Shrek Academy finished enrolling its new students in less than a week, and today was their first official day of classes.
Huo Yuhao got up very early. When he arrived at Freshman Class One, there were still hardly any people in the entire Freshman Teaching Building.
He glanced around the spacious, empty classroom, walked straight over to a seat in its very center, and crossed one leg over the other, his posture utterly brazen.
As time passed, more students entered the classroom. But when these later arrivals saw Huo Yuhao's wild, unrestrained appearance, they instinctively kept their distance.
Gradually, a strange scene took shape in the classroom: an empty center surrounded by crowded edges.
Just then, Wang Dong entered the classroom. The moment she stepped through the door, she saw Huo Yuhao standing out like a crane among chickens, and exasperation darkened her face.
Huo Yuhao got up very early every morning. Wang Dong had wondered what he was doing getting up so early before classes had even started, and only after following him did she discover that he was actually selling barbecue at the academy gates!
How bizarre!
She walked over and sat beside Huo Yuhao. "I thought you'd be busy selling barbecue again today and forget we had class!"
Huo Yuhao said, "I'm not like you. Both my parents are dead, so I have to support myself."
He had no intention of treating Dai Hao as his father. With one flap of his lips, he had pronounced the still-living White Tiger Duke dead.
"An orphan?" Wang Dong froze, not having expected Huo Yuhao to have such a background.
She said nothing more and quietly waited for the teacher to arrive.
The classroom gradually filled up. There were around a thousand freshmen in total, divided into ten classes. Freshman Class One had a hundred students, packing the spacious classroom to the brim. His brother by default, Dai Huabin, hadn't been assigned to Class One, so Wang Dong was the only person Huo Yuhao knew in the class.
Thanks to Wang Dong's outstanding looks, the empty seats around Huo Yuhao had filled with girls before he knew it, though they all seemed to be there for Wang Dong.
Seeing that the teacher had yet to arrive, the freshmen started chatting among themselves, and the classroom grew noisy.
"Have you heard? Our homeroom teacher has a terrible temper!"
"Really?"
"Yeah. An upperclassman told me our homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi, is an old spinster they call the monster teacher!"
"The dropout rate among her students is far higher than any other teacher's."
"No way. Then I'm doomed."
Some of the weaker, less confident students silently prayed.
Just then, someone suddenly walked through the classroom door.
She was a stunning beauty with white hair and black eyes, and she looked very young. Her long white robe could not conceal her graceful figure.
Her bright eyes swept across the classroom, carrying a trace of oppressive authority.
That pressure seemed to have an intimidating effect. The noisy classroom instantly fell silent, and every student stared blankly at her, silently repeating, She's so beautiful!
The woman stood at the lectern and introduced herself in a cool, clear voice. "Hello, everyone. My name is Zhou Yi, and I'm the homeroom teacher of Freshman Class One. In the days ahead, I'll be guiding your studies at Shrek Academy."
She gave a slight smile, her expression friendly.
One freshman muttered, "What's all that about? Isn't she just a really nice older sister? How could anyone call her an old spinster?"
Zhou Yi praised them. "You've all traveled a thousand miles to come to Shrek Academy. You must be talents from your respective countries, the pride of your families and elders, right?"
Hearing this, the students below the lectern couldn't help warming a little to their homeroom teacher.
"Then let's all head to the Sports Field and run a hundred laps first."
Zhou Yi gently clapped her hands, a cute smile appearing on her face.
But none of the students in the classroom thought she was cute. They merely stared blankly at her.
"Did I hear that wrong... did Teacher Zhou just tell us to run a hundred laps?"
"I think... I heard it wrong too..."
At the lectern, Zhou Yi forced a smile and stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao in the very center of the classroom.
What's going on?
Why isn't this how you said it would be?
I'm already being so friendly. Why still won't they listen to me?
Huo Yuhao merely looked at her, speechless.
So changing your teaching style means switching careers to become a preschool teacher?
Zhou Yi waved her hands. "Never mind, never mind. I forgot there's another step."
"Anyone who's been in a fight since enrolling, stand up."
Huo Yuhao stood without hesitation. Wang Dong pursed her lips and got to her feet as well.
Everyone else remained silent, their gazes focusing on the two of them.
"You really aren't good children. Your teacher will have to give you a proper scolding." Zhou Yi smiled with narrowed eyes. "Everyone else, go running first. I'm keeping these two here for a talk."
Seeing the students still dawdling, Zhou Yi finally lost patience. She slammed the desk and roared, "Get moving!"
A terrifying aura erupted from her, and six Soul Rings circled her body: two yellow, two purple, and two black.
She was actually a Soul Emperor-level Expert.
Abandoning her earlier friendly, gentle manner, she snapped, "Two hours! I'm giving you just two hours. Every one of you will run a hundred laps around the Sports Field. Anyone who fails will have hell to pay!"
"You two, get over here!"
At her sudden outburst, the students hurried out of the classroom one after another.
"Waaah-she really is an old spinster!"
"We're doomed!"
"How can someone so pretty be so fierce..."
Once all the other students had left, Zhou Yi walked toward Huo Yuhao with a sinister smile.
"Huo Yuhao, oh, Huo Yuhao. Is this the new method you were talking about? I spoke to them so nicely. Do they look like they respect my authority?"
Huo Yuhao was genuinely stunned by her performance. He said helplessly, "Teacher Zhou, changing your strict teaching style doesn't mean throwing away your authority as a teacher. This is honestly far too stupid..."
Wang Dong couldn't help being startled. When had Huo Yuhao become acquainted with Teacher Zhou Yi?
"All right, I'll keep feeling my way through it." Zhou Yi waved her hand, then asked, "Anyway, what's going on with you? You got into a fight before classes even started? What's your relationship?"
"Her name is Wang Dong. We're roommates."
"Why did you fight?"
"She bullied me. She thought being stronger gave her the right to order me around like a servant. I bet she's a spoiled rich brat back home too."
"Y-you-you're lying! You were the one bullying me!" Seeing Huo Yuhao play the villain who cried foul first, Wang Dong immediately defended herself.
"Oh? Then who won?" An interested expression appeared on Zhou Yi's face.
"H-he won." When Huo Yuhao remained silent, Wang Dong struggled for a moment before admitting it reluctantly.
"What?" Zhou Yi raised her eyebrows.
The enrollment records showed that Huo Yuhao had only one ring, while Wang Dong had two. Why had she been unable to beat him?
Zhou Yi's interest in Huo Yuhao couldn't help growing even stronger.
"It's fine. Fighting isn't a big deal. The academy has always taken a somewhat encouraging stance toward it."
"Upper-year students who take the initiative to bully lower-year students will be summarily expelled. But lower-year students challenging upper-year students, or fights between students in the same year, won't cause any trouble."
"Once you reach your second year, you'll be able to go to the Soul Fighting Arena and compete without holding back."
"Anyone who doesn't dare stir up trouble is mediocre, after all~"
Huo Yuhao frowned and looked coldly at Zhou Yi.
"Teacher Zhou, where did you get that twisted reasoning?"
"Since when did stirring up trouble become something worth praising?"