After a long while, Wang Dong was the first to finish a hundred laps. Only then did she stop to rest.
She braced her hands on her knees and bent over, gasping for air. Sweat dripped from her cheeks and soon darkened a small patch of ground.
She raised her head and glanced at "Zhou Yi" from time to time.
So this is the infamous old woman. She even brought a switch. Is she planning to whip anyone who disobeys?
Wang Dong grumbled inwardly, but she did not dare show a trace of displeasure.
As time passed, more and more students finished their laps.
They gathered in twos and threes at the edge of the square. Some slumped to the ground, some leaned against the wall and gasped for breath, and others simply lay flat. Every last one of them was exhausted.
At last, everyone stopped running. All eyes fixed on "Zhou Yi."
"Finished?"
"Zhou Yi" asked without a change of expression, as casually as if she were asking about the weather.
Yet for some reason, everyone there felt an inexplicable chill shoot 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, you can rest for now..."
"Zhou Yi's" voice echoed over the square. Each name struck its owner's heart like a little hammer.
The eight students turned pale, their legs weak. They shuffled out of the group and stood in a row, heads lowered, not daring to meet "Zhou Yi's" eyes.
"Will you admit it yourselves, or do I have to point it out?"
"Zhou Yi's" tone remained calm, but the invisible pressure soaked the eight students' backs with cold sweat.
Tai Long stood on the far left. He was a sturdy boy with dark skin, the sort who clearly spent a lot of time outdoors.
He watched the switch crack in "Zhou Yi's" hand and swallowed, just about to admit what he had done.
Then something unexpected happened.
The human-skin mask on "Zhou Yi's" face fell off without warning.
Beneath that aged, severe face was one of breathtaking beauty.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her features looked as though they had been painted. Her peach-blossom eyes tilted slightly upward, carrying a hint of languor and allure. She looked nothing like the wrinkled old woman from moments before.
Everyone: "???"
The entire square fell so silent a pin could have been heard dropping.
Everyone stared with wide eyes and open mouths, frozen where they stood.
What was going on?
"Ah..."
"Zhou Yi" froze for a moment, then touched her face and murmured, "How did my mask fall off...?"
She bent down, picked up the mask, weighed it in her hand, then gave everyone another "fierce" glare.
But there was nothing intimidating about her now.
Tai Long stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Teacher Zhou Yi is actually this young? This beautiful?
The last thread of reason in his mind snapped.
He immediately stiffened his neck and refused to admit a thing.
"I didn't slack off! I finished my laps! Teacher, you can't accuse an innocent person!"
His tone and expression were nothing like before.
Crack!
The switch in "Zhou Yi's" hand landed squarely on his backside without hesitation.
Tai Long shuddered, but a strange blush spread across his face.
He lowered his head bashfully, an unmistakable note of anticipation in his voice.
"Teacher, I was wrong. If you're angry... you can whip me a few more times."
The other seven glanced at "Zhou Yi," then instinctively at Tai Long. Their eyes twitched.
Then they shouted in unison.
"Teacher, we want to be whipped too!"
The corner of "Zhou Yi's" mouth twitched. Was there something seriously wrong with these people?
But she obliged them anyway.
Beautiful teacher, now offering a hundred free lashes.
For a time, screams rang across the field, mingled with a strange trace of excitement.
The switch struck backsides again and again, accompanied by stifled cries of pain and something they could not quite hide...
Pleasure?
Damn it. Why did I have to be so honest and run all hundred laps? some students thought. A few even said it under their breath.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a look, then stared at their classmates in bewilderment.
Was there something wrong with them?
Had running scrambled their brains? How were they feeling smug about getting whipped?
"Zhou Yi" cleared her throat to quiet everyone, then spoke loudly.
"Students, you're one group. If they didn't finish, you bear some responsibility too."
"They skipped twenty laps in total, so all of you will run another twenty."
Before anyone could protest, "Zhou Yi" pulled a pile of black boxes from her Storage Ring.
Each box was only palm-sized, pitch-black and covered in intricate patterns. None of them looked like good news.
With a casual wave, "Zhou Yi" sent the boxes flying as if they had eyes. They stuck to every student in Class One with a series of clicks.
Chests, backs, thighs—each student had a black box attached somewhere. They clung so tightly that no one could pull them off.
"These are called Timed Soul Guidance Bombs."
"Zhou Yi" said it lightly, as though remarking on the pleasant weather.
To the students, her words landed like thunder.
Timed Soul Guidance Bombs?
They all knew a little about Soul Tool bombs. Such Soul Tools were immensely powerful, supposedly capable of leveling a small hill.
But what was a Timed Soul Guidance Bomb?
"Zhou Yi" smiled. In the sunlight, her smile was dazzling. To the students, it was more terrifying than any devil.
"As the name suggests, it explodes at a set time. Of course, it can also be set to explode early."
With that, "Zhou Yi" took out another black box, tapped it, and tossed it into the sky.
Boom!
An explosion erupted above the field, leaving everyone's ears ringing.
A dazzling fireball bloomed in the sky. Even from far below, they could feel the force of the shock wave.
The students were stunned. Even Wang Dong could not help trembling.
What kind of teacher planted timed bombs on her students?
And the worst part was that they couldn't even take them off!
In that instant, the way everyone looked at "Zhou Yi" changed.
She was beautiful, but she was a devil of a teacher!
That smile of hers is terrifying!
"Zhou Yi" smiled again. Her smile was as gentle as water, yet it sent a chill down every spine.
"Don't worry. Finish the remaining laps, and the bombs will disarm themselves. But if you don't..."
She left the sentence unfinished, but everyone understood.
"Run!"
No one knew who shouted first. The crowd surged forward and began running flat out.
No one dared slack off or complain now. As if shot full of adrenaline, they pumped their legs and sprinted ahead with everything they had.
Even Huo Yuhao, exhausted as he was, tapped into strength beyond his limits.
His legs moved as if they had springs in them, each stride long and quick. His breathing sounded like a bellows, but he did not dare stop.
Tired?
That meant nothing when his life was on the line!