Zuo Xiaoduo's forehead instantly darkened with exasperation, while the classroom erupted in roaring laughter.
"Teacher Li has one last thing to say. Classmates, work hard to grow stronger." Li Chenglong said earnestly, "We need to protect others. We can't always live under someone else's protection. Heaven gave us the gift of cultivation, and we mustn't betray Heaven's favor. The school and the government gave us a peaceful environment to cultivate in, and we mustn't let them down. Teacher Qin has worked tirelessly for us, shouldering every hardship without complaint, noble and upright, asking for nothing in return. All the more reason we mustn't let Teacher Qin down..."
Qin Fangyang laughed and snapped, "Roll off that stage!"
"You got it!"
The little fatty obediently bent down and actually rolled off the teaching platform like a ball.
Throughout this lesson of the little fatty's historical storytelling, Zuo Xiaoduo took every word to heart. When it was over, his heart felt heavy.
These were things ordinary people would never come into contact with.
Because... knowing would do them no good.
Most ordinary people knew only the beauty of this world. Once they encountered its cruel truth, it would only cause panic, doing harm rather than good!
Of course, as martial artists became increasingly widespread, many ordinary people probably knew something, more or less. It was just that what they knew certainly wouldn't be very detailed.
"The martial artist's path bears a heavy burden and stretches far ahead."
Zuo Xiaoduo sighed inwardly.
A sense of responsibility and purpose welled up within him. He seemed to feel that he was about to shoulder the great burden of saving the world.
Zuo Xiaoduo was a little worried. If they make me emperor... I'm not ready yet.
Qin Fangyang stepped onto the teaching platform to sum things up. "Mm, there's one point that needs clarifying. Student Li Chenglong said the technological era was a waste, but that's a somewhat biased view. What we call technology was actually humanity's attempt to save itself after losing its direction in cultivation, along with choices and research aimed at making life more convenient."
"After all, ordinary people make up the majority in every era. Naturally, this direction will continue, and develop even further."
"But now that the cultivation system has returned, technology has an even greater role to play. It frees martial artists up to do more things and gives them more time to cultivate. That's actually a good thing. We can't dismiss it entirely."
"For instance, the time spent crossing mountains and ridges can instead be spent cultivating, resting, thinking, or researching on planes and trains... provided the plane isn't attacked, of course. Haha..."
The whole class burst out laughing.
School was out.
Quite a few students packed their things to go home, while some stayed unhurriedly in the classroom, since they boarded at school.
Equally unhurried, Zuo Xiaoduo tidied himself up a little and even made a point of checking a mirror.
Mm, there were no injuries left on his face.
Now he could get ready to go home without worrying!
"Zuo Xiaoduo, stay a moment."
Qin Fangyang kept Zuo Xiaoduo behind.
"Zuo Xiaoduo, what's your ambition in life? Or, to put it another way, what's your goal?"
Qin Fangyang's abrupt opening question left Zuo Xiaoduo completely bewildered.
Ambition? Goal?
What were those?
Looking utterly lost, Zuo Xiaoduo asked humbly, "Teacher Qin, this ambition and goal business... what is it? Or rather, what should it... be?"
Qin Fangyang had taught for many years. This was one of the rare occasions in recent years when he had sought out a student for a heart-to-heart, mainly because Zuo Xiaoduo's outstanding performance today had stirred a rare impulse to offer him a few pointers.
He had never expected his question to produce such a response, and was thoroughly baffled. "Don't you... have any long-term plans at all?"
Zuo Xiaoduo smiled proudly. "Teacher Qin, listen to you... I've always taken one step and looked one step ahead. I never look two steps beyond..."
At that, Qin Fangyang's forehead instantly darkened with exasperation.
You shortsighted fool, what are you so proud of?
Who gave you the nerve to be proud?
You don't even have a goal or ambition, yet you put on this 'I am a sage' act!
Could you have a little shame?!
Qin Fangyang felt that he apparently had no way of understanding just how bizarre Zuo Xiaoduo's thought processes were.
"You fought so desperately in the ranking matches this afternoon..." Qin Fangyang felt Zuo Xiaoduo could still be salvaged, so he asked one more question. "There must have been some reason for it, right?"
Zuo Xiaoduo had no intention of hiding this, and spoke candidly from the heart. "Teacher Qin, look, I'm the oldest in our class, right?"
Qin Fangyang nodded blankly.
"And I'm the tallest too, right?"
"..."
"And the handsomest, right?"
"???"
"So how could I endure such humiliation?" Filled with righteous indignation, Zuo Xiaoduo stood with his hands behind his back. "How could I let a bunch of little brats ride on my head?"
"?!!"
"I'm the one who should be riding on their heads! That's only reasonable, just, and in accordance with Heaven's laws!"
With ambitions higher than the sky, Zuo Xiaoduo declared with commanding vigor, "Since I'm the boss, I have to be the boss. The boss should have the pomp and position of a boss! One day, I'm going to make everyone in this class..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
After hearing Zuo Xiaoduo lay his heart bare, Qin Fangyang's head felt ready to split.
There's simply no communicating with him.
What on earth is this creature?
After the frustration of feeling as though he had cast alluring glances at a blind man, Teacher Qin pinched the bridge of his nose and decided to end this heart-to-heart. He waved impatiently. "Go on, go on... school's out... don't forget to bring your tuition tomorrow, or... you can have your parents come to school and pay it."
"Tuition?!"
Zuo Xiaoduo was shocked. "What tuition? Isn't this compulsory education?"
Qin Fangyang slammed the desk, finally unable to contain his erupting anger. "Bullshit! The cultivation energy you use, the recovery energy you use... do you think it all falls from the sky?"