Back in her room, Yuhan He felt utterly down. She couldn’t grasp why Lin Ming had bluntly demanded payment the moment he spoke. Shouldn’t he have seized the chance to ask her out—or even confessed—when he saw her blushing? Sure, it might’ve been too fast, but she was naturally stunning. After all, he’d been staring when they first met.

“Seriously, that guy—does money really outweigh a beauty’s favor? How could he skip such a likability boost?” Yuhan He was baffled by Lin Ming’s actions.

He’d been so cool during the duel. Why did he only talk about cash now? Weren’t strong cultivators supposed to be indifferent to fame and fortune, calm as a breeze?

After calming herself with mental pep talk, Yuhan He opened the door and stepped out.

Lin Ming waited impatiently. Seriously, how long did fetching a reward take? Bored, he slumped on the sofa, watching the sky darken outside.

Rosen shook his head, eyeing Lin Ming’s carefree shift in demeanor. He sighed inwardly: *Did this guy really block my Blade Draw Technique? Such a contrast… are all Azure Spirit Academy students this weird?*

Just then, the door opened. Yuhan He emerged. Lin Ming instantly jumped up, hurried over, rubbed his hands with a cheeky grin, and said, “Uh, Junior, about that reward…”

Lin Ming figured his earlier seriousness might’ve creeped her out—he’d felt the same in the Headmaster’s office. So he switched back to his usual self to ask.

Unbeknownst to him, Yuhan He just blinked at his expression. *His serious face was actually cool earlier. Why’s he showing such a… sleazy look now? Could he really just want payment?*

Put simply, if Lin Ming’s prior stern look was that of an aloof god, now he resembled a scheming merchant.

“Grandpa Rosen, give him my limited-edition record,” Yuhan He told Rosen, secretly watching Lin Ming. *I’ll see your reaction—this isn’t sold anywhere.*

“Yes,” Rosen replied, handing it over. “Treasure it, kid.” He winced inwardly as he pulled the disc from his Storage Ring. *I only made five copies—all in his collection. Only Miss knows. No market releases… ouch!*

Lin Ming took it eagerly, then frowned at the small disc. Disappointed, he blurted, “Huh? What’s this? Cash would’ve been better.”

“What?! You’re comparing my record to money?” Yuhan He snapped. As a famous Songstress, her fame would’ve soared if not for “that” reason blocking releases. This custom disc—unavailable publicly—was now reduced to cash value. She seethed.

“Kid, hand it back if you don’t want it!” Rosen roared. He’d only brought it out for Yuhan He. He never expected Lin Ming to be so clueless.

Seeing their outrage, Lin Ming examined the palm-sized disc curiously. *Could this really be valuable?* He quickly pocketed it, cleared his throat, and said, “Ahem, I’ll accept this as payment.”

“Uh, what is this thing anyway?” Lin Ming suddenly asked.

Rosen and Yuhan He stared at him incredulously.

“Hey, Senior! Where are you from, the boonies? Don’t know modern magic tech?” Yuhan He eyed him like a country bumpkin.

“Ahem, I know magic tech—just not this,” Lin Ming coughed awkwardly. Magic tech felt distant to him. His world was limited to Academy mission gear. It was too pricey—that’s why he’d taken a carriage. Honestly, it was a rich person’s flashy toy, trendy only recently.

Rosen explained, “That disc holds Miss’s recorded songs. Just tap to use. Custom-made—it costs about 1,000 Gold Coins.”

“What?! 1,000 Gold Coins? Holy crap!” Lin Ming reeled. Such a tiny thing cost as much as one small Jade Viper he’d caught—big ones were too venomous! He felt the class gap: catching a Magic Beast couldn’t match selling a disc.

Watching his shock, Yuhan He rubbed her temples. Why had she blushed in front of him earlier?

“And this disc has Miss’s magic too,” Rosen added.

“Magic?! Junior, what’s yours?” Lin Ming pointed at her.

“I specialize in Melodic Magic. Impressive, huh?” Yuhan He puffed her chest proudly.

“Impressive!”

Wait—such crucial info! That old Headmaster omitted Melodic Magic from the mission. It was top-tier Support Magic, boosting status buffs stronger with level! No wonder he’d sent a Special Admit Invitation Letter.

*This isn’t a loss after all!* Lin Ming thought gleefully. Then, serious-faced, he told Yuhan He, “Junior, if you ever need help with missions, contact me.”

“I will,” she replied. This Senior was intriguing—his expression turned serious whenever money was involved.

“By the way, where are we hanging out later? Stuck in this room for days—I’m bored stiff!” Yuhan He exclaimed to them.

“Miss, it’s dark. Play tomorrow,” Rosen said calmly.

“Huh!”

Yuhan He glanced at the night sky, then at Lin Ming. He yawned, “Yikes! Rushed to Wind City at dawn, then fought that old man. Exhausted. I’ll grab dinner and crash.”

Her mood plummeted. Just then—*knock knock*—came from the suite door.