Teacher Zhang

Calmly sweeping her gaze around the classroom, Huo Yuhao ignored the girls' ardent enthusiasm and the boys' hostility, then headed straight to a seat by the window in the last row.

Not bad. He was the only one sitting here.

Resting his chin on his hand, he gazed out the window, paying no attention to the chatter in the classroom.

As the bell rang, the noisy classroom gradually fell quiet.

"Click, click, click..."

The crisp sound of high heels striking the ground rang out in the corridor, growing nearer and nearer.

Each step seemed to strike at the hearts of the boys and girls, sending ripples of excitement through them. Even Huo Yuhao couldn't help turning his head.

Men would be men, after all.

The classroom door opened. The first thing to enter was a slender, jade-white foot in a white high-heeled shoe. The heel stood a full ten centimeters high. Following the full, rounded calf, smooth as jade, his gaze traveled up to a long, slender, fair leg clad in flesh-colored stockings.

The newcomer wore a blue-and-white professional skirt suit. Her long black hair fell to her waist, displaying her tall, graceful figure to the fullest. Her lightly made-up face wore a somewhat stiff smile. Though it seemed a little forced, she was still captivating.

Every movement she made carried a quiet, gentle grace that made her unforgettable at first sight.

"Wow..."

"Wow... Teacher, you're so beautiful..."

The instant Zhang Lexuan appeared, the entire class let out a chorus of awestruck sighs...

After all, even in the inner court, this woman was the goddess in the hearts of most male students. To these little kids in the outer court, she was on an entirely different level, forcibly reshaping their standards of beauty.

Although Huo Yuhao was also amazed that his homeroom teacher was such a stunning beauty, that wasn't what concerned him.

It might sound like bragging, but through his Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao could sense the emotions of living beings. For example, most of the males present were feeling something like "desire."

But the overall emotion radiating from this teacher was... sorrow, an unbearably dense sorrow that seemed impossible to dispel. This was the first time Huo Yuhao had seen someone carrying such overwhelming sadness...

So unlike the other boys, whose eyes were full of adoration, his gaze toward Zhang Lexuan held a hint of... pity.

She must have gone through something that had left her unable to move on. In other words, even her smile now was just an act.

Thinking of what Ma Xiaotao had told him earlier, Huo Yuhao had formed some conclusions of his own.

Zhang Lexuan smiled as she swept her gaze across the children of Class Ten. Her beautiful black eyes were captivating, but an invisible pressure suddenly settled over everyone.

Unavoidably, Zhang Lexuan also noticed Huo Yuhao, the most eye-catching student in the class.

He was a very cute child. Even she was seeing such a beautiful boy for the first time, especially with eyes so clear...

But what was that look in his eyes supposed to mean?

Though curious, Zhang Lexuan still spoke warmly. "Hello, students. My name is Zhang Lexuan. I'm an inner-court disciple, and I'll also be your homeroom teacher. It's a pleasure to meet a group of little geniuses like you."

Zhang Lexuan's voice was exceptionally pleasant and gentle, as if she were whispering right beside their ears. Yet the boys and girls alike instinctively sat up straight, each settling into their seat as though afraid of leaving their homeroom teacher with a bad impression.

There was only one exception.

Huo Yuhao had barely paid attention to what Zhang Lexuan said. Instead, he watched the scene outside the window with curiosity.

There were at least a hundred people outside, running laps around Shrek Square in a ragtag pack. At the very center of the square stood a woman in her sixties, glaring fiercely at the students.

The pink-and-blue head among them looked the most familiar. Huo Yuhao thought for a while before finally remembering that the kid was called Dong or something?

Never mind. It wasn't important.

"Huh?"

Only then did Huo Yuhao notice another figure running at the back of the group, limping along.

The person looked ordinary, with nothing particularly distinctive about him. If anything, the hair on both sides of his head stuck up like dog ears, making him look a little comical and strange.

He seemed to be injured, limping as he ran. Though he was last, he was still doing his best to catch up with the group.

Huo Yuhao couldn't help frowning. Seriously, they made injured students run laps too? That was way too harsh. What kind of teacher was this...?

Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside him. "You there, it's not a good habit to let your mind wander during class."

Huo Yuhao jolted. He instinctively met Zhang Lexuan's smiling eyes, only then noticing that the entire class was staring at him, each of them looking as if they wanted to eat him alive.

Damn it, this kid again!

With such a beautiful teacher right in front of him, he was staring out the window instead. What was he putting on airs for...?

Huo Yuhao immediately stood up and awkwardly scratched his head. "Ah... Sorry, Teacher."

At a time like this, there was no need to explain. Just admit fault.

Zhang Lexuan glanced at Huo Yuhao and said calmly, "Mm... There's no need to cover any lessons during our first class. Let's start by getting to know one another."

"Then you there, please introduce yourself to everyone first."

Uh...

Doing his best to ignore his classmates' displeased looks, Huo Yuhao braced himself and spoke. "Hello, Teacher Zhang. Hello, everyone. My name is Huo Yuhao. My Martial Soul is Spirit Eye, and I'm a level thirty-six control-system Battle Soul Elder."

The moment he said this, an uproar broke out.

"How... how many? Level 36!"

"An eleven-year-old Soul Elder?! My god..."

"How did he cultivate...?"

Zhang Lexuan raised a hand slightly. No one could tell what she had done, but the entire class immediately fell silent.

"Mm... Huo Yuhao, I've heard of you," Zhang Lexuan said, her eyes brimming with meaning. "Huo Yuhao has the highest cultivation among this year's new students. He also broke the record for Soul Power among new students entering Shrek Academy. He's an example for all of you, so you should learn from him."

Huo Yuhao wasn't stupid, of course. Zhang Lexuan wasn't praising him to make him a role model. She was setting him up as the target for everyone to chase.

The days ahead weren't going to be easy...

"However..." Zhang Lexuan shifted gears, her voice taking on a hint of warning. "Huo Yuhao, don't think that having good talent gives you the right to stop paying attention in class."

Huo Yuhao nodded repeatedly. "Mm-hmm... Yes, Teacher Zhang."

Seeing Huo Yuhao looking so obedient and well-behaved, Zhang Lexuan suddenly felt something different stirring in her heart.

She couldn't quite explain the feeling. She just had an urge to bully him a little.

She blinked, seeming not to mind stirring up trouble. "Mm... Huo Yuhao isn't just in the control system; he also has the highest cultivation in our class. So, for now, Huo Yuhao will be Class Ten's class monitor. Of course, his position isn't permanent. Whoever defeats him can take his place. Anyone who wants to be class monitor, do your best."