Betraying One's Own Student?

Wang Jianguo had no room to refuse.

A Northern Territory Sergeant Major volunteering to accompany them—that was an immense honor for any martial high school.

When the lead teachers from the other five schools heard the news, their eyes turned red with envy.

"Why does Ping'an Martial High School get a Sergeant Major escort?"

"Exactly! We at Yuncheng Martial High School want one too!"

The guards explained for a good while before finally stabilizing the situation.

Lin Feng couldn't be bothered with any of that. He only kept his eyes on the Ping'an Martial High School team.

Over sixty people entered the rift one by one.

Ping'an Martial High School went third.

Wang Jianguo walked at the very back of the line, separated from Lin Feng by over a dozen students.

His steps were noticeably slower than usual, his legs a bit weak, but not to the point of being unable to move.

The first layer of the F-Class Rift was much like the one Lin Feng had entered at the Seventh Defense Line back then.

Sparse Iron-Armored Demon Wolves and Steel-Tooth Rats lined the passageways on both sides—all low-tier beasts at the Martial Disciple level.

The military had stationed instructors and veterans at key positions to ensure safety, making sure no student would lose their life.

Lin Feng followed behind the Ping'an Martial High School team, Mountain Splitter hanging at his waist, still sheathed.

F-Class beasts weren't even a warm-up for him.

His attention was entirely on Wang Jianguo.

Once inside the rift, Wang Jianguo seemed to regain some of his nerve.

He muttered quietly to the young teacher beside him.

"That kid's just a Sergeant Major, not some big official. When I get back, I'll find connections in the provincial education department to file a complaint against him—say he let his men assault an educator..."

"Director Wang, please don't," the young teacher said, looking deeply troubled.

"What's there to be afraid of? What can he do to me?" Wang Jianguo touched his own burning cheek where he'd been slapped, lowering his voice even further. "Once we're back in the provincial capital, I'll make him know what it means to cross Wang Jianguo."

To ordinary ears, these words might have been inaudible.

But Lin Feng was a Martial Master at the fifth stage.

A Psychic Master's perception range covered a hundred meters.

Every single word Wang Jianguo said came through loud and clear.

Lin Feng said nothing, following the team deeper into the rift.

Second layer.

The density of beasts increased.

A swarm of Steel-Tooth Rats burst out from cracks in the ground, squeaking as they charged toward the student formation.

The lead instructor shouted, "All squads, form up! Engage according to training drills!"

The students scrambled into stances, some raising blades, others drawing swords, chaos reigning.

Lin Feng leaned against the rock wall, watching the students clumsily fight the Steel-Tooth Rats.

These kids had wildly uneven skill levels—those at the third stage of Martial Disciple couldn't even handle a single rat, while those at the fifth stage barely managed.

Wang Jianguo hid at the very back of the team, neck tucked in, a short sword in his hand with the tip pointing down—clearly unwilling to step forward.

"Director Wang, we need you up front to hold the line," the young teacher called back.

"I'm observing the overall situation from the rear!" Wang Jianguo declared with righteous solemnity.

Lin Feng watched from the side, silent.

The students struggled for a good while before finally clearing all the Steel-Tooth Rats.

No casualties—at worst, a few scratches. The instructors handed out low-tier healing pills.

The team pressed on.

Third layer.

This was the bottom of the F-Class Rift.

The variety of beasts increased—Iron-Armored Demon Wolves, Venom-Sting Lizards, Rock-Shell Beetles all appeared, and their numbers swelled.

The instructor led the way at the front, with students advancing in groups.

Lin Feng noticed that every other school's lead teacher stayed close to their own students, ready to intervene the moment danger arose.

Except for Wang Jianguo.

Not only did he not move forward, but he shrank further and further back, practically sticking to Lin Feng.

Probably figuring that staying close to a Sergeant Major was safer.

"You're supposed to be a lead teacher. Aren't you going up to check on your students?" Lin Feng spoke up.

Wang Jianguo's face couldn't hold up under the question.

"I... I was watching the rear, in case any aberrant beasts launched a sneak attack from behind."

"Third layer of an F-Class Rift—what's there to sneak-attack?"

Wang Jianguo's lips moved, but no words came out.

Lin Feng ignored him and kept walking forward.

A commotion broke out ahead.

A Mutated Demon Wolf, twice the size of an ordinary Iron-Armored Demon Wolf, burst out from a side passage.

Martial Disciple, eighth stage.

In an F-Class Rift, this thing counted as a mini-boss.

Before the instructor in charge of security could arrive, the Mutated Demon Wolf had already lunged at the nearest group of students.

Those students were all at Martial Disciple third or fourth stage—they couldn't withstand it.

The lead girl screamed as the wolf's claw sent her flying. She slammed into the rock wall, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Help!"

The students scattered in panic.

Wang Jianguo was the closest.

His first instinct wasn't to step forward and protect the students.

He grabbed the collar of a short male student beside him, shoved hard, and pushed that student between himself and the demon wolf.

"Block it! You all go!"

The short boy stumbled and fell to the ground, right in the demon wolf's path.

The wolf pounced, jaws wide.

Lin Feng's hand rested on Mountain Splitter's hilt.

No rush.

He didn't strike.

Just before the wolf's teeth reached the student, an instructor charged in from the side, slashing at the wolf's hind leg and forcing it back.

Two veterans followed up immediately, and three strikes finished off the Mutated Demon Wolf.

The short boy lay sprawled on the ground, trembling all over, his pants soaked.

The instructor pulled the student up and shot a look at Wang Jianguo.

"You're the lead teacher? What just happened?"

"I... I judged that he was closest to the demon wolf, so I directed him to draw its attention first." Wang Jianguo stammered out his explanation.

The instructor's face turned ashen, but out of deference to an outside school's staff, he didn't lose his temper on the spot.

Lin Feng had seen everything clearly from behind.

Wang Jianguo shoved a student into the path of a blade.

He wasn't just a corrupt official—he was a coward.

No, worse than a coward.

A coward only fears death; this man traded a student's life for his own.

Lin Feng took a deep breath.

He took his hand off Mountain Splitter and walked up to Wang Jianguo.

Wang Jianguo instinctively stepped back twice.

"Sergeant Major, something you need?"

"Director Wang, that shove you just gave that student—pretty smooth."

Wang Jianguo's face flushed crimson.

"I didn't shove him. I gave a direction."

"Directing a Martial Disciple third-stage student to block a Martial Disciple eighth-stage Mutated Demon Wolf?"

Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but every student in the formation heard it.

Several students' expressions shifted. The looks they shot at Wang Jianguo were filled with fear and fury.

The short boy who'd been shoved was still sitting on the ground, lips pale, fists clenched.

"Director Wang, oh, Director Wang," Lin Feng crouched down and brushed the dirt off the short boy's clothes. "Back when you embezzled the students' subsidies, I could still understand—people are greedy, plenty of them around."

"But using a student's life as a human shield? You actually pulled that off?"

Wang Jianguo swallowed hard.

Lin Feng stood up and swept his gaze across the surrounding students.

"Everyone, there are still a few stretches of road ahead, and we might encounter more aberrant beasts. Your Director Wang is unreliable."

He tapped the badge on his chest.

"It's fine. As long as I, Sergeant Major Lin, am here, rest assured and keep moving forward."

Over thirty students nodded almost in unison.

A few of the girls already had red-rimmed eyes.

Wang Jianguo opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

He lifted his head and looked around, as if searching for an exit.