No Money to Cultivate Immortality?

While the gang elders inside the conference room were still bickering over who should become the next Gold Star Teacher, the bald elder suddenly said, “No need to argue. Just watch Ma’s trial class…”

As it turned out, while they’d been debating, Zhang Yu had already begun his demonstration of the Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation in the classroom. To prove his skill, he’d asked every senior present to hand over one of their personal medications.

Capsules, pills, injections—over a dozen types, brands, and potencies of drugs were gulped down in one go by Zhang Yu.

Thanks to the Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation and the High School Saint Body, he rapidly absorbed the medicinal effects, endured the toxins and side effects, and remained calm and composed.

Seeing his complexion stay steady despite taking so many conflicting meds left the elderly audience thoroughly convinced.

Back in the conference room, the bald elder continued, “Ma’s got the gimmicks and the skills. He can teach real stuff, deliver emotional value, and is the perfect choice for our next Gold Star Teacher.”

Though some elders still wanted to back their candidates—Teacher Yao or Teacher Bai—they had nothing left to say.

All those present had spent years navigating the dark tutoring market and knew that teaching well didn’t always mean selling well.

But someone like Zhang Yu, who had both buzz and backing as a “Xiandu native,” and genuine ability to match, was bound to sell out every session.

“Then it’s settled. Ma it is.”“Before classes start, we can hype him up a bit.”

“Isn’t the Golden Tutoring Gang trying to muscle into our senior market? Let’s launch Ma’s class and go head-to-head with them. We’ll crush them.”

…

Meanwhile, Teachers Ci, Yao, and Bai were standing outside the classroom, listening to Zhang Yu’s lecture, their faces marked with astonishment.

If the “Xiandu native” identity had made them skeptical, then watching Zhang Yu demonstrate the Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation silenced their doubts.

Teacher Yao thought to himself, “He really took that many conflicting and incompatible meds in one go? His drug tolerance is insane. His metabolism might even be better than all three of us combined.”

Teacher Ci and Teacher Bai exchanged a helpless glance, then shook their heads. With both the prestige of Xiandu and this level of skill, their hopes for becoming Gold Star Teacher had been thoroughly dashed.

After the trial lecture ended, Zhang Yu left the classroom under the reluctant gazes of the seniors.

Only Black Crow remained outside, smiling as he said, “Teacher Ma, the elders have decided—you’ll be taking the Gold Star Teacher role and leading the senior class from now on.”

He then began discussing salary and benefits with Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu did some quick math—five sessions a week, roughly 250,000 post-tax per week, about a million per month.

Black Crow cautiously added, “It might seem a bit low at first, since you’re just starting out.”

“But once your classes start performing well and the gang’s marketing kicks in, your hours and student count will go up fast. Two million a month, even three, won’t be out of reach.”

Fu Ji snickered in his mind, “He’s dangling a carrot, but the cut you’re getting isn’t bad.”

“Probably scared you’ll walk, especially after you dropped the Xiandu card.”

Zhang Yu thought, “The Xiandu identity really works—not just for luring students, but for bargaining too.”

Though he’d only been a Xiandu Elder in a dream, as the saying went: one dream of Xiandu, a lifetime of Xiandu loyalty. He was fully committed to playing Ma Yunteng as a true Xiandu Elder now. ŕ𝐚ɴ𝖔βЁŜ

With his new Gold Star Teacher role secured, Zhang Yu’s thoughts turned to Bai Zhenzhen’s upcoming gang operation.

“Hope Ah-Zhen makes it out okay tomorrow.”

…

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

On the outskirts of Songyang City, Bai Zhenzhen stood with a group outside a cemetery.

Before them stood a tall, dark-skinned man with a tattooed character “学” (learning) on his face, eyes cold as steel.

He declared, “The Golden Tutoring Gang has gone too far. Not only did they steal our curriculum and attack our Gold Star Teachers, they even colluded with Xianyun Group to shut down our park.”

“To get our revenge, we’re going to do something big—team up with Deep Sea Group’s security forces to strike their biggest teaching site…”

According to him, the so-called “teaching site” was this cemetery.

Though it looked like a graveyard, it was actually the Golden Tutoring Gang’s base. Students could “pay tribute” with cash offerings at the graves to gain access to underground classrooms. Repeated complaints had yielded no results—hence today’s surprise attack.

Listening to the big guy’s morale-boosting speech, Bai Zhenzhen groaned inwardly, “Seriously… I walk into this mess on my first day?”

Then he said, “To wipe out every last Golden Tutoring Gang scumbag, we’re deploying a Copyright Bomb.”

“When it detonates, Deep Sea Group’s security team will storm in and arrest everyone on-site…”

Bai Zhenzhen frowned. “What the hell is a Copyright Bomb?”

The man pulled out a black cube. “This is the gang’s specially designed Copyright Bomb. Once triggered, it blasts out expert-level techniques from Deep Sea Group at 120 decibels, with an effective range of over a kilometer.”

“The hell?!” Bai Zhenzhen’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that basically a terrorist attack!?”

The man continued, “Because the underground layout is too complex, elite fighters from our gang will carry the bomb in personally.”

“Now we’ll draw lots to choose who goes in.”

Bai Zhenzhen facepalmed. “Wait—these so-called ‘elite fighters’ are just picked by lottery?!”

Moments later, the man clapped her shoulder. “Xiao Le, once you drop the bomb, the security forces will move in and clean house.”

Bai Zhenzhen asked stiffly, “If I hear the techniques being blasted, will I get arrested too?”

The man reassured her, “Don’t worry. Just do your job. The gang will pay to pull some strings and get you out.”

“Serve a few years, pay the fine, and when you’re out, you’ll be a bigshot. Gold Star Teacher-tier treatment.”

Someone nearby sneered, “You scared? If you are, let me go instead.”

Others looked over with eager eyes—they clearly wanted this “opportunity.”

For them, doing a few years and coming out as a gang leader was a dream worth chasing.

Seeing their hungry faces, Bai Zhenzhen chuckled to herself. “Damn… Ever since I started rolling with Yuzi, I’ve gotten way too comfortable. Forgot that for us poor folks, the only way up is to risk everything—grab every shot we get.”

She turned to the big guy and licked her lips. “If I manage to escape before the security team arrives—without getting caught…”

“Can I keep the bribe money you were gonna use to bail me out?”

The man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You get out before they act? If you’re really that fast, I’ll make the call. That 500,000 bribe fund? Yours.”

“Plus, once you’re out, I’ll give you your own squad. Monthly base pay: 800,000.”

Half an hour later, a booming voice thundered from the depths of the cemetery—like a thousand ghosts chanting cultivation techniques beneath the earth.

Seconds later, lightning streaked through the night sky, striking the cemetery gates.

A shout rang out: “Don’t let her escape!”

From the trees beyond the graveyard, Deep Sea Group’s security forces surged forward like shadows.

Amid the electric storm, Bai Zhenzhen’s nervous system blazed, pumping every scrap of sensory data into her brain.

Time itself seemed to slow.

Her legs exploded with power, her heart pounded out blood, Thunder Mana blasted through her body like plasma, her Zhen Spirit Root lit up every nerve—every move perfectly precise, not a single iota wasted.

Her entire body screamed for one thing: speed. More speed. Even more speed!

The shouts behind her faded. She was pulling away.

From ahead came the roar of incoming guards—Deep Sea’s enforcers closing in.

The cemetery gates were swinging shut. Guards blocked the exit.

But to Bai Zhenzhen, they were riddled with openings. No coordination. No teamwork.

A few flickers of motion later, she had slipped through like a phantom—then launched herself past the gates with a whoosh.

To the guards, it was as if lightning flashed… and she was gone.

Hours later, the big guy looked at Bai Zhenzhen and whistled. “Fast as thunder, swift as lightning. With footwork like that, it’s a crime you’re not delivering takeout. What made you join a gang?”

“Pays better,” Bai Zhenzhen said. “Now hurry up and pay me.”

Watching 500,000 land in her account, she smiled faintly. “Yuzi’s a Gold Star Teacher now, and I’ve got my foot in the door too.”

“For that final Foundation Establishment exam… we’re going to win.”

As Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen raked in cash in the Dark Studies Gang, their cultivation surged anew.

Time flew as they worked and trained—bringing them ever closer to the final Foundation Establishment Exam in January.