Lin Shu spent a little more time in the library, skimming through what little he could find about beasts. Most of it was basic knowledge — habits, weaknesses, the value of their hides or bones — but nothing particularly rare or secret. He committed what he could to memory, then left. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
His quiet questions eventually led him to a large building near the heart of the institute — the Quest Hall.
The hall stood tall and solid, its stone walls darkened by age and weather. The heavy doors stood open, and Lin Shu slipped inside unnoticed. The air smelled faintly of ink and parchment. A large board dominated the far wall, covered in slips of paper pinned in neat rows. Students crowded around it, eyes scanning for missions. Some whispered to each other, quietly discussing their picks. Others stood alone, their expressions cold and calculating.
Lin Shu approached one of the workers behind the counter. The man was old, with thinning hair and a missing pinky finger. He looked up lazily as Lin Shu neared, eyes dull with disinterest.
"What do you want?" the man asked, voice scratchy and tired.
Lin Shu didn't waste time. "What's the purpose of this institute?"
The old man snorted and leaned on the counter, his voice dropping low. "Purpose? Same as any other. To train cannon fodder for the sect. Every year, there's a competition. The top five students earn a spot in the Stormbreak Sect. Bigger institutes send more because they've got more talent to offer. Us? We're just one of the smaller ones." He chuckled dryly. "Best not to dream too high, boy. The higher you aim, the harder the fall."
Lin Shu let the words sink in before asking his next question. "What about the missions?"
The man jabbed a thumb toward the board. "Every student has to take at least two missions a month. They're ranked to match your cultivation. Kill a beast, guard a merchant, track a criminal… the rewards depend on the mission. Gold, pills, or resources." His eyes glimmered faintly. "Most take them for the rewards. Smart ones take them to get stronger."
Lin Shu's gaze lingered on the board, then shifted back to the man. "What happens if someone refuses?"
The old man scoffed. "Then they're expelled. Simple as that. This place isn't a charity." He paused, eyes sweeping across the hall. "But there are worse fates."
Lin Shu frowned. "What about those who break the rules? Like killing a student or crippling one without good justification?"
The man's eyes darkened. "Punishment is swift. Execution or crippling. No exceptions." He leaned closer, his breath cold against Lin Shu's ear. "The institute forbids killing or crippling another student without justification."
Lin Shu's gaze shifted to the workers moving quietly through the hall, taking reports, handing out missions, cleaning. They weren't bound or chained, but there was a weight to their presence. Some had the bearing of former cultivators, their movements precise but slow, as if the fire in them had long burned out.
The old man followed his gaze. "Not all of them are ordinary folk. Some used to be students, just like you. Maybe they crossed paths with a beast they shouldn't have faced, or ran into the wrong person on a mission." He tapped his missing pinky against the counter. "When you lose your cultivation, this is where you end up — if you're lucky."
Lin Shu felt a quiet chill settle over him. There was no mercy For the weak, losing power means death at the hands of vengeful enemies — or a life worse than death, forced into servitude beneath those who still wield their strength.
He didn't linger. As he left the Quest Hall, the weight of the place pressed against his back. This wasn't just a place to grow stronger. It was a forge. Some would emerge sharpened and deadly. Others would shatter under the pressure.
Survive. Endure. Climb.
One step at a time.
Lin Shu had made up his mind to learn more about the institute and adapt to its rules. Public lessons seemed like a good place to start, where he could quietly observe the stronger students, understand the unspoken hierarchy, and gather knowledge without drawing attention. But there was something more immediate to take care of — the market.
He still had things he hadn't sold yet, and now, with 2,753 gold coins — 1,500 from selling Tan Bo's belongings and another 200 from the institute as a reward — he had enough to consider buying something useful. Maybe he'd find pills to aid his cultivation, or supplies to make his missions easier. He even held a sliver of hope that he might stumble upon a battle skill, though he doubted anything suitable would appear. Most skills worth anything wouldn't be casually sold. Still, it was worth a look.
Another thing weighed on his mind. He needed to know the names of the strongest students. Not out of admiration or curiosity, but so he could avoid them — for now. If there were future threats lurking in the institute, he preferred to know their faces before they knew his.
The market was lively, a constant hum of voices filling the air. Merchants called out their wares, from herbs and pills to weapons and armor. Lin Shu kept his head down, blending in with the crowd, until he reached a store that specialized in bloodbeasts. The sign was weathered, and the inside smelled faintly of iron and beast musk.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man with a crooked nose and sharp eyes that flicked over Lin Shu the moment he entered. Lin Shu approached carefully, keeping his tone neutral. "I heard about something called a bloodcore. What can you tell me about it?"
The man raised a brow. "You don't know about bloodcores?" He laughed, a dry, rasping sound. "Then you must've gotten lucky. Found some inheritance, or picked through the remains of a dead cultivator, eh?" He smirked, waiting for a reaction.
Lin Shu kept his face blank. "Just answer the question."
The man shrugged. "Bloodcores are the condensed essence of a bloodbeast's power — think of them as a beast's dantian. Only stronger beasts can form them, usually around mid-stage Rank 1 and above. They're rare in lower-stage beasts. The stronger the beast, the purer the core." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? You got one?"
Lin Shu ignored the question. "What's the price for a low-stage bloodcore?"
"Depends on the size and the quality of Qi inside. A low-stage core might fetch 200 gold coins, give or take."
Lin Shu nodded slowly, then reached into his robe, his fingers brushing the bone of his gauntlet. The gauntlet hid his storage ring — a precaution he was unwilling to give up. Storage rings were rare, far more valuable than pouches. His own had twenty cubic meters of space, the lowest grade of its kind, but even that was worth at least 2,000 gold coins. Revealing it would be as good as painting a target on his back.
He carefully dissolved the bone around the ring, slipped out the bloodcore, and reformed the gauntlet in the blink of an eye. The storekeeper didn't even notice the movement — his eyes were locked on the deep red sphere resting in Lin Shu's palm.
"That's…" The man leaned forward, eyes wide. "A peak-stage bloodcore?"
"I found a beast already dead," Lin Shu said flatly. "It must've fought another and gotten away, only to die later."
The man whistled low. "Lucky. It'd take a peak-stage cultivator with a high-tier Rank 1 battle skill to kill something like that alone. And you're… what? Early-stage?" His gaze sharpened. "No way you took it down yourself."
Lin Shu didn't bother answering. "What's it worth?"
The man scratched his chin, eyes darting over the core. "I'll give you 800 gold coins. Fair price."
Lin Shu tilted his head. "So if I asked around, other stores would offer the same?"
The man's face stiffened, but he forced a smile. "Alright, alright. 1,600. Can't go higher than that."
Lin Shu almost laughed. "I think I'll try my luck elsewhere." He turned and walked out without another word.
From the man's reaction, he now knew the core was worth at least 2,000 gold coins, maybe more. He'd check other shops, asking casually about the price as if curious, never revealing he had one himself. Being careful had saved his life more times than he could count, and he wasn't about to stop now.
His eyes swept the market as he walked. Information, power, wealth — everything was within reach here. If you were strong enough to take it.
Lin Shu smiled faintly. The institute was full of dangers. But it was also full of opportunities.