Chapter 41: A Credit Reward

In just a single breath, the black dagger in the hand of the Tang State infiltrator was already within a dozen feet of Vice Dean Xia.

Even Qin Madman's sword—sleek as autumn water and intercepted midair—remained suspended in place. It had yet to strike again. The immense force of the infiltrator's charge swept back Qin Madman's hair and robes like a storm, producing a chilling aura of mutual destruction.

This violent intent, combined with the glacial killing intent in the man's eyes, revealed the truth: the moment his identity was exposed, the infiltrator had immediately changed his target—his goal now was to assassinate Vice Dean Xia!

Yet for some reason, Nangong Mo, the infiltrator, hesitated ever so slightly. His left hand, holding a small golden ceremonial staff, trembled involuntarily, as though awaiting something. But whatever he anticipated never arrived.

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept in from above the black-tiled rooftops. Dead grasses wedged between tiles snapped apart. From the edge of the cliff, an emaciated old man appeared like a god descending. With a thunderous roar, he came crashing down from a rooftop.

As his foot stomped downward with terrifying force, a dazzling yellow light erupted, followed by alternating black and white beams that formed the visage of a fearsome striped tiger. The oppressive sound of the air being crushed was like the bellow of a massive beast.

Nangong Mo tilted his head slightly.

The sky above him seemed to darken—his entire world eclipsed by the old man's descent.

The golden ceremonial staff flew from Nangong Mo's hand and soared upward. At that same instant, a subtle trace of hesitation—a hesitation only cultivators of their level could perceive—seemed to peel away from his body. What remained was pure, unrelenting killing intent.

"Shhh!"

A streak of black light burst from the tip of his dagger, as if the weapon had suddenly ignited, launching a concentrated ray straight toward Vice Dean Xia's brow.

Still, Vice Dean Xia stood motionless. His robe, marked with emblems of the Qilin and Divine Yuān, briefly billowed outward. A yellow beam shot from his fingertip, silently clashing with the incoming black ray.

He remained composed. Only the force from the collision ruffled his gray-white hair slightly. Meanwhile, Nangong Mo's weapon slipped from his grasp—his fingers torn, blood scattering as the blade fell.

"Boom!"

The tiger-shaped force descending from above struck the golden ceremonial staff, knocking it backward into Nangong Mo's shoulder. A sickening crunch echoed—his shoulder collapsed under the blow.

"Kill!"

Even still, the Tang infiltrator uttered no scream. Ignoring the blade now inches from his neck, he spat forth a mouthful of blood and a faint golden beam, launching it once more at Vice Dean Xia's brow.

This final blow—unleashed at the cost of his life—was far more terrifying than the previous strike. In that instant, Nangong Mo was fully consumed by the attack, all thoughts reduced to the golden beam.

Qin Madman's sword, glinting like clear water, sliced open the back of Nangong Mo's robe but did not decapitate him. Instead, a gust of wind passed between Nangong Mo and Vice Dean Xia.

Vice Dean Xia, unmoved, merely watched the golden beam approach—yet his brows held a trace of compassion.

Then a black arrow—seemingly from the heavens—pierced the golden light dead-on.

The killing intent vanished from Nangong Mo's eyes, replaced by a look of release.

The arrow shattered under the golden light's force, but its power was enough to deflect the beam slightly. It merely clipped a few of Vice Dean Xia's white hairs, then fell to the ground with a metallic clang—revealed to be a tiny hiltless sword.

Another flying sword.

Qin Madman's azure sword grazed Nangong Mo's neck, drawing blood—but again, not lethal. Above, the tiger-shaped force crashed down on his back, forcing him to cough blood and collapse to his knees on the stone courtyard.

"You've improved… both in cultivation and archery," Nangong Mo murmured with relief, turning to speak toward the ginkgo grove.

The one-eyed, black-robed instructor stood silent atop a tree limb, eyes sharp as an eagle. He watched his former comrade without a word, then turned and vanished into the grove.

"Vice Dean Xia, I never imagined that despite your injuries, you still retained the cultivation of a Grandmaster. Alone, I could never defeat you," Nangong Mo coughed, blood trickling down his lips.

Vice Dean Xia's expression turned calm. "If you had been born in Yunqin Empire, your achievements would have surely surpassed mine."

"But I wasn't. I was born a Tang State citizen…" Nangong Mo wiped the blood at his throat and muttered, "Though you've confirmed my identity, once I fall, my country will learn of your involvement. Not many are capable of uncovering even a thread of my disguise."

"We'll do our best," Vice Dean Xia replied as he turned away.

To others, his words would be inscrutable, but Nangong Mo understood. A bitter smile appeared on his face. He said nothing more.

Lin Xi awoke in a faint medicinal aroma.

He struggled to open his heavy eyes. He wore a clean blue robe and lay not in his own room.

Sitting beside a gently steaming purple clay furnace was Vice Professor An—a scholarly woman known for her pensive frown. She held a book in her hand, surrounded by shelves packed with scrolls and neatly labeled jars.

"You're awake?" she asked without looking up.

Lin Xi nodded and sat up on the thick mat beneath him. He noticed faint burn marks on his exposed skin, but they were already coated with a cool yellow salve that eased the pain.

Vice Professor An continued in her flat tone: "Don't wash off the salve. Your burns aren't serious. They should heal by tomorrow. How did you know that the student from the Department of Artificing was in that location?"

Her voice was calm—so calm it resembled reciting text. But the question made Lin Xi freeze slightly. In his mind, he recalled her, sleeves torn, holding the frail student. Then it all made sense—why he was here.

"How is that Department of Artificing freshman?" he asked, dodging her question for now.

"He's fine," she replied plainly.

"Oh," Lin Xi gave a small sigh of relief, then answered, "I thought I heard his voice calling for help, so I didn't think too much and just ran in."

"You acted without thought for your own safety. Reckless, but brave. Your courage in protecting your peer deserves recognition. When I found him, he was already unconscious. If not for you, he might not have survived," Vice Professor An said, her tone unchanged. "Therefore, the academy is awarding you one credit."

"One credit… just like that?" Lin Xi's jaw dropped. He had never considered rewards. A single elective course only gave two credits!

Still absorbed in her book, she continued: "This is my Pharmaceutical Research Room. It's not far from the chapel where you had your Medical Arts class today. I'll need help with some of my upcoming classes. If you're available, you can assist me. Over the course of the academic year, that will earn you two additional credits."

These words hit Lin Xi like thunder. He blurted, "You're taking me on as your assistant?"

He recalled Professor Mu Qing once said: if a professor took a liking to you and let you assist with their research, you could earn bonus credits. The thought excited him—and embarrassed him slightly, realizing how ambiguous his question had sounded.

"Yes," she said, still reading, tone unchanged. "You've entered the Chosen Track. You show remarkable memory for medicinal herbs and chose both Medical Arts and Toxicology. You likely have an interest in Herbal Manipulation, so if you're willing, you can assist me every other day for an hour or two. I know you're training under Instructor Tong Wei. That's fine. Just come before or after his sessions."

The deal seemed too good to pass up—flexible hours, no exams, and steady credits. Still cautious, Lin Xi asked, "Vice Professor An, what exactly is your research?"

"I'm testing a few prescriptions. You'll help with early-stage processing of the herbs," she said plainly.

"All right," Lin Xi nodded immediately, relieved it wasn't anything sinister..