Chapter 5: Eldest Miss

"Did you hear? Teacher Cao Xiong just competed with Teacher Zhang Xuan, who's ranked last in the academy!"

"They competed? Wouldn't that mean Teacher Zhang Xuan was just asking to lose?"

"Actually, no, Teacher Zhang Xuan won! He casually gave some pointers to a student, and it increased their strength by a hundred percent!"

"A hundred percent increase? From one pointer? Even Teacher Lu Xun couldn't do that, could he? Is that true?"

"Many people saw it; how could it be false?"

...

Many people in the cafeteria had witnessed the competition between the two and were discussing it excitedly.

"One pointer, a hundred percent strength increase?" Zhao Ya's delicate nose wrinkled with disdain. "That guy must have gotten lucky!"Zhao Ya was the daughter of the White Jade City Lord, the third-largest city in Tianxuan Kingdom. She had received an excellent education since childhood, and her main purpose in coming to Hongtian Academy this time was to become Teacher Lu Xun's disciple.She hadn't even sought him out yet when she heard people saying that Teacher Lu Xun wasn't as good, so of course, she didn't believe it.

"Luck? I don't think it's luck. This is a hundred percent increase! I doubt that's possible with just luck!" A student sitting not far from her couldn't help but retort.

"Not luck? Don't think I don't know about this Teacher Zhang Xuan. He scored zero on the last faculty assessment and was almost expelled! What kind of ability do you think a person like that could have? If you don't believe me, I'll go expose him right now for you to see!"Zhao Ya had always been impatient, and hearing someone praise the teacher ranked last immediately got under her skin.

"Alright! We also wanted to see if this teacher is just famous for nothing!"Immediately, two more students stood up.

The three walked out of the cafeteria, asked for directions, and quickly found Zhang Xuan's classroom. They pushed the door open and entered.

"You're Teacher Zhang Xuan?"Entering the classroom, they immediately saw the young man sitting in the main seat. He was currently wearing a blank smile, and from every angle, he didn't look like an impressive teacher—he even seemed a bit odd.

"That's me!"Seeing students enter, Zhang Xuan stopped observing the Library of Heaven's Path and looked up.

"I heard you just defeated Teacher Cao Xiong and guided a student, causing their strength to increase by a hundred percent?" Zhao Ya said with a look of disbelief. "Alright then, you help me too. Let's see if your guidance can double my strength!"

"No time!"Zhang Xuan waved his hand.Teachers have their dignity. This isn't a show for amusement, where you can just watch whenever you want or demand guidance.Besides, what kind of attitude is that? I don't owe you anything.

"No time? Aren't you free right now?" Zhao Ya clearly saw through his perfunctory reply and gritted her teeth, huffing.She had just told her friends she would expose him, and if she left without even trying, she would be humiliated.

"I'm looking to recruit students. I don't have time to mess around with a little girl who doesn't know her place!" Zhang Xuan said indifferently.

"You..." Zhao Ya's beautiful eyes widened in anger.She was the City Lord's daughter, and exceptionally beautiful. Wherever she went, people looked up to her. Yet, this guy not only rejected her but also called her a nuisance! It was outrageous!Even if he was a teacher, this was unforgivable!

"What do I have to do for you to guide me?" Zhao Ya asked, clenching her teeth.

"Become my disciple!" Zhang Xuan said blandly, giving her a strange look.

Seeing his idiotic gaze, Zhao Ya stumbled back in anger. "Fine, I'll become your disciple, but... if you guide me carelessly or give me wrong advice, believe it or not, I'll expose your fraudulent tricks immediately!"

"Zhao Ya!""No, you can't! Once you become his disciple, you won't be able to become Teacher Lu Xun's disciple anymore..."Her two friends, who had come with her, nearly fainted when they heard her agree directly and quickly tried to dissuade her.

Hearing her friends' objections, Zhao Ya hesitated.She knew the academy's rules: if you became one teacher's disciple and wanted to switch to another, you had to drop the current course. Once you did that, the other teacher would almost certainly not accept you, especially a popular teacher like Lu Xun.

"Afraid? If you're afraid, then leave. Don't waste my time... I'm recruiting new students!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Who says I'm afraid?"She had been hesitating, but hearing Zhang Xuan's words, Zhao Ya immediately flared up, her elegant brows raising. "I'll become your disciple right now! Let's confirm my identity!"

"Your attitude is too poor. You want to become my disciple, but I don't want to accept you!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.Of course, he wanted to recruit obedient students, like Wang Ying from before—he preferred those. This one, however, seemed to have swallowed gunpowder the moment she arrived. Even if he lacked students, he didn't want her.

"You..."She gritted her teeth, ready to become his disciple, only for him to refuse. Zhao Ya was furious.However, she had come specifically to expose him. If she got angry and left now, wouldn't that be exactly what he wanted?Perhaps this guy just wanted to drive her away so his lies wouldn't be exposed."I absolutely cannot let you have your way!"

"Hmph, at most, I'll apologize first. Once I expose your true colors, I'll see how I punish you!"Thinking this, Zhao Ya suppressed her anger, forced a slight smile, revealing her white teeth. "Teacher, please don't take offense. This humble student was disrespectful! I sincerely wish to become your disciple, please accept me!"

"Now that's more like it!" Seeing her change her attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded. "If you want to become my disciple, you can. Clean this room thoroughly; I don't want a speck of dust. Also, clean the bathroom outside—scrub the toilet clean. If it passes my inspection and I'm satisfied, I'll accept you as my student!"

"Don't be ridiculous..."Zhao Ya was furious.Who was she? The City Lord's daughter, a pampered young lady who had never lifted a finger for chores her entire life! And this guy was making her clean? And... clean the bathroom? Scrub the toilet?Was he crazy?

"If you can't even do such simple tasks, then leave. I don't want lazy, useless people under my tutelage!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand."Heh heh, little girl, you're still too green to play games with me!"

"Who says I'm useless? I'll clean right now, I'll scrub!" Zhao Ya gritted her teeth, turned, and grabbed a broom and mop, beginning to tidy up the room.

"Zhao Ya, maybe we should just forget it...""I think he might not have any real ability and is just deliberately making things difficult for you..."Her two friends, who had come with her, were startled to see the dignified City Lord's daughter actually cleaning. They hurriedly tried to dissuade her.

"You two go wait outside. I, Zhao Ya, have never suffered a loss in my life. Today, I'm going to challenge him!" Zhao Ya raised her eyebrows.

"This..."Her two friends, knowing Zhao Ya's temper and seeing that they couldn't dissuade her, exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.

"Let's go inform Butler Yao. Didn't he come too? If the butler finds out that a guy ranked last in the faculty assessment is making the young lady scrub toilets, he'll definitely intervene!"After exchanging glances for a moment, one friend came up with an idea.

Given Zhao Ya's status, although there was no danger in coming to the academy, she still had a dedicated escort. This escort was Butler Yao, who should still be around.

"Alright, let's go find him!"The two immediately agreed, and without hesitation, turned and walked out of the academy.

Lady Zhao Ya, fueled by her stubbornness, had never done manual labor and was initially clumsy. However, it didn't take long for her to fully grasp the tasks. Soon, the room was spotless, inside and out, and even the outside bathroom was sparkling clean.

"Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Is that good enough now? Can you accept me as a student and guide my cultivation?"After finishing the work, Zhao Ya's teeth gnashed audibly, and her jade-like face was contorted. She was afraid she might lose control and punch the man in front of her.

"Alright, let's do the identity verification!"As if oblivious to her look of intense hatred, Zhang Xuan casually tossed out a jade token.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Ya dripped blood onto the token, performing a blood pact to confirm her identity.

"Teacher Zhang, I am now your student. Could you please give me some guidance?"Seeing her goal achieved and knowing she would soon expose the true nature of this despicable man, Zhao Ya suppressed her inner excitement and said.

"First, perform a set of martial arts techniques for me so I can see your foundation!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Yes!"Zhao Ya didn't waste words. She clasped her hands together and began to punch.Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!The wind whistled, full of power. Although also a woman, her strength and techniques were quicker and more powerful than Wang Ying's. It was clear she had put in a lot of effort.

As Zhang Xuan watched her perform her martial arts, his mind connected with the Library of Heaven's Path. As expected, the library trembled slightly, and a book fell out.The cover clearly bore the name "Zhao Ya."

"Zhao Ya, daughter of the White Jade City Lord, Peak Gathering Breath Realm, Warrior Level 1!""Cultivation Technique: White Jade Maiden Art!"..."Defects: Twenty-seven in total. One, impulsive and easily angered, which contradicts the smooth and harmonious nature of the White Jade Art, preventing her from reaching her full strength. Two..."

The book, just like before, recorded all the errors and flaws in Zhao Ya's cultivation.As Zhang Xuan read, his expression became odd.

Bang! Bang! Bang!In a short while, Zhao Ya finished her set of punches. She clenched her fist and turned, striking the stone wall in the classroom used for strength testing!With a crisp sound, a number appeared on it.111!

"Not bad, not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded unconsciously.To be able to unleash such power with a single punch before even entering the academy's systematic training, Zhao Ya truly lived up to her reputation as the City Lord's daughter; her strength was extraordinary.

"Alright, now guide me!"After finishing her martial arts set, without her face flushing or her breathing becoming ragged, Zhao Ya looked over.