First Arrival at Jia Nan, Blocked by an Inner Academy Expert?

Jia Nan Academy was divided into the Inner and Outer Academies.

The Outer Academy was overseen by Vice Dean Hu Gan. All new students cultivated there, and only the most gifted disciples could pass the assessment and enter the Inner Academy.

Zi Yan was a fifth-tier magical beast, while Sun Qi was a Five-Star Dou Ling from one of the Four Pavilions of the Central Plains.

No matter how one looked at it, neither of them belonged in the Outer Academy.

Su Qian thought it over, then decided to take them straight into the Inner Academy.

As it turned out, his decision was right.

And wrong...

Su Qian had just arranged accommodations for the two when the communication jade pendant at his waist lit up.

He looked down, and his expression changed. He stepped aside before answering.

An old man's voice came from the jade pendant, so frantic it cracked.

"First Elder! Bad news! The dean has run off again!"

A vein throbbed on Su Qian's temple.

He lowered his voice and replied, "I understand." Then he put the jade pendant away, turned around, and forced a smile.

"I have an urgent matter to deal with. You two can look around the academy and get acquainted with the place first."

Zi Yan nodded obediently.

"Okay, old man. Go take care of your business."

Su Qian glanced at Sun Qi, who waved to show he had no problem with that. Only then did Su Qian turn and hurry away.

Su Qian had barely left when Zi Yan grabbed Sun Qi's sleeve.

"Come on, hurry!"

She pulled Sun Qi along, making him stumble a couple of steps.

"Where are we going?"

"I just smelled treasure!" Zi Yan's eyes were frighteningly bright, and her nose twitched. "It smells wonderful. There must be something good there. I'll take you!"

The word "treasure" immediately got Sun Qi excited too.

He wasn't after the treasure, though. He simply liked a lively scene.

The two of them took off running toward the depths of the Inner Academy.

As they passed through the residential area, quite a few Inner Academy disciples noticed them.

A little purple-haired loli was pulling a little golden-haired boy along. Neither looked very old, and they stood out among the Inner Academy disciples.

"Who are those two kids? How did they end up in the Inner Academy?"

"Never seen them before. Did someone bring them here?"

Zi Yan paid no attention to the chatter and pulled Sun Qi straight ahead.

Just then, a muscular young man rose from the side of the road and blocked their path.

He was broad in the shoulders and chest, taller than Zi Yan and Sun Qi put together. He held a long spear, and when he planted himself in the middle of the road, he was like a wall.

"Hey, whose kids are you two?" He looked down at Sun Qi and Zi Yan, his voice loud. "The Inner Academy is an important place. Why are you running around here?"

Zi Yan was in a hurry to find the treasure and couldn't be bothered with him. Pulling Sun Qi to the side, she tried to go around him.

Several disciples nearby burst into laughter at the sight.

"Liu Qing, aren't you supposed to be the Overlord Spear? How come two kids are ignoring you?"

Liu Qing's face fell.

He was a newly risen dark horse of the Inner Academy, after all. How could he save face when two little brats brushed him aside in public?

He turned and took two steps to block them again, raising his voice.

"I'm talking to you! Whose kids are you? How can you be so rude?"

After Liu Qing blocked her twice in a row, Zi Yan's temper flared.

She turned to glare at him, her purple grape-like eyes wide and her cheeks puffed out.

"Big oaf, if you dare call me a kid again, I'll eat you!"

Her voice was crisp and clear. She was plainly making a threat, but with her porcelain-doll face and two purple ponytails swaying back and forth, she looked for all the world like a kitten baring its teeth.

Several disciples around them laughed out loud on the spot.

"This little girl is hilarious. She's going to eat someone?"

"Liu Qing, can you handle her or not? You can't even deal with a little girl."

Zi Yan's face turned red with anger. She rolled up her sleeves and was about to charge forward.

Sun Qi grabbed her.

"Don't rush. I'll do it."

He'd been holding it in all this way.

Protector Xuan had chased him for a day and a night, nearly costing him his life, and Han Feng was still alive and well. He'd been at a loss for somewhere to vent the fire in his heart.

And now someone had delivered himself right to his door.

Sun Qi stepped forward, shielding Zi Yan behind him, and pointed at Liu Qing.

"Big oaf, don't say I'm bullying you. I'll give you a handicap and use just one hand."

He put his right hand behind his back and beckoned to Liu Qing with his left.

Liu Qing's expression changed.

He'd only wanted to throw his weight around in front of the two kids and regain some face. He hadn't expected the golden-haired kid to challenge him outright.

The laughter around them grew even louder.

"Liu Qing, are you going to put up with that? He's giving you a one-hand handicap!"

"You're a newly risen expert of the Inner Academy, and a kid's provoking you right to your face."

A few female disciples saw that Sun Qi was small and delicate-looking, and rather cute. They couldn't help trying to talk Liu Qing out of it.

"Liu Qing, forget it. Why are you getting worked up over a kid?"

"Exactly. Don't actually hurt him."

Liu Qing was caught roasting over a fire, unable to advance or retreat.

If he fought, people would say he was bullying a child. If he didn't, they'd say he was afraid.

His hand tightened and loosened around his spear shaft, and he regretted opening his mouth earlier.

At that moment, two more people pushed through the crowd.

One was a man and the other a woman. The man was tall and slender, dressed in white, with a thin sword hanging at his waist. He was handsome, and a faint, ambiguous smile curved his lips.

The woman wore her hair in a high ponytail and was dressed in a fitted purple outfit. Her features were cool, and she carried herself with a brisk air.

Some disciples recognized them and immediately called out.

"Lin Xiuya! Han Yue! They're here too?"

Han Yue glanced at the scene and immediately frowned.

She strode up to Liu Qing, obvious displeasure in her voice.

"Liu Qing, you're an Eight-Star Great Dou Master, for goodness' sake. Blocking two children and bullying them-what kind of behavior is that?"

Liu Qing's face turned the color of pig liver.

"Han Yue, it's not what you think. They were the ones who first..."

"First what?" Han Yue cut him off. "First didn't bow to you?"

Lin Xiuya leaned against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, watching the fun without interrupting. The smile on his lips deepened.

Seeing Liu Qing dawdle for so long without making a move, Sun Qi grew a little impatient.

"Hey, big oaf." He tilted his head. "Are you scared? How about I give you another three moves?"

Liu Qing snapped completely at those words.

He slammed his spear into the ground, its butt smashing into the stone paving and sending fragments flying.

"Fine! Today I'll give you a good lesson on your parents' behalf!"

Sun Qi grinned.

"Then you'd better stand firm."

Liu Qing held back his strength and reached for Sun Qi.

He figured the kid had such thin arms and legs that he shouldn't actually hurt him. He'd just pick him up and scare him with a few words.

He had barely reached out when something blurred before his eyes.

Where was the golden-haired kid? How had he vanished?

Liu Qing grabbed at empty air and stumbled forward, looking around in confusion.

"Where is he?"

The onlookers erupted.

"What just happened? Did any of you see?"

"No, I just blinked, and the kid was gone."

"How did he dodge that? I didn't even catch a glimpse of him!"