Chapter 9
“Second Brother…”
Xue Changyi’s gaze followed the young man, and he forcefully shook off Director Wu’s hand.
Director Wu gripped his wrist again. “Xue Changyi, this is the Heavenly Dao. As one of the Ten Yama Kings, you should understand the meaning of the Heavenly Dao better than anyone.”
“Heavenly Dao…?” Xue Changyi finally looked at Director Wu. He laughed, a cold, bitter laugh.
Almost self-deprecating.
The next moment, a groan escaped his lips, as if he were in immense pain. His tall figure, hidden beneath the black robe, trembled.
“Teacher Xue?”
The students of Class Nine, noticing the commotion, looked over.
Xue Changyi’s complexion, already pale, now seemed almost translucent, a sickly white. His slender shoulders slumped, and he curled in on himself, as if enduring great agony.
“Teacher Xue!” Xiang Yu was the first to rush over, shoving Director Wu hard. “Who do you think you are? How dare you lay your hands on our Teacher Xue?!”
“And stealing Teacher Xue’s umbrella? Give it back!” Xiang Yu snatched the black umbrella, shielding Xue Changyi behind him, and pointed at Director Wu. “Bullying our Class Nine teacher, did you ask me, the Conqueror of Chu, if I agree?! Did you ask Class Nine if we agree?!”
A fight?
Lü Bu’s eyes lit up, and he rolled up his sleeves, eager to join in. Since entering the academy, there had been few opportunities for a good brawl. This was a rare chance. He swung his Fangtian Huaji.
“Thud!!” He slammed it into the ground, lifting his chin slightly with a sneer. “Who? Which scoundrel wants to cause trouble? Lü Bu accepts your challenge! State your name!”
“No, no, no fighting!!” The principal came running, taking several running steps before bravely inserting himself between them. “Misunderstanding! It’s a misunderstanding! Students, we’re all on the same side.”
“Hah!” Xiang Yu scoffed. “Same side? He was just bullying Teacher Xue! I saw it with my own two eyes, there’s no mistaking it!”
“Wah!” Little Cheng Jiao cried out. Being short, he had a clear view of Xue Changyi’s wrist, which was marked with a bright red ring. The mark stood out starkly against Xue Changyi’s pale skin.
“Teacher Xue!” Cheng Jiao cried anxiously. “You’re hurt! Your wrist is red!”
Xiang Yu noticed it now, pointing at Xue Changyi’s wrist. “And you say he wasn’t bullying him? Grabbing our Teacher Xue’s hand and leaving such a mark? Do you think Class Nine is a pushover?”
Lü Bu was eager, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Brothers, let’s get him!”
“Misunderstanding—” The principal stood in the way, shouting, “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! This is our new substitute physical education teacher! Remember Teacher Niu from last semester? The one whose leg was broken by the basketball hoop that Xiang Yu… you… broke? This is the new PE teacher!”
Xiang Yu corrected him, “Principal, let’s be clear, it was Lü Bu who broke the basketball hoop.”
Lü Bu: “…The basketball hoop wasn’t sturdy enough.”
Principal: “…”
The principal sighed. “Anyway! This is the new substitute PE teacher. We’re all on the same side, no fighting.”
“New?”
“PE teacher?”
All the students of Class Nine eyed Director Wu suspiciously.
Director Wu wore a smart suit. In this world of the Chu-Han Contention, everyone else was dressed in period-appropriate clothing. Only Director Wu, in his shirt, vest, and trousers, looked… out of place, despite his handsome and imposing appearance.
He didn’t look like a substitute PE teacher…
Xue Changyi quickly scanned the area. The interruption by the students and principal had given the young man who resembled the Second Yama King time to leave with the refugees. He was nowhere to be seen in the vast wilderness.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Xue Changyi’s calm eyes, but he quickly masked it, regaining his composure.
“Teacher Xue!” The principal urged. “Say something!”
Xue Changyi finally spoke. “Class, it’s a misunderstanding. This is indeed the new substitute PE teacher. His surname is Wu.”
“Really a PE teacher?”
“Teacher Wu… sounds very sanctimonious.”
Xiang Yu said, “Teacher Xue, does this Wu guy have some kind of backing? Don’t worry, we’ll protect you.”
Little Cheng Jiao puffed out his chest, hands on his hips. “We’ll protect you!”
Lü Bu added, “Teacher Xue, don’t be afraid, we’ll fight him!”
The principal wanted to cry, looking pleadingly at Xue Changyi. One was a Yama King, the other the Director of the Supervisory Department. He, a mere Libationer, couldn’t afford to offend either of them!
Xue Changyi said calmly, “PE class starts on Monday. You can verify it yourselves then…”
He smoothly changed the subject. “Class, today’s field trip has come to a successful conclusion. Although there were some unsatisfactory aspects, I’ve seen your efforts and your changes.”
“Wow—The field trip is finally over! Yay, brother!”
“Phew… it’s over.”
“Can we go back to school now?”
“I suddenly realize how good it is back at school. No more field trips!”
“Actually, the field trip wasn’t so bad…”
Clap, clap!
Xue Changyi clapped his hands. “Go back and rest well today. Tomorrow is Monday, and classes will resume. Oh, and…”
Xue Changyi smiled gently, his smile as warm as the spring breeze, as gentle as the spring sun, as refreshing as spring water, indescribably elegant and handsome. With such bearing, such a face, such an aura, he was born to be a teacher. If he hadn’t said it himself, no one would have guessed that his real job wasn’t teaching, but judging life and death, the Tenth Yama King ruling over hell.
Xue Changyi smiled. “The field trip has concluded successfully, and I’m sure you all have many thoughts and feelings about it. Write a reflection essay, no less than eight hundred words. The class president will collect them during morning self-study on Monday.”
Ying Zheng nodded. “Okay.”
“Ah—!!”
“What?!”
“A reflection essay?”
“Another essay? Heavens! Are you playing with us?!”
“I think it’s not the heavens playing with us, it’s Teacher Xue!”
The words “reflection essay” were more effective than any attempt to stop a fight. The students of Class Nine instantly forgot about the substitute PE teacher, whether his surname was Wu or something else. Whatever his surname was, it wasn’t as important as the essay due tomorrow…
The students had no time to think about anything else. They just wanted to get back to the Lugong dormitory, have a good meal, and then…
Write their reflection essays!
The field trip ended successfully. The principal didn’t need to resign, and the academy remained intact. Everyone returned from the ancient Chu-Han Contention to Jixia Academy in the Underworld Central Office and dispersed.
Xue Changyi stepped through the gates of Underworld High School. The oil-paper umbrella instantly transformed into a black umbrella, the ancient robe into a black double-breasted robe, and he entered Room 444.
The Judge’s Pen transformed from the umbrella into a black bracelet, wrapping around Xue Changyi’s pale wrist.
On his wrist, a deep red mark remained, fresh and glaring against his milky white skin, strangely alluring.
Xue Changyi stared at the mark, lost in thought…
Creak—
The door to Room 444 opened again, and Director Wu entered. After all, this was also his room.
Director Wu glanced at Xue Changyi’s wrist, then flipped his hand, revealing a black lacquer box, which he placed on Xue Changyi’s desk. “This is an ointment I just got from Granny Meng. It’s made with the icy water of the River of Forgetfulness. Applying it should reduce the swelling immediately…”
Director Wu put down the ointment, took two steps back, his expression unchanging, devoid of any emotion, and said concisely, “I’ll be sure to keep my distance from you in the future. Don’t worry.”
Xue Changyi stared at the ointment on the desk, lost in thought…
In reality, Director Wu’s grip hadn’t been that strong, just normal strength. On anyone else, it wouldn’t have even left a mark, let alone redness and swelling.
But—Xue Changyi and Director Wu were naturally opposed to each other.
Xue Changyi’s true form was a stone, without a heart, incapable of emotions.
Like Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, born from a stone. The difference was, Xue Changyi wasn’t an ordinary stone. He was a spirit stone meant to mend the heavens.
Xue Changyi wasn’t used to mend the heavens for a simple reason: he was a “defective” stone.
Calling him defective wasn’t entirely accurate, because Xue Changyi wasn’t flawed. He was even more powerful than other spirit stones. Xue Changyi’s unique ability was to absorb spiritual energy from the world, whether sunlight or moonlight, endlessly, converting it into his own power.
But a problem arose. As a stone, though sturdy, the consequence of endlessly absorbing spiritual energy was expansion. Eventually, Xue Changyi’s body wouldn’t be able to contain such immense power, and he would explode, destroying himself.
The energy released from the explosion of a spirit stone was enough to destroy thirty Underworld Central Offices!
That was why Xue Changyi always carried an umbrella, even under the moonlight. Because even ordinary sunlight and moonlight, to Xue Changyi, were immense sources of energy to be absorbed.
Xue Changyi remembered his Second Brother always reminding him.
—Changyi, you must protect yourself.
—Changyi, even if I’m not around, you must protect yourself…
—Changyi…
Xue Changyi’s delicate throat bobbed as he clutched the ointment, thinking of his Second Brother.
He glanced at Director Wu, who was sitting at his desk, browsing through Underworld Compulsory Education: Physical Education and Health…
Director Wu, Wu Mu.
What a coincidence. His true form was a three-legged golden crow, one of the ten suns shot down by Yi the Archer.
Although a fallen sun, Director Wu still possessed immense spiritual energy. For Xue Changyi, Wu Mu’s attraction was “fatal,” apocalyptic, capable of destroying the heavens and earth, dragging all the gods down with him.
They were natural enemies…
