The God of Literature Descended to Earth-You've Found a Treasure (Thanks to Mizhi Ji for the Alliance Leader Sponsorship)

This was Chen Shi'an's first time stepping onto a high school campus, and he had come as a Daoist priest.

He knew September 1 was the usual start of the school year, but after all those years as a Daoist priest in the mountains, he had never imagined he would return to school one day.

Compared with the mountain village primary school he had attended for a few days as a child, Yunqi No. 1 High School was enormous. The learning environments were worlds apart, too.

From the moment he walked through the school gates, the noise of the traffic outside began to fade. The change was strikingly clear to his ears.

Looking around, he saw that most of the students on campus were about his age. Their expressions were different from those of the hurried pedestrians in the city.

This place was like a special "barrier." It stood within the metropolis, yet temporarily shut out the turmoil of the outside world.

As Chen Shi'an looked at the students, they were looking at him, too.

Seeing someone in blue-green Daoist robes on campus naturally made them curious. In their dull, tedious school lives, even the tiniest thing unrelated to studying could spark intense interest.

"Hey, hey, look! Is that a Daoist priest? What's a Daoist priest doing at school?"

"Could be a student cosplaying..."

"Doesn't look like it... Holy shit! He went into the administration building! Looks like he's heading to the principal's office on the third floor!"

"What's going on?!"

Some stole glances, while others whispered among themselves. Before the bored students could dig up any more gossip, the security guard had already led the young Daoist into the administration building and toward the principal's office.

A few nosy students followed, crowding near the stairs to peer over. Only when the dean of students passed by and barked at them did they scatter...

"Young Master Chen, here we are. This is Principal Lin's office."

"All right. Sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all, no trouble."

Chen Shi'an withdrew his gaze from the students. He straightened his Daoist robes, brushed off the dust, and stood before the door with his back straight.

The principal's office door was ajar, and cool air from the air conditioner trickled through the gap like flowing water.

The security guard knocked.

"Principal Lin, Young Master Chen is here."

"All right, come in."

The guard pushed open the half-closed door, and Chen Shi'an walked inside.

At the same time, the middle-aged man behind the desk rose to greet him.

He had an ordinary face and looked young for his position, only in his forties. He was thin and wore glasses, though a little gray showed at his temples. He was not particularly sturdy, but his voice rang out clearly:

"Young Master Chen, you're here. Come on in, let's talk."

"It was quite a long journey, so getting here took some time. Sorry for keeping you waiting, Principal Lin."

Chen Shi'an clasped his hands and bowed politely.

Principal Lin returned the clasped-hands greeting with remarkably proper form.

The principal's office was spacious. At first glance, its layout was not much different from other offices, but its elegance lay in the details. The desks, chairs, doors, and cabinets were all made from materials of a much higher grade than those elsewhere.

Although Chen Shi'an would soon be a student at Yunqi No. 1 High School, Principal Lin did not treat him as merely a student. Once Chen Shi'an sat down, he warmly brewed some tea and handed it over.

"I first met your master more than twenty years ago. Back then, I was about your age, Young Master Chen. Time really flies. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Principal Lin sighed. "When your master called me, I was away on business. I rushed back, but I still didn't make it in time to see him off. I hope you won't hold it against me, Young Master Chen..."

"Your thoughtfulness means a great deal, Principal Lin."

Chen Shi'an accepted the tea. "Master often said, 'Life and death are like the turning of day and night.' He always took life and death in stride. You needn't blame yourself too much, Principal Lin."

"Old Daoist Master Chen truly was extraordinary. Few could match that state of mind."

"..."

Only Chen Shi'an knew whether his master had truly taken both life and death in stride, but he certainly would not undermine his master's dignity in front of others.

Chen Shi'an had already looked through the ledger his master left behind. "Lin Ming" was one of the longstanding creditors. Over the years, his master had borrowed thirty-eight thousand from him, along with a school place and two years of tuition and miscellaneous fees.

Perhaps his master had long since repaid these "loans" with those eccentric abilities of his. But since his master had called them loans, Chen Shi'an naturally had to make his own position clear.

"Principal Lin, Master recorded everything you lent the temple over the years. Although he is no longer with us, please rest assured that I will repay every last cent on his behalf."

"Huh?"

Hearing Chen Shi'an's words, Principal Lin was briefly puzzled. Once he understood, he waved a hand and laughed.

"Compared with everything your master did for me, this little bit of money is nothing. He was stubborn and refused to accept it as a gift. You needn't take it to heart, Young Master Chen. There's no need to repay it, none at all."

"That won't do. A favor is a favor, but if Master said it was a loan, then it was a loan. Besides, much of it was spent on me. As his disciple, it's only right that I repay it. It's just..."

Chen Shi'an looked embarrassed, but his tone remained firm. "It's just that I'm not very well-off at the moment. It may take me some time to repay what I owe you, Principal Lin. Please allow me a little more time."

Like master, like disciple, indeed.

So principled!

Principal Lin had never expected Chen Shi'an to repay the debt anyway. Hearing this, he smiled.

"That's fine, that's fine. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Young Master Chen. Just let things take their course. Do you have enough money with you for this trip? If not, I can lend you some more. I don't need it anytime soon anyway. If you need it, take it and use it. Don't stand on ceremony!"

"Thank you for your concern, Principal Lin. Master didn't leave me much, but it's enough for now."

"All right. Just let me know if you need anything."

"..."

What kind of creditor went out of his way to hand someone more money?!

Chen Shi'an did not know what favor Principal Lin owed his master from back then. After all, that was part of their shared history. Neither of them had volunteered to explain, and as a junior, he could hardly pry.

Still, he imagined the other creditors were probably in much the same situation.

"Here, Young Master Chen, have some tea."

"Thank you, Principal Lin. This is excellent tea."

"It seems you know your tea, too, Young Master Chen!"

"I only know that the tea is good. I don't understand it nearly as well as Principal Lin does."

A cup of tea warmed his stomach, leaving his mouth refreshed with a lingering sweetness.

Chen Shi'an praised the tea, while Principal Lin praised him.

People who came knocking to demand favors were irritating, but someone who came of his own accord to repay

his master's debts made the best possible impression.

There were plenty of ungrateful people in the world, but there were also many who valued loyalty and kindness. Principal Lin was one of them. Even if Old Daoist Master Chen was gone, what was wrong with repaying those outstanding favors to his disciple?

Presumably, most of the creditors would not mind repaying the favors they owed Old Master Chen to his disciple. Those favors were probably the most hidden part of the inheritance his master had left him.

In truth, Chen Shi'an did not care whether the creditors would repay his master's favors to him. All he wanted was to save enough money to settle those debts. Only then would his mind feel clearer and more unburdened.

If the creditors truly felt indebted to his master, Chen Shi'an would be deeply grateful if they simply burned a couple more sticks of incense for him.

Once his schooling was settled, Chen Shi'an planned to use the contact information in his master's ledger to visit each creditor in turn.

He could not repay the money yet, but at least he could show the right attitude first!

As it happened, the creditors were scattered all over the country. Visiting them would give him destinations for his travels, too.

After reminiscing for a while, Principal Lin began discussing school with Chen Shi'an.

"I've heard about the association's requirements for inheriting the temple. I believe a disciple taught by Old Daoist Master Chen must be capable, even without a diploma."

"You flatter me, Principal Lin. I'm not even a tenth of the man my master was."

"You're being modest, Young Master Chen. Don't I know your master? If he hadn't had confidence in you, I doubt he would have handed the temple over so readily even if you were his own son."

Principal Lin sighed and continued, "But after living in the mountains for so long, you may not know this, Young Master Chen: these days, everything has to be done according to rules and regulations. All these years we've run this school, our aim has been to give students that piece of paper they can use to open doors."

"That's certainly true. Master was always a man who followed the rules, too. That's why he sent me here to earn a diploma."

"Exactly."

Principal Lin smiled. "When your master contacted me that day, he even said you were the Star of Literary Eminence descended to earth, Young Master Chen. Told me I'd found a treasure!"

Chen Shi'an: "..."

Seriously, Master, you and that loose tongue of yours—how many people did you tell I was the Star of Literary Eminence descended to earth?

Did you really have no idea whether I was the Star of Literary Eminence or a dropout who hadn't even finished compulsory education?

Seeing how completely Principal Lin believed it, the young Daoist felt inexplicably uneasy...

(Thank you, Lord Ji, for the Alliance Leader sponsorship! Say no more-half my daily writing quota is yours from now on! My words are your words!)