Devil

After quite a while, Wang Dong was the first to finish one hundred laps, finally stopping to rest.

She braced her hands on her knees, bent over, and gasped for breath. Sweat ran down her cheeks and dripped onto the ground, quickly soaking a small patch of it.

She raised her head and occasionally glanced at "Zhou Yi."

Just as expected of the old woman from the rumors—she had actually brought a thorny whip. Was she planning to whip disobedient students?

Wang Dong grumbled inwardly, but she did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction on her face.

As time passed, more and more students completed the running task.

They gathered in twos and threes at the edge of the square. Some collapsed onto the ground, some leaned against the walls and panted heavily, while others simply lay flat. Every one of them was exhausted like a dog.

In the end, everyone stopped running, and all eyes fixed tightly on "Zhou Yi."

"Finished running?"

"Zhou Yi" asked without changing expression, her tone as casual as if she were asking about the weather.

Yet for some reason, everyone present felt an inexplicable chill shoot up from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.

"Cheng Cheng, Qiu Jianrao, Tang Dao, Shangguan Chentian, Lin Zeyu, Zhuge Yun, Tai Long, Tang Ling, step forward."

"As for Yun Xiaopiao, rest for now..."

"Zhou Yi's" voice echoed over the square. Every name was like a little hammer pounding against the hearts of those called out.

The eight of them went pale, their legs turning weak as they slowly shuffled out of the group. They stood in a row with their heads lowered, not daring to meet "Zhou Yi's" eyes.

"Will you admit it yourselves, or do you want me to point it out?"

"Zhou Yi's" tone remained calm, but the invisible pressure made cold sweat soak the backs of all eight students.

Tai Long stood on the far left. He was a sturdily built teenager with dark skin, clearly someone who often ran outdoors.

Looking at the thorny whip in "Zhou Yi's" hand, which cracked sharply through the air, his throat bobbed. He was just about to admit his mistake.

Then something unexpected happened.

The human-skin mask on "Zhou Yi's" face fell off without warning.

Beneath that aged, harsh-looking face was one of breathtaking beauty.

Her skin was white as snow, her features exquisite enough to seem painted, and her peach-blossom eyes tilted slightly upward, carrying a touch of laziness and charm. She was utterly different from the wrinkled old woman from before.

Everyone: "???"

The entire square instantly fell so silent that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, frozen in place as if they had been hit by a petrification spell.

What was going on?

"Ah~"

"Zhou Yi" froze for a moment, then reached up to touch her face and murmured, "Why did the human-skin mask fall off...?"

She bent down to pick up the mask from the ground, weighed it in her hand, then glared "fiercely" at everyone again.

Only now, she had completely lost her former intimidating presence.

Tai Long was dumbfounded, his face blank with confusion.

Teacher "Zhou Yi" was actually so young and so beautiful?

The string in his mind called reason snapped with a pop.

Then he immediately stuck out his neck and stubbornly refused to admit anything.

"I didn't slack off! I finished running! Teacher, you can't falsely accuse a good person!"

His tone and demeanor were completely different from before.

Smack!

The thorny whip in "Zhou Yi's" hand landed on his butt without hesitation, producing a crisp sound.

Tai Long trembled all over, yet a strange blush spread across his face.

He lowered his head somewhat shyly, his voice carrying an indescribable expectation.

"Teacher, I was wrong. If you're angry... then whip me a few more times."

The other seven glanced at "Zhou Yi," then instinctively looked at Tai Long, their eyes twitching.

Then they shouted in unison.

"Teacher, we want to be whipped too!"

"Zhou Yi's" mouth twitched. Did this bunch have some kind of serious illness?

Still, she granted their wish.

It was as if a beautiful teacher had gone online and gifted them a hundred consecutive whips.

For a time, miserable cries rang endlessly across the field, yet they carried a trace of strange excitement.

The sound of the thorny whip striking buttocks rose and fell, accompanied by muffled cries of pain, as well as that impossible-to-hide...

Pleasure?

Everyone silently thought to themselves. Some even muttered softly, "Damn it, why did I have to honestly finish all one hundred laps?!"

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance, then looked at their classmates with utterly bewildered expressions.

Did they have some kind of serious illness?

Had this bunch run themselves stupid? How could they take pride in getting beaten?

"Zhou Yi" cleared her throat, signaling everyone to quiet down, then spoke loudly.

"Students, you are one whole. They failed to complete the task, which means you bear responsibility as well."

"They ran twenty laps short in total, so all of you will run another twenty laps."

Before anyone could protest, they saw "Zhou Yi" take a pile of black boxes from her storage ring.

The black boxes were only palm-sized, pitch-black all over, and carved with intricate patterns. They did not look like anything good.

With a casual wave of "Zhou Yi's" hand, the black boxes flew out as though they had eyes, slapping themselves onto every Class One student.

Whether on their chests, backs, or thighs, everyone had one of these black boxes attached to them. They were stuck fast and could not be torn off no matter how hard they pulled.

"This thing is called a Timed Soul Guidance Bomb."

"Zhou Yi" said it casually, as if she were commenting on the pleasant weather.

But to the students, those words were like a thunderclap exploding beside their ears.

Timed Soul Guidance Bomb?

Everyone knew something about Soul Guidance Bombs. They were powerful Soul Guidance Devices said to be capable of leveling even a small mountain.

But what was a Timed Soul Guidance Bomb?

"Zhou Yi" smiled. The smile was especially radiant beneath the sunlight, yet in everyone's eyes, it was more terrifying than a demon's.

"As the name suggests, it explodes at a designated time. Of course, it can also be set to explode ahead of time."

After saying that, "Zhou Yi" took out another black box, slapped it, and tossed it into the sky.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted over the field, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

A dazzling burst of fire bloomed in the sky, and the powerful shockwave could be felt even from far away.

All the students were stunned. Even Wang Dong could not help trembling.

What normal teacher would put timed bombs on her students?

Most absurd of all, they could not remove them no matter what!

At that moment, the way everyone looked at "Zhou Yi" changed.

This beautiful teacher was like a demon!

Her smile was so eerie!

"Zhou Yi" smiled again, her smile gentle as water, yet it sent chills down everyone's spines.

"Don't worry. As long as you complete the remaining laps, this bomb will automatically deactivate. But if you fail to finish..."

She did not finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

"Run!"

No one knew who shouted first, but the massive crowd immediately began sprinting with all their strength.

At that moment, no one dared slack off anymore, no one dared complain anymore. Everyone ran as though they had been injected with stimulants, desperately pumping their legs and charging forward.

Even Huo Yuhao, exhausted like a dog, now unleashed potential beyond his limits.

His legs seemed fitted with springs. Every stride was wide and fast, and his breathing came in harsh gasps like a bellows, but he did not dare stop for even a moment.

Tired?

Compared to staying alive, it was nothing!