https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-520-Did-You-Know-Your-House-Was-Infested-with-Ghosts-Thank-you-Jiahua-for-your-MVP-donation-/13687222/
Chapter 521: Settling the Matter with Lei Jizhenjun
With a single sharp bellow from Ciji Zhenjun, Lei Jizhenjun finally began to feel true fear.
In his memory, Senior Sister had always been calm—her emotions never showing on her face. He’d rarely seen her shout like this, let alone lash out with physical force. After all, in Kunxu’s current era, striking out was undignified.
And yet, in Lei Jizhenjun’s recollection, every time Senior Sister had erupted in rage—those rare moments—someone had always vanished afterward. Some left the University City. Others vanished from Wanfa University entirely. A few simply disappeared from the entire academic world.
Each outburst had been an emotional release. Once the storm passed, only cold calculation remained—sacrifices made, losses accepted, people erased.
And this time, the one who might disappear was his apprentice.
As Ciji Zhenjun spoke, Lei Jizhenjun weakly replied, “Ghost? Who’s a ghost?”
Ciji Zhenjun pressed on. “Wasn’t that your apprentice in the video? Did you know he was doing these things? Is the problem really with you?”
Lei Jizhenjun struggled to answer. “He… he signed a Master-Apprentice Contract with me.”
Ciji Zhenjun’s voice was icy. “Signed a contract? So what? How many of the Top Ten haven’t torn up contracts on their way to power?”
“Would we even need the Heavenly Court if contracts could keep people in line?”
“Not him. Not you. Then who? Am I the ghost? Is that it?”
Lei Jizhenjun lowered his head, silent. His spirit projection shrank further, shrinking into something smaller, more fragile.
Ciji Zhenjun pointed at Zhang Yu. “Or could it be him? Did my own disciple betray you?”
Lei Jizhenjun whispered, “How could it be Senior Sister’s disciple? He’s just a civil engineer on the construction site—just a foundation layer. How could he be involved?”
Ciji Zhenjun glared coldly. “Civil engineering? Foundation work? That means nothing. When I was laying foundations, I already took down Yuan Ying!”
She took a deep breath, and the office fell utterly silent—no one dared speak.
As the tension thickened, Ciji Zhenjun returned to her usual impassive expression.
“Name five more of your subordinates,” she said. “Put the blame on them.”
“Hand over half the money you’ve taken over the years.”
“Everyone’s watching now. We settle this today. No more delay.”
Hearing this, Lei Jizhenjun flinched inside.
Handing over five more people? That wasn’t hard—but losing half his savings? That was like cutting out his lifeblood. His Martial Energy Circuit felt like it was about to snap.
Lei Jizhenjun choked out, “Senior Sister… that’s my retirement and longevity fund.”
Ciji Zhenjun laughed. “Do you know how many people inside and outside this university wish I never became Hua Shen?”
“You don’t want to pay? Fine. Then come out and take the fall yourself.”
Lei Jizhenjun remained silent, shrinking further—now even shorter than Zhang Yu.
Ciji Zhenjun coldly said, “One hour. Get it done.”
“After this, go back to your lab. Stay out of department affairs.”
Watching Lei Jizhenjun’s spirit projection fade into the distance, Ciji Zhenjun exhaled, her expression unreadable.
She gently rubbed Zhang Yu’s head, then murmured, “My junior brother… he’s grown more and more foolish with age.”
“Once, he was a prodigy—on par with me in the race to achieve Yuan Ying bloom. But after that, he just… gave up.”
“Sure, he rallied a little after joining the university. But after repeated failures, resources dried up. He stopped learning new alchemy techniques. Stopped going to the lab. Just crawled through life, clinging to petty gains—until he became this.”
“He’s made it easy on himself… but has he ever thought how hard it makes things for me?”
She sighed. “But if I remove him, what will the old allies who’ve stood by me think?”
“If I can’t protect even a weak one like him over a small mistake… they’ll start to believe I’m losing power. That I’m no longer capable.”
“He’s placed in the safest role—yet still manages to cause trouble.”
As she spoke, Zhang Yu said earnestly, “Teacher, I promise I won’t slack off. I’ll keep pushing forward, always staying close behind you.”
“Good,” Ciji Zhenjun smiled, ruffling his hair and pulling him into her embrace. “Remember this moment. Never become like your uncle.”
Meanwhile, in her mind, Ciji Zhenjun kept replaying the video.
The angle was too precise—like someone had been tailing them the whole time. And yet, after investigation, no trace of the filmer remained.
That meant the one who shot it was exceptional.
“Who’s behind this?” she wondered, names flashing through her mind.
“Jin Que Shen Jun?”
“Xianbing University? Jinguang University?”
“Or perhaps Youming University?”
So many could stand to see her fall. So many had reason to stop her from becoming Hua Shen.
She couldn’t be sure who was responsible—but the threat only grew clearer. The path to Hua Shen was becoming ever more treacherous.
For the next few days, Lei Jizhenjun resigned from his management role. His apprentice, Bian Hao, and five subordinates all vanished without a trace.
The Alchemy Department remained silent—calm as a still pond. The students knew nothing.
Had Zhang Yu not been watching closely, he might have thought nothing had happened at all.
Then, the moment he stepped out of the lab, he received a message from Lei Jizhenjun.
Lei Jizhenjun: Nephew, how’ve you been lately?
Zhang Yu: Master, we should avoid using familial titles at school. I don’t want to cause my master any trouble.
Lei Jizhenjun’s Martial Energy Circuit flared violently at the reply.
“Little upstart.”
He forced down his rage. His situation was dire enough already.
The money he’d lost crippled his longevity plans. His retirement fund was now in ruins.
Losing his position, his apprentice—there was no chance of income growth in the years ahead. His lifespan was shrinking by the day.
But from his last visit to the lab, he now understood: Zhang Yu was firmly in Ciji Zhenjun’s favor.
“She spends all her time in the lab—knows it better than her own cave residence. She’s obsessed with her experimental disciples. Naturally, she favors the ones closest to her.”
“If Zhang Yu could just whisper a good word for me on the lab bench… maybe she’d remember I’m her uncle.”
So, despite the fury, Lei Jizhenjun continued the conversation.
Lei Jizhenjun: Zhang Yu, you’re right.
Zhang Yu read the message, and immediately understood the request.
“No money, just a favor?”
“Old fool. Getting dumber with age.”
He quietly set the message to unread—then turned to his own work.
Not long after, another message arrived—this time from Juxing Immortal.
Juxing Immortal: Zhang Yu, hello. I’ll be temporarily taking over Lei Jizhenjun’s duties.
Juxing Immortal: Any project issues? Just contact me directly.
Zhang Yu greeted him, and was promptly added to a work group chat.
In the chat, Juxing Immortal posted:
> “Everyone, I’m nothing like Lei Jizhenjun. I care only about work. I hate politics and nonsense.
> If you do your job well, I won’t interfere.
> And don’t even think about bribing me.
> I despise that. If you try it, don’t blame me for harsh consequences.”
Someone immediately replied: “Juxing Immortal’s here—justice has arrived.”
Zhang Yu watched the messages for a while, quietly skeptical.
Then, he received a friend request—this time from Juxing Immortal’s disciple.
He learned then: if he spent 1 Lingbi on the designated online store, his project funding would be released immediately.
“One Lingbi? That’s it?” Zhang Yu chuckled. “So he really is a clean official.”
Fujie said, “At first, it’s always like this. Lei Jizhenjun just fell—no one dares raise prices yet.”
“But they can’t refuse to take money either. If the disciple doesn’t, who will? If the disciple doesn’t, then who does the Senior Sister take from?”
“Eventually, though… he’ll start charging more. Over time, he’ll grow greedy.”
Zhang Yu said, “We’ll deal with that when it comes. For now, I’m focused on the next few years.”
He knew he had to fight for a spot in the Top Ten League. He didn’t have time to worry about what might happen five years from now.
With the first project payment arriving, Zhang Yu’s account balance soared past 30 Lingbi.
Yes, salary, taxes, and fees would eat into it—but the direction was clear: positive growth.
As days passed, the project ran smoothly. Zhang Yu spent a few days each month on the construction site, while his team generated steady passive income daily.
Meanwhile, he kept investing heavily in alchemy techniques, gradually taking on more complex and varied alchemy contracts.
Alchemy and civil engineering progressed in tandem. Soon, Zhang Yu was saving 20 to 30 Lingbi a month—funds he’d need for building his next military-grade spirit artifact prototype.
…
Mid-May
That evening, Zhang Yu finally took the time to channel Martial Energy into Yu Xinghan, boosting his mana level and refining his energy quality.
With the final barrier broken, Yu Xinghan’s Martial Energy surged past 1,000—reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
As he felt the power within him, a sudden shift stirred in his mind. His third eye trembled—beginning to develop once more.
And Zhang Yu noticed: Yu Xinghan’s Dao Seed Third Eye Ability had risen from level 2 to level 3.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
