Chapter 25: Finding Trouble

“Young Master Shang!” Cao Xiong said with a flattering expression.

“Oh, it’s Teacher Cao. Are you looking for me?” Shang Bin looked over, puzzled.

They were both academy teachers and had frequent interactions, but they weren't close friends.

“Well, it’s like this. I might need to trouble Young Master Shang with something!” Cao Xiong hesitated before speaking.

“As long as I can help, I’ll do my best!” Shang Bin replied.

As Elder Shang Chen’s grandson, he was used to many teachers coming to him for favors daily.

“It’s like this, I… I finally managed to recruit an excellent student yesterday, but another teacher tricked him away. Doesn’t Elder Shang oversee teaching? I want to ask… if it’s possible to transfer this student back to me…” Cao Xiong explained.

Liu Yang was the best student he had recruited with great effort. However, he lost Liu Yang in a competition to Zhang Xuan. After returning, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Today, he couldn't hold it in anymore and came directly to Shang Bin.

Shang Bin’s grandfather, Elder Shang Chen, was the academy’s Dean of Education, so changing a student’s teacher was very simple for him.

“Transfer him back?” Shang Bin frowned. “If the student went willingly, it would be difficult! You know students nowadays can be troublesome. Even minor dissatisfaction can lead to complaints to the Royal Court or the Teacher’s Guild, and we…”

“He wasn't willing! I can guarantee it!” Cao Xiong quickly interjected.

“Even if he wasn't willing, it’s still not easy if the other teacher refuses to let go. You know the school’s rules…” Shang Bin waved his hand, then suddenly looked up. “You just said… tricked? Which teacher, might I ask, tricked your student away?”

“It's that ‘useless teacher’ Zhang Xuan from our academy…” When speaking of the young man, Cao Xiong gritted his teeth, his face full of hatred.

“Zhang Xuan? Your student was tricked by him?” Hearing that name again, Shang Bin’s anger immediately flared.

If it weren't for that guy, he would have had dinner with the goddess yesterday. A mere third-level martial artist, a brat who scored zero on the teacher qualification exam, dared to disregard his authority? He really didn’t know his place!

If the goddess hadn't been there yesterday, making it inconvenient to use force, he would have beaten him to a pulp long ago!

“Yes! No one would want to be a student of such a teacher, right? So, I’d like to trouble Young Master Shang to speak with Elder Shang and help me transfer him back…” Cao Xiong said cautiously, afraid that Shang Bin wouldn’t agree.

“No need to talk to Elder Shang; I’ll go resolve it for you right now!” Shang Bin waved his hand.

“Resolve it for me?”

“Other teachers might need my grandfather’s help to mediate, but Zhang Xuan, that good-for-nothing, is he worth all that trouble? I’ll just go directly and demand the student. If he refuses, I’ll cripple him!”

Shang Bin waved his hand grandly, an imposing aura about him.

He genuinely had no easy way to deal with other teachers, but disciplining this fellow who scored zero on the teacher qualification exam was too simple! Not only was he weak, but more importantly, no one in the academy would stand up for him!

Most importantly, he had already been planning to beat that guy to vent his frustration, but he lacked a good reason! If he acted without reason and Shen Biru found out, it would definitely leave a bad impression. Now it was perfect: he tricked someone else’s student, and the aggrieved party came looking for him. This was a perfect pretext!

“This…” Cao Xiong was stunned, not expecting Shang Bin to be so generous.

“No need for ‘this’ or ‘that’; come with me. If you’re afraid, I’ll take action on your behalf!” Shang Bin’s lips curved upward, and a cruel glint flashed in his eyes.

“Then thank you, Young Master Shang!” Cao Xiong’s eyes lit up with excitement, and he quickly nodded. The two then strode together towards Zhang Xuan’s classroom.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Zhang Xuan’s classroom and saw the mummy-like Yao Han and Young Master Wang.

“Wang Tao, why aren’t you cultivating properly with your grandfather? What are you doing here?” Shang Bin frowned.

Although he was Elder Shang Chen’s grandson, there was still a difference in status compared to Wang Tao.

“Teacher Shang Bin!” Wang Tao bowed. “My sister was tricked into taking classes here, and I plan to take her back…”

“Shang Bin?”

Yao Han, who had been wondering who to ask for information, immediately looked up when he heard that the young man in front of him was Shang Bin.

“You mean Miss Wang Ying? She was also tricked?” Shang Bin’s face darkened, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. “This Zhang Xuan really has some nerve! To even dare to trick Miss Wang, he’s truly asking for death! It seems if I don’t teach him a lesson, he won’t be able to command respect!”

“Yes…” Wang Tao nodded.

“Since Miss Wang Ying was also tricked into being his student, why didn’t you go in and stop it instead of waiting out here?” Shang Bin snorted and looked at him, puzzled.

“Well…” Wang Tao didn’t dare say he was beaten out. He scratched his head, unsure how to reply, when Yao Han, from the side, spoke up: “Doesn’t the academy have a rule that no one is allowed to enter before class is dismissed? So, we could only wait outside!”

“And this is…”

Only then did Shang Bin notice the mummy-like Yao Han.

“This is Yao Han, the chief steward of Jade City’s Lord Zhao!” Wang Tao quickly introduced him.

“So it’s Steward Yao, I’ve heard much about you!” Shang Bin quickly nodded, then continued, “The academy does have a rule against entering before class is dismissed, but it’s fine. You can just follow me inside. Today, I’ll personally teach this blustering, unethical fellow a lesson!”

“Good!” Hearing that he would take action himself, Wang Tao’s eyes lit up, and he followed closely. Yao Han hesitated for a moment, then also followed.

***

Inside the room.

“Although the Nine Heavens Hongtian Art is the most basic cultivation technique in Hongtian Academy, it has quite a few issues, for example…”

The five students sat in the classroom, listening to Zhang Xuan’s explanation.

After listening for only a short while, they were all inexplicably shaken, feeling as if they had consumed a spiritual fruit, utterly captivated.

Among the students present, except for Yuan Tao, all had extraordinary backgrounds and and had received systematic training even before entering the academy. They had attended many teachers’ classes, and even some fifth or sixth-level martial artists had guided them… but never in their lives had they experienced a class like this.

It felt like a sudden enlightenment; previous confusions became clear, and the energy within their bodies surged as the teacher described, as if they would break through at any moment.

He explained it so well!

After hearing Zhang Xuan’s lecture, they realized that even so-called advanced teachers were far inferior.

Especially Zhao Ya, as the City Lord’s daughter, her father often explained cultivation techniques to her. She had always believed her father was one of the best instructors in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom, given his strength! But now, compared to Teacher Zhang, her father’s explanations were like a frog in a well discussing the size of the sky—utterly laughable. There was simply no comparison; they were in completely different leagues!

Teacher Zhang’s explanations were incisive, instantly pointing out flaws in even the most powerful cultivation techniques and martial arts. This left them shocked, deep in thought, unable to calm down for a long time.

Often, they would ponder for a long time after Teacher Zhang explained just one sentence. By the time they finally understood and felt inexplicably excited, they would realize he had already been lecturing for a while, and they had missed a lot of knowledge.

“Teacher Zhang’s… level is truly too high!”

At this moment, the five students finally understood the profound martial arts foundation and powerful knowledge system possessed by the young man who appeared not much older than themselves.

“I ridiculously thought before that Teacher Zhang had just gotten lucky, causing my strength to instantly surge. Now I realize… with his insight, achieving that is child’s play! He could have a hundred ways to double my strength…”

Liu Yang, who had previously been conceited, stood trembling in place. “Teacher Cao Xiong compared to him… sigh, let’s not even compare them. There’s no comparison at all; the difference is too vast, they’re not even in the same world! It’s fortunate they made that bet, otherwise, how could I have met such an excellent teacher…”

The five students were each excited, listening attentively, afraid of missing any important information. Just as the teacher and students were enjoying their harmonious time together.

*Creak!*

The door was pushed open, and several figures strode in.