Chapter 25: Looking for Trouble

"Young Master Shang!"

Cao Xiong's face was full of flattery.

"So it's Teacher Cao. You're looking for me?" Shang Bin looked over with confusion.

Both were teachers at the academy, and they had quite a bit of contact on a daily basis, but they had never really become close.

"It's like this. There's something I might need to trouble Young Master Shang with!" Cao Xiong hesitated for a moment, then said.

"If I can help, I'll do my utmost!" Shang Bin said.

As the direct grandson of Elder Shang Chen, he was used to many teachers coming to him with requests every day.

"It's like this. I... finally managed to take on a good student yesterday, but he was tricked away by another teacher using deceptive methods. Elder Shang is in charge of teaching, isn't he? I wanted to ask... if it's possible to have this student transferred back to me..."

Cao Xiong said.

Liu Yang was the best student he had spent great effort to recruit, but because he lost to Zhang Xuan in a competition, the more he thought about it afterward, the angrier he got. Today, he couldn't hold it in any longer and came directly to find Shang Bin.

Shang Bin's grandfather, Elder Shang Chen, was the academy's dean of instruction. Changing a student's teacher was very simple for him.

"Transfer back?" Shang Bin frowned. "If that student is willing, it's very difficult! You also know, students are quite troublesome these days. If they're slightly dissatisfied, they'll report it to the royal court or the Teachers' Guild, and we..."

"He's not willing! I can guarantee it!" Cao Xiong said quickly.

"Even if he's not willing, if the other teacher is unwilling to let go, it's not easy either. You know the school's rules..." Shang Bin waved his hand, then suddenly looked up. "You just said... tricked? Which teacher tricked your student away?"

"It's that 'waste teacher' Zhang Xuan from our academy..." Mentioning the young man, Cao Xiong clenched his teeth, his face full of hatred.

"Zhang Xuan? Your student was tricked away by him?" Hearing this name again, Shang Bin's anger also flared up.

If it weren't for this guy, he would definitely have had dinner with the goddess yesterday. A brat who was only a Martial Artist third layer and scored zero on the teacher qualification exam actually dared to ignore his authority—truly reckless!

If it weren't for the goddess being present yesterday, making it inconvenient to resort to violence, he would have beaten him to a pulp long ago!

"Yes! With a teacher like that, who would be willing to be his student? So, I wanted to trouble Young Master Shang to speak with Elder Shang and help me transfer him back..." Cao Xiong said cautiously, afraid the other might refuse.

"No need to speak with Elder Shang. I'll go solve it for you right now!" Shang Bin waved his hand.

"Solve it for me?"

"With other teachers, I might need my grandfather's help to mediate. But for a waste like Zhang Xuan, why bother with such trouble? Just go directly and demand the person. If he doesn't give him up, I'll beat him to a pulp!"

Shang Bin waved his hand grandly, his momentum imposing.

Against other teachers, he really had no way, but for this guy who scored zero on the teacher qualification exam, it was too easy to teach him a lesson!

Not only was his strength poor, but the key point was that no one in the academy would stand up for him!

Most importantly, he had been planning to beat this guy up to vent his anger, but he was worried about not having 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 had tricked someone else's student, and the aggrieved party had come to him. He could just use this as a pretext!

"This..." Not expecting Shang Bin to be so generous, Cao Xiong couldn't help but be stunned.

"No more 'this' or 'that.' Come with me. If you're scared, I'll do it for you!" Shang Bin's lips curled up, and a cruel glint flashed in his eyes.

"Then thank you very much, Young Master Shang!" Cao Xiong's eyes lit up with excitement, and he quickly nodded. The two of them strode together toward Zhang Xuan's classroom.

Before long, they arrived at the door of Zhang Xuan's classroom and saw Yao Han, who looked like a mummy, and the eldest young master of the Wang family.

"Wang Tao, why aren't you cultivating properly at your grandfather's place? What are you doing here?" Shang Bin frowned.

Although he was the grandson of Elder Shang Chen, compared to Wang Tao's status, there was still a gap.

"Teacher Shang Bin!" Wang Tao bowed. "My sister was tricked into attending class here. I plan to take her back..."

"Shang Bin?"

Yao Han, who had been pondering whom to ask for information, upon hearing that the young man before him was Shang Bin, quickly looked up.

"You mean Miss Wang Ying? She was tricked too?" Shang Bin's face darkened, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "This Zhang Xuan has some nerve! He even dares to deceive Miss Wang—courting death! It seems if I don't teach him a lesson, it will be hard to convince the masses!"

"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 here?" Shang Bin snorted, looking at him with suspicion.

"Well..." Wang Tao dared not say he had been beaten out. He scratched his head, unsure how to answer, when Yao Han on the side spoke up: "Doesn't the academy have a rule that no one is allowed to enter before class is dismissed? So we have no choice but to wait outside!"

"And this is..."

Only then did Shang Bin notice Yao Han, who looked like a mummy.

"This is Yao Han, the chief steward of Lord Zhao, the city lord of White Jade City!" Wang Tao quickly introduced.

"So it's Steward Yao. I've long admired you!" Shang Bin quickly nodded, then added: "The academy does have a rule that no one can enter before class is dismissed, but it's fine. You can follow me inside. Today, I'll personally teach this liar who lacks professional ethics a lesson!"

"Good!" Hearing that he would take action himself, Wang Tao's eyes lit up, and he quickly followed. Yao Han hesitated for a moment, then followed as well.

...

Inside the room.

"The Hongtian Ninefold Art, although the most basic cultivation method of Hongtian Academy, still has many issues. For example..."

The five students sat in the classroom, listening to Zhang Xuan's lecture.

After listening for only a short while, they were all deeply shocked, as if they had eaten a ginseng fruit, utterly captivated.

Among the students present, except for Yuan Tao, each had a remarkable background. Before coming to the academy, they had already studied systematically. They had attended many teachers' classes, and even some martial artists at the fifth or sixth rank had given them guidance... But from childhood to now, they had never experienced a class like this.

It gave them a feeling of sudden enlightenment. Previously perplexing doubts became clear, and the energy within their bodies stirred according to the teacher's words, as if on the verge of a breakthrough at any moment.

The lecture was excellent!

Listening to Zhang Xuan's class, 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 methods to her. She had always believed that her father was one of the best lecturers in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom—after all, his strength was evident!

But now, compared to Teacher Zhang, it was like a frog at the bottom of a well discussing the size of the sky—utterly ridiculous. There was simply no comparison between the two; they were not on the same level!

Teacher Zhang's explanations hit the nail on the head. No matter how profound the technique or martial skill, he could instantly point out its flaws, leaving people stunned, contemplative, and unable to calm down for a long time.

Often, after Teacher Zhang explained one sentence, they would have to ponder for a long time. By the time they finally understood and were thrilled, they would realize he had already been speaking for a while, and they had missed the knowledge.

"Teacher Zhang's... level is truly too high!"

At this moment, the five students finally understood just how profound a martial foundation and how powerful a knowledge system this young man, who seemed not much older than them, possessed!

"I used to foolishly think Teacher Zhang was just lucky to have instantly boosted my strength. Now I realize that with his insight, doing this is child's play! There are probably hundreds of ways to double my strength..."

Liu Yang, who had always been self-righteous, stood there trembling. "Compared to Teacher Cao Xiong... ah, forget it, there's no comparison. The gap is too vast; they're not even in the same world! Thank goodness they made that bet, otherwise how could I have encountered such a good teacher..."

The five disciples, each excited, listened attentively, afraid of missing any important information. Just as the teacher and students were enjoying a harmonious moment,

Creak!

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