...
After exchanging pleasantries, Xue Qinghe glanced at the time and turned to Xuan Hao, instructing him:
"Xuanhao, if you encounter any problems you can't solve at the academy, you can directly seek help from the three teaching committee members.
But…"
Xue Qinghe paused, his tone becoming more serious:
"Try to behave yourself and don't cause any more trouble. This is an academy, a place for learning."
"What Your Highness said is true."
Xuan Hao looked completely innocent. "It's as if I'm some kind of troublemaker.
I love studying, and I'll definitely get along well with my classmates."
Xue Qinghe gave him a deep look, but said nothing more.
She does have a lot of official business to attend to right now and doesn't have time to keep an eye on this kid all the time. Besides, this is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with three Soul Douluos watching over things, so... nothing too serious should happen, right?
"Okay, I'll be going now."
...
After seeing Xue Qinghe off, a teacher in charge of the Heavenly Dou level students nervously led Xuan Hao and Na'er to the Heavenly Dou level teaching area, located in the core area of the academy.
The scenery here is beautiful and the environment is tranquil, completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.
"The Heavenly Dou-level students are the most outstanding in the academy, and there are currently fewer than thirty of them."
As Teacher Olay led the way, he explained, "Those who can enter here all have a soul power of at least level 30.
They are all elites preparing for the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition, and each one is a genius from their respective family."
"Less than thirty?"
Xuan Hao stroked his chin.
"There are indeed a few people. But... since they're elites, they must be very rich, right?"
Teacher O'Reilly was taken aback for a moment: "Ah?
This... indeed, those who can come to our academy are all either rich or noble, and the Heaven Dou level students are the core members of their respective families, so their family backgrounds are naturally very wealthy."
"That makes things easier."
Xuan Hao's eyes lit up, and his smile became incredibly bright.
"Teacher, where is our training ground?
I'd like to go and get to know my classmates first."
"Uh... over there."
"Thank you, teacher! You go ahead with your work, I can go by myself!"
Before Teacher O'Lai could finish speaking, Xuan Hao grabbed Na'er and excitedly ran towards the training ground.
...
The Heavenly Dou-level training ground.
This is the most central and luxurious area of the entire academy.
Dozens of students dressed in splendid uniforms were gathered in twos and threes to practice or spar.
Who is that?
"What a pretty little girl!"
"Is that a new student?
Why is he so young?"
When Xuan Hao led Na'er into the training ground, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.
After all, they were far too young, standing out starkly against the backdrop of the students, who were generally around twenty years old.
Xuan Hao ignored the crowd's discussions and walked straight to the high platform in the center of the training field, looking down at the group of "senior students" who were much taller than him.
"Cough cough."
Good morning, everyone.
"Let me introduce myself.
My name is Xuan Hao, and I'm a new transfer student."
"I'm new here and don't know the rules.
I heard our college has a tradition called... Welcoming New Students?"
The students below the stage looked at each other in bewilderment.
Welcome new students?
Does our college have such a rule?
Before they could react, Xuan Hao's smile vanished, and he extended a hand, palm up, saying confidently:
"But since I'm new here, let's skip the formalities."
"I'm a pretty down-to-earth person."
"From today onwards, this territory is under my control."
"To show everyone how welcome I am, and to express my commitment to protecting you all in the future..."
"Each person should pay a protection fee of one hundred gold soul coins per month."
"Whether it's gold soul coins or rare herbs, I'll take them all.
Of course, if you're not satisfied..."
Xuan Hao shook his wrist, and the Qiankun Ring he had taken from the royal treasury shimmered with an eerie red light in the sunlight:
"You are welcome to come and offer your advice anytime."
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone looked at this ignorant little brat as if he were an idiot.
Coming to the Heaven Dou level training ground to collect protection money?
Or is it collecting protection money from this group of Soul Masters?
Are you obsessed with money?!
...
Three days later, at noon.
The Crown Prince's residence, study.
The sandalwood incense wafts gently, while I am weary from working on my desk.
Xue Qinghe was sitting upright behind his desk, quickly reviewing a memorial with his vermilion pen.
In the past few days, in order to appease the old emperor's emotions and also to clean up the mess caused by Xuan Hao's exorbitant demands for five treasures, she had to act even more diligently in order to win the favor of the court officials and the emperor.
"call..."
After reviewing the last memorial, Xue Qinghe rubbed his slightly swollen temples and took a sip of the herbal tea beside him.
"Judging by the time, that little rascal has been at the academy for three days now."
Xue Qinghe looked out the window, secretly pondering, "Given his personality, if we haven't heard from him for three days, he must have... behaved himself, right?"
"Report—!!"
Outside the study, the captain of the guards' slightly anxious voice broke the afternoon's tranquility.
"Your Highness!
Teacher Olai from the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy requests an audience!
He says... he says something terrible has happened at the academy!"
"Thump."
Xue Qinghe slammed the teacup in his hand heavily on the table, and an extremely ominous premonition instantly surged into his heart.
"Let him in!"
A moment later, Mr. O'Leary, his clothes disheveled, sweating profusely, and looking flustered, rushed into the study.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"
"What's the panic!"
Suppressing his unease, Xue Qinghe asked in a deep voice, "Tell me slowly!
Did Xuan Hao... hit someone again?"
In her opinion, Xuan Hao had at most gotten into a conflict with some ignorant nobleman and had a fight with him.
As long as no one dies, she can suppress the matter because of her status as the crown prince.
"No...it's not as simple as a fight, Your Highness!"
Teacher Aurelia's face was contorted with grief, her voice trembling,
"This is much more serious than beating someone! Xuan Hao... he's collecting protection money at the academy!!"
"ha?"
Xue Qinghe was stunned.
She blinked, wondering if she'd misheard.
"What did you say?
Protection money?"
"yes!"
Ms. O'Reilly wiped the cold sweat from her face and began to recount the "hell on earth" of the past three days:
"Your Highness, you are unaware of this!"
"Three days ago, right after you left, Xuan Hao took that little girl to the Heaven Dou level training ground.
The first thing he said when he entered was, 'I've got this territory covered.
One hundred gold soul coins per person per month.'"
"Those twenty-odd Heaven Dou level students were all elites from their respective families and Soul Venerables.
How could they stand this humiliation? They immediately started fighting with him."
"And then what happened?"
"As a result... in less than half an hour, they all collapsed."
O'Reilly wiped the sweat from his face. "Xuan Hao's strength is terrifying.
He didn't even use his soul skills much, yet he beat a group of Soul Masters at level 30-something like punching bags.
Right now, more than half of our less than 30 students at the Heavenly Battle level are still lying in the infirmary groaning."
Xue Qinghe: "..."
It's okay, it's okay!
There are only a few people at the Heavenly Dou level, about twenty or so, so they can be suppressed!
"And then what?"
"Then... the next day, which was the day before yesterday."
The fear in O'Reilly's eyes intensified.
"Xuan Hao felt there weren't enough people at the Heavenly Dou level, and not enough money.
So he went to the Heavenly Supreme level teaching area!"
"He said that to be fair, he suppressed his soul power to level 20 and only used his first soul skill.
Then... he single-handedly took on the entire Heavenly Sovereign level!"
"They...they were all beaten down?"
Xue Qinghe asked tentatively.
"They're not just lying down," O'Reilly cried out in anguish.
"Over 130 Great Soul Masters were chased and beaten all afternoon by him like ducks!
In the end, they were all lying down!
Not a single one was still standing!"
"Then... yesterday, he went to the Tianwei level teaching area again, still suppressing his soul power, still only using his first soul skill.
More than 260 students in the Tianwei level were beaten so badly that they cried for their parents.
Even the teachers who tried to intervene were shouted back by him!"
"Just this morning... he gathered nearly five hundred students who were still able to move around in the entire academy in the academy's main square!"
"He said it was... a reprimand."
"A lecture?" Xue Qinghe felt his head buzzing.
Olay said with a strange expression, "He stood on the platform, pointed at the group of noble children with bruised and swollen faces below, and said that they were hothouse flowers, wasteful of food, and that they did not even have the courage to resist, and deserved to be charged protection money."
"Then he dragged out a few troublemakers who were still grumbling and complaining, and in front of the whole school, he beat them up one by one."
"Now, no one in the entire Tiandou Royal Academy dares to speak loudly in front of him.
All the noble children, whether they are sons of dukes or daughters of marquises, have to respectfully call him Brother Hao and then obediently hand over their money!"
"Clatter".
Xue Qinghe dropped the vermilion brush in his hand, rolled twice, and stained the carpet red.
That's insane.
This kid is absolutely insane!
It's one thing for the Spirit Academy to collect protection fees—it's Spirit Hall's own territory, and they have the Pope backing them.
If they can be beaten into submission, then so be it.
But this is the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy! Behind every student here stands a noble family!
Did he single-handedly defeat the entire noble class of the Heaven Dou Empire?!
"Where are the three education commissioners?!"
Xue Qinghe suddenly stood up.
"Such a big thing has happened, what are the three education commissioners doing?
Just watching him act like this?!
They're Soul Masters!
Can't they even control a child?!"
"The Education Commission...the Education Commission doesn't dare to intervene!"
Teacher Aure looked bitter.
"Chief Dream Machine said that Xuan Hao's background is unfathomable, and you personally delivered it..."
"What about Prince Xuexing?"
Xue Qinghe asked.
"He's the direct administrator of the academy; doesn't he care about this chaos?"
"I have reported it."
Olay sighed, "When Prince Xuexing heard it was Xuanhao, he immediately closed the door.
He said that this was an ancestor invited back by His Highness the Crown Prince, and that he was in poor health and could not withstand any trouble, and that if there was anything... he should come directly to you."
Xue Qinghe was so angry he laughed.
These old foxes, when they encounter a tough opponent, they all run faster than rabbits, leaving her with all the mess!
"Get the car ready!"
"They don't dare to handle it, I will!"
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