The Ancient Gods' Whisper-Chapter 1043 - 490: Colorless Jade

Gu Jianlin realized the peculiarity of the Central Spirit Core Institute because that bizarre Mandala was too familiar. He thought that the director of the Alchemy and Archaeology Department was very likely a deeply hidden Divine Servant.

Skylark’s Divine Servant.

This was quite interesting. That wicked woman was clearly busy with the war at Buzhou Mountain, yet she arranged for a highly placed Divine Servant at the Central Spirit Core Institute. This precisely proved that the academy was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Senior Brother could only uncover the truth by coming here, and it turned out to be the case.

"You haven’t fallen for Professor Ye, have you? You’ve been absent-minded all morning?"

Xia Zhi walked out of the subway station, unlocked a bicycle and began riding it, pouting as she said, "There are a lot of people after her, you know."

Gu Jianlin was walking along the sidewalk with his backpack. He was on the Ghost Slayer Path with Divine Speed Force. Even walking, he was much faster than cycling. He said expressionlessly, "Don’t you think you’re talking a bit much?"

Xia Zhi puffed up her cheeks and turned her head away, ignoring him.

After all, she was a beautiful girl, pursued by many rich young men in the department. Although she knew most people just wanted to toy with her, it also proved her beauty held value.

In this boy’s eyes, however, she felt she had somehow become quite ordinary.

"Is he trying to catch me by playing hard to get?"

She thought to herself secretly.

If he truly had feelings for her, and wasn’t simply playing around, she wouldn’t mind giving it a try. After all, she had no reason to refuse a good-looking, clean, and refined boy.

Especially one with the surname Ying.

Over the years, she had read plenty of romance novels and fantasized more than once about the day when a young master from a family, with blinding luck, would pick her out of a crowd and then hold her chin, saying, "Woman, you’ve captured my interest."

Clap.

Gu Jianlin abruptly stopped.

Xia Zhi braked her bicycle, noticing his eyes had turned inexplicably deep. The morning light filtering through scattered branches shone on his face, and his tall, slender back seemed to merge into the beam of light.

Gu Jianlin stopped because he had already crossed half the city, arriving at the academy district.

The main entrance featured two towering statues, bathed in the bright morning light, shining brilliantly.

Only two people throughout history had statues worthy enough to be placed here, as that couple founded this academy. They were the absolute leaders who pioneered the Golden Age for humanity.

Taiqing, Taihua.

Just as Taihua killed Taiqing.

The murder planned by Gold, Silver, and Platinum was never publicly disclosed. To this day, people still believed the President died of old age and passed the identity of Order Guardian to his disciple. Thus, after the turmoil in the upper echelons, it barely caused a ripple among the base, who remained completely unaware.

"When did you come to the Central Spirit Core Institute?"

Gu Jianlin withdrew his gaze and calmly asked.

"Hmph, why should I tell you?"

Xia Zhi was about to act haughty, but she met that corpse-like indifferent gaze and shivered slightly, muttering, "Let me think, it was when I was very young, about nine years old."

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-six."

Hearing this, Gu Jianlin turned around, gazing into her eyes.

Xia Zhi widened her beautiful eyes, a shy rosy blush appearing on her cheeks because the distance was too close, too ambiguous.

"Twenty-six and you haven’t graduated?"

Gu Jianlin felt incredulous and frowned, "Are you a grade-repeating monkey?"

He had thought he made a mistake in his profile, but it turned out she really was twenty-six.

Xia Zhi’s shyness quickly transformed into anger, and she said fiercely, "Hey, twenty-six is still young, okay? The sea of learning has no bounds, and one must row bitterly. For a common girl like me, there’s not much time to specialize in studies because I have to support myself and my family. I take on at least eight bounties a month, where’s the time to study?"

Gu Jianlin shook his head, truly unable to understand. By the first week of high school, he had self-studied all the courses for three years, and since then, he hadn’t attended a single class, yet he always ranked in the top three.

If not for fear of becoming too famous, he could have maintained first place in the entire school indefinitely.

He glanced at her, saying calmly, "So you repeated a grade."

Xia Zhi puffed her cheeks and said with irritation, "At the Central Spirit Core Institute, repeating grades is normal. Besides, I was supposed to go for an internship, but on the first week, something went wrong, and the company fired me."

Many people, after going to the frontlines, end up returning to resume their studies.

Therefore, repeating a grade or suspending studies is indeed normal.

For once, Gu Jianlin was curious, "What went wrong?"

"I encountered two terrorists hijacking a plane."

Recalling the incident yesterday, Xia Zhi’s pretty face turned pale as she spoke quietly, "I heard that those two terrorists might have been the Red King and the King of Qing! But I think it’s just a rumor. Such terrifying figures should exist only in legend, right? It’s unlikely I would just happen to encounter them, don’t you think?"

She quickly shook her head, "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, let’s not talk about such unlucky things. Anyway, I’m staying at school for a year, going nowhere. My luck will certainly turn. You see, haven’t I already met you, a rich guy?"

She was referring to the half-year’s rent.

Gu Jianlin looked at her with a hint of pity in his eyes.