Chen An's gaze shifted away from Meng Yiran and fell on the Dragon-Snake Couple. After looking them over once more, he stared at them and asked seriously,
"You brought her here to study. Why? For yourselves? For your clan?"
He had deliberately left something out of the question, offering them a small nudge. If their answer fell within those choices, there would be no need to continue the conversation. If it was something else, he could still consider it.
The Dragon-Snake Couple answered without hesitation.
"For Meng Yiran. Our clan won't interfere with her, nor will we ask what she studies at the academy."
Their answer was brief and resolute. To avoid any misunderstanding, he didn't say anything else.
"Mm. Second question, Meng Yiran: why do you want to learn martial arts?"
Chen An spoke calmly. He didn't expect much of an answer to this second question, either. After all, what could a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl possibly say?
Especially a girl born into a clan. What could she answer? Was he supposed to expect her to recite the Four Sentences of Hengqu?
If she really did, Chen An would have to question the identity of the Meng Yiran standing before him.
Meng Yiran seemed stunned for a moment. Then she began to think.
It was the first time anyone had asked her something like this. Usually, she simply followed the arrangements made by her grandparents or her clan.
She had never given it any thought. As she pondered, unease stirred in her heart. Then, as if she had grasped at something, she gritted her teeth and said,
"For myself. I want to become stronger. Not for anything else."
Chen An accepted her answer. At least it wasn't some clan-minded response.
Like saying she wanted to help her clan flourish, or protect the common folk of Heaven Dou City.
"Good. Third question: if one day you and the man you met in Star Dou came face-to-face, what would you think?"
Meng Yiran was dumbfounded. Without thinking, she blurted out,
"How does sir know about that?"
Chen An replied calmly,
"I understand the movements of the stars."
He couldn't exactly say he'd read the script, so he had to make something up.
"I choose the academy. Before I came here, I liked him. After arriving, I stopped feeling that way. Now that I think about it, I don't know why I ever liked him."
Chen An's mouth twitched for no apparent reason. This wasn't going as expected. The girl hadn't hesitated at all.
And what did she mean, she'd stopped feeling that way after coming to the academy? Did his place have that kind of effect?
The only thing he could think of was that thing called the world's will.
"Fine. You passed."
Meng Yiran nearly leaped for joy when she heard that, but managed to suppress her excitement. She respectfully prepared to perform the Douluo Continent's disciple's kowtow.
Just as she was about to kneel, Chen An reached out and held her up.
"My disciples kneel to no one."
Chen An didn't think much of what he'd said, but the Dragon-Snake Couple behind him were utterly shocked.
In a world steeped in traditional values, how could they not be stunned to hear someone say that?
Still, they didn't dare comment.
"Greetings, Master."
When she realized she couldn't kneel, Meng Yiran immediately gave a small bow.
The last such sensible disciple had been Zhu Zhuqing, and that was a long time ago. Well-behaved children were always likable.
So Chen An was in a pretty good mood.
He was just about to take Meng Yiran to meet her senior brothers and sisters when he noticed the two members of the Meng couple hadn't moved. Ahem—they were still standing right where they'd been.
They seemed to be hesitating, caught between wanting to speak and not daring to bring it up.
"You two are still here. Is there something you want to say?"
Seeing their hesitation, Chen An broke the silence first.
His words were like a hand giving them a push, and Chao Tianxiang was the first to speak.
"Dean Chen, my husband and I would like to find positions at the academy."
After Chao Tianxiang spoke, Meng Shu also set aside his reservations and continued,
"Dean, we aren't asking to be teachers. We just hope to find positions here."
Chen An could see clearly what they had in mind.
A position would let them see Meng Yiran regularly, and it was also a way of pledging their allegiance to him.
They hadn't brought up their clan, but he still had to ask.
"This academy has nothing to do with clans and won't support any clan."
Chen An said this very seriously. The Dragon-Snake Couple nodded.
"We understand. We understand."
They were also placing a bet. If Phantom Star rose to prominence, their status would rise with it. As long as their clan didn't bring disaster upon itself, it would be able to remain secure.
Chen An didn't consider that kind of benefit to be the academy supporting their clan, so he was fine with it. It was like having a child in a village get admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University through a special exception.
Their family would naturally hold their heads a little higher in the village. It was the same principle.
"The academy only has openings in security..."
According to the academy's rules, teaching positions couldn't be handed out casually. Teachers had to have reached at least the introductory level of the All-Martial Heart Scripture.
At the academy, that meant the scripture was Chen An's version of a teaching certificate.
So no matter how he looked at it, the Dragon-Snake Couple didn't qualify.
"No problem. We'll both take those positions. Thank you, Dean."
The couple immediately bowed, but Chen An hurriedly held them up again.
He grumbled inwardly, These feudal customs are a menace. I'll have to extend the students' daily ethics lessons.
If the students had known what Chen An was thinking, they would surely have started cursing and grumbling.
"No need to bow. I'm not worthy of it."
The two elders were moved, but Meng Yiran's expression turned complicated.
She wasn't a six- or seven-year-old child. She was already fifteen or sixteen and knew a thing or two about the world.
A security guard could, in a sense, also be called a doorman—or someone who watched the gates.
She was studying and apprenticing here, while her own elders had come to be security guards. How could she feel at ease about that? Especially when her family's standing in Tiandou was above average.
"Grandpa! Grandma!"
Meng Shu smiled kindly. He no longer had the bearing of someone who usually commanded the continent.
"Good girl. You just need to follow your master and cultivate properly. With us here, the clan won't make things difficult for you."
Meng Yiran's spirits sank when she heard that, but she didn't argue.
Hearing their exchange made Chen think even more highly of the two elders.
So they weren't doing this only because he was strong. As family, they were doing a pretty good job.
As for why he agreed, he had his reasons too.
The students would be competing at the Great Soul Arena, and he'd need to accompany them for a while. Apart from the Academy Protection Array, the academy also needed top-tier fighters on hand.
Better safe than sorry. And even if he stopped going to the Great Soul Arena one day, someone would still need to escort the students there.
"Let's go, Yiran. I'll introduce you to your senior brothers and sisters. You two, go to the second floor of this building and find a teacher named Lin Ran. She'll help you get started and familiarize you with the work."
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang bowed slightly. After Chen An left with Meng Yiran, Snake Granny said,
"Old man, are we really doing the right thing?"
The worries that often burdened women were plain on her face. Meng Shu thought for a moment before answering,
"You know Yiran's talent is limited. This is the best outcome. Besides, didn't our son want to arrange for her to go to some Exotic Beast Academy?
"And besides, before we came, we'd heard the dean was powerful. After meeting him, you know as well as I do that even if we joined forces, we'd probably lose to him within three moves."
Meng Shu sighed. He truly admired Chen An now. With strength like that, he could have fought for power and indulged himself to the fullest, yet instead he'd opened an academy and devoted himself to teaching.
"I have a feeling our academy will achieve great things. All right, we should go report for duty."
The more Meng Shu spoke, the more at ease he looked. After hearing him out, Chao Tianxiang felt much less conflicted.
Before you continue