Chapter 9: Entering Jia Nan Academy!
"Zi Yan, this senior means no harm!" To prevent Zi Yan from offending the influential figure before them, Jiang Yun immediately stood up and pulled Zi Yan aside to soothe her.
All the while, he was cautiously observing Su Qian's expression.
"Haha!" Seeing the two children being so amusing, Su Qian couldn't help but laugh heartily. He spoke, "This is the Demonic Beast Forest. There's no shortage of rank 5 and rank 6 Demonic Beast Kings roaming about. It's far too dangerous for two little ones like you here. Why don't you come with me?"
Su Qian's gaze burned brightly as he looked at Zi Yan and Jiang Yun, and he followed up by adding, "Although, whether you agree or not, I'll be taking you with me regardless!"
Jiang Yun: "..."
Su Qian was simply too overbearing. Before Jiang Yun could even open his mouth, Zi Yan's eyes lit up. She spoke up first, "Is there tasty food?"
"Of course, enough for you to eat your fill!" Su Qian chuckled, stroking his long beard, his tone brimming with confidence. Although he knew Zi Yan was a transformed demonic beast whose appetite was certainly no small matter, as the First Elder of Jia Nan Academy, Su Qian declared that this was no issue—he could still afford to feed her.
"Then I'll go!" Zi Yan had never heard such wonderful words before and immediately agreed with eager haste.
Although Zi Yan appeared carefree on the surface, her mind was actually quite sharp. As a member of the Taixu Ancient Dragon tribe, her intuition was astonishingly acute, which had allowed her to survive several life-or-death crises.
She hadn't sensed any malice from Su Qian, which was why she agreed so readily.
Otherwise, she would have long since hoisted Jiang Yun over her shoulder and bolted.
Listening to their conversation, Jiang Yun now looked at the scene with a somewhat odd expression. Could this person be none other than First Elder Su Qian?
"And you?" Having settled one, Su Qian now turned his gaze toward Jiang Yun.
"Little Yunzi is definitely coming with me!" Before Jiang Yun could even speak, Zi Yan immediately made the decision for him, pulling him into her embrace. Caught off guard by her terrifying strength, Jiang Yun instantly found himself trapped in Zi Yan's arms.
And to be fair, at six years old, Jiang Yun was still smaller than Zi Yan. Held by her like this, seen from behind, it looked just like a little brother being pinned down by his older sister.
"Good, then it's settled. I am Su Qian, First Elder of Jia Nan Academy. In the future, you'll come to understand just what Jia Nan Academy is. Come, I'll take you back to the academy right now."
Seeing that Jiang Yun had not objected, Su Qian was immediately in high spirits and spoke with a beaming smile.
Jiang Yun: "..."
He could only hope that First Elder Su Qian wouldn't live to regret this, having picked up a big eater to bring home.
Flight is a dream long pursued by humanity.
In a past life, people could only rely on tools like airplanes to fly through the sky. But on the Dou Qi Continent, as long as one's strength reached the Dou Wang level, they could freely soar through the heavens.
For Jiang Yun, flight was nothing worth getting excited about. After all, he had even experienced traveling through space. The emotions brought on by flying were no longer capable of stirring any ripples in his heart.
Before entering Jia Nan Academy, Su Qian first passed through Peace Town with Jiang Yun and Zi Yan.
This town was the 'bridgehead' where Jia Nan Academy bordered the Black-Corner Region.
In stark contrast to the slaughter and chaos within the Black-Corner Region, order reigned supreme in Peace Town. Murder, robbery, and lawless violence were strictly forbidden.
Anyone entering was required to leave behind their name and origin, and also consume a special pill prepared by the Jia Nan Academy Enforcement Team.
These pills could sense killing intent. If anyone committed murder within Peace Town, the pill would immediately alert, making the perpetrator's entire body glow with red light. The murderer would then face severe punishment from the Jia Nan Academy Enforcement Team.
The Black-Corner Region was crawling with utterly vicious and desperate criminals. Some of them held the rules of Jia Nan Academy in complete contempt.
The result of such contempt was on full display at the town's entrance: corpses hanging from a large tree with wildly sprawling, jagged branches.
Among them, the most powerful figure hanging from that tree was a Dou Huang. After being slain by the Jia Nan Academy Enforcement Team, his body had been hung there to serve as a warning to the denizens of the Black-Corner Region.
Without a doubt, this kind of deterrent was extremely effective. Today, Peace Town enjoyed excellent public order, and the number of people who dared to ignore its rules was growing fewer and fewer.
Jiang Yun and his group did not linger in Peace Town. Su Qian brought Jiang Yun and Zi Yan directly past it, speeding rapidly toward the Outer Academy.
Although Jiang Yun was a genius Su Qian had picked up, he still could not wantonly break the rules. Jiang Yun would still have to study at the Outer Academy first and pass the selection process before entering the Inner Academy.
As for Zi Yan, Su Qian wanted to bring her directly to the Inner Academy. A transformed demonic beast at the peak of rank 4—even in the Inner Academy, she would be among the top-tier existences, strong enough to contend for the top five of the Strong Ranking.
But Zi Yan did not want to be separated from Jiang Yun. Su Qian was helpless and could only hope this wouldn't leave too deep a psychological scar on this year's batch of Outer Academy geniuses.
After passing Peace Town and flying for another half an hour, the outline of a city so massively vast it stunned the eyes slowly came into view before Jiang Yun.
"Jiang Yun, Zi Yan, just up ahead is Jia Nan City. How is it? Isn't it spectacular?"
Su Qian, bringing Jiang Yun and Zi Yan along as the outline of Jia Nan City came into view, spoke with a proud tone. This was the place to which he had dedicated his entire life, his home!
"Tch— not so impressive!" Zi Yan remained as tsundere as ever. Even though she was inwardly shaken by the giant city before her and quite agreed with Su Qian's words, her mouth was still just as stubborn.
"Mm, quite nice."
As for Jiang Yun, it was even more impossible for him to have the reaction Su Qian anticipated. Having lived in the Xie Ling City, how could the 'colossal' Jia Nan Academy before him possibly stir any awe in his heart?
However, out of respect for Su Qian, he still paused briefly before giving an affirmative reply.
"???"
Looking at these two troublesome little kids, Su Qian felt depressed. For the first time, he wondered if his decision had been too hasty.
Were children these days all this mentally resilient? Back when he first saw Jia Nan Academy, he had been shaken for quite some time. Wasn't this just making him, Su Qian, look like he had no life experience?
"Hmph!"
Su Qian gave a cold snort and silently increased his flying speed. Right now, he just wanted to get away from these two 'annoying' brats as quickly as possible.
As the First Elder of the Inner Academy, Su Qian naturally had privileges. He directly brought Jiang Yun and Zi Yan straight to the office of the Vice Principal, Hu Gan.
"Creak—"
The sound of the door opening roused Hu Gan, who had been buried in his work inside.
Hu Gan looked up. Seeing the visitor, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. He stood up and said, "What brings the First Elder here?"
Su Qian reined in his sulky expression and said cheerfully, "I've come to send two fine little ones your way."
"Oh?" Hu Gan narrowed his eyes and only then carefully examined Jiang Yun and Zi Yan. "Huh?" After observing for a while, Hu Gan regarded Zi Yan with some astonishment.
"Hmph!" Seeing this white-bearded old man sizing her up, Zi Yan nervously grabbed Jiang Yun's hand beside her. Had it not been for the fact that she sensed no malice—and, more importantly, that she couldn't beat him—Zi Yan would have leapt up and unleashed a flurry of little fists.
But even so, her expression was still far from pleasant!
This book has been signed, dear readers, you can read with confidence!
(End of Chapter)