A colossal dragon, tens of feet long, emerged from the sky, its roar shaking heaven and earth. It was as if a green cloud had drifted over the Divine Wind Academy, and immense pressure, like Mount Tai, weighed on everyone's heart.
The mages in the air fell to the ground one after another, and the dragon knights also rode their dragons to escape to a distance. The chaotic scene quieted down at once, and the cultivators who had rushed in front of the vice dean retreated.
A blond, middle-aged man stood proudly atop the dragon's back, wielding a dragon-slaying spear, like a mighty war god. He coldly gazed down and shouted, "Why are you disturbing the peace of Shenfeng Academy?"
The thousands of cultivators on the ground were stunned for a moment, but after a brief silence, the crowd erupted again. Among these thousands of people were many true experts, and not everyone was afraid of this fourth-tier dragon knight.
"Hand over the divine bones."
"Tell us what treasure God is holding in his hands."
"Hand over the treasure."
...
After a brief period of calm, the scene descended into chaos once more.
Suddenly, another deafening dragon roar echoed within the Divine Wind Academy, and a ferocious black dragon soared into the sky, flying above the group like a dark cloud. The newcomer was also a middle-aged man with blond hair, and his appearance was exactly the same as the man on the green dragon's back. The two men's expressions were also remarkably similar, both extremely cold and stern.
The noisy crowd quieted down again. Taking this opportunity, the vice-dean quickly cleared his throat and said loudly, "Everyone, please don't be impatient. Let me explain." The vice-dean's voice was not loud, but the resounding tone clearly echoed in everyone's ears. It was obvious that he was an Eastern martial artist, using a high level of sonic skill. This level of skill was enough to shock everyone.
The vice-dean leaped onto the academy's towering gatehouse and said, "I don't think you've all come for this divine bone." He then waved the ancient god's hand bone in his hand and continued, "Although the ancient gods were powerful, they are, after all, dead. Their bones, though peculiar, are not of much use. I think you've all come for the treasures held in the hands of the ancient gods."
The crowd remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
"Look, everyone, this isn't the left hand bone of an ancient god, but the right hand bone. The ancient parchment scroll records that the ancient god's left hand, clutching a glittering, unidentified object, fell into the mountains, but this isn't that divine hand!"
The vice dean's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a huge uproar. The crowd was in an uproar again, but this time it didn't last long before they quieted down again. Everyone was looking at him, wanting to hear what he would say next.
The little princess gazed at the two giant dragons in the sky, constantly comparing them to Xiaoyu in her arms. "They're just a bit bigger, but my Xiaoyu is still prettier."
Chen Nan was furious to see her so nonchalant about causing such a huge mess, and even comparing a dragon to a tiger king. He really wanted to give her a good beating. He suppressed the urge, nudged her, and said, "You little troublemaker, you're in trouble. That old man is talking about you."
After listening carefully, the little princess said indignantly, "That old man is too cunning! He's a real fox, he's turned the tables on us again. Chen Nan, didn't you say they were going to have a big battle? Why hasn't it started yet?"
Chen Nan couldn't hold back any longer and gave her a hard knock, saying, "You've made such a big fuss, it could easily turn into a bloody battle, and you don't seem to care at all!"
Thousands of cultivators started arguing again:
"We must find that little girl."
"We must find out where she found this divine bone."
...
The little princess slapped her forehead and sighed, "Oh dear, I've gotten myself into such big trouble. If I can't explain myself, I'll be hunted down every day." Saying this, she looked at Chen Nan and said, "Will you come with me?"
"I'm not going," Chen Nan quickly shook his head.
"I'm scared to go alone. If you don't come with me, I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing in my nervousness. What if I accidentally say that the divine bone was given to me by you...?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Nan really wanted to pinch her hard.
With a cry, the Eastern Phoenix and her giant golden eagle descended from the sky.
The little princess exclaimed happily, "Old woman sister..."
"You little slob, you never learn."
Seeing a small fireball being thrown by the Eastern Phoenix, the little princess quickly changed her tune, saying, "Sister Phoenix, I didn't mean it, I just said it on impulse."
Dongfang Fenghuang put away the small fireball and said, "Little slovenly brat, I really underestimated you. First, you robbed people on a large scale near the City of Sin, then you framed and betrayed your companions, and now you've framed Shenfeng Academy. You've really gone too far in committing all sorts of evil deeds. Let's see how you face the heroes this time."
The little princess said innocently, "Sister Phoenix, those were all mistakes I made by accident, not on purpose. You must help me this time, otherwise I might accidentally say the wrong thing and tell those people that the divine bone was dug up from the Divine Wind Academy."
"What?! You...you actually dare to threaten me?! That's utterly despicable!"
The little princess said aggrievedly, "I didn't threaten you. I just wanted you and Chen Bei to go and protect me. I'm scared to be alone, and if I'm scared, I might really say the wrong thing."
Chen Nan and Dongfang Fenghuang gritted their teeth in hatred, but in the end, they had no choice but to rush towards the academy gate with her. When the thousands of cultivators saw the little princess ascend the academy gate tower, they erupted in excitement, and some were about to rush up to her.
The vice dean shouted, "Everyone, don't be impulsive! Let this girl tell us what secrets she knows!"
At this moment, the gazes of thousands of cultivators all turned to the little princess, making her extremely uncomfortable. Of course, Chen Nan and Dongfang Fenghuang, who had appeared with her, also felt uneasy. If the little princess didn't handle this matter well, they might also be implicated. The thought of being hunted down by thousands was terrifying.
The little princess calmed herself down and quickly regained her composure.
"How would I know any secrets? I just happened to find this divine bone in those ruins of the divine war. If there were any secrets, would I show this divine bone to you and cause trouble for myself? The reason I went to find the severed hand of the ancient god was all because of this old geezer." As she spoke, the little princess pointed to the vice dean beside her.
The cultivators in front of the academy burst into laughter. It was quite a novel sight to see the vice dean of Shenfeng Academy being called a "stinky old man" in public by a little girl.
The vice dean was so angry that his beard twitched, and finally he awkwardly touched his nose.
"I wanted to join the Divine Wind Academy, but this despicable old man deliberately made things difficult for me. He insisted that I find the severed hand of the ancient god, otherwise he wouldn't let me join. So I had no choice but to search desperately, and I actually found it. This scoundrel is so awful, of course I wanted to teach him a lesson, and that's how I attracted you all here. I'm really disappointed. Why don't you give this scoundrel a good beating?"
The little princess's seemingly innocent words drew laughter from everyone present. Almost everyone thought she was just a playful, mischievous, and unruly little girl, and they gradually came to believe her.
"I also have a witness, and that's her." The little princess turned around and let Dongfang Fenghuang step forward. At the same time, she whispered to the vice dean, "You old geezer, if you don't cooperate with me, I'll shout that Shenfeng Academy has already found the ancient god's left hand and that mysterious treasure."
In front of thousands of cultivators, the vice-dean was already incredibly frustrated by the little princess's constant calling him "stinky old man" and "bad old man." Now, hearing her threaten him, he felt a surge of rage.
The little princess shouted loudly to the crowd, "She was ordered by that old geezer to secretly follow and protect me, which proves that I only picked up the right hand bone of the ancient god."
The vice-dean was extremely frustrated, having been threatened to lie for the little princess. He forced a smile and said, "Sigh, this girl is the granddaughter of an old friend of mine. I was just joking with her, but she took it seriously, resulting in such a commotion." Then he pointed to Dongfang Fenghuang and said, "She is a student from our academy. She has indeed been secretly following and protecting this girl. Please tell her what she saw and heard."
Dongfang Fenghuang braced herself and said, "I rode the divine eagle and followed behind her the whole time, and I found that she had indeed only found the right hand bone of the ancient god."
A commotion erupted in front of the Divine Wind Academy. Everyone had come to believe that the little princess was just a mischievous girl, and that this whole affair was nothing more than a farce she had caused. Of course, the fact that the girl had found the divine bone further convinced them that the ruins of the divine war truly contained the treasures of the ancient gods.
The facts were clear: none of the thousands of cultivators surrounding the academy dared to offend Shenfeng Academy any further. After all, Shenfeng Academy was teeming with experts; two dragon knights had rushed out in a short time, and who knew how many more dragons were inside. Furthermore, the terrifying mages and mysterious cultivators hadn't even shown themselves yet. If dozens of such incredibly powerful experts were to appear, along with the thousands of students within the academy, the thousands of cultivators surrounding the academy's gates would likely be left only to be beaten.
Finally, the vice dean announced loudly, "If anyone is interested in this divine bone, they may stay and take a look. If not, please leave quickly."
The vast majority of people came for the unidentified glowing object clutched in the ancient god's severed left hand, so most people gradually dispersed, with only a small number queuing in front of the academy to see the ancient god's right hand bone.
The noisy scene lasted for two hours before finally ending. During this time, the two dragon knights coldly watched the scene below until all the cultivators who had gathered in front of the academy gates dispersed, at which point they returned to Divine Wind Academy. The area in front of the academy gates became deserted. The vice-principal's smile vanished, and his body, leaving a blur, instantly appeared in front of the little princess. He lifted her up in one swift motion, blowing his beard and glaring at her.
"You little troublemaker, you're absolutely despicable! You've caused such a huge mess. Do you know how close you came to disaster? If we had actually fought, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I really wanted to... Ouch! How dare you pull my beard! Let go! Ouch..."
The little princess showed no remorse whatsoever; on the contrary, she was quite angry and tugged hard at the vice-principal's beard.
"You old geezer, you stinking old man, who told you to make things difficult for me like that? You deserve it! And now you dare to complain about me? I'll pull and pluck all your beard!" The little princess used her two delicate hands to pull hard on the vice-dean's beard.
Chen Nan, Dongfang Fenghuang, and dozens of students in front of the academy were stunned, then burst into laughter. They never expected that the vice dean, whose cultivation was unfathomable and who was as cunning as an old fox, would be treated this way. Almost everyone laughed until tears streamed down their faces.
The vice-dean screamed, "Let go! Little troublemaker, let go now..."
"Let go of me first, put me down."
The vice-principal hurriedly put the little princess on the ground. Before letting go, the little princess gave him a hard tug, causing the vice-principal to wince in pain.
"Hmph, I... I'm not someone to be trifled with. This is just a little lesson for you."
The vice-dean really wanted to slap the little princess, but considering her extraordinary status and the fact that he had just met with that terrifying old man, he couldn't stoop to her level. He awkwardly glanced around; thankfully, none of the academy's old fogies were present, or he would have been utterly humiliated. He glared at the dozens of students watching and demanded, "What did you see?"
The students looked at each other, knowing the old man's methods. Finally, they said in unison, "We didn't see anything. If there's nothing else, Dean, we'll head back to the academy." With that, the students ran into the academy and then burst into laughter.
The vice dean said angrily, "You bunch of bastards, I'll deal with you sooner or later."
Chen Nan walked over, pulled the little princess aside, pinched her cheek and said, "You little devil, you are absolutely despicable. This time I must lock you up. If I let you run wild again, you might just cause a hole in the sky."
The vice dean was taken aback. He had already figured out the little princess's identity, and seeing Chen Nan's rudeness towards her, he couldn't help but wonder about Chen Nan's true identity.
The little princess forcefully slapped Chen Nan's hand away and said, "Who's going back with you? I'm a student at Shenfeng Academy now, and I won't be with you anymore."
The vice-principal had a headache. If the little princess joined Shenfeng Academy, he could imagine the chaos she would cause. Dongfang Fenghuang looked the little princess up and down with amusement and said, "Little slob, joining Shenfeng Academy requires paying three thousand gold coins per semester. The money you stole has already been confiscated. Are you going to steal more? If so, Shenfeng Academy will never accept you again."
The vice dean, as if grasping at a straw, said, "That's right, you can't join the Divine Wind Academy without enough tuition fees."
Chen Nan wasn't in a hurry to capture the little princess anymore; he wanted to see how she would deal with the old fox, the vice-principal. The little princess angrily shouted, "You discriminate against the poor! Does that mean you can't study at the academy if you don't have money?"
The vice dean said, "Wrong. We are not discriminating against anyone. There are many magical beasts in the nearby mountains. Any capable young strongman can hunt magical beasts to obtain magic crystal cores to pay for tuition. In addition, there is a mercenary guild in the city. You can go there to take on missions and get high rewards. Truly capable people will not worry about their tuition."
The little princess frowned and sighed, "That would take too much time." But then she laughed and said, "How about this, I'll sell you that divine bone for one million gold coins?"
Upon hearing this, the vice-dean nearly collapsed to the ground, waving his hands repeatedly and saying, "Take it away quickly, it's even more ferocious than a robber."
"Fine, then. I'll sell them to those nobles and royalty; there will definitely be plenty of people vying for them."
The vice dean coughed and said, "Well... actually, if you could lower the price, we could discuss it. If it weren't for the academy's ongoing research that urgently needs this divine hand bone, I wouldn't have even considered it."
Chen Nan heard it clearly, and he was shocked. What kind of research required the hand bone of a god?
The little princess said, "I don't care if you're in a hurry or not, the price is 100,000 gold coins."
"No, 80,000."
"You old codger, you're too stingy. I'll say it one last time: 50,000 gold coins, or you'll have to give me back the divine bone."
Seeing the little princess's resolute expression, the vice-dean gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, fifty thousand gold coins it is." He took out five gold notes from his pocket and said, "These are five ten-thousand-gold notes. Keep them safe. From now on, this divine bone belongs to Shenfeng Academy."
After saying that, he carefully put the divine bone away. It was clear that this ancient god's hand bone was extremely important to the Divine Wind Academy.
The little princess happily accepted it, beaming with joy, and said, "Old man, I would have sold it to you even if you had given me 20,000 gold coins."
"Oh my god, why did you have to say it, little girl? Waaah... you could have said it after I walked away!" The vice dean was filled with regret.
"How could I let you regret it if I didn't say it to your face?" The little princess ignored the vice-principal and muttered to herself, "I didn't realize it when I had money before, but these past few days I've been worrying about money, and suddenly having such a large sum of money feels so good!"
The vice dean said, "Come to the academy to register in two days." Then he walked towards Shenfeng Academy, and Dongfang Fenghuang followed him away.
Just as the little princess was secretly rejoicing, a large hand swiftly reached out from the side and snatched away her 50,000 gold notes.
"Hey, you scoundrel, you filthy thief, you stole my money again! Give it back to me!"
Chen Nan tucked the gold notes into his pocket and said, "Why would a child need so much money? I'll keep it for you. I'll pay you back whenever you need it."
"No, give it back to me right now! This was money I earned honestly and fairly. I worked so hard, I can't let you get it for nothing!" The little princess's eyes were red with anxiety. The Tiger King suddenly sprang out from a corner and pounced into the little princess's arms, glaring menacingly at Chen Nan.
Chen Nan said, "I'm just holding onto it for you temporarily. You won't be shortchanged by a single penny. But the condition is that you behave and don't run around causing trouble again. Alright, let's go back to the inn now."
"Those bastards think they can control me just because they stole my money. Just you wait, I'll get my revenge."
Ignoring the little princess's struggles, Chen Nan pulled her towards the inn.
I've been merging chapters these past few days, so it keeps showing as updating. Please forgive any inconvenience this may cause.