Applying for a Jia Nan Academy Instructor Position

Black Region Great Plain.

After running for some time, Jiang Han finally came upon a small city.

Half the city walls had collapsed, and the remaining half, battered by wind and sun, looked ready to fall at any moment.

It was different from the cities Jiang Han had seen in the Gama Empire.

This city had no guards to speak of, not even anyone patrolling.

Jiang Han passed through the city gates without encountering any obstruction.

But the moment he stepped onto the main street, an arrow, a spear, and a broadsword came whistling through the air from both sides.

Jiang Han frowned.

If he had been an ordinary person, any one of those three weapons could have killed him.

Jiang Han shifted his footing and perfectly evaded the arrow, spear, and broadsword.

"Little brother, what fine footwork!"

As the chilling praise rang out, three groups belonging to different factions sprang out from both sides of the street, each holding weapons and looking utterly ferocious.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of passersby nearby. They gathered around, watching Jiang Han with amused expressions.

No one who lived in the Black-Corner Region was a decent sort, so naturally no one stepped forward to uphold justice.

Jiang Han swept his gaze across the three groups in turn, his expression calm.

"Little brother, this is your first time in the Black-Corner Region, isn't it? Newcomers have to pay a toll to enter the city."

"That's right. Fifty gold coins for each of us."

Members of the three groups spoke one after another.

Jiang Han hesitated briefly. After giving it some thought, he took out 150 gold coins from his Storage Ring, divided them into three portions, and handed them over.

He had passively accumulated this money through legitimate means over the past year.

"Haha, he really is a newcomer!"

"If he can take out 150 gold coins, he must have quite a few good things on him."

"Kill him outright, then split everything evenly between our three sides!"

The three groups seemed to have treated Jiang Han as a fat piece of meat, their bloodthirsty eyes filled with greed.

"They truly have no humanity at all."

Jiang Han suddenly smiled. As the three groups charged at him with their weapons, he moved as well.

Dou Qi burst from his fingertips, condensing into sharp sword blades. As he shifted through the crowd, corpses fell one after another, blood pouring from their severed necks. Some heads were even sliced clean off and rolled away like footballs.

In just a few seconds, the survivors realized they had kicked an iron plate. Fear flooded their faces as they turned and fled.

There was no mercy in Jiang Han's eyes. He was so fast that he gave those people no chance to escape.

Several arrows formed from condensed Dou Qi shot forth with piercing whistles.

After seeing all three groups wiped out, the spectators who had been watching immediately gave Jiang Han wary looks and hurried away, afraid that lingering too long would bring disaster upon themselves.

After dealing with everyone, Jiang Han began searching them one by one.

Not only did he recover the 150 gold coins he had handed over earlier, he also gained another 600 gold coins, along with a pile of medicinal herbs and spirit pills.

After entering the city, Jiang Han first bought a map of the Black-Corner Region, then joined a merchant caravan as a bodyguard.

Storms frequently swept through the Black-Corner Region. Those without experience were highly likely to lose their way, and Jiang Han had no intention of dying because he got lost.

Seven days later.

Led by the merchant caravan, Jiang Han safely arrived at Peaceful Town.

Standing at the town entrance, Jiang Han looked inside. All sorts of stalls lined both sides of the streets, pedestrians stopped to haggle, and children played and laughed beside the stalls. The atmosphere was remarkably peaceful and harmonious.

It was completely different from the other cities in the Black-Corner Region, which were filled with killing and conflict everywhere.

This was because Peaceful Town fell within the jurisdiction of the Jialan Region.

Anyone who dared cause trouble in town would be ruthlessly killed by the Canaan Enforcement Team.

"Everyone must take this pill before entering Peaceful Town. It is not poison, but a special pill refined by an elder of our academy. If you harbor killing intent within the town, this pill will emit a red glow, and our Enforcement Team will follow that glow to find you."

"When you leave Peaceful Town, come back here and take another pill. It will dispel the effects of the Killing Qi Pill."

The moment Jiang Han entered the town with the crowd, a group of fifteen people dressed in light blue robes stopped them.

The middle-aged man at the front held a square wooden tray, upon which lay dozens of emerald-green pills.

Those entering the town seemed long accustomed to this. Before the middle-aged man could even finish speaking, they had already grabbed the pills and tossed them into their mouths.

"Do members of Jia Nan Academy have to take one too?" Jiang Han asked, pointing at the pill.

"You're a student of Jia Nan Academy? Why are you alone?"

Jiang Han looked to be around twenty years old, so the middle-aged man assumed he was a freshman who had enrolled at Jia Nan Academy within the past two years.

New students generally did not leave the academy. Even if they did and later returned, the academy would send an Enforcement Team to escort them through the Black-Corner Region.

Yet there were no Enforcement Team members behind him.

"I'm not a student. I'm here to apply for an instructor position at the academy," Jiang Han said.

"Apply to be an instructor?"

Upon hearing Jiang Han's words, the middle-aged man and the Enforcement Team members behind him could not help laughing.

"My name is Jin Feng. I'm the captain of the first squad of Jia Nan Academy's Enforcement Team, as well as a Yellow-Rank Instructor at the academy and an 8-Star Great Master Fighter."

Jin Feng became serious. "Even a Yellow-Rank Instructor must be at least a 3-Star Great Master Fighter! Have you reached that level?"

As soon as Jin Feng finished speaking, Jiang Han extended his right hand. Dou Qi surged and transformed in his palm until it formed a tangible longsword.

"D-Dou Ling!"

At the sight of Jiang Han materializing Dou Qi, Jin Feng and the Enforcement Team members behind him abruptly narrowed their pupils, their faces filled with shock.

"Little brother, how old are you?"

After a long while, Jin Feng could not help asking.

"Brother Jin, I only happened to consume a Youth Preservation Pill by chance." Jiang Han lightly patted Jin Feng's shoulder and spoke with earnest gravity.

"So that's how it is."

Jin Feng could not help fiercely despising Jiang Han in his heart. So he was an old fellow after all. He then said, "Brother, while your strength meets the requirements, becoming an academy instructor requires passing an official assessment. As for the Killing Qi Pill, you don't need to take it."

As he spoke, Jin Feng raised a finger whistle and called over a Gryphon. "Good luck."

"Much obliged, Brother Jin."

After cupping his fists toward Jin Feng, Jiang Han landed steadily on the Gryphon's back.

Although Peaceful Town was already within Jia Nan Academy's jurisdiction, it was still a considerable distance from Jialan City.

Even flying on a Gryphon, the journey took nearly six hours.

"I've finally arrived."

After a year of crossing mountains and rivers from the Gama Empire to Jia Nan Academy, Jiang Han could not help sighing with emotion.

Only upon seeing Jia Nan Academy with his own eyes did he truly have to marvel at its vastness.

Buildings rose one after another along the continuous mountain range, packed close together. Some stood at the foot of the mountains, some halfway up their slopes, while others were built atop the peaks.

On the towering main peak before him, the four words Jia Nan Academy shone especially brightly!