Lana had watched the mist on Riley’s head, a faint purple mist tinged with green.
Purple meant nobility in the previous life or becoming a leader in this life. And green mist meant greedy people becoming rich and famous by hook or crook.
In her previous life, Riley indeed ended up becoming the wife of a political leader wielding both power and influence. And she later became a nightmare for Lana.
Mr. Crow’s voice cut through the air; the gentle breeze didn’t calm him even a bit.
Lana has too many enemies, and all of them are powerful.
"Why can’t you stay silent?" He croaked, but Lana cast an indifferent glance before turning to the guard.
Why? Silence wasn’t seen as valuable in Shadowridge. It was seen as a weakness. And those who speak loudest are heard.
Lana had the chance to sit in the front and experience this harsh lesson.
"I will pay in cash. Please lead the way."
The guard gulped before leading Lana to the guardhouse.
Once inside, Lana took out 10 wads of cash and handed them to the guard.
The guard’s eyes widened. Even though he’d seen wealth before, this was different...clean, precise, and confident.
Lana dusted off her hands as if she’d just disposed of something trivial.
"Ten million," she said. "You can count it if you like."
Inhaling a deep breath, the guard started counting.
The humming of the air conditioner, coupled with the crisp sound of the bills, filled the silence
After 10 minutes, the guard, with his trembling hand, gave the cash back to Lana and stated, "I will take you to the vice principal."
Lana’s lips curved into a smile.
’Finally, huh? The vice principal must have been bribed to make things difficult for me.’
When they reached the vice principal’s office, the guard hesitated before knocking. From behind the mahogany door came a deep, calm voice.
The guard pushed the door open and stepped aside to let Lana in.
Vice Principal Duran sat behind his massive desk, his round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His silver hair was combed neatly.
The mist hovering around Duran was tinged with orange and golden yellow.
Orange mist signifies that Duran had significant achievements, while golden yellow showcases the meritorious deed he might have done.
’Hm... so a bribed person can still have such good mist huh?’ Lana wondered.
"Yes?" Duran’s voice carried a hint of confusion, as if he were unaware of the purpose of their visit.
Lana arched her brow and thought, ’So we are going to beat around the bushes, huh?’
"Sir, she is Lana Almond... Lana. The Almond family has wiped her name from their household and has severed ties with her. She wants to get admitted."
Duran blinked; his grey eyes seemed dull yet thoughtful.
"Individuals can’t be admitted without any special talents."
His message couldn’t be any clearer: Lana couldn’t be admitted.
’Hm... showing your fox tails now?’ Lana laughed in her heart, but on the surface, she maintained a calm facade. "Sir, I want to apply for special admission."
"The entries are closed." Duran’s even voice fell like a cold hammer in the quiet room.
But Lana... Lana simply smiled.
"Closed?" she repeated softly, her tone polite but mocking underneath. "Strange. Because last I checked, Shadowridge accepts ’special entries’ for those the board deems valuable, even mid-semester."
Duran’s eyes flickered, a brief sign that her words had struck a nerve. "Those cases are exceptional."
"And I am exceptional," Lana replied.
Lana wasn’t bragging; both her identity as a mystic cultivator and talisman practitioner were something hard to come by.
Though by university standards, she was still lagging, just awakening as either of her identities was enough to call her a talent.
Vice Principal Duran leaned back, studying her like one would study a bold gambler who’d just bet everything on one hand.
"Exceptional?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement. "You? The girl the Almonds discarded overnight? From what I have read, you haven’t even awakened as a soul cultivator. The most basic form of cultivation."
Before Lana could retort, Duran chuckled, "Even with your exceptional talent in weapon making... I would like to highlight the fact that there are many who can replace you."
Lana arched an eyebrow. She never considered choosing the path of weapon-making in this life in the first place.
Just like Duran said, many soul cultivators with IQs even higher than Lana’s got admitted to the weapon-making department. It was crowded to the point that 5 different classes were held for the same course.
Even then, Lana, with her exceptional talent, stood out. Only... it was useless because... in the future, many more talented people than Lana emerged.
Yup, she was going to make use of her previous life’s knowledge to make money, but other than that? It was just a side hustle.
"Sir, I was talking about my newly awakened talent," Lana smirked, her heart pounding in anticipation.
Vice Principal Duran froze mid-motion, his hand hovering above the desk.
The faint scratching of his pen against paper came to an abrupt halt.
His sharp, discerning eyes flicked up to meet Lana’s.
"Newly awakened talent?" he repeated, voice low and skeptical.
"Miss Lana, I believe I have access to every student’s cultivation record in this university. As far as I recall, you haven’t reported any awakening."
"I didn’t," Lana shrugged unapologetically. "Because it awakened after the Almonds dropped me."
That made Duran’s gaze narrow.
"Do you know," he said slowly, leaning back in his chair, "how many students claim a ’late awakening’ just to squeeze into Shadowridge’s elite ranks?" His voice carried a faint mockery. "The board doesn’t entertain delusions."
Lana’s lips curved. The next second, she lifted her hand, and a faint blue energy formed at the tip of her index finger.
Duran’s and the guard’s eyes widened in astonishment. Especially Duran.
The pure mystic energy lingering at the tips of Lana’s fingers made his heart race, and his eyes lit up. The most update n0vels are published on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
"Mystic Cultivator... a mystic cultivator!"