104: Chapter 104 Him?! Nothing special at all!

On the path of the Prefectural Academy!

Chen An walked forward with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed. He seemed to ignore the voices coming from nearby, strolling toward the Third Martial Arts Arena as if he were merely taking a leisurely walk.

Is that him?!

In the crowd, a young student who happened to be passing by heard the discussions around him. He looked up, and his expression changed drastically.

"Chen An?!"

"How could he appear here?!"

"Could it be that the Branch Master and the others…"

A flicker of fear flashed in the young student's eyes. He glanced at Chen An, then lowered his head and hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to leave.

"Hmm?!"

Chen An, who was walking, suddenly felt a relatively intense, malicious gaze directed at him, causing him to stop and look over.

However, after he looked over and saw the large group of Prefectural Academy students gathered together, many of whom were casting glances filled with schadenfreude, mockery, and curiosity, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

"What's wrong, Chen An?!" County Magistrate Zhang Xuanming, who was walking behind him, saw him stop and asked with a suspicious look.

"It's nothing!"

Chen An's eyes flickered, and he shook his head slightly before continuing forward.

"Chen An!"

At this moment, a voice came from not far away. Immediately after, a figure approached rapidly and landed in front of Chen An, then said with some anxiety, "Chen An, are you really going to duel with Shen Qinghua?!"

The person who arrived was none other than Shen Qinglan.

Today, Shen Qinglan was dressed in a simple, elegant light blue dress. Her hair, as dark as ink, was neatly tied up, and a transparent mutton-fat jade pendant was tied at her waist. Her originally clear and gentle brows were now knitted together, and fine beads of sweat had even seeped out on her forehead.

"Don't worry!"

Smelling the faint fragrance close at hand and looking at Shen Qinglan's anxious appearance, Chen An smiled. He reached into his robes, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to her, saying, "Here, wipe it off!"

"What time is it, and you still have the heart to say that!"

Shen Qinglan took the handkerchief from his hand, wiped her face casually, widened her beautiful eyes, and whispered, "Tell me quickly, what is going on? Why do you want to duel with Shen Qinghua? Do you know that he is already at the Acquired Realm stage 5?!"

"With your cultivation level, you dare to duel him? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"That's right, Qinglan. You should persuade Chen An to give up this duel immediately!" Instructor Fan Suiyun, who was beside them, saw this and stepped forward to say.

"Trust me!"

Chen An didn't say much. He just reached out and held Shen Qinglan's hand, smiling at her faintly just as he had during the County Academy Martial Examination.

Feeling Chen An's warm, large hand, Shen Qinglan was slightly stunned. Then, her earlobes instantly flushed red, and her heartbeat couldn't help but accelerate a bit.

"Oh, Junior, flirting in broad daylight, isn't that a bit inappropriate?!"

Just at this moment, a crisp voice with a hint of teasing came over, instantly breaking the slightly ambiguous atmosphere.

Everyone turned to look at the sound and saw a young girl in the robes of the Prefectural Academy walking over slowly. Her eyes were bright and lively, and a playful smile hung on the corners of her mouth as her gaze shifted back and forth between Chen An and Shen Qinglan.

"Su Ningyan, what does it have to do with you? I'm willing, does it bother you?!"

Seeing this girl, Shen Qinglan, who had originally wanted to pull her hand back, shifted her gaze, took the opportunity to hook her arm into Chen An's, and raised her chin slightly as she spoke.

"That's not the case, but I didn't expect such a handsome junior to already be taken. It really makes me feel heartbroken!" Su Ningyan teased with a coquettish smile, deliberately winking at Chen An as she spoke.

"Su Ningyan! If you spout nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Shen Qinglan's cheeks were as red as ripe apples. She glared at her in shame and anger, but the hand hooked around Chen An's arm tightened unconsciously.

"Alright!"

Seeing Shen Qinglan's appearance, the corners of Chen An's mouth curled up slightly. He reached out and patted the back of her hand, then said, "It's getting late, let's go over first!"

After speaking, Chen An did not linger in place, but pulled Shen Qinglan toward the Third Martial Arts Arena.

Shen Qinglan walked a few steps before realizing that her hand was still being held firmly by Chen An. The warmth where their palms met spread from her fingertips to the bottom of her heart, making the flush on her cheeks deepen, burning all the way to her ears.

She secretly raised her eyes to look at Chen An's profile. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, spilling onto his angular face and outlining a soft silhouette.

His pace was steady and powerful, and his hand holding hers was warm and firm. It was as if, as long as she was held by him like this, even a mountain of blades or a sea of flames would be nothing to fear.

Shen Qinglan bit her lower lip and didn't pull her hand back; she just quietly slowed her pace, letting him lead her forward.

Su Ningyan, following behind, looked at their clasped hands, a motherly smile flashing in her eyes.

The group soon arrived at the Third Martial Arts Arena.

At this time, the martial arts arena was already packed. Many Prefectural Academy students who had heard about this matter had arrived early to occupy spots, waiting to watch the show.

Or rather, they were more eager to see if this freshman, who had comprehended a trace of Saber Intent on his very first day at the Prefectural Academy—causing a sensation throughout the Prefecture City and even drawing three Great Grandmasters to appear together and want to take him as a disciple—was truly living up to his reputation or just a hollow name?!

As Chen An and the others walked in, countless eyes fell upon him all at once, followed by rising and falling discussions.

"Just him? He looks so ordinary!"

"I heard he only has Qi Condensation Realm cultivation? He dares to duel with Shen Qinghua, who is at the Acquired Realm stage 5? He's got some guts!"

"It was rumored before that his Comprehension Ability was Heaven-Defying, and he comprehended a supreme Saber Intent that no one had comprehended for a hundred years, and he was taken as a Personal Disciple by the Prefecture Head. I wonder if he has the real skill to match this status!"

"This Shen Qinghua is truly shameless. He is already at the Acquired Realm stage 5, yet he is actually dueling with a freshman who hasn't even officially entered the academy yet!"

"Qi Condensation Stage 6 against Acquired Realm stage 5—not only is there a difference of one major Realm, but also more than ten minor stages. How is this even a fight?!"

"Tch, what are you afraid of? Chen An is a Genius who has comprehended Saber Intent. That Saber Intent is something only those in the Grandmaster Realm can comprehend. For a mere major Realm difference, I don't think Chen An will necessarily lose!"

"That's right, I even bet one thousand yuan crystals on Chen An winning!"

"Holy crap! You can place bets? Who is the bookie, where are they, and what are the odds?!"

"It's a few senior students from the Prefectural Academy, right over there. You can see it once you go over. The odds are: Shen Qinghua wins, 1 to 1.3; Chen An wins, 1 to 10!"

"Holy crap! 1 to 10? If Chen An accidentally wins, wouldn't that be a huge profit? I'm going to bet a little!"

"Tch, Chen An can win? If he can win, I'll eat this arena!"

...

At this moment, Shen Qinghua, who had been standing on the arena for a long time, saw Chen An appear, along with Shen Qinglan walking beside him. His expression turned gloomy, and he shouted loudly:

"Chen An, come up and accept your death!!!"

...