You Are Fired

"You are fired."

Inside the office of the Red Mountain Academy Dean, the white-haired Red Mountain Dean looked at Lin Ximeng standing before him, his tone stern and filled with a sense of disappointment.

Just moments ago, the person in charge of the Proud Arrival City Spirit Pagoda Branch had personally called via Soul Guidance Communication, conveying the intent of a certain big shot at the headquarters with polite yet unquestionable phrasing, while detailing the ins and outs of the incident.

Under normal circumstances, this would indeed have been a trivial, insignificant matter.

That Blue Silver Grass is a trash Martial Soul is practically common knowledge in the world of Soul Masters; children making a few jokes, a teacher being slightly lax in management, or even harboring a bit of personal contempt, none of these would count as earth-shattering mistakes.

Even if students or parents were dissatisfied and filed complaints, the academy had plenty of ways and reasons to stall or smooth things over.

But who could have known that this time, Lin Ximeng had kicked an iron plate and offended someone who absolutely could not be offended?!

Beyond anger, the Red Mountain Dean even felt a faint trace of lingering fear and relief in his heart.

When Wang Chuan enrolled, they had conducted a background check as per standard procedure, knowing only that his father, Wang Zhe, was a Three-Ring Soul Venerable and a Level 3 Soul Master.

He was considered a person of status in Proud Arrival City.

But his influence was at most on par with his own as Dean, perhaps even slightly inferior.

Who could have expected that behind this child stood the Vice Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, a level 98 Super Douluo, a peerless powerhouse with the title "Heavenly Phoenix"! And he was her direct disciple!

With that, the nature of the situation changed entirely.

A trivial classroom conflict instantly escalated into a "major event" that required the academy's highest level of management to handle with caution and provide a clear explanation!

In order to appease any potential dissatisfaction from that big shot, and to curry favor with the Spirit Pagoda...

Lin Ximeng, as the person directly responsible, naturally became the "price" that had to be paid.

Lin Ximeng's face was drained of all color, her body trembling slightly.

She never could have imagined that simply revealing her true opinion of a "trash Martial Soul" student, as she usually did, would lead to such terrifying consequences!

A disciple of the Spirit Pagoda Vice Pagoda Master...

Such an identity was like a star in the clouds to her, completely out of reach.

Her heart was filled with regret; if only she had been a little more impartial at the time, or even just spoken up to stop the mockery...

Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in this world.

"Dean, I..."

"I know I was wrong, can you give me one more chance?"

"I will definitely be careful in the future..."

Lin Ximeng said with a sobbing tone, attempting a final struggle.

The Dean waved his hand impatiently, cutting her off:

"You know you're wrong now?"

"It's too late!"

"Pack your things and leave the academy immediately!"

Lin Ximeng's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

She knew that in the educational circles of this city, she would likely never find a place to stand again.

After the afternoon classes ended.

Wang Chuan also left the academy directly.

He had not walked far from the academy gates when he heard a flurry of hurried footsteps behind him.

He turned his head to look and saw it was Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin jogged to catch up and stopped in front of him, panting slightly, his face still flushed with a hint of the excitement and gratitude that had lingered since the morning.

He looked up at Wang Chuan, his eyes bright and sincere, though his voice was very soft:

"Thank you for today."

Wang Chuan was slightly surprised.

To him, it had truly been a trivial matter done on a whim, both because he disliked Lin Ximeng's conduct.

And also out of a bit of preemptive goodwill toward Tang Wulin, this future "wretched soul."

He hadn't expected Tang Wulin to chase after him specifically to express his thanks.

"It was a small matter, don't take it to heart."

Wang Chuan's tone was calm.

"Cultivate well, prove it to yourself, and prove it to those who look down on you."

"Mm!"

Tang Wulin nodded vigorously, his expression incredibly earnest.

"I will definitely work hard!"

Just then, Wang Chuan's gaze inadvertently swept over the entrance of a small alley not far from the academy's side gate, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.

There, a small figure was crouching in the shadows by the corner of the wall, motionless.

A head of soft, silver hair refracted a faint halo under the slanting afternoon sunlight, making it exceptionally eye-catching.

Na'er.

This name immediately surfaced in Wang Chuan's heart.

It looks like the plot point has arrived.

Wang Chuan thought to himself.

He then glanced at Tang Wulin beside him with a sense of helplessness.

According to the original trajectory, Tang Wulin's attention should be drawn to Na'er at this moment, thereby initiating the bond between them.

But because of his own intervention, Tang Wulin was currently filled with gratitude and closeness toward him, his eyes following him constantly, seemingly completely unaware of the special girl at the alley entrance.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Wang Chuan suddenly look at him and then elsewhere, Tang Wulin asked curiously.

To the six-year-old Tang Wulin, Wang Chuan, who had stood up to defend and encourage him during his most embarrassed and self-deprecating moment, had undoubtedly become a person of great weight in his heart, even carrying a hint of fledgling-like dependence.

Wang Chuan shook his head and withdrew his gaze:

"Nothing."

Before the words had even faded, a few malicious laughs and whistles came from the direction of the alley.

Several young men, dressed like hoodlums and around fifteen or sixteen years old, swayed as they surrounded Na'er, who was crouching there, their faces filled with teasing and greed.

Wang Chuan's eyes turned slightly cold, and his thoughts stirred once more.

This time, the wind elements he stirred were even more pronounced.

A violent whirlwind suddenly whipped up out of thin air at the alley entrance, whistling as it rushed toward those young men.

The wind was powerful yet precise, like an invisible giant hand that knocked them over, sending them screaming and flailing into the depths of the alley.

Finally, with a few thuds and clangs, they fell in a sorry state into several large trash cans piled in the corner, their cries and curses muffled by the lids, becoming indistinct.

Everything happened too quickly; Tang Wulin only saw a gust of wind blow past, and those delinquent youths had vanished, causing him to widen his eyes in astonishment.

Wang Chuan ignored that side and walked toward Na'er, who was still crouching in the corner, seemingly unresponsive to everything that had happened in the outside world.

He stopped in front of the girl, the afternoon sunlight casting down from behind him, gilding his silhouette with a soft golden edge.

He bent down slightly and reached out his hand toward that small, silver-haired figure.

His voice was not loud, but it reached Na'er's ears clearly, carrying a steadiness and gentleness that belied his age:

"Would you like to... be my little sister?"

Na'er seemed startled by the voice, slowly and somewhat stiffly raising her head.

The dazzling sunlight made her instinctively squint her eyes.

Against the light, she could not see Wang Chuan's face clearly, only a warm and blurred silhouette enveloped in sunlight.

At the same time, an indescribable aura that made her feel incomparably close and peaceful...

Radiated from this big brother, creating a wondrous resonance with some source deep within her bloodline.