Zhong Shenxiu paused, then couldn't help but laugh. He was always the one initiating proposals; he never expected someone to volunteer today, and for it to be Mǎ Kěxīn was truly beyond his wildest expectations!
"What kind of deal do you want to strike with me?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, settling in comfortably.
Mǎ Kěxīn first adopted a thoughtful expression, then spoke, "I'll give you these books; in return, you must agree to let Robin participate in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament,' how about it?" She stared intently at Zhong Shenxiu as she finished.
To be honest, Mǎ Kěxīn was starting to feel nervous now, because Zhong Shenxiu's next sentence would determine whether her efforts were "fruitful" or "in vain"!
"Just a few books to get Robin to participate?" Zhong Shenxiu chuckled, then added, "Robin's appearance fee is quite steep."
"Then what else do you want?" Mǎ Kěxīn pressed.
"Let me see the book first, then I'll decide if a trade with you is necessary." Zhong Shenxiu's gaze shifted back to the volume; truthfully, he was already curious about it.
Mǎ Kěxīn hesitated, figuring things had come this far; she had no choice but to comply with Zhong Shenxiu's wishes!
Zhong Shenxiu took the book Mǎ Kěxīn handed over, offering no pleasantries, and immediately began flipping through it.
This collection belonging to Edwin was clearly a limited edition, and it appeared rather old. Zhong Shenxiu was instantly captivated by the contents after just a few pages.
Unlike the other books he had glanced at, this one objectively detailed the strange phenomena left in the wake of the 'War'—things like barren land extending around an area, traces of peculiar magic circles, and so forth. There were even some hand-drawn sketches accompanying the text.
"Um, have you decided now?" Mǎ Kěxīn could hardly contain herself, as Zhong Shenxiu had been so absorbed in reading for so long, he seemed to have forgotten her very existence!
"Hey, woman, where did you get this book?" Zhong Shenxiu finally looked up, but he asked this peculiar question instead.
"That... that's my secret!" Mǎ Kěxīn certainly didn't want her scheme to be exposed.
Zhong Shenxiu stared straight at her for a long moment before saying, "If you can find three more books just like this one, I will agree to Robin participating!"
"Really?" Mǎ Kěxīn’s face lit up; she felt the dawn of hope appearing.
"I keep my word!" Zhong Shenxiu finished, then dismissed Mǎ Kěxīn, returning his attention to studying the 'strange phenomena' in the book.
"Um... you two wait here for a moment, I'll be right back." After saying this, Mǎ Kěxīn bustled away in a flurry. We could guess she was heading straight to Vice Principal Edwin's office to collect the merchandise!
About half an hour later, Mǎ Kěxīn indeed returned. This time, she brought several more books, all concerning topics related to the 'War'!
"See if these are the books you meant?" Mǎ Kěxīn panted, clearly having exerted herself quite a bit running back and forth.
Zhong Shenxiu glanced up, his expression momentarily stunned. He wondered internally how Mǎ Kěxīn had managed to find so many valuable volumes?
Though slightly surprised internally, Zhong Shenxiu maintained a calm exterior as he stated, "Let me take a look first!"
Upon inspection, they were all indeed top-tier items. So, Zhong Shenxiu declared, "I am very satisfied with these books. If you give them all to me, I will agree to let Robin participate in that 'Academy Ranking Tournament' you mentioned!"
Hearing this, Mǎ Kěxīn shot up from her seat with a whoosh, staring intensely at Zhong Shenxiu, confirming seriously, "Is that true?"
"Of course."
"Then fine, they are all yours!" Mǎ Kěxīn was so excited she nearly pecked Zhong Shenxiu on the cheek—luckily, she refrained, or she might have turned into a shooting star vanishing into the unknown. She hadn't expected her efforts to finally bear fruit.
Mǎ Kěxīn watched as Zhong Shenxiu methodically packed the books away. Without overthinking, she turned to leave!
She was simply too overjoyed; how could she not have realized how clever this strategy was sooner?
Just as she was walking out, half-expecting something, a sentence from Zhong Shenxiu struck her like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
"Hey, woman, I have now agreed to let Robin participate in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament.' However, whether Robin wants to participate is something you will have to ask her yourself!" With that, Zhong Shenxiu returned to his reading!
"What?" Mǎ Kěxīn froze, completely dumbfounded by Zhong Shenxiu's maneuver.
However, Zhong Shenxiu acted as if he hadn't heard her, not even sparing her a glance.
"Um, what did you just say?" Mǎ Kěxīn, who had already walked several meters away, suddenly darted back.
"Was I not clear enough?" Zhong Shenxiu looked directly at Mǎ Kěxīn. "I have agreed. As for what Robin thinks, you must go and ask her yourself!"
"H-how could you do this?" Mǎ Kěxīn felt tears prickling, realizing she might have ended up with nothing after all her work.
But a sliver of hope remained in her heart, and she quickly turned to Robin, asking softly and coaxingly, "Are you willing to participate?"
"No!" Robin interrupted her flatly!
Mǎ Kěxīn’s last shred of hope shattered. In that moment, she truly wished she could fight Zhong Shenxiu to the bitter end.
But just then, a statement from Robin captured her attention again.
"I can participate, but there is one condition!" Robin said calmly, looking at Mǎ Kěxīn. That statement sounded vaguely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before?
"What condition?" Mǎ Kěxīn asked instinctively.
"Make a real deal with me!" Robin's voice remained devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
This astonished not only Mǎ Kěxīn but also Zhong Shenxiu, who hadn't given Robin any instruction whatsoever!
"What kind of deal?"
"You just need to find fifty more books that satisfy my Master, and I will agree to participate in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament'!" Robin’s words were certainly striking.
"H-how many?" Mǎ Kěxīn’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Zhong Shenxiu also felt a bead of sweat trail down his temple. He hadn't expected Robin to make such an outrageous demand. Could "blackmail" be an innate female talent?
"Fifty books!" Robin replied, her tone unchanged.
Mǎ Kěxīn felt like dying right there. Even if the Vice Principal was generous, he couldn't possibly give her fifty volumes from his collection! Moreover, even if Edwin agreed, there was no guarantee the books would satisfy Zhong Shenxiu!
This was clearly pushing Mǎ Kěxīn toward a dead end!
Mǎ Kěxīn stood there blankly, utterly speechless! They were both women; why wouldn't the other offer a lifeline?
Fortunately, Zhong Shenxiu spoke up then: "Hey, woman, let's do this: if you can find five more books that genuinely interest me, I will persuade Robin for you!"
Mǎ Kěxīn shifted her gaze to Zhong Shenxiu, but she showed no sign of joy; clearly, Zhong Shenxiu had terrified her.
"This is your last chance, don't say I didn't warn you!" Zhong Shenxiu reminded her.
Actually, Zhong Shenxiu hadn't intended to make things too difficult for Mǎ Kěxīn. The reason he acted that way earlier was simply because Mǎ Kěxīn always maintained that condescending, teacher-like air that Zhong Shenxiu found intensely irritating.
"You absolutely must not lie to me this time!" Mǎ Kěxīn actually displayed a touch of the demureness of a young woman.
When she brought back a few more books this time, Zhong Shenxiu accepted them immediately, regardless of whether he was truly interested! Furthermore, Zhong Shenxiu didn't tease Mǎ Kěxīn further this time, and he had already convinced Robin to agree.
Mǎ Kěxīn dared not be overly ecstatic this time; she feared the adage, "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." She left looking back over her shoulder every three steps.
Meanwhile, Edwin was waiting for the results in his office.
Seeing Mǎ Kěxīn enter with such a peculiar expression, he was quite perplexed and quickly asked, "Teacher Mǎ Kěxīn, did things not go smoothly?"
Mǎ Kěxīn shook her head. She just felt mentally drained. She quickly replied, "Robin has agreed to participate in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament.'"
"That's wonderful!" Edwin was about to cheer, but then he thought of something and quickly inquired, "She didn't ask for anything else, did she?"
"No," Mǎ Kěxīn said flatly.
"Excellent! Our 'Dubolai Magic and Martial Arts Academy' is finally going to see a day of glory!" Edwin could no longer restrain himself and cheered out loud.
Mǎ Kěxīn remained indifferent, simply staring at him dazedly.
Edwin noticed his lapse in composure, straightened his clothes to cover his embarrassment, and then said, "Teacher Mǎ Kěxīn, your contribution this time is truly immense..."
"Principal, if there is nothing else, I'll take my leave now." Mǎ Kěxīn most wanted was a good night's sleep; she felt utterly exhausted.
"Um..." Edwin looked hesitant, as if struggling to speak. "Teacher Mǎ Kěxīn, could you wait just a moment longer..."
Mǎ Kěxīn looked at Edwin, puzzled, unsure what he wanted to say.
Edwin seemed to find it difficult to bring up, letting out a breath before finally managing, "Teacher Mǎ Kěxīn, the thing is... I actually have another matter that requires you to step out on our behalf once more!"
"Principal, what is it?" Mǎ Kěxīn asked casually, showing little emotional fluctuation. In her eyes, anything that didn't involve Zhong Shenxiu or Robin was manageable!
"Teacher Mǎ Kěxīn, you might not know yet, but in two days, our academy will have a friendly match against the 'Muxuxi Magic and Martial Arts Academy'!" Edwin paused before continuing, "Do you think you could ask Robin to participate in that?"
Angelina's biological younger sister, Ameryda, attends the "Muxuxi Magic and Martial Arts Academy"!
Edwin's decision wasn't made lightly. Before Robin officially entered the 'Academy Ranking Tournament,' it was necessary to verify her strength, thus preventing potential opposition from other leadership figures!
However, he was completely unaware that his words were tantamount to devastating news when they reached Mǎ Kěxīn's ears.
"What?" Mǎ Kěxīn was entirely stunned...
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