Chapter 280

That day, the seventeen-year-old AdaiEr discovered for the first time that she, too, could have endless sighs.

Sitting on a bench near the training field with Ji Ming, she slightly lifted her small face, gazing up at the azure … pitch‑black speckled stone ceiling.

"Doctor, is this what the adult world is like?"

"Uh…"

Ji Ming had never imagined that the first time he would hear this classic line in his life would not be in some chapter that Shen He repeatedly blasted, readers repeatedly read, and someone repeatedly edited.

But rather when he was coaching a pure‑hearted girl to stride boldly into a full‑time office‑drone life!

He pondered for a moment, then decided to still brew some chicken soup.

"AdaiEr, sometimes life is like this, but at least all the effort you're currently putting in will earn you a corresponding reward."

This really isn't empty promises; Ji Ming also has theoretical backing.

Although he currently isn't short of money after taking on several big clients, he therefore handed over the clinic's work to AdaiEr, and also transferred the clinic's income to her.

Although ordinary patients usually bring little profit, the income of Wai Shu Clinic has never come from them, but from those fat clients who rush in for the clinic's reputation just to be fleeced.

Just the "renowned expert one‑on‑one consultation" segment—sitting there doing nothing but talking—can fetch a sky‑high price of five thousand six hundred silver coins in fifteen minutes.

Sigh, don't complain about the price—just look, how many people want to kneel but have no way in?

Although Yangyue World's bizarre experience system can quickly produce strong players, it also means the top‑ranked can easily monopolize many crucial upgrade resources.

Therefore, the most important thing in a kingdom noble's career is to create a "hunting ground" on their own land—the more species and the larger the area, the stronger that noble family's strength becomes, and vice versa.

Setting aside those various drawbacks for now, speaking only of AdaiEr's Wind String Family—a artisan clan that works full‑time for the great nobles—they live comfortably and hold a decent status, yet they have hardly any hunting‑ground resources, after all, who would want their own guns to grow unnecessary spikes?

So AdaiEr's rise to level sixteen relied entirely on her family throwing money at her education; her daily student life was all about finding ways to mooch the academy's hunting grounds, slaying all kinds of magic beasts to gain experience, in hopes of changing her family's fate of merely being hired guns for others.

Although the outcome was her defeat, after all, no matter how hard she grinds as a top student, her online development is as fat as a pig, yet she still can't match the other side's third prince, who directly cheats and blows up the crystal, ending the battle on a physical level.

But the academy's hunting grounds, for the sake of student safety, mainly breed experience packs consisting of magic beasts with either low or extremely high intelligence, which means AdaiEr has almost never killed humanoid species like goblins or dog‑headed people, and can gain full experience in the practical training camp.

This is a huge fat field, you know; she's currently level sixteen, and after a clean sweep she might just leap straight into the level‑thirty club in one go.

Both sides' offerings are very tempting, and indeed they are things you can get just by grinding hard, but if you want to have both……

After her family was wiped out by the third prince of Shen Lin Wang Guo and she was forced to begin a solitary life on the run, she had felt anger, tears, and confusion, but she had never before felt this powerless.

After hearing AdaiEr pour out her bitterness, Ji Ming suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.

"Wait, haven't you considered taking revenge and settling the score?"

AdaiEr certainly had considered it, but she clearly understood that revenge also depends on the circumstances.

If someone punches me, I just punch them back.

For example, that domineering roommate from freshman year, who thought his mother being a Marquis's concubine was pretty impressive, wanted to use AdaiEr as a first target to make a name for himself and become a big sister.

AdaiEr didn't flare up in person, after all she's someone who cares about face; instead, she waited until that roommate went to the toilet at night, put a sack over him, and beat him up so badly he couldn't get out of bed for three days.

After that, the dorm atmosphere cleared up, with sisters and friends becoming very honest, good people.

If a strong person tricks me once, I'll wait for the chance to trick them back.

For example, that stuck‑up social butterfly senior from sophomore year, who thought that breaking through apprentice level at just sixteen made her a big shot, wanted to use AdaiEr as a stepping stone to attract some clueless rich kids and trade them for some pocket money.

AdaiEr still didn't flare up in person, after all personally shattering some beautiful illusions really is cruel; instead, she inadvertently obtained the senior's fish‑pond diary through her personal hobby, and inadvertently handed it over to a few classmates who had some standing at the academy, whose parents were either dukes or royalty.

After that, the academy's atmosphere cleared up, with sycophants having an epiphany and becoming very smart, good people.

But the current situation is…… an elephant stepped on an ant without even noticing, and is still wholeheartedly fighting another elephant.

Can this be considered revenge? That's hard to say.

So AdaiEr quickly switched to her third response——if you dare provoke me, you'll find you've kicked a cotton ball!

"She is the third prince of Shen Lin Wang Guo, backed by at least two northern dukes; I…… I can't even protect my own life, so what's the point of thinking about revenge? Thinking about it just tortures myself—I might as well not think about it and be happy."

Ji Ming: Big gift crab!

No wonder I usually feel that AdaiEr's behavior has a split‑personality vibe—sometimes she's so wronged she can't say a word, other times she can be so ruthless she beats people to death on the spot; turns out she's basically a lunatic with a string loose in her head.

Normally she's a harmless little crybaby, happily hiding in the back of the team slacking off; at least as long as her output is normal after the fight, everything's fine.

But once that string snaps, she will erupt in dragon‑chart form, fully unleashing her ancestors' wisdom, not letting an overnight grudge wait until tomorrow.

But if the stimulation is too strong, she will instead switch back to her normal form, completely turning into a cotton‑person who shrinks back for self‑protection.

So……

First.

Damn! I thought you were being stingy and unwilling to spend money because you were planning to hire a gold‑rated assassin in a van to plot revenge, but it turns out you're just plain cheap!

Second.

Ji Ming doesn't want to hear this kind of spineless talk; as a civilized person he has decided to respect others' lives and unleashed a barrage of heavy punches, and you, as the second‑in‑line after the mouse in the Dragon‑Following Skill, how can you be so low‑spirited?

He spoke earnestly, deciding as an experienced person to give the youngsters some guidance.

"AdaiEr, although you have no national grudge you do have a family grudge; such an important matter—how can you just let it go? You need to open your mind and work hard to find a way to solve the problem!"

As he spoke, Ji Ming printed out all the major events since the dungeon's birth into a booklet and handed it to AdaiEr, hoping she could draw on the players' unyielding spirit and wisdom, turning the regrets buried in her heart into motivation.

"Um……"

If AdaiEr's moral character were to bend just a little, she would probably already be silently cursing Ji Ming as an old fogey whose talk is like farting.

Pioneers can resurrect when they die; even if you feed them your own flesh, they can still beat a tiger to death, and I can't?

I only have this one life; if I end up dead while picking a fight with the third guy, you could use me as a free material for human alchemy!

However, she didn't notice the bizarre logic of this bowl of toxic chicken soup; instead, after a light hum she began reading it seriously.

Seeing her not speak, Ji Ming nodded.

Sure, the young can be taught; what's there to dare? At worst I'll have your back.

Having made up his mind, he stood up and opened a portal.

"All right, I've taken your afternoon class for you—just stay here and rest properly, and think about it a bit."

Having said that, he stepped inside and disappeared.

And AdaiEr sat on the bench in silence for a long while, then slowly exhaled a long breath, flames surged in her hand, and she burned the booklet to ash.

She understood!

The doctor bears a grudge against the mercenaries, the Pioneers also bear a grudge against the mercenaries, and the mercenaries come from the Deep Forest; the doctor's divine‑chosen status is inherently at odds with the Deep Forest, so…

The so‑called Soul‑Spirit Throne will inevitably clash with the Deep Forest later; the doctor is hinting that he is practicing restraint, waiting for the right timing!

When the forces of the Underground World have fully developed, they can guide the Pioneers to march against the Shen Lin Wang Guo, avenging the family massacre, which will be repaid soon.

But before that!

"Kill! Kill kill kill…"

She muttered while leaping, sprinting wildly toward the combat training camp.

But halfway through, she suddenly talked to herself.

"Wait, did the doctor fool me? In the end I still have to work overtime, right?"

"Ah, never mind, whatever, kill kill kill kill kill…"

Ji Ming had no idea how misleading his hint to AdaiEr had been, because he too had realized a new wisdom of life.

One can only say that fate is like that: when nothing's wrong you can leisurely fish all day, but when trouble comes you have to keep the axle turning twenty‑four hours.

I originally planned to get the stocking issue sorted first thing in the morning, but to keep AdaiEr at ease I had to take her to tour the underground city in the morning, and to give her a sudden insight I promised to work for her in the afternoon.

Work is work, but the patients who couldn't make it to the Clinic when it opened in the morning all crowded in before the afternoon.

When they heard that Dr. Ji Ming was finally seeing patients today, patients who came out of admiration, believers who came to pray, players who wanted to catch a glimpse of his beauty, and the myriad husband‑ and wife‑fans who had already lodged him in their minds all gathered at the Clinic for a grand celebration.

"What ailment do you have?"

"I've caught the disease of falling in love with you."

"Where does it hurt?"

"It hurts because I haven't won your heart."

Ji Ming: Damn, you idiots really got me—eat my Heavenly Overlord Sky‑Rending Roar!

Of course, as a divine‑chosen one he cannot beat people in public; at least he must have a cloth to cover, so Ji Ming simply handed these troubles over to the Guardian Knights stationed nearby.

Seeing the long queue at the Clinic's entrance, the writhing crowd of centipedes nearly blocked the opposite doorway, Ji Ming worried that Lao Nv Shi might come to the shop tonight to beat him, and also fretted whether he'd have any time to get beaten tonight.

Besides the "ordinary patients," the various rich ladies and wealthy men who invited him for house calls also started an auction at the doorway, the prices so high it seemed they arrived riding on gold.

Fei En thought feeling unwell was normal; that guy had a blast fighting two nights ago, now he's definitely collapsed on the bed waiting for revival.

But now is a busy season; to secure two jars of rejuvenation for four generations and push through this weak idle period, he definitely wants to ask for some medicine.

Yet Ji Ming didn't give him two harsh doses just because he was sick; he refused, citing "excessive medication harms the body's foundation."

—Let him stay in bed for a couple more days; his phone's out of battery, that's it.

Ke Li Si Ting's discomfort was also normal; Ji Ming could see she was playing the eager suitor, surely trying to swindle him into brewing medicine for free.

He was indeed curious about the centaur species: when the population increases by one, whose belly—human's or horse's—grows larger?

But this isn't a big wagon, it's a dump truck; he worries his small frame might be crushed that night, embedded in the butt and impossible to pull out.

—Maybe men overthink; their heart fire burns too high, they should drink more cool water, that's it.

But Suo La, that rich old man, came seeking medicine and was even more resolute than the previous two, which was extremely abnormal.

First, I'm a surgeon; no matter where his body hurts—whether a flower grew or a root withered—I can't treat it.

Second, the old man clearly has his own private medical team; even if his decoction skills aren't as good as his other abilities, they're certainly not weak, so there's no need to pay a high price for me.

When unexpected events arise, demons follow; after repeatedly refusing, Ji Ming had no choice and resorted to a…

"How about this, I know an old Chinese doctor…"

Anyway, there are several players from the Northeast in Challenger, so let them grill the old man with some specialty gun‑cannon small waists or whatever.

These are tiger‑wolf‑like otherworldly enhanced versions, guaranteed that even if the old fellow eats them on the spot, he'll still be able to salute the Sun Lord every morning.

The envoy heard that they were to seek Eastern help and turned green‑faced; if it weren't for Ji Ming's sincere words and handsome looks, I'd have slapped him!

He could only grit his teeth like he'd eaten a dead‑fly.

"Then… let's think of another way."

Ji Ming also at this moment discovered that, without realizing, the final competition circle narrowed to just these three people, two factions.

As for why last night there was no clash between the Mountain‑folk Mercenary Alliance and the Commercial Union, letting Ji Ming sleep soundly and wake to a flood of victories, the main reasons were two.

First, Fei En went offline; the Mercenary Alliance, which should have mobilized, was forced to shift to defense, sharpening knives at home, waiting to strike merchants later.

The other was that after obtaining a leverage from the divine‑chosen one, players sent night‑long crews into Inner City, directly targeting the Commercial Union's building below, accusing the Union's internal…

Old Suo La was discussing the basic principles of piston mechanics with his new female companion, and upon hearing this, he was so angry that he almost turned his back.

"Damn, those damned Easterners!"