Chapter 26 0028: Do Not Let Money Corrupt My Heart

Chu Yun had not yet left the academy when he received a call from the Dean’s Office.

“Come to the Dean’s Office at once!” The voice on the other end was stern, and the call ended abruptly.

With no other choice, Chu Yun escorted Mo Yu to the gate before heading to the Dean’s Office himself.

Inside, the principal was berating the Dean, “That student was admitted by you, wasn’t he? Why on earth would he provoke Mage Kort?”

At that moment, Chu Yun knocked on the door. The Dean, seeing him arrive, slapped the desk and barked, “Come here! Don’t go anywhere else. Mage Kort is looking all over for you.”

He drummed his fingers anxiously on the desk. “What were you thinking? Don’t you know how noble mages are? It was no easy feat for our academy to secure a partnership with the Mage Guild, earning us one class a month. But you, you barged into the classroom at will and disrupted others? Don’t you realize that missing even a moment in a magic lesson could mean losing vital knowledge? That class is sacred. And Lord Kort is one of the council members for the mainland branch! Are you tired of living, causing trouble in his class?”

The principal, scarcely bothering to look at Chu Yun, had just heard from several students that Lord Kort was so furious he’d abandoned his own lesson to hunt for the culprit. Expecting the matter to escalate to his office soon, the principal decided to act preemptively.

“Expel him!” The principal slammed the table. “Expel him immediately! Don’t wait for Lord Kort to come holding us accountable. Prepare the expulsion report now. When Lord Kort arrives, we’ll show it to him as a sign of our sincerity.”

“But principal,” the Dean hesitated, “he seems to be connected to Miss Manman. If we expel him, it’ll be difficult to explain to the Hou family.”

“So what!” the principal snorted. “That’s no longer my concern. Which is more dangerous—offending the Hou family or the Mage Guild? Without the Mage Guild’s classes, our academy will drop to the level of any ramshackle institution.”

The Dean, seeing no way out, began printing the expulsion notice. With a helpless sigh, he looked at Chu Yun. “Why couldn’t you just apologize? Must you brandish your sword in front of Guan Yu? Boldly scribbling those formulas—really? You failed at martial arts and were expelled from the First Martial Academy, and now you’re stirring up trouble with the Mage Guild. With such a future, not even the Ye family or Hou Manman could shield you.”

“May I say something?” Chu Yun asked.

“What is there to say?” The principal cut him off, bristling with anger. “Nothing you say matters now. Even your expulsion might not appease Lord Kort. You can only pray for his mercy.”

“Unlikely,” the Dean said with a wry smile. “All the students saw Lord Kort storming around looking for you. He’s probably furious.”

Once again, Chu Yun’s words were stifled before they could leave his lips.

He could only stand by the door, waiting for the Dean to finish printing the expulsion notice.

“Do you have a bank card?” the Dean asked. “Send me your account details and we’ll refund your tuition. Come sign here.”

Just then, Mage Kort burst in, blazing with urgency. “Where is he? Where’s that boy?”

“Please calm yourself, Lord Kort,” the principal said obsequiously, hurrying over to support the mage. “He’s right here. Since he upset you, we’re taking action. We’re preparing his expulsion paperwork as we speak. Please, don’t be angry.”

He shot a glare at Chu Yun. “Well? Aren’t you going to apologize to Mage Kort?”

Looking from the principal to the Dean, and then to Kort, Chu Yun let out a cold laugh. “What an age of ignorance.”

“You insolent child!” both administrators fumed.

“No!” Mage Kort’s eyes burned with fervor as he fixed his gaze on Chu Yun. “He is not at fault!”

The two administrators, poised to unleash another tirade, nearly bit their tongues in astonishment. How had Lord Kort’s attitude changed so suddenly?

“If you punish him, you’ll be stifling his pursuit of truth!” Kort’s eyes reddened as he looked at Chu Yun with reverent caution. “Tell me, child, how old are you?”

Chu Yun said nothing.

“Seventeen,” the Dean replied, knowing Chu Yun’s records.

“Seventeen, and already such insight into magic,” Lord Kort marveled, his eyes as if beholding a rare treasure. “Genius! You are a genius. In decades of teaching, the apprentices who followed me from childhood took until their thirties or forties to grasp arcane magic. The youngest in the Mage Guild to perform spellcasting through incantation was thirty-three. And you are only seventeen!”

“Wait, wait a moment!” The principal and Dean were at a loss. They’d expected Lord Kort’s fury, not this sudden change in tone.

“Young man, would you like to study magic under me?” Lord Kort’s abrupt invitation nearly made the two administrators lose their footing.

“Lord Kort, are you accepting him as an apprentice?” the Dean asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

Kort nodded solemnly, turning to Chu Yun. “Yes. Come with me to the Mage Guild headquarters.”

“Go!” the principal urged, turning to Chu Yun. “What are you waiting for? Say yes!”

“I do not wish to leave Sentinel City,” Chu Yun finally replied, dousing the excitement. “And I will not study magic under you. It does not interest me.”

The two administrators nearly reeled, tempted to knock some sense into him.

“You have the innate talent of a mage—what else would you study?” Kort all but shouted in exasperation, his breath coming fast, his frustration palpable. “What can you possibly learn by staying here? Only in the Mage Guild, immersed in the best environment, can you become a new generation mage! If you’re worried about money, I’ll pay you a yearly salary of a million gold coins!”

The two administrators’ eyes widened to their limits. The Dean gave Chu Yun frantic, pleading looks, urging him to accept.

But to refuse the old man, Chu Yun said, “Had I studied under you from the beginning, you would never have discovered my talent today. Some things, some environments, should not be altered, and one’s heart must not be corrupted by gold.”

With that, Chu Yun turned and walked out, leaving the principal and Dean staring after him in shock.

“What kind of oddity is this? He’s simply—” The principal’s complaint was cut off by Kort.

“No, he’s right!” Kort turned to the principal and Dean, his gaze stern and warning. “From now on, the Mage Guild will pay his tuition. I expect your academy to provide him with the best possible environment. Whatever textbooks he needs, inform me—the Guild will cover all costs. Moreover, you are not to interfere with his future in any way. If anything untoward happens to him here, I will lodge a complaint with the governor of Sentinel City!”

With that, Kort departed, leaving the two administrators utterly dumbfounded.

“Principal, should I still process the expulsion notice?” the Dean asked, eyeing the paper on the desk.

The principal sighed. “Keep it. In the future, anyone who causes trouble for Chu Yun can sign it and leave.”

The Dean could only reply with silence.