Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Infirmary (Three updates, 14,000 for full subscription)
Lu Luo arrived at the school infirmary, which was already overcrowded. The smell of antiseptics, blood, and general stench filled the air.
Since the infirmary was large enough and had sufficient medical supplies, the injured from this incident weren’t sent to various hospitals but were treated on-site at the university infirmary.
The university’s academic administration temporarily requisitioned some doctors from nearby hospitals to help.
Many guards and academic staff had been injured in the fog, although Lu Luo and his two companions had restrained themselves.
But at that time, the situation required incapacitating the opponent to proceed. The fastest way to incapacitate someone was to break a leg. That was why even You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng, the two Hunters, were beaten half to death by Lu Luo.
After seeing them in the infirmary, Lu Luo patted their shoulders.
"Both of you rest well. I’ll give you a few days off, and your salary will be paid as usual."
[If they knew how much their basic salary was, they’d probably want to beat you up.]
You Xiaoqi, who was still feeling resentful, felt somewhat better after hearing her salary would still be paid.
This incident occurred because their willpower wasn’t firm enough, which allowed the Nightmare Demon to invade their minds. Ultimately, they couldn’t really blame Lu Luo. They were simply no match for him, so they didn’t want to argue or make things difficult for him.
"You’re quite sensible, kid."
After Lu Luo left, You Xiaoqi suddenly remembered something and asked Ding Peng with a mysterious look, "Fatty Ding, he said our salaries will continue to be paid, but how much do we earn at Circle Studio?"
"I don’t know. We usually just get a commission for assignments. I haven’t paid much attention to a fixed salary. Oh right, hold on, I have a pay slip."
Fatty Ding fumbled in the clothes hanging nearby and pulled out a wrinkled slip of paper from a pocket.
"Our basic salary is... 200?"
"Fuck! I knew that bastard wasn’t so kind-hearted."
「...」
Lu Luo walked into a private room in the infirmary that the school’s academic administration had specially prepared for Han Shiyu.
More than just him had previously witnessed Han Shiyu’s formidable combat capability. If it weren’t for her, the others wouldn’t have stood a chance against Wu En at all. The academic staff and guards had no objections to Han Shiyu receiving such treatment.
"Is Professor Han here?" Lu Luo knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Upon opening the door, Lu Luo found that Han Shiyu wasn’t lying on the bed but was standing by the windowsill, wrapped in a coat, deep in thought. There were many bandages and vials of medicine next to her, which Qi Xinzhu must have used to dress her wounds.
"Professor Han, are you alright?"
Han Shiyu didn’t speak but turned around with a smile on her face, facing Lu Luo directly.
It was then that Lu Luo noticed Han Shiyu was wearing very little underneath the coat—very, very little! Underneath the coat, only a bandeau simply covered her astonishing curves, and many other parts were bound with bloodstained bandages.
Lu Luo wanted to look away, but his eyes disagreed!
Without realizing it, Han Shiyu had walked up to Lu Luo and pointed at his chest with her slender fingers.
"Just now you were calling me Han Shiyu, and now I’ve become Professor Han. You men change your tune too quickly, don’t you?"
"Uh, Han, Han..."
Lu Luo gave up. The situation and the environment were different, and he just couldn’t say it.
"It’s just a name, is it really so hard? Didn’t you say earlier that I was a decent woman?"
Han Shiyu casually flicked her hair, and her fair arm naturally came into view. It must be said, in terms of seduction, Han Shiyu had it down to an art. Qi Xinzhu, that utter novice, couldn’t even begin to compare.
"Well, Professor Han is indeed quite impressive—beautiful, with a great figure, high status, and also strong."
Lu Luo spoke the truth. Yes, this had no issues; I’m an honest person.
"Staring at your own university professor, your academic advisor like that—it should be considered quite overboard, shouldn’t it? Do I look good?"
After going through that incident, Han Shiyu seemed much more cheerful than before, a cheerfulness that was not just in her character but also in her behavior around Lu Luo.
In the past, Han Shiyu would always maintain her dignified image in front of Lu Luo. She’d wear neat clothes, do her hair up properly, keep her gold-rimmed glasses on, and ensure her speech and actions were immaculate. She defined herself as Lu Luo’s guide, the navigator of the Doomsday Disc, and a guide is supposed to be meticulous by nature.
But Lu Luo had accused her of not truly understanding him, which took Han Shiyu by surprise. Later, when Lu Luo shouted her name and praised her looks, Han Shiyu felt unusually happy, happier than she had been for a long time.
When Lu Luo used the Doomsday Disc to take Wu En away, deciding to handle the matter himself, Han Shiyu finally understood. This was how Lu Luo was meant to be; this was his own charm, already unrelated to the Doomsday Disc.
At this moment, she completely abandoned the restraint and constraints she used to have in front of Lu Luo. She felt relaxed and was enjoying this relaxation. She didn’t mind that Lu Luo’s gaze was fixed on her, nor did she mind that she wasn’t wearing much in front of him. Even when she noticed that Lu Luo’s gaze had not left her, there was a small sense of pride in her heart.
Because all of these things confirmed one thing to her.
It wasn’t that Lu Luo disliked women; it was just that her junior sister, Qi Xinzhu, really didn’t cut it.
This rapid shift in her thoughts began only when she was willing to face death. If Han Shiyu were to describe it herself, it would be that she was now more in touch with her true feelings.
"Didn’t you hear me speaking? I’m asking you, do I look good?"
[She’s asking you, I’m getting anxious for you, does she look good?]
"Hmm, yes, you’re pretty."
After saying this, Lu Luo no longer gazed at her impressive bust but instead shifted his eyes to the bloodstained bandages on Han Shiyu. He suddenly reached out and touched the bandages on Han Shiyu, who wanted to dodge, but ultimately did not move away.
"Han Shiyu, how badly are you injured?"
Han Shiyu, noticing the sincere look on Lu Luo’s face and that he called her by name, unexpectedly raised her head slightly.
"As long as I’m not dead, it’s fine. With Qi Xinzhu here, these injuries aren’t a big deal."
Lu Luo nodded slowly. Han Shiyu was right; with Qi Xinzhu, the S-05 Healer, the injuries weren’t a big issue. But some things, he couldn’t keep taking for granted again and again.
"Sorry, it was my negligence and greed that led you all into danger. It won’t happen again."
Han Shiyu looked at Lu Luo with some surprise, seeing his words as a bit of showboating.
"Lu Luo, how old are you? Only twenty. You are just starting out. You haven’t even finished your two years of college; there’s really no need to rush. I’m already twenty-seven. Due to some special circumstances, I trained outside the walls for a long time before I achieved my current level."
Han Shiyu’s consoling words did not make Lu Luo feel any better; he interrupted her directly.
"That’s why I say, you don’t understand."
"What! What don’t I understand?" Now it was Han Shiyu’s turn to be curious.
"Ah, if women understood what men were thinking, I bet the world would’ve stopped turning long ago."
Han Shiyu, hearing Lu Luo say this, felt a bit unhappy.
"Enough, let’s change the subject. Have you dealt with Wu En? Given his strength, how did you manage to deal with him?"
"Yeah, Wu En is dead. I killed him with my own hands, and now I know pretty much everything about the Fruit of Life. As for how I killed him, that’s what I mean; you don’t know me well enough. If you took the time to understand me more deeply, maybe you would know how I defeated Wu En."
Han Shiyu detected the teasing in Lu Luo’s voice and promptly turned Holy Radiance into a small clip, which she clipped onto Lu Luo’s waist. Han Shiyu was familiar with Lu Luo’s resilience; knowing that twisting his flesh would be futile, she resorted to using Holy Radiance, a high-energy method.
"Little Lu Luo, if you can always be so presumptuous, I might just accept it. But acting timid in front of others and only being presumptuous when we’re alone, I’m not too happy about that. This is called asserting dominance, you understand?"
Lu Luo, enduring the cold sweat on his forehead, shifted the topic once again.
"Before Wu En died, he told me that a new Monarch had appeared outside the wall: an Eighth Order Nightmare Demon named Calamity. It was responsible for arranging the Exotic Species outside the wall."
"Nightmare Demon? According to the records inside the Circular, Nightmare Demons should be Seventh Tier."
"I’m not clear on the specifics. These are all things Wu En told me before his death."
"Alright, an Eighth Order level is not something we can handle. Is there anything else?"
"Yes. Professor Han, do you have a way to get a longer out-wall visa?"
Upon mentioning the out-wall visa, Han Shiyu suddenly restrained her smile.
"What about the Hunter’s license?"
"Getting a Hunter’s license requires finishing the university procedures. To be on the safe side, it’s better not to do that for now."
Han Shiyu nodded; she knew the contract Lu Luo was under was unresolved.
"I can only issue physician visas and herbalist visas here. Longer out-wall visas can’t be arranged from my side. Plus, your studies with Lord Qiao Xing must have just started, right? Now is not the time to go outside the walls."
[Someone is approaching this place. Judging by the energy reaction, it should be Qi Xinzhu.]
Lu Luo was stunned. With Qi Xinzhu coming, and Han Shiyu looking like this, is it really okay?
"I know, I have no intention of stopping my studies with Lord Qiao Xing. However, after finishing the courses with Lord Qiao Xing, I plan to go outside the walls immediately. So, I need to handle the visa matters in advance. Um, Qi Xinzhu has arrived. Professor Han, don’t you need to adjust your clothes?"
"Heh, back to Professor Han again, huh? Men who say one thing but mean another. Is there anything special about Qi Xinzhu coming? Why did I not need to adjust them before, but now I do?"
Although she spoke like this, Han Shiyu did button up her coat and casually tied her scattered hair with a string.
When Qi Xinzhu pushed open the door, all she saw were the two talking. She didn’t notice anything amiss, only that Lu Luo and Han Shiyu seemed a bit close.
"Lu Luo, you’re here. Priest Wu En?"
"It’s been settled. Priest Wu En was too old, so he died from exhaustion during our battle."
"He died from exhaustion? That’s really fortunate!"
Though Qi Xinzhu found this outcome somewhat hard to accept, since it was Lu Luo who said it, she decided to believe it for now.
Han Shiyu, watching from the side, was getting a bit irritated. When it came to cultivation, Qi Xinzhu wasn’t stupid at all! Why did she become so slow-witted when talking with Lu Luo?
Lu Luo also nodded along with Qi Xinzhu’s words.
"Yes, he just died like that, quite fortunate indeed."
"Oh right, Lu Luo! The people from the reserve of the Four Knights Corps just brought Lord Qiao Xing back. I heard the lecture at East Ring University will still go on."
"It’s still going on?"
"Yes, according to Dean Fang Gan and other leaders, Hunter Squad 33 has taken control here. The dozen or so female students parasitized by Nightmare Demon seeds, along with over two hundred other girls from Dormitory 5, had been taken away. Now, there were no obvious safety concerns within the campus. This time East Ring University has invited numerous social elites, so the lecture must go on."
"Where is Lord Qiao Xing now? Do we have a chance to see him?"
"I can take you."
Lu Luo looked toward Han Shiyu, as if seeking her opinion. Han Shiyu turned her head away.
"If you want to go, just go. Why are you looking at me? Do I have flowers on my face?"
Qi Xinzhu always felt there was something off about the tone in which her senior sister and Lu Luo spoke, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
"Then let’s go, Xinzhu."
Seeing that Han Shiyu had no further objections, Lu Luo took Qi Xinzhu and left the infirmary.
「...」
After Lu Luo left, Han Shiyu let her hair down again.
Even though there’s nothing between us, why do I feel like I’m having an affair in front of Xinzhu? It’s such a confusing feeling!
「...」
Qi Xinzhu led Lu Luo to the Church’s gaming area.
As soon as they arrived, they sensed something was off in the atmosphere. All the members of the Four Knights Corps reserve forces were exuding a chilling aura, giving off a distinct keep-out vibe.
Lu Luo’s older brother, Lu Yang, was also present. When he saw Lu Luo arrive, he immediately stepped forward and actively blocked Lu Luo’s path.
"Sorry, this area is under martial law by the Dawn Church. Unless it’s something extremely important, please do not disturb Lord Qiao Xing’s rest."
"Big brother? What’s going on?"
Lu Yang’s eyes flickered for a moment, but he still didn’t answer Lu Luo’s question.
"Do I need to repeat myself? Unless it’s something extremely important, please do not disturb Lord Qiao Xing’s rest."
Lu Luo looked at Lu Yang, then at the other Knights reserves around him; their expressions were almost identical. Even if he were dull, he understood the situation by now.
"Did something happen to Lord Qiao Xing?"
"Please refrain from baseless speculation about the Church’s senior personnel, sir. You have violated the Church’s security code. Please step back."
The always-formal Lu Yang extended a palm towards Lu Luo, gesturing for him to back away. However, at the same time, he blinked repeatedly at Lu Luo, confirming the doubts in Lu Luo’s mind.
Was Qiao Xing really injured? He was much stronger than Han Shiyu. Were the three Lords-level Exotic Species that appeared outside the wall really that powerful?
The Four Knights Corps had declared martial law. Lu Luo’s status was just that of an ordinary swordsmanship class student, with his additional role being the owner of Circle Studio. With such credentials, there was no way he could demand to see Qiao Xing at this time, so all he could do was wait.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Fang Gan from the academic office arrived with his people.
"Lu Luo? Have you... resolved the situation?"
Although Fang Gan couldn’t see the Doomsday Disc like Han Shiyu and Qi Xinzhu could, he was aware that Lu Luo had last been seen disappearing with Priest Wu En. Now that Lu Luo had appeared, did that mean the issue with Priest Wu En was resolved? Was the old man completely gone? Cause for universal celebration!
"It’s resolved, Director Fang. About that 100,000 yuan?"
Lu Luo was a pragmatic person. Speeches and such had absolutely nothing to do with him. He was a poor man. Compared to a speech about the future development of East Ring University, he cared more about whether he could get his 100,000 yuan.
"Oh, the 100,000 yuan? Just give me an account number, and I’ll transfer it immediately, don’t worry. The way you handled this situation may not have been perfect, but it was very good, and we at the school are satisfied."
Seeing Fang Gan so willing to pay, Lu Luo’s opinion of him improved even more. This fatty really understood the situation!
"Certainly, certainly! If the school has any difficult matters in the future, feel free to contact us. We have reasonable prices and are fair to all."
"Right, I can’t chat with you any longer, Lu Luo. I need to go in and see how Lord Qiao Xing is."
"Hurry in, Director Fang."
The two of them concluded their harmonious conversation, successfully finalizing the matter of the remaining payment.
This couldn’t help but make Lu Luo a bit cocky. Earning money, for someone as capable as him, was just that simple.
Of the 100,000 yuan, Lu Luo planned to use 50,000 for studio development and welfare distribution, and the remaining 50,000 would be divided as dividends according to shares.
Persistence paid off. This would be Circle Studio’s first substantial income since its inception.