Chapter 060 Sea King – “Is this Kalandi student, courting death?” (06/20)
Lin Yiwen couldn’t wait to see Shi Jingge right away.
Unfortunately, Shi Jingge was still in the training room helping Qiao Qimo.
Although Qiao Qimo had outstanding physical fitness, he was a student in the pharmaceutical department, not the mecha department, so he’d never been that dedicated to physical training and had never even attempted a full seven-hour session!
The moment the training room door swung open, tears nearly welled up in Qiao Qimo’s eyes.
I’m… I’m free! he thought.
Compared to Qiu Yuanjiu and Mu Qingyun, Qiao Qimo was in slightly better shape. To be exact, he was still able to walk.
One step, two steps, three steps—
He stumbled out of the training room. The next second, he collapsed, landing directly on the chair next to the door.
At that moment, Qiao Qimo felt that nothing could be happier than this. He never wanted to get back up again for the rest of his life.
Then, Qiao Qimo heard a familiar voice.
“Brother Qiao.”
Immediately afterward, a thermos appeared before Qiao Qimo’s eyes.
Qiao Qimo lifted his eyelids and saw Shi Jingge. Instantly, he didn’t know where the strength came from, but amidst his flustered movements, he actually managed to get back on his feet!
Shi Jingge smiled softly, pressed the thermos into Qiao Qimo’s hand, and thanked him.
Qiao Qimo took it, feeling a bit embarrassed and unsure why Shi Jingge was thanking him.
Shi Jingge laughed. “It’s just Xiao Mu and Xiao Qiu—those two kids aren’t very fit, so they’re not too sure about the fitness test.
“But the little rascals are pretty competitive with each other. They’re all talk about ‘pushing their limits’ and ‘challenging themselves,’ but really, they’re just trying to one-up each other.
“Howeever things changed when Brother Qiao showed up. You showed them the true physical limits of a Pharmacy major. Those troublemakers still have a long way to go.”
Qiao Qimo felt a bit embarrassed. How could he possibly be as good as Shi Jingge described?
He was just a little better at physical fitness, that’s all.
And… actually, he was also trying to get one over the troublemakers.
Qiao Qimo lowered his head and opened the thermos. Instantly, a delicate fragrance wafted up to his nose.
Qiao Qimo’s eyes lit up. “What’s this?”
He bent down and took a sip. The water was just the right temperature, and the taste was absolutely amazing. Qiao Qimo couldn’t find the right words to describe it; he just felt great.
“It’s flower tea I made myself.” Shi Jingge handed him a small bag. “If you like it, Brother Qiao, feel free to make more. It’s simple: just brew it with hot water, and you can steep it multiple times. Also, perfect timing. You can share some with your roommates too. Consider it a little promotion for me. It’d be even better if you could give me some feedback.”
“What’s there to criticize about this flavor?” Qiao Qimo said with a hearty laugh. “As expected, Ah-Shi is amazing.”
“Brother Qiao, don’t make fun of me.” Shi Jingge shook his head. “Seriously though, let’s discuss this together. I’m thinking of opening an online store on my smart brain to sell this.”
”It’s rose, right?” Qiao Qimo finished his tea, feeling refreshed and invigorated. Seeing the rose petals in the cup, he was slightly surprised. “The cost of this isn’t exactly low.”
“It is roses, yes.” Shi Jingge smiled. “Don’t they have a special meaning?”
“That’s true,” Qiao Qimo mused. “Roses are all about that special symbolism. Instead of giving someone roses, why not give them rose tea? At least you can drink it! It tastes great. Just for the flavor alone, I’ll definitely be a customer when you launch it!”
Qiao Qimo slowly stood up. He felt much better; strength had returned to his legs. It wasn’t like just a moment ago, when it felt as though they weren’t even his own.
Did he recover that quickly this time? That shouldn’t be possible.
Qiao Qimo knew his own condition well. He’d never trained for such a long period before; usually, six hours were already long enough. After his first eight-hour session, he’d definitely needed a long rest to recover.
But he’d already recovered.
Could it be that his body had adapted well to the high-intensity training?
That was impossible—otherwise, he wouldn’t be in the Pharmaceutical Department, but in the Mecha Department.
Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a mecha warrior when they were young?
So what was the reason? Could it be that his mental strength had grown stronger?
But before Qiao Qimo had time to think it through, he heard Shi Jingge laugh. “How could I let Brother Qiao flatter me like that? How would I ever have the nerve to ask Brother Qiao for favors in the future? Come to think of it, I do actually have a favor I’d like to ask.”
Shi Jingge tilted his head slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
Qiao Qimo laughed heartily. “With the relationship we have, why be so shy?”
Shi Jingge smiled sheepishly. “Exactly. Those two rascals are so stubborn. This is a critical moment for Kalandi, after all; we can’t have a few of them failing the physical fitness test, especially since they’re from our department. If that happens, won’t we Student Council members get chewed out by the higher-ups?
“That’s why I’d like to ask you, Brother Qiao, to drop by every now and then to motivate those two. Let them know that there’s always someone better out there, and as long as they practice hard, they’ll make a name for themselves.”
Qiao Qimo: “…QAQ!”
Qiao Qimo really didn’t want to agree.
Eight hours of training? That was pure torture.
But under Shi Jingge’s expectant gaze, his mind seemed to have a life of its own—he just nodded!
In that instant, tears nearly welled up in Qiao Qimo’s eyes.
He really did enjoy spending time with Shi Jingge. Ah-Shi had a gentle and endearing nature; every word he spoke struck a chord deep in his heart, making him feel incredibly at ease.
Qiao Qimo knew he wasn’t popular. He wasn’t very articulate, was tall and burly, had dark, rough skin, poor fashion sense, and was a bit rough around the edges—a far cry from the typically refined, fair-skinned pharmacists. His interests were worlds apart from theirs, and his academic performance was at the bottom of the class, so he really didn’t have many friends in the pharmaceutical department.
Sometimes, Qiao Qimo actually felt insecure.
But Shi Jingge was different.
Shi Jingge never looked at him with surprise, nor did he pass judgment on his interests or aesthetic views. Qiao Qimo really enjoyed spending time with Shi Jingge and loved chatting with him.
But now, if he wanted to meet Shi Jingge, he’d have to spend eight hours in the training room.
When he went in, the sun was still warm; by the time he came out, the cafeteria had run out of dinner and was only serving late-night snacks.
So should he meet up with Shi Jingge or not?
If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to; if he did, he’d have to train for eight hours.
This is so hard, waaaah.
Never mind.
Qiao Qimo gritted his teeth. It was only eight hours, right? He’d give it his all!
It wasn’t like this happened every day anyway!
After Qiao Qimo returned to the dorm, he felt something was a bit off again. He moved his arms and legs, and surprisingly, there was no soreness or stiffness at all!
In the past, after just six hours of training, he’d be counting his blessings just to make it back, and he’d even have to drink an energy potion!
Now he didn’t need any at all!
What on earth was going on?
Had his mental power really skyrocketed?
Lost in his vague thoughts, Qiao Qimo wasn’t paying attention and walked right into his roommate.
His roommate nearly fell over from the impact and looked rather displeased. Qiao Qimo apologized profusely before finally looking up and froze.
It was that roommate with severe germophobia!
T—This… He’s going to completely tear me apart, isn’t he?
Qiao Qimo felt extremely anxious.
The roommate already had a tirade on the tip of his tongue, but when he realized it was Qiao Qimo, he could only force himself to swallow those words and said coldly, “Watch where you’re going. Use your eyes; they’re not just for decoration!”
Qiao Qimo froze for a moment.
He actually… didn’t get cursed out…?
Given this roommate’s level of germophobia and sharp tongue, those few sentences just now were so polite they were almost shocking.
Qiao Qimo blurted out instinctively, “Um, a friend gave me some flower tea, the kind you steep in water. Want to try some?”
The roommate remained silent for quite a while. As someone with such severe germophobia, how could he possibly eat such a random, unhygienic thing?
But seeing Qiao Qimo’s anxious expression, he felt a headache coming on.
Who would’ve thought that a tall, burly guy like him was actually insecure deep down?
The roommate gritted his teeth and went to knock on the others’ doors, not forgetting to put on gloves before doing so.
“Get out here!” he growled. “Qiao Qimo brought you some flower tea!”
The two roommates opened their doors one after the other and came over grinning, surrounding Qiao Qimo. Qiao Qimo handed them the tea. The two exchanged a glance; though they were skeptical of this unbranded, handmade product, still…
“It tastes really good!” Qiao Qimo quickly opened his thermos. “I’ve already brewed a cup; it’s really delicious.”
Qiao Qimo no longer cared if people looked down on his choice. Although it would hurt, this was the flower tea Shi Jingge had given him, and he didn’t want to hear a single negative comment.
And in fact, the delicate fragrance of this flower tea was enough to win over everyone on the planet!
Especially since their own drinks all tasted a bit strange.
The moment the two roommates caught the scent, their eyes lit up instantly; even the germophobic roommate silently made his way over.
“Just to give Qiao Qimo some face,” the germophobic roommate said slowly, looking a bit embarrassed, “I’ll give it a try, too.”
The other two didn’t call him out on it; they just couldn’t wait to brew the tea.
Qiao Qimo looked from one to the other and suddenly realized that his roommates didn’t seem so hard to get along with after all.
It didn’t seem like they looked down on him either…?
After seeing Qiao Qimo off, Shi Jingge went to the cafeteria for a late-night snack.
Perhaps because most people in this world relied on nutrient solutions to get by, the food always tasted a bit off.
But the taste of nutrient solutions… wasn’t much better either.
Shi Jingge seriously considered the possibility of cooking for himself.
First, he’d need to set up a kitchen; second, he’d need a full set of kitchen utensils. All of that would require money. And the sad truth was, money was exactly what he lacked most right now.
Shi Jingge was lost in thought as he walked back to the dorm. Before he could even use his smart brain ID to unlock the door, it swung open from the inside.
It was his roommate, though he’d stopped living in the dorm at the start of his sophomore year. Rumor had it his family had arranged an apartment for him off-campus so he could practice making potions there.
As soon as he saw Shi Jingge, his roommate’s eyes lit up, and he yanked Shi Jingge inside. “You’re finally back!”
Shi Jingge: “?”
“Professor Lin has been waiting for you for a long time,” his roommate whispered in Shi Jingge’s ear, then nudged him forward and introduced him to Lin Yiwen. “Professor Lin, this is Shi Jingge.”
The man sitting on the sofa was refined and handsome, exuding an air of aloofness. When he looked up at Shi Jingge, his gaze carried a distinct air of scrutiny.
That kind of gaze exerted immense pressure; the roommate took a slight step back, not daring to meet Lin Yiwen’s eyes.
But since Professor Lin was clearly testing him, there was no way Shi Jingge was going to show any sign of weakness.
In fact, this scrutiny didn’t put any pressure on Shi Jingge at all.
Shi Jingge smiled calmly. “Hello.”
His demeanor was neither subservient nor arrogant; he even seemed completely at ease.
Lin Yiwen stared intently at Shi Jingge, as if observing him.
Shi Jingge stood confident and composed, allowing him to observe while subtly adjusting his posture to follow Lin Yiwen’s gaze, giving him a clearer view.
A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yiwen’s eyes.
No wonder—this was Shi Jingge, the one who had uncovered the secret of the Three-Star Flower’s nectar, earning nothing but praise from the instructors in the Pharmaceutical Department.
Quite interesting.
Amid the silence, Lin Yiwen suddenly spoke up, “What’s the biggest difference between an energy potion and a soothing potion?”
Shi Jingge’s roommate’s eyes widened. Weren’t soothing potions something only students in the Advanced Division studied?
“The energy provided by a soothing potion has healing properties; it can heal the Spiritual Sea. An energy potion, on the other hand, merely provides energy.
“Simply put, when your Spiritual Sea or spiritual power is compromised, you should use a soothing potion to maximize its therapeutic effects; whereas if you’re merely suffering from spiritual exhaustion, you should use an energy potion.”
“Everyone knows that distinction,” Lin Yiwen said indifferently. “Even non-potion pharmacists understand the difference between energy potions and soothing potions, don’t they? Are you just trying to brush me off with that answer?”
Shi Jingge’s roommate was starting to get nervous.
The professor was right. Everyone knew that answer. Even he knew the difference. How could Director Lin’s question possibly have such a simple answer?
Shi Jingge replied earnestly, “But the biggest difference between energy potions and soothing potions is indeed that.”
Lin Yiwen furrowed his brow, sounding somewhat displeased. “Are you sure?”
Shi Jingge’s roommate quickly tugged at the hem of his shirt, signaling him to think it over some more. Shi Jingge turned to him with a smile, then looked back at Lin Yiwen and said with certainty, “I’m sure.”
Lin Yiwen gave him a long, penetrating look but said nothing; instead, he posed a second question. Shi Jingge answered it very quickly.
Lin Yiwen didn’t comment on Shi Jingge’s answer but moved on to the next question. Shi Jingge answered each one in turn.
For some questions, he knew more and answered at greater length; for others, he knew less and kept his answers brief; and for those he truly hadn’t studied, he readily admitted he didn’t know.
His attitude remained consistent from start to finish.
Neither overly deferential nor arrogant, he was well-reasoned and well-informed; and especially those eyes, bright and clear, caused Lin Yiwen’s regard for him to grow steadily.
He had seen many bright students, and there were certainly some who possessed more knowledge or gave more perfect, thorough answers, but the impression Shi Jingge made on Lin Yiwen was different.
Shi Jingge was simply too straightforward.
Even the most self-assured student would begin to doubt their own answers in the face of Lin Yiwen’s rebuttals and cold demeanor, but not Shi Jingge.
Moreover, Shi Jingge’s lack of doubt regarding his answers stemmed not only from his confidence in them but also from his straightforwardness.
In other words, he didn’t mind making mistakes.
No matter how outstanding a student might be, they would want to make a good impression in front of Lin Yiwen.
Just as if he were to encounter a stronger, more accomplished pharmacist, he’d still want to make a good impression on them so he could seek their guidance in the future.
That was why, even when faced with a question they genuinely don’t know how to answer, other students would rack their brains to come up with a few words, while only Shi Jingge would openly admit, “I don’t know.”
But that didn’t mean Shi Jingge didn’t want to make a good impression on him. What did that tell him?
It meant Shi Jingge knew that Lin Yiwen wouldn’t form a negative impression of him just because he didn’t know the answers.
This wasn’t just Shi Jingge’s confidence in himself—it was also his confidence in Lin Yiwen.
That was quite interesting.
The difficulty of Lin Yiwen’s questions suddenly increased. Shi Jingge was still able to answer most of them, and his answers were well-reasoned.
This surprised Lin Yiwen even more.
Then he realized that Shi Jingge’s approach to learning was quite unique. He didn’t learn broadly across subjects; instead, he delved deeply into each one, thoroughly mastering one topic before moving on to the next.
As a result, he answered the questions he could answer well; the ones he couldn’t, he couldn’t even manage a single word.
Perhaps this was the key to Shi Jingge’s discovery of the secret behind the Three-Star Flower’s nectar.
Meanwhile, sitting nearby, Shi Jingge’s roommate was completely dumbfounded.
W—What on earth was he talking about?
The look in his eyes as he gazed at Shi Jingge was filled with admiration.
He knew Shi Jingge was gifted and hardworking, but they never imagined he’d actually reached this level! He couldn’t even understand Professor Lin’s questions, yet Shi Jingge was able to answer them!
“You’re making me wonder if you’re really a second-year student in the Intermediate Division,” Lin Yiwen said earnestly. “There are some questions that even students in the Advanced Division might not be able to answer.”
Shi Jingge pursed his lips and said somewhat sheepishly, “Thank you for the compliment, Professor.”
Lin Yiwen shrugged. “Do you know that the school rankings for the Federation are about to begin?”
Shi Jingge’s expression visibly grew serious. “Yes.”
“Before it officially begins, we’re having a small friendly competition with students from the Alchemy Department at the neighboring Siming Teji University,” Lin Yiwen spoke casually, but his eyes were fixed intently on Shi Jingge, not missing a single one of his expressions or movements. “I’ve put together a small team, and we’re still one person short. Would you like to join?”
A sudden gleam flashed in Shi Jingge’s eyes, tinged with excitement. “I’d love to.”
Now that was more like a student his age.
Lin Yiwen chuckled softly. “Then it’s settled. I’ve checked your schedule; you don’t have any classes tomorrow morning. Come to my office at eight o’clock, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.” Lin Yiwen stood up. “For now, get some rest.”
With that, Lin Yiwen left, leaving only Shi Jingge’s roommate behind. The roommate slapped Shi Jingge on the shoulder. “That’s awesome, Brother Shi! Take me under your wing!”
After joking around with him for a while, the roommate didn’t leave that night. He even talked it over with his family and moved back into the dorm.
With such a big shot around, why would he ever want to move out?
Latching onto a big shot was the way to go!
The next day, Shi Jingge met the other four members of his squad—they were all students from the Advanced Division—who looked slightly surprised when they saw him.
However, once Lin Yiwen assigned Shi Jingge the task of crafting energy potions, all traces of that surprise vanished.
Even they couldn’t consistently produce high-grade energy potions every time!
After testing Shi Jingge’s practical skills, Lin Yiwen was even more satisfied.
This time, he was determined to take a swipe at Siming Teji Univeristy’s prestige and let them know that the reason Kalandi College had held the title of the Empire’s Number One Academy for so long was because of Kalandi College’s true strength!
However, Lin Yiwen’s joy was short-lived. Soon, word came from Siming Teji Univeristy’s side, inviting Lin Yiwen to dinner to introduce their disciples.
The dinner invitation was just a pretext; the real goal was to show off their disciples.
Lin Yiwen laughed coldly. Everyone knew that Siming Teji had admitted a prodigy a few years ago, one who, before even graduating, had already passed the First-Tier Junior Alchemist exam and was just waiting to reach the required age to graduate and officially register with the Alchemists’ Guild.
All these years, Siming Teji has had nothing but that one student to brag about. You couldn’t even milk a cow like that.
Actually, Lin Yiwen didn’t want to go, but if he didn’t show up, wouldn’t that make him look weak?
He’d have to meet them eventually anyway. What difference did a day or two make?
None!
Besides, this time he had Shi Jingge with him.
However, Lin Yiwen wasn’t going to let Siming Teji get their way so easily.
After some back-and-forth, they finally settled on the Federal Star Moon Hotel for the meal. It might not be the best hotel in the Federation, but it was certainly the most expensive; and since it had no ties to any schools, there was absolutely no chance Siming Teji’s group would get a discount.
Just thinking about the pained look on Siming Teji’s face gave Lin Yiwen a sense of satisfaction.
Someone’s treating us—we’d be fools not to go.
But before heading out, Lin Yiwen gave his students some advice. “First, don’t show any weakness. We students of Kalandi College have a proud spirit and never compromise.
“Second, keep your wits about you. There are no fools among us students at Kalandi College. If they provoke you or ask questions, you might not be able to answer, but you mustn’t lose your composure. You can’t tarnish Kalandi’s reputation. Understand?
“Third.” The group held their breath, waiting for Lin Yiwen’s final instruction. But to their surprise, he paused for a long moment before saying slowly, “Eat your fill. Don’t eat what’s good, only eat what’s expensive. Got it?”
“Yes, sir!” several students replied in unison.
Lin Yiwen smiled with satisfaction.
And so, he led the students off in a grand procession.
The two instructors were “battling” it out from their seats of honor. The students below, though silent, were certainly not in a much better mood.
The student leading the group from Siming Teji University had blonde hair and blue eyes, with delicate features; judging by his face alone, he truly looked like an angel. However, his actual demeanor was extremely cold, like an ice sculpture, capable of cutting right through you.
Shi Jingge felt that the student was familiar, yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
…He was still quite different from Wen Xusheng in the two previous worlds.
Perhaps he should ask his name?
Shi Jingge raised an eyebrow, looked at the student, and said politely, “I’m Shi Jingge.”
The student across from him froze for a moment, his brow furrowing.
The people from Siming Teji stared at Shi Jingge in shock, as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.
Who doesn’t know that Brother Xu hates these pushy, overly familiar types the most? And yet he actually dared to introduce himself! What is he doing? Is he forcing Brother Xu to introduce himself? And he’s still smiling while introducing himself!
That smile hadn’t left his face for a second!
And it was exactly the kind of fake, insincere smile Brother Xu hated the most!
Was this Kalandi student out of his mind?!
Author’s Note: In this world, the male lead isn’t named Wen Xusheng, but his name does contain the character “Xu” hahaha
Adding a little trouble for Brother Xu √
People around him: Holy shit, Brother Xu must be furious—this Kalandi student is done for!!
Gong: Holy shit, he introduced himself to me! What am I supposed to say? How should I respond? Do I have to introduce myself too? Is just saying my name going to be too awkward? Aaaaaah!!
Gong: Damn it, I think I’ve lost my ability to speak! What should I do?!
Gong: Aaaaaah! Say something!! Say something!!! Am I stupid or what?!
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
