Early in the morning, Zuo Yi woke up on a recliner.
He discovered that he had actually slept in the little courtyard all night. The charcoal in the barbecue grill had long since turned into cold ashes, and bamboo skewers used for grilling ingredients were scattered messily across the ground.
After summoning the Giant Spirit Witch Slave to clean up, Zuo Yi returned to his room to wash up.
Then he went into town for breakfast and took the bus to work.
Today was Zuo Yi's first day as an instructor at Heavenly Vast Martial Arts Hall, but the beginning of his teaching career was far from pleasant.
"Let me introduce everyone..."
Shang Yulin said, "This is your swordsmanship instructor, Teacher Zuo Yi. He'll be responsible for your Basic Swordsmanship training."
At its peak, Heavenly Vast Martial Arts Hall had more than twenty combat and swordsmanship instructors, three senior mentors, and over two hundred students. It had once been quite well-known in Hang City's martial arts circle.
But that was long in the past. Now, only Shang Yulin and Zhang Dahai remained as instructors, and there were barely any students.
The people Shang Yulin had just introduced to Zuo Yi were the new students recruited during this year's summer break. There were only five of them, four boys and one girl, all in their teens.
As soon as she finished speaking, one of the arrogant-looking boys frowned and demanded unhappily, "Director Shang, why aren't you teaching us swordsmanship? Why does it have to be this guy?"
He gave Zuo Yi a critical glance, curling his lips in disdain.
What a joke. He had paid to join Heavenly Vast Martial Arts Hall because he wanted to learn swordsmanship from Shang Yulin, this beautiful instructor. Otherwise, there were plenty of better martial arts halls in Hang City. Why would he come here?
"Yeah!"
The companion beside the arrogant boy immediately chimed in, "Director Shang, we want to learn swordsmanship from you!"
"Me too!"
The noise gave Shang Yulin a headache, but she still patiently persuaded them, "Zuo Yi is a Professional Rank Three swordsman. He's fully qualified to guide you in Basic Swordsmanship training..."
"Only Professional Rank Three?"
The arrogant boy's eyes widened as if he had suffered some grave insult, his expression exaggerated. "Then that's even more unacceptable! Director Shang, if you make us learn swordsmanship from him, then we're not learning. Refund our tuition!"
The lackey beside him waved the flag and shouted, "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Refund the tuition!"
A few steps away, Zhang Dahai was watching the commotion with several martial arts hall students.
With his arms folded, he looked at Zuo Yi with obvious mockery in his eyes. He was clearly delighted by Zuo Yi's embarrassing predicament.
"Fine, then."
With the new students clamoring for refunds, Shang Yulin could only compromise helplessly.
Still, she tried to salvage the situation. "Those who want to learn swordsmanship from me can come with me. Those willing to learn from Teacher Zuo can stay."
These five new students were practically Heavenly Vast Martial Arts Hall's last hope. They had spent so much time and effort recruiting them. If they all left now, not only would the newly collected tuition have to be refunded, but the martial arts hall's already dwindling reputation would be ruined as well.
So no matter what, Shang Yulin could not let that happen. She could only work harder and teach the students herself.
The arrogant boy and two other boys immediately went to her side. Then, after hesitating for a moment, the pretty girl followed them as well. That left only one chubby boy on Zuo Yi's side.
Shang Yulin was a little surprised. "You're willing to learn from Teacher Zuo?"
The chubby boy smiled honestly and nodded. "I am."
The arrogant boy and his companions looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Instead of following the long-legged, beautiful, mature female director standing right in front of him, he wanted to learn swordsmanship from some rough old man? Had a donkey kicked him in the head?
He was obviously stupid!
Shang Yulin, however, felt greatly relieved. "Good."
She hurriedly said to Zuo Yi, "Then I'll leave him to you."
After saying that, Shang Yulin quickly led her four students away, afraid that they might suddenly change their minds and leave Zuo Yi unable to save face.
"Ha!"
Zhang Dahai gave a laugh and took his own students away to practice boxing—the show was over.
That left only Zuo Yi and the chubby boy staring at each other.
"Interesting..."
Zuo Yi suddenly smiled and asked, "What's your name? Why didn't you go with them?"
"Teacher, my name is Sun Qiang."
The chubby boy scratched his head and answered somewhat shyly, "I... I don't like being with Zhao Shaohui and the others."
Zuo Yi nodded and asked again, "Then why are you learning swordsmanship?"
Chubby Sun Qiang swallowed and said, "I want... I want to lose weight. And I don't want to be bullied."
As he spoke, he turned to look at the arrogant boy learning swordsmanship from Shang Yulin in the distance.
Zuo Yi understood immediately.
This boy was clearly often bullied, and those who bullied him were the same type as that arrogant boy. He would rather learn from Zuo Yi than hang around people like him.
"Student Qiang..."
He reached out and patted the other's shoulder. "Come with me."
"My name is Sun Qiang."
The chubby boy protested weakly, but he still obediently followed Zuo Yi to the sword room.
Heavenly Vast Martial Arts Hall had two separate sword rooms. Back when the martial arts hall was thriving, the sword rooms had to be reserved in advance, and there were time limits for their use. Now, anyone could use them whenever they wanted. No one competed for them at all.
The sword room Zuo Yi chose was the very one he had often used years ago when he studied at Hongwu Martial Arts Academy. Compared to back then, the equipment and facilities inside had barely changed, though they were much more worn down and clearly lacked maintenance.
Pulling his gaze back, Zuo Yi focused on the student before him and asked, "Have you learned combat or swordsmanship before?"
Sun Qiang shook his head like a rattle drum.
"Then you have no foundation..."
Zuo Yi pondered for a moment and said, "How about this? I'll teach you a movement. Practice it for a while first, then we'll learn sword techniques."
Without waiting for Sun Qiang to answer, Zuo Yi suddenly stepped forward and flashed behind him in an instant. He extended his right index finger and struck like lightning at the first vertebra in the back of Sun Qiang's neck.
Sun Qiang had no time to react. He only felt a scorching breath enter through his cervical spine, instantly piercing down his entire backbone before spreading through his limbs and body all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes!
The sheer intensity of that sensation was beyond words. Student Qiang's hair stood on end, his eyes rolled back, his limbs twitched, and his whole body trembled. He nearly pissed himself on the spot.
The next moment, he involuntarily tucked in his head, spread his arms, raised a leg, and straightened his body. Like a puppet controlled by strings, he stiffly and mechanically completed a strange movement.
In less than half a minute, Sun Qiang was already drenched in sweat after completing the movement. Beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on his forehead and quickly slid down his plump face, making him look especially comical.
Zuo Yi withdrew his finger.
It was as if Sun Qiang's spine had been pulled out. He collapsed limply onto the floor and let out a pig-slaughtering howl.
"Ah~"
He had wanted to scream earlier, but Zuo Yi's control had made it impossible for him to utter a sound. The soreness, pain, numbness, and itchiness inside his body now reached their peak, and he could only vent them this way.
The sword room door was open, and Sun Qiang's cries were so miserable that everyone in the hall outside heard them clearly.
Shang Yulin, who was guiding the new students in swordsmanship, changed expression when she heard it and rushed toward the sword room without thinking.
The others looked at one another, then hurried over to see what had happened.
The first to reach the sword room, Shang Yulin saw Sun Qiang sprawled on the floor in utter disarray. His face was twisted, and he looked as though he had just endured unbearable torture.
The sight shocked Shang Yulin beyond measure. She could not help roaring at the unconcerned Zuo Yi, "What did you do?"
Tears streamed down her face as she shouted, "How could you do this!"
Ever since Shang He passed away, Shang Yulin had taken on the responsibility of caring for her family and the martial arts hall. The pressure on her had been immense during this time. Day and night, she worried and fretted, with the string in her heart stretched to its limit.
Now that she had finally recruited several new students, she never imagined that Zuo Yi would cause something like this!
If anything serious happened to Sun Qiang, the martial arts hall would not only have to pay a huge sum in compensation, but its reputation would also suffer a devastating blow.
All the effort and heart Shang Yulin had poured into keeping the martial arts hall alive would be wasted!
Shang Yulin even suspected that Zuo Yi had colluded with someone else and deliberately come to Tianhong to cause trouble.
She deeply regretted agreeing yesterday to let Zuo Yi become an instructor at the martial arts hall!
Third update. This was an extra chapter owed to Alliance Leader Li Shugen from the previous book. Thanks as well to Wu Liang for the generous reward, and thank you to everyone who gave rewards!
Before you continue