Chapter 69: ARE YOU LACKING RESOURCES NOW?

Li Yan lowered his head as soon as Fu Hanzheng appeared beside him, carefully hiding the cunning smile that threatened to appear on his face. His plan had worked far better than he expected, and judging from his master’s expression, Fu Hanzheng had already taken the bait without questioning whether those tears were entirely genuine.

Li Yan had underestimated how much his pitiful appearance could affect a person. Fu Hanzheng had looked perfectly composed when they parted earlier, yet the moment he saw his disciple returning with reddened eyes, his entire demeanor had changed.

"Master... I was bullied and insulted."

His voice carried just enough grievance to make the words sound more pitiful than they actually were. Fu Hanzheng’s expression immediately softened as he reached over and wiped the tears from Li Yan’s cheeks with his sleeve, his movements careful despite the anger still visible in his eyes.

"Tell me what happened. Who bullied you?"

Li Yan did not need to exaggerate much because the truth was already ridiculous enough. He explained that he had gone to Elder Shen’s residence to collect the compensation that had been promised after the examination, only to discover that the elder was in the Battle Arts Department.

He then told Fu Hanzheng how he had gone there himself, respectfully reminded Elder Shen about their agreement, and received nothing but denial in return. The elder not only refused to acknowledge his promise but also let the surrounding disciples believe Li Yan had fabricated the entire matter.

Li Yan deliberately left out the more provocative remarks he had made along the way. There was no need to mention every little detail when the important part was that Elder Shen had refused to honor the agreement and had embarrassed him in front of everyone.

Fu Hanzheng’s expression became increasingly displeased as he listened. By the time Li Yan finished explaining, the gentle concern in his eyes had been replaced by obvious irritation.

"So that old fool refused to compensate you?"

Li Yan nodded pitifully and lowered his gaze again.

"He did not even give me the chance to discuss what I wanted, Master."

Fu Hanzheng reached over and rubbed his head before sighing softly.

"Do not worry. Your master will definitely avenge you."

Li Yan’s eyes brightened slightly, although he quickly lowered his head again so his satisfaction would not be noticed. Since his master had already offered to take care of the matter, there was no reason for him to interfere with his righteous anger.

Fu Hanzheng then asked what compensation Li Yan had originally intended to request. Li Yan thought for a moment before answering honestly, although he made sure his tone remained as modest as possible.

"I only wanted some high-grade mana stones. I did not think it was a big request, but Elder Shen would not even give me the chance to collect them. He was using his position to bully me."

Fu Hanzheng’s brows immediately drew together.

"High-grade mana stones are hardly an excessive request for a disciple who earned first place through his own ability."

Li Yan nodded, secretly pleased that his master seemed even more offended than he had expected. He had originally intended to fan the flames by emphasizing Elder Shen’s behavior, but Fu Hanzheng clearly needed very little encouragement.

His master reached out and took his hand without saying anything further.

"Come with me."

Before Li Yan could respond, the surrounding space distorted around them. The scenery of the Apothecary Department disappeared in an instant, and the next moment, they appeared directly within the Battle Arts Department.

Li Yan immediately recognized the familiar training ground where he had just been humiliated. The disciples who had witnessed the earlier confrontation were still there, and several of them froze when they saw him return.

This time, however, Li Yan was no longer standing alone before Elder Shen. Fu Hanzheng stood beside him, his expression making it clear he had not come for a friendly discussion.

The surrounding disciples gradually fell silent as they sensed the tension between the two elders. Elder Shen also turned toward them, and his expression changed when he saw Fu Hanzheng standing beside Li Yan.

Fu Hanzheng stepped forward, his gaze fixed directly on the elder. His voice carried clearly across the training ground as he finally confronted the man who had refused to honor his promise.

"Shen Hebai, why have you refused to compensate my disciple? Are you lacking in resources now? Have you finally gambled everything away?"

Elder Shen scoffed when he heard Fu Hanzheng’s accusation, his expression becoming openly disdainful as he looked between the two of them. He clearly had no intention of being intimidated by another elder, especially when the person standing before him was someone he had long considered a troublesome eccentric.

"Fu Hanzheng, the madman of the Apothecary Department, has finally found himself an equally crazy disciple. No wonder your department has never had any disciples willing to stay. Who would willingly follow someone like you?"

Fu Hanzheng laughed instead of becoming offended, and the sound carried across the training ground as several disciples exchanged uncomfortable glances. His expression remained relaxed as he looked at Elder Shen, as though the insult had amused him more than anything else.

"I do not teach dummies, Shen Hebai. If having one capable disciple means I have fewer students, then I would rather have one good egg than create an illusion of excellence by filling my department with people who cannot accomplish anything."

Several disciples immediately looked displeased, but Fu Hanzheng continued before anyone could interrupt him. His gaze swept across the training ground, taking in the disciples who had been practicing under Elder Shen before his arrival.

"Tell me, how many of them actually possess a battle arts manual suited to their own attributes? How many are studying techniques that genuinely complement their abilities instead of simply grabbing whatever manual looks impressive?"

The disciples became noticeably quieter as Fu Hanzheng’s words reached them. Some lowered their gazes while others exchanged awkward glances, because the question was not as easy to dismiss as they would have liked.

Fu Hanzheng folded his arms and continued speaking with the same calm expression.

"Someone without a fire or lightning attribute is spending their time studying battle arts that depend heavily on offensive abilities they do not possess, yet everyone pretends that this is proper cultivation simply because they have a manual in their hands. You are not producing powerful practitioners, Shen Hebai. You are giving hopeless disciples something to cling to and allowing them to mistake that false confidence for progress."

Elder Shen’s face darkened, but Fu Hanzheng did not seem particularly interested in arguing over the state of the Battle Arts Department. His attention shifted back to the matter that had brought him there in the first place.

"But that is not why I came here."

He reached over and rested a hand on Li Yan’s shoulder, drawing the young disciple slightly closer to his side. His expression became noticeably colder as he looked directly at Elder Shen.

"I came here because you promised my disciple compensation and then decided to pretend that you never made such a promise. Since Yanyan only wants several high-grade mana stones, you should hand them over now, and we will leave without wasting any more of your precious time."

Elder Shen’s eyes narrowed as the surrounding disciples fell completely silent, waiting to see how he would respond.