Chapter 26: The Heart's Interrogation

"Zhang Xuan, I didn't expect that after just one day, you'd grown so bold!" Entering the room, Shang Bin glanced around and saw that this "waste" had actually taken on five students. A ferocious look flashed in his eyes as he sneered coldly, "Who gave you the nerve to deceive Miss Wang Ying, Miss Zhao Ya, and others, and even swindle Teacher Cao Xiong's students?"

"Teacher Shang Bin? Teacher Cao Xiong?"

Seeing the sudden intrusion, Zhang Xuan frowned. "I'm in the middle of class. If you have something to say, please wait until after class!"

"Class my ass! Young Master Shang came personally, and you're still putting on airs? With your level, it's a miracle you're not leading students astray. And you dare to teach? You don't even know the basics, yet you act like a big shot in front of us!" Teacher Cao Xiong sneered.

Since they had already fallen out, there was no need for him to pretend.

"Get out! You're not welcome here!" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed.

"Still putting on airs? Zhang Xuan, do you even know your place?" Shang Bin sneered coldly. "Drop the classes of Miss Zhao Ya and Miss Wang Ying immediately, and transfer Liu Yang back to Teacher Cao Xiong. If you do that today, I might let you off without a lesson. Otherwise... I'm afraid you'll be spending this semester in a wheelchair!"

"You want to lay hands on me?" Zhang Xuan looked over. "The academy prohibits private fights among teachers. Don't you know the school rules, Teacher Shang?"

"School rules are tailored to the person. If I dealt with someone else, I'd worry about punishment from the academy. But dealing with you... heh, do you think the academy would stand up for a waste like you?" Shang Bin looked as if he had Zhang Xuan completely under his thumb.

"I see. Is it because I offended you with my words yesterday that you're deliberately causing trouble for me? Aren't you afraid of angering Teacher Shen Biru by doing this?" Zhang Xuan snorted.

"Heh, at least you know yourself! Since I'm going to teach you a lesson, of course I'm not afraid of your nonsense..." Shang Bin didn't deny it and was about to smugly give this guy a beating when his words were cut off by an angry voice.

"It's you!"

Yao Han's eyes turned red.

Zhang Xuan had offended him yesterday and also implicated Teacher Shen Biru. If he still couldn't figure it out, he'd think himself a fool!

"What?" Just as he was about to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson, the steward Yao flew into a rage first. Shang Bin looked over in confusion.

"Don't you know what you did?"

Before he could react, a fist slammed hard into his face with a loud shout.

"Damn it!"

Shang Bin felt his vision go black, instantly sporting a black eye. His body swayed twice before he fell to the ground.

"Daring to beat me like this, I'll make you pay!"

Recalling the pain of yesterday's beating, Yao Han didn't hesitate after landing his blow. He leaped onto Shang Bin and rained down punch after punch like a storm.

"Steward Yao..."

Everything happened too suddenly. Wang Tao and Cao Xiong were dumbfounded.

In fact, not only them, but even Zhao Ya and Wang Ying exchanged bewildered looks.

They had been angry when these people came to cause trouble for Teacher Zhang and were about to explain, but then these guys started fighting among themselves.

How bizarre!

Especially Zhao Ya, who knew Steward Yao's character well—steady, composed, and methodical. Otherwise, her father wouldn't have made him steward.

But... what was wrong with him today? How could he start a fight without even finishing his words?

If anyone in the crowd understood what was happening, it was probably Zhang Xuan.

He had deliberately mentioned offending Shang Bin yesterday and then brought up Shen Biru's name, letting Steward Yao know both conditions... And sure enough, as he had guessed, they started fighting!

It wasn't that Steward Yao was reckless, but anyone who had been beaten for no reason would harbor resentment. Moreover, he held a high status, representing the face of White Jade City. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Add to that the fact that he had been infuriated by Zhang Xuan these past two days, repeatedly blocked by the young miss with no outlet for his anger, his chest was already filled with rage. Seeing his enemy now, how could he hold back?

"Steward Yao, have you gone mad?" Feeling the rain of fists unceasingly falling, a bewildered Shang Bin saw darkness before his eyes and nearly spat blood.

What the hell was going on?

This Steward Yao—he had seen him for the first time today. He hadn't offended him, had he? Why was he being so vicious?

He couldn't figure out how he had offended the other party!

"Gone mad? Stop playing dumb! Don't you know yourself?"

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Steward Yao didn't stop at all, punching down relentlessly.

Shang Bin was a senior teacher, already at the fifth level of martial artist, the Strength Establishment realm. But compared to Yao Han's sixth level, the Acupoint Opening realm, there was still a gap. Even in a fair fight, he would be no match, let alone being caught off guard and knocked down with one punch.

"Steward Yao, calm down, calm down. Let's talk this out..."

Cao Xiong and Wang Tao finally snapped out of it and hurriedly pulled the two apart.

At this moment, Shang Bin's handsome face was already swollen beyond recognition, looking no different from a pig's head.

"Damn it!" Shang Bin was nearly mad with rage.

He had originally come to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson, never dreaming that this Yao steward from White Jade City would suddenly go crazy and start beating him!

At this moment, he had transferred all his fury onto Steward Yao.

"If you have personal grievances, please settle them outside the classroom. This is not a place for fighting. If you don't leave and continue to disrupt normal teaching, I'll notify the Political Education Office and have them come over..."

Zhang Xuan said.

"Fine... all of you just wait for me!"

Hearing that the Political Education Office would be notified, Shang Bin turned and left.

In his current state, if word got out, how could he face anyone? He absolutely couldn't let other teachers see him!

"Young Master Shang... Young Master Shang!"

Thinking it would be a simple matter—with Young Master Shang personally intervening, Zhang Xuan would surely let the student return—Cao Xiong never dreamed this would happen. He hurriedly chased after him.

Soon, the two disappeared from sight.

"Uncle Yao, what are you doing?"

As soon as they left, Zhao Ya walked up and looked at Uncle Yao, her pretty face flushed with anger.

This Uncle Yao had seemed normal before, but now he was getting more and more outrageous!

"Miss, I..." Yao Han didn't know how to answer.

He couldn't exactly say that he had come specifically to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson yesterday, intending to castrate him, but ended up being beaten by Shang Bin, and had just confirmed the other's identity to take revenge!

"Alright, I'm in the middle of class. Please leave."

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

After hesitating, Yao Han, Wang Tao, and Old Liu walked out again.

...

"Damn it, damn it!"

Leaving Zhang Xuan's classroom, Shang Bin fumed, "That Yao Han must be taught a lesson, and that Zhang Xuan, who dared to despise me, must also be properly dealt with!"

As the grandson of an elder, he had always had smooth sailing; where had he ever suffered such humiliation!

And most importantly, this humiliation was utterly inexplicable.

They had been talking fine a moment ago, and then in the blink of an eye, he had rushed over and attacked—completely unreasonable!

"This Yao Han must be in league with Zhang Xuan! Otherwise, how could he have attacked Young Master Shang? I think he definitely did it on Zhang Xuan's orders!" Cao Xiong roared.

"Right, that must be it!" Shang Bin also realized.

He had never offended this Yao Han, yet the other had directly attacked him—it must be because he intended to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson!

"Are you sure that Liu Yang became Zhang Xuan's disciple involuntarily?"

After a while, Shang Bin calmed down from his rage and turned to ask.

"I can confirm, absolutely not voluntary!" Recalling Liu Yang's reluctance before leaving yesterday, Cao Xiong nodded with confidence.

"Alright, since you're so sure, go apply for the 'Academic Heart Inquisition' now!" Shang Bin said.

"Academic Heart Inquisition? This..." Cao Xiong's face changed.

The Academic Heart Inquisition was a special method used when teachers in the academy truly couldn't decide on a student. The student in dispute would undergo an assessment in the Academic Heart Tower, which would map out his true thoughts in terms of trustworthiness.

If the student in the applicant's application was not voluntary in the Academic Heart Inquisition, the other teacher would be punished; if the applicant made a false accusation, he would also receive corresponding punishment.

This was a method used only when two teachers were competing for the same student and there was no other way.

Cao Xiong knew about it but didn't think it had come to that point.

"What? Are you lying to me? Is this guy voluntary?" Seeing his hesitation, Shang Bin, already in a bad mood, darkened his face.

"No, he is absolutely not voluntary. I... I'll apply right now! Let Zhang Xuan receive his due punishment!" Cao Xiong nodded.

"Good, then make it quick!" Seeing him agree, Shang Bin nodded with satisfaction. "When applying, you can maximize the punishment! Let Zhang Xuan suffer thoroughly, and preferably get him expelled!"

The punishment could be increased according to the applicant's request; the greater the increase, the heavier the punishment for the losing side.

"Okay!" Cao Xiong's eyes lit up, also filled with excitement, his gaze carrying a vision of Zhang Xuan being expelled.