Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

Zuo Le couldn't help but speak up: "This kind of thing still requires the Grand Tutor's personal permission. You can't just take Nian and Xi away directly."

Qi Yan jumped off Nian and strode up to Zuo Le, speaking seductively:

"Young man, do you long for power?"

He subconsciously took a half step back, looking at Qi Yan with surprise and uncertainty.

With that tone and those words, Zuo Le felt that Qi Yan was about to pull out an evil demon contract and tell him that as long as he offered his soul, the contract could be fulfilled.

Unfortunately, there was no contract as Zuo Le had imagined, only a pie in Qi Yan's face:

"By joining Rhodes Island now, you can sign a cooperation agreement with Rhodes Island, be responsible for supervising all of Sui Pian's actions, and have the right to freely travel between Yan Kingdom and Rhodes Island."

"Even if you say that, you still need the Grand Tutor..."

"Enjoy six-star treatment, plus professional guidance on your skills, ensuring you can achieve a breakthrough even outside of work!"

Qi Yan's tone became extremely serious: "Young man, the teenage years are the most dangerous. If you're not careful, you'll be outdone by your peers. You don't want to disappoint your father, do you?"

Join Rhodes Island now and enjoy 24/7 access to training rooms, plus dedicated mentors to help you master your skills and become a proficient within 24 hours!

"Twenty-four hours? How is that possible?!" Zuo Le exclaimed in shock.

"Wait until I go to Iberia and bring back a little gray bird, then you'll know what efficiency really means!"

"But...I need to persuade the Grand Tutor first..."

Qi Yan suddenly brought his face close to Zuo Le's ear and whispered a devilish secret:

"There are also various older sisters on Rhodes Island who are around your age."

Zuo Le: "...I will do my best to persuade the Grand Tutor!"

Qi Yan straightened up with satisfaction, patted Zuo Le on the shoulder, and his eyes were full of approval.

The Rat King watched helplessly as Zuo Le was slapped senseless by Qi Yan's pancake, and let out a long sigh in his heart.

There are indeed quite a few girls on Rhodes Island, but with Qi Yan and the Doctor, two guys who are philandering without even realizing it, it's hard to say whether the girls will notice Zuo Le, this little puppy.

On the other side, although Xi did not explicitly agree to Qi Yan's recruitment, she no longer considered running away and waved her hand to release Chen He and Taihe from the painting.

She then walked to the side, quickly sketched a clear spring on the scroll, reached into it, and scooped out water to wash her face.

Xi, who was diligently cleaning the stains, was completely unaware that Nian had sneaked up behind her and whispered in her ear:

"This is ink. This is ink. This is ink..."

Startled, Xi panicked and shattered the power within the painting with a single finger from Nian.

What was once a clear spring instantly turned into ink, and the water that Xi splashed on her face also turned into pitch-black ink, making her already dark face even more so.

The evening, which had just quieted down, erupted with a sharp, explosive sound again.

The two sisters, who were very close, began to frolic and play around at the edge of the deep pit, their laughter echoing throughout the room.

The Rat King's expression was somewhat distorted.

He suddenly remembered that he had just lectured Zuo Le for not controlling Xi's personality traits. Now, recalling that he had thought Nianhui was worried about his sister, he felt his face burning.

Fortunately, the arrival of Chen and Taihe successfully diverted the Rat King's attention.

"Mr. Lin, you've finally arrived. What's the matter here..."

"Taihe, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."

The Rat King interrupted Taihe's speech: "Xi's matter has come to a temporary end. Zuo Le and I have learned the secret behind Shang Shu's incident from Qi Yan. Next, I need to leave for a while to deal with my old friend's matter."

You and Zuo Le will then return to Shang Shu together with Qi Yan. I will explain the situation to the Grand Tutor.

Taihe was completely bewildered.

He found himself struggling to keep up with the pace of the entire scene.

Chen, on the other hand, skillfully and quickly digested all the information, asking only for the result, not the process:

"Uncle Lin, will these two... uh, I mean, the Miss Sui Beast Agents, also be going to Rhodes Island in the future?"

The Rat King nodded and said, "Given the current situation, sending them to Rhodes Island for supervision and protection is the best option for Yan Kingdom."

"I understand." Chen nodded and said nothing more.

Taihe stared at Chen with a bewildered look on her face.

What do you unserstand?

Who am I? Where am I? Why did Qi Yan suddenly become my captain? Aren't Nian and Xi sisters? Why aren't they joining forces to fight the enemy, but instead fighting amongst themselves?

Seeing that Nian and Xi were already entangled in a fight, and the conflict was escalating to the point of pulling each other's hair, Taihe quickly sought help from Zuo Le:

"Young master, the current situation..."

"Uncle Taihe, if I want to facilitate the cooperation between Si Suitai and Rhodes Island, how can I get past the Grand Tutor?"

Zuo Le's question made Taihe's head buzz.

He turned his head and scanned the crowd around him, and was shocked to find that apart from a strange black-haired girl named Pero, everyone present was actually Qi Yan's person!

Just then, Taihe saw the girl, Pero, approach Qi Yan and respectfully inquire:

"Teacher, may I continue to study in Mr. Xi's paintings?"

The young monk's doubts remain unanswered, and he wishes to continue exploring the world depicted in the painting. He humbly requests permission, teacher.

"Not running anymore?" Qi Yan asked with a smile.

Saga chuckled and said, "Master, you've really misunderstood. I never thought of running away; I just took a few more steps on the path of seeking knowledge."

"Don't ask me, go ask Xi, and while you're at it, stop those two girls from tearing each other apart." Qi Yan said listlessly, "After all that tearing, what kind of skill is it to only pull hair and not clothes?"

"This humble monk is off!"

Saga completely ignored the second half of Qi Yan's words and ran to stop Nian's New Year's Eve actions.

After listening to their conversation, Taihe felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

He had a feeling that, in the blink of an eye, he had been abandoned by this land.

Chapter 829 Who says you can't become a grandmaster just by throwing wild punches?

Taihe's bitterness didn't last long. He quickly composed himself and told Qi Yan that he was willing to follow orders.

Although many people say he is stubborn, no one has ever called him stupid!

Taihe didn't want to show off her loyalty to the Grand Tutor without his knowledge, only to get beaten up by Qi Yan again.

Qi Yan was very satisfied with Tai He's reaction.

He stood on tiptoe and patted Taihe's broad shoulder, promising:

"Once we get to Yumen, I can help you out once."

"Thank you... Hmm? Isn't it Shang Shu?!"

Taihe gasped in shock at the news.

Qi Yan smiled mysteriously and beckoned to Wu You, who immediately understood and took the wooden stick from his waist, presenting it to Qi Yan with both hands.

"Do you see this stick?" Qi Yan asked.

When Taihe saw the wooden stick, his gaze inexplicably became fixed.

Even Zuo Le and the Rat King seemed to be drawn by a magical force, their eyes fixed on the wooden stick in Qi Yan's hand.

Chen walked over to Qi Lin and, along with the other girls, became confused.

They genuinely couldn't understand why an ordinary stick could put these grown men like Qi Yan under such hard control.

Even years later, people only knew that this could happen, but they didn't know the underlying principles.

"It's...so straight!"

Taihe sighed and then asked, "But what does this stick have to do with your trip to Yumen?"

Qi Yan's fingertips traced the wooden stick, and his aura surged:

"I will use this divine weapon to challenge the towering mountains!"

"If I win, the title of Grandmaster will be mine; if I lose, this divine artifact will be given to Chongyue!"

Taihe and Zuole were shocked.

The Rat King stroked his chin and asked in confusion:

"When did you start practicing martial arts? Don't you usually just throw wild punches until your enemy cries out when you fight?"

"I'm in a good mood today and I don't want to hit anyone."

Qi Yan glanced at the Rat King, who immediately shut his mouth.

Taihe couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Qi Yan, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you planning to travel north, passing through Shangshu, and then to Yumen?"

"Why not?"

"I wouldn't dare. Taihe has no intention of stopping you. It's just that I need to report this matter to the Grand Tutor."

Taihe waved his hand repeatedly, but then probed, "But you came to Yan Kingdom with the intention of seeking revenge. Now that you've been entangled by the agents of the Year Beast, won't that affect your relationship with that unknown behemoth?"

He didn't actually say everything.

While seemingly concerned about Qi Yan's revenge journey, they were actually worried about whether Qi Yan's actions would cause the battlefield to extend to the heart of Yan Kingdom.

Taihe believed that with Qi Yan's cunning and strategic brilliance, as revealed in the intelligence report, he would surely understand the hidden meaning in her words.

Seeing Taihe's "just as I expected" expression, Qi Yan indeed fell into thought.

After a long pause, Qi Yan looked at Tai He with clear eyes and said, "I don't know either."

Taihe: "..."

Before Taihe could speak, Qi Yan patted him on the shoulder and chuckled:

"But don't panic. I have a feeling that after I go to Shangshu and see Sui Lao Er, he will definitely have the answers I want to know."

"What if there isn't one?" Taihe asked worriedly.

"No?" Qi Yan scoffed. "Then I'll beat him until he does!"

Spring river cold water, layer upon layer of mountains.

The land of Shangshu is mountainous, with many rivers and numerous forks in the road.

A middle-aged man wearing a black trench coat with a white dragonfish pattern leaned against the gunwale of a lone boat, enjoying the river view with a contented expression.

He raised his hand, which was covered by a yellow glove, and adjusted the black round hat on his head, revealing a unique face that resembled both a dragon and a carp.

His seemingly messy but actually meticulously styled black hair was interspersed with a few strands of golden highlights, which, combined with his inexplicably fashionable outfit, all highlighted his cynical and irreverent personality.

"Has the weather gotten colder again? Or is the river water just too cold?"

The man exhaled and looked at the old boatman holding the oar at the bow. He joked to himself, "Master Shen, I just woke up in my sleep for some reason. I had the feeling that I was being targeted by a bad guy."

I, Old Carp, have lived my life on thin ice. Do you think I can ever reach the other side?

Wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, Master Shen lifted the oar from the water and glanced back at Old Carp.

His expression was so calm it bordered on numbness, and he spoke in a tone that suggested he didn't care about anything:

"The boat fare is five hundred, otherwise we won't be able to reach the other side."

Old Carp chuckled, then quickly and obediently took out a stack of Lungmen coins from his pocket and handed them to Master Shen.

Taking the Lungmen coin, Master Shen lightly rubbed it between his fingertips, and his brows furrowed instantly beneath his straw hat.

But before Master Shen could swing his oar and throw the scoundrel who hadn't paid for the boat ride into the river, he noticed a business card tucked inside the Lungmen coin.

"Koi Detective Agency..."

Master Shen paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something, stopped talking, put away the Lungmen coin and business card, and turned to continue rowing the boat.

Old Carp, with one arm draped over the gunwale and still sporting that nonchalant smile, asked:

"Master Shen, how is my old friend Liang Xun doing these days? I heard he's been promoted to an official position."

"As the local official in charge of Shangshu, we common people are deeply grateful to Lord Liang for his protection," Master Shen replied calmly.