“I’ve already been stalled by Yuan Wendong and the others for too long. It’s going to be afternoon classes soon, so I’ll be heading back first,” said Chu Huanzhao.
There was hardly anyone left in the canteen. She casually wiped her mouth and stood.
“What class are you in?” Zu An asked out of curiosity.
“I…” Oddly enough, Chu Huanzhao began to fidget uncomfortably. Her voice also became a little weaker. “I’m from the Black class.
“Laugh if you want to. My older sister was a prodigy in the Sky class, reputed to be the strongest amongst the students, whereas I’m nowhere near in comparison to her. I have been mocked many times in the past, so I can’t be bothered with it anymore.”
Unexpectedly, Zu An patted her shoulders gently. “You must have had a hard time, huh? You don’t need to worry anymore, I’m here to lower the bar. I’m from the Yellow class, remember?”
He still remembered how everyone seemed to harbor ill will toward him when he’d first arrived in this world. This lass was the only one who stood up for him when everyone in the ancestral hall was trying to get him punished. Seeing how downcast this matter had left her, he couldn’t bring himself to make a jab at her.
Chu Huanzhao was taken aback by his remark. She stared at him deeply for a moment before muttering softly, “Thank you.”
Zu An continued, “Everyone has their own strengths. Perhaps your strength just doesn’t lie in cultivation.”
Chu Huanzhao felt her eyes misting over as she looked at him, touched by his words. “What do you think my strength is, then?”
Zu An was left speechless by her question.
I was just comforting you. I didn’t expect you to take it for real!
Nevertheless, staring into Chu Huanzhao’s expectant eyes, there was no way he could bring himself to say that she had no strengths at all, right?
However, the two of them had only known each other for a short period of time, and no matter how much Zu An racked his brain, he couldn’t seem to say what her strengths were. It took him a long while before he finally squeezed out an answer. “Your legs… are long?”
As ridiculous as it might sound, it was actually an honest thought. Even now, he could still remember that pair of slim and perfectly proportionate legs dangling loosely while she was seated on a table that night. Those were a sweet pair of legs that could easily walk into the heart of any man.
It seemed the saying was true: those who were smaller in the chest were more than compensated for by their legs.
Of course, that was possibly the worst answer he could have given Chu Huanzhao. “Pui, you pervert!” she spat, then fled from him with her face bright red.
Zu An stared at her departing back, his face all scrunched up.
What’s the point of just scolding me like this? Where are your Rage points? Why didn’t I receive anything at all? This is unfair!
Wei Suo walked over and fawned all over him. “Boss, I find myself more and more in awe with you. I reckon you are the only one in the academy who can make the tomboyish Second Miss Chu show such embarrassment.”
“Of course. Who do you think you are talking to?” Zu An replied cockily. “Ah right, what classes do we have in the afternoon?”
He had been thinking of escaping from the academy once he was done with lunch, but he’d unexpectedly received a huge wave of Rage points in his confrontation earlier. That had changed his mind about the academy, and he started to feel that things were not that bad here after all.
“I think it’s an etiquette and music class,” replied Wei Suo.
“Etiquette and music?” Zu An’s eyes lit up.
He’d noticed a common pattern from elementary school up to university—the Music Department always had the most beautiful female teacher. Be it their refined disposition or their graceful profile, it was hard to find even a single flaw in them. Now that he was in a world filled with ki, the music teachers had to be even more beautiful.
Zu An had never looked forward to a class that much before. He bounded back to the classroom, and ran into the fatty Man Yu chatting loudly with his sidekicks. Their group quickly fell silent as they noticed Zu An’s presence.
They had no choice but to lie low for the time being. They were no match for Zu An, and their backing wasn’t as strong as his either. In fact, Ye Chenliang was probably still being savaged by Lu De in the schoolyard at this very moment.
That Baldhead was really a sadist. Anyone who got caught by him would experience suffering that they would never forget.
Of course, Zu An couldn’t give a damn about them. His eyes were glued to the doorway of the classroom as he waited excitedly for the beautiful teacher who would soon walk in.
Finally, in walked a trembling old man. Zu An saw all of his dreams shatter right before his eyes.
Where are the promised refined disposition and graceful profile? At the very least, I should get a female teacher, right? Why in the world did I get an old man?!
The old man cleared his throat noisily. “Open your textbooks, we shall be starting a new chapter today—Rules of Propriety.[1]
“Values and morals are meaningless if not based on propriety. Reforming the society and improving the culture will be for naught if propriety is absent. Distinguishing between right and wrong will be impossible if propriety is not put in place.
“A liege and his subject, a father and his son; how could these ties be established if propriety is not upheld? A teacher and a student; how can a conducive relationship for the inheritance of knowledge be constructed if there’s a lack of propriety to dictate the relationship? A military commander and his soldiers; how should authority be maintained if propriety is neglected? Rites to worship the deities and the deceased; how could sincerity be conveyed if rituals were to lack propriety?
“Thus, men should learn respect, humility, and concession to uphold propriety. Parrots are capable of speech, yet mere birds they are. Apes are capable of speech, yet mere beasts they are. If humans lack propriety, even if they are capable of speech, what is there to differentiate them from mere beasts? It’s the lack of propriety that fathers and sons share a woman.
“Thus we have sages who determine propriety and educate the people. It’s the existence of propriety that humans know to set themselves apart from beasts…”
…
Save me!
Zu An was drowning in utter despair. Not only was the promised beautiful music teacher non-existent, but he even had to go through the torture of listening to the old man’s chanting. This was even worse than being in prison!
He stared out the window and wondered if he could escape from this classroom if he were to use Grandgale’s ability. However, considering how Wei Suo had mentioned that the teachers in the academy were all experts, he felt that the likelihood of that was very low.
Either way, that vile Baldhead, Lu De, was probably still in the schoolyard. If he were to escape right now, he could just fall right into that evil man’s grasp.
Finally, it was simply not worth revealing his trump card in public over such a minor reason.
With all that reasoning out of the way, Zu An could only dispel any thought of escape.
That being said, there was no way he was going to pay attention to these lessons. It was not as if these sermons would help him in life anyway even if he understood them.
So, he decided to secretly do his own personal work in class, just like how he secretly played mobile games under his desk in his previous life. He summoned the Keyboard, then turned warily toward Wei Suo and asked, “Do you see anything here?”
Wei Suo was bewildered by Zu An’s abrupt question, and he replied without thinking, “I see your hairsome face.”
“It’s handsome, not hairsome.”
Black streaks covered Zu An’s face. I know that he has buck teeth, but he really needs to work on his pronunciation.
At least that confirmed no one could see his keyboard. He sighed internally in relief.
Let me see how many Rage points I have. Hm?