pertwk Chapter 36 The strong must ruthlessly humiliate the weak!
Chapter 36 The strong must ruthlessly humiliate the weak!
Li Fulan's elixir business was booming.
How popular was he? So popular that every morning, as soon as he set up his stall, all twelve pills would be sold out in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. So popular that noble students even started queuing overnight outside his dormitory to buy the medicine. So popular that even the merchant guild from the neighboring Tian Dou City sent people to inquire about him, wanting to discuss an "exclusive agency" deal.
In just half a month, Li Fulan transformed from an unknown work-study student into the most sought-after and popular figure at Notting College.
When walking on the street, people who know him or not greet him.
"Hello, Teacher Li!"
"Good morning, Brother Li! Do you have any stock today?"
"Mr. Li, could you save one for me? I'll pay extra!"
Li Fulan accepted all the compliments with a smile, feeling incredibly pleased with herself.
But what truly elevated his status was the change in attitude of the old foxes at the academy.
Flander, the dean of Notting Academy, was notoriously stingy and mercenary. The old man was usually incredibly frugal, even skimping on the oil in the teachers' canteen. But ever since he learned that Li Fulan's pills could sell for ten gold soul coins each, his attitude changed completely.
First, they sent someone to "offer condolences" and brought a basket of fruit.
Then he personally visited the college to discuss the "grand blueprint for the college's development."
Finally, a transfer order came down, and Li Fulan was promoted to the academy's "Special Teaching Assistant" in a special way, specifically responsible for teaching a newly opened elective course - "Soul Power Basics and Resource Application".
To put it bluntly, it means letting him sell medicine under the academy's name, with the academy taking a 30% cut.
Li Fulan was fully aware of this, but he couldn't be bothered to expose it. With the academy's backing, his business would only thrive. A win-win situation, why not?
Thus, the title "Teacher Li" was officially confirmed.
Today was his third time attending class.
Although it's advertised as an elective course, its popularity is astonishing.
The spacious lecture hall was packed, with people even crowding the aisles. Some sat on the steps, some leaned against the walls, and a few of the bolder ones even climbed onto the windowsills just to get a better look at Teacher Li on the podium.
The air was filled with a mixture of the smells of ink, sweat, and that unique, heart-pounding aroma of medicine.
Li Fulan dressed up specially today.
He wore a well-tailored dark green robe with gold thread embroidered on the cuffs, a jade belt around his waist, and his hair was neatly combed. He looked both refined and noble.
He stood on the podium, holding a pointer in his hand, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.
"Students, quiet down."
The noisy classroom fell silent instantly, and hundreds of eyes stared at him.
"I know that many of you here have heard this outdated theory. It says that cultivating soul power requires gradual progress, personal effort, and understanding the natural world… Ha."
He let out a soft chuckle.
"Levels 0 to 10 represent the first stage of a Soul Master's cultivation. It's like laying the foundation for a house; if the foundation isn't solid, how can you build a tall building in the future?"
He turned around abruptly and slammed his pointer heavily on the blackboard.
"Yet some people, at this most crucial stage, are superstitious about 'natural body tempering' and refuse any external assistance. What is this? This is foolishness!"
A chorus of agreement erupted from the audience.
Li Fulan's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the corner of the last row of the classroom.
Tang San.
He was wearing his faded school uniform, his back ramrod straight, looking down at a plant guide.
The kid's complexion was worse than it had been two weeks ago; he had dark circles under his eyes and had lost a lot of weight.
Yu Xiaogang is dead.
Although Tang Hao arrived in time that day, he was ultimately too late. The internal injuries caused by the armor-piercing bullet were too severe, and Yu Xiaogang breathed his last in Tang Hao's arms, without even leaving a final word.
However, Tang Hao didn't let Tang San be depressed for long. The old man took him to wander around the Soul Beast Forest for three days, where they found a ten-year-old Mandragora Snake, allowing Tang San to absorb his first soul ring.
Yellow spirit ring, ten-year duration.
"Tang San, classmate."
Li Fulan's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
Tang San stiffened for a moment, then slowly stood up.
"Teacher Li, what advice do you have for me?"
"I'm curious, since my medicine shop opened, almost every teacher and student in the school has patronized it. Only you, Tang San, seem to have never stepped foot inside?"
Tang San took a deep breath.
"Teacher Li, I believe that a Soul Master's cultivation should be grounded in reality. Every medicine has its side effects; over-reliance on external aids will lead to an unstable foundation."
"Unstable foundation?"
Li Fulan shook her head.
"Tang San, do you really not want to eat, or can't you afford it at all?"
Tang San's face turned bright red.
"I don't take medication because I believe in my own potential!"
"Potential? Good."
Li Fulan waved his coaching baton.
"Since you believe so much in potential, let's conduct a comparative experiment. Zhang Wei, come up here."
"Okay, Teacher Li!"
Zhang Wei jumped up from his seat and sprinted up to the podium.
Zhang Wei was a completely different person now compared to just two weeks ago. His school uniform clung tightly to his body, revealing the outline of his bulging muscles. His skin had an eerie bronze color and a glossy sheen.
But what's most striking is his head—a strange, pointed bulge rises from the top of his head, its tip reflecting light.
Zhang Wei turned around and looked at Tang San with disdain.
"Tang San, today I'll show you what the power of elixirs really is!"
boom!
He stomped his foot, and a layer of pale white soul power erupted from his body.
Immediately afterwards, a yellow halo rose from beneath his feet—a ten-year soul ring!
Zhang Wei was extremely pleased with himself.
Looking at Tang San's impoverished appearance, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up. This kid always boasts about "natural cultivation," ha, to put it bluntly, isn't he just someone who can't afford drugs?
The soul power cultivated naturally is bound to be impure and chaotic.
And what about yourself?
I've climbed this ladder by consuming pills one by one!
Each one was a premium product personally crafted by Teacher Li, with pure medicinal properties and remarkable effects. Over the past half month, he had consumed at least thirty or forty of them, and his soul power foundation was as solid as iron, definitely a hundred times stronger than that of Tang San, who used unorthodox methods!
"Both are level 10, and both have yellow spirit rings."
Li Fulan stepped aside, crossing her arms.
"One relies on elixirs for strength, the other on natural cultivation. Who's stronger will be revealed in a single test. Tang San, do you dare to come up here?"
Tang San remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly walked towards the podium.
He didn't speak, but simply released his martial spirit.
Blue Silver Grass.
A similar yellow halo rose from beneath his feet. That was the soul ring of the Mandragora Serpent, ten years old.
Two level 10 Soul Masters, each with a yellow Soul Ring, faced each other directly.
"start!"
Li Fulan gave the order.
Zhang Wei launched the first attack. His martial spirit was an iron-backed wild boar, which followed a strength-based approach. The wild boar in the phantom was covered in iron-gray bristles, and its tusks were sharp enough to cut through rocks.
"Take this!"
Zhang Wei roared, his soul power surging, his fist wrapped in a layer of pale white light, and smashed towards Tang San's face.
The punch was powerful and heavy, accompanied by a whooshing sound. The sheer pressure alone made the students in the front row involuntarily shrink back.
Tang San dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
But Zhang Wei's attacks came like a machine gun, with the second and third punches coming one after another, giving Tang San no chance to catch his breath.
"Hiding, hiding, all you do is hide!"
Zhang Wei grinned maliciously, his fists swinging faster and faster.
"Come at me head-on if you dare!"
Tang San dodged while releasing his Blue Silver Grass. Several vines sprouted from the ground, attempting to entangle Zhang Wei's ankles.
But Zhang Wei didn't dodge at all.
He stepped on the vines and crushed the blue silver grass.
"That's it? Is that all you've got?"
Zhang Wei laughed loudly and, taking advantage of Tang San's momentary distraction, punched him in the chest.
boom!
Tang San was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the podium, his mouth bleeding from the impact.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Zhang Wei strode over, looking down at Tang San lying on the ground with disdain in his eyes.
"Is this your 'natural cultivation'? Is this your 'down-to-earth' approach?"
He stepped on Tang San's chest and ground it.
"Garbage is garbage, no matter how much you train it, it's still garbage!"
Tang San gritted his teeth and tried to struggle, but Zhang Wei's strength was too great, and he couldn't move at all.
Do you know why you lost?
Zhang Wei leaned down, his face almost touching Tang San's, and spoke in a very low voice, but everyone around could hear him.
"Because you're poor. Because you can't afford elixirs. Because you can only crawl slowly like a stray dog, relying on your pitiful talent."
He straightened up and kicked Tang San aside.
"Go back to your doghouse, you poor wretch! From now on, remember to steer clear of me if you see me, don't sully my eyes!"
The students around watched this scene, but instead of speaking up, they started to grumble.
"Well played!"
"That's exactly how he should be dealt with!"
"What's wrong with the strong ruthlessly humiliating the weak?"
"Serves him right for being broke!"
"If you can't afford the pills, don't embarrass yourself in public!"
Hearing these voices, Zhang Wei's smugness deepened. He turned around and bowed respectfully to Li Fulan.
"Teacher Li, I've made a fool of myself."
Li Fulan nodded with a smile.
"Zhang Wei performed exceptionally well. This is the power of elixirs, the result of scientific cultivation."
His gaze swept across the classroom, finally settling on the figure huddled on the floor.
"Tang San, do you still believe in your 'sweat and effort'?"
Tang San used the ground as leverage to get up with difficulty.
Blood was still trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his school uniform was covered in dust; he looked extremely disheveled.
But his eyes remained stubbornly fixed on Li Fulan, without uttering a single word.
Still being stubborn?
Zhang Wei walked over again, raised his hand as if to slap him.
"Zhang Wei, that's enough."
Li Fulan called out to him.