Chapter 153: You Don't Understand Us Geniuses (2)
When Su Yu recalled how Bai Feng wanted him to place top 10 in the next monthly examination, he asked, "When is the next monthly exam?"
"The monthly exam is held on the 30th of each month." Xia Huyou answered, "The results will be released on the 1st of each month. Those in the bottom 10 will be punished. Placing in the bottom 10 for 3 consecutive times will result in expulsion. Of course, that would never happen to people like us. If you place in the top 10, you will be rewarded. You can try fighting for that. Since you're in the intermediate class, I doubt anyone there can compete against you. All the freaks are in the senior class."
Su Yu was stunned as a certain realization hit him. That made a lot of sense! There were no Mental Tempering Stage students in the intermediate class. Could anyone there compete against him? He sank into thought.
Even Bai Feng must have forgotten that all the Mental Tempering Stage students were in the senior class when asking for him to place in the top 10. In other words, all the high-tier and freak students were in the senior grade. Su Yu was the sole high-tier student in the intermediate class.
When Xia Huyou saw that Su Yu was deep in thought, he added, "Combat strength won't be that important for the exam. For the intermediate class, you will mainly be tested on the basics. Only at the senior class would your combat strength be tested. Therefore, you might not be guaranteed first place, but I doubt you will have any issue placing in the top 10."
He was worried that Su Yu would look for him after failing to place first. Sure, Su Yu was quite strong as a ninth-stage Source Opening cultivator, but the monthly examination would most likely not involve combat.
"I understand." Su Yu nodded. "Forget about that for now. Get me 30 drops of iron-winged bird blood essence."
Xia Huyou's eyes lit up. This was a big transaction!
"The official channel is selling it at 150 merit points. We're friends so I'll take 120 merit points from you. I'm being honest! The market price has increased recently. In the past, I could sell it at 90 merit points, but recently, the academy is cracking down on us so prices have increased accordingly."
He knew that Su Yu still had 110 merit points. With the 10 merit points he had just given Su Yu, Su Yu had 120 merit points in total, just nice to meet his quoted price! He was going to empty Su Yu's pockets! That was what all businessmen should aspire to do!
Su Yu glared at the chubby guy in front of him. What a greedy businessman. This bastard had definitely checked his remaining merit points before offering the price of 120 merit points. That was too much of a coincidence.
"90 merit points. I can't go any higher than that."
"Brother, my dearest brother, I really can't sell it that cheaply!" Xia Huyou wailed sullenly. "You need to let me earn enough to at least cover the travel expenses, right? How about 115 merit points? I really can't go any lower."
"I'll have to think about it."
Su Yu decided to ask around and compare prices before buying. For example, the senior sister he met when he first entered the academy. This was a big transaction. He would see if she could offer him a different price.
Of course, he would buy from Xia Huyou if the two offered similar prices. After all, Xia Huyou would be more reliable.
The Xia Family was rich enough that they wouldn't bother scamming him. As for Senior Sister Zhou, she was too poor. Su Yu was worried that she would report his transaction for the rewards if it was large enough.
After all, one should never tempt a poor person who didn't even have ten thousand dollars with hundreds of thousands of dollars. That would no longer be a test of character. That would be an invitation to commit crime.
"Brother, please don't go! 110 points! Nobody can offer you a better price! Buy from me for safe and secure transactions! I really can't go any lower!"
"I'll think about it. For now, I'm going to take a rest."
Su Yu ignored Xia Huyou. He was going to ask around first. This fellow only looked honest, but he was in fact a greedy businessman.
Bang!
Su Yu shut his door. Outside, Xia Huyou had a sullen expression as he gave his final offer, "100 merit points! If anyone can offer a lower price, feel free to buy from them. I guarantee you nobody in the academy can offer a lower price."
Su Yu did not say anything. Xia Huyou could only leave reluctantly. What a pity. This was a night of failed transactions.
He had failed to buy Su Yu's blood essence and he had also failed to seal the deal for the blood essence Su Yu wanted to purchase. He felt as terrible as someone who had lost hundreds of millions of dollars.
...
Back in his own room, Xia Huyou took out his communicator and dialed a number. When the call connected, he laughed and asked, "Brother, are you interested in buying Su Yu's information? I guarantee you this information is fresh and accurate. No one else will know it before you!"
"What? He's a new student. What is the point of buying his information? Brother, geniuses are constantly changing. Do you really think his information from a few months ago can be taken seriously?"
"Fine. How about this? I'll tell you the information. If you think it's useless, don't pay. I, Xia Huyou, am a reputable businessman you can trust. If you think the information is useful, just pay me 10 merit points. If you pay and regret buying the information after, feel free to destroy my reputation."
...
And after a short conversation with the other person, joy covered Xia Huyou's face. This was profitable! He could sell this information for 10 merit points to each buyer. And he could sell the same information to at least 10 different buyers. Of course, the more times he sold the information, the less valuable it would be.
After all, those people had their own networks and it was only a matter of time before the information leaked. But no matter what, he was going to make a huge profit this time.
"Thank the heavens for Su Yu. Thank the heavens for Bai Feng."
Xia Huyou muttered with a wide smile on his face. If it wasn't for Bai Feng's performance earlier today, Su Yu's faction would have remained forgotten by the masses. But now, interest in Bai Feng and Su Yu was growing.
He didn't have Bai Feng's information, but he wouldn't dare to sell Bai Feng's information either. He was afraid of getting beaten up by Bai Feng. But it was different for Su Yu. It would be pointless even if the others could buy Bai Feng's information since they wouldn't be able to do anything to him. But they could always buy Su Yu's information as he was much more vulnerable in comparison.
Xia Huyou started considering getting even closer to Su Yu. After today, many people in the academy had their eyes on Bai Feng and Su Yu. From today onward, that pair of teacher and student would become his money tree.
"90 merit points...yes, at worst, I'll sell him the blood essence for 90 merit points!"
Xia Huyou firmed his heart and decided to invest more on his relationship with Su Yu. This might be the start of a really profitable relationship.
...
At the same time.
Mental Tempering Garden, special zone.
Xia Chan opened her door with a frown. Chen Qi stepped forth cautiously, took a deep breath, and said, "Xia-Martial Aunt Xia..."
He felt very uncomfortable calling her that. But Xia Chen was Vice Principal Zhou's student and was Hu Wensheng's junior sister. Thus, as Hu Wensheng's student, he had to address her as his martial aunt. Of course, if they were from different factions, there was no need for him to address her that way.
"Yes?"
Xia Chan answered coldly. She did not seem to care that she was speaking to a stronger cultivator.
"Martial Aunt Xia, you must have learned of what happened earlier. Su Yu took my mountainbreak bull blood essence..."
Xia Chan frowned and said, "Senior Brother Hu was the one who had lost the blood essence."
Chen Qi clenched his teeth and said, "I know. But none of that would have happened if Bai Feng hadn't challenged my teacher..."
"What exactly are you trying to say here?"
"I...I know that Su Yu still has a free entry into the source character grotto. He will definitely go to that grotto for his breakthrough into the Great Strength Realm. I no longer have a free entry. Martial Aunt Xia, can you help me ruin his breakthrough? If he manages to break through, he will definitely use the blood essence! Of course, I won't let you do this for free..."
Xia Chan shut the door in his face. She didn't lack resources. Why must she help Chen Qi?
"Martial Aunt Xia, please help me. Just make sure he'll reach the Mental Tempering Stage before the Great Strength Realm. The moment he reaches the Mental Tempering Stage, I can deal with him myself. I just can't allow him to reach the Great Strength Realm and use the blood essence before then..."
Chen Qi was very anxious. He wanted nothing more than to see Su Yu reaching the Mental Tempering Stage. In the academy, not much importance was placed on physical strength. Thus, the moment both Su Yu and him were in the Mental Tempering Stage, he would finally be able to face Su Yu himself. But not now.
.
Therefore, he needed Su Yu to get into the Mental Tempering Stage first. Otherwise, there wouldn't be anything he could do after Su Yu used up the blood essence.
"Martial Aunt Xia, this is grandteacher's wish..." Chen Qi clenched his teeth and said, "Su Yu's faction has always been at odds with our faction. Grandteacher agrees with the suppression of Su Yu. The things we lost must be retrieved as well. Otherwise, we would be reduced into a joke in the eyes of the outsiders..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Xia Chan coldly said, "Idiot. I will naturally suppress Su Yu after he reaches the Great Strength Realm and Mental Tempering Stage. I don't need your help. If you want the blood essence, do something yourself. Is a weakling like you qualified to order me around? Scram!"
Xia Chan’s voice was laced with disdain. What a joke. How would she allow a weakling to order her around? She was a freak. What was a freak? A freak was someone capable of defeating all their peers, suppressing everyone with the same cultivation level. Only someone capable of doing that would be qualified to be called a freak.
If she didn't even have the confidence to do that much, she should just forget about being considered one of the freaks anymore.
So what if Su Yu managed to enter the Great Strength Realm? So what if Su Yu managed to enter the Mental Tempering Stage? Things would only be more interesting if he could do all that. What was the point of bullying the weak? Letting Su Yu forge his body with mountainbreak bull blood essence? Even better!
If Su Yu was going to forge his body with some ordinary blood essence, she might not even be interested in going after him. After a momentary silence, Xia Chan said, "It is even better that he has the mountainbreak bull blood essence. A weakling like you can make do with some ordinary blood essence."
...
Chen Qi was so infuriated he almost broke his own teeth from clenching them too hard. That was too excessive! He did not say anything and turned around to leave. He had thought that Xia Chan would agree since they both came from the same faction. He had even used Zhou Mingren's name to solicit her help, but she had still refused.
"What a bitch! I'll make you regret this!"
Chen Qi cursed. Even without her, he could still get someone else to help! A short while later, he was knocking on a different door. And was immediately kicked away.
Wu Lan berated, "Scram! You trash! You scheming snake! You dare to use me as a tool in your scheme? I, Wu Lan, am blessed with great talent. Even if I look down on Su Yu, I will only defeat him with my own strength. A piece of garbage like you should stay far away from me!
"This is so infuriating! Piece of trash! Sure enough, useless bastards like you are only good at scheming in the shadows! How can worms like you understand the world of geniuses like us? Be thankful that I respect your teacher, Assistant Hu. Otherwise, you would have regretted showing your face here today!"
...
Arrogant. Domineering. Just like Xia Chan. No, Wu Lan was even more arrogant.
Wu Lan was furious. Chen Qi was insulting her. Was she that kind of person? So what if Su Yu managed to enter the Great Strength Realm? Would she lose to him? She would beat Su Yu up herself and make him apologize for being so cocky in front of her back then!
With a snort, she slammed the door shut.
Wu Lan couldn't be bothered to say anything else to Chen Qi. She was also not bothered about his anger. As a mere weakling, he wasn't qualified to participate in the games of geniuses like them. He should just stay far away from them. In Wu Lan's opinion, people like Chen Qi should be expelled from the academy instead. What a waste of air.
Chen Qi was only a high-middle student during his entrance examination last year while Wu Lan was a high-high student! Standing behind the door, Wu Lan had a proud look on her face as that thought entered her mind.
Only geniuses with high-high evaluation were worthy of her attention. As for high-middle students, they weren't worth her time.
...
Standing outside, Chen Qi felt thoroughly humiliated. He had not seen this coming. He had actually been kicked out by Wu Lan. He even received a harsh scolding from her. Wasn't it rumored that Su Yu had offended her in Nanyuan?
Chen Qi was furious. He even felt like slapping that woman to death. She was even more hateful than Xia Chan. Her words were too harsh. No matter what, Xia Chan was already at the Great Strength Realm. Meanwhile, Wu Lan was not even at the Great Strength Realm yet. What gave her the confidence to be so arrogant?
But next, he recalled Wu Qi. A certain terrifying legend appeared in his mind...and his anger vanished. He decided to forget about Wu Lan. Wu Qi wasn't someone he could afford to offend.