At Zhong Shenxiu’s questioning, Aldrih rigidly dared not utter a word, simply staring at Zhong Shenxiu with an expression that clearly broadcast: Take my life, but you won't get a cent!

“Am I asking for too much?” Zhong Shenxiu inquired again.

Hearing this, Aldrih’s spirit immediately lifted, and he began nodding his head furiously, as if pounding garlic.

“How about fifty billion Diamond Coins?” Zhong Shenxiu asked tentatively.

Aldrih, who had just shown a flicker of excitement, immediately wilted again.

“Then how much do you have?” Zhong Shenxiu circled around and returned to square one.

Aldrih clenched his teeth, looking utterly torn by the decision.

Their “Mislen Family” was wealthy, but much of that wealth was tied up in fixed assets. The liquid funds they could access right now amounted to barely two billion Diamond Coins! If they handed all two billion over to Zhong Shenxiu, they would be left with nothing to live on, especially with the current expenses for housing. Yet, if his answer failed to satisfy this little devil, it was highly likely the entire Mislen Family would be wiped out shortly after.

After weighing the pros and cons, Aldrih spoke with a face etched with tension: “I only have two billion Diamond Coins on hand right now!”

His meaning was clear: It's up to you what you want to do with it! It wasn’t that he wanted to hide anything; he was genuinely afraid that concealing the truth would only further infuriate Zhong Shenxiu. Survival was paramount. The Mislen Family was deeply entrenched; even losing these two billion wouldn't strike at their core foundation!

And Aldrih wasn't lying. No matter how well he acted, he couldn't deceive those eyes belonging to Zhong Shenxiu.

Seeing that Aldrih wasn't lying, Zhong Shenxiu pondered for a moment, then finally agreed with great reluctance, “Two billion it is, then!” He spoke as if he were suffering a huge loss, unaware that Aldrih’s heart was bleeding, secretly cursing himself for not heeding his subordinates’ advice. Now, vast sums of money were simply gone!

After the transfer, Zhong Shenxiu had transformed into a bona fide billionaire!

Seeing that the necessary business was concluded, Zhong Shenxiu felt it was time to depart.

And Aldrih, gathering courage from some unknown source, suddenly spoke up just as Zhong Shenxiu and his companions were about to leave: “Can—can I ask one question?”

“What do you want to know?” Zhong Shenxiu was in a rare good mood.

“What exactly happened to Zakley? He… he shouldn’t be this strong!” Aldrih simply could not accept that his former subordinate’s current power vastly surpassed his own; this was a severe blow to his pride!

Zhong Shenxiu smiled, delivering a statement that shocked Aldrih.

“Are you referring to him?” Zhong Shenxiu pointed to Zakley beside him, then continued, “He is already dead!”

“Dead?” Aldrih felt his brain nearly short-circuiting. He scrutinized Zakley from head to toe but still couldn't grasp the meaning of Zhong Shenxiu’s words.

But at that precise moment, Aldrih’s pupils dilated sharply, accompanied by a shriek from Loris standing nearby.

It turned out that Zakley had violently ripped open his own clothing, revealing the horrifying cavity in his chest. This wound had originally been inflicted by Robin, but after being reshaped by Zhong Shenxiu, the hole was now significantly larger than before, resembling the size of a bowl's opening!

Loris, having never witnessed such a terrifying sight, turned pale with fright, nearly fainting. Aldrih, though slightly better composed than Loris, was trembling internally, sweat beginning to bead on his back.

It was bizarre—utterly bizarre! Any person reduced to such a state was clearly dead. Yet, a dead person not only could move but was also more formidable than the living. This was extremely uncanny!

“Are you envious of his strength? Would you like me to turn you into something like this as well?” Zhong Shenxiu mocked him playfully.

Aldrih flinched, shaking his head frantically like a clapper in a bell. Compared to before, his fear of Zhong Shenxiu deepened. In Aldrih’s mind, Zhong Shenxiu was no longer merely a demon; he had become the very demon responsible for creating demons!

Zhong Shenxiu was quite pleased with Aldrih’s current expression, smiling once more. Before leaving, he made sure to deliver one final warning: if they dared to provoke him again, the consequences would be far more severe than this.

Staring at the receding figures of the three individuals, Aldrih and his daughter remained motionless for a long time, as if petrified!

.

That day finally arrived: the opening day of the “Stay-at-Home Magic & Martial Arts Academy.” Before dawn broke, the area outside the academy gates was already thronged with people. Many were parents seeing their children off, with wealthier families bringing along numerous attendants and guards. The scene was explosive, flags waving, crowds surging, and the cacophony of voices blended into an indistinguishable roar.

Rhys and Angelia, accompanied by Cherry, had arrived early too. Given the need for class assignments and material collection, there was much to handle; arriving late might mean—

Cherry was quite well-known here, recognizing many members of the student council. This brought immense convenience to Rhys and Angelia, allowing them to bypass the long queues for supplies by pulling a few strings.

Although formal classes hadn't begun, the pile of books distributed was substantial. Rhys and Angelia stared, slightly stunned, as they hadn't received this many textbooks at their previous academies; they focused more on practical, extracurricular training.

Angelia casually picked up a volume and flipped it open, her eyes instantly lighting up. She hadn't expected the textbook to contain several sets of "Sword Techniques"—something entirely absent from her prior school curriculum! During her years at the “Buzhadi Magic & Martial Arts Academy,” theoretical classes focused on practicing Dou Qi and how to make sword strikes faster and stronger, along with general knowledge. They never systematically covered specific "Sword Techniques."

It truly lived up to its reputation as a major institution; the smaller schools simply couldn't compare!

In reality, Angelia didn't know that the "Sword Techniques" detailed in these books were taught in almost all the major city academies, with content largely identical, emphasizing practical moves and focusing on building a solid foundation for the students! The myriad paths of martial arts eventually converge; this principle applied to "Sword Techniques" as well. Those supposedly profound techniques were merely derivations of ordinary ones, much like how mastering running allows one to learn sprinting, acceleration, and deceleration.

“Angelia, Rhys, I’ll take you to find Teacher Elena!” Cherry suggested.

She wanted the pair to build a rapport with Elena, believing it would greatly benefit their studies at the academy, ensuring they could receive Elena’s guidance and seek her help should any difficulties arise.

Angelia hesitated briefly, unwilling to refuse Cherry’s kindness, and nodded softly. Rhys, however, was the type who didn't mind where he was taken, so he offered no complaint.

And what was Elena doing at this very moment? She was being pestered by Makoshin, looking thoroughly exhausted. Since they lived together, and Makoshin had been overly excited these past two days—staying up late and waking up excessively early—Elena had been suffering from severe sleep deprivation.

Today was no different. Before the sun was fully up, Elena was roused by Makoshin, who insisted on preparing to collect supplies immediately. Although Elena’s connections meant they could collect items whenever they pleased, Makoshin was too impatient, demanding they go right away, resulting in Elena losing yet more sleep.

“Lina-jie, I’m finally starting classes today! I’m so excited, I haven’t felt this eager in ages!” Makoshin’s face glowed with enthusiasm, making it hard to believe this was the same person who had once been a teacher!

“Yes, yes,” Elena replied drowsily, yawning widely. All she wanted was to go back to bed for a proper nap, but seeing Makoshin in this state, that idea was clearly a pipe dream.

“Lina-jie, who will be teaching me? Is it you?” Makoshin asked curiously, examining the class listed on her student ID.

“Do you want me to teach you?” Elena countered.

“I don’t know!” Makoshin laughed, then asked, “Lina-jie, are you harsh when you teach?”

Elena felt a strange mix of amusement and exasperation, retorting, “Were you harsh when you taught before?” As she spoke, she gave Makoshin a playful, knowing smile.

“No way! All the students I taught were very well-behaved,” Makoshin claimed, mentally adding to herself: Except for those two! There was no need to specify which two she meant.

Just then, Cherry arrived with Angelia and Rhys. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Elena asked kindly, “Angelia, have you two finished collecting your things?”

“I brought them and finished collecting everything already!” Cherry couldn’t help but interject, wearing a look of self-satisfaction.

Elena gave Cherry a soft, smiling glance without saying anything.

Cherry, however, couldn’t resist pressing further: “Oh right, Teacher Elena, have Robin and the others been by?” She dared not mention Zhong Shenxiu’s name, but Robin was safe enough. She asked Elena because Zhong Shenxiu was scheduled to register there today as an instructor!

Makoshin, upon hearing the name “Robin,” visibly stiffened, wondering internally: Is Robin coming here to study too? She had seen Zhong Shenxiu and Robin briefly at the school entrance, so this assumption was understandable.

Elena had been carefully observing Makoshin’s reaction. She already knew Zhong Shenxiu was coming to teach here, intending to find a suitable moment to inform Makoshin, but given Makoshin’s highly energized state these past few days, Elena hadn’t wanted to crush her enthusiasm. She never expected the news to slip out via Cherry!

At that moment, Rhys suddenly let out an exclamation: “Ah, I see the landlord!”

Hearing his shout, the others looked toward the window too.