Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"It's not a problem of the price, but my teacher simply has no intention of selling any of these medicinal herbs. I ask for your understanding!" Sun Yuan bowed.
Hearing those words, Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws anxiously.
As long as the other party was willing to sell it, even if he had to risk bankruptcy, he would surely purchase it. But… if the other party wasn't willing to sell it, he couldn't possibly go to the extent of stealing it, right?
Putting aside whether he was a match for Vice School Head You or not, just the fact that they were in the Master Teacher Academy quickly dispelled such thoughts.
"I truly require this saint herb to nourish my daughter's soul in order to save her. I beseech Vice School Head You to just do me this favor…" Taking a deep breath, Wei Changfeng kneeled onto the floor.
"Haa…" Seeing Wei Changfeng's actions, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
For his daughter's sake, he had already kneeled twice.
For a Saint realm expert to put down his dignity and everything he had for another… this is a parent!
Their love for their children is simple and innocent, noble and powerful. For their children, they are willing to do anything.
"I said that I won't sell it! Even if you kneel to your death here, my decision will not change. You should leave!" Vice School Head You waved Wei Changfeng away impassively, unmoved by Wei Changfeng's actions.
"Vice School Head You…" Wei Changfeng's fingernails dug deep into his flesh.
They were all Saint realm experts, existences that stood at the top of Hongyuan City. Yet, despite kneeling down and pleading with Vice School Head You, the latter still remained unmoved.
Seeing that Vice School Head You was unwilling to relent at all, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to step forward to speak in Wei Changfeng's stead, a series of knocking suddenly sounded from the gates.
Dong dong dong dong!
Sun Yuan left to get the door, and before long, he returned with a middle-aged man behind him.
The middle-aged man clasped his fist. "Vice School Head You, my teacher requires a Saint-tier Origin Harnessing Grass for his pill forging!"
"Origin Harnessing Grass?" Vice School Head Xu nodded. "Sun Yuan, go and get it for Zhuo shi!"
"Yes!" Sun Yuan nodded. He walked into the herb garden, dug out a light green-colored medicinal herb, and passed it over to the middle-aged man.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Thank you!" The middle-aged man nodded as he flicked his wrist, taking out ten high-tier spirit stones. "Here is the payment for the medicine!"
Vice School Head You took the spirit stones, and the middle-aged man placed the Origin Harnessing Grass in his storage ring before leaving.
In just a few minutes, this deal was completed.
"Vice School Head You, didn't you say that you aren't going to sell any medicinal herbs? Why did you sell it to that Zhuo shi then?" Seeing how the middle-aged man was able to obtain a medicinal herb so easily from You Xu and yet he had been rejected even though he had already gotten onto his knees, Wei Changfeng clenched his fists in fury, and veins popped out from his temples.
Watching the scene, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows also knitted together into a frown.
If it was You Xu's principle not to sell medicinal herbs to anyone, there would be nothing that they could say… But the other party had rejected Wei Changfeng's desperate request only to sell a medicinal herb to that Zhuo shi so easily the next moment…
This preferential treatment was way too much!
Vice School Head You harrumphed in response. "Zhuo shi's teacher is the head of the Apothecary School, School Head Lu Feng. I have a close relationship with him, so naturally I am willing to sell my medicinal herbs to him. But on the other hand… I don't think that you and I are so close that I need to sell my medicinal herbs to you, right?"
"I…" Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws in indignation, but there wasn't anything he could refute about Vice School Head You's words.
The other party was right. Considering that there was no relationship between them, there was no reason the other party had to sell the medicinal herb to him. If the other party was willing to sell it, it would be goodwill on his part. But if he wasn't, it would be his freedom of choice to do so as well.
Unable to watch on any further, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and clasped his fist. "Vice School Head You is right, but the main use of a medicinal herb should be to save lives. Physicians should have compassion in their hearts; they shouldn't disregard a life just because they aren't close with the other party! The life of Boss Wei's daughter is currently hinging on your Ten-leafed Flower, so I ask of Vice School Head You to have mercy on her!"
"Who are you to butt into our conversation?" Vice School Head You frowned in displeasure.
He was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a vice head of the Physician School. When had he been preached to by another before, not to mention, by a twenty-year-old brat at that?
"I am Zhang Xuan, a freshman of the academy," Zhang Xuan replied.
"Oh, so you are that Zhang Xuan?" Vice School Head You sneered. "I've heard of you. You might have won School Head Mo and School Head Zhao's favor, but before me, you are nothing more than a junior. Know your place!
"Despite being a student of this academy, you chose not to focus your efforts on your study and instead went around stirring trouble, sullying the reputation of master teachers. If you were my student, I would have long expelled you from my lineage!"
At this point, he glanced at Zhang Xuan disdainfully and said, "Before you incur my ire, you'd better leave this instant. Otherwise, don't blame me for getting nasty with you."
"Getting nasty with me?"
"Indeed. Since you are a freshman, you'd better act like one and obey the rules. Yet, here you are, brazen, conceited, and disrespectful… If you continue acting like this, I don't mind teaching you a lesson in your teacher's stead!" With his hands behind his back, Vice School Head You flung his sleeves.
"Teach me a lesson in my teacher's stead? You?"
Sensing the other party's hostility toward him, Zhang Xuan didn't bother holding back either. "Who are you to talk about the reputation of the master teachers? That is something for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Master Teacher Academy to decide! Besides, even though we are in your residence now, this is the property of the academy. Chase me away… Are you sure you are qualified to do so? If I recall correctly…"
At this point, Zhang Xuan's lips curled up in a smirk. "You aren't the school head yet, right?"
If others were to treat him with respect, Zhang Xuan would regard them with respect as well.
But the other party had spoken about how he'd sullied the reputation of the master teachers and that he would expel him from his lineage right from the get-go… No matter how good Zhang Xuan's temper was, how could he tolerate this?
Reputation was extremely important to a master teacher.
Without a clear reputation, how could they earn the respect of others?
This was also one of the reasons Zhang Xuan eventually chose to transfuse his soul essence to Wei Ruyan despite the risks.
Yet, the other party had insulted him as soon as he began to speak. That was a clear provocation, and it had already crossed his bottom line.
"Audacious! Do you know who you are speaking to?" Not expecting a freshman to talk back to him, Vice School Head You's face turned livid with rage.
"Who am I speaking to? Of course I know, 6-star master teacher You Xu, the vice school head of the Physician School! But do you know who you are speaking to?"
With an upright back, Zhang Xuan emanated an overwhelming aura of confidence.
"I am the honored guest of Pavilion Master Mo, School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Wei, and they have entrusted their personal tokens to me as a symbol of that. On top of that, I am a 6-star blacksmith and a 6-star terpsichore. Yet, you dare to insult and threaten me… Isn't it clear who is the one who is being audacious here?"
A master teacher couldn't allow their dignity to be trampled upon.
That was all the more true for a Celestial Master Teacher like him!
"You…" Vice School Head You narrowed his eyes in fury.
He had heard of Zhang Xuan's affairs as well. The latter had raised a huge storm as soon as he'd arrived in the academy, and at this point, there was probably no one in the academy, be it the freshmen, seniors, or even teachers, who didn't know of his name.
Vice School Head You harbored a deep dislike for those who showed no regard for the rules, so he had intended to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson so as to suppress his arrogance. Who would have thought that the tables would turn on him instead?
The other party was right. The personal tokens of the three school heads represented their very presence. To chase three school heads away from his residence was a huge act of disrespect toward them, so it was indeed a faux pas on his part.
Even though he was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher as well, his standing was nowhere on par with the Ten Great Master Teachers.
"I brought my subordinate here to purchase a saint herb from you, and if you have any request for us, we are more than willing to listen. However, despite being a 6-star master teacher, you made a verbal assault on me as a person, insulting me as you pleased. If I report this matter to the academy, I wonder if they will be willing to redress my grievances!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"You… Good, good!" Not expecting that the words he had uttered in a moment of fury would actually be used against him, Vice School Head You's complexion turned incredibly awful.
A master teacher should have a bearing worthy of one.
As a 6-star master teacher, it was truly unbecoming of him to insult and humiliate a 6-star blacksmith.
If this matter were to be reported to the Master Teacher Academy, while it was unlikely that he would suffer any severe punishment, it would indubitably leave a stain on his records. Furthermore, if the students were to learn of his matter, he would be unable to keep his head held high in the Physician School.
He had long heard of Zhang Xuan's astounding deeds, but he didn't think that his words would be so sharp as well.
Knowing that he would only corner himself further if he were to continue bickering with the other party, Vice School Head You chose to change the topic decisively. "It took me a lot of effort to cultivate the Ten-leafed Flower. However, seeing that you really need it, I can consider selling it to you."
Vice School Head You's abrupt change in his words left Zhang Xuan and Wei Changfeng bewildered. The duo exchanged doubtful glances.
"However, the price might be a little steep!" Vice School Head You said.
"Please speak!" Wei Changfeng clasped his fist.
Even though he had no idea what the other party was up to, it was still good news for him that the other party was willing to sell the Ten-leafed Flower to him.
"I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed Flower for it!" Vice School Head You said.
"Cloudmist Flower?" Zhang Xuan frowned.
Despite being a 4-star physician, he had never heard of this medicinal herb before.
Just as Zhang Xuan was going to ask what it was, he suddenly saw Wei Changfeng's face turning pale, and his body began trembling lightly.
"You know what it is?" Zhang Xuan asked.
"The Cloudmist Flower is a unique plant that appears only in the Cloudmist Ridge of Hongyuan Mountain Range. However, it isn't a medicinal herb… If one dries it first before boiling it in water, it will produce a stream of billowing steam reminiscent of the clouds. The Cloudmist Flower is an extremely precious tea leaf!" Wei Changfeng explained.
"Tea leaf? Exchanging a tea leaf for the Ten-leafed Flower?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
The Ten-leafed Flower was a Saint-tier medicinal herb. Even in the market, it would easily fetch at least ten high-tier spirit stones. To exchange it for a tea leaf… Wasn't this too good a deal?
"Yes!" Wei Changfeng nodded. He opened his mouth once again to continue speaking, but at the very last moment, he changed his mind and turned to Vice School Head You instead. "Alright, I'll agree to it!"
"Good. I'll be waiting for your good news then." Chuckling lightly, Vice School Head You waved his hands.
"Rest assured! As long as you keep the end of your promise, I'll definitely succeed!" Wei Changfeng said with his fists clenched tightly behind his back. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Young Master, let's go!"
Since the negotiation was over, Zhang Xuan nodded, and the duo left the residence.
Shortly after they left, Sun Yuan turned to his teacher and asked, "Teacher, the Cloudmist Ridge is filled with saint beasts. Even if a master of beast taming like School Head Mo were to venture in there, it would be hard for him to return alive… To ask Boss Wei to pick a Cloudmist Flower from there, isn't that task a little… too dangerous?"
"Too dangerous? Of course I know! But you should have heard about Wei Changfeng's deeds in Hongyuan City as well… Vermin like him is much better off dead! As for that conceited and disrespectful Zhang Xuan, it would be best if he went along as well. But even if not, he shall learn that a 6-star master teacher… isn't a person whom he can offend that easily!" Vice School Head You sneered.