Li Yang faced Shen Binghua without any fear.
Shen Binghua could indeed slap her to death, but would she dare?
When it came to being ruthless, who in the entire Zhongdu Military Academy could be more ruthless than her teacher?
Shen Binghua could kill her with a slap, but Si Kui could destroy her entire Star Magic Department.
So Li Yang didn’t even bother with pleasantries and directly asked her to return the Tree Tower.
As expected, Shen Binghua was deeply calculating.
Her expression remained unchanged, and she calmly said, “Twenty-five years ago, when I went to pay respects to my late husband, I sensed the calling of the Tree Tower. These master-level secret treasures have spirituality. It had been abandoned for so long that it began to wither. I thought of it as a treasure that my late husband cherished greatly in life, so I…”
Li Yang had no interest in hearing this nonsense and cut straight to the point, “Dean Shen, my teacher says you’ve separated from Master Cheng.”
Li Yang continued, “There’s no marriage system between Starbearers like there is for ordinary people, and there are no corresponding legal constraints. Besides, you’ve separated, so Master Cheng’s belongings have nothing to do with you anymore.”
Shen Binghua replied, “Indeed, it has nothing to do with me. I never intended to claim the Tree Tower for myself. I just couldn’t bear to leave it there, uncared for.”
Li Yang took the opportunity to say, “Now that someone is watching over it, please return the Tree Tower to us.”
Shen Binghua looked at Li Yang with lowered eyes, realizing this child wasn’t simple.
Her goal was clear, her emotions stable, and she wasn’t someone easily swayed by words.
Shen Binghua took out a document and handed it to Li Yang, “This is the maintenance cost of the Tree Tower over the past ten years.”
Li Yang joked, “Dean Shen, you’re not asking the Agricultural Science Department to pay for this, are you?”
Shen Binghua said, “That’s impossible. I’ve only been looking after the Tree Tower in memory of my late husband, and over the past twenty years, students from the Star Magic Department have gained a lot from it as well.”
Li Yang smiled and said, “Now that you mention it, the Agricultural Science Department might have a hard time bringing up any leasing fees.”
Shen Binghua didn’t respond to this, as she was the head of the department and wouldn’t speak so recklessly like this young girl.
Li Yang flipped through the document while Shen Binghua quietly summarized for her, “The star plants on the first floor of the Tree Tower are the easiest to capture. Usually, a 20-point achievement task is enough. On the second floor, it’s a bit more difficult, requiring about 100 points. When it comes to the third floor…”
Li Yang didn’t need Shen Binghua to summarize; she could read it all at once, her heart pained by the costs.
Even though she had been mentally prepared, the maintenance costs still shocked her.
However, capturing the star plants was the cheapest part.
The Tree Tower required two rare materials for maintenance:
“Phoenix Ling Soil” and “Bright Moon Water.”
Both Phoenix Ling Soil and Bright Moon Water were products from the Star Realm, and their quality was high, making them outrageously expensive…
Li Yang suspected that Shen Binghua had padded the document with exaggerated numbers, but even without the exaggerations, the maintenance costs for the Tree Tower were astronomical.
Shen Binghua continued, “Within the Star Magic Department, there are often disputes over the quota to enter the Tree Tower. But in reality, the teachers in our department don’t have much say in this. Usually, it’s one of the masters from the Star Magic Department who brings back the materials for maintenance and demands that their descendants be allowed to enter the Tree Tower to gain insights into the stars…”
I see…
So my teacher, this semi-Supreme, could easily get Phoenix Ling Soil and Bright Moon Water.
Shen Binghua had already stated, “The Agricultural Science Department only has Senior Si left now. She can’t leave the department for the time being, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to go to the Star Realm.”
The implication was clear: you can only buy the maintenance materials at an exorbitant price, and your Agricultural Science Department is too poor to afford such a cost.
Li Yang didn’t listen to her and directly called Si Kui in her spiritual sea.
Si Kui had been watching, and it was easy for them to establish a connection.
Li Yang asked, “Teacher, are these maintenance materials real?”
Si Kui: “Yes.”
Li Yang took a sharp breath and asked, “You’re not able to go to the Star Realm lately?”
Si Kui: She didn’t speak, but it was a silent affirmation.
Though her teacher often talked about escaping to the Star Realm, it sounded unreliable, but Li Yang hadn’t expected that Si Kui herself couldn’t go.
This made things difficult.
She could still try to earn money and complete tasks to capture star plants, but the maintenance materials…
Even if she could somehow afford them, it wasn’t certain anyone would sell them.
These materials had no fixed price.
The big shots who could get them would likely want to cultivate their descendants, ensuring they started strong in the one-star realm, just like how Li Yang’s parents in her past life would spend millions on buying a good school district property to give their child a good start.
Si Kui said, “The Agricultural Science Department is suppressing something. If I leave, you will be in danger. But if I bring it to the Star Realm… I will be at risk.”
Her explanation was vague, but Li Yang understood.
The Agricultural Science Department was actually suppressing something like this?
To make a semi-Supreme teacher say “I will be at risk,” the thing being suppressed must be of very high status.
Could it be a Nine-Rank?
The Agricultural Science Department really had a lot of treasures!
Shen Binghua wasn’t in a hurry to speak.
She was waiting for Li Yang to ask Si Kui for confirmation.
What she said was all true, without much exaggeration.
The maintenance costs for the Tree Tower were indeed steep.
The Nature Department was once at its peak, with several masters in control.
They didn’t lack these materials.
But even so, when the Tree Tower was built, it caused quite a bit of controversy.
—Was it worth all this trouble to cultivate students below the Third Rank?
It turned out that it was worth it.
Graduates from the Nature Department, as long as they went to the Star Realm battlefield, could fight ten enemies at once.
A small team of Fourth and Fifth Rank students could conquer a city, gaining great fame in the Star Realm.
And because of that, they faced retaliation, leading to that tragic massacre.
Now, the Star Magic Department was willing to pay such a high price to maintain the Tree Tower in order to cultivate extraordinary descendants.
When the foundation is solid, the rest will follow smoothly.
Even though only twenty years had passed in China, if you trained in certain time-distorted realms in the Star Realm, the first batch of Star Magic Department students who gained insights from the Tree Tower had already grown into powerful leaders!
Shen Binghua would never easily hand over the Tree Tower.
And from the larger perspective, the Agricultural Science Department was no longer suited for this master-level secret treasure.
Shen Binghua first laid out all these problems in front of Li Yang, making her feel daunted, then threw out the sweet “candy” to tempt her.
“Senior Si’s affection for her disciples is truly touching, but now in the Agricultural Science Department, you’re the only one who meets the conditions to enter the Tower…” She paused and continued, “I came to tell you, Li Yang, that you can enter the Tree Tower anytime, as long as you meet the entrance standards.”
Li Yang remained unfazed.
Shen Binghua continued, “Moreover, you can take all the spoils without sharing them with your teammates.”
Li Yang remained calm and indifferent.
Shen Binghua finally revealed her trump card, “Also, the Star Magic Department will pay the Agricultural Science Department a rental fee for the Tree Tower—10,000 achievement points per year.”
10,000 achievement points!
One hundred million!
Even though Li Yang had prepared herself mentally, she was still stunned by the staggering amount.
So much money!
No wonder Starbearers used achievement points as currency!
If they used Chinese currency, wouldn’t everything be just a small goal?
One had to admit, Shen Binghua was truly skilled at this.
No wonder she didn’t negotiate with Si Kui, but came to talk to Li Yang.
Si Kui wouldn’t care about such things. In her eyes, even 100,000 achievement points wouldn’t matter.
But talking to Li Yang—now that was truly tempting.
The maintenance costs for the Tree Tower were extremely high, and the Agricultural Science Department clearly couldn’t afford it. Shen Binghua hinted:
‘Li Yang, is it really worth all this trouble just for you?’
If Li Yang had truly been a 17 or 18-year-old orphan, she would have been completely swayed.
Shen Binghua first used the high maintenance costs to intimidate her.
Then, she played on Li Yang’s sense of guilt.
Finally, she offered a perfect solution.
If Li Yang agreed, not only would she not need to worry about the Tree Tower’s maintenance, but she would also be able to use the Tower at will, even securing one billion achievement points for the Agricultural Science Department every year.
There were only a few people in the Agricultural Science Department, so it was obvious who would benefit from the one billion.
It would save time, effort, and worry.
Anyone who heard Shen Binghua’s words would probably immediately agree.
Even Li Yang, though she was moved, still remembered her goal—
To get the Tree Tower back.
Anything unrelated to those four words was just a fleeting distraction.
Li Yang spoke, “Dean Shen, these are matters for the future. Please return the Tree Tower to its rightful owner first.”
Shen Binghua:
Even with all her scheming, she was starting to lose her composure.
With such generous conditions, Li Yang still remained unmoved.
Li Yang continued, “This Tree Tower is a secret treasure of the Agricultural Science Department. As you said, it also holds sentimental value for your late husband. Though I’ve only just joined the Agricultural Science Department, I’ve already been moved by its atmosphere. As a student of the Agricultural Science Department, I should protect the treasures that belong to us.”
“And…” Li Yang added, “I’m an orphan, so I value emotions more than wealth. I’m used to being poor. Whether I have money or not, I can survive. My teacher doesn’t care about such small sums of achievement points.”
Not only was she silent, but Si Kui, who was also watching from the mountain, was silent too.
Her disciple…
Her ability to talk nonsense was unparalleled.
With the gentle and peaceful Dean Si in front of her, and this money-hungry girl behind her.
Li Yang could say such things with a straight face.
Her “luck” probably had little to do with her star skills and more to do with her thick skin.
Si Kui just felt that everything she said was nonsense.
Only a fool would believe her rambling.
However, Shen Binghua did grow a bit suspicious.
Could it be that Li Yang really was a tough character who didn’t care about money?
If not, how could she refuse such a huge temptation?
She couldn’t rush this.
She needed to give Li Yang time to think carefully.
Li Yang was still young, at the age where she’d rather struggle than remain stagnant.
After she calmed down and realized what 10,000 achievement points meant, she might soften up.
Shen Binghua smiled faintly and said, “As expected of the one favored by Dean Si. Li Yang, you are truly a person of integrity. I must admit, I’ve been a bit too forward. This isn’t urgent. Think it over carefully.”
Unexpectedly, Li Yang replied immediately, “Dean Shen, I’ve made myself clear. There’s no need to wait. Please return the Tree Tower to the Agricultural Science Department.”
Shen Binghua’s smile froze, and a cold aura radiated from her face.
She said, “Li Yang, even if the Tree Tower returns to the Agricultural Science Department, you won’t be able to maintain it.”
Li Yang calmly replied, “No need for you to worry about it, Dean Shen.”
Shen Binghua saw that she couldn’t sway Li Yang and stopped maintaining the false smile.
She said, “Do you think the Star Battle Department and the Mental Department will help you maintain the Tree Tower? They each have their own cultivation systems. Especially the Star Battle Department, they don’t need to go into the Tree Tower to gain star skills!”
Li Yang replied, “Dean Shen, the people in our Agricultural Science Department are simple. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just want to get back what belongs to us.”
Shen Binghua laughed in anger and said, “Li Yang, let me be blunt with you. As long as I refuse to give the Tree Tower back, there’s nothing you can do.”
This was a complete break.
Shen Binghua made it clear, “Think about it carefully. What can your teacher do? Do you think she’ll really go slaughter the Star Magic Department? If she truly cared about you, she wouldn’t dare to do anything. If she doesn’t care, why would she create a huge massacre for you?”
Li Yang maintained a polite smile and said, “Dean Shen, my teacher is not the person you make her out to be. She is deeply affectionate and kind, and would never harm her students.”