Chapter 00189: Handling and Lessons
# Handling and Lessons
Chapter 189
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 189: Handling and Lessons
"No matter what—" Ye Xian suddenly spoke up, as if accidentally interrupting Duan Mu's words, and addressed Ji Jue, "—taking matters into your own hands and causing such a big scene, as a teacher, I must take a stand to maintain the association's position."
"Don't expect to be involved in any other work from now on. Starting today, you're going to the Recycling and Disposal Department."
Amidst the shocked gazes of many, Ye Xian decisively declared, "If you can't handle four batches, don't bother coming back."
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy once more, as if the sound of swallowing could be heard.
The looks directed at Ye Xian shifted from shock to confusion and astonishment.
The other victims, who had been about to continue their wailing, immediately fell silent, not daring to make a sound.
Only Ji Jue looked utterly bewildered: "What's the Recycling Department?"
"The lockdown of Quan City is a matter of great importance. Over the years, the craftsmen from the Safety Bureau and the association have collaborated to create a batch of isolation facilities to manage the consumption. After use, to prevent the spread of contamination or destruction caused by these 'alchemical works' that have absorbed 'corrupted pollution,' they must be uniformly collected and dismantled by craftsmen. The Recycling Department is where this work is handled."
Professor Ye coldly glanced at Ji Jue: "Do you understand now?"
Working for long periods in an environment filled with corrupted pollution is akin to an ordinary person staying near a high-radiation reactor every day—it's practically a gamble with one's life! Moreover, although they are called isolation facilities, the way these alchemical works isolate is by absorbing the corrupted pollution that seeps out from Quan City.
To ensure their long-term stable operation, they are crafted by craftsmen using the finest materials, with great effort.
As a result, the pollution contained within them is likely even more terrifying than the environment in Quan City itself!
Even with the most stringent protective measures and the use of disintegration techniques, handling four batches would still cost half a life.
If one were to get contaminated, it would likely mean a direct trip to the ICU.
Such a cruel and harsh punishment not only shocked Duan Mu, who had just stepped forward to mediate, but also sent chills down the spines of everyone else present.
This is your own student, not some random apprentice picked up off the street...
If it were just some lowly apprentice, why would you bring them along, and how could they possibly take on a dozen people like cutting through melons and vegetables?
Why treat them like an enemy?
After twenty years, everyone thought she had started to cultivate her temperament, but it turns out this madwoman is truly ruthless—harsh to others, harsh to herself, and even harsher to her students!
Yet, upon hearing the consequences, Ji Jue didn't utter a single word of protest.
He simply nodded and calmly said, "I understand."
As if completely unshaken.
Unfortunately, his slightly twitching face and trembling voice betrayed him, causing those who had initially wanted to punish him severely to now feel a hint of sympathy.
But Ye Xian didn't give them a chance to interject.
She turned around and asked, "Well, everyone, does my discipline and handling meet your expectations?"
Duan Mu hesitated several times, wanting to speak but ultimately shaking his head: "It really doesn't have to be this harsh..."
"What then? A few verbal scoldings, a high-handed approach with a light touch? I can't do that kind of thing."
Ye Xian sneered, "Other apprentices can handle it, so can mine. There's no need for you to meddle and show off your kindness. Now, Ji Jue, I've dealt with him!"
She turned her back and glanced at the other awkward-looking craftsmen, coldly saying, "What happens next is up to you all!"
What happens next?
Cold shoulder?
Dream on!
Ji Jue, who had been 'forced to retaliate after being humiliated,' was practically thrown into a death sentence by his own teacher.
What about you bullies? A self-imposed three-cup penalty?
Don't even think about how others will view this.
Even Duan Mu, who was pushed forward to mediate, wouldn't let you off the hook!
But killing is out of the question, and beating them too severely isn't ideal either.
What to do?
At this moment, as everyone's gazes shifted and intersected, they all eventually landed on the middle-aged craftsman who had just been angrily denouncing Ji Jue, and the female apprentice in his arms who was pretending to be dead.
You started this mess, you go first!
The craftsman's face twitched.
He wanted to speak several times, but under the weight of everyone's stares, he ultimately lowered his head helplessly.
Looking at his terrified student, he gritted his teeth and forced out the words: "Starting today, for instigating trouble, slandering a master, and causing such a big scene..."
Just as he was about to continue, a voice interrupted him.
Ji Jue.
As if musing, he said to his teacher beside him, "Teacher, that bracelet of hers looks quite nice."
Ye Xian glanced at him, seemingly understanding something, and nodded regretfully: "Yes, it does look nice."
In that instant, the craftsman's eyes lit up, and a stroke of inspiration hit him.
He threw his student to the ground, ignoring her struggles, and yanked the bracelet off her wrist.
Bending over, he approached Ji Jue, disregarding the astonished looks from others, and forced a smile: "A small token of apology, please accept it as compensation for the offense you suffered earlier..."
"Ah?"
Ji Jue was shocked, his eyes wide: "Is this really okay?"
"Yes, yes, it's more than okay."
The craftsman, suppressing the pain in his heart, twisted his smile and insisted on stuffing the bracelet into Ji Jue's pocket.
But Ji Jue sighed and waved his hand, trying to refuse, "Oh, I didn't mean it like that."
"I know, I know, it's just a small gesture!"
"Ah↑ ah↓ ah↑"
Ji Jue helplessly tried to decline, but under the craftsman's insistence, he was forced to accept the blessed artifact as compensation, sighing lightly: "Alright then, I'm the one who's embarrassed now."
Seeing that Ji Jue was willing to let it go, the craftsman didn't bother feeling heartbroken anymore.
He grabbed his student by the hair and rushed straight to the infirmary.
If he didn't go now, he was afraid he might beat his student to death on the way.
What followed was a natural progression.
Ji Jue said, "That ring looks decent too."
"Indeed."
Ye Xian nodded.
...
"The gloves are average, but there are two of them, so they'll do."
"Then let's make do. The earrings are quite nice, and adding a piece of material of the same level should suffice."
...
"This one doesn't seem great."
"Then..."
"Wait!"
The craftsman, his face twisted in frustration, reluctantly pulled the bracelet off his own wrist and offered it with both hands.
Ye Xian ignored him, as if she didn't see it.
Only when he turned and handed it to Ji Jue did Ji Jue reluctantly open his second pocket, sighing and gesturing for him to stuff it in.
It's not like I asked for it!
And so, under the witness of many masters, a brutal execution turned into an officially sanctioned plundering.
The fools who had crossed the line were beaten, then forced to strip off their valuable possessions, paying their ransom before being carried away on stretchers, barely able to cry out...
Ye Xian's eyes were sharp, and she couldn't be fooled by ordinary items.
Her demands were precise, hitting the upper limit of what the craftsmen could bear.
Stick your head out, and you'll get one cut; pull it back, and you'll get several.
In the end, it turned into the awkward scene of victims scrambling to pay their ransoms.
Only Zhou Chong's face grew increasingly green.
When it was his turn, he simply sneered.
He had no intention of backing down.
He waved his hand, tapping his cane on Zhou Cheng's shattered jaw: "This fool has offended Professor Ye's esteemed disciple. If Ji Jue is willing to spare his life, don't bother considering my face. Just kill him outright!"
"Alright."
Ji Jue nodded without hesitation, pulling out a gun.
Without a moment's pause, he pulled the trigger!
He didn't even give Zhou Chong a chance to bargain.
When Zhou Chong remembered that the gun was loaded with the very same corrupted bullet he had seen earlier, he couldn't hold back anymore.
His face changed drastically.
Instinctively, he reached out.
"Wait!"
In his shock, he didn't hold back, forcefully interfering with space, freezing the air around Zhou Cheng.
But unfortunately... nothing happened.
The trigger was pulled, but there was no gunshot.
No bullet flew out.
"Huh? That's strange... what's going on?"
Ji Jue looked puzzled, raising the gun to his eyes and pulling the trigger several times before finally realizing: "Ah, it seems the primer got damp."
With that, he ejected the corrupted bullet from the chamber.
Zhou Chong finally let out a sigh of relief.
Not even caring about his dignity or the fact that Ji Jue had played him, he was about to speak when he heard an unexpected bang.
Bang!
A flash of gunfire, and Zhou Cheng, who had been playing dead on the ground, let out a sharp scream, clutching his leg in agony.
Ji Jue was stunned, looking down at the gun in his hand.
His finger wasn't even on the trigger.
"Ah, it misfired!" he exclaimed in shock, slapping the gun in frustration.
"This piece of junk has a delay? It almost killed me!"
Only Zhou Chong, who was beside him, couldn't decide whether to be angry or not.
His expression gradually turned into one of resignation.
He stared at Ji Jue for a long time before finally letting out a light sigh: "What a good disciple you are."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Ji Jue didn't back down, simply nodding.
"I'll keep working hard."
Zhou Chong said nothing more.
He pointed at his grandson, who was writhing on the ground, signaling for others to drag him away, and then left with his entourage.
Only Ji Jue watched them leave, sighing in admiration: "Masters are truly something, not even giving a token gesture."
Beside him, Ye Xian tossed the Heart-Poison Arrow Zhou Chong had left behind into Ji Jue's arms.
Telling him to keep it safe.
From now on, this item belonged to Ji Jue.
With that, she nodded slightly to the others and turned to leave.
Ji Jue followed her back to her residence.
After closing the door, he looked at Professor Ye, who was sipping tea with an expressionless face, and awkwardly smiled, feeling nervous: "Will stirring up all this trouble affect your work here?"
"It will, but it's just as well. Saves me from having to say anything unpleasant."
Ye Xian didn't seem to care: "If I really wanted to avoid trouble, I wouldn't have brought you here in the first place. This little matter is still within my ability to handle."
This is a little matter?
Ji Jue felt like he had almost single-handedly caused a massacre in the Taiyi Association, and in his teacher's eyes, it wasn't even a big deal?
Then what counts as a big deal?
Killing a master?
Ji Jue didn't understand, but he was deeply impressed.
While deeply impressed, he didn't forget his manners.
He obediently placed the two large bags he was carrying on the table, picking out a few pieces of protective gear he could use immediately, and left the rest for public use.
After all, he couldn't use everything.
Then, the bags were tossed back to him by Ye Xian.
"Deal with them yourself. Do you think this is a garbage dump?"
Ye Xian set down her teacup indifferently and suddenly asked, "What did you learn from today's events?"
"Uh..."
Ji Jue was momentarily at a loss.
After thinking for a long time, he tentatively asked, "Always take the initiative? Never let provocations slide? Or... persuade with reason?"
Surely it wasn't just beating people up until they kneel, right?
Ye Xian looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"If reason worked, what would we need alchemy for?"
She said, "Don't have too many illusions. The association is the most realistic place, even more so than the wild markets. It's just that everyone pretends to be civilized and ends up believing their own act."
Survival of the fittest, the strong devouring the weak—these are the rules of Bai Lu.
Meritocracy and prioritizing the capable are also principles of the Embers.
The only difference is that one is demonstrated through strength, while the other focuses more on knowledge and talent.
At their core, they are no different.
If you're capable, you're awesome.
If you're not, kneel down and shut up.
It's that simple.
For so many years, Ye Xian has been untouchable, and everyone who meets her gets a headache.
Isn't it because she's stronger than everyone else and more Ember-like than anyone?
In the eyes of the association's higher-ups, if anyone has the potential to become the next grandmaster of the era, Ye Xian is definitely at the top of the list, with few able to challenge her for the top spot.
"The only thing you should learn is not to become that kind of person. The weak can howl all they want, but they're still clowns. Only when you're strong enough that no one dares to meddle do you have the right to walk your own path."
Ye Xian paused, then self-deprecatingly smiled: "It took me until I was twenty-five to learn this lesson. You're doing better than I did."
Ji Jue wanted to say something, but she waved him off.
Whether she didn't want to hear his self-deprecation and flattery or simply didn't care if he wanted to argue, it was unclear.
"Alright, get to work!"
Having been a teacher for so long, if Ye Xian couldn't tell that Ji Jue's growth relied on dismantling equipment, then her eyes might as well be dug out and played with.
There were many things she just didn't bother to say.
People were beaten, money was taken, and this little rat was conveniently sent into the rice jar, treated to a luxurious buffet.
Thinking of this, Ye Xian's fist suddenly clenched.
How did you manage to get all the good stuff?
And you ran off so quickly!
Should I call you back and give you a beating?
At the quiet office building of the outpost, on the top floor.
In the office of the Haizhou Guardian, the secretary bent down to pick up the documents the old man had accidentally dropped on the floor.
After placing them back on the table, he took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the drool from the corner of the old man's mouth.
"There seemed to be some commotion earlier," he sighed softly.
"I hope nothing's wrong."
"It's nothing... serious..."
Old Tao leaned back in his recliner, mumbling, "Just... small matters..."
Though for some reason, the corner of his mouth seemed to curl up slightly.
As if pleased.
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