12: The Martial Arts Academy's Super Reward! The Wang Family's Medicine Escort Team!

"Very big!"

Wang Kai smiled slightly:

"Lin Yi, you know that as the only official martial academy established by the Heavenly Mountain Sect in Guangling Prefecture, our Guangling Martial Academy's ultimate goal is to cultivate super geniuses who can be admitted into the Heavenly Mountain Sect."

"Including our current class, Guangling Martial Academy hasn't produced a peerless Genius admitted to the Heavenly Mountain Sect for a full seven years. This performance is at the bottom even among the dozen or so prefectures under the Dongshan Prefecture. Just think, wouldn't the Dean be anxious?"

"So, in response to this situation, the Dean discussed with the two Vice Deans a few days ago and decided to significantly increase the rewards for every important exam for our class of Disciples from now on."

"For example, in this Entrance Exam, originally only Disciples ranked in the top fifty would receive rewards, and each person would only be rewarded fifty taels of silver."

"But now, anyone who can make it into the top hundred will be rewarded one hundred taels of silver. As for the top fifty, it's even more—a full three hundred taels."

"Top twenty, five hundred taels!"

"Top ten, two thousand taels!"

"Third place, three thousand taels!"

"Second place, four thousand taels!"

"First place is rewarded with a full five thousand taels! Even for me, this amount of money isn't small."

"What! Five thousand taels! Four thousand taels! It seems the Dean is really splurging this time!"

Hearing Wang Kai's words, Lin Yi was incredibly shocked, and at the same time, intense excitement rose in his heart.

Five thousand taels—he hadn't thought about that money because this fellow Wang Kai was simply too formidable.

A cultivation at the Seventh Grade limit and a martial arts skill Realm at the Fifth Grade Major Achievement level made Wang Kai's overall strength slightly higher than even the most ordinary Sixth Grade Initial Stage Martial Artist.

Let alone his current Seventh Grade Early Stage cultivation; even if he had taken Li Long's two thousand taels and broken through to the Seventh Grade Mid-stage or even Late Stage, he still wouldn't be a match for Wang Kai and wouldn't be able to get those five thousand taels.

However, while he couldn't get the five thousand taels, Lin Yi could still fight for the four thousand taels.

"After all, with my current Seventh Grade Early Stage cultivation and Sixth Grade Perfection martial arts skill Realm, my strength is already in the top ten among the three hundred Disciples in this class at Guangling Martial Academy."

"Next, as long as I find a way to earn two or three hundred taels within half a month to raise my cultivation to the Seventh Grade Mid-stage and improve my martial arts skills a bit more, then entering the top five will be effortless, and there's a great hope for third or second place."

"If I really get second place this time and obtain four thousand taels, then the next talent will be guaranteed!"

"And with a new talent, the probability of me reaching the Profound Rank Genius standard within this year will also greatly increase!"

"In short, earn money! Earn money! I must earn money as soon as possible to buy Medicinal Pills and raise my cultivation!"

At this thought, Lin Yi's heart instantly became incredibly fervent. Then, Lin Yi said to Wang Kai seriously:

"Wang Kai, thanks for the information this time. This is indeed great news for me. However, because of this, I have to work even harder in the coming days."

"After all, my cultivation isn't like yours or the others in the top ten who are temporarily stuck at the Seventh Grade Peak Stage and unable to break through. My cultivation is only at the Seventh Grade Early Stage, so there's still a lot of room for progress within the Seventh Grade."

"Seventh Grade? Lin Yi, you've broken through to the Seventh Grade?"

Hearing this, Wang Kai was first stunned, then said in shock:

"Lin Yi, your progress lately is too immense. It's one thing for your martial arts skills to improve so fast, but even your cultivation is progressing this quickly. Could it be that Enlightenment is really that powerful?"

"Haha, something like that!"

Lin Yi smiled.

Enlightenment—this was the excuse he used to explain his recent rapid surge in strength.

After all, this thing called Enlightenment has had precedents on the Kyushu Continent since ancient times.

For instance, some powerhouses were mediocre in their youth and destitute in their early years, but suddenly gained Enlightenment in middle age, rising from ordinary Eighth or Ninth Rank Martial Artists to the esteemed position of the First Rank in just over a decade.

There were also powerhouses who were mentally disabled in childhood and couldn't even care for themselves, but one day suddenly gained Enlightenment and an Epiphany, soaring to the sky from then on.

Of course, the most famous and powerful among these enlightened geniuses is the legendary Martial God.

Legend has it that the Martial God was extremely frail at birth and even weaker as an adult, unable to even defeat an ordinary eleven or twelve-year-old child in his tribe.

But one day, after the Martial God suddenly gained an Epiphany and Enlightenment, he created the path of Martial Dao from scratch in just a few years and easily deduced it beyond the First Rank.

Compared to the Martial God, Lin Yi's performance, while decent, was truly nothing.

Thinking to himself, Lin Yi then bid farewell to Wang Kai and left.

But suddenly—

"Lin Yi, wait!"

Wang Kai suddenly called out to Lin Yi, saying:

"You said you're short on money. I just remembered that there's a job in my Family I can introduce to you. Not only does it pay well, but it also doesn't take much time. I wonder if you're willing to do it?"

"Oh, what job?"

Hearing this, Lin Yi also felt a spark of interest.

"It's simple: transport medicine for my Wang Family's Medicine Escort Team."

Wang Kai smiled and said:

"Lin Yi, you should know that our Wang Family started in medicine. For example, our Family's first-generation ancestor was a renowned Master of the Medical Path in Guangling Prefecture."

"Over the following centuries, through the development of generations of ancestors, our Wang Family Pharmacy has already established branch pharmacies in many counties and towns under Guangling Prefecture."

"And now, as it's late summer nearing autumn, many medicinal herbs have matured in this season. So, our Wang Family has organized Medicine Escort Teams to be responsible for escorting these herbs back to the headquarters for processing."

"This way, as long as you join my Wang Family's Medicine Escort Team, you'll naturally be able to earn money."

"Oh, a Medicine Escort Team? It sounds good, but I wonder about the danger level and the pay?"

Hearing this, Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he immediately inquired.

"Don't worry! Would I ever cheat you?"

"As one of the most important departments of my Wang Family, the martial protection is naturally beyond question."

"Every Medicine Escort Team is led by at least a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, and many other ordinary members are at the Seventh Grade Mid-stage, Late Stage, or Peak Stage. Their strength is already formidable."

"Coupled with our Wang Family's reputation, those mountain strongholds outside the prefecture city that rob and plunder would never dare to provoke us lightly. You can rest easy regarding safety, Lin Yi."

"As for the pay? Each escort trip takes about two to four days, and the reward ranges from forty to one hundred and fifty taels of silver depending on the Martial Artist's strength."

"With your strength, Lin Yi, you can probably get around sixty taels of silver for one escort trip. What do you think?"

"Sixty taels?"

Lin Yi's eyes lit up.

Sixty taels per trip, and with about half a month left until the Entrance Exam, that's enough time for about four trips. Wouldn't that be two hundred and forty taels?

Two hundred and forty taels, if all converted into qi and blood pills, should be enough for me to break through to the Seventh Grade Mid-stage within half a month.

By then, with my strength, there's definitely a great hope of taking second place in the academy in this Entrance Exam and obtaining that four-thousand-tael reward.

"Fine! In that case, I'll join. Wang Kai, how long do you think it will take to arrange for me to go over?"

"It won't take long."

Wang Kai said confidently:

"After all, I am a Direct Descendant of the Wang Family, and your strength isn't weak either, Lin Yi. After I go and speak with the Family's Medicine Escort Team, I reckon you'll be able to report for duty tomorrow. Just wait for my news here at the academy."

"Alright! Then thanks a lot!"

"Don't mention it!"

Wang Kai smiled faintly, then left the academy and walked toward the Wang Family's direction.