You can read, right?

At Yunqi No. 1 High School, competition was fierce not only among students over grades, but also among teachers over teaching results.

Hearing that the principal intended to place a "Star of Literary Eminence" in his class, someone who could add another feather to his teaching record, how could Teacher Liang not be excited?

Principal Lin had barely hung up before Teacher Liang appeared at the office door.

He arrived so quickly that Chen Shi'an wondered in surprise whether the school had a hidden master, too!

"Principal Lin."

"Ah, Old Liang, you're here. Come in and sit down."

Seeing his future homeroom teacher arrive, Chen Shi'an rose politely instead of remaining seated and cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Teacher Liang."

Having spent years on the front lines of education, Liang Huiyang was no longer young. He was in his forties, and his hair had long since begun retreating toward the center of his head, exposing a smooth patch like an inkstone polished flat by time. What hair remained hung limply around it. His clothes were reasonably clean, yet he always seemed to bring a whiff of chalk dust with him.

"Hello, stu... young Daoist."

Teacher Liang froze for a moment when the young Daoist in the principal's office greeted him with a formal salute.

With the Star of Literary Eminence on his mind, he glanced around, but apart from the broadly smiling Principal Lin and this young Daoist, there was no one else in the office.

Wait.

Don't tell me the Star of Literary Eminence transferring into our class is this young Daoist?

Principal Lin, you never told me he was a Daoist!

Utterly baffled, Teacher Liang looked at Principal Lin. The look in the principal's eyes seemed to confirm his suspicions.

He really is!

In all his years of teaching, Liang Huiyang had seen every kind of student: online celebrities, young actors, impoverished children from the mountains, rich young heirs...

But this transfer student was something entirely new: a young Daoist dressed in blue robes!

Is he a real Daoist or a fake one? Could this be that cosplay thing young people are into these days...

Never mind, never mind. Whatever his background, good grades are all that matter...

"Let me make a brief introduction."

As he brewed tea, Principal Lin said, "Shi'an, this is your homeroom teacher, Teacher Liang. As I mentioned earlier, Teacher Liang is an outstanding teacher. He teaches Chinese. Our teachers stay with the same class throughout their time here, so Teacher Liang will be looking after you right through the college entrance exam and graduation."

"Old Liang, this is Chen Shi'an, the student I told you about. Shi'an is a genuine Daoist, but education makes no distinctions. Once he enters our school, he's our student. His master speaks very highly of him. His Daoist arts, knowledge of doctrine, and character are all excellent. I have great confidence in him, so I've assigned him to your class. With your guidance, we'll aim for a good result in the college entrance exam two years from now."

Listening to Principal Lin's introduction, Teacher Liang looked as though he wanted to say something but held back.

My dear principal, what the hell good are Daoist arts and doctrine in a school? Studying is about aptitude, grades, and background!

Liang Huiyang knew nothing yet about the young Daoist's aptitude or grades, but in all his years of teaching, this was the first time Principal Lin had personally assigned him a student and made the introduction. Presumably, the boy had some serious connections...

Over tea, Teacher Liang and Chen Shi'an began getting to know each other.

"Shi'an, you practice Daoism?"

"Yes."

"How many years have you been practicing? Not many young people take an interest in that these days."

"I've lived in seclusion in the mountains, practicing with my master since childhood."

"..."

Teacher Liang's heart sank. Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he asked, "Then which school did you attend before this, Shi'an?"

"I've never attended school."

Those words, almost inconceivable for a young person in this day and age, fell so casually from Chen Shi'an's lips that Teacher Liang could hardly believe them!

This refined, courteous young Daoist with such a composed bearing had never attended school?

Weren't we promised a Star of Literary Eminence? How did he turn into someone who hadn't even completed compulsory education?

Teacher Liang looked up at Principal Lin, who pretended not to notice and concentrated on brewing his tea.

Principal Lin, oh, Principal Lin, you've really landed me in it!

"Really... not even for a single day?"

"Well, I did attend primary school for a few days."

"..."

Rather than reassuring Teacher Liang, Chen Shi'an's answer extinguished his last shred of hope...

Only after a long moment did Teacher Liang knit his brows and sigh.

"Even if you were practicing Daoism, you should still have completed nine years of compulsory education. Didn't your master insist on it back then? Didn't your parents object to you entering a temple and living in seclusion at such a young age?"

"Teacher Liang, I have no parents. I've been an orphan since I was little. My master found me during his travels and brought me up. Our temple is deep in a remote mountain area, so getting to school wasn't easy, and our resources were limited. Although I haven't attended a school all these years, I've still been reading and studying with my master every day."......

"..."

Only then did Teacher Liang grasp the meaning behind the name "Chen Shi'an."

Looking at the mature, resilient boy before him, Teacher Liang was suddenly overwhelmed by shame.

"I'm sorry, Shi'an. I didn't know any of that..."

"There's no need to blame yourself, Teacher Liang. I don't feel I've ever lacked anything."

I haven't even comforted you yet, and here you are comforting me!

The young Daoist's calm, easy smile only made Teacher Liang feel guiltier.

"Ahem."

Principal Lin cleared his throat twice, steering the conversation back on track.

"Old Daoist Master Chen has praised Shi'an's intelligence and quick thinking many times. You've seen it yourself, Teacher Liang. He may be young, but his way of speaking and handling things, his character and self-discipline, are all far beyond those of his peers. He hasn't attended school, but that doesn't mean he can't be taught. Where there's a will, there's a way. A good result in the college entrance exam two years from now isn't out of the question!"

Teacher Liang muttered inwardly, There are plenty of students with poor grades out there. I don't see you admitting them.

He had no idea where Principal Lin's confidence in Chen Shi'an came from. Every other sentence mentioned the boy's master, as though a disciple endorsed by that master couldn't possibly turn out badly.

Teacher Liang had given up hoping for a Star of Literary Eminence. His biggest headache now was how to take a boy with no academic foundation, who hadn't even completed compulsory education, and guide him from a sudden entry into the second year of high school all the way to university admission.

No one understood the importance of a student's foundations better than a teacher like him, working on the front lines of education.

Every year, Yunqi No. 1 High School's college entrance exam results were in a league of their own within the city. Beyond its academic management and teaching staff, the most indispensable factor was its high-quality intake-with its sterling reputation, the school swept up almost

all the top scorers in the high school entrance exam, which was what led to those outstanding college entrance exam results three years later.

Grades aside, Teacher Liang had a very good impression of Chen Shi'an. Since his transfer into Class Five was already settled, the first priority was figuring out how to improve his grades quickly.

Six years of primary school, three years of middle school, and another year of high school-a full ten years of coursework missing! Could Old Liang really get this boy across to the other side...?

With a student like this on his hands, whether his standing as a "distinguished outstanding teacher" would end in disgrace or greater renown depended on the college entrance exam battle two years from now.

At that thought, Teacher Liang quickly drew up a teaching plan in his head.

Just as treatment had to match the illness, teaching should do the same.

The first priority was an assessment to find out exactly where Chen Shi'an's foundations stood.

"Shi'an, I still have a copy of last week's monthly exam paper. How about I bring it for you to try, so we can get a sense of your level?"

"Of course." Chen Shi'an nodded.

"...You can read, right?"

"Yes."

Good, good, good!

If he can read, there's still hope...

Mr. Liang had never imagined that one day his expectations of a student would sink this low, or that he would actually find some comfort in it...

(An extra chapter! Please send monthly votes and keep reading~)