73: Chapter 73 I personally beheaded him!

This bow was crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation, and the clear, resonant voice carried across the entire front of the Prefectural Academy.

Principal Beigong Mo was stunned for a moment, but then a brilliant smile instantly bloomed on his face, his excitement making even his beard tremble slightly.

He hurriedly stepped forward, using both hands to steadily help Chen An up, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible tremor: "Good! Good! Good! Get up quickly! Get up quickly!"

He had lived for over two hundred years and had taken in dozens of Disciples throughout his life, many of whom possessed outstanding talent.

But a Disciple with such Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability capable of triggering the Extinction Blade Intent at seventeen—he had never encountered one like that.

"Hahaha! Congratulations, Brother Beigong, on taking in such an excellent Disciple!"

Patriarch Shen Canglan stroked his long beard and laughed heartily, his eyes filled with cunning amusement; the deeper meaning behind that wink earlier was now clear as day.

He stepped forward, patted Chen An on the shoulder, and said to Principal Beigong Mo with a smile: "Brother Beigong, I leave this child to you!"

"However, I must say the ugly things first: you must not mistreat him. Ensure those eight million yuan crystals are paid on time every year."

"Besides that..."

Patriarch Shen Canglan changed the subject, looked at Chen An, and said kindly: "Since you called me Great-Grandfather, this Great-Grandfather cannot let you call me that in vain."

"How about this: Great-Grandfather will give you seven million yuan crystals a year. Combined with what Brother Beigong gives you, that's fifteen million yuan crystals a year!"

"Also, the Shen Family's Scripture Pavilion, Armory, and Medicinal Pill Hall will be open to you around the clock; take whatever you need, whenever you need it!"

"Furthermore, from now on, if it is just competition or sparring among peers in the Prefectural Academy, I will not interfere. But if anyone dares to bully the young, acting unbefitting of their seniority, there will be no need for Principal Beigong Mo to act; I will be the first to not let them off!"

Boom!!! As his voice fell, a massive wave of shock surged through the entire crowd once again!

"Fifteen million! Fifteen million yuan crystals a year! My god! What kind of Concept is that!"

"I've cultivated bitterly for ten years and haven't even saved up one hundred thousand yuan crystals, yet Junior Brother Chen gets fifteen million in a single year!"

"This isn't Old Ancestor Shen not competing for him at all! He's practically raising Chen An as his own great-grandson!"

The onlookers were completely driven mad, their eyes wide, their faces filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

They had never seen so much money in their entire lives, let alone fifteen million yuan crystals a year.

Nearby, Principal Beigong Mo's eye twitched slightly upon hearing Patriarch Shen Canglan's words.

He had thought this Old Monster Shen had changed his temper, but he didn't expect him to be waiting for him here.

From the earlier words between Chen An and the second member of the Shen Family, he had already heard that Chen An's relationship with the Shen Family appeared to be extraordinary.

The reason Patriarch Shen Canglan did not compete with him was because he knew that Chen An already had an unusual relationship with the Shen Family.

He had let Chen An take him as a Revered Master; firstly, because Chen An was already close with the Shen Family, there was no need to go through the extra trouble of competing.

Secondly, he likely thought that by having Chen An take him as a Revered Master, he could secure an extra share of cultivation resources for Chen An and gain another protector for his Dao.

"This old monster, his abacus is truly ticking loudly!"

After realizing this, a bitter smile couldn't help but rise on Principal Beigong Mo's face.

However, although it seemed like he had been calculated by Old Monster Shen, looking at Chen An, Principal Beigong Mo felt no regrets.

A cultivator in the Qi Condensation Realm who could comprehend a Concept, and specifically the Extinction Blade Intent left behind by Master Lin—such high Comprehension Ability was hard to find in the entire history of Chengtian Prefecture over the past hundred years.

Being able to take in such a Disciple, even if he had been calculated, Principal Beigong Mo would not feel any regret.

Beside them, Grandmaster Pei Wendao watched this scene, his gaze sinking onto Chen An, his expression becoming increasingly gloomy and ugly.

Among the three top Great Grandmasters present, Principal Beigong Mo had successfully taken the prodigy under his tutelage, and Patriarch Shen Canglan had firmly protected Chen An with deep affection; both sides were very pleased.

Only he, Grandmaster Pei Wendao, who had previously gone to great lengths to recruit him and made all sorts of generous promises, had ended up being flatly rejected by Chen An, leaving him with nothing.

The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt, secretly harboring resentment.

He had originally explicitly promised ten million yuan crystals a year, as well as the power of the noble families and connections in the martial arts world—a package that was a cut higher than Principal Beigong Mo's initial eight million, with many additional benefits offered as well.

Yet, Chen An was completely unmoved, preferring to take Principal Beigong Mo, who only offered eight million yuan crystals, as his Revered Master rather than choosing him.

Such a stark contrast slapped Grandmaster Pei Wendao hard in the face, causing him to lose all face.

"Hmph!!!" Grandmaster Pei Wendao snorted coldly, then flicked his sleeves. Without even saying goodbye to Principal Beigong Mo or Patriarch Shen Canglan, and without even taking his own granddaughter Pei Yunshu, he vanished from the spot.

"Brother Beigong, it seems that old ghost Pei is furious this time!" Watching Grandmaster Pei Wendao leave without a word, Patriarch Shen Canglan and Principal Beigong Mo exchanged glances and saw the amusement in each other's eyes. Patriarch Shen Canglan said with a faint smile.

"It is no matter!" Principal Beigong Mo waved his hand and said indifferently, "His Pei Family may be powerful, but I am not made of clay."

"If he dares to bully the weak with his power, I wouldn't mind personally slaying him!" As he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Principal Beigong Mo's eyes.

"Brother Beigong is domineering!!!" Patriarch Shen Canglan smiled slightly, a glint of amusement flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He knew very well that this head of the Chengtian Academy was famously protective of his own.

Years ago, one of his Disciples was injured due to a conflict among Juniors that involved the older generation; as a result, he had personally acted to wipe out that martial arts family.

"Alright, little friend Chen An, once you are settled in, remember to come to the Shen Family; I will have a good drink with you then!" Seeing that the matter was settled, Patriarch Shen Canglan did not linger at the Prefectural Academy, but turned around and said gently to Chen An.

"This Junior will remember, Great-Grandfather, walk slowly!" Chen An nodded and smiled.

"Xiao An, your aunt has already made the Yuzhen Cake you like, she is just waiting for you to come over!" Beside them, Shen Zongyue looked at Chen An with a gratified expression and said.

"I have troubled Uncle and Aunt; once I am properly arranged here at the Prefectural Academy, I will certainly go to pay my respects to Aunt!" Chen An said with a sincere tone.

Patriarch Shen Canglan nodded with satisfaction, then bid farewell to Principal Beigong Mo, and together with Shen Zongyue, they rode the Qi and stepped into the air, departing.

Watching the two leave, Principal Beigong Mo looked at Chen An and said kindly: "Disciple, follow me into the academy. I will have someone arrange your residence first, show you around the Prefectural Academy, and then we shall discuss cultivation matters."

"Yes, Revered Master!"

Chen An nodded, then looked at County Magistrate Zhang Xuanming and the others nearby, saying: "By the way, Revered Master, this is Instructor Fan from the Wurong County Academy, and beside him is County Magistrate Zhang Xuanming of Wurong County, and the Old Ancestor of the Zhou Family, Zhou Family. The rest are fellow students who passed the assessment with me and successfully entered the Prefectural Academy."

Upon hearing this, the group felt a shiver in their hearts and hurriedly stepped forward together to bow, their attitudes extremely respectful.

Being able to see a Great Grandmaster figure like the head of the Chengtian Academy in person, and even getting the chance to pay their respects through their connection with Chen An, everyone felt both excited and nervous.

Facing these people, Principal Beigong Mo did not put on airs, but spoke to them a few times with a kind expression, and arranged for the Prefectural Academy staff to help them handle the enrollment matters.

While Principal Beigong Mo was speaking, Headmaster Mo Xuanchen, the head of the Saber Department of the Prefectural Academy, looked at Chen An, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

He silently arrived beside Chen An, took a Sumeru Pouch from his bosom, and without a word of explanation, shoved it into Chen An's hand, laughing heartily: "Little friend Chen An, congratulations on becoming the Personal Disciple of the Academy Head. This elder brother doesn't have anything impressive to offer, but there are two million yuan crystals in here; just take it as a welcome gift from this elder brother!"