Chapter 87: Is He Really The Worst Teacher?
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe
"Initially, they weren't a match for me when they ganged up on me... However, at this moment, Zhang laoshi came in. He taught them three movements and somehow, every one of them seemed to have powered up suddenly. The first one to fight me was Yuan Tao..."
Zhu Hong explained everything that had just happened previously once. He even demonstrated the three movements which Zhang Xuan had imparted them.
Hearing his story and looking at the three movements Zhu Hong demonstrated to them, Lu Xun and Elder Hong Hao stared at one another in disbelief. They doubted if their ears were playing tricks on them, and their complexion looked as awful as one afflicted by constipation.
"You mean to say... the Yuan Tao who was the ranked the last in the entrance examination? Just these three moves and yet... You weren't a match for him?"
[You must be jesting with us!
The results of the investigation that just came in earlier contained Yuan Tao's information as well. His parents died when he was young, and he had never learned any battle techniques or cultivation techniques. The only strength he had was his thick skin, granting him powerful defensive abilities. Even so, he scored the last in the entrance examination, thus clearly indicating his level of ability as compared to his peers. How can someone like that defeat an expert like you who was ranked fourth?
Do you have to be so exaggerated?]
Furthermore, after taking a look at those three movements, they had confirmed that they were trash. Could those movements even be considered a battle technique?
Even if the other party were to use it inversely, swapping their left and right, it should mean nothing at all!
"He despicably..."
Zhu Hong recounted the happenings in the battle detailedly with a pained look.
"Looks like your mingmen was exposed, those three movements were only a distraction to attract your attention. Their main goal was your mingmen!" Lu Xun came to a realization after the other party recounted the entire incident.
This student of his was too careless.
Mingmen was the location where the strength of a cultivator gathers. It was the core of a cultivator's strength, and one had to guard it properly. For him to allow his mingmen to be seen through so easily, he was truly too negligent.
Finding an opponent's mingmen didn't mean that one can defeat him with hundred percent possibility. After all, battles weren't just simple math, it involved one's reaction speed and ability to adapt to sudden situations. However, when two people of similar cultivation level were to fight with one another, it was still a dangerous scenario if the opponent were to locate one's mingmen.
"It is impossible for those students of his to find your mingmen and exploit that flaw of yours. It seems that this Zhang Xuan laoshi isn't simple. Initially, I thought that it would be a simple and meaningless win. However, from the looks of it, things aren't as they seem on the surface. Interesting!"
As expected of the academy's star teacher, Lu Xun swiftly analyzed the crux of the issue.
[Mingmen is a weakness of all cultivators. Usually, one would guard it properly, making it difficult for others to locate it. Furthermore, even if one were to locate an opponent's mingmen, if one doesn't have the sufficient strength to stand up against one's opponent, it is still difficult for one to achieve a victory.
It is as though giving an ordinary human a dagger. Even though the human knows that the other party would die with a single stab through his heart, he is still unable to defeat a boxing expert.
If the few students of Zhang Xuan could see through his mingmen beforehand, they would have won against Zhu Yang from the very start. It is apparent that Zhang Xuan had told them of it in secret.]
"However, it matters not. I will find a way for you to break through to Fighter 2-dan now. Once you succeed, your mingmen will move and by then, you will be able to exact your vengeance!"
Waving his hand grandly, Lu Xun consoled him.
A cultivator's mingmen didn't stay at the same location. Depending on one's cultivation technique, cultivation realm and battle technique, their mingmen would be in different locations.
At this moment, Zhu Hong's mingmen was by his waist. Once he broke through Fighter 1-dan, his mingmen would move to another point. By then, he would be able to completely neglect those petty tricks of theirs.
It was rumored that those who cultivate an incredible cultivation technique, upon reaching a certain powerful realm, would not have any mingmen or weakness. It was impossible to find even if one were to jab every single spot of their body.
"Yes!"
Zhu Hong nodded his head.
"A while later, I will look for Elder Shang Chen to ascertain the nominal roll for the competition. Cultivate properly and don't disappoint me. When the time comes, I will allow you to exact vengeance with your own hands!"
"Thank you, Lu laoshi!" Motivated, Zhu Hong regained his confidence once more.
"Right, Elder Hong Hao, don't you have a good relationship with Elder Shang Chen? It should be much more efficient for you to deal with a trash teacher like Shang Chen by knocking on the Education Bureau than looking for me!"
Upon recalling Elder Shang Chen, Lu Xun couldn't help but look at him doubtfully.
Back then, Elder Hong Hao was a serious contender for the position of the academy's principal. He had amiable relations with many elders and Shang Chen was one of them.
Logically speaking, if he really had something against Zhang Xuan, wouldn't getting the Education Bureau to make a move be much more convenient than seeking for his assistance?
"Actually, it isn't convenient for the Education Bureau to make a move under such circumstances. After all, we can't forcefully pull a student away from his teacher! If we were to do so and he complains up to the Teacher Guild, saying that he has been oppressed, wouldn't the matter just blow big?" Elder Hong Hao replied.
If a student were to acknowledge a teacher by their own will, even the Education Bureau had no rights to interfere in their choices.
Most importantly, in his eyes, Zhang Xuan was nothing more than a trash who had scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination. If so, was there a need to look for the head of the Education Bureau?
He would be making a mountain out of a molehill! [1]
Of course, he couldn't say such words out loud. Otherwise, Lu Xun laoshi would find his actions disrespectful.
Actually, given Lu Xun's wits, it was likely that he had already guessed the truth.
If it wasn't for two of his students being poached from his side, he wouldn't be bothered to interfere in these matters, needless to say, propose a Teacher Evaluation against Zhang Xuan!
As the both of them was in the midst of chatting, they suddenly spotted a young man walked over with widened strides.
"Lu Xun..."
Before the young man reached the duo, he had already shouted out Lu Xun's name.
"Oh, it's Wang laoshi. What are you doing here?" Lu Xun smiled.
The one who came was the other star teacher of the academy, Wang Chao!
The spear expert whom Zheng Yang wanted to acknowledge as his teacher!
"Elder Hong Hao!" Upon reaching, Wang Chao noticed Hong Hao, who was sitting beside Lu Xun, and bowed. After which, he hurriedly turned to look at Lu Xun and asked, "Have you heard about the happenings with the Education Bureau?"
"Heard of what?" Lu Xun was puzzled.
"You don't know about it? Elder Shang Chen has been stripped of his position and is currently undergoing investigation!" Wang Chao exclaimed. "The Teacher Guild has just passed down the orders!"
"Elder Shang Chen has been stripped of his position and is undergoing investigation? What's going on?"
Not only was Lu Xun in a state of disbelief, even Elder Hong Hao was taken aback by this sudden news.
[How can the head of Hongtian Academy's Education Bureau be stripped of his position and undergo investigation all of a sudden without any forewarning?]
"It is rumored that he had oppressed a teacher and lacked impartiality in his actions. Some also say that he was unfair when conducting the Enlightenment Will Trial. Anyway, the Teacher Guild had been informed of these matters and he was immediately stripped of his position!"
Wang Chao said.
Cao Xiong had caused quite a ruckus when he applied for the Enlightenment Will Trial, so quite a few teachers knew about it.
"Oppress? Lack impartiality? Which teacher is so formidable to be able to prompt the Teacher Guild to make a move and drag Elder Shang Chen off his authoritative position?"
Lu Xun couldn't help but comment.
Elder Shang Chen might just be a head of Education Bureau, but he had a powerful backing. Several elders in the Teacher Guild were his friends, so overthrowing him, not to mention doing it so thoroughly, should be an extremely difficult task!
Elder Hong Hao could also infer that much, and he was curious to know which influential figure it is to be capable of wielding such power.
"According to the rumors, it is that trash of a teacher in our academy... Zhang Xuan!" Wang Chao pondered for a moment before replying their doubts.
"Zhang Xuan? How is that possible?"
In that instant, as though their tails have been stepped on, Elder Hong Hao and Lu Xun leapt up simultaneously. Their eyes were widened to complete circles and they felt as though the world was going mad.
Just by eating a few food, he was able to topple an established tavern with more than a decade of history behind it. Also, he was able to impel students to withdraw from the tutelage of the academy's number one teacher. Furthermore, just casually teaching his students, his students were able to beat the fourth-ranked freshman up into a pighead. Lastly, and the most shocking of all, he was able to topple the head of the Education Bureau, Shang Chen...
Zhang Xuan, was he really the worst teacher in the academy?
[1] This phrase is an idiomatic expression that means making a big deal out of a small issue.