Zhang Xuan threw punches until his breathing finally steadied.
Only then did he feel… comfortable.
Lowering his head, he looked at the man beneath him. Yao Han's mask had long since fallen off. His face was swollen beyond recognition—so battered that even his own mother would struggle to identify him.
"Uh…"
As the heat of battle faded, Zhang Xuan's mind cleared.
This guy is the White Jade City Lord's chief steward… and Zhao Ya's uncle.
I can't kill him.
No matter what, Yao Han was Zhao Ya's family. If he really killed him, the disciple he had just accepted would definitely be gone.
Not to mention—White Jade City was the third-largest city in the Heavenly Profound Kingdom. Anyone who could serve as City Lord would not be weak, and his influence would be enormous. If the chief steward died, an investigation would certainly follow.
Zhang Xuan had only just arrived in this world. He hadn't established himself yet.
Low-key is best.
"But I also can't let him suspect me…"
Yao Han had snuck over to assassinate him and ended up beaten half to death. If he walked away alive, there was no way he wouldn't investigate.
Unless…
A thought suddenly flashed through Zhang Xuan's mind.
A scapegoat.
During the day, Shen Bi Ru's student—Shang Bin—had openly ridiculed him. More importantly, Shang Bin was Elder Shang Chen's grandson.
If the blame was pushed onto him, even if Yao Han figured it out, he wouldn't dare retaliate recklessly.
And if he did?
Let them tear each other apart.
Perfect.
Zhang Xuan crouched down and spoke in a hoarse, disguised voice:
"I have a grudge with Zhang Xuan. He embarrassed me publicly today, so I planned to teach him a lesson tonight. But if you really castrated him, that woman—Blue something—would definitely misunderstand and think it was me. I can't afford that. You ran into me at the wrong time."
Yao Han's eyes widened.
He wanted to refute, but his mouth was swollen like a sausage. He couldn't even form words.
"Get lost," Zhang Xuan said coldly.
He stood up and kicked Yao Han away, sending him rolling more than ten meters.
"Damn it…"
Yao Han clenched his teeth. He knew he'd suffered badly tonight—but there was nothing he could do.
As he staggered away, two details burned into his mind:
First—The person who attacked him had a grudge with Zhang Xuan from earlier that day.
Second—That person seemed to be Zhang Xuan's love rival, pursuing a woman whose name contained the word "Blue."
With those clues, finding the culprit would only be a matter of time.
Watching him leave, Zhang Xuan finally relaxed. He tidied himself and quietly returned to his dormitory.
That was way too thrilling…
After cultivating all night and fighting an assassin, he hadn't rested at all.
Still, at least the immediate danger was gone.
"In this world… strength is everything," Zhang Xuan murmured, sitting on his bed.
If his cultivation hadn't advanced tonight, even knowing Yao Han's flaws wouldn't have saved him.
Power.
He needed more power.
With that thought, he finally fell asleep.
The Next Morning
At dawn, Zhang Xuan woke up.
Despite having slept less than two hours, he felt refreshed and energetic, with no trace of fatigue.
"Time for class."
After washing and changing, he strode toward his classroom.
As soon as he pushed the door open, a familiar chubby figure rushed forward.
"Teacher Zhang! You're here!"Yuan Tao beamed. "Look! I cleaned the classroom!"
Zhang Xuan nodded."Good."
"Hehe! Since I worked hard, I should get a reward, right? Any cultivation technique, martial skill—pick three or five casually!"
Zhang Xuan waved his hand."Wait until the others arrive. I'll teach everyone together."
Soon after, Liu Yang arrived—the student who had lost the bet. Unlike Yuan Tao, his face was filled with unwillingness and disdain.
In his eyes, Zhang Xuan had only won through luck.
The third to arrive was Zheng Yang, the spear-wielding youth. After Zhang Xuan corrected his technique, his strength had skyrocketed, and his respect for this teacher was genuine.
Then came Wang Ying, shy and quiet. Seeing so many students, her face turned red as she quietly slipped into a corner.
Meanwhile…
Zhao Ya opened her eyes.
Today… I'll know the truth.
She had spent the entire night restless, troubled by Zhang Xuan's words from the day before. Whether he was lying or not—today would decide everything.
After washing and dressing, she stepped out into the courtyard.
"Uncle Yao, I'm going to class!"
No response.
She was about to leave when the door creaked open.
"Young lady, wait for me. I'll go with you."
Yao Han stepped out.
The moment Zhao Ya saw him, she froze.
"Uncle Yao?! What happened to your face?!"
His eyes were bruised black, his cheeks swollen, his entire face distorted beyond recognition. If not for his voice, she wouldn't have recognized him at all.
"Oh… I practiced martial arts too fiercely last night," Yao Han said stiffly."I wasn't careful and hit myself."
"…?"
Who practices martial arts by beating themselves like this?
"That excuse is terrible," Zhao Ya said coldly."Tell me the truth—or I'll inform Father."
"Young lady, this is my own matter," Yao Han said hurriedly."I can handle it. You just attend class. But I must see this teacher you chose. If he's truly incompetent, I'll report it to the City Lord immediately and have the academy replace him."
As he waved his arm dramatically, the movement tore at his injuries. Cold sweat poured down his face.
"Fine," Zhao Ya said.They headed toward Zhang Xuan's classroom together.
After walking a short distance, Zhao Ya frowned."Uncle Yao, you're seriously injured. You should rest. I can attend class alone."
"No," Yao Han insisted through clenched teeth."The City Lord entrusted me to ensure you chose the right teacher. If I don't see him with my own eyes, how can I explain myself?"
He continued bitterly,"This Zhang Xuan is nothing but ignorant and incompetent. I guarantee—he can't even recruit a second student. When you see his empty classroom, you'll understand."
Creak—
The classroom door was pushed open.
Inside, Zhang Xuan stood calmly—
with four new students beside him.