Wu Zhangkong Gets Schooled

The next morning, the eight o'clock bell rang right on time.

Upholding the fine first-day-of-school tradition, with everyone getting along and all being well,

the lesson could be coasted through if possible.

What?!

Kong Zi, the students in Class Five hadn't even introduced themselves one by one, and you were already telling them to run laps around the field?

Fifty laps each, no exceptions?

Have you no humanity?

He remembered that in the original story, Wu Zhangkong had at least coasted through a lesson with introductions, laying down the rules for Class Five and learning about his students. Now that he wasn't the homeroom teacher, was he just going to...

Tsk—!

Fine, fine. Now that he was an assistant teacher, he was slacking off. One of them said something outrageous, and the two of them had to deal with the fallout together, huh?

Na'er and Gu Yue both looked over at him, their eyes full of pleading.

The words "I don't want to run laps" were practically written on their faces, along with those of all their classmates. Seeing them looking so wronged, Su Jiu's heart softened, and he couldn't bring himself to make them do it.

Please, help...

"Everyone, Teacher Wu was just joking with you. We'll run laps today, but not that many. Don't worry."

At Su Jiu's explanation, the whole class breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't have to run fifty laps, that was fine. In this sweltering midsummer heat, they'd be dried out and baked black by the time they finished.

Their first impression of Wu Zhangkong plummeted.

"Then we'll start this lesson with introductions. Teacher Wu and I will go first."

Ignoring Wu Zhangkong's increasingly displeased expression, Su Jiu introduced himself:

"Hello, everyone. My name is Su Jiu. You can call me Teacher Su. I'm no great talent, but I've dabbled in every profession and a variety of fields. So if you have any questions after class, you can come to me or Teacher Wu."

"I understand you all. In my class, you only need to follow the school and class rules. I won't impose any personal rules. Whether you study is up to you; I won't interfere too much. So I hope you'll understand me, too."

Su Jiu paused and glanced toward Gu Yue and Na'er. He'd already half-raised Gu Yuena into a slacker, and he didn't want Na'er and Gu Yue to follow in her footsteps under his watch. So he sent them a telepathic message:

"You two are exceptions, okay? If you don't want to lose your free time after class, you can slack off and ignore the lessons."

Na'er nodded obediently, while Gu Yue turned her head aside and gave a soft snort.

"Right, that's about it for my introduction."

If they were on Earth, nine- and ten-year-olds would still be in elementary school, right? They were at the age when they most wanted to play. No matter how physically mature they were, their minds would still be at that stage. They were all just kids.

There shouldn't be much wrong with bringing over a university teacher's approach to teaching.

Anyway, when the time came to teach, he'd hand over control of his body to A-Qi and let her handle the lesson. He could go sleep in his Sea of Consciousness. What a sweet deal.

A-Qi: "..."

Fine, fine. Fight the Abyssal Emperor, research abyssal energy and divine power, dig through data, train models, help you impersonate Blood Two and Leng Wuduan, cultivate your spiritual power... And now teach your classes, too. You really divided up all eight times the processing power from my passive ability, huh?

Su Jiu yielded the podium to Wu Zhangkong, but the moment Wu Zhangkong stepped up, he began contradicting Su Jiu, trying to topple his authority as the lead teacher.

"My name is Wu Zhangkong. I'm your assistant teacher."

"I'll say it again: every student in this class will run fifty laps, not one less. No lunch until you finish!"

"Running laps was a method used by the great divine teacher Yu Xiaogang to train our ancestor, the Sea God. With this method, he trained seven gods!"

"I don't need to say more about the value of running laps, do I? If you want to become a powerful Soul Master, running laps is essential! So don't waste time. Get down there and run."

Wu Zhangkong's heartfelt words once again stirred up the whole class. They were no longer smiling.

"Hold on, Teacher Wu. Isn't fifty laps each a bit excessive? Can a Power Attack System Soul Master have the same physical fitness as an Auxiliary System Soul Master?"

Su Jiu objected.

Wu Zhangkong clearly had too lofty a view of things. He'd brought the fixed, stereotypical image of Shrek Academy, packed with geniuses during his own student days, to Class Five. This was just an ordinary Class Five.

It was no exaggeration to say that among the first-year students at Eastsea Academy at this point in the original story, aside from Gu Yue, who was putting on an act, only the rather ordinary Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi could get into Shrek Academy—and even then, they'd only be bottom-of-the-class students.

"You can't lump them all together like that. Excessive exercise like this overloads them and drains their potential, holding back their futures. When that happens, who will be responsible? Who will pay the price?"

"Then let me ask you, Teacher Su. What will they do if they encounter an Evil Soul Master one day?"

"Teacher Su, answer me!"

In an instant, Su Jiu's expression darkened. All trace of casualness vanished from his face, replaced by utter seriousness.

"Teacher Wu, this question... Be careful what you say, be careful! Especially since we're teachers. How could you even ask that?"

"Where's your faith? Where's your faith?"

"Did you forget everything you memorized from the Federation Declaration when you took your teaching certification exam?"

Wu Zhangkong was the one left dumbfounded by Su Jiu's words. Was there anything wrong with what he'd said?

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it!

"Teacher Wu, by asking this question, you're already questioning the Douluo Federation in your subconscious—and questioning Shrek Academy, the guardian of peace on the continent!"

At the mention of the sacred ground in his heart, Shrek Academy, Wu Zhangkong could no longer keep his calm facade. This Su guy actually dared to question his faith. He was practically—

Su Jiu's thoughts were perfectly clear: only Shrek could defeat Shrek!

"Most of the students here will never leave this vast Eastsea City in their entire lives. And Eastsea City is the largest city in the eastern part of the federation, so it naturally receives the federation's close attention. The customs checkpoints are bound to be heavily guarded. Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's Inspection Corps searches the entire continent for Evil Soul Masters. The moment they find one, they execute them without question."

"One force in the open, one in the shadows. That's how we got the peaceful, prosperous Douluo Federation we live in now."

"Teacher Wu, you're enjoying the fruits of their labor. By saying this, you're denying the blood and sacrifice of the Douluo Federation and Shrek Academy. Now that you can stand here as a teacher and say those words, how can you face them?"

"Even if we look at it from the most pessimistic angle, only front-line Soul Masters ever encounter Evil Soul Masters. Have any of us seen one?"

"So, Teacher Wu, your words and way of thinking are a little dangerous. Don't say things that undermine unity~"

Su Jiu shook his head. It was time for his favorite part again: pinning a label on someone.

Wu Zhangkong was showing signs of turning red-eyed and breathing like a bull. Anyone who dared slander his devout faith in Shrek was, according to the third rule of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, an enemy. If they deserved death, he shouldn't show them mercy, or he'd only bring himself more trouble.

He could already tell that Su Jiu was bringing him trouble. Working backward, Su Jiu deserved death. Working backward once more, he was sure this guy was an enemy!

"Oh? Teacher Wu, you seem a little unconvinced. Then let's settle who gets the final say the traditional Shrek way: in the ring. We won't fight to the death, just to decide the winner. We'll stop once we've had enough."

Sure enough, people who came out of Shrek Academy wouldn't listen to reason until they'd taken a hit.

He'd nearly turned Yun Ming into a woman already.

"Fine. As you wish."