Speaking of the Ancient Academy, Tu Xiao'an was reminded of that lake with the mysterious flute music. 'If a Rank Three Creature is really suppressed in there, could I go down and KO it? Would my Level jump up a few more times?'

But Rank Three Creatures were extraordinary, and Tu Xiao'an had never fought a being of that Level before. He wasn't very confident.

Still, he was definitely going to investigate.

He discovered that his curiosity surged along with his power.

The stronger he became, the more his curiosity inexplicably grew.

'If I can get into the Ancient Academy legitimately, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I might even get to experience a bit of university life,' he thought.

Tu Xiao'an looked at Dr. Snake. "Who is this friend of yours?"

"Dongfang Ye, the chairman of Shanye Group. The one I need you to protect is his son, Dongfang Yuan."

Huh...

Tu Xiao'an was surprised. "Dongfang Yuan isn't an Awakener."

"You've met him?" Chen Mo was also surprised.

Tu Xiao'an nodded. "What a coincidence. I just met him before coming here. He's a big fat son."

Chen Mo chose to ignore the "big fat son" comment. "Yuan'Er's aptitude is quite good. He has the potential to break through and become an Awakener. That's why the chairman donated one hundred million to Wencheng University, so the Ancient Academy would make an exception and recruit Yuan'Er even though he hasn't awakened yet."

'One hundred million?'

Tu Xiao'an was dumbfounded. He wanted to roar, 'Give me that hundred million, and I'll make that big fat son an Awakener in minutes!'

As expected of Wencheng's leading conglomerate, donating a hundred million just to get his son into a school.

He must be desperate for his son to succeed.

"Because Yuan'Er is not an Awakener, he's bound to be bullied after entering the Ancient Academy. In there, his family status holds no sway over the others."

The people who could enter the Ancient Academy all had extraordinary backgrounds. Many were disciples of Hidden Clans. They wouldn't give a second thought to the son of the chairman of Wencheng's top publicly listed company.

This was exactly what Chen Mo and Dongfang Ye were worried about. If Tu Xiao'an hadn't appeared, Chen Mo would have had to find someone else.

But with this Snake Spirit available, he no longer needed to consider anyone else.

Tu Xiao'an more or less understood. He had to admit, that big fat son was born lucky. He had a capable father who arranged everything for him.

"If you have any requests, just name them. I'll agree to anything within my power."

Chen Mo looked at Tu Xiao'an.

"I don't have any special requests. I was hoping to go to the Ancient Academy anyway, so it's perfect that you can get me in legitimately. I can promise to protect him, but..."

"But what?"

Tu Xiao'an chuckled. "They can donate a hundred million for tuition. Surely this bodyguard should get some kind of compensation, right?"

"You want money?" Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

Tu Xiao'an was speechless. 'What kind of question is that? Of course I want money. I have a family to support!'

'I've got a mother to look after in her old age and a sister to provide for. I even have to save up for my sister's dowry!'

'The pressure is immense.'

Besides, how could he act as a bodyguard for that big fat son for free? He, Tu Xiao'an, was a Snake King who had ascended the throne, just one step away from apotheosis.

"I'll have the chairman give you ten million as payment. You just have to make sure he isn't bullied. You don't have to worry about anything else."

When Tu Xiao'an heard "ten million," his eyes lit up. 'This is easy money. "Make sure he isn't bullied" really just means keeping Dongfang Yuan out of life-threatening danger.'

"No problem. When do we start school?"

Chen Mo said, "In three days. I'll find you then, and you'll enter the school with Yuan'Er."

"Alright, it's a deal."

The two quickly reached a strategic partnership, much to their mutual satisfaction. However, Chen Mo still gave Tu Xiao'an a word of warning.

"Wencheng isn't Bai Town, after all. It's best if you keep a low profile in your daily life to avoid bringing trouble on yourself."

........

Half an hour later, Tu Xiao'an left the coffee shop in high spirits. He had just deposited five million RMB at the bank around noon, and now another ten million was on its way.

'Making money in this metropolis really is simple,' he thought. 'Soon, I'll be able to buy a condo downtown and bring my mom over to live a comfortable life.'

With nothing else to do today but wait for the bodyguard job in three days, Tu Xiao'an thought for a moment and decided to head back to the Chen Family Mansion.

But there was still one thing on his mind: the Bai Family. Bai Chuyan had suffered at his hands time and again, and since their family's Snake King Stone had fallen into the Cat Spirit's possession, they certainly wouldn't let the matter drop.

Tu Xiao'an was worried the Bai Family would continue to trouble the Cat Spirit. They didn't know that the Snake King Stone had already been absorbed by him, a Snake Spirit.

'This is a problem. How can I let the Bai Family know that the Snake King Stone is in my possession now? Once they know that, they'll probably stop looking for the Cat Spirit.'

'But I can't just walk up to them like an idiot and confess, can I?'

The problem was, Tu Xiao'an was also afraid of trouble. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

'But the Cat Spirit no longer emits that special snake-like aura, so it won't attract swarms of snakes. It won't be so easy for the Bai Family to find it. Besides, I already helped it achieve its Transformation.'

'Hiding in plain sight within the city, it should be safe for the time being.'

Having just arrived, Tu Xiao'an didn't want to provoke a Hidden Clan of cultivators. Their centuries of history and power were not just for show.

Besides, there was no deep-seated hatred between them.

Tu Xiao'an mulled things over as he walked, arriving at an intersection with a traffic light. The pedestrian light was red and traffic was flowing, but he saw an adorable little girl crossing at the crosswalk.

The little girl was holding a doll, her head down as she played with it, completely ignoring the oncoming vehicles. She just brazenly walked into the crosswalk.

HONK... HONK... HONK...

A black sedan was speeding toward her. Only when it got close did the driver see the little girl blocking the way and frantically slam on the horn.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" the driver roared frantically.

But it was too late... Even slamming on the brakes wasn't enough...

Tu Xiao'an saw this, as did many other pedestrians. Instantly, they all let out horrified screams.

The adorable five- or six-year-old girl was about to be hit by a car. In that instant, many people shut their eyes, unable to bear the bloody scene, as if they could already see the little girl flying through the air, covered in blood.

"Dammit, where are this girl's parents? How could they let such a small child cross the street alone?"

The sedan was now within a meter of the little girl. No one could save her.

In the nick of time, Tu Xiao'an grit his teeth. Throwing all caution to the wind, he took a step forward. His body moved like a phantom as he instantly used Shift Form and Position, rushing to the middle of the crosswalk in the blink of an eye and grabbing the little girl.

BANG...

The car arrived, and the onlookers saw a delicate-looking young man get sent flying the moment he picked up the girl. He flew five or six meters and rolled several times on the ground.

AH... AH... AH...

A torrent of terrified screams erupted from the crowd.

"Ding... Host's human form has sustained fifty percent damage."

Tu Xiao'an completely ignored the system's notification and looked down at the little girl in his arms.