Even Mu Qian, usually so composed, couldn't stay calm after hearing that.
Well, if it were possible, the offer wasn't entirely out of the question...
Mu Qian swallowed, a bold idea taking shape in his mind...
"Ahem." Mu Qian couldn't help but be struck down by his own greed.
He was only entertaining the thought.
"Hmph! Who said I'd split it with you?" Zhu Zhuqing clung tightly to Mu Qian's arm, eyeing Hu Liena warily, as if staking her claim.
It was no small feat to get the cool and distant Zhu Zhuqing to act like that.
Hu Liena really did dare to say anything out loud!
"Senior, does that mean we're done registering? Is there anything else we need to do?" Mu Qian finally couldn't take it anymore.
Whatever happened, he couldn't just stand by and let Zhuqing get the short end of the stick.
When it came to serious matters, even Hu Liena had to give a proper explanation, no matter how flighty she was.
She did know where to draw the line. Scaring Mu Qian away would be more trouble than it was worth.
"Junior, normally, after passing the preliminary screening, new students have to go to the Admissions Department to register their Martial Soul's specific abilities and Soul Skills. That lets us assign them to classes according to their talent and train them more effectively."
"But you don't need to do that. Geniuses always get special treatment. The same goes for this little girl. With your talents, you can go straight into the Genius Class."
"Once I submit your information and let the higher-ups know, that'll be all."
Hu Liena kept walking as she explained.
"However, dorm assignments won't be made until after the final assessment. The academy is pretty relaxed about student supervision, so you can also stay outside the academy or rent one of its private courtyards."
"Preliminary registration will remain open for five days. You don't have to do anything in the meantime. Just wait for the final assessment after the five days are up."
Mu Qian nodded. That was for the best; it saved them a lot of hassle.
There was no need to rush into sorting out their accommodations, either. They could decide after the assessment.
"Nana!"
A delighted voice rang out from far away. A young man in a fiery red robe rushed toward the three of them.
"Nana, I was wondering why you didn't come to class. So you were here."
"What, has our Saintess finally taken an interest in helping with recruitment?" Yan scratched his head with a goofy grin. His eyes held nothing but Hu Liena.
He looked just like Little Flower in Zhu Zhuqing's arms.
If he wasn't a lovesick puppy, he had to be an idiot.
"Yan, how many times have I told you not to call me Nana? We're not close enough for that." Hu Liena spoke coldly. She was thoroughly fed up with this clingy pest.
The guy was like a stubborn plaster that she couldn't shake off, no matter how hard she tried.
Yan's talent was among the best at Spirit Hall Academy, but she still couldn't bring herself to like him.
It wasn't that he lacked talent. He simply had no brains.
Feelings were strange things, hard to explain or understand. Even though she'd once tried to pay more attention to him at her brother's urging, she just didn't feel that way about him.
Watching this, Mu Qian couldn't help shaking his head.
Only then did Yan finally notice Mu Qian.
"It's you! Nana, why are you with him?" Yan clenched his fists until they creaked, nameless fury beginning to roil in his eyes.
He would never forget the humiliation Mu Qian had dealt him, especially when it had only been a day since he'd last been embarrassed.
Before Mu Qian could say anything, Hu Liena stepped in front of them. "Who I spend time with is my business. What does it have to do with you? I'm the Saintess of Spirit Hall. Don't forget your place!"
Hu Liena's eyes were blazing with anger, too. Yan was always a pain, but he'd gone too far by bothering her now.
If Yan hadn't been on good terms with her brother, Hu Liena would have fallen out with him long ago.
"Nana, you..."
"I told you to call me Her Highness the Saintess." Hu Liena's voice turned cold.
Yan's pupils contracted, and his body trembled slightly. He raised a hand as if to explain himself, but in the end, he could only sigh, bow, and clasp his hands. "Yes, Your Highness the Saintess."
Mu Qian watched without expression, unmoved.
Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, looked at Hu Liena in surprise. If she remembered correctly, the two of them had been together earlier. They were practically strangers, yet Hu Liena was standing up for them like this?
For some reason, Zhu Zhuqing found herself disliking Hu Liena a little less.
Yan grudgingly avoided Hu Liena's icy gaze and turned his attention to Mu Qian.
"Kid, I haven't forgotten what happened yesterday. Now that you're at Spirit Hall Academy, just wait and see what I do to you."
He might not dare pick a fight with Hu Liena, but that didn't mean he was afraid to provoke Mu Qian.
"You dare!" Hu Liena furrowed her brows, and a powerful surge of Soul Power instantly shoved Yan back several steps.
As if he still couldn't accept it, Yan kept running his mouth. "Kid, what kind of man hides behind a woman?"
Mu Qian shook his head, his tone calm. "Anytime."
"But don't let me catch you scheming against anyone close to me. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to show you what true despair feels like."
As he spoke, a blue-gold light flashed in Mu Qian's eyes.
An endless chill engulfed Yan's body in an instant, like a sword of judgment hanging over him, ready to fall at any moment.
Cold sweat appeared on Yan's forehead at once. He opened his mouth, but under the weight of his terror, he didn't dare say another word.
Mu Qian had already sentenced him to death in his mind. It might have seemed like a simple threat, but deep within Yan's soul, Mu Qian had already branded him with a wicked Spiritual Imprint.
It simply wasn't time to trigger it yet. Mu Qian had only just arrived and still needed to observe Yan.
After that interlude, Hu Liena took Mu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing around the campus a little longer.
But compared to the vast grounds of Spirit Hall Academy, the areas they'd seen were just the tip of the iceberg.
"Look, isn't that Her Highness the Saintess?"
"Her Highness the Saintess is so beautiful. Why is she with two kids, though?"
"Who knows? Maybe they're this year's freshmen."
"Heh. What freshman could possibly be worthy of Her Highness the Saintess's company? I bet they're here through some backdoor connection, sent by the higher-ups to pad their résumés."
When the bell rang to mark the end of class, more and more students began to appear around the academy.
Every now and then, students stopped to whisper while looking in the three's direction.
Mu Qian caught most of what they said, but he didn't care. When he had something to prove, he would always rely on his own strength, not his words.
Looking up at the sky, Mu Qian realized it was getting late and said his goodbyes.
Honestly, he was also starting to get a little afraid of spending any more time with Hu Liena.
There was no helping it. The atmosphere between the three of them was genuinely a little terrifying...
Before you continue