Chapter 80: Chapter 77: The Vice Dean’s Summons
If anyone else saw the Ice Goddess in their hearts making such an expression, their jaws would surely drop. Perhaps it was only in front of Mu Chen that she reverted to her true personality.
"Yeah, I just had a few fortuitous encounters over the past three years. As for my hair and this case..."
Mu Chen slowly recounted his experiences from the last three years. He hid nothing, except for the matter of the Profound Old Ghost and the Extre Spirit Pearl, though he did embellish so of the details. Whenever she heard about the tis Mu Chen had nearly lost his life, Mu Bingling’s beautiful face turned deathly pale, and her slender hands clenched tightly. But when she heard how he had ultimately overco the dangers and had all sorts of fortuitous encounters, she was thrilled for him.
Before they knew it, the sky had grown dark, but Mu Bingling continued to listen tirelessly to his story. As if he hadn’t had anyone to talk to in ages, Mu Chen spoke for a surprisingly long ti. It wasn’t until a ray of moonlight fell upon his face that he was startled back to reality.
"Uh... Bingling, isn’t it getting a little late?" Mu Chen scratched the back of his head sheepishly. As he turned, he saw Mu Bingling’s exquisite face illuminated by the moonlight. Her face, free of any makeup, was flawless and as crystal clear as a perfect piece of jade. Under the moonlight, her large blue eyes held a mysterious allure, capable of captivating anyone with a single glance and making them willing to devote themselves to her as her loyal warrior. Her small, cherry-red lips were curved into a slight smile, so tempting one couldn’t help but want to take a bite. Her beautiful black hair undulated gently in the breeze, a sight more breathtaking than cascading clouds. For a mont, Mu Chen felt himself getting lost in her beauty. Mu Bingling was simply too beautiful; it was a beauty that transcended the mortal world.
Seeing Mu Chen staring blankly at her, a blush crept onto Mu Bingling’s cheeks. But after blushing, she didn’t look away. Instead, she moved a little closer to him, her smile unwavering as she gazed back. In the moonlight, the contours of Mu Chen’s face were perfectly defined. His fair complexion would make anyone feel inferior, and it was every bit as good as her own. Although his eyes were closed, it couldn’t hide his superior intellect. With his sharp, sword-like eyebrows, the aura of an Upper Rank individual naturally erged.
The boy who had always been bullied had finally spread his wings to soar through the blue sky. At this mont, he exuded a sense of stability and resilience, as if with him around, she wouldn’t even fear the sky falling.
As ti passed and the sky grew darker, a subtle atmosphere began to build between them...
"Bingling, it’s nightti. We should head back to our dorms early, just to avoid any gossip." Mu Chen was the first to look away, feeling incredibly awkward. He realized his self-control around Mu Bingling was getting worse and worse; he could get completely lost in her presence if he wasn’t careful. It seed as if she naturally exuded a unique and irresistible attraction.
Mu Bingling glanced at the sky. It was indeed very late, but she didn’t want to leave Mu Chen. They hadn’t seen each other in three years, and she was terrified that he might leave her again. But the fear of gossip was real. Seeing the reassuring look in Mu Chen’s eyes, Mu Bingling reluctantly nodded.
Sensing Mu Bingling’s girlish pout, for so reason, a bit of happiness and an indescribable feeling blood in Mu Chen’s heart. The two walked side-by-side through the woods, their silhouettes, cast by the moonlight, looking so harmonious...
Because Mu Bingling was a student of the Holy Hall, her dormitory naturally wasn’t in the sa area as those of the outer-circle students. Mu Chen couldn’t enter her area, so he could only walk her to the dining hall before turning to leave for his own dorm. Along the way, many people pointed and whispered at him, all of whom he ignored.
CREAK...
The door to Room 306 was pushed open gently. To Mu Chen’s surprise, the room was brightly lit; it seed the other two hadn’t gone to sleep yet. Upon entering, Mu Chen imdiately saw Little Tiger and Qing Lei sitting at the table chatting. He couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but they were alternating between laughter and serious expressions.
Seeing Mu Chen return, Qing Lei had a strange look on his face, while Little Tiger was full of admiration. "Whoa, Brother Mu Chen, you’re amazing! I thought I was about as strong as you, but now I see you were just going easy on
during our match."
Qing Lei also shot him an affirmative glance. Mu Chen smiled faintly. Having just seen Mu Bingling, he was in an exceptionally good mood and replied without a shred of modesty, "Of course. But you’re also incredible, Little Tiger. And Qing Lei, although you hide it well, I know your strength is definitely not to be underestimated. Or should I say... your Attribute..."
"*Ahem*." Seeing that Mu Chen was about to expose his secret, Qing Lei quickly coughed twice to cut him off. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Mu Chen knew he was an attribute martial artist, because he had felt a similar Primordial Power fluctuation from within Mu Chen.
"Did anything happen while I was out?" Mu Chen suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Little Tiger slapped his forehead and exclaid, "Look at this brain of mine, I almost forgot! While Qing Lei was out earlier, Deputy Director Zhun ca by. He told
to tell you to go to the Vice Dean’s office as soon as you got back. He seed to be in a real hurry."
"Hm?" Mu Chen froze. ’Isn’t the Vice Dean that old man in black who was in charge of admissions this morning?’ For so reason, the thought of the old man’s gaze made Mu Chen shiver.
He muttered under his breath, ’That old guy doesn’t have any weird hobbies, does he...’
His muttering wasn’t quiet enough. Since he was close to Little Tiger and Qing Lei, they both heard him and suddenly got strange looks on their faces, trying to stifle their laughter.
When Mu Chen looked up and saw their expressions, he asked in confusion, "What’s with you two? Er, never mind. I’d better hurry over to the Vice Dean’s office before he decides to make things difficult for ."
Mu Chen could speak casually with Little Tiger and Qing Lei. The door was already open, so he bounded out in a few steps. The mont he left, a burst of loud laughter erupted from Room 306. Even from a distance, Mu Chen could hear it and just shook his head helplessly. He found those two completely baffling.
The Imperial Academy’s Faculty Office was located at the center of the six grade-level academic buildings, making it a short walk from any of them—a very rational design. At this mont, a young man in white clothes with blue hair, carrying a huge black case on his back, was striding quickly toward that building.
Although it was late, many students were still milling about outside, so wandering and others sparring. But when they saw Mu Chen, all their eyes locked onto him. Their expressions were a mix of everything: admiration, complexity, anger, and excitent. Even with his resilient temperant, Mu Chen couldn’t help but feel a chill. Being stared at by so many people with such strange looks was truly sothing most people couldn’t endure.
With this thought, Mu Chen quickened his pace. If one looked closely, they could even see tiny arcs of electricity crackling under his feet.
"Faculty Office..."
Mu Chen had to search nearly the entire building before finally finding the two words "Faculty Office" in a corner. To his surprise, the room was in such a remote location, tucked away in a corner on the top floor.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...
Mu Chen knocked lightly on the door. After a mont, an old man’s voice ca from inside. "Co in!"
CLICK...
The door opened, revealing an old man sitting at a long desk. He was wearing glasses, and upon closer inspection, it was none other than the Vice Dean, Di Cang, who had presided over the admissions that morning. Beside him, Bald Zhunchang was looking at Mu Chen with a grin.
Mu Chen was stunned for a mont before closing the door and bowing slightly. "Vice Dean, Deputy Director Zhun."
Di Cang stroked his beard and chuckled. "Mm, I hear you beat up that little fellow Balrek on your very first day?"
Mu Chen nodded with a wry smile. The whole incident had been started by Balrek anyway. But before Mu Chen could speak, Zhun Cang burst out laughing. "Good kid, you did well! These upperclassn have been getting more and more arrogant over the years. Every one of them thinks just because they’re a few years older and have studied a bit longer that they can surpass anyone. They’ve stopped trying to improve. This is great. Getting beaten up by a new student, hehe. I bet they won’t dare to be so arrogant next ti."
Mu Chen was left speechless. Di Cang, however, simply smiled. "Don’t listen to this old baldy’s nonsense. The academy has clear rules prohibiting students from fighting privately. If two parties want to resolve an issue with force, they can issue a formal challenge and settle it in the academy arena. If you handle it privately and no one sees, it’s not a big deal, but if you’re caught, you risk having your access to resources reduced."
Seeing that Mu Chen’s expression didn’t change after hearing this, Di Cang nodded. "However, you’re a new student and didn’t know the rules, so there will be no punishnt this ti."
Mu Chen still said nothing. With his intelligence, he naturally knew that everything Di Cang had said so far was trivial. After all, Di Cang hadn’t once asked how he, a re Third-Ring Martial Master, had utterly defeated Balrek, an Eighth-Ring Great Martial Master.
"Vice Dean, if you have sothing to say, please be direct. I’m listening," Mu Chen said, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.
To his surprise, Di Cang wasn’t the least bit angry at Mu Chen’s tone. Instead, he smiled faintly. "You’re a straightforward kid. I like that. But you’re shrouded in too many mysteries. I called you here today for two reasons. The first is to unravel all those mysteries about you."
"Unravel all the mysteries about ?" Mu Chen was taken aback. He couldn’t sense any malice in Di Cang’s tone; on the contrary, it felt unusually friendly.
"That’s right. I heard you defeated Balrek, an Eighth-Ring Great Martial Master, in two moves with the power of a Third Ring Martial Artist. Logically speaking, that should be impossible. Therefore, in a mont, I will fight you to test the limits of your strength. Of course, I will suppress my Cultivation Realm. Are you willing?" Di Cang’s expression was very serious.
For a mont, Mu Chen didn’t know how to respond. Bald Zhunchang, however, grew anxious and cursed, "You foolish kid, what are you hesitating for? This is a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity! When it cos to combat experience and the techniques for using Primordial Power, the Vice Dean in front of you is the strongest in the entire Imperial Academy! The benefits of fighting him are unimaginable. Usually, I have to pay a hefty price to get a match with this old coot, and now he’s offering you a fight for free and you’re not happy about it?"
Hearing this, Mu Chen helplessly rubbed his nose. Of course he knew the extraordinary benefits of fighting an experienced Martial Artist. What he was thinking about was *why* the Vice Dean was treating him this way. Was it simply because of the strength he’d shown by defeating Balrek? Or was there another motive? ’There’s always a catch when soone is being overly attentive.’ There had to be sothing more to it. However, based on his own feelings and the reaction of his Shattered Star Lock Chain, he was certain the Vice Dean held no malice toward him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)