49: minor fluctuations

When Jiang Donghua walked through the gates of Jia Nan Academy carrying a bulging beast-hide bundle, he immediately attracted countless strange gazes.

After half a year of secluded cultivation in the mountain range, his clothes were already tattered, his hair was messy and unkempt, and combined with the various beast-hide pouches and herb baskets hanging from his body, he looked exactly like a savage who had just crawled out of the deep wilderness.

"Which department's student is that? Why does he look like a scavenger?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Maybe he's one of those lunatics from the Alchemy Department..."

Several passing students whispered, and Jiang Donghua's ears twitched slightly, hearing everything clearly, but he merely shrugged indifferently.

Just then, several female students wearing light purple academy robes walked toward him.

They were beautiful and graceful, a famously exclusive clique within the Academy.

Jiang Donghua paused, subconsciously recalling the scene half a year ago when he was fiercely pursued by a group of female students, and his scalp instantly tingled.

"Not again!"

He nervously swallowed, preparing to lower his head and quickly walk past, but he saw that the girls merely glanced at him in disgust, and one of them even pinched her nose, rolling her eyes with utter repulsion.

"Ugh, where did this savage come from? He stinks."

"Hurry up, let's go, don't catch his bad luck."

The girls quickened their pace, walking around him as if avoiding the plague.

Jiang Donghua stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly grinned.

"Awesome!"

Jiang Donghua exclaimed wholeheartedly. The girls who had pursued him relentlessly half a year ago couldn't even recognize who he was now.

This feeling of being completely forgotten was even more comfortable than achieving a breakthrough in cultivation.

"It seems going into seclusion for half a year wasn't without its benefits."

Jiang Donghua leisurely strolled into the Mission Hall.

Many students around him cast looks of disdain, but he ignored them completely, walking straight toward the mission handover counter.

The person responsible for receiving him was a Senior Brother who was an Eight-Star Dou Zhe, named Lin Yan, who had a minor reputation in the Academy.

He looked up at the slovenly fellow in front of him and frowned slightly, but his good professional conduct allowed him to maintain a polite tone as he asked:

"Junior Brother, are you here to accept a mission or hand one in?"

Jiang Donghua did not speak, merely slowly pulled two mission jade slips from his pocket and tossed them onto the counter.

Lin Yan looked down, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

"Hunt a First-tier Magical Beast, the Red-Scaled Python!"

"Gathering Ghostly Soul Grass."

Both of these missions had been released half a year ago, and their difficulty was extremely high!

Especially the mission to hunt the Red-Scaled Python; only those with the strength of a Six or Seven-Star Dou Zhe would dare accept it, and many people had returned severely injured because of it!

Lin Yan suddenly looked up, scrutinizing the seemingly slovenly young man before him once more, his heart filled with shock and uncertainty.

"This guy either has already touched the threshold of a Dou Master, or..."

"He has already broken through to Dou Master?!"

Thinking of this, Lin Yan's attitude immediately became several degrees more respectful, and his tone grew cautious.

"Senior Brother, please wait a moment, I will process the handover for you right away."

Jiang Donghua lazily grunted in response, then pulled a bundle of herbs emitting a faint ghostly glow from his bundle and tossed it onto the counter.

"Ten stalks of Ghostly Soul Grass, that should be enough, right?"

Lin Yan quickly nodded: "Enough! Of course, it's enough!"

He busily registered the items, occasionally stealing a glance at Jiang Donghua, feeling increasingly astonished.

"Just what is this guy's background? Why have I never seen him around the Academy before!"

Soon, the procedures were complete, and Lin Yan respectfully handed over a badge.

"Senior Brother, this is your mission reward, including contribution points and gold coins. Please keep it safe."

Jiang Donghua didn't even look at it, casually stuffed the badge into his robe, and turned to leave.

Lin Yan opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately did not dare speak.

It wasn't until Jiang Donghua's figure disappeared from the entrance of the Mission Hall that the surroundings erupted into a flurry of low discussion.

"Holy crap, who was that guy? He actually completed the Red-Scaled Python mission?"

"Looking at him, could it be that he broke through to Dou Master?"

"That's impossible, right? How old is he?"

Jiang Donghua slowly ambled toward the entrance of the Alchemy Department.

This black rock-built structure was still as imposing as it had been half a year ago, except the medicinal jade tablet originally used to identify student identity at the entrance was gone, replaced by two students holding staves, lazily leaning against the door pillars chatting.

"Stop right there!"

One of the square-faced students noticed Jiang Donghua approaching, immediately stepped sideways, and slammed his long staff across the doorway, pinching his nose with a look of utter disgust.

"Where did this beggar come from? The Alchemy Department is not a place you can enter, scram!"

Jiang Donghua paused, looked up at the familiar building, and then looked down at himself.

Tattered clothes, messy hair, and several beast-hide pouches hanging from him that smelled of herbs.

"Tsk, I do look a bit shabby."

He muttered to himself.

"Did you hear me? Hurry up and get lost!"

The other tall, thin student impatiently swung his long staff; the wind from the staff whistled, faintly carrying Dou Qi fluctuations.

Jiang Donghua grinned, not retreating, but instead taking a step forward.

"Senior Brothers, I belong to the Alchemy Department."

"Hahaha!"

The two guards exchanged glances, then burst into exaggerated laughter.

"You? From the Alchemy Department?"

The square-faced student slapped his thigh, laughing.

"Which student in the Alchemy Department isn't dressed brightly? Look at your appearance; you probably can't even distinguish dregs from medicine!"

The tall, thin student sneered further.

"If you're from the Alchemy Department, then I'm the Dean's personal Disciple!"

Jiang Donghua shrugged, unbothered.

Their argument quickly drew the attention of several students inside the Alchemy Department.

Several students wearing light purple academy robes walked out with frowns, wanting to see who was causing trouble at the entrance.

But when they clearly saw Jiang Donghua's face, they first froze, then their eyes widened abruptly.

"Wait! Isn't that Jiang Donghua, whom Instructor Mo Xuan personally recruited half a year ago?!"

"Jiang Donghua?! Didn't he go into secluded cultivation?!"

"Hiss... It really is him! I remember when he first entered the Academy, Instructor Mo Xuan personally stepped forward and forcibly poached him from the Fire Attribute Dou Qi Department!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the two guards at the entrance instantly turned the color of pig liver, and cold sweat streamed down their foreheads.

Instructor Mo Xuan, one of the ten great elders of the Alchemy Department, was known for his eccentric personality and rarely took Disciples.

Moreover, his strength as a Dou King was already considered extremely powerful within Jia Nan Academy, but coupled with his identity as a Fifth-Grade Alchemist, it was enough to make countless forces bow down!

Now, the Disciple he had publicly vowed to protect was being blocked at the entrance by two minor characters like them.

Wasn't that like an old immortal eating arsenic because he thought his life was too long?

Half a year ago, he made an exception and personally intervened to poach Jiang Donghua from the Dou Qi Department, even promising him the treatment of a First-Grade Alchemist immediately!

The treatment of a First-Grade Alchemist in Jia Nan Academy was countless times better than that of an ordinary student!

Just the medicinal pill resources received every month were enough to make countless people jealous!

And now, the two of them had actually blocked this master outside the door and called him a beggar?!

"Sen- Senior Brother Jiang! We... we failed to recognize a great man right in front of us!"

The square-faced guard instantly forced out a smile uglier than a cry, quickly retracted his long staff, and bowed so low his waist nearly touched the ground.

The tall, thin guard was sweating profusely and stammered.

"Y-Yes, yes, yes! Senior Brother Jiang, you are a magnanimous person; please don't hold this against us!"

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow, looking at them with a half-smile.

"Can I go in now?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Please! After you, please!"

The two quickly cleared the path, practically wishing they could personally escort him.

Jiang Donghua shook his head, too lazy to bother with them, and stepped inside.