Chapter 366: Chapter 362: The Vice Dean Compromises (3)

Tu Xiao’an instantly felt an unprecedented pressure. The aura emanating from the old man felt extremely, extremely dangerous.

He might even be an opponent he couldn’t possibly defeat.

Experts don’t have to trade blows to know who is stronger.

To put it in perspective using the Rank Three Demon Spirits Tu Xiao’an had encountered, the Rank Three Snake Flood Dragon had only just entered Rank 3 and wasn’t particularly strong. His Insight had revealed its data instantly.

The Bull Demon King was at Level 32, having been a Rank 3 for many years. He was considered very strong, yet Tu Xiao’an could still use his Insight on him.

However, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t get a single shred of data from this Vice Dean. Based on the strength of the aura he was releasing, Tu Xiao’an secretly speculated, ’He must be Level 35 or higher.’

He figured that his Conscious Insight became useless and unable to scan anyone whose strength reached about Level 35.

So far, the only ones who had made his Insight fail were this old man and the woman from the noodle shop. Of course, that was not counting the suppressed pink skeleton in the underground cavern, which was basically an Ancient Demon.

Despite being shocked by the Vice Dean’s immense aura, Tu Xiao’an remained outwardly calm and composed. He casually glanced at the enraged old man and said mockingly, "It seems you’ve decided you don’t want me to save your granddaughter after all?"

At that one simple sentence, the Vice Dean’s vast, surging aura deflated. He looked as uncomfortable as a venomous snake grabbed by its weak spot.

"Snake Spirit, there’s a limit to everything! If you cross that line, all bets are off. You openly killed one of my students right in front of me! How could I possibly tolerate that?" the Vice Dean fumed.

Tu Xiao’an shrugged. "Don’t act so high and mighty. And I didn’t kill anyone in front of you."

"You’re still trying to deny it?" The Vice Dean was stunned. This was a blatant, barefaced lie.

Tu Xiao’an gave a faint, knowing smile. "Student Luo Zixiong was killed by a Snake Demon. And I, the strongest new student, vanquished evil, slayed the Snake Demon with my own hands, and restored peace and tranquility to the Ancient Academy."

"You..." The Vice Dean instantly understood. The Snake Spirit was trying to twist the truth and deceive everyone, painting himself—the murderer—as a hero.

"Old man, I’m a Snake Spirit, and very few people know that. You’re the only one who saw me kill Luo Zixiong. As long as you cooperate, this whole thing can be resolved quite smoothly."

The Vice Dean refused flatly. "I have lived my entire life with integrity. How could I possibly twist the truth like this?"

Heh...

"Cut the crap. If that were true, why did you come in here alone? It’s been quite a while, so why hasn’t anyone else shown up? It’s because you don’t want this to end in mutual destruction. You don’t want to push things to a point of no return, right?"

"I came here with the best of intentions, yet you, a Snake Spirit, still killed someone right in front of me! How dare you!"

Tu Xiao’an said, "I had no choice but to kill him. If I’d let him go, my identity would have been exposed. I wouldn’t be able to stay at the Ancient Academy anymore. So, he had to die."

The Vice Dean huffed angrily but didn’t refute the statement. If everyone knew Tu Xiao’an was a Snake Spirit, how could the Ancient Academy possibly tolerate his presence?

Suddenly, the Vice Dean glanced in a certain direction. Tu Xiao’an followed his gaze. The figures of Lin Fan and Dongfang Yuan stuck out like sore thumbs.

’He killed Luo Zixiong to hide his identity as a Snake Spirit... so what about these two???’

Lin Fan and Dongfang Yuan had heard the entire conversation between the Vice Dean and Tu Xiao’an. So the Vice Dean had known all along that the strongest new student was a Snake Demon! And from their conversation, it seemed like they were now in cahoots.

In that instant, a wave of terror washed over them. ’If that’s the case,’ they thought, ’we’re probably going to be killed to shut us up.’

"I, Lin Fan, swear I will never breathe a word of what I saw today! If I go back on this oath, may I be struck by lightning and killed!"

Lin Fan hurriedly swore the oath. This business was clearly too dangerous; getting involved would be a death sentence.

"Brother-in-law, you’re not going to kill me, are you? Dr. Snake sent you to protect me! If I died at your hands, that would be a terrible injustice! The greatest injustice in history!"

Tu Xiao’an stared at the two terrified figures, his expression cold and impassive. After a moment of silence, his eyes suddenly narrowed at them, and a ripple seemed to pass through the space around them.

Urk...

The eyes of Lin Fan and Dongfang Yuan rolled back, and they collapsed, unconscious.

"Snake Spirit, don’t you hurt them!" the Vice Dean cried out, seeing this.

Tu Xiao’an rolled his eyes at him. "Old man, do you really take me for some demon who kills indiscriminately? I just put them to sleep. And while I was at it, I used a little trick to erase their memories of me being a Snake Demon."

"So, when they wake up, I’ll still be the ’strongest new student,’ not a Snake Demon."

In other words, the people who had known now didn’t, and the only other person who had known was already dead.

Now, the Vice Dean was the only one who knew that Tu Xiao’an was not a human Martial Cultivator.

But the Vice Dean suddenly snapped, "If you have the power to erase memories, then you didn’t have to kill Luo Zixiong!"

"He had to die. My Azure Owl feather is worth more than his life."

His words almost moved the Azure Owl in the corner to tears.

At this point, there was no use saying anything more. The Vice Dean fell into a contemplative silence, unsure of what to do with this Snake Spirit.

’If this really ends in mutual destruction, who will save my granddaughter?’

The Vice Dean was in a terrible dilemma.

But if he let this Snake Spirit off so easily, his pride wouldn’t allow it.

"Old man, you don’t have to be so torn," Tu Xiao’an continued. "I’ve already killed the guy, and I’ve already come up with a good excuse for you. All you have to do is cooperate. And don’t worry. Leave saving your granddaughter to me. I promise I’ll give it my all."

Seeing the Vice Dean still silent and fuming, Tu Xiao’an took out a photograph and waved it. "Just think, your granddaughter is in the clutches of the White Demon King. If you don’t get her out soon, I’m afraid you’re going to have a Demon for a grandson-in-law."

"Hmph... At worst, I’ll just lead my men and storm the Yaoling Mountain Range myself."

"If you could really do that, why would you have bothered asking a Snake Spirit like me for help?"

The Vice Dean’s face was contorted with fury. He was trembling all over, wishing he could just kill the Snake Spirit before him with a single slap.

’He’s only acting this brazenly because he has me by the throat.’

On one hand, there was his beloved granddaughter; on the other, a tragically murdered student. The Vice Dean knew, of course, which one was more important to him.

"You said you killed the Snake Demon, so where’s its corpse?" It wouldn’t be so easy to deceive everyone.

The entire Ancient Academy felt the Snake Demon’s aura. If you claim you killed it, then how do you explain the lack of a body?

"That’s the easy part." A smile played on Tu Xiao’an’s lips as he focused his will.

A behemoth—a Giant Snake nearly twenty meters long—appeared out of thin air, looking ferocious and terrifying.

Back in Snake Valley, there had been countless huge pythons, and Tu Xiao’an had conveniently stored a few Giant Snakes in his system.

’I never thought they’d come in handy today.’

The Vice Dean’s expression finally softened a little when he saw the Giant Snake.

It seemed he had no choice but to play along with the Snake Spirit’s act.