Clatter! Clatter!~
At this moment, in the cherry blossom honey shop, Flender was listening to the crisp sound of two thousand gold coins clinking together:
"I thought little girls would prefer sweets, but I didn't expect the Pope to be the most 'discerning' one. She was actually willing to buy our cherry blossom honey for a thousand gold coins a jar. We're rich now! Not only has the hole from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's fine been filled, but we've also made a profit of over a thousand gold coins. No worries for this year!"
His eyes gleamed as he stacked the gold coins on the table, the metallic sound echoing like music to his ears. The earlier tension of financial strain vanished instantly, replaced by a greedy satisfaction that made his grin stretch wider and wider.
Zhao Wuji said with some concern: "But Old Flander, that's the Pope of Spirit Hall. If she finds out that the cherry blossom honey we sold her wasn't extracted drop by drop from the cherry blossoms of Heart of Fire Academy, won't she come and beat us to death?"
His voice carried genuine worry, his brows furrowing as he imagined the consequences. Even someone as rough as him understood the weight of offending a figure like that.
"What are you afraid of? Heart of Fire Academy is a place that values reason. It's not like we forced her to buy it. I just said that Heart of Fire flower honey is priceless in the market and only sold to those with affinity. She herself offered a thousand gold coins. If I didn't sell it, she would have wanted to raise the price. I've been quite ethical!"
Flender spoke with absolute confidence, as though the logic he presented was airtight. He even straightened his posture slightly, as if defending a great moral principle rather than a questionable business transaction.
"Just tell me, is there cherry blossom in our cherry blossom honey, and is there honey? And those cherry blossoms even drifted over from Heart of Fire Academy!"
As soon as Flender saw the glittering gold coins in front of him, he didn't care about anything else, his voice full of avarice:
"What's more, with the Pope's dignity, would she admit that she bought ordinary honey?"
Zhao Wuji scratched his large head, "Old Flander, what you said seems to make sense too. Anyway, if the Pope's people come looking for us, you deal with them yourself."
He sighed deeply, clearly unconvinced but also unwilling to argue further. In the end, responsibility always seemed to land on Flender's shoulders, whether justified or not.
…
"As the saying goes, 'a small gift means a lot,' the value of these things is not that important. The thought is what counts."
"They are also not the key to whether this Disciple can stay in the academy."
Xin looked at the Disciple-acceptance gifts on the stone table, his expression calm:
His gaze was steady, passing over the neatly arranged offerings without greed or excitement. To him, sincerity mattered more than material value, and intention mattered more than rarity.
"If two teachers teach one Disciple, and their teaching philosophies differ, whose should be adopted? If one teacher assigns a task to this student, but it doesn't align with the other teacher's plan, whose should be followed?"
"This is too cumbersome, improper, improper."
Xin shook his head.
His tone remained light, but the meaning behind his words was firm. The academy was not a place for divided authority or conflicting commands. Structure and clarity were necessary for cultivation to progress smoothly.
Qian Renxue obediently followed behind her teacher, feeling comfortable.
Not accepting her?
That thought did not disturb her. Instead, she trusted his judgment more than anyone else's in this moment, walking slightly behind him with quiet ease.
When Bibi Dong heard this, how could that be?
She still wanted to use Nana's opportunity to study in Heart of Fire to cultivate more feelings with Teacher Xin.
This vast Heart of Fire Academy didn't even have a mistress.
How could it be acceptable for these vibrant young girls to spend day and night with Teacher Xin without a Mistress to restrain them?
Her thoughts briefly drifted into competition rather than cultivation, her gaze narrowing slightly as she weighed the situation from a different angle.
"If Nana studies with Teacher Xin, naturally everything will be led by Teacher Xin. The Supreme Pontiff Palace will no longer issue any tasks to Nana that would affect her cultivation, and everything will be centered around Heart of Fire Academy."
Her tone became more formal again, carefully laying out conditions that preserved both authority and flexibility.
"It's just that I greatly admire Teacher Xin's teaching ability, and I also want to see how Teacher Xin transforms Nana. I also want to learn from it. I wonder if Teacher Xin would permit it?"
There was a rare openness in her request, though beneath it lay intent that was difficult to fully read.
Xin said indifferently:
"If the Pope keeps her word, and Nana also agrees to this, then let this girl stay."
His response was measured, neither welcoming nor rejecting outright. It was conditional, grounded in discipline rather than emotion.
"However, upon entering my school, whether as a guest or a Disciple, everyone must abide by the school rules and order, and must not act out of line. Otherwise, punishment will be administered, and there will be no special treatment because you are the Pope or Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall."
The air seemed to quiet slightly as his words settled. There was no pressure released, but the certainty in his tone was enough to make the rules feel absolute.
"Given this, are you still willing to stay and study here?"