Chapter 39 : Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Zhai Long Leaves for Linyuan City
After school that afternoon, Li Mu did not go home for dinner.
Instead, he went straight to Zhai Long's residence.
In the past, Zhai Long had often invited students over to his home for food and drinks.
So Li Mu knew where he lived.
After knocking a few times, the door opened.
The disheveled Zhai Long froze in the doorway.
"Teacher Zhai."
Li Mu bowed respectfully.
"Uh... Li Mu."
Zhai Long came back to himself, then glanced back into his home with a troubled look.
It seemed he had no intention of inviting Li Mu inside.
But Li Mu could tell that Zhai Long was not in a very good state.
"Do the old rules still apply? I'm here to mooch a meal."
Li Mu smiled.
Zhai Long shook his head with a smile, nodded, and opened the door to let Li Mu in.
Only then did Li Mu realize that the house was in the middle of being packed up.
There were big and small bags everywhere.
Li Mu knew that Zhai Long had a very small Storage Ring.
If he was moving, it would not even hold half of his belongings.
"Teacher, where are you going?" Li Mu asked.
"I'm planning to head to a bigger city and make something of myself. Linyuan City."
Zhai Long spoke as though it were nothing.
Li Mu immediately understood.
Because Zhai Long had stabbed the school in the back for his sake, he probably was no longer wanted by any school.
Although Li Mu had mentioned him during the interview, it looked like Zhai Long no longer had much fighting spirit left.
"Teacher, there's something I want to ask your help with."
"Hm?"
Zhai Long looked puzzled.
"Back then, at the Cultivation Art Research Department of the Abyss-Suppressing Army, I improved a cultivation art."
"Afterward, the minister there mentioned to me that they were seriously short-handed."
"I want to know whether you'd be interested."
"The salary would definitely be several times what you make as a teacher, and it's an official post."
"The Abyss-Suppressing Army's medical coverage is definitely better than what you have here."
"It should help a lot with your illness."
On the day Li Mu had been invited out for drinks by Professor Xu and the others, Professor Xu and Minister Song had complained more than once at the dinner table to Wang Longcheng about exactly this matter.
They said they did not have enough people.
And now the treatment had improved as well.
Zhai Long was suitable in every respect.
Even Qin Zhanye had complained more than once that he did not have enough capable people under him.
With Zhai Long's teaching ability, he was perfectly suited to be an Instructor.
If Li Mu recommended him to Qin Zhanye, Qin Zhanye might even end up owing Li Mu a favor.
And Zhai Long would not have to start out as a nobody.
Watching Li Mu rack his brains to find a way out for him, Zhai Long revealed a knowing smile.
He gently patted Li Mu on the shoulder.
"All right, that's enough. You don't need to persuade me anymore. I've already made up my mind."
"To be honest, I've wanted to leave this city for a long time."
"My illness isn't something they can cure. Only I have a way to deal with it."
"The reason I'm going to Linyuan City this time is for my illness."
Li Mu's brow tightened.
At that point, there was nothing more he could say.
After a long silence, Li Mu let out a sigh.
"When are you leaving?"
Zhai Long glanced at the time.
"The airship leaves at seven. There's still an hour and a half."
"Then you have to treat me to one more meal!"
There was a hint of stubbornness in Li Mu's voice.
"Hahaha, all right! Let's have a drink together!"
Zhai Long immediately found it amusing.
That stubborn little expression on Li Mu's face made him look like an aggrieved child trying to act strong in front of an adult.
"Still at that restaurant downstairs! You finish packing up. I'll wait for you there!"
As soon as Li Mu said that, he turned and ran out.
Zhai Long could only smile wryly.
That brat did not even offer to help him pack.
But then again, at his age, if he really started crying and let his teacher see it, that would not look very good.
By the time Zhai Long finished packing and went downstairs, Li Mu was already waiting at the restaurant.
Teacher and student ate, drank, talked, and laughed together.
Then Li Mu personally escorted Zhai Long to the airship terminal.
Before boarding, Zhai Long smiled and waved at Li Mu.
"If you ever get the chance to come to Linyuan City, give me a call!"
Li Mu, however, walked over with obvious emotion and gave Zhai Long a great big hug.
"I will!"
Zhai Long's raised hand froze in midair.
Only after a long while did he switch to patting the back of Li Mu's head.
"Good boy. Go on back now. I wish you a bright future."
Li Mu nodded and let go of Zhai Long.
He took several large steps backward in succession.
Zhai Long said nothing more. He turned and strode onto the airship.
Soon, the airship rose into the sky.
Sitting by the window, Zhai Long watched Li Mu below gradually grow farther away, a gratified smile on his face.
Only after Li Mu had become so small that he could no longer be seen at all did Zhai Long withdraw his gaze.
But just as he leaned back into his seat, he felt something jab him inside his upper pocket.
Zhai Long frowned and straightened up.
He reached into the pocket and pulled something out.
It was actually a card.
Zhai Long's heart shuddered violently.
It was a bank card.
A note was stuck to it, with the password written on it, and the amount was five hundred thousand.
There was also a single sentence.
Only five short words.
"Wishing Teacher a full recovery."
Zhai Long's handsome, rugged square face twisted up completely.
He suddenly understood.
He understood why Li Mu had not helped him pack, and had instead gone downstairs ahead of time to wait for him.
Why he had suddenly hugged him.
Zhai Long covered his face tightly with both hands.
But no matter what he did, tears still dripped through the gaps between his fingers.
At that moment, Li Mu was standing below, looking up at the vanished airship.
He let out a long breath, then turned around and went home.
At around ten that night, Li Mu was lying half-reclined on his bed, wondering whether he should make a trip into the Abyss tomorrow.
After taking two Low-Grade Body-Fortifying Pills, Li Mu felt that his physique had improved tremendously.
With his current physique, combined with the strength of two tigers and three oxen from the Mountain-Bearing Art, he estimated that he could now handle five hundred jin with ease.
But right now, Li Mu did not have a single Triumph Point left.
Beating up that Hound during the day had not even counted as combat, so he had not received a single Triumph Point.
Li Mu's only hope now lay in Abyss monsters.
And his No-Grade Celestial Immortal Art had already reached the peak of the Second Grade Realm.
He could break through at any time.
If he went and fought Abyss monsters, there was a very good chance he would break through there as well.
If he could break through to the Third Grade Realm, then Li Mu felt that Divine Weapon Art should be able to handle at least eight hundred jin without a problem!
So going into the Abyss to kill monsters would kill two birds with one stone.
He had to go.
Just as he was thinking about this, someone knocked at the door.
Li Mu opened it and saw that it was his mother, Yang Suying.
Yang Suying walked straight in and shut the door behind her.
"Son, I want to talk something over with you."
"You can help me think it through too."
"What is it, Mom?" Li Mu hurriedly brought over a stool for her.
Yang Suying sat down and said with some melancholy, "The two of us, mother and son, have been staying at your Aunt's place this whole time."
"Actually, it's not very appropriate."
"I've privately brought up moving out several times, but your Aunt refuses every time."
"When I try to give her money, she won't take it either. She says I help out around the house too."
"And besides, we really don't have much money right now."
"So I've been thinking... maybe I should start some small business."
"From now on, things like groceries, cooking, energy bills, and so on, we can cover them."
"Otherwise, if this goes on for too long, your Aunt might be fine with it, but your Uncle by Marriage may start having thoughts about it."
Yang Suying went on and on for quite a while.
But Li Mu listened with great interest, without feeling annoyed in the slightest.
Seeing Li Mu nod along while listening, Yang Suying said irritably, "Oh? You little brat, why aren't you complaining that your mother nags too much this time?"
In the past, the moment she started talking, Li Mu would get irritated to death.
He never listened past three sentences before patting his backside and walking off.
But ever since he had been expelled from the Li family, his temperament seemed to have changed completely.
Of course, that was exactly the kind of change Yang Suying had always wanted to see.
She felt that, somehow, her son had grown much closer to her.
"Hehe, I think Mom is right!"
Li Mu gave her a spoiled little grin, then took out his phone.
"Mom, I actually forgot. I didn't get the chance to tell you."
"The reward for winning the Abyss First Battle championship has already come in."
"There's one million in prize money. I spent a little over a hundred thousand on medicine, and I gave five hundred thousand to my teacher."
"That leaves three hundred and seventy thousand."
"I'll keep seventy thousand for myself. You take these three hundred thousand first."
As Li Mu spoke, he directly transferred the money to his mother.
Yang Suying turned to stone.
That string of information was simply too much to take in.
One million in prize money?
He gave five hundred thousand to his teacher?
"You mean... that teacher you mentioned in the interview?"
Li Mu patiently explained Teacher Zhai Long's illness and why he was leaving.
Only then was Yang Suying relieved, and she felt that the money really should have been given.
But then she asked Li Mu again, "You shouldn't give me these three hundred thousand. You need resources for cultivation even more."
"You should keep it and spend it carefully. It will be enough if I earn a little on the side."
Li Mu was firm.
"Don't worry. I can make money on my own now. I'll only feel at ease if you have money in your hands."
It took quite a bit of persuasion before Yang Suying finally nodded.
Delighted, she said, "All right! Then your mother will have startup capital for her little business."
Li Mu's face immediately darkened.
"Mom, I didn't give you that money so you could start some little business."
"But what you said does make sense. We really should have some business of our own."
After thinking for a while, Li Mu's eyes suddenly lit up as he asked, "Mom, what was your talent again?"
Yang Suying froze.
"Brewing liquor."