"Is there anything else?" Bai Xifeng asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Her expression remained neutral, carrying only a faint, flickering trace of confusion as she looked at the faculty members.

"Actually, we have a specific request to make of you." Zhou Yaoting spoke up.

His voice, usually firm and authoritative, was now tinged with a slight but noticeable hesitancy, as if he were unsure of how she might receive his words.

"Huh? About what?" Bai Xifeng inquired in return, her curiosity immediately piqued by his uncharacteristic tone.

"The truth is... we would like to borrow the storage rune from you." Zhou Yaoting explained patiently, carefully laying out their practical difficulties. "As you can see, transporting this many carcasses across the city would be an arduous task, to say the least. We must consider numerous logistical complications and the sheer public spectacle it would cause. We simply cannot store them within our own inner worlds. There is not nearly enough collective space among us to accommodate such a massive haul. Not to mention the unbearable, pungent stench that would inevitably arise if these corpses were exposed to the open air for the duration of the journey."

"Hmm... I see your point. However, there is a complication. This storage rune is attuned specifically to my Qi signature. It responds to no one else. Even if I handed it over, you would be unable to manifest its functions yourselves." Bai Xifeng stated plainly, her tone calm and matter-of-fact.

"Oh... So that is how it works..." Zhou Yaoting murmured, his shoulders slumping visibly as a wave of disappointment crept into his expression.

The easy solution he had envisioned was slipping away.

"How about this? As a practical alternative, I will assist you by transferring the cargo to the Armament Master Guild myself." Bai Xifeng offered.

It was a straightforward suggestion, delivered with her usual lack of fanfare.

Zhou Yaoting was visibly surprised when he heard Bai Xifeng propose such an idea. He and the other teachers immediately began discussing the matter among themselves in hushed tones, exchanging thoughtful glances. It was not a bad suggestion at all.

In fact, it was the most efficient and convenient path forward. After a brief moment of deliberation, they collectively agreed with Bai Xifeng’s proposal. They would allow Bai Xifeng to keep the Stone-Clad Wolves in her possession for the time being.

"We shall trouble Student Bai with this matter, then." Zhou Yaoting stated gratefully, his tone carrying a new level of sincere respect.

"It is no problem. In that case, I will collect them and secure them within the rune for now." Bai Xifeng said calmly.

Once again, with nothing more than a simple thought and a subtle pulse of Qi, all of the Stone-Clad Wolves disappeared in an instant, successfully stored back inside the secure confines of Bai Xifeng’s storage rune.

"So, when will we go to the Armament Guild?" Bai Xifeng asked.

"Tomorrow morning, at first light." Zhou Yaoting replied without a second of hesitation.

"Alright. I will take my leave first." Bai Xifeng said as she gave a polite bow before turning around and leaving the room.

Zhou Yaoting and the other teachers watched Bai Xifeng as she departed, their gazes lingering thoughtfully on her retreating figure.

"This student is truly extraordinary." Jia Zixin commented, nodding with profound approval.

"Judging from her composed behaviour, it seems she also possesses the maturity to handle complex transactions quite well." Yi Shanyuan added, leaning back in thought.

"And do not lose sight of the most important fact, the Stone-Clad Wolves themselves. She killed many of them on her own." Another teacher chimed in, clearly impressed.

"I suspect she likely has even more hidden away." Zhou Yaoting spoke up, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

The other teachers whipped around to stare at Zhou Yaoting, their expressions a mixture of shock and sheer incredulity.

"Head Teacher Zhou, are you suggesting she has more Stone-Clad Wolves than what we just saw?" Jia Zixin asked, his voice rising in pitch.

Zhou Yaoting merely offered a mysterious, knowing smile and walked away from the group, leaving them to their stunned silence without offering a single word of further explanation.

Bai Xifeng walked toward the gate of the Armament Master Division and was just about to step out when a sudden voice called out her name. She did not need to guess the identity of the speaker. The shrill, arrogant tone was instantly recognisable. Not wishing to waste her precious time on petty grievances, she didn’t even bother to slow her pace.

"Hey, Bai Xifeng! Stop right there!"

The person hurried forward, even reaching out in an attempt to grab Bai Xifeng’s sleeve. With a fluid, practised motion, Bai Xifeng stepped neatly out of reach and turned back, her eyes narrowing as she glared coldly at the interloper.

"What do you want, Bai Chunhua?" Bai Xifeng asked, her voice turning razor-sharp.

The girl standing before her was indeed Bai Chunhua, her face flushed with indignation.

"What are you doing here?" Bai Chunhua demanded, her brows furrowing into a deep scowl.

The Armament Master Division was her domain, her territory. She could not stomach the idea of Bai Xifeng intruding upon her space or potentially siphoning away any of the prestige she had worked so hard to build. Here, everyone looked up to her. Her skills as an Armament Master were widely celebrated, and she enjoyed the constant attention of numerous admirers. She glared fiercely, and when Bai Xifeng remained silent, her impatience boiled over.

"Answer my question. What are you doing here?" Bai Chunhua repeated, her voice rising to a harsher, more commanding volume.

"I have no obligation to answer to you." Bai Xifeng stated indifferently.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*