Chapter 37 – I Have Connections Above

“No, this absolutely cannot be!”

“I can lose to anyone, but I must not lose to Mu Lin!”

“I don’t want to be unable to hold my head up in front of him…”

With such thoughts in mind, Qi Xiu and the others snorted coldly and left directly.

After they had departed, Zong Xiu, who was nearby, walked over with an expression full of admiration.

“Brother Mu, you truly have guts! Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up for saying things like that?”

Hearing this, Mu Lin smiled, raised his hand, and pointed toward the sky, saying, “I have someone above me… Ouch!”

Before he could finish, Mu Lin felt a knock on his head, and at the same time, a crisp yet annoyed voice reached his ears.

“Don’t go around saying nonsense! And come to the second-floor VIP room!”

Upon hearing this, Mu Lin immediately clasped his hands together respectfully and said, “I’ll be right there.”

With that, Mu Lin apologized to Zong Xiu and hurried toward the second-floor VIP room.

As expected, he saw Dongfang Ya in the room, looking somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

Seeing Mu Lin, this petite teacher sneered and said, “I heard you have someone above you? Why don’t you call her over and let me see who gave you the audacity to act so arrogantly!”

This immediately made Mu Lin chuckle awkwardly.

Seeing Mu Lin so obedient, Dongfang Ya’s anger gradually subsided.

However, her lingering dissatisfaction prompted her to say, “I asked you to be the catalyst, not to be so arrogant and conceited…”

This time, before she could finish her reprimand, Mu Lin proactively interrupted her, saying:

“But it worked perfectly, didn’t it?”

“…”

This time, it was Teacher Dongfang Ya’s turn to fall silent.

Mu Lin’s behavior was indeed arrogant, but it had to be said that he, as the “catfish,” had perfectly accomplished his task—even exceeding expectations by two hundred percent.

In the Formal Class, Mu Lin, with his Third-Class Spirit Root and praised by Teacher Dongfang Ya, was an anomaly.

Many people resented him and looked down on him, but because of this, a certain atmosphere had emerged in the Formal Class:

They could lose to anyone, but they must not lose to Mu Lin.

Just as he had said earlier, they regarded Mu Lin as trash, as weak. If such a weakling surpassed them, what did that make them, with their Second-Class Spirit Roots?

Something even worse than trash?

Before, this had not been openly discussed, leaving room for compromise, so some people were not particularly anxious.

But just now, Mu Lin’s arrogant remarks had awakened everyone.

They couldn’t help but wonder: if the arrogant and overbearing Mu Lin dared to mock Qi Xiu, would he mock them too?

After careful consideration, they realized with alarm that this was entirely possible.

Whether to avoid embarrassment, fear being mocked by Mu Lin, or simply not wanting to be unable to hold their heads up in front of him—in any case, after leaving the cafeteria, everyone would redouble their efforts in cultivation.

And this was exactly what the responsible Dongfang Ya had hoped for.

However, while Dongfang Ya’s expectations were fulfilled and Mu Lin’s classmates had gained something, Mu Lin himself had gained nothing. Not only had he gained nothing, but after this incident, his arrogance had spread throughout the entire Formal Class, making him a complete outsider. It would be difficult for him to make allies now, and this made the responsible Dongfang Ya frown.

She treated Mu Lin equally as her disciple, and because of that, she did not want him to suffer.

Of course, she wouldn’t voice her thoughts outright. Instead, she merely furrowed her brows and said, “Your plan is sound, but have you considered that this will make you widely disliked and more likely to get beaten up?”

“Moreover, if you successfully climb the first level of the Tower of Illusory Heavens in seven days, that’s one thing. But if you fail, the more arrogant you were today, the more ridicule you’ll face that day!”

Mu Lin had naturally considered these potential consequences, but he didn’t care.

“I’m fairly confident about climbing the first level, but if luck isn’t on my side and I fail… then so be it. I have a strong mindset; a little mockery won’t bother me.”

“As for being more likely to get beaten up…”

At this point, Mu Lin clasped his hands together, looked sincerely at Teacher Dongfang Ya, and said with utmost respect, “That’s where you come in, Teacher. I believe you would never allow your own Student to be beaten.”

His shameless words nearly made Dongfang Ya facepalm, but she didn’t outright reject his request.

“I can protect you for a while, but not forever. In short, don’t be so arrogant in the future… However, since you’re currently working for me, if anyone gives you trouble, you can come to me.”

Hearing this, Mu Lin clenched his fist tightly.

His plan had succeeded.

Previously, when Mu Lin claimed to have connections, it was merely a bluff. But now, he truly had someone backing him.

Of course, Mu Lin knew that Dongfang Ya’s protection wasn’t unlimited.

First, it was restricted to the period when he was being used as a pawn.

Second, if he provoked others first, she wouldn’t just refuse to help—she’d likely take action to clean up the mess herself.

But as long as he didn’t initiate trouble, Teacher Dongfang Ya would step in if others attacked him.

More importantly, Mu Lin always remembered one saying: “A nuclear deterrent is most effective when it remains on the launch pad.”

If Mu Lin revealed that he was under Teacher Dongfang Ya’s protection, he would avoid a tremendous amount of trouble.

Moreover, others wouldn’t know that his arrangement with Teacher Dongfang Ya was limited to the period when he was being used as a pawn.

If he handled it ambiguously, others would assume he had earned Teacher Dongfang Ya’s favor—and that this protection was indefinite.

“At that point, even those from influential families wouldn’t dare provoke me recklessly. And with a bit of misdirection, coupled with Teacher Dongfang Ya’s status, they wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me even outside the Dao Palace.”

In essence, Mu Lin’s maneuvering had secured himself a powerful backer.

Of course, Mu Lin was also aware that such ambiguous handling could easily anger powerful figures and would only ensure his safety temporarily.

But temporary protection was exactly what Mu Lin needed.

“As long as I don’t stir up trouble, this period of safety won’t be short—and it’s enough time for me to grow stronger.”

“As for angering powerful figures… If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t dare do this. But with Teacher Dongfang Ya…”

Whether it was speaking up for him during the Spirit Awakening, valuing her disciples afterward, or generously compensating him when using him as a pawn—all of this showed that Teacher Dongfang Ya was a good person.

A gentleman can be taken advantage of through his principles.

“Given Teacher Dongfang’s personality, even if she were to discover my scheme, the likelihood of her directly exposing it is not high… However, I did ultimately borrow Teacher Dongfang Ya’s authority to act like a fox assuming the majesty of a tiger. If the opportunity arises, I must find a way to repay her.”

After another round of conversation, Mu Lin left Teacher Dongfang Ya’s VIP room and returned to the cafeteria.

What made him raise an eyebrow was that Zong Xiu was still there. Seeing this, Mu Lin immediately walked over—he needed someone to spread the word that he was under Teacher Dongfang Ya’s protection.

And Zong Xiu, with his wide circle of friends, was undoubtedly the best candidate.

(End of Chapter)