Manifesting Sanctity Before Others?

Then, every student's gaze turned in unspoken agreement toward the figure seated by the window.

Tang Wulin leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen he had somehow produced in his hand. The barrel spun nimbly between his fingers before he caught it steadily again.

Hearing Wang Yan's words, his movements paused slightly. He lifted his eyes to meet the gazes of nearly a hundred classmates, then tilted his head to look at the clearly somewhat flustered middle-aged teacher on the podium. He let out a long, silent sigh.

He set down the brush pen, rose to his feet, and turned to face the class. Bracing both hands against the edge of his desk, he spoke as gently as if chatting about everyday matters. "Teacher Wang is right. From now on, you can come to me with matters concerning the class. But there is one thing I need to make clear to you in advance..."

He paused, sweeping his gaze over the back rows before letting it linger briefly on several visibly more active students in the front row. Then the corners of his lips curved up, revealing a young man's candid yet slightly sly smile.

"I won't make you run laps at every turn like Zhou Yi. But if anyone thinks they can act recklessly or bully their classmates just because I'm standing in front to shield them, then don't blame me for being merciless. I don't have many virtues, but I do have a fairly good memory. At the same time, I hope you'll respect your teachers. We're not afraid of trouble, but don't go looking for it, either."

Low laughter and whispered chatter rose from below. The tense expressions on many faces visibly relaxed, and several bolder students even softly called out, "Hello, Class Monitor," only to be nudged by the elbows of those beside them.

Standing on the podium, Wang Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the classroom atmosphere ease. Even the fingers clutching his papers finally loosened somewhat.

He nodded toward Tang Wulin, his gaze carrying a measure of genuine gratitude.

Tang Wulin smiled at him, then sat back down. He set the brush pen on the desk and turned his gaze toward the sun rising higher outside the window, his expression as calm as though nothing had happened.

Plane tree leaves rustled outside the window, while warm morning light spread across the desk.

Gu Yuena leaned over from beside him, her silver-white hair slipping from her shoulder as its ends lightly brushed his arm. She moved close to his ear and whispered, "Big Brother became the class monitor. You're amazing!"

Tang Wulin turned his head and met those sparkling purple eyes. Smiling, he replied softly, "Mm, I'm the class monitor now. Na'er is really adorable."

Gu Yuena's eyes curved as she softly murmured, "Mm," then withdrew back into her seat. The tips of her ears were faintly flushed with an almost imperceptible red.

The amnesiac Silver Dragon King was truly adorable!

Unfortunately, it couldn't last long! She would probably become Gu Yuena again soon. By then, she'd be a mature beauty, and the little cutie would be gone.

When the dismissal bell rang, Tang Wulin had just put away the pen he had spun for the entire class into his storage soul tool. Before he could even stand and stretch his stiff shoulders, a young man in an inner courtyard uniform hurried in from outside.

The man was of average height and had regular features, with an urgency in his expression. His gaze swept through the classroom before landing precisely on Tang Wulin. He quickly walked to Tang Wulin's desk and gave a slight bow.

"Elder Tang, Sea God Pavilion requests your presence. Several elders are waiting for you."

Tang Wulin paused in the middle of packing his things, then nodded. He casually stacked the few thin books on his desk in the corner and stood up.

Good. I can't hide it anymore.

Seeing the horrified looks in everyone else's eyes, Tang Wulin actually felt a secret thrill rise within him.

Wasn't this exactly like what I'd fantasized about in my previous life? Someone suddenly bursting into the classroom to tell me, "My lord, you're the only one we're missing."

He turned to glance at Gu Yuena beside him. The little girl hugged her notebook and looked up at him, a hint of inquiry in her purple eyes. He reached out and gently pressed a hand atop her head. "I'm going to Sea God Island. You all eat first. Don't wait for me."

Then he casually took out a card and handed it to Gu Yuena. Everyone knew already, so why keep pretending?

As for Wang Dong, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and Huo Yuhao beside him, whose mind was still short-circuiting, Tang Wulin had no desire to explain things now.

So, after tossing them the card, he quickly left.

Gu Yuena obediently nodded, lowering her gaze back to the notebook in her hands. Then she slowly picked up the card. A huge tree was printed on it, with a trident beside it. This card...

The surrounding students instantly crowded around just to get a look at it.

Tang Wulin followed the inner courtyard disciple out of the classroom, passed through the ginkgo grove between the outer courtyard and the teaching district along a bluestone path, and turned onto the entrance leading to Sea God Island.

After arriving on the island, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet gave way to a natural walkway woven from the thick intertwining branches of the Golden Ancient Tree. It felt warm beneath his feet, carrying the pulse of life emanating from the tree's core. Every step felt as though he were treading upon the main artery of some living creature.

When he pushed open the wooden door of the Sea God Pavilion cabin, voices were already drifting out from within.

An argument of moderate volume was underway. Several aged voices overlapped, some deep, some sharp, some carrying obvious impatience. They were like a tangled mess of threads no one could sort out.

The moment Tang Wulin stepped through the doorway, every voice in the room stopped at once, as though their throats had all been gripped shut.

Six or seven people sat in the room.

Mu En sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of tea. The tea had long gone cold, but he did not drink it, merely held the cup steadily in his palm.

Yan Shaozhe sat at his lower right, looking solemn with a slight furrow between his brows. Xian Lin'er sat opposite him, her arms crossed before her chest and an unshakably cold expression on her face.

Qian Duoduo sat beside her, holding a small metal component and unconsciously rubbing its edges with his thumb. The remaining elders sat along both sides, their gazes all falling upon the young figure at the doorway.

Tang Wulin stopped just inside. The wooden door behind him closed on its own with an extremely soft creak. His gaze swept over the room. Rather than hurrying to sit, he remained standing by the door, raised his chin slightly, and spoke in an even, natural tone. "You summoned me because of Zhou Yi, didn't you?"

Mu En set the cold teacup on the table and beckoned him over. "Come sit. This matter does concern you today—your opinion, specifically."

Tang Wulin did as instructed, walking over and taking the empty seat beside Mu En.

The moment he sat in that seat, the atmosphere in the entire room subtly shifted once more. The elders' gazes flickered quickly between him and Mu En. No one spoke, but that silence itself was a statement.