Goku looked at Zi Yan and waved her off with a casual flick of his hand. "Go play somewhere else, kid. I don't hit children."
That single line made Zi Yan instantly fume with rage—it was outright disregard! Her hostility toward him skyrocketed.
"You jerk! Don't look down on me! I'm not a kid!" she shouted. With a roar, she threw a punch, golden light swirling around her small fist as it howled through the air. The force behind it was terrifying.
"You really do have a kid's temper," Goku sighed. He casually caught her punch with one hand. The powerful wind from the blow only ruffled his hair and clothes slightly. His body didn't budge an inch.
Zi Yan's face changed dramatically. It felt like she had just punched a mountain. She tried to pull her hand back, but it was like it had been clamped in an iron grip—she couldn't move it at all. So, she did the only thing she could: she launched a kick at Goku's face.
"Hey now, there's a rule—you don't hit people in the face!" Goku quickly caught her leg. In a flash, he had both of her arms and legs in his grip, suspending her midair like a dangling puppet.
"How about now, little girl? Still want to fight me?" he teased as he swung her gently back and forth, making it look like they were just playing a game of swing.
Zi Yan's face turned beet red with fury. She glared at Goku, then suddenly opened her mouth and chomped down on his wrist.
"Ow, hey! Are you part dog?! Let go! I give up already!" Goku yelled, pretending to be in pain, even though her bite didn't hurt him at all. He was just playing along to mess with her.
Hearing his shout, Zi Yan only bit down harder, mumbling through clenched teeth, "Bite you to death! I'm gonna bite you to death!"
Watching her so determinedly gnawing on his arm, Goku didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said, "Alright, that's enough. Let go now. Your little teeth can't even break my skin."
"Huh?" Zi Yan frowned and looked at his arm. Sure enough, aside from a row of faint bite marks and a little saliva, there wasn't even a scratch. As she loosened her jaw, even the indentations quickly faded away.
Zi Yan's mood instantly deflated. She pouted, eyes filled with unwillingness. This little demon, the infamous troublemaker of the academy, was now wearing a rare expression of frustration. Goku was slightly amused. He patted her head with a smile.
"Don't be mad. I know you love rare treasures and precious herbs. Let me give you something nice—you're gonna love it." He held out his hand, and a single Senzu Bean appeared on his palm.
"Wha—what is that?!" Zi Yan's eyes went wide as she snatched the bean and examined it, her whole body trembling with excitement. "You… you're really giving this to me?!"
As an ancient Void Dragon with a natural talent for sensing treasure, Zi Yan immediately recognized the bean's terrifying potential. Despite its ordinary appearance, the energy contained within was beyond imagination. Compared to this, even the most precious healing pills were trash.
After all, a single Senzu Bean could instantly restore someone to peak condition—even from the brink of death.
"The Senzu bean is already in your hands, isn't it? Of course it's yours," Goku said with a chuckle. "Take good care of it. Don't go munching it just because you're hungry. In your normal state, it'll only save you from needing food for ten days. Its real power shines when you're seriously injured."
"Mm-hmm! I'll keep it with me at all times!" Zi Yan leapt up and wrapped her arms around Goku's neck. She planted a loud kiss on his cheek, her face flushing red as she beamed with joy.
"Thank you! Besides that old geezer, you're the nicest person to me!"
"Heh… totally worth it," Goku grinned. A single Senzu Bean for a kiss from a cute girl? That was a fair trade in his book.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and the other girls were only just recovering from the shock. Zi Yan's strength was incredible, especially for someone her age. Was this the level of talent that students in the inner courtyard had?
Even more shocking, though, was Goku's strength. A fierce monster like Zi Yan had been subdued so effortlessly… how terrifying was he, really?
'This guy… really isn't ordinary,' Instructor Ruo Lin thought to herself, shocked. As a teacher, she was aware of certain rumors from the inner courtyard and could already guess at Zi Yan's identity. No wonder he's so confident…
'That Bean he gave her… I can't believe something so plain-looking could be such a priceless treasure,' Ya Fei thought, her merchant instincts kicking in. She stared at the now-vanished bean with burning curiosity.
---
With the little interlude over, the group finally entered the outer courtyard of Jia Nan Academy. Goku had originally intended to send the girls straight to the inner courtyard, but considering their current strength levels, it made more sense for them to begin in the outer courtyard.
Goku, Xun'er, Ya Fei, and Zi Yan walked under the attention and hushed whispers of surrounding students, following Ruo Lin toward the vice principal's office. It couldn't be helped—anyone walking with such beautiful women was bound to attract stares.
"Goku, are you here to enroll in the academy too? Don't worry, I'm really close with the vice principal. He'll definitely let you in. If he refuses, I'll shave off his beard!" Zi Yan said proudly, walking beside Goku with her usual bravado.
"Thanks! That would save me the trouble of, uh… persuading him by force," Goku chuckled.
"Am I… really staying too?" Ya Fei asked hesitantly. "I've never been good at cultivation. That's why I help manage the family's business instead."
Before she could finish, Goku interrupted, "Relax. With me here, I guarantee you'll become a top-tier powerhouse."
"R-Really?" Ya Fei still looked skeptical.
"We're here." Ruo Lin stopped in front of a door and knocked gently.
"Come in. It's open," a voice answered from inside.
The door opened, and Goku's group followed Ruo Lin inside. Xiao Yu and the others had already gone off to their dorms.
Vice Principal Hu Gan glanced up and immediately froze when he saw Goku and the others. His gaze lingered on Zi Yan, and his face darkened.
"You little brat! You dare come back?! Don't tell me you took all the herbs I was storing in the vault!"
"I did not!" Zi Yan denied instantly—though her hand instinctively moved to her chest, betraying her guilt.
Hu Gan sighed. "Figures… everything that ends up in your hands is as good as gone."
'Thank goodness I hid the Scarlet Agate in that box the Grand Elder gave me,' he thought.
Then, turning to Ruo Lin, he asked, "Instructor Ruo Lin, what brings you here? And these people are…?"
Before Ruo Lin could respond, Zi Yan chimed in, "These are my friends, Hu Gan! Goku and the others want to enroll in the academy. Do me a favor and make it happen, okay?"
"Do you even hear yourself?" Hu Gan sighed. "You want me to bend the rules because you asked?"
He turned to Goku. "You're the one wanting to join?"
Goku nodded. "Yes. I'm Goku. These two are Xun'er and Ya Fei. I've also got a dozen more who I'd like to enroll, if possible. I hope they can train here and grow stronger."
Hu Gan blinked. Then his expression stiffened. A dozen? Does he think we're some third-rate academy you can just waltz into with an entourage?
"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "If it were just you three, I could maybe bend the rules a bit for Zi Yan's sake. But a dozen? That's pushing it. Jia Nan Academy has standards. I could lose my job if I made that kind of exception."
Zi Yan frowned, clearly displeased. Her hands balled into fists. She turned serious, glaring at Hu Gan. "Listen up, old man. Goku is the first person I've ever called a friend. If you don't agree, I'll burn off your beard. And don't think I don't know about that secret stash under your bed! Push me, and I'll take everything!"
Hu Gan's face turned into a mask of despair. "Can't you behave just once?"
Zi Yan stepped forward again, but Goku gently held her back.
He gave her a reassuring smile and stepped in front of Hu Gan "Then… how about doing me a favor instead?"
The room instantly fell silent.
A crushing, overwhelming aura descended on Hu Gan like a tidal wave. His body froze, his face went pale, sweat pouring down his forehead. He felt like an ant before a god—helpless, terrified, and ready to kneel.
And just as suddenly, the pressure vanished.
Goku smiled politely. "So… how about it?"
Hu Gan felt like he had just been pardoned from death. He tried to get up to bow, but his body wouldn't move. Goku's voice echoed in his head.
'No need for formalities. I like to keep a low profile. You understand?'
Goku had locked his joints and muscles with sheer energy control. Against someone like Hu Gan, it was child's play.
Hu Gan gave a subtle nod to show he understood. When control of his body returned, he looked at Goku with renewed awe and fear.
"Ahem… well, since you've asked so politely, I suppose we can make an exception," he said, trying to keep his composure. "You'll still need to pass a basic entrance test, of course…"
'Even if they fail, who would dare stop them from joining now?' he thought.
Everyone in the room noticed Hu Gan's dramatic shift in tone. Though he hid it well, they weren't fools. The girls exchanged glances, quietly stunned.
Just who is this Goku? Even the vice principal is this afraid of him…
Goku's aura was directed solely at Hu Gan, suppressing him discreetly. Because of this, the others didn't notice the true situation. Only Zi Yan, being a ancient Void Dragon, was exceptionally sensitive to such pressure and could sense something was off. At this moment, her gaze toward Goku was especially bright, filled with surprise and admiration.
Even though it was just a fleeting moment, she clearly felt Goku's overwhelming strength. Though it wasn't a clear perception, that aura alone was enough to make even her—a true ancient Void Dragon—feel an instinctive inability to resist.
"So, I wonder when you'll be bringing the rest of your companions?" Hu Gan looked at Goku, finally managing to calm his inner turmoil. Still, his tone remained respectfully reverent, a detail that didn't escape the girls present. Although they were surprised, none of them pressed for answers. They simply grew even more curious about Goku. Even Xun'er found herself deeply intrigued by him.
It's true what they say—mysterious people are always the most captivating.
"Right now is fine," Goku replied with a light smile. With a thought and a casual wave of his hand, all the girls instantly appeared in the small room. The sudden arrival of so many beautiful women left Ya Fei and the others stunned once again.
Hu Gan, meanwhile, was mentally reeling from the display of Goku's power, though he managed to keep his expression steady. Still, he couldn't help being shocked. It was known that powerful cultivators in this world could summon companions hidden in spatial pockets. But for Goku to summon so many people at once without even tearing space—now that was extraordinary!
'Just how strong is this guy, really? I've seen the dean bring people over before, but it's never been this terrifying! Just what kind of monster did Ruolin bring to me this time? Sigh… let's just hope nothing goes wrong!' Hu Gan could only sigh inwardly in helpless awe.
"Hey, hey! Goku-nii, why did you wait so long to let us out? Alice was bored to death waiting!" The moment she appeared, Alice bounced into Goku's arms.
Haku and Karin were a bit more composed than her and didn't throw themselves at him, but even so, their gazes carried a trace of envy as they watched Alice.
Goku chuckled and pulled all three girls into a warm embrace. He then turned to Hu Gan and the other girls, saying, "Right now, we're in a martial cultivation academy called Jia Nan Academy. This is Vice principal Hu Gan. From now on, you'll be studying here to improve your strength."
"Ah! Dean sir, we'll be in your care!" Saeko and the others bowed politely toward Hu Gan.
Startled, Hu Gan hastily returned the gesture. 'Damn, you could tell just by looking—these girls weren't ordinary, and clearly had a special relationship with Goku! There's no way I'm taking that kind of salute without returning it!'
"Judging by the vice principal's strength, this academy doesn't seem all that impressive. I'm not interested in studying in some trash-tier school," 18 said coldly, shooting Hu Gan a glance full of disdain.
And it made sense. With her strength, she could absolutely crush any Dou Emperor in this world. She was already nearing Goku's Super Saiyan 2 level, after all!
"Ugh…" Hu Gan nearly wept on the spot. Our grand Jia Nan Academy… called a 'trash-tier school' by this woman!? Then why even come here? Of course, all of that could only remain in his heart—he wouldn't dare say a word aloud!
"You can't think of it that way," Goku replied calmly. "There are still some pretty decent combat techniques here. If you learn and adapt them into your own fighting style, your overall strength will definitely improve."
After all, fights in the Dragon Ball world were too direct and straightforward. If they could pick up a few battle techniques and refine them, their capabilities might evolve even further.
"Besides," Goku paused for a moment, then added with a serious tone, "your main task here is to protect them—for me."
___
T/N:
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