Chapter 48: The Academy Won't Take Advantage of a Poor Student Like Me, Right?

The usually bustling streets of Heitu Cheng had fallen deathly silent.

After a long moment, someone finally could not help but speak in a low voice, their tone full of fear and dread.

"H-he just killed the deputy bureau chief of the Public Security Bureau like that!?"

For ordinary people, a Public Security officer was already a big shot, and the deputy bureau chief could even be said to be one of the main power figures in the entire city.

Although Investigators wielded great authority.

To just kill a deputy bureau chief of the Public Security Bureau like this was truly unheard of—did this young man not fear drawing punishment from the higher-ups?

The commotion here grew louder and louder, and soon Shen Ling arrived with a squad of people.

She looked at the two corpses lying in a pool of blood, felt a headache coming on, and asked in a slightly helpless voice:

"Investigator Jiang, how could you… kill him?"

Jiang Qin's expression was calm as he said, "This man abused his position to promote his relatives and caused chaos within the Public Security Bureau; while holding office, he ignored the flood of refugees in the city; and without distinguishing right from wrong, he tried to kill an Investigator. Aren't these crimes enough for me to execute him?"

"That's more than enough…"

Shen Ling replied helplessly.

Only now did Jiang Qin turn his gaze to the man kneeling on the ground. "Is this how Heitu Cheng treats the suffering refugees? Ignoring them, sitting by while a newborn baby is about to starve to death."

This question was sharp, pointing straight at the most critical issue currently facing Heitu Cheng.

Hearing this, Shen Ling, who knew the inside story, sighed and said, "It's not that we don't care, it's that we can't. Heitu Cheng's finances have already… run out of money."

Heitu Cheng was close to the Frontier to begin with, so it was barren; as for its administrators…

That Wang Xingshan was a massive corrupt official who embezzled almost all of the disaster relief funds allocated from above. He died and got it over with, but that money can no longer be recovered.

The only mayor with any ability also died young long ago.

This Deputy Bureau Chief Li was also a corrupt official.

Before Long Xingtian's return, it was people like these who governed the entire Heitu Cheng. Coupled with the Church of the Gods causing trouble in the shadows, one could well imagine how chaotic the situation was.

Jiang Qin nodded to show his understanding, then he took out a card and handed it over.

"There's not much money in this card, just a little over 100 million. Take it to settle the refugees first; it should be enough to hold out for a short while."

Staring at the bank card being handed over, Shen Ling's eyes went wide with disbelief.

She had previously thought this guy was some kind of corpse-abusing maniac, but now her opinion had changed—this was simply a living god of justice! Willing to take out all his own money to settle the refugees, truly…

Su Lingwei was also a little surprised, feeling this was not Jiang Qin's style of doing things.

He might donate money, but definitely only under circumstances that wouldn't affect himself. Now he was taking out over 100 million all at once—did this guy really have that big a heart?

As if confirming her guess, Jiang Qin smiled with a slight upturn of his lips:

"Risking my life to slay cultists, removing a tumor for Heitu Cheng, and unable to bear watching refugees suffer from cold and hunger so I pour out my entire savings… If word of this reaches the higher-ups, won't they have to give me a special-class merit? In the end, I can still get the Academy or the Zhenling Bureau to reimburse this money. Spending public funds to buy my own merits—simply perfect!"

Shen Ling fell silent and retracted her inner emotions.

Su Lingwei nodded as if half-understanding, then also took out a bank card and held it out to Shen Ling. "There's 200 million in this card—it's my grandfather's secret stash. I want to help the refugees too!"

Shen Ling's mouth twitched. Where was this helping refugees? This was clearly wanting to get ahead!

Even so, she still took the card.

Disaster relief was also an achievement. Although the money wasn't hers, the deed was done by her—she also really wanted to get ahead!

With the matter resolved, the crowd finally dispersed.

The one-armed, one-legged man's face was full of gratitude. He knelt toward Jiang Qin's retreating back and kowtowed heavily three times.

The backs of the young man and woman gradually receded under the harsh sunlight.

Su Lingwei's voice rose faintly: "Are you sure the Academy will really reimburse us? That's my grandfather's entire fortune. If it just vanishes like that, I won't be able to eat meat in the future."

"No wonder they call you silly. If the Academy won't reimburse, why don't you get Lin Lao to take a cleaver and go chat some sense into the higher-ups? He's lived his whole life anyway—what's a little lost face?"

"Mm! Makes sense!"

…

With Jiang Qin and Su Lingwei's financial support, the refugees of Heitu Cheng temporarily weathered the crisis.

Their deeds also spread widely throughout the city, causing a sensation whenever they walked down the street.

After staying in Heitu Cheng for two more days, Jiang Qin and his companion finally set out on their journey home.

It is worth mentioning that on the way back to Modu, Su Lingwei achieved her goal of refining spirit nine times in the Spirit Guidance Realm, successfully breaking through to the Spirit Sea Realm, and her strength underwent a qualitative leap.

And after Jiang Qin exhausted his stored resources, his realm also reached the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm.

He was only a single step away from the Divine Image Realm.

Don't underestimate this mere single step.

In the past, whether breaking through from the Mortal Embryo Realm to the Spirit Guidance Realm, or from the Spirit Guidance Realm to the Spirit Sea Realm, it had always been a natural progression for Jiang Qin—as long as he cultivated step by step, he could break through smoothly.

But when he tried to advance toward the Divine Image Realm Realm, he felt not the slightest response.

It was as if, to break through to the Divine Image Realm, he was still missing some necessary thing…

They set out in the morning.

By afternoon, the train had arrived in Modu.

After leaving the station, the two headed straight for Zhenling Academy.

Before the gates of Zhenling Academy, everything was still the same. Although they had only been away for four or five days, it felt as if a whole month had passed.

Lin Laotou sat in his usual spot outside the gatekeeper's room, basking in the sun.

Seeing the two return, he saw at a glance that Su Lingwei was already a Spirit Sea Realm Martial Artist, and he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad. You've already broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm—faster than I expected."

"You two should go to Xiao Qin first. He's waiting for you in his office."

"Alright."

Jiang Qin nodded, and together with Su Lingwei, headed straight for the building at the very center of the Academy.

In the principal's office, Qin Xiaoyuan was handling matters with his head lowered.

The office door swung open without warning, and when he looked up to see Jiang Qin and Su Lingwei walk in, a flicker of helplessness crossed his face.

The old ones don't knock, and now even the young ones don't knock either!

Yet these two happen to be the precious darlings of the entire Academy.

"Ah, you're here. Come, sit down."

"Everything you did in Heitu Cheng, I already know all about it. Well done."

The two walked to the desk and sat down, then almost simultaneously extended their hands toward Principal Qin.

Qin Xiaoyuan was startled by the gesture. "What?"

Jiang Qin blinked. "Pay up! I donated every last thing I had to help the refugees — that's a great merit, right? The Academy wouldn't let a poor student with a pure heart like me suffer a loss, would it?"

"And mine too!" Su Lingwei said with a perfectly serious expression, even pulling out her phone, as if to say:

If you don't pay up, I'll have my grandfather come over and reason with you.

Qin Xiaoyuan's head was full of black lines, and he felt like cursing someone out.

Poor students, my foot — one of you is the future heir of Dijing's Jiang Family, and the other has a grandfather who used to be a Law Enforcement Officer. If you two are poor students, then aren't all the other students in the Academy refugees and beggars!