The next day.
Class D-1.
This was the worst class at Tianfu Academy. Every day, its students arrived at the academy listlessly, lowering their heads the moment they passed through the gates, avoiding the gazes of others.
They wore long blue robes, one of four distinct uniforms designed by the academy to represent four different levels.
Blue symbolized Class D, the lowest and most disgraceful of the four.
Other students around would often sneer at the sight of their blue attire. After all, no one liked a failure.
Cultivation was all about talent. Without talent, unless one encountered a rare stroke of fortune, there was no way to achieve greatness. Hence, those without talent were deemed useless — this was the phrase they heard most often upon entering Tianfu Academy.
Last night, they had been informed that a new teacher would be assigned to them. But the news stirred little emotion. They had long since given up on themselves, dreaming only of quietly running a small business after graduation in three years and living an ordinary life.
The path of cultivation was not for those with poor talent.
As for the teacher, they didn’t think much of it either. Some of their peers weren’t even at the Foundation-Building stage, and even the teachers ignored them. What else could they expect?
…
Lin Fan woke up early that morning, refreshed and ready. Today was a big day — he, Lin Fan, was finally going to become a teacher. The thought filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction.
After asking for directions along the way, Lin Fan finally found the location of Class D-1.
As he approached the classroom door, Lin Fan paused, took a deep breath, and stepped inside without hesitation.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a wave of oppressive gloom hit him like a cold wind, as if draining all hope from life itself.
“I’m your new teacher. My name is Lin Fan. Today is our first meeting, and I hope you will respect me and refrain from any childish antics,” Lin Fan said as he entered, placing his belongings on the lectern while observing the dispirited students slumped at their desks.
“Did you hear that?” When no one responded, Lin Fan raised his voice sharply.
The students, long resigned to their fate, flinched at his sudden shout, then exhaled in relief before slumping back into their usual apathy.
“Alright then, let’s start with roll call so I can get to know you all,” Lin Fan said, picking up the class list. As he scanned the names, his brows furrowed slightly.
These characters looked oddly complex — somewhat like the traditional Chinese characters from his old world, but different.
But Lin Fan knew he had to maintain his dignity as a teacher. Though the characters were difficult, they felt somewhat familiar. He assumed they were not too different from regular Chinese.
“Liushuishui,” Lin Fan read the first name aloud, but no one responded.
Looking at the students, he asked, “Who is Liushuishui?”
“Didn’t come to class today?”
The listless students exchanged confused glances, unsure who the new teacher was calling.
At this moment, a timid girl with a slightly anxious expression raised her hand.
“Teacher, my name is Liu Miaomiao.”
Lin Fan inhaled sharply, feeling his face flush. But he quickly composed himself. He was a teacher now — he couldn’t afford to lose face.
“So, you think I can’t read, is that it? I’m calling you Liushuishui today, hmmph. Disrespectful! Next,” Lin Fan declared, spreading his arms and shrugging his shoulders.
“Caotianjiao — which one is Caotianjiao?” Lin Fan looked at the list again. At least this name was legible. Surely he wouldn’t make a mistake here.
The students once again exchanged puzzled looks, uncertain who the teacher was referring to this time.
“Which one is Caotianjiao? Why aren’t you answering? Did he skip class?”
“If you don’t attend class, how can you ever advance on the martial path?” Lin Fan added.
A burly-looking student sitting below glanced around nervously, then finally shook his head, thinking to himself that this must be his name.
“Teacher, it’s me.”
Seeing someone raise their hand, Lin Fan stepped forward. “When I call your name, why don’t you speak up? Do you want me to slap you?”
To Lin Fan, being a teacher meant asserting authority. He needed to establish a strict and serious image in the students’ minds, or else he would never be able to control them later.
This was based on his own experiences from his school days.
“Teacher, my name is Cao Fushu…”
Cao Fushu replied hesitantly, feeling that this new teacher was acting strangely — how could he mispronounce names like that?
Lin Fan took a deep breath.
“I said your name is Caotianjiao, and that’s what it will be. Understood?” Lin Fan said firmly.
“Caotianjiao.”
“Caotianjiao.”
“Caotianjiao.”
Cao Fushu looked at the new teacher helplessly, his heart sinking. In the end, he could only nod in resignation.
“Alright, it’s me.”
Lin Fan beamed. “That’s better. Next…”
…
After roll call, Lin Fan swore never to do it again. This experience had been more exhausting than battling a major boss.
Whoever designed these characters in the Xuanhuang World was going to get a beating if Lin Fan ever found them.
Out of thirteen students, Lin Fan had only read one name correctly. The other twelve had been forced to change their names under his authoritarian pressure.
“Alright, today is our first day, so let me outline the curriculum for you.”
“Morning will be Moral Education, and the afternoon will be Practical Combat. Now, everyone, stand up!” Lin Fan commanded sternly.
The thirteen students stared blankly. Moral Education? What was that? And why were they standing?
“Say ‘Good morning, teacher!'” Lin Fan said, watching the clueless students. He felt a deep sense of responsibility ahead.
“Good morning, teacher!” The thirteen students, stunned and bewildered by this seemingly mad teacher, finally complied.
At the same time, they felt like crying. Even if Class D was the worst, how could they be handed over to a lunatic like this?
“Good. Sit down. Class begins,” Lin Fan said, satisfied with their obedience.
Though their talent wasn’t great, as long as they listened, they were good students.
“Alright, today’s first lesson will be Chapter One of ‘Battle Through the Heavens’ — ‘The Fallen Genius.'”
*Ping!* “Congratulations! You have unlocked a secondary profession: Mentor.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage