Chapter 355: Chapter 351: Yaoling Mountain Range (6)

"Someone, carry Bai Junran to the infirmary as well."

The Vice-Principal’s voice rang out at just the right moment.

The uproar on the scene was immense. A deafening, overwhelming clamor filled the air as the entire place descended into total chaos.

’How could Bai Junran have lost?’

’The strongest freshman? No, he’s the strongest student, period.’ This was what everyone was still buzzing about.

"You, come with me," the Vice-Principal said to Tu Xiao’an. He then turned and left, ignoring the chaos.

From the moment Bai Junran stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena until he passed out, the Vice-Principal hadn’t said a word. But now the old man had popped up to handle the aftermath.

It could be seen as him giving Tu Xiao’an face.

Tu Xiao’an shrugged. He was about to follow, but he suddenly stopped. He swept his gaze across the crowd, his expression cold. Though he stood at the same level as everyone else, his frosty eyes made their hearts skip a beat. Many students felt an irrepressible urge to prostrate themselves and worship him.

A suffocating pressure washed over them. Bai Junran had been defeated. In everyone’s minds, Tu Xiao’an had reached a height they could never hope to attain.

’What is he looking for?’

Every student who met that cold, impassive gaze shuddered.

The three "god-level" students were no exception. When Tu Xiao’an’s gaze swept over them, it paused.

Xiao He, Luo Zijie, and Wan Dong all felt their hearts clench. ’What does this "strongest freshman" mean by this? His look is a bit provocative. Don’t tell me he wants to challenge us next?’

’That’s way too arrogant, even more so than Bai Junran.’

Normally, if anyone dared to look at them like that, they would have flown into a rage by now. But at this moment, the three of them were surprisingly quiet, remaining silent.

"The three of you... your strength isn’t bad."

After a few moments of observation, Tu Xiao’an raised an eyebrow and spoke with a faint smile. Then, his gaze flickered up to a spot in mid-air, lingering there for several seconds.

Tu Xiao’an had memorized the faces of the few people who had been floating above his head earlier.

’Time to go.’

Tu Xiao’an withdrew his gaze and, ignoring the crowd of dumbstruck people—including the three god-level students—he turned and left as if nothing had happened.

「In the Vice-Principal’s Office.」

The old man sat in his chair, watching with a wide grin as Tu Xiao’an finally came in. He seemed very pleased.

Seeing his expression, Tu Xiao’an suddenly asked, "Old man, what’s with you? Do you have a grudge against Bai Junran or something?"

The Vice-Principal snapped, "Nonsense! I am the Vice-Principal of this academy. How could I hold a grudge against one of my own students?"

"Then why are you so happy that I beat him?" Tu Xiao’an had expected the old man to give him trouble, or at least a few words of reprimand.

"I just didn’t expect you, a Snake Spirit, could defeat Bai Junran so easily. I’m very gratified."

Tu Xiao’an: "..."

’Gratified, my ass.’

’I beat your student, and you’re gratified? Whose side are you on, anyway?’

"If I’m not mistaken, your strength as a Snake Spirit is already greater than many Rank Three Demon Spirits." The Vice-Principal’s eyes bore into Tu Xiao’an, shining so intensely that it made his hair stand on end.

’What is this old man plotting?’

"You must be very curious. I clearly know you’re a Snake Spirit, yet I’ve allowed you to remain at the Ancient Academy, and even indulged some of your behavior."

The Vice-Principal looked ready to lay his cards on the table.

’Indulged?’

’I guess he has, a little,’ Tu Xiao’an thought. ’At the very least, he didn’t try to stop me when I challenged Bai Junran.’

"To be honest with you, I do have a favor to ask." The smile vanished from the Vice-Principal’s face, replaced by a serious expression. "I had originally planned to discuss this with you after you reached your Dao Attainment, but your strength has exceeded my expectations. So, there’s no harm in telling you now."

Tu Xiao’an immediately grew wary. ’What could the dignified Vice-Principal of the Ancient Academy possibly need my help with? And he wanted to wait until after I attained my Dao?’

’What kind of human would be eager for a Demon to attain their Dao? Something’s definitely fishy here.’

Besides, he had seen long ago that the old man’s own strength was immense—definitely above Rank 3.

Furthermore, as the Vice-Principal of the Ancient Academy, he had countless disciples and a presumably high status in the Human Martial Cultivation Realm. Finding someone to run an errand for him would be all too easy.

Tu Xiao’an couldn’t figure out what the man could possibly need from him, but he was sure it wasn’t anything good.

’Does he have an enemy he can’t deal with himself, so he wants me, a Snake Spirit, to take care of it for him?’

’To avoid attracting attention, maybe.’

"Old man, I may have agreed to do one thing for you, but I, the Snake King, will not engage in murder, arson, rape, pillage, or anything else immoral," Tu Xiao’an declared righteously.

The Vice-Principal was stunned speechless. ’Is it really appropriate for a Snake Spirit to be saying such things?’

’He sounds like some great hero from the Jianghu.’

"I just need you to help me rescue someone."

"Rescue someone? That’s all?" Tu Xiao’an looked at him and chuckled. "I’m not doing it."

The Vice-Principal stood up. "I haven’t even told you who you’re rescuing, and you’re already refusing? Snake Spirit, we had an agreement. I let you stay at the Ancient Academy, and in return, you do one thing for me."

"If the dignified Vice-Principal of the Ancient Academy can’t save this person, what makes you think I have the ability to?"

When it was time to be humble, Tu Xiao’an could be very humble indeed.

"No, you can."

The Vice-Principal said in a low voice, "You have to be the one to rescue this person. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to ask any human expert."

’Hm? What does he mean by that?’

"The reason I sought you out is precisely because of your identity as a Demon."

Tu Xiao’an was stunned. In other words, the Vice-Principal valued the fact that he wasn’t human.

"That alone seems a little far-fetched."

’With the Vice-Principal’s status, it would be no problem for him to find a few Demons for help.’ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

’Judging from the incident with the Bull Demon King, there were plenty of Rank Three Demon Spirits hiding in Wencheng.’

"I value your character. You made your debut in Bai Town and did many good deeds. You never kill the innocent and you have your own moral code. That makes you very different from other Demons."

The Vice-Principal continued, "The person I need to rescue is extremely important to me. I must find a Demon who is both powerful and trustworthy."

’For a single snake to earn the collective faith of the hundreds of thousands of people in Bai Town is no simple feat.’

The Vice-Principal had observed this Snake Spirit closely, and at times, he felt the boy was just like a human youth.

This was a bit of excessive praise, and it made Tu Xiao’an feel too awkward to refuse.

Tu Xiao’an found the old man to be reasonably agreeable. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Who exactly do you want me to rescue? And where?"

"You’re going to the Yaoling Mountain Range to rescue them."

"The Yaoling Mountain Range?" Tu Xiao’an shook his head, showing he had never heard of it.

The Vice-Principal was astonished. "You don’t even know about the Yaoling Mountain Range?"

Tu Xiao’an gave an embarrassed smile. ’Looks like Luo Ziyun’s crash course wasn’t thorough enough.’

"I really don’t know how you’ve managed to get by."

"The Yaoling Mountain Range is a concentration point for Demons. That entire mountain range is teeming with Awakened Creatures, Spirit Monsters, and quite a few Rank Three Demon Spirits."

"Many Demons who have committed crimes in the Human World and are now wanted fugitives will flee to the Yaoling Mountain Range to survive if they have nowhere else to go."

Tu Xiao’an asked, "Where is the Yaoling Mountain Range?"

"The Yaoling Mountain Range sits atop the highest peak in Wencheng. The range is vast and unbroken, and ordinary people cannot reach it."

"As for Martial Cultivators, they can’t get in either. The moment a human’s Qi appears in the Yaoling Mountain Range, it is instantly detected. They would then be besieged by all the Demons on the mountain—it’s a near-certain death sentence."