Have you had enough? Calling us trash and idiots was bad enough, but now you're calling us mediocre just because we haven't gotten into any fights during registration?
Because Zhou Yi was their homeroom teacher, the students dared not speak up despite their anger.
"'Those who don't dare cause trouble are mediocre.' Didn't Flender tell you what comes next? 'Those who go looking for trouble are idiots.'"
The weightless words suddenly rang in everyone's ears. They grated on Zhou Yi, but the students felt their spirits lift.
Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, displeased. She was used to throwing her weight around, so of course she wasn't happy when someone suddenly showed up and dared to talk back to her.
She wanted to see which fool had the gall to contradict her.
Following the voice, she saw Director Du Weilun of the Outer Court's Martial Soul Department standing at the classroom door with an unfamiliar young man.
The young man looked about twenty-four. He had black hair and golden eyes, and a handsome face with a faint smile that made him seem remarkably approachable.
But when Zhou Yi remembered that he was the one who had just contradicted her, she found herself suddenly irritated with him.
"Director Du, what brings you here?" Normally, with Fan Yu backing her and her own temperament, Zhou Yi barely gave Du Weilun the time of day. But with so many students watching, she had no choice but to show the director some respect.
Down below,
Huo Yuhao froze when he saw the young man, then grew so excited that "Brother Naiya!" slipped out before he could stop himself.
That's right. The young man standing at the door was none other than Xia Linyuan's Inverted Clone—"Nyarlathotep."
The day before, when he had used the Voice of the Black Pharaoh to control Yan Shaozhe, he had also had him arrange everything necessary for his hiring at Shrek Academy.
Gu Yuena stared at the clone standing in the doorway, stunned. Then she turned to Xia Linyuan in disbelief. "What's going on? You and him, him and you..."
Wasn't the man standing at the door exactly how Xia Linyuan had appeared to her over the past six years? But Xia Linyuan himself was sitting right beside her. How could there be another...
"Say less. Watch more," Xia Linyuan said calmly.
Du Weilun's expression stiffened. "This is Nyarlathotep, the academy's newly hired trainee teacher. Since Teacher Naiya has no teaching experience, Dean Yan has decided to assign him to Freshman Class One for the time being, where he'll work with you, Teacher Zhou."
"Xia Linyuan" looked at Zhou Yi, wearing that harmless smile as he said, "Those who don't dare cause trouble are mediocre. Seeing it for myself really is something else. I never expected Teacher Zhou's teaching style to be so... bold."
Zhou Yi replied coolly, "You're Teacher Naiya, correct? Class is in session. Please don't go off topic and waste the students' valuable class time."
At Zhou Yi's shameless words, the students nearly spat in her sour, scowling face.
Could you have any less shame?
What the hell do you mean, don't waste our valuable class time? Weren't you just calling us trash, idiots, and mediocrities? Now that someone's called you out, you suddenly care about not wasting time?
Pah!
Du Weilun gave Xia Linyuan a slight nod. "Teacher Naiya, if there's anything about teaching you're unsure of, you can ask Teacher Zhou. She'll be happy to answer your questions."
Xia Linyuan nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, Director Du."
After Du Weilun left, Zhou Yi's expression darkened. She made no effort to hide her displeasure with Xia Linyuan.
Once inside the classroom, Zhou Yi introduced him curtly. "This is Teacher Naiya. For the time being, he'll be working with me to oversee your studies."
Xia Linyuan smiled, looking exceptionally approachable. The contrast between him and Zhou Yi's sour expression couldn't have been clearer.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Nyarlathotep. You can call me Teacher Naiya. For the time being, I'll be working with Teacher Zhou to oversee your studies. One thing I should mention, though: don't try to provoke your teachers. Respecting your teachers is important."
Hearing "Don't try to provoke your teachers. Respecting your teachers is important," Zhou Yi's gloomy expression finally softened a little, and she couldn't help feeling rather pleased.
No matter how much you dislike my teaching methods, you still have to play along with me now, don't you?
But Xia Linyuan's next words wiped the smugness right off her face.
"Of course, I believe that respecting students is also one of the standards by which a teacher's competence should be judged. Respect goes both ways. If a teacher leads by disrespecting students, what reason do they have to respect her?"
Teacher Naiya had smiled as he told them not to provoke their teachers, then used the opportunity to take a swipe at Zhou Yi for disrespecting her students. By the end, she looked as though everyone present owed her several million Gold Soul Coins. The students secretly rejoiced.
Long live Teacher Naiya!
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't realize I'd gone on for so long and wasted your valuable class time." Xia Linyuan put on an apologetic expression, then turned to Zhou Yi and gestured for her to continue.
Zhou Yi didn't even look at him. "All of you, get outside and run one hundred laps around Shrek Academy's plaza. This is your first entrance test. Anyone who hasn't finished within an hour will be expelled!"
Her words set off another uproar.
Anyone who didn't finish would be expelled? What kind of rule was that?
Some of the students instinctively looked to "Teacher Naiya," hoping he would speak up for them.
Thanks to his simple demonstration that "respect goes both ways," some of the students in Freshman Class One had already accepted this trainee teacher.
But they had forgotten that he was only a trainee teacher.
When they all turned their eyes on him, Xia Linyuan shrugged, indicating there was nothing he could do.
He had only just joined Shrek Academy. It was best not to make too much of a scene yet. He could always step in once Zhou Yi tried to expel them.
That way, shifting the blame would be much easier.
When nobody moved, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow again and snapped, "A minute has already passed. I'll give you one more. If anyone's still in the classroom after that, you're expelled!"
As she spoke, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from her. The forceful fluctuations of her Soul Power left the students gasping for breath, while six Spirit Rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose from beneath her feet.
The students stared in horror at Zhou Yi, whose six Spirit Rings revolved around her.
Teacher Zhou was actually a Soul Emperor!
Before you continue