Awakener; eavesdropping on them was trivially easy for him, and concealing it from a mere Secret Silver Level Awakener like Liu Shen was even simpler.
"You've worked hard. Starting tomorrow, you'll be reassigned to manage the Secret Realms at the South Mine. Consider it a chance to relax for a while," the dean said with an encouraging facade.
The implication was blatant: he was being kicked out, told to get lost.
"Yes, Dean," Liu Shen replied, on the verge of tears. He could only leave, feeling utterly dejected.
Once Liu Shen had left, the dean sat down opposite Wang Linchi. "You've done very well. I didn't come to see you immediately before because of some trivial matters. Can you further improve this Soul Skill·Soul Seed Boiling?" he asked, getting straight to the point.
"Yes, but I need resources," Wang Linchi responded without hesitation. He wasn't bothered by the dean's attitude, which he found quite normal. Since he wasn't a Battle-type Awakener, it was natural that he wouldn't receive overly favorable treatment.
"I can only sponsor you ten thousand yuan. Unfortunately, I can't provide anything else," the dean said calmly. He understood that Wang Linchi was looking for benefits. However, offering an upgrade in subsidy tier or any equivalent Soul Kind was impossible. If Wang Linchi were a Battle-type Awakener, these things would have been simple. Unfortunately, he wasn't, so the dean could only offer money, which he considered of least value—and only ten thousand yuan at that. It was just like the Martial Generals of the Song Dynasty; even if they protected the nation and secured peace for its people, they would still be suppressed by the civil officials.
"However, I can transfer you from the Soul Resemblance and Soul Kind major to the Soul Skill Development major," the dean offered, presenting a tangible benefit. Among the majors, Soul Skill Development was a rather special one. Although it was a lifestyle-type major, its status was second only to the combat-type majors. Therefore, the benefits would be much better than in his current, less popular major.
"And the subsidies? Will they still be in the form of Soul Kinds?" Wang Linchi asked. This was important.
"No, they will be cultivation resources," the dean clarified. His intention was that Wang Linchi should also become capable in combat. However, he didn't hold out much hope, knowing the Soul Kind Wang Linchi had chosen. Thus, he added, "I will convert them into money at a reduced value and hand it over to you."
The meaning was clear: not only would he not provide resources, but he wouldn't even give academic credits—only money.
"Then forget it. I'm fine with my current major," Wang Linchi declined without hesitation. This kind of malice made Wang Linchi feel that the Great View was truly beyond saving. It was worth noting that the Dean of Qinghe Academy was an appointee of the Dajing Court, not a member of the local Great Families. Therefore, to some extent, he was supposed to coordinate with the Qinghe City Government Office to suppress the Great Families and other Sects. Yet, his attitude was also like this, which only served to illustrate the prevailing unhealthy atmosphere. Wang Linchi knew that if he were to transfer to the Soul Skill Development major, he would undoubtedly face restrictions.
The dean didn't insist, merely nodding. "Alright."
He didn't press the issue. In truth, he wasn't very optimistic about Wang Linchi. In his eyes, Wang Linchi had already reached his potential. Without resources to become stronger and having rejected his well-intentioned offer, what future could he possibly have? A student from a small county town simply wasn't worth his attention. On the contrary, a genius like Yan Ming King was the kind of person he should be focusing on.
"I'll wait for you to further improve the Soul Skill·Soul Seed Boiling. If you can make it effective on Good Level Soul Kinds, then a third-tier subsidy will be guaranteed," the dean stated calmly. He didn't care how Wang Linchi handled these Soul Kinds; as long as Wang Linchi produced results, he would help with the application. After all, this would also count as his own achievement. Anything more was out of the question. He couldn't make too many promises to someone he perceived as having no future. This was his prudence as an official.
Indeed, the Dean of the Academy also held an official position within the Dajing Court.