A supernatural encounter

Needless to say, this disturbance had been caused by teaching Brother Cheng and his gang a lesson.

Chen Ying had made every preparation before firing. After all, dealing with the cops was part of Wen Ruzhi's lessons too.

If he was going to use a gun, he first had to learn how to hide one.

The Cap Gun had been prepared long ago.

The officers dispersed, and lessons resumed.

Chen Ying continued sitting in the classroom, listening.

Tongwen Academy's curriculum covered both the arts and sciences. Besides Chinese and foreign languages, there were science courses such as physics and chemistry, as well as history and geography, of course.

From the books, Chen Ying discovered that this world's history had been almost identical to that of his previous life before the Song dynasty, but after the Song, the two were almost completely different.

Foreign invasions, prolonged fragmentation, endless fighting, then a brief unification on paper, followed by more conflict and chaos throughout the land.

Tongwen Academy's history textbooks barely touched on the history of the Holy Alliance Empire, displaying a clear attitude in what they included and excluded.

The day's classes ended. Chen Ying's day had been quite comfortable.

Overall, Tongwen Academy's teachers were good enough and explained difficult subjects in accessible terms. They were simply weaker in science and engineering.

Of course, that also had to do with this world's technological development not yet having caught up with his previous life.

Chen Ying felt that, judging purely by the quality of its teachers, the school should not have been such a lost cause.

There had to be other problems.

Ring, ring.

The school bell rang. Chen Ying packed his bag and prepared to leave.

"Hey, Chen Ying."

The Class Monitor sitting behind him suddenly called out to him.

"Are you really planning to become a police officer?"

"Yeah."

It was nothing important, so Chen Ying gave an offhand answer.

"But nobody likes police officers. The teachers don't, and neither do the students..."

"That's how the profession is. Is there anything in this world that everyone likes? Almost nothing. Just treat policing as an ordinary profession. Don't glorify it or belittle it. Try to understand and learn about it, and you'll see it for what it really is."

Chen Ying spun this nonsense.

"If you want to take the police exam, you need good foreign-language skills. I could tutor you..."

"Thanks, thanks, Class Monitor. I've got something to do, so I'll head off."

Chen Ying was certain that if he announced now that he intended to join Hong Kong-Kowloon City's police force, Wen Ruzhi, at the very least, would be the first to give him trouble.

"The ones behind this police report must have been Brother Cheng's gang. They really haven't embarrassed themselves enough. Once word gets out that I was holding a Cap Gun, those bastards are bound to bring a bunch of punks and look for a chance to ambush me."

Chen Ying stood by the window and looked outside. The students were leaving school one after another.

In twos and threes, they flowed like a sluggish river, disappearing beyond the school gates.

"Hua Shanrong hasn't come to school these past few days. No idea what's going on with him."

Chen Ying mulled things over.

"Chen Ying."

A clear voice rang out at the classroom door.

Chen Ying turned and saw a slender, graceful girl looking at him from outside.

Her features bore some resemblance to Li Ruotong's, but she was taller, with delicate, snow-white skin. Hugging her schoolbag, she walked in through the doorway with her head lowered.

"Hmm?"

"I won't say yes to Brother Cheng, and I won't say yes to you either. There's no need for you two to fight over me. I'm focused entirely on my studies..."

Fuck, where did this lovesick idiot come from?

Chen Ying was just about to reply when Feng Huimin spoke from the other side.

"You're not in our class, are you?"

"It's nothing. I just have a few words for Chen Ying."

"Then please take it outside."

Feng Huimin folded her arms, glaring at Chen Ying beside her.

"Reporting to the Class Monitor: I have nothing to say."

Chen Ying shrugged.

"Actually, there's no conflict between Brother Cheng and me..."

"I heard you fought seven people by yourself for me. That isn't bravery, it's recklessness. I hope you'll focus on your studies, because..."

"Wen Xiu, I'm asking you to leave our classroom now."

Feng Huimin glared angrily at the girl.

One against seven? Mangekyo Sharingan, right? I know that guy from the Uchiha Clan.

Chen Ying more or less worked out who this girl was.

She was the girl Brother Cheng had told him not to compete for, the one he wanted Chen Ying to help him bed.

She really is pretty enough for boys to fight over, but what does that have to do with me?

"Hello, Wen Xiu. Actually, it's not what you think. Nothing happened on the rooftop. I wish you success in your studies and progress every day. May you find your ideal husband soon. If one doesn't suit you, try a few more. Only you know whether your shoes fit."

Chen Ying exhaled a stale breath.

"You don't have to pretend to be so carefree, Chen Ying. I know how you feel-"

Nutcase.

Chen Ying felt he would suffocate if he stayed in the classroom a moment longer.

Even that pawnshop in the Ghost Market was more interesting than this place.

Grabbing his bag, Chen Ying slipped away without another word.

He had wanted to wait in the classroom a little longer and see what ambush Brother Cheng had prepared, but now it seemed he would vomit stomach acid if he stayed.

His legs pumping, Chen Ying headed straight for the rooftop.

"Hey, Chen Ying..."

"Chen Ying's already gone. Can you leave now?"

"Oh, isn't this Feng Huimin? You're in Chen Ying's class too?"

"What, did you only find that out today, you giraffe?"

Chen Ying paid no attention to their bickering. He was almost at the rooftop when he suddenly heard voices above.

"Zhijie, don't put me in a difficult position."

"Director, you were the one who broke Tongwen's rules today."

Was that Mr. Fang, who taught Chinese?

Chen Ying did not know why teachers liked going to the rooftop just as much as the punks did. Was it convenient for smoking?

Fang Zhijie seemed to be arguing with Director Ma about something.

"Rules? I trained you myself. I've been at Tongwen for over twenty years. How many years have you been here? You think I don't know Tongwen's rules?"

"Tongwen's rule is to refuse cooperation with the colonial authorities who discriminate against us. Sir, surely you know how hard things have been for us all these years..."

"Then please open your eyes and look at the world today," Director Ma said loudly. "The students get worse every year. All the good children go to foreign schools now."

"Our education doesn't make any money. Tongwen relies on public donations and funding from the Board of Trustees to keep running. And the donations? Less every year. The funding is shrinking even faster. So many of our good teachers have resigned. Fine, you have ideals. You can endure poverty. What about everyone else?"

"Director, sir. I may be a little hidebound, but I'm not stupid. I know what the Board of Trustees is thinking."

"Fine, then tell me what they're thinking."

"They cut our subsidies every year, and a few years ago they started turning away good students, dressing it up as running the school frugally and educating everyone without discrimination. In reality, they just have their eyes on Tongwen's land. They want the school to close so they can build here and rake in a fortune..."

"Who told you that?"

"It's right in front of us. Why trouble anyone else to tell me?"

"In that case, do you think there's any point in trying to stop the inevitable?"

"There is. According to the school charter, closing or relocating the school requires the support of four-fifths of the staff. You won't have enough votes."

"You're insane. If the Board of Trustees promises everyone an apartment, you'll be the only idiot on the entire staff who objects. Zhijie, your wife has suffered so much with you. Don't you want to give her a home of her own?"

"Of course I want to give her a home. But I can't forget that Tongwen was itself a home the old trustees gave us children, a place where everyone could study and make something of themselves. Sir, I was an orphan. Tongwen taught me, raised me, and made me who I am today..."

"I don't want to keep arguing with you, and I won't deny your passion for Tongwen. But please open your eyes and take a good look at the world now. We can't go back. You don't know how vicious they are. Do you really have to wait until someone dies, until a student dies, before you're satisfied?"

"If that day really comes, I will protect Tongwen's students."

"You don't even know what you'll be facing. Do you really think passion and ideals can change this world?"

They're certainly absorbed in their argument.

After listening for a while, Chen Ying had more or less understood what they meant.

But he felt he had better not continue upstairs.

The Revolver Wen Ruzhi had given him had actually already been dismantled into several parts and hidden in different places around the school.

The Cylinder was on the rooftop. With these two talking like this, who knew when he would get a chance to retrieve it?

Chen Ying thought it over and decided to collect the other parts first.

The sky gradually darkened. Half the sun had already sunk below the horizon.

A thug with a knife scar on his face rubbed his cigarette butt against the nearby wall, narrowing his eyes at Tongwen Academy's gate.

"Cocky Cheng, that kid you said had a gun still hasn't come out?"

The bruised swelling on Li Mucheng's face had yet to subside. His swollen eyelids squeezed his eyes into slits. He looked at the school gate and swallowed.

"Boss, that kid hasn't come out yet."

"Hiding inside. Interesting."

The thug chuckled. "Cocky Cheng, this pretty boy's a lot sharper than you."

Li Mucheng said nothing. He was only a lowly rank-and-file member, while this thug was a recognized Double-Blossom Red Pole in Yisheng, a proper enforcer.

"Boss, that kid's trained in martial arts. He smashed Ah Heng's collarbone."

"Bullshit. Haven't I trained in Hung Fist too? My long-reaching strikes and solid stances will blast that bastard to death."

The thug waved his hand.

"It's almost dark. I've got no more time to waste. Come in with me and grab that pretty boy. Fucking schoolkids. One revolver scares you shitless. How are you going to survive on the streets?"

A group emerged from the street corner and headed straight for the school.

"Boss, isn't this a bad idea? This is Tongwen Academy. It has a reputation. It won't look good if things blow up..."

One of his underlings tried to dissuade him.

"This dump's been a thorn in the bosses' sides for ages. Those gentlemen can't even be bothered with it now. Sweeping through this place is easier than sweeping through your old mum."

"Boss, there's no guard."

Li Mucheng looked at the empty guardroom.

Strange. There should always be someone here.

"Perfect. Come in with me and search the buildings one by one. We have to find that pretty boy."

The thug laughed.

Outside the music room.

Chen Ying held the grip he had just retrieved. Apart from the Cylinder on the rooftop, he now had all the Revolver's parts.

He looked at the corridor ahead, utterly certain he had already walked down it seven times.

Yet no matter what he did, he could not get out.

Just then, lilting operatic singing sounded in his ears.

A sinister chill closed in from behind.

Chen Ying turned to see a red robe floating alone in midair. The gold-thread python patterns on its red silk glimmered with an eerie, phosphorescent glow. Its flowing sleeves danced in the air like two streams of frozen moonlight.

"Falling blossoms~fill the sky~and veil the moonlight; with a cup~I offer tribute~upon Phoenix Terrace. The Flower Princess~offers incense through her tears, wishing in death~to repay her parents."