Chen Nan was utterly baffled by the old monster's actions. He couldn't understand why this old man would appear to instill confidence in him regarding martial arts. He had always believed the old monster had ulterior motives towards him, but now it seemed the old man was helping him and had no ill intentions. He was perplexed.
The old monster possessed extraordinary skills, vanishing into thin air in just four steps. Chen Nan was utterly shocked; if a martial artist's cultivation reached such a level, they could truly roam the world unchallenged!
When Chen Nan returned to the City of Freedom, everyone on the streets was talking about the ancient god's relic. Of course, these stories had lost their original form and become fantastical in the mouths of ordinary people.
While dining at a restaurant, Chen Nan overheard a conversation between two people in a private room.
"What should we do with this divine bone? So many people saw us snatch it. Although most people are after the ancient god's treasure, we can't rule out the possibility that some people will try to take it."
"Why not sell it? You'll get money and avoid trouble at the same time."
"Who would we sell it to? We can't just publicize it, the more people know, the more dangerous it is for us."
The two people in the room fell silent.
Chen Nan's heart skipped a beat. He knew the value of the divine bone. A few days ago, the little princess had swindled 50,000 gold coins from the vice dean of Shenfeng Academy, and this hand bone was definitely worth that price. Although he had the opportunity to take it last night, he didn't dare to touch it, fearing it would bring him death.
Chen Nan considered it for a moment, then walked towards the private room.
The two people inside were startled when they heard the knocking and drew their swords before opening the door.
Chen Nan smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm."
Inside the room were two blond, blue-eyed men in their forties. One was tall and burly, while the other was shorter but looked very sturdy. Both were dressed as Western warriors, and each held a Western-style greatsword.
They were filled with hostility towards Chen Nan, and each of them possessed immense power that could erupt at any moment.
The tall warrior said, "You eavesdropped on our conversation?"
The two warriors' expressions gradually softened. They put down their greatswords and let Chen Nan into the house.
Chen Nan flattered, "You two are indeed highly skilled, managing to snatch the divine bone from thousands of people. I admire you!"
The short warrior said, "The real masters are all searching for that mysterious treasure; otherwise, how could we possibly obtain it with our current level of cultivation?"
Chen Nan had already realized that both of them were first-level experts, but fearing that they might become wary, he did not reveal it.
The tall warrior asked, "How many gold coins are you willing to pay for the divine bone we possess?"
Chen Nan said, "Ten thousand gold coins."
"No, we will never sell at this price. You can leave now." The two Western warriors refused decisively.
Chen Nan said, "The price is negotiable. How many gold coins are you planning to sell it for?"
The two Western warriors whispered to each other for a moment, then said, "Fifty thousand gold coins."
"My God, you're robbing me! The prices are outrageously high!"
The short warrior said, "This is already the lowest price."
Chen Nan said, "I'll buy it for 30,000 gold coins."
"We don't want to haggle, it's fifty thousand gold coins a day." The two Western warriors looked resolute.
Seeing that there was no room for negotiation between the two, Chen Nan finally bought the Divine Bone for 50,000 gold coins. He decided to go to Shenfeng Academy and ask for an exorbitant price to fleece the vice dean.
After paying, he was penniless. He had not only spent the little princess's more than 40,000 gold coins, but also "contributed" all the money he had on him.
After receiving the gold notes, the two Western warriors took out the divine bone from the package and handed it to Chen Nan before hurriedly leaving.
Chen Nan wrapped the divine bone up again and headed towards Shenfeng Academy.
As he walked through the academy gates, he felt a pang of unease, fearing he might run into Dongfang Fenghuang and the little princess. Fortunately, there was no such coincidence as "enemies meeting on a narrow road".
However, he ran into an acquaintance, or rather, someone who looked familiar—the sexy, hot blonde beauty from the freshman admissions a few days prior. The memory of how all the lecherous men present had drooled over her irresistible charm that day remains vivid in Chen Nan's mind.
Upon seeing the blonde beauty again, he was once again struck by her stunning appearance. The blonde beauty was walking towards him from the opposite direction, her alluring figure swaying gracefully.
As she passed by Chen Nan, she blinked in confusion, then suddenly stopped and said, "Are you the little troublemaker's scoundrel brother?"
Chen Nan was both amused and exasperated that the blonde beauty would address him like that.
"Hey beautiful, do we know each other?"
The blonde beauty laughed and said, "All the freshmen saw you flirting with the magic genius, Dongfang Fenghuang, that day. You couldn't help but be recognized. You're really bold to come here. Don't you know how many boys in the academy have been looking for you everywhere?"
Chen Nan felt a chill run down his spine, secretly marveling at the astonishing charm of the Eastern Phoenix. He glanced around and whispered, "It can't be that exaggerated, can it?"
The blonde beauty said, "Try shouting 'Scumbags are here!' and a whole bunch of people will immediately appear in front of you. Luckily, not many guys have seen you before, otherwise someone would have already come up to cause you trouble."
Chen Nan looked embarrassed. He never expected that he would really become a scoundrel, hated by everyone.
The blonde beauty laughed, "Your sister, Little Trouble, is even more famous. Not only did she pluck a large clump of the vice-dean's beard, but she also extorted 50,000 gold coins from him. She's practically an idol to all the students at Shenfeng Academy. Now you and your brother are celebrities here; almost everyone knows you."
Chen Nan felt a chill. As a "celebrity," he was practically the enemy of all the boys. He looked around guiltily, and thankfully, no one seemed to be hostile towards him.
"Excuse me, miss, where does the vice dean's office lie?"
"Didn't you come looking for your sister? She and Dongfang Fenghuang live next door to me. I'll go and call her for you."
Chen Nan's face turned green upon hearing this. If he angered those two women, he would be in deep trouble. He hurriedly said, "No, please don't call them. Just tell me where the vice dean is."
The blonde woman told him the vice dean's office address, then smiled and turned to leave.
Chen Nan took a few steps away, then turned back and said, "Hey, beautiful lady, you helped me, but I haven't had a chance to ask your name yet?"
"Ruth".
Chen Nan suddenly noticed that Ruth's smile was a little strange when she turned her head. He was a little worried and shouted, "Ruth, please don't tell my sister that I'm here!"
"knew."
Following the directions given by Ruth, he quickly arrived at the vice dean's office. Just as he was about to knock on the door, the vice dean's voice came from inside: "Come in."
Chen Nan sighed inwardly at the vice dean's impressive skills. He had already made his footsteps as light as possible, but he hadn't expected that the old man inside would still notice him.
He pushed open the door and entered. The vice-dean smiled and said, "Young man, your kung fu is quite good. Is there something you need? Perhaps you'd like to join Shenfeng Academy?"
"Dean, we are no longer here. If your affairs are widely publicized, a large number of people will hunt you down in order to obtain high-ranking positions and generous salaries in the Chu Kingdom."
Chen Nan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this; the thought of such a scene was terrifying.
The vice dean said, "Thank you for bringing this divine bone to Shenfeng Academy. On behalf of all the teachers and students of the academy, I thank you."
"Shut up, you old codger! When did I say I was giving you the divine bones?"
"Oh, do you really intend to take on thousands of people single-handedly? I admire you, I admire you!"
Chen Nan really wanted to pin the vice dean to the ground and kick him a few times. He looked at the old man with a hateful smile on his face and said, "You old bastards... even if I'm being chased, I won't give you this divine bone."
The vice dean smiled and said, "Young man, don't get excited. We won't accept your divine bone for nothing."
"How much are you planning to offer?"
"Talking about money is so tacky."
"You... I don't mind the vulgarity, I bought this broken bone for 50,000 gold coins."
"Thank you for bringing this divine bone to Shenfeng Academy. On behalf of all the teachers and students of the academy, thank you!"
"You old codger, can't you come up with something new? Why do you always say the same thing?!"
The vice dean coughed and said, "Cough, we won't let you suffer any losses. After you hand over the divine bone to the Divine Wind Academy, we guarantee that no country or organization will issue a warrant for your arrest in the City of Sin."
"This city of sin isn't your home, so do you think you can keep your word?"
The vice-dean said, "I am speaking on behalf of Shenfeng Academy. The academy holds a pivotal position in the City of Sin, and the academy's dean is also one of the city lords. Such a decision is within our power. If we give you this promise, we guarantee your safety in the City of Sin."
Chen Nan cursed the vice-dean in his heart for being treacherous and shameless. The Chu Kingdom hadn't issued a warrant for his arrest or hunted him down yet, so what country or organization would dare to harm him? Unless the vice-dean deliberately revealed his situation to the cultivators searching for the ancient god's relic, he was not in immediate danger.
The vice-dean, with a smile on his face, asked, "What do you think?"
Chen Nan didn't really care about the money; everything today was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. But he never expected to be extorted by this cunning and despicable old man, which made him extremely depressed.
"You old bastard, you're a complete villain, bandit, robber, scoundrel..."
"Thank you for bringing this divine bone to Shenfeng Academy. On behalf of all the teachers and students of the academy, thank you!"
"Shut up, you old geezer! Don't repeat that again, I'm about to have a murderous urge. Fifty thousand gold coins! And we have to do this for free for Shenfeng Academy? I'm crying..."
The vice dean said, "Young man, I can tell you're a little short on cash right now. I'll lend you a thousand gold coins privately, but remember to pay me back quickly!" As he spoke, he took out a gold note and handed it to Chen Nan.
Chen Nan snatched it away and said, "Old man, may I ask your surname?"
"Hehe, no need to be so polite, my surname is Li."
Chen Nan slammed his hand on the table and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Old man Li, I xxxxxxxx, you surnamed Li, I xxxxxxxx..." Then he slammed the door and left.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he was stunned. He saw a large group of women surrounding him, staring at him in surprise. The two leading women were the little princess and Dongfang Fenghuang, and there were also many boys rushing towards him.
"Wow, Little Trouble's brother is so handsome! He was just yelling at the vice dean, he was so cool!"
"Yes, you pulled out a whole bunch of the vice dean's beard, and your brother gave him a good scolding. You and your brother are practically our idols!"
The little princess was furious and shouted, "I told you that scoundrel isn't my brother, and I have nothing to do with him!"
"You gave him all your 50,000 gold coins and said it was no big deal."
"That scoundrel stole it from me!"
...
Chen Nan felt a headache coming on. He could no longer hear what the girls were saying. Looking at the little princess's terrifying eyes, the murderous gaze of Dongfang Fenghuang, and the beast-like light in the eyes of many boys, he felt a sense of powerlessness.
He withdrew the foot that had stepped into the courtyard and quickly retreated back into the vice-principal's room.
"Hey, young man, what brings you back again? Are you here to return my money?"
"Don't play dumb, you old fool! I'm trapped here by your students. You'd better think of a way!"
The vice dean stood up calmly, a smile on his face as always, and said, "I'll go take a look."
Upon arriving at the courtyard and seeing the little princess, the vice-principal unconsciously stroked his uneven beard, while the students in the courtyard watched him, suppressing their laughter.
"Why are you all gathered here?"
The other students showed a hint of awe towards the vice dean, but the little princess seemed completely unconcerned. She shouted, "Dean, that scoundrel behind you stole 50,000 gold coins from me and even harassed me..."
She had just finished speaking when Dongfang Fenghuang covered her mouth.
The vice dean said, "Is that so? I have some things to take care of right now and don't have time to help you solve your problems. Let's talk about it when I get back." With that, the vice dean walked through the crowd and left.
Chen Nan was so angry he was about to lose it. This despicable old man had actually abandoned him here.
"Hey, you old codger, come back here! I only scolded you a few times, you old codger..."
At this moment, Dongfang Fenghuang removed her hand from the little princess's mouth and shouted at Chen Nan, "You scoundrel, let's see where you run this time!"
The entire courtyard swarmed towards Chen Nan. The girls wore mocking expressions, while the boys all had fierce and menacing looks.
Chen Nan's expression changed immediately. Apart from the noble ladies, the rest of these people were all experts of a certain rank. If they all attacked him, his tragic fate would be unimaginable.
"Ahem, Miss Dongfang, I think we have some misunderstanding. Last time..."
The little princess exclaimed from the side, "I saw you molesting Sister Phoenix last time!"
Chen Nan really wanted to give her a good beating at that moment. Dongfang Fenghuang covered the little princess's mouth again, and the boys around them were practically spitting fire in their eyes. Chen Nan knew that saying anything was useless, so he turned around and ran into the vice dean's room, kicked open the back window and jumped out, then quickly ran towards the academy gate.
A group of people were chasing closely behind. After running a long distance, Chen Nan glanced back and was immediately startled. He saw Dongfang Fenghuang and seven or eight girls using the Wind Flight Technique to fly quickly towards him.
"Magicians are such a hassle!"
In the blink of an eye, the female mages caught up with him, and lightning, wind blades, flames... all kinds of magical attacks rained down on him.
Chen Nan dodged left and right, but kept his speed unchanged, continuing to run forward. He knew that the pack of wolf-like boys behind him was far more terrifying than these female mages; if they surrounded him, he would be torn to pieces. He dared not slow down, even if it meant taking a few magical attacks.
The Eastern Phoenix gritted its teeth and unleashed its magic, causing Chen Nan a great deal of suffering.
At this moment, the little princess, riding on her jade pendant, quickly caught up from behind. Fearing nothing more than chaos, she directed her jade pendant to launch magical attacks on Chen Nan while shouting to the people in front, "Grab that person in front! He's the scoundrel who flirted with Sister Dongfang Fenghuang last time!"
At this moment, both Chen Nan and Dongfang Fenghuang felt a sense of madness, extremely annoyed by the hateful little princess.
The commotion attracted the attention of many students at Shenfeng Academy, and many later joined the fight against the monsters. Chen Nan was now in an even worse situation, surrounded by a large number of martial artists and bombarded from above by numerous mages.
If these mages hadn't been afraid of damaging the academy's buildings and harming innocent people, Chen Nan would have already been blasted to the ground. Even so, he felt immense pressure because there were now many more male mages present. These people had already heard about the scoundrel who had harassed Dongfang Fenghuang a few days ago, and upon seeing the "culprit," they immediately attacked him fiercely, looking as if they harbored deep hatred for Chen Nan.
When Chen Nan arrived at the gate of Shenfeng Academy, he was dressed in rags, his face was covered in soot, and wisps of smoke were rising from his head. He was in a terrible state.
"I cursed him a hundred times in my heart: the treacherous vice-dean, the hateful little princess, and the furious Eastern Phoenix."
He finally escaped the gates of the Divine Wind Academy, but the pursuing army behind him kept hot on his heels. Dozens of mages bombarded him from the air, while a large number of warriors shouted and cheered behind him, creating a spectacular scene.
Fortunately, there were many pedestrians on the street, which prevented the magician in the sky from acting freely; otherwise, Chen Nan would have lost even if he had ten lives.
Pedestrians on the street stared in astonishment at the pursuing army. Shenfeng Academy had not seen such a scene for many years. Even when it was hunting down a notorious villain, it only mobilized a few dozen students.
Chen Nan was in a terrible predicament. The martial artists behind him were manageable; he had already shaken off most of them after circling around. But the mages in the sky were a real headache for him. These people were like shadows, and he couldn't shake them off no matter what.
He ran from the east side of the city to the north side, then turned back from the north side, and finally ran towards the city moat, causing chaos and disorder along the way.
As they approached the city moat, without the protection of pedestrians on the street, Chen Nan became a sitting duck. If the mages hadn't been reluctant to cause a fatality, he probably would have been killed.
Before jumping into the city moat, Chen Nan, enduring the pain in his body, shouted into the air, "Phoenix wife, just you wait! I'll definitely teach you a lesson later!" After saying that, he plunged into the river.
Dongfang Fenghuang gritted her teeth, her face turning ashen with rage. Finally, she couldn't help but scream, "Ah... I'll definitely kill this bastard!"