Chapter 2173 — Trouble in the Dorm

"Yes, it is indeed a bit unscrupulous. Those herbs really do invigorate the blood, resolve stasis, promote the flow of qi, and relieve pain. But once you add aminopyrine and caffeine, the effects improve markedly. So you can't exactly call the medicine a fraud—it simply conceals a few facts," Right-Pan Hu said.

"Mm, it seems your fundamentals are reasonably solid. We'll let this matter rest for now, but next time, no cutting class!" Chief Bai said. "If you need to take leave, you must provide a legitimate reason and notify me in advance!"

"Yes, Teacher Bai, I understand," Right-Pan Hu said respectfully.

"All right, go eat," Chief Bai said with a wave of his hand.

"By the way, Teacher Bai, when you sought out Wei Zhao earlier, were you thinking of taking him as a disciple?" Right-Pan Hu asked cautiously.

"What business is that of yours?" Chief Bai asked mildly.

"It's like this—that Wei Zhao... doesn't seem to know how to refine pills?" Right-Pan Hu asked after a moment's hesitation.

"How so?" Chief Bai said, neither confirming nor denying.

"Nothing much, Teacher Bai. When you take a disciple, character matters greatly..." Right-Pan Hu lowered his voice. "Teacher Bai, that Wei Zhao—there's something off about his character!"

"How is his character off?" Chief Bai was slightly taken aback, then turned to Right-Pan Hu with keen interest.

"That Wei Zhao is actually an alchemist, yet he deceived you into thinking he can't control pill fire..." Right-Pan Hu said. "Back then, he publicly stated on many occasions that he was an alchemist. And at this Hidden Family Summit, if the stakes had been pills, Wei Zhao wouldn't take them, or would trade them for other rare treasures. If he weren't an alchemist, why would he refuse those pills? Pills are exceedingly precious things, yet he wouldn't take them—that can only mean he doesn't lack for pills. He is an alchemist..."

"Oh? How do you know he deceived me about not being able to control pill fire?" Chief Bai asked, looking at Right-Pan Hu with some puzzlement.

"That... actually, I was eavesdropping at the door just now..." Right-Pan Hu froze, but admitted it anyway, and since he had gone this far, he might as well go all the way. "Actually, Wei Zhao's goal is to trick you out of your alchemist's notes. Your esteemed materials are generally not shown lightly to others, but he plays on your sympathy by claiming he can't refine pills..."

"Oh, I was going to show him those alchemist's notes anyway. Is there anything else?" Chief Bai asked.

"That... no..." Right-Pan Hu looked at Chief Bai's indifferent expression. Though deeply unwilling in his heart, he had no recourse. Chief Bai seemed not to care in the least—what more could he say? He could only say sullenly, "Then I'll take my leave..."

"Go on. Don't forget to close the door on your way out—there's no one at the door this time," Chief Bai said mildly, which made Right-Pan Hu flush red.

He had been afraid that Wei Zhao might eavesdrop in turn, so he hadn't closed the door when he entered the office—that was also why he had dared to slander Wei Zhao behind his back. Otherwise, at the Hidden Family Summit, Right-Pan Hu had already learned that Wei Zhao was a formidable figure. Such a person was best left alone—at least, Right-Pan Hu could not afford to provoke him!

Even the Right-Pan family's old master dared not face Wei Zhao alone—let alone alone; he wouldn't even dare to join forces with Old Master Tang to surround him. What could Right-Pan Hu possibly say?

Leaving Chief Bai's office, Right-Pan Hu felt somewhat depressed, but he had also clarified one thing: the materials in Wei Zhao's hands really were an alchemist's notes. This only strengthened Right-Pan Hu's determination to get his hands on those materials and take a look.

Last time he had been duped by Wei Zhao, but not this time. Chief Bai himself had admitted those were an alchemist's notes—how could that be wrong? And judging by Wei Zhao's unnatural manner just now, it was probably the genuine article. So Right-Pan Hu decided to think carefully about what price might persuade Wei Zhao to trade those alchemist's notes for a look.

Wei Zhao had not the slightest desire to eavesdrop. He took Chief Bai's materials and went straight to the cafeteria, bought a boxed meal, and returned to the dormitory.

Bai Weituo was clattering away on the computer, chatting. Seeing Wei Zhao return, he said excitedly, "Brother Lin, long time no see! I have good news to tell you!"

"Good news? What good news?" Wei Zhao sat down in his own seat, opened the boxed meal, and began to eat. Though a cultivator could get by without eating, going without food made life feel like something was missing—Wei Zhao was not quite used to it.

"Heh heh, while you were away these past few days, through my unremitting efforts, I finally got He Meiyue's QQ number. We're chatting quite well now, and she's finally agreed to my invitation—she's going to the movies with me tonight!" Bai Weituo said jubilantly.

"Oh, congratulations then," Wei Zhao said. His impression of He Meiyue was not particularly good, but since Bai Weituo liked her, he did not dampen the other's enthusiasm.

"Wait, Brother Lin, I haven't finished! He Meiyue agreed, but she doesn't want to go with me alone. She said to bring you and Miss Xinyan, or Zhao Shengji and Chai Xiaoling!" Bai Weituo said.

"Then have Shengji go," Wei Zhao said. He suddenly noticed that Zhao Shengji was not in the dormitory. "Where's that fatty?"

"Don't get me started. The morning before yesterday, we went to class. The dormitory building had just been mopped, and on the marble staircase, Zhao Shengji slipped and fell on his way down. He's so fat that he crushed his own sternum. He's laid up in the campus hospital..." Bai Weituo said glumly. "Chai Xiaoling is there nursing him!"

"..." Wei Zhao was somewhat speechless. For an ordinary person, a fall was no big deal, but when this one fell, his own weight had cracked his bone! Still, Wei Zhao then furrowed his brow, because the place Zhao Shengji had fractured was too strange—his sternum?

Breaking an arm or a leg in a fall was plausible enough, but crushing the sternum? Something about it felt off no matter how he looked at it. How acrobatic would a fall have to be? Especially when going downstairs—judging by the center of gravity, a fall should send the whole body tipping backward. It was simply impossible to crush the sternum that way!

"Weituo, what exactly happened? Zhao Shengji's bone—I'm afraid it wasn't broken by a simple fall, was it?" Wei Zhao frowned and asked.

"Ah?" Bai Weituo was startled. He hadn't expected Wei Zhao to catch the flaw! Regarding this matter, Zhao Shengji and Bai Weituo had discussed it beforehand, wanting to make big trouble small and small trouble nothing.

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