What a Mess...

"Ah!!"

"Monster!!"

The ordinary students wailed with tears streaming down their faces, scrambling and crawling as they fled in all directions.

Xiao Chenyu and his group also forced themselves to overcome their trembling legs and escape, completely devoid of the arrogance they had displayed just a minute ago.

"..."

"..."

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

Xiao Wu and the others all had their mouths agape in unison, too shocked to utter a single word.

So... this was the true strength of Xia Yan!

One against twenty?!

Xia Yan turned back:

"No one will dare to bully the work-study students again, rest assured."

"..."

"..."

After a brief moment of dead silence, "Oh!!!"

Cheers suddenly erupted, shaking the very blades of grass.

The group of work-study students, flushed with excitement, rushed toward Xia Yan and hoisted him high into the air:

"Oh!!!"

"Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Brother Yan!"

They would finally never have to be bullied again!

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu stood frozen in place, clutching her chest as her little heart pounded wildly. Her watery eyes reflected the figure being swarmed by the crowd.

The swarm of snakes had frightened her as well.

Those snake shadows had truly been like a living mass of serpents, surging and frenzied.

In just a single instant, Xia Yan had easily dealt with over twenty people.

She had always believed that she was the most powerful one.

So it turns out...

The corners of her soft mouth curled up into an unintentional arc of relief.

So... I am not unique.

Soon, the news of Xia Yan's feat of taking on twenty people spread like wildfire throughout Notting Academy. Every student and every teacher heard of it, and they were all utterly stunned.

Is it true or false?

Is this student really fierce enough to take on twenty people at once?!

By evening, the news reached the ears of Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, who had just returned.

Tang San was greatly alarmed. How could this be possible?

Where did he get a spirit ring? Who helped him obtain it?!

One against twenty?

It must be a rumor! Even I couldn't take on twenty people at once; it must be a rumor!

Yu Xiaogang was equally shocked.

What?

He has already absorbed a spirit ring?!

No, Xia Yan, you were supposed to follow my theories! You were supposed to be a defense-type spirit master!

The Black Tower is heavy; you should have used defensive spirit skills!

How could you obtain a spirit ring without authorization?!

Are you trying to prove that I am wrong?!

At night, Tang San tossed and turned, unable to sleep, staring at Xia Yan's empty bed, which seemed to radiate an invisible pressure.

His mind was filled with nothing but how to surpass Xia Yan.

Meanwhile, in Yu Xiaogang's office, under the flickering candlelight, a middle-aged man draped in a black robe appeared silently before Yu Xiaogang.

"Clap!"

The teacup in Yu Xiaogang's hand slipped instantly, shattering into pieces upon hitting the floor.

"You... you are!"

The next day, Yu Xiaogang called Tang San to his office.

His stiff face was plastered with a look of kind, friendly concern:

"Little San, how did you sleep last night?"

Tang San did not understand why his teacher suddenly seemed like a different person. He had always been caring before, but he would never have worn such a... intimate smile.

It looked strange.

However, he shook his head honestly:

"I didn't sleep well. Xia Yan is too strong; I don't know how I can beat him."

Yu Xiaogang smiled gently:

"It's alright. Since it's too difficult, we won't do it. How about this? I'll change your goal. Let's make it reaching level twenty before graduation, and at the same time, becoming good friends with Xia Yan. How does that sound?"

"Eh?"

Tang San was stunned for a moment, blinking in confusion:

"Teacher, what do you mean?"

Yu Xiaogang's smile was beaming, yet it looked incredibly ugly and stiff. He wanted to reach out and pat Tang San's head, but suddenly remembering something, he pressed his hand back down.

"Heh, Little San, Teacher has reflected on this. Xia Yan is also a good child. Teacher shouldn't stir up conflict between you two. You should be good friends; there is no need to become rivals. From today on, you should try to befriend him, rather than wanting to defeat him."

Tang San was left bewildered. That wasn't right—the goal had been set just the day before yesterday, so why change it today?

It had only been three days!

Also, why was his teacher acting so strange? His smile was very odd, and it felt forced, as if he were being coerced.

He observed Yu Xiaogang's face again. His eye bags were swollen and his sockets were dark; he clearly hadn't slept well.

Could it be...

Could it be that...

Oh!

In an instant, Tang San had a sudden realization.

Yes!

It must be that after the teacher returned and heard of Xia Yan's exaggerated battle record, he hadn't slept all night out of fear that Tang San would be under too much pressure, so he specifically changed the goal.

All of this... was for his sake!

Tang San felt a wave of emotion wash over him, his vision even blurring with a thin mist.

A teacher for a day is a father for life...

Teacher!

"Teacher!"

Tang San suddenly shouted, startling Yu Xiaogang, who hurriedly asked:

"What is it, Little San?"

Tang San straightened his back, his voice firm. He stared unblinkingly at Yu Xiaogang, clenched his fists, and made a generous vow:

"Teacher, rest assured!"

"I will definitely surpass Xia Yan! I will trample him under my feet!"

"This is for me, but even more so for you, Teacher!"

"?!"

Yu Xiaogang turned deathly pale with fright and hurriedly covered his mouth: "Little San, what are you saying?!"

"How can you say such things?!"

"You have to maintain a good relationship with Xia Yan!"

Otherwise, your father will kill me!

He revealed a smile even uglier than his usual ones, the corners of his mouth twitching as he desperately tried to pull them upward, yet the corners of his eyes remained turned down.

It was truly uglier than crying:

"You cannot say such things, Tang San. You must maintain a good relationship with him, if only for the sake of your teacher!"

"You two must become good friends!"

I want to live!

You are trying to get me killed!

Tang San, however, was completely oblivious to this. Seeing his teacher so uncharacteristically agitated, he was moved to the point of tears.

Look, how much Teacher cares for me. For my sake, he hasn't even slept all night!

To ensure I don't feel pressured, he even came personally to persuade me to let go of my goal.

This is his love for me.

But... this is also a denial of my capabilities!

Who says I cannot defeat Xia Yan?!

He grasped his teacher's warm, large hand, his gaze filled with a vow-like determination as he looked at Yu Xiaogang, his eyes showing a seriousness never seen before:

"Teacher, do not worry. Before graduation, I will trample Xia Yan beneath my feet!"

"For him to look down on Teacher is to look down on me!"

"No--!"

Yu Xiaogang was so terrified that his legs were trembling. He regretted taking Tang San as his disciple; he regretted it.

He truly regretted it!

This boy is trying to take my life!

Why won't you just listen to reason?!

What on earth are you thinking?!

A chill ran down his spine, and he was truly on the verge of tears: "Tang San, listen to your teacher, please, just listen to your teacher!"

"Teacher was wrong, Teacher was truly wrong!"

But Tang San did not listen at all.

His mind was filled only with gratitude; his teacher was one of the few people in this world who cared for him.

He cared even more than his own father!

"Teacher!"

"Rest assured, I will work hard!"

Yu Xiaogang clutched his head and wailed.

Tang San was moved to tears in his heart.

For a moment, the office, occupied by only the two of them, seemed remarkably lively.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Tang Hao wore an entirely different expression: "..."

"?"