However, while Zhang Wen remained calm on the outside, Zack and Cloud, who had been secretly listening behind the screen the entire time, were growing increasingly anxious. After all, they had pinned all their hopes on Zhang Wen. If Zhang couldn’t teach the martial arts class, given their current progress in martial arts, it would take at least three to five years before they could meet the standards to return home! For two young men born into top noble families and hailed as prodigies since childhood, this was absolutely unbearable!
“No way!” The two exchanged a glance, and the more impatient Zack couldn’t help himself—he pushed aside the screen and strode forward to stand before Principal Geoffreid.
“Principal Geoffreid, Instructor Sin, please, you must agree to let Teacher Zhang teach us martial arts! This is the wish of all our classmates!” Zack first saluted the principal and chief instructor, then blurted out eagerly.
“Why? Why must you insist on having a guy who’s barely at level five in martial arts teach your class? Are you saying none of the other instructors in the martial arts department are better than him?” Instructor Sin retorted angrily, pointing at Zhang Wen.
“Th—this…” The question caught Zack off guard. If he admitted that none of the martial arts instructors were better than Zhang Wen, wouldn’t that offend all the instructors in the department? No matter how arrogant Zack was as a martial arts student, he couldn’t possibly oppose every instructor!
Seeing Zack at a loss, Instructor Sin smirked得意ly at Principal Geoffreid. Unexpectedly, just then, the governor’s daughter, Lady Charlette—who had been silent all this time—suddenly spoke up coolly, “Instructor Sin, surely you know what the martial arts department at Almeyth’s Academy is like?”
“You…!” Instructor Sin was nearly choked with anger. He glared furiously at Charlette, who met his gaze without flinching. What infuriated him even more was that, as he stared into Charlette’s determined eyes, he couldn’t come up with a single counterargument! His face flushed red with rage and frustration, his breathing growing heavy.
“Instructor Sin, Instructor Sin,” Just as Sin’s anger was nearing its peak, Fox tugged gently at his sleeve.
“Hmm?” Still fuming, Sin shot one last glare at Charlette and Zack before turning his ear toward Fox’s whisper.
“Instructor Sin, don’t you see? Having Zhang Wen join the martial arts department is actually a great opportunity for us! Why push such a good thing away?” Fox leaned in eagerly, seeing that Sin was finally willing to listen.
“A good opportunity? How could that possibly be good? You’d better explain yourself, or I’ll deal with you later!” Sin didn’t speak, but his eyes clearly conveyed his doubts—and his threat.
“Hehe! Instructor Sin, even the wisest make mistakes sometimes. Don’t you remember? In a few days, the delegation from Themis Academy will be arriving. At that time, the martial arts department will need an instructor to lead a team for a friendly match. Who were you planning to send this year?” Fox chuckled and asked.
“Th—this…” Sin’s brow furrowed deeply.
In truth, the reason the martial arts department at Almeyth’s Academy had become a laughingstock was mainly due to the annual visits from Themis Academy.
Over the twenty-year history of reciprocal visits between Themis Academy and Almeyth’s Academy, the latter’s psionic arts department had almost always come out slightly ahead, earning the respect of Themis’s psionic arts faculty and students. However, Almeyth’s martial arts department had always suffered crushing defeats, with their team leaders often humiliated like clowns.
As a result, being the team leader for the martial arts department during the Themis Academy visit had become the most undesirable position. Every year when the Themis delegation arrived, the martial arts instructors at Almeyth’s would scatter like frightened rats.
Last year, when Sin couldn’t find anyone else, he had no choice but to ask Fox to take the role. After Themis left, Fox was subjected to endless ridicule from the psionic arts instructors, and he couldn’t hold his head high for nearly half a month. This year, not only was it difficult for Sin to ask Fox again, but Fox himself probably wouldn’t agree to take on such a thankless task.
“Hehe! Instructor Sin, since that kid is so eager to join the martial arts department, why not just let him lead the team?” Fox grinned and pointed subtly at Zhang Wen, continuing in a hushed tone, “And when he inevitably gets humiliated during the match and becomes the laughingstock of the entire school, you can justly expel him. That way, he won’t dare claim to join our martial arts department again. It’s a win-win situation!”
“Right!” Fox’s words lit up Sin’s eyes. However, his excitement didn’t last long before he suddenly frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Sin glared angrily at Fox. He hadn’t thought of what Fox said earlier and had already firmly refused in front of Principal Geoffreid. Now, asking him to change his mind would cost him face.
Fox, the ever-resourceful “strategist,” immediately understood Sin’s thoughts from his expression. He shook his head with a smile and whispered, “Don’t worry. You don’t have to let him teach a regular martial arts course, but you could let him offer a special elective course instead?”
“Right! That’s a good idea.” After a moment of thought, Sin’s frown turned into a smile, and he nodded approvingly at Fox.
“Alright then!” Turning around, Sin spoke loudly and magnanimously to Principal Geoffreid and the others, “Since so many students have requested it, we instructors shouldn’t be too stingy. I agree to let this Teacher Zhang offer a course.”
As soon as Sin finished speaking, Zack and Cloud exchanged delighted glances, while Zhang Wen’s expression was somewhat enigmatic. Although Sin and Fox had whispered their conversation, with Zhang Wen’s current acute hearing, he had caught every word clearly.
Zhang Wen fully understood their cunning plan. However, he had no intention of exposing them, nor did he plan to run away like the other martial arts instructors. To Zhang Wen, this was yet another challenge placed before him.
“The Themis Academy delegation, huh? Let’s see what I can accomplish before they arrive at Almeyth’s Academy,” Zhang Wen mused inwardly with an enigmatic smile.
Meanwhile, Sin continued to speak loudly to Principal Geoffreid, Zack, and the others, “It’s fine for Zhang Wen to offer a course. But I still say this: having someone at level five in martial arts become a regular instructor in our department is just not acceptable. Therefore, he cannot teach any of our official martial arts courses. He can only offer a special elective course. Any student who’s interested can attend voluntarily. No problem, right?”
“No problem at all! Of course not!” Zack and the others were already overjoyed that Sin had agreed to let Zhang Wen teach, so how could they think of anything else?
“Alright then. Since Instructor Sin and the students have no objections, it’s settled.” Finally, Principal Geoffreid sealed the decision, transforming Zhang Wen from a discipline committee teacher into a special elective instructor for the martial arts department.
The delighted students scattered joyfully. As Zhang Wen was leaving the discipline committee office, he was called out the moment he stepped outside. “Teacher Zhang.” With a smile, Fox appeared together with Instructor Sin before Zhang Wen.
Afraid that Zhang Wen might run away like the other martial arts instructors upon hearing about the Themis delegation, they couldn’t wait to approach him before he even officially took up his post.
“Teacher Zhang, anything I can do for you?” Zhang Wen smiled as he stepped forward. Of course, he already knew why Fox was approaching him, but since he had already decided to play along, he didn’t expose their plan.
“Hehe, Teacher Zhang. Being transferred from the discipline committee to the martial arts department in less than half a year at the academy—congratulations!” Fox, in a cheerful mood, exchanged a glance with Sin before continuing, “Teacher Zhang, you should know that the Themis Academy delegation will be arriving at our academy next month, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard a little about it,” Zhang Wen nodded.
“Hehe, good to hear that,” Fox smiled broadly, exchanging another glance with Sin.
Sin stepped forward and said proudly, “Teacher Zhang, the reason I opposed your joining the martial arts department isn’t that I don’t trust your abilities. It’s just that your martial arts level is too low. I was worried that if I let you in directly, other instructors might have objections. However, now there’s a perfect opportunity. The Themis Academy delegation is coming soon. At that time, our martial arts department will have Teacher Zhang lead a team to compete against Themis’s martial arts department. If Teacher Zhang can bring honor to Almeyth’s Academy, naturally no one will have any objections anymore.”
“Hey! Teacher Zhang, let me wish you an early victory!” Fox, afraid that Zhang Wen might refuse, immediately cut off any chance of retreat as soon as Sin finished speaking.
“Since it’s Instructor Sin’s request, I will certainly do my best,” Zhang Wen said with a faint smile, appearing as if he was completely unaware of Fox and Sin’s plot, easily stepping into their “trap.”
“Hahaha!” Watching Zhang Wen’s retreating figure, Fox and Instructor Sin exchanged a satisfied smile and left the discipline committee office equally content.
Now that Zhang Wen had stepped into Fox and Instructor Sin’s “trap,” the two naturally had no intention of making things difficult for his special elective course. On the contrary, they were very enthusiastic and helped Zhang Wen complete all the necessary procedures for offering the course that very afternoon. As for the course’s name, it was entirely according to Zhang Wen’s request and was named “Striking Techniques.”
At the same time, Fox seized the opportunity to spread the news throughout the academy that “Teacher Zhang will lead the team to compete against the martial arts department of Themis Academy.”
By late afternoon, the teachers at the academy were already buzzing with discussion. Some admired Zhang Wen’s courage, while others thought he was overestimating his abilities. A few perceptive individuals even sensed a hint of conspiracy in the air. However, on one side was the academy’s chief instructor, Master Sin, and on the other, an insignificant martial arts elective teacher, Zhang Wen. These perceptive individuals wisely chose to keep their mouths shut.
In the psionic arts department, Linoa also heard about Zhang Wen’s upcoming leadership of the team from her colleagues.
“Haha! Teacher Linoa. Have you heard? That guy who got into the academy through the governor’s connections, Zhang Wen. Today he actually joined the martial arts department and is going to lead a team to fight against Themis Academy. Haha!” The one speaking to Linoa was a young instructor in the psionic arts department who had just turned thirty.
This young instructor held nothing but disdain for Zhang Wen, the kind of person who had entered the academy through connections. Even while sharing this latest news to flatter Linoa, he couldn’t help but speak with a tone of schadenfreude, as if he could already see Zhang Wen’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the Themis delegation.
“Is that so?” Linoa murmured softly, then gave the slightly older instructor a faint smile. “Teacher Robert, from your tone, it sounds like you’re hoping for Almeyth’s Academy to lose. I think you should be careful. You were shouting so loudly just now, everyone in the psionic arts department heard. If this gets back to Instructor Sin in the martial arts department, it might bring you some trouble.”
Linoa’s few words immediately turned the young instructor’s face pale, his previous enjoyment of her charming smile forgotten. He had just remembered how “terrifying” Instructor Sin could be when dealing with psionic arts teachers who looked down on the martial arts department.
“Uh… Ha… Haha, what lovely weather today. I should be going now.” The young instructor hurriedly chuckled and disappeared from Linoa’s sight without a trace.
“Hehe.” Watching the young instructor’s retreating figure, Linoa first gave a disdainful smile, then her expression turned to one of mild interest. “Zhang Wen… He probably can’t beat Themis Academy either. Haha! I wonder what will happen then?” Linoa murmured to herself with a faint smile before regaining her composure and walking into her classroom with an enchanting smile.
In short, thanks to Fox’s promotion, Zhang Wen leading the team had become a settled matter. Through word of mouth among the teachers and students, Zhang Wen had no way of backing out now.
Another consequence was that the next morning, when Zhang Wen’s special elective class began, there were hardly any students who came to sign up. On Training Ground No.3, arranged by Instructor Sin, Zhang Wen saw only four people. Standing alone in a training ground that could hold over a hundred people, they looked rather tragic.
Faced with the awkward situation of having so few students, Zhang Wen remained very calm. Everyone could imagine that after Zhang Wen faced Themis Academy and lost the match, the only outcome awaiting him would be expulsion from the martial arts department. Once Zhang Wen was expelled, his course would no longer count toward academic credits. Moreover, in the case of knowing that Zhang Wen would be humiliated, wouldn’t becoming his student be “asking for humiliation”? The students at Almeyth’s Academy were no fools!
Therefore, when Zhang Wen heard the news spreading across the academy the previous afternoon about him leading the team, he had already predicted how things would look the next day in class.
In fact, the fact that four students showed up at his class was already quite surprising to Zhang Wen. When he got a good look at the four students, he was even more astonished. Besides Zack and Cloud, the other two students were actually Amyris and Charlette!
“What are you two doing here?” Zhang Wen looked at the two girls standing alongside Zack and Cloud, and asked with a faint smile, “Aren’t you students from the psionic arts department?”
“Uh, Teacher Zhang…” Zack stepped forward, but before he could explain, Amyris cut in.
“Hehe! Teacher Zhang, you really don’t know much about our academy!” Amyris grinned playfully at Zhang Wen, then explained in a crisp, pleasant voice, “Almeyth’s Academy is different from other academies in the empire. Especially in our psionic arts department, all students must take martial arts courses as well! The academy requires all psionic arts students to complete at least three martial arts courses to graduate. As for Senior Charlette, she’s even more impressive! She has taken all the required martial arts courses and is considered one of the top ten martial artists in the department!”
“That’s right. Lady Charlette really makes us guys feel ashamed!” Zack and Cloud couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Oh! I see,” Zhang Wen smiled thoughtfully. Since entering Almeyth’s Academy, he had been busy with discipline committee work and his own training, so he hadn’t really studied the academy’s various regulations in detail.
Although Charlette was proud and ambitious, she still felt a bit flustered being praised like this in front of everyone. Seeing Zhang Wen smiling in thought, she quickly said, “Teacher Zhang, I heard you’re going to be our academy’s martial arts team leader to challenge Themis Academy?”
Though Charlette’s intention was merely to change the subject, her question hit the very point everyone was most curious about. Soon, everyone turned their eyes toward Zhang Wen.
“That’s right. You’re well-informed,” Zhang Wen smiled and admitted without hesitation.
“Well-informed? The whole academy already knows!” Amyris exaggerated with a pout.
“Teacher Zhang, why did you agree to this condition?” Charlette asked anxiously.
“Why wouldn’t I agree?” Zhang Wen replied with a smile, turning the question back on her.
“Th—this…” Charlette hesitated in front of Zack and Cloud. She couldn’t very well tell Zhang Wen bluntly: Our Almeyth’s martial arts department is the worst of the worst. Taking the martial arts students to fight against Themis Academy is a surefire loss.
“Hehe, you don’t have to say it. I know what you’re thinking,” Zhang Wen said with a knowing smile.
“Right!” Charlette nodded heavily.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage