Chapter 9: Teaching the Students

"Teacher Zhou, please don't mind our dean's attitude. In reality, she values you a lot; it's just that she's emotionally wounded, so she comes off as cold to others. Your talent will absolutely be highly regarded by us!"

The administrator led Zhou Sheng'an away, speaking with a flattering tone.

He had no choice—such a great talent had joined the academy, yet the dean hadn't even tried to win him over and instead treated him so indifferently.

If they ended up driving this genius away, it would be a huge loss for the entire academy.

So, the administrator had to step in and try to ease things over.

Zhou Sheng'an smiled and said, "It's alright. I don't really mind these things. Staying here is just a way for my academic theories to have a platform for development."

"Compared to noble academies like the Royal Fighting Academy, Blue Tyrant Academy, which focuses on commoners, is much more to my liking."

His words relieved the administrator's concerns, and he visibly brightened up, nodding repeatedly. "Yes, indeed. We commoner soul masters have it tough. Especially these kids—if they want a good education, they often have to sign away their futures in advance."

"Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to enter an advanced soul master academy. Sigh… Thankfully, our dean has a kind heart."

"Now that we've met someone like you, Teacher Zhou, who shares our ideals, it's truly an honor for our academy. How about this? Instead of managing a specific class, you can teach through open lectures."

The administrator scratched his cheek awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty as he looked at Zhou Sheng'an.

He was essentially trying to squeeze every bit of value out of Zhou Sheng'an. A teacher of his caliber should be teaching the entire student body to maximize the benefits!

Zhou Sheng'an chuckled and nodded. "Of course, I actually prefer it that way."

"Director Yinshu, please provide me with all the student information records in the academy. I'll tailor cultivation plans for each of them."

He maintained his smile. Staying at the academy was mutually beneficial.

He would provide guidance to the students, and in return, they would serve as valuable experimental data for his research.

"Alright, alright… But Teacher Zhou, this might be exhausting for you. Please take care of your health," Director Yinshu said, grinning so widely it nearly reached his ears.

His eyes gleamed as if he were looking at a walking gold mine.

He personally ran back and forth, handling Zhou Sheng'an's employment paperwork, arranging his residence, and even furnishing his quarters.

He was so enthusiastic that he even offered to find some attendants to take care of Zhou Sheng'an's daily needs.

Zhou Sheng'an quickly declined. Once everything was settled, he joined Director Yinshu and some other teachers for a meal, getting acquainted with them. Naturally, he demonstrated some of his abilities, earning widespread amazement.

After leaving the dining hall and heading toward his private quarters, he noticed that his striking appearance had drawn a lot of attention from female students.

Coupled with the fact that he was staying in the academy's most luxurious private residence—the dean's original quarters—this sparked even more discussions among the students.

Knock, knock, knock...!

Someone knocked on the door.

When Zhou Sheng'an opened it, he saw several students standing outside. Leading them was a sturdy male student with short, dark brown hair. His shoulder vest had backward-facing spikes, making him look particularly strong.

"And you are…?" Zhou Sheng'an glanced at the leader and immediately recognized him.

He had just finished reviewing the student roster, and with his sharp memory, he had already committed every student's information to memory.

"My name is Tai Long! But that doesn't matter. The question is, what gives you the right to stay here? In our academy, status doesn't matter—only strength does!"

"That applies to both students and teachers!"

"If you're really capable, then fine. But if you're just some fraud taking up this space, we won't accept it!"

Tai Long sneered, staring at Zhou Sheng'an.

The students behind him also wore expressions of hostility.

In this academy, which valued fairness above all else, they had clearly mistaken Zhou Sheng'an for someone undeserving of his position. It was no surprise they had come to challenge him.

Zhou Sheng'an smiled. "So, you're questioning my teaching abilities?"

Tai Long nodded. "That's right! You look about the same age as me, so why should you be a teacher? If you're relying on noble status, others might fear you, but I, Tai Long, am not afraid!"

"We won't accept it either!"

"Yeah! No nobles allowed here!"

The students behind him voiced their agreement.

Zhou Sheng'an chuckled. "Alright, I understand. First, let me clarify—my name is Zhou Sheng'an, and I applied for this job as a teacher. Tomorrow morning, I'll be giving an open lecture. If my teaching doesn't impress you, you can kick me out on the spot."

His sincere tone made the students' expressions soften.

Tai Long, however, was still unwilling to let it go. He said loudly, "Why go through all that trouble? Let's just fight! If you can defeat me, I'll kneel and admit I was wrong!"

"Tai Long, don't be like that. The Goddess Jiangzhu likes him—it's not his fault…" a student whispered.

Tai Long's face turned red, and he cursed under his breath, "Shut the hell up!"

Hearing this, Zhou Sheng'an couldn't help but laugh. So, this was all because of some romantic rivalry?

Both of them were Soul Elders. Even if the other guy was a Soul Ancestor, Tai Long still had the confidence to fight him. But going along with his demands would mean playing into his game.

"As a teacher, proving myself isn't about fighting. Since you want proof, let's do it this way—you're probably the strongest student here, right? I'll teach a student of my choosing and make sure they can defeat you by tomorrow. If I succeed, that should be enough to prove my teaching ability. How about it?"

Zhou Sheng'an spoke with a relaxed smile.

The students exchanged glances, looking at Zhou Sheng'an in shock. They all thought he had lost his mind.

How could any of them possibly beat Tai Long?

Tai Long was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "That's an interesting idea! Alright, if you actually pull it off, I'll not only kneel and apologize—I'll personally serve you like a lackey!"

Zhou Sheng'an chuckled. "That won't be necessary. The student I'll be training… should be Zhu Wushi, correct? Are you willing to cooperate?"

"Huh…? Me? Uh… sure, I guess," Zhu Wushi pointed at himself, then glanced at Tai Long, hesitantly agreeing.

…

Meanwhile, in front of a wooden cabin, Liu Erlong sat on a swing, rubbing her forehead as she muttered, "Xiao Gang, where are you? If you knew a young man just like you had come to our academy—and that he even overcame talent limitations—you'd surely be thrilled, right?"

"No… I should tell Flender. He might know where Xiao Gang is. If he hears this news, maybe he'll come see me!"

"Sigh, but lately, something feels off. Why do I keep seeing this thing in front of me…?"

Liu Erlong mumbled for a while before sighing in frustration.

A glowing window had appeared before her, displaying something about a "simulation."

She thought it was just a hallucination caused by inner demons, so she ignored it.