A small Negotiation

She vividly recalled the state he had been in—both arms shattered, bones twisted at unnatural angles, his ribs fractured beyond repair. Yet now, as she used her spiritual perception to examine him, she found that his ribcage had already mended, and his arms had been reforged as if they had never been broken.

This kind of healing ability… Even with mid-grade medicine, such a rapid recovery should have been impossible unless—

Her thoughts trailed off, and she narrowed her eyes.

Ye Xian laughed. "Well, I was on the brink of death," he admitted. "Until Principal Shea gave me a special medicine." He shrugged. "Worked wonders, didn't it?"

Ye Qianying exhaled sharply. Seeing him sitting there, looking better than ever, made her feel a complicated mix of emotions. Anxiety, relief… and irritation.

Here she had been, worrying herself sick, only to find him looking so perfectly at ease. For a brief moment, she had the urge to slap him.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"What happened to you? Are you really okay?"

As she spoke, Ye Xian's gaze flickered downward, noticing the faint, thin slashes on her arms. His eyes darkened.

"You got hurt," he said, his voice losing its usual playfulness.

Before she could react, he reached out, gently taking her arm. His touch was careful, almost reverent, as he examined the wounds.

Ye Qianying stiffened slightly, but before she could protest, Ye Xian retrieved a small jade bottle from his spatial ring. A little green liquid remained inside. He dipped his finger into it, then carefully applied the medicine to her wounds with deliberate precision.

Even though high-level cultivators had a reduced healing response to common medicine, this particular remedy was potent enough to accelerate the recovery of minor injuries like hers.

Ye Qianying watched in silence, feeling an odd sense of embarrassment at being treated like this. Yet, she didn't pull away. Instead, she observed how focused he was, how his usually mischievous demeanor softened as he tended to her wounds.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained quiet, simply watching as Ye Xian continued to apply the medicine with gentle care.

The wound on Ye Qianying's arm healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Ye Xian traced his fingers along her skin, deliberately caressing her arm as if admiring a delicate work of art.

A playful glint flickered in his eyes as he felt the smooth, soft texture, appreciating her beauty in a way that made her heart race.

Ye Qianying's face flushed. She quickly withdrew her arm, her voice a little flustered as she whispered.

"Thank you."

Ye Xian smirked but replied sincerely.

"No problem. You just saved my life—this is nothing compared to that. This debt…I can't repay it in this lifetime. The only thing I can do is work like an ox for you."

He held both of her hands, his tone earnest and unwavering.

Ye Qianying's cheeks turned even redder. She understood Ye Xian's mischievous nature, sometimes charming, sometimes annoying—but after seeing him safe and well, a warm feeling bloomed in her heart.

Before she could say anything, a light cough came from the door.

"Ahem."

Ye Qianying jumped back like a startled rabbit, freeing her hands from Ye Xian's grasp.

Shea Viridessa, the principal of Azure Sky Academy, stood at the entrance with an amused smirk. "Looks like I interrupted something important," she remarked, her emerald eyes twinkling with mischief.

Ye Xian chuckled, unfazed.

"If you knew, then why interrupt? You ruined the best part."

Before he could finish, he was met with sharp glares from both women, making him awkwardly scratch his cheek in embarrassment.

The Principal's Verdict

Shea Viridessa strode inside, her presence commanding respect despite her relaxed demeanor. She glanced at Ye Xian, noting his rapid recovery, and said, "Looks like you're getting better."

Ye Xian grinned. "Yes, thanks to you, Principal."

Ye Qianying stepped forward and respectfully bowed. "Thank you, Principal Viridessa, for healing him."

Shea nodded, then her gaze turned serious. "Lu Zhe will be punished accordingly. He abused his authority, violated academy regulations, and nearly killed a student. He will be stripped of his position and face disciplinary action."

Ye Xian crossed his arms and frowned. "That's it?"

Shea arched an eyebrow.

"What, that's not enough?"

Ye Xian scoffed.

"Didn't you see what that bastard did to me? I nearly died! I need proper compensation."

Shea sighed, already anticipating trouble. "And what exactly do you want?"

Ye Xian grinned shamelessly.

"One million ki stones," he declared boldly, and for a long, dead moment the room fell silent.

Ye Qianying and Principal Shea Viridessa stared at him, utterly speechless. Finally, Shea's lips twitched into a wry smile.

"That's impossible," she said, shaking her head as if dismissing a wild fantasy.

Raising an eyebrow, Ye Xian countered, "Why not? Surely the academy has a secret vault brimming with ki stones?"

With a casual flick of her wrist, Shea sent a spatial ring spinning through the air until it landed neatly in his palm.

"Here. These are the ki stones—about 33,000. Take it."

Ye Xian twirled the ring between his fingers, his grin growing wider.

"Well, since Lu Zhe was such a big shot in the academy, shouldn't his punishment be more severe? How about giving me 500,000 ki stones instead? I might just drop half that demand right now!"

Shea sighed and shook her head. "Lu Zhe doesn't have that much. If he did, he wouldn't have spent years hoarding a mere 33,000 ki stones."

Undeterred, Ye Xian's smirk faded into a determined frown. "Alright then—300,000 ki stones!" he challenged.

Shea shot him a dry look. "Didn't I say he doesn't have that much?"

Clicking his tongue in mild annoyance, Ye Xian pressed on, "Tsk. How about 200,000 ki stones? Surely the academy can spare a little extra compensation for me—I nearly died out there!"

Folding her arms and fixing him with an unwavering gaze, Shea replied, "Ye Xian, I already told you—Lu Zhe isn't some hidden tycoon. His entire savings amounts to 33,000 ki stones, and that's all you're getting from him. No more, no less."

Ye Xian groaned, rubbing his forehead in mock frustration. "Then how much is the academy planning to compensate me?"

Shea arched an eyebrow. "I just saved your life, used precious healing elixr and handed you every single ki stone Lu Zhe had. What more do you want? A bonus gift wrapping?"

Ye Xian chuckled and grumbled, "Maybe a little extra for the mental trauma—perhaps a personal resource stipend, or even a treasure from the academy vault?"

Shea's patience visibly wore thin.

"Ye Xian, be grateful you got what you did. If you keep pushing, I might just have to take that ring back and send you back to remedial training!"

Quickly pocketing the ring, Ye Xian laughed, "Alright, alright, no need for threats. I'll take what I can get."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Shea smirked, "Good. Now stop acting like a merchant haggling in the marketplace."

Ye Qianying, watching the banter with amusement, shook her head.

"I swear, Ye Xian, you never change."

Grinning shamelessly, he replied, "Why would I? Being me is just too much fun!"

Then, after a final inspection of the ring that confirmed its contents, Shea added, "Oh, and you can keep the ring too—it belonged to Lu Zhe."

Ye Xian paused, momentarily surprised as he glanced at Shea, realizing she had handled everything flawlessly—punishing Lu Zhe, healing him, and even preparing the compensation without a hitch.

"Not bad, Principal. You really know how to handle a crisis," he said, twirling the ring once more.

Shea smirked knowingly. "Of course. If I didn't, the academy would be in chaos—and trust me, you wouldn't like the mess."

As Shea Viridessa prepared to leave the infirmary, she turned back to Ye Xian and Ye Qianying, her expression composed yet carrying a trace of amusement.

"Before I go, you might want to hear about what happened during the fight," she said.

Ye Xian, still resting on the infirmary bed, raised an eyebrow. He had only caught glimpses of Ye Qianying appearing in the arena before losing consciousness. Now, hearing Shea mention it, his curiosity was piqued.

Shea continued, "Ye Qianying defeated Lu Zhe in a direct confrontation. He may have been the Head of Law Enforcement, but in terms of true combat ability, he was no match for her. She overwhelmed him and exposed his abuse of authority for personal gain. Because of that, she won't receive any punishment. In fact, the academy recognizes her actions as just—she protected the students and prevented a corrupt official from taking advantage of his position."

Ye Xian's eyes widened. He turned to Ye Qianying, astonished. "You actually took him down?"

Ye Qianying, ever composed, simply nodded. "He underestimated me. That was his mistake."

Ye Xian grinned. "Damn, I missed a good show."

Shea smirked slightly.

"Yes, you did. But you should be grateful—if she hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't be here chatting right now."

Ye Xian scoffed. "I would've handled it… eventually."

Shea rolled her eyes. "Sure. Anyway, take care, and try not to cause more chaos—at least for a while."

With that, she left the infirmary, her footsteps fading into the distance.