“I’m not going,” Yang Hao immediately lost all his confidence. He just didn’t want to get expelled, but he certainly didn’t want to go there to die.
On the podium, Mr. Jack looked helpless as he continued repeating, “If anyone cannot hand in the raw crystal, they will be expelled from the school. So please figure out a way as soon as possible. I personally disagree with this, but the school administration insists on it, so there’s nothing I can do.” After finishing his words, he glanced at Yang Hao once more, shook his head, and left without even finishing the class.
“Did you hear that? Without the raw crystal, you won’t be able to stay here any longer,” Amanda said.
“Just buy one then,” Yang Hao said while feeling the credit card in his pocket. Although there wasn’t much left in his account, considering his future, he had no choice but to spend.
“Do you even know how much the cheapest raw crystal costs?” Amanda drew zeros on the table, “It costs a whole five hundred thousand imperial credits.”
“What!!!” Yang Hao almost fell under the table. Five hundred thousand? He had never seen that much money in his entire life, let alone spend it on a stone. “Why is it so expensive?”
“A raw crystal is worth the price because it takes dozens of lives to obtain one, and it provides significant enhancement to weapons. So this price isn’t too high at all.”
Yang Hao began to feel a headache. Both options were now blocked, and he seemed to have no way to get a raw crystal anymore. “Why does the school have to do this? If they just want to expel me, why not do it directly? Isn’t this just an unnecessary hassle?”
Elsie rushed over just in time to hear Yang Hao’s words. “This is exactly what makes the school’s move so ruthless. If they directly expelled the students, it would cause a huge uproar and possibly bring trouble to the royal family of the planet Reman. But with this method, they can legally get rid of those who should go. Think about it, all the students here are nobles; whose family can’t come up with five hundred thousand credits? Only you and a few other fallen noble families.”
“So I’m really stuck then,” Yang Hao tried hard to think of a solution.
“Don’t worry,” Elsie smiled, “I’ve already figured out a way.”
“What way?”
“Fifty thousand? I have that,” Elsie said, “I’ll just buy one for you.”
Yang Hao immediately rejected the idea, “No way, how could I use your money!”
“Hmph!” Amanda sneered, “That’s actually a good idea.”
Surprisingly, Elsie didn’t catch the sarcasm in Amanda’s words, “Exactly, this is the simplest and most effective solution.”
Yang Hao furrowed his brow. Although he had become intimate with Elsie, he wasn’t particularly fond of her ways, especially the idea of using her money, which made him feel very uncomfortable. At school, even when Yang Hao lived a very tight life, he had never used a penny from anyone else. Even with Amanda, who he was very close to, she only occasionally gave him small items.
Seeing Yang Hao’s expression, Elsie realized she had been too direct and humbly explained, “It’s about your future now. Surely you don’t want to be expelled so soon, right? Think of this money as a loan from me. You can pay me back after you graduate.”
“That makes sense,” Hunyuanzi, almost like a rat, popped his head out of nowhere.
Actually, without needing him to remind, Yang Hao already knew that Elsie’s suggestion was currently the best option. As long as he could graduate and join the Imperial Army, making money wouldn’t be hard anymore.
Just as Yang Hao was almost convinced, Wang Zhijun and Kevin approached with sinister expressions. “You lowly commoner, so, ready to start spending women’s money?”
“What did you say?” Yang Hao frowned.
“Isn’t that right?” Wang Zhijun looked at Elsie and Amanda, “Which woman’s money are you going to spend? After all, you’re just a pretty boy living off women. Does it really matter which one you use?”
“I’m not living off women,” Yang Hao said through gritted teeth, his tone heavy.
“You?” Wang Zhijun’s words dripped with mockery and disdain, “What other way do you have besides using women’s money? People like you, commoners wanting to get ahead, don’t you have to crawl into women’s beds?”
Yang Hao was enraged. He angrily pointed at Wang Zhijun’s nose and shouted, “I, Yang Hao, will never use a penny from any woman. I can solve my own problems.”
“Spoken well!!” Hunyuanzi joined in again, “Damn it, our Spring Medicine Sect cultivators have never been so insulted before. Let’s fight him to the end.”
“Refusing, huh?” Wang Zhijun said coldly, “Then just wait to get expelled. Who do you think you are, challenging me?”
“I won’t get expelled. I will definitely stay here,” Yang Hao vowed.
“I can’t think of any way for you,” Wang Zhijun felt he had already won. Yang Hao had no other options but expulsion.
“There will be a way, of course. At least one,” Yang Hao clenched his fists tightly. “I’m going to the Dark Beast Nest and bring back a raw crystal.”
This voice was low and heavy, like a distant thunderclap, making everyone’s heart tremble and rising a sense of fear from the soles of their feet.
“I regret it,” Yang Hao muttered gloomily while squatting inside Amanda’s nest dwelling, “I don’t want to die at all.”
“Feeling regret is normal,” Amanda said, lifting her legs and sitting on the sofa eating puffed snacks.
Yang Hao was extremely depressed, “How come you have no sympathy at all? After all, I’m your man.”
“Wow, if a man dies, I can find another one. Do you expect me to die with you?” Amanda didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids, “Who told you to be so stupid and go to the Dark Beast Nest?”
“I can’t just swallow the insults Wang Zhijun threw at me,” Yang Hao recalled Wang Zhijun’s terrible attitude from that day.
“Then you’re just reaping what you sowed,” Amanda put the snacks aside and glared at Yang Hao, “If I were you, I’d rather commit suicide. it’s better than being completely devoured in the Dark Beast Nest.”
“It’s not like I have to die,” Hunyuanzi, hiding inside Yang Hao’s belly, murmured again.
Yang Hao was already furious. When thinking about the root of his recent misfortunes, it all came back to this lecherous old cultivator ghost, “Of course, I’m going to die. You don’t even know what the Dark Beast Nest is.”
“I might not have heard of it, but no matter how dangerous it is, some people must survive, right?” Hunyuanzi thought himself clever, “Otherwise, how could there be so many raw crystals sold outside? Don’t they only come from this nest?”
In the past few days, Yang Hao had done thorough research. He studied every piece of information about the Dark Beast Nest and read many guides on collecting raw crystals, but the more he read, the more chilled he felt. He could say this trip was practically a suicide mission with almost no chance of survival.
“People who go to the Dark Beast Nest aren’t like me,” Yang Hao grumbled, “According to the cosmic laws, any deadly trap has a chance of escape. The survival rate for the Dark Beast Nest is 10%. So every time people go to collect raw crystals, they form groups of ten. As long as one person returns successfully, the others, nine of them, must die inside.”
“So that means…” Hunyuanzi was clearly shocked, “Others go in groups, but you’re going alone.”
“So I’m definitely going to die,” Yang Hao’s mood was terrible, “And you, old ghost, are coming with me.”
“What should we do then?” Hunyuanzi finally showed fear.
“You’re asking me?” Yang Hao couldn’t believe his ears, “Aren’t you supposed to be my master? You should tell me what to do!”
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