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But soon, Xuan Zi abruptly shook his head.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This guy must be plotting something I don't know about!
However—
At least the children are safe now.
Looking at Ma Xiaotao and the others, who had fully recovered, Xuan Zi couldn't help but tear up. He had finally avoided repeating the tragedy of the past.
Ye Wen glanced at Ma Xiaotao and the others, nodding slightly as if satisfied with his work, and then said:
"Check your own conditions. If there's still anything uncomfortable, let me know."
A true professional, Ye Wen was committed to seeing the act through to the end.
Ma Xiaotao and the six others stared blankly at Ye Wen for a moment before silently beginning to inspect their own bodies.
Life truly was wonderful.
Ma Xiaotao, the first to finish her inspection, stepped forward and bowed deeply to Ye Wen.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives."
The other six, snapping out of their daze, quickly followed suit, bowing in gratitude.
But Ye Wen dismissively waved his hand.
"No need for this. There's no debt of gratitude between us—I saved you under certain conditions."
Xuan Zi, still basking in the afterglow of gratitude, suddenly realized what Ye Wen might be implying. Could he be trying to use this favor to coerce these promising students into joining his side? That absolutely wouldn't do! Not only was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament approaching, but these individuals were also future pillars of the Sea God Pavilion.
In the blink of an eye, Xuan Zi positioned himself protectively in front of Ma Xiaotao and the others, his gaze heavy as he stared at Ye Wen.
"What do you want, Lord Tian Xing?"
Xuan Zi was mentally prepared. If Ye Wen made such a demand, he would argue fiercely. Shrek's future couldn't be compromised here.
Seeing Xuan Zi clench his fists tighter, Ye Wen sighed inwardly, knowing that Xuan Zi was probably overthinking again.
"It's only natural to pay for medical treatment. Why are you acting like this?"
Xuan Zi froze, instinctively asking, "How much?"
Ye Wen stroked his chin, his cold gaze sweeping over Ma Xiaotao and the others as if appraising a pile of goods.
Though Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen felt a hundred kinds of displeasure, they dared not show it in the face of Ye Wen's overwhelming strength.
But it was infuriating! At the very least, the two of them were well-known goddesses within the academy!!!
At this moment, Ye Wen spoke: "Aside from this young man from the White Tiger Duke family, the rest of them can be considered seeds for Shrek's future Titled Douluo, am I right?"
Xuan Zi didn't respond but nodded heavily, inwardly acknowledging that Ye Wen's insight was indeed sharp.
Then Ye Wen raised a single finger.
"One hundred million gold spirit coins per person—no problem, right?"
Instantly, the Shrek group collectively sucked in a breath of cold air, but quickly stifled the action due to the nauseating stench of blood in the cave, making the moment even more awkward.
Ye Wen's gaze drifted lazily as he continued: "I know this price is high, but each of them has the potential to become a Hall Elder of the Sea God Pavilion. Since Shrek can support its inner court students' growth through loans, you must already understand their value. One hundred million per person is actually quite reasonable.
Don't tell me you can't afford it.
Otherwise, I'll lose my temper."
Sweat began pouring down Xuan Zi's forehead. After a moment, he knew Ye Wen wasn't bluffing and could only nod heavily.
"Fine, Shrek will accept this debt. But you must understand, this amount is astronomical, and Shrek can't produce it all at once.
So…"
Accustomed to extravagant spending, Xuan Zi ultimately forced himself to utter those two humiliating words.
"Can we pay in installments?"
Though inflation was rampant in this era—with a single soul bone costing millions of gold spirit coins—seven hundred million was still an excruciating sum for an institution as deep-rooted as Shrek Academy.
However, Ye Wen had no interest in worldly wealth. He was doing this to pave the way for Huo Yuer.
Since they were already discussing installments, Ye Wen naturally added some conditions.
"Installments are fine. Two hundred million per year, with interest included. Over four years, that's eight hundred million total. No problem, right?"
Xuan Zi opened his mouth but found no grounds to object. Installments with interest were standard practice, and Ye Wen's interest rate was actually quite low by comparison.
In the end, Xuan Zi could only painfully sign the promissory note.
Ye Wen looked at the promissory note in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips as he casually patted the document worth hundreds of millions.
He imagined that Shrek's expenditures would soon plummet drastically—or perhaps they'd inherit Flender's miserly traits and squeeze the money back out of the students.
But what did that matter to Ye Wen, the great benefactor?
As long as Shrek stumbled and Huo Yu'er thrived, everything was fine.
With his business concluded, Ye Wen had no lingering attachment to this filthy place and walked straight out.
Ma Xiaotao and the others exchanged glances. Being hit with reality was one thing, but now they were saddled with a debt of one hundred million each—it was enough to make anyone tear their hair out.
Still, someone like Ma Xiaotao, who was completely tied to Shrek, didn't feel too burdened. The most agonized were those like Ling Luochen and Dai Yueheng, who had influential families backing them.
Though most of these students were muscle-brained, even the simplest among them realized something was off when faced with such an enormous sum of money.
Ling Luochen and Dai Yueheng, while following Xuan Zi out of the cave, suddenly remembered that their injuries were minor and would heal with just a bit of rest. If this debt of one hundred million fell on them, it would be absurd!
They immediately began arguing with Xuan Zi.
Only now did Xuan Zi, unaccustomed to thinking deeply, realize the trap hidden within Ye Wen's exorbitant debt.
Excluding Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, and the deceased student, only three people truly needed to be taken back to Shrek for treatment.
Yet Ye Wen had ruthlessly averaged the cost across everyone, charging each person one hundred million.
But the promissory note had already been signed, leaving Xuan Zi no room to backtrack.
Though Xuan Zi's mind was simple, he now understood the depth of the scheme. His face darkened with anger.
What a terrifying Tian Xing Douluo! With just a few simple words, he had laid so many traps. If I force the students to bear the majority of this cost, they'll surely grow estranged from the academy. What a diabolical plan!
But soon, a fierce determination flickered in Xuan Zi's eyes.
"But you've overlooked one thing, Tian Xing Douluo! How could Shrek's millennia of accumulated resources possibly be crushed by a mere debt of seven hundred million?!
I'll show you—I won't take a single coin from these students. Instead, I'll use this incident to make them completely loyal to the academy!"
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