Chapter 452: Nobody understands dedication better than Ji Ming

Afraid that his own words weren't persuasive enough, Wendigo hastily added another segment.

"I know Your Majesty's ambitions aren't limited to just one grassland; the northern barbarian wilds, and even further north, Guanghui, should all be within your dreams!"

"However, the originally ownerless barbarian wilds have become the territory of that group of Pioneers, and Guanghui has gradually become their ally in the heart of the continent."

"Although this is merely a pair of wooden dummy earthworks, Your Majesty, ahead of your path to success they will inevitably become your stumbling blocks; you just don't feel it yet because the time hasn't come."

"So only by laying plans earlier, dealing with them earlier, and pulling out these damned nails earlier can we make our path steadier at the critical moment."

"After all, I believe you, like me, don't want any unnecessary bumps on our road to success, right?"

"This round, Wendigo has basically maxed out his emotional intelligence—like a kindergarten teacher telling bedtime stories, going back and forth there's really no heavy line to be found."

"So as long as it's not just a nitpicking neurosis like 'I don't eat beef,' even the most tyrannical monarch in history shouldn't be able to find any fault."

"Haha, but if tyranny can't be found, what about the sly and shameless?"

"Thus the Wolf King merely smiled and shook his head, then launched again into his classic drawn-out tone of yin-yang sarcasm."

"\"National Teacher, I'm not as pessimistic as you~\""

"\"Moreover, didn't you say yourself that they've only had minor conflicts with you so far? \""

"\"This minor detail can't represent the whole Shadow Church, and your Shadow Church can't represent our Wolf King Court, right? \""

"Wendigo immediately felt a thump in his heart."

"Guigui, you actually want to cut me?"

"But the Wolf King also knows the carrot-and-stick approach, and immediately shifted his tone."

"\"But then, according to your saying, the Pioneers are indeed a variable. \""

"\"I originally thought they were just a group of refugees camping in the woods, but I didn't expect there to be so much frilly nonsense. \""

"\"Like this, I'll listen to the National Teacher; we'll also be cautious—I'll send my son up the mountain to go into the barbarian wilds for a trip. \""

"\"Whether it's a person or a ghost, a mule or a horse, a friend or an enemy, let's go visit and find out first, okay? \""

"Thanks to Wendigo indeed being literally thick‑skinned, otherwise hearing this would surely have made him flush."

"Because it's obvious the Wolf King is making all kinds of difficulties for His proposal, yet by the end it seems as if he's showing great respect for His opinion!"

"And this 'son' the Wolf King spoke of is his child with the deceased former queen, also the Wolf Prince most likely to inherit his throne, Axibao."

"Thus Wendigo couldn't help but silently curse in his heart."

"Heh, clearly both are 'sons'—one gets sent out whenever there's a chance to boost reputation and farm battle merits, while the other can only stand guard like a watchdog beside this poisonous wolf; what a great father."

……

"Eh, anyway it's not me who's unlucky; no matter what, as long as the purpose of this trip is achieved, that's enough."

"However, Lao Yang Tou didn't forget those several hundred unlucky Wolf Clan guards, and he shared this as a joke with the Wolf King."

"And no matter how much they dislike each other, the Wolf King couldn't possibly idle away making a fuss over this, so his attitude remains broad‑minded."

"\"Is this even considered an affair? Come on, I, the king, decree that you, National Teacher, punish yourself with three cups. \""

"However, to uphold his authority, those several hundred wolf soldiers who broke the rules can't just be laughed off; they must receive appropriate punishment."

"Originally the plan was to exile them to reclaim wasteland by routine procedure, but after Wendigo's persuasion it was changed to having them guard the Land of Death."

"And this so‑called Land of Death is actually where Wendigo collects corpses from all over and has the little lich Malasha turn them into undead."

"Because there are too many dead and the resentment is too heavy, that mound‑like hill has already formed an extremely special ecosystem."

"Not to mention night—even in the daytime it can be overcast with dark clouds, wicked winds howling, and the sinister qi so thick that an ordinary person strolling around inside will come down with a serious illness."

"Therefore, in the Wolf King's eyes, Wendigo's suggestion is less a lenient verdict and more a changed judgment, possibly even a heavy one."

"To some extent this counts as Him actively reaching out to show friendliness, indicating He will absolutely not buy over the Wolf Clan's hearts……"

"So the Wolf King happily accepted Wendigo's proposal, sending those several hundred guards to the Land of Death to guard the undead there and prevent them from running around."

"But Wendigo knows that, no matter how you put it, the Land of Death is still His domain, and what happens after those wolf people go there is still up to Him to decide."

"However, ah, there's no need to let Little Puppy Head know about this."

"Thinking this through, Wendigo picked up another cup."

"\"Your Majesty is still gracious—come, this cup is my toast to you! \""

"\"Oh dear, National Teacher, you over‑praise me—come, drink! \""

"One wolf and one ghost, just like that, decided the future of the wasteland over clinking cups."

"And while the Wolf Prince was mustering troops, preparing to lead a scouting team north to explore, in Guanghui Capital Ji Ming was also organizing his own adventure party."

"However, on his side nothing much in the way of battles has happened; it's just that time has come to June, and since we don't know which transmigrator predecessor brought summer and winter break to Yangyue World, the eagerly awaited finals week is fast approaching."

"And although the Saint Valentine Magic Academy is infamous, it is nevertheless a specialized higher‑level institution for training magical talents for the kingdom, and one must still stress putting learning into practice."

"Therefore, besides the written culture exams, magic scroll crafting, related potion making, etc., which can be done indoors as practical tests, there is also an outdoor field test with considerable weight."

"Exactly, the staff benefit that made Ji Ming grit his teeth and endure for two months has finally arrived—the free opening of the Royal Hunting Ground!"

"Although under the astonishing wisdom of the First Savior An Yicheng, the entire Yangyue World has become a death‑game world where the way to gain power is twisted to the extreme."

"But where there are people there is the jianghu; since nobles and high‑rankers still exist in the world, corresponding 'shortcuts' cannot fail to exist."

"Therefore, since upgrading requires hunting as many different creatures as possible, why not just build a huge zoo directly?"

"So from ancient times to now, almost every state and power will set up its own hunting ground."

"And the more varied and complex the creatures in a hunting ground, the stronger that group's strength, its status deserving the name of an otherworldly dragon vein."

"This is also the fundamental reason why Yangyue World's history is long yet the frequency of dynastic change is frighteningly low."

"Resources are gripped tight by others—this truly is a sealed barrier to breaking worlds."

"——An Yicheng, it's all your doing, you little brat!"

"Although the territory is vast, there certainly isn't just one hunting ground within Guanghui."

"But since the one near the Royal Capital can bear the name 'Royal,' it absolutely is the one with the highest value."

"In fact, it was established at the beginning of Guanghui, led by the Royal Family, with the help of several dukes and a number of academies."

For five hundred continuous years, all the rare and even nearly extinct exotic birds and beasts that are extremely scarce elsewhere have taken residence here; it can hardly be called unlegendary.

Strictly speaking, Sheng Walending is actually older than the Hui Guang Kingdom, and of course is also one of its founders.

Therefore each student gets two chances per year to enter the royal hunting grounds, which is also the confidence behind its status as a world‑class academy.

Since the faculty leading the group also accompany them inside, for many teachers of modest ability this is a rare opportunity.

If luck is on your side and you advance a level or two, you might get a promotion and raise sooner, rather than struggling to secure a residence in the Royal Capital.

As for Ji Ming, even though at the end of last month he had already, through his monthly exam scores, accumulated enough teaching points to enter alone once.

Rather than rushing in, he thought it better to use this free chance to follow the group and scout the route, so he wouldn't waste time alone later.

But.

Although Sheng Walending's teaching model resembles a university on Earth, with both small and large courses and required and elective distinctions.

But the selection of class leaders, or homeroom teachers, is more like high school: it will definitely be one of the teachers assigned to that class.

Thus, even though Ji Ming is only a teacher of a minor course, he still "successfully" got a group of students and became one of the team leaders for this drill.

Watching the young people chattering excitedly in large clusters on the open ground outside the hunting grounds, he always felt like he was taking the kids on an outing.

If one had to put it, this wave truly is an outing.

At the very least, if you truly want to give the students a rigorous training, it should be done college by college, even grade by grade, gradually.

Not like now, where they dive in en masse, with ten‑plus academies amounting to tens of thousands entering together.

Those who know call it a combat drill; those who don't think it's a mountain sweep.

Feeling something was off, Ji Ming specifically reported the matter to the director in charge of this year's combat drill.

The reply was:

"Haha, I heard there was such a rule a few hundred years ago, but now, well, it's just letting the kids play."

Perhaps sensing his answer was a bit perfunctory, he deliberately straightened his expression.

"Actually, not every student will go into related fields later; they might return to inherit a family business, or simply spend the rest of their lives courting wealthy young masters or mistresses."

"So don't overthink it; all we need to do is take good care of the students, ensure they all return safely, and give their parents and friends an answer."

Ji Ming: "……"

Seeing everyone so enthusiastic, the speechless Ji Ming could only shake his head and leave.

And precisely because these students are each family's prized children, who knows whether the surname behind the name belongs to a duke or a marquis.

Therefore, besides the academy's own security staff, to show the king's generous favor, the Royal Capital also dispatched another batch of knights as guards.

So after Ji Ming returned to the assembly point, it didn't take long before several garrison knights on proud steeds rode over.

Ji Ming looked up and scanned the area, and found, sigh!

…no acquaintances.

There's nothing he can do; the atmosphere of the Royal Capital has numbed him. He's been holed up in the ivory tower, so just recognizing a few Royal Capital knights of this heroic caliber is enough—there's no time to get to know each super‑soldier garrison knight individually.

He may not know them, but they certainly know him!

Coincidentally, the commander of this knight unit happens to be a parent of one of his students.

Although to avoid a conflict of interest he cannot guard his own daughter, it's fine for his former teacher to guard the daughter.

As everyone knows, as long as the salary and benefits are sufficient, former slack office worker‑turned‑advanced savior‑individual‑top‑doctor‑best‑divine‑selection‑model‑teacher Ji Ming is always the most dedicated.

Thus, when facing the student's parent, he promptly switched to business mode, adopting polite language while carefully assessing his face.

"Oh, now that you mention it, your eyebrows and eyes do look somewhat familiar…"

Fortunately, linking each student's face with their name is, in Ji Ming's view, also part of professionalism.

After all, when he was a student, a teacher with such a good memory was either a veteran with strong abilities or a wildly popular group mascot.

Therefore.

"…Pei Ni? Pei Ni Shu Mei, are you her father?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, Teacher Ji, your memory is really good!"

What could be more delightful than the person you're trying to impress confirming their identity? Uncle Mei Zi's face was about to bloom with a smile.

According to the Royal Capital's arrangement, each garrison knight is responsible for protecting ten students, rounding up if insufficient.

Thus, Ji Ming's forty‑six students were assigned a total of five garrison knights, including Uncle Mei Zi, as escort guards.

If you also count the academy's patrol guards, the hunting ground's own mountain patrols, and even his own concealed‑level but still reported as a level‑37 team leader…

It's a bit overwhelming; this truly is a pure young‑master and miss social gathering, with security stronger than Chuán Bǎo's.

Since assigning the knights was the final step of the mountain‑entry preparation, after a brief ready‑up period, the whistle sounded and this semester's combat drill officially began.

"Shall we go, commander?"

"Alright, go! Let's go!"

After being a bit courteous to Uncle Mei Zi, Ji Ming first glanced at his own current panel.

【Name: Ji Ming】

【Level: 59 (1450/6080)】

【Race: Pure‑blood Human / Shadow Eye Demon】

【Divine Rank: Sovereign of Living Beings, Perfect Supreme Deity, Love and Beauty】

Regarding the need for that crown to switch races, Ji Ming actually has no particular opinion.

But needing this thing to switch levels is rather annoying; he doesn't want to capsize because of that hidden snag.

So he and the junior boss tinkered together, successfully exploiting a bug that let the high‑level from his Eye Demon form overwrite Ji Ming's original low level—a real sky‑rocketing.

After repeated use, a new talent finally solidified.

【Talent: Wood Element Affinity·Excellent, Shadow Affinity·Excellent, Holy Light Affinity·Miracle, Thunder Affinity·Miracle】

Even among divine selections there are hierarchies; the Shadow God Windigo is merely a quasi‑god, its value far insufficient.

Therefore, even if Ji Ming is the divine chosen one He has never met, he can only be a mere "excellent".