Chapter 15: Advancing to the Finals (Part 2)_1

Nina said, "It's clear to anyone who's been watching these past few days that even though the Divine Music Department has five competitors, it's essentially you who have defeated the Six Major Magic Departments all alone. You've been under a lot of stress, both in terms of magic power and spiritual exhaustion. Even though your body is alright now, I hope you can rest more and try to recover to your optimal condition for the finals. Also, if you come across a dangerous scenario like yesterday during the finals, concede immediately. After all, this is only a competition and I don't want any accidents to occur."

Although Nina's tone was calm, both Ye Yinzhu and Sura could hear the concern in her words.

"Granny Nina, who will we be up against in the finals?" Ye Yinzhu asked.

Nina replied, "It's hard to tell at the moment. The Martial Arts Department has seventeen departments, their round-robin stage will last a few more days than ours. Several of the larger departments are evenly matched, so it's hard to predict who will make it to the finals. If we emerge as the second-placed team in the Magic Department, we will have to face the top team from the Martial Arts Department. Since the top departments in the Martial Arts Department are all quite evenly matched, there won't be much difference in the strengths of the top two teams, so giving up first place in the Magic Department isn't a big deal. The competition in the final stage will start at least a week later. In the meantime, you don't need to report to the Divine Music Department. Just rest in the dorm."

"Alright, thank you, Granny Nina."

"Oh, by the way, Dean Fergerson has been watching all of our matches in the Divine Music Department. Being the dean and the strongest mage of Milan Magic Martial Academy, he is a mage of the Spiritual Attribute. He privately told me that he is interested in guiding you in cultivating your spiritual power. Even though there are some differences between the magic of our Divine Music Department and the Spiritual Attribute, they both lead to the same goal. After the semester officially starts, I hope you can accept his guidance. It will be very beneficial for you. I must go now. Will you see me out?"

Nina stood up and walked out of his dorm room accompanied by Ye Yinzhu. Only when she saw that Sura hadn't followed them did she tell Ye Yinzhu, "Yin Zhu, if Dean Fergerson does come to you, you can allow him to guide you in magic cultivation. But, you must remember, never disclose the secrets of the Divine Music Attribute that your teacher taught you. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ye Yinzhu nodded, "I understand."

"Do you find your living conditions here satisfactory?" Nina glanced at the dorm room behind Ye Yinzhu and couldn't help but frown.

Ye Yinzhu nodded, "It's quite good."

"Good? Good my foot. I'll get you moved elsewhere. A student from our Divine Music Department shouldn't be living in such a place."

"But, but I don't have any money..." Ye Yinzhu said quietly.

Nina said lightly, "I have the power to waive some of the tuition fees for our department students. You don't have to worry."

"Granny Nina, I..."

"Enough. Go back now" Nina's eyes radiated kindness as she nodded at Ye Yinzhu and then turned away. Ye Yinzhu watched her, not showing any signs of old age, until she disappeared into the night.

Upon returning to his dorm room, Ye Yinzhu casually fetched a basin-full of water and walked back to his room, taking out his towel from the bedside cabinet and throwing it into the basin.

Sura, sitting on the bed, asked in surprise, "What are you doing, Yin Zhu?"

"I'm taking a bath! I feel sticky all over, it's super uncomfortable." As he spoke, Ye Yinzhu quickly stripped off his Moon God's Protection, leaving only his boxers on. The Moon God's Protection didn't get dirty, but he had sweated a lot, making him quite uncomfortable.

"Ah—" A high-pitched scream suddenly resounded. Sura stared at Ye Yinzhu's bare upper body, her lips trembling as if she'd been greatly startled. She saw that Ye Yinzhu, who usually looked slender, had evenly distributed muscles and an excellent physique. His muscles weren't the exaggeratedly bulging kind, but they gave off a harmonious feeling. Under his bronze skin, there seemed to be a faint purple glow.

Ye Yinzhu was startled by her scream, nearly tipping over the basin of water. "Sura, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wondering why you are taking a bath indoors." Seeing Ye Yinzhu reaching for his last bit of clothing - his boxers - Sura hastily turned herself around, covering her head with a blanket.

Ye Yinzhu laughed, "It's cold outside! It's getting cooler now. Plus, it wouldn't be appropriate if a female student saw me. I'm not an exhibitionist."

"You, you are an exhibitionist." Sura's voice sounded a bit shaky. Inside the blanket, her heart was racing. As a calm and cruel Assassin Department student, she hadn't felt this flustered in a long time. Listening to the sound of running water, Sura wished she could bolt out of the dorm room. Every minute felt as long as an hour.

"That feels so much better." Ye Yinzhu let out a satisfied moan as he lay on his not-so-spacious bed, stretching comfortably. Thoroughly cleaning himself was indeed a satisfying feeling. "Sura, aren't you going to take a bath? I don't think I have ever seen you bathing."

"I've already bathed. I'm not an exhibitionist like you, bathing in front of others." Sura retorted.

"We're all men, what's to be afraid of? I can't believe our Divine Music Department advanced like this."

Sura turned around, poking his head out of the blanket, looking at Ye Yinzhu, "That's right! Now that you have a week off, why don't we go out to work? When I was in Milan City yesterday, I saw a place that was hiring."

"Oh? Sounds good!" Ye Yinzhu didn't even ask what kind of work Sura had found before he agreed.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ye Yinzhu was pulled out of bed by Sura.

"Let me sleep a bit more." Ye Yinzhu clung onto his blanket, his eyes still heavy with sleep. Even though his body had recovered miraculously, the previous day's battle had taken a toll on his spiritual power.

"Get up, I've already made breakfast. Didn't we agree we were going to work today?" Sura forcibly pulled Ye Yinzhu out of bed and handed him a cold, damp towel for his face.

Under the stimulating chill of the wet towel, Ye Yinzhu woke up quite a bit. With no choice, he sat up, sniffed a bit and noticed the simple breakfast of steamed buns, pickles, and porridge. However, under Sura's excellent culinary skills, wafts of delicious aroma were continuously assaulting his sense of smell. It's then that he realized how empty his stomach was and dashed to the dining table to start eating.

"Hey, you haven't washed up yet, eat after cleaning up," Sura pulled Ye Yinzhu back.

"Boss Sura, you're not a germophobe, are you? I'm starving. Can I eat first, please?"

"No." Sura simply answered. His intense stare fixed on Ye Yinzhu, he pointed towards a basin of clean water nearby.

"Fine, fine, I give in to you." Even though Sura was behaving like the strictest of housekeepers, Ye Yinzhu found a sort of warmth that he rarely experienced even at the blue sky and sea. Although somewhat reluctant, on a subconscious level, he enjoyed this feeling. After all, Qin Shang's primary concern had been his cultivation, while other aspects of daily life were generally more relaxed.

When the two of them left the Milan Magic Martial Academy after breakfast, most of the students were still sleeping or meditating. Milan is located in the northern part of the continent, and with the onset of early autumn, there's a bit of chill in the air, and even the lush vegetation within the academy seems to exhibit a tinge of desolation.