Wen Wubin, known for being fiercely protective, not only helped Su Mu secure the Jiao pearl but also obtained research funding for him-or perhaps it was more accurate to call it funding for being researched?
What more could Su Mu ask for? He cheerfully replied, “Sure thing,” and then took out the Jiao pearl from his school badge.
Before the old professor could speak, his assistant, who had just caught sight of the Jiao pearl, exclaimed, “Huh, why is this Jiao pearl red?”
The assistant had only recently started following the old professor and had never seen a real Jiao pearl. Although the school had an Azure Jiao, she needed the courage and capability to provoke it. Otherwise, she might end up losing her life before ever seeing the Jiao pearl, which would be tragic.
Upon hearing her question, Su Mu casually replied, “It’s Jiao blood; I added Jiao blood.”
Unfortunately, neither the old professor nor the assistant caught his joke.
The assistant muttered, “No wonder it’s so red.”
The old professor, on the other hand, smiled and said, “It seems Old Wen is truly good to you. Not only did he let you keep the Jiao pearl, but he also gave you Jiao blood. Hmm, adding Jiao blood to the Jiao pearl greatly enhances its effectiveness for cultivation. You’re quite clever.”
Su Mu wanted to say it wasn’t his cleverness but the pearl’s own spiritual nature, but he held back and didn’t boast.
The old professor called in several other experts to conduct a series of tests on the Jiao pearl.
Su Mu couldn’t quite make out what tests they performed. He only knew that the instruments were covered with complex runes, indicating they were highly advanced research equipment. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take them apart to study, and even if he could, his current cultivation level wouldn’t allow him to understand them.
After a lot of fuss, the experts and professors came up with a heap of data and conclusions.
Curious, Su Mu leaned over to take a look.
The experts and professors didn’t hide the information from him, but unfortunately, it was all in professional symbols, like a celestial script, completely incomprehensible to him.
After finishing their work, the experts returned the Jiao pearl to Su Mu.
The same old professor approached Su Mu to discuss further. “We have basically understood the condition of this Jiao pearl. Now, we’re returning it to you. Thank you for your cooperation. Your reward will be issued through the task system shortly. You may leave now.”
They use me and then dismiss me, how realistic can they get?
Su Mu felt a bit like someone who was once called sweetie but now is just a workhorse. Nonetheless, he obediently put away the Jiao pearl. Just as he was about to leave, he asked, “Professor, what exactly is the relationship between this Jiao pearl and the Ying fish?”
The old professor didn’t hide anything and truthfully replied, “It’s still unclear for now. However, our research has shown that this Ying fish is quite different from ordinary Ying fish. To put it simply, it has mutated or evolved. But whether this change happened naturally or started after it acquired the Jiao pearl, we can’t be certain yet. We need more research.”
“Mutated?” Su Mu was a bit scared when he heard the term and quickly asked, “Can this fish still be eaten?”
The old professor burst into laughter. “You really took those two pieces of meat from the Ying fish’s belly? You’ve got some impressive knife skills; we almost didn’t notice. Don’t worry, whether it’s mutated or evolved, it’s moving towards transforming into a dragon. Its meat is safe to eat.”
“That’s good.” Su Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, the old professor then put on a serious face and sternly said, “Of course, based on our current research, it seems safe. Whether this conclusion will be overturned in the future, we can’t say for sure.”
What?! Su Mu was shocked. So, does this mean the fish meat isn’t safe after all?
“Hahaha.” The old professor couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud at Su Mu’s reaction. “I’m just messing with you. With Old Wen watching over you, what are you afraid of? Even if the Ying fish meat has any issues, he can resolve it for you.”
“You’re just teasing me, aren’t you?” Su Mu said with a wry smile.
What’s with all these professors at our school? Why do they all seem so unserious? Could it be that with higher cultivation levels, their personalities revert to childlike innocence? Or maybe they become more true to themselves?
“So, is there really no problem with the Ying fish meat?” Su Mu pressed on. After all, it wasn’t just him who had eaten it-his friends and sister had as well. Even if he wasn’t worried for himself, he had to be concerned for them.
“Relax, there’s no problem.” The old professor waved his hand, indicating that Su Mu could leave now.
Upon returning home, the rewards had already arrived. In addition to the reward for assisting with the research, the bounty for hunting the Ying fish had also been issued. After consulting Wen Wubin about the value of the Jiao pearl, Su Mu transferred the money to the accounts of Gu Ranxi and the others.
Luckily, he had earned quite a bit recently through his Foundation Building tutoring classes and by selling several succulent magical tools. Otherwise, he would have been broke in an instant.
Two more days passed.
Su Mu completed and passed the most basic theoretical courses for all four of his majors, earning permission to move on to the next stage of his studies.
The new phase of courses had also appeared, but they wouldn’t officially start until the beginning of the next month.
Su Mu glanced at the new courses. There were still some theoretical classes, but now there were also more applied courses.
For example, in the alchemical pharmacology major, there were courses like “Diagnostics”, “Anatomy”, and “Introductory Alchemical Formula”.
Previously, Su Mu had studied “Normal Human Anatomy”, but this “Anatomy” course likely covered more than just humans.
In the alchemical cuisine major, courses like “Ingredient Handling”, “Basic Knife Skills”, and “Introductory Spiritual Cuisine Cooking Techniques” were all applied courses.
Especially “Basic Knife Skills”-this course wasn’t just about cutting vegetables; it could also be used in combat. He definitely needed to master it.
Moreover, knowing the school’s usual style, a seemingly insignificant course like “Ingredient Handling” could turn out to be extremely useful!
What are the ingredients for spiritual cuisine? Besides spiritual plants, there are also fantastical beasts! So, “Ingredient Handling” probably includes how to process fantastical beasts. If he mastered this course, wouldn’t dealing with fantastical beasts become much easier?
The advanced courses in runic formation studies were somewhat less exciting, as most of them were still theoretical, like “Runic Structure” and “Principles of Runic Formation Setup”. Thankfully, there were also applied courses like “Introductory Rune Drawing”, which made Su Mu feel a bit better.
As for the advanced courses in artifact cultivation, they finally started covering the creation and repair of magical tools, such as “Magical Tool Design and Principles”, “Material Forming and Processing”, and “Introductory Magical Tool Crafting and Repair Principles”.
Since the textbooks for these courses wouldn’t be available until the beginning of the next month, Su Mu planned to go to the Library and borrow them all in advance to start binge-reading.
“I’m not just a cheater or a pay-to-win player; I’m also a binge-reading master. Just ask if you’re scared!”
Since he had already completed all the foundational courses, he didn’t need to attend classes for a while. This was the perfect time to stay home and binge-read.
Su Mu’s rapid completion of the foundational courses for four majors set another record at Qing City Mountain Cultivation University!
However, this record was not as sensational as his fastest foundation building achievement, so it didn’t cause a huge stir. It was mostly a topic of discussion among the teachers.
Nevertheless, it did spark some incidents-apparently, two nights ago, Wen Wubin was attacked by a group of masked individuals on his way home after completing an experimental project.
The final outcome of the incident was unknown.
Even the veracity of the event was hard to determine.
The school administration and department heads vehemently denied the occurrence, claiming the school was very safe and that such incidents couldn’t possibly happen. They insisted that no outsiders would dare to commit such acts within the school premises!
Although Wen Wubin sustained some injuries, he claimed they were from accidentally scratching himself while petting cats and dogs, not from an attack.
People were puzzled by how someone as strong as Wen Wubin could get scratched by cats and dogs. Meanwhile, several senior professors from the alchemical cuisine, artifact cultivation, and runic formation majors, who had “accidentally fallen and injured themselves,” were heard cursing Wen Wubin, accusing him of insulting them by calling them cats and dogs.
Upon hearing about Wen Wubin’s injury, Su Mu, along with Xiao Yezi, paid him a special visit.
Wen Wubin’s injuries were not severe. Rather than looking like animal scratches, they seemed more like he had been beaten. However, since he claimed they were from cats and dogs, no one dared to question him.
Wen Wubin was delighted to see Su Mu and Su Ye visiting him.
While applying an ice pack to the bruise on his eye, Wen Wubin said to Su Mu, “I’ve heard about your impressive study speed. Very good. I hope you can keep it up, but don’t sacrifice quality for speed. You need to learn both quickly and well. As long as you perform well, I’m happy. Even if I get scratched by more cats and dogs, I’ll still be happy.”
Su Mu initially wanted to ask about the real situation, but after hearing Wen Wubin’s response, he decided not to press further.
“As long as you’re happy…”
Moreover, Wen Wubin didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage, which was reassuring enough.
As Su Mu was about to take his leave, Wen Wubin pulled him aside and whispered, “The issue with the workshop has been mostly approved by the school, but there’s one condition: the school wants a stake in it.”
Su Mu didn’t mind the school taking a stake; in fact, he welcomed it.
Having the school as a partner meant gaining a powerful ally-what’s not to like?
He nodded and said, “The school can take a stake, but I need to be the majority shareholder. The school can’t interfere with my management and operations.”
Wen Wubin reassured him, “Don’t worry about that. The school won’t take a large stake and definitely won’t interfere with your management or operations. If anyone tries, I’ll push back. Besides, the school won’t just take your shares for nothing. In addition to providing the venue, the school can help in many ways, including material supplies, sales channels, and even business permits. After all, over the years, cultivators who graduated from this school are all over the world.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Don’t thank me; this is all because of your own efforts. Your two papers, after passing the review of the ‘Journal of Cultivation Studies’, have garnered significant attention from the school’s top officials. If not for that, this matter would have taken much longer to resolve, and the outcome wouldn’t have been as favorable.”
He added, “Keep up the good work and write more quality papers. While this may not directly improve your cultivation level, it will earn you reputation and status within the school and the cultivation world. This is another form of cultivation. With me here, you don’t need to worry about anything else; just focus on writing!”
“Got it, thank you, Director.”
Su Mu’s gratitude towards Wen Wubin was heartfelt.
“He’s a great teacher, not only highly skilled and respected but also incredibly protective of his students.”
Especially the last part, which made Su Mu very satisfied.