The officials looked at one another after Amon’s words.

“How dare you!” Lin Siaumau uttered, before hurriedly saying to the officials, “Don’t listen to him, good sirs. He is just trying to weasel himself out of the punishments for his wrongdoings. He is probably trying to find a way to flee during the exam. Let me take him now so we don’t fall for his ploy.”

Lin Siaumau came closer to the two as he was spoken. When he was close enough, he whispered, “Perhaps we can come to an agreement? Are five hundred aer stones acceptable?”

The two looked at one another before asking, “For each?”

Lin Siaumau slightly winced at the question. One thousand aer stones were a large sum for him. He wasn’t sure the clan would reimburse him for this.

Lin Siaumau was whispering slowly, but Amon’s acute hearing could pick up his words. Amon could also read lips, so he was clear of the three’s conversation.

‘Trying to bribe? Well, Let’s see whose pocket is deeper then.’ Amon thought. But before he could approach the officials, someone intruded.

“If the academy allowed its exam candidate to be taken before the exam, won’t that ruin the academy’s reputation?”

Amon looked at the person who had spoken. It was the aristocratic youth who had smiled at him.

“If you want to settle your clan’s matter, please see to it after this brother takes his exam,” the youth added. “But of course, if he passes and becomes a formal student of the academy, then he is no longer a part of your clan. You had no right to deal with him anymore.”

“Who the hell are you? Don’t come and meddle with things that don’t concern you!” Lin Siaumau scolded.

“That’s right. Don’t think because you are handsome and well-dressed, you can say whatever you want!” Lin Fen added.

“Why, thank you, miss, for calling me handsome,” the aristocratic youth said with a laugh.

Lin Fen was unsure of how to react to the youth’s nonchalant response.

Lin Siaumau immediately whispered to the officials, “Deal, five hundred for each.” He chose to settle this quickly before more busybodies joined in.

After getting the deals, the officials turned and said to the aristocratic youth, “Please step aside, we are conducting official matters.”

“By official, you can’t be saying that you will chase this candidate away, can you? Or let him be taken by others?”

“What’s this got to do with you? Now step away or we will chase you away as well!” The officials were annoyed by this youth’s insistence. Like he didn’t put their status in his eyes.

“What’s the matter here?” Another voice interfered. It was an obese man with an ornate suit.

“Vi–Vice Principal Fei…!” The officials uttered when they recognized the man. They made a respectful bow as the man approached, before saying, “It’s these two boys. They are stirring up trouble! This one has a problem with his clan and he was to be taken by his clan to be disciplined.”

Lin Siaumau hurriedly joined in. He spoke in a very deferential manner considering the man was the vice principal of the academy. “Yes, mister vice principal. I am the clan’s overseer in charge of our youths that came for this academy’s entrance exam. This boy is one of my charges. He had created a grave fault during our journey here and ran away. I finally found him here. I wished to take him back to our clan to be punished.”

The newly arrive vice principal didn’t respond to them. He instead appeared contemplating. Amon noticed he glanced at the aristocratic youth who was still smiling. As he did, the youth said, “I think it is a shame for the academy to chase away its candidates before their entrance exam.”

“I am of the same mind,” the vice principal uttered. “Where will our face be if someone can just come and take our candidates away?”

“Bu–but, vice principal Fei…,” the two officials said.

“Enough!” The vice principal reprimanded. “Who do you think we are? We are the royal academy! We bear the responsibility to find and nurture the greatest talents this kingdom has. What does a clan’s dispute have to do with us? This boy is a proper candidate. Unless he decides by himself to not take the exam, no one has the right to prevent him from doing that. Your job here is to make sure of that! If his clan has a problem with him, then have them wait until his exam is over. If he fails, they are welcome to take him away. If he passed. Well, have them file a formal complaint to the academy then. We will see from there.”

“Ye… Yes… Vice Principal Fei,” the two officials said with bowed heads.

“Mister Vice Principal… Is there no room for negotiation…?” Lin Siaumau said, not willing to give up.

“What negotiation? Wait, are you implying that you want to bribe me?”

“I… That…,” Lin Siaumau didn’t know how to respond to the vice principal’s directness.

“How dare you!” The vice principal bellowed. “You two, throw him out!”

The two officials looked at one another before grabbing Lin Siaumau and dragging him out. The two officials were in the Peak Transformation stage, the same level as Lin Siaumau. Hence, there was nothing Lin Siaumau could do. Even if he could, he won’t dare to make a commotion in this place. He tried to call out to reason with the vice principal but the vice principal was already walking away, ignoring his plea.

Amon simply gave Lin Siaumau, who was being dragged away, a brief glance. Lin Fen stared dagger at Amon but there was nothing she could do. Lin Anwen seemed relieved. Amon ignored them altogether. Amon then looked at the aristocratic youth, who was still smiling.

Whomever this youth was, Amon knew that his influence was not simple. The vice principal didn’t make his decision to save the academy’s face. Instead, he did it due to the youth’s words. Amon didn’t know what the youth want by helping him. He maintained his indifferent attitude toward the youth.

The youth approached him despite his indifference, still wearing that enigmatic smile.

“I’m glad that the matter didn’t escalate too much,” he said. “I am Zhuan San. I am from the Zhuan clan from Spear Mountain city. May I know how to address this brother?”

Amon knew Spear Mountain city was one of the border towns of this Echos country. However, he had a hunch that Zhuan San was lying about his origin. No way a clan youth from such a faraway city had such a pull on the vice principal of the royal academy.

“Why did you help me?” Amon asked instead of answering Zhuan San.

Zhuan San chuckled. “Do you believe me if I said it is because I have a good feeling about you?”

Amon didn’t respond.

Zhuan San chuckled again. “You are a man of few words. All right, I’m going to be frank. I am the only one from my clan who takes this exam. Our Zhuan clan also has never sent any candidate before me. So, I’m utterly alone here. I believe you understand the difficulty of a loner in a foreign environment. It is not easy. As they said, there are strengths in number. Compared to other clans or sects who regularly sent their youths here, they have their own circle inside the academy. If I continue to be alone in that environment, I will be an easy target.”

With the influence he had on the high-ranking officer of the academy, Amon found his claim of being an easy target hard to believe. But Amon didn’t think his claim of being alone to be a lie.

“What makes you think I’m a good ally?” Amon asked.

“I can’t say anything about you being a good ally, but I can be sure that you are alone here, the same as me. Considering you just have a dispute with your own clan in the open, I don’t think you are going to hang out with the people from your clan during your time in this academy.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m going to hang out with anyone at all, for that matter. So, are you going to just round up loners to form your circle?”

“Haha, when you say it like that, I can’t help but feel pathetic. There is another reason why I approach you. It is because you are a strong person.”

“How do you tell?”

“I have a good nose in this department. Anyone who can reach the Peak Strength stage at our age won’t be anyone simple.”

Amon gave Zhuan San a glance before saying, “I have no interest in forming a circle where the head is anyone but me. If you don’t mind being my underling, then welcome aboard.”

Zhuan San laughed. “Haha. You see. I like you already, brother… Are you going to tell me your name or not?”

“Lin Mo,” Amon asked.

“Hm… Is it the Lin clan from White Cloud city?” Zhuan San asked.

“It is.”

“Well, Lin Mo from White Cloud city, I’m afraid I share your sentiment about being anything other than the head. So, how about a partnership then? We will help one another when needed. I am keener on friendship, but I don’t see you are the kind that is into that kind of thing.”

“We will see after we passed the entrance exam,” Amon answered.

Zhuan San nodded with a smile. He didn’t say anything further.

A gong was heard and everyone turned their attention to the floating stage above. Two people were on that stage. A middle-aged woman and an elder. The elder was the Taoist elder who was walking with Zhuan San before he entered this hall.

‘Not simple indeed,’ Amon said in his mind as he gave Zhuan San another glance.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep