Chapter Forty-Nine: Undercurrents

On the second floor of the northern teaching building at Taiding Academy, in the first office on the left, an elderly man sat upright at his desk, writing calligraphy on rice paper with a brush. Each stroke was powerful and graceful, his posture natural and effortless. He wrote slowly, the small characters appearing one by one on the paper.

Soon, the sound of knocking echoed at the door.

Without lifting his head, he said, "Come in."

"Senior," Ye Ran entered, pushing the door open, holding a stack of documents in his arms.

Hearing Ye Ran's voice, Sun Jiulou put down his brush and chuckled, "You've arrived. Did you complete all the procedures?"

Ye Ran nodded, "Everything is done." He had come early, paid the tuition at the administration office, received his student ID, badge, uniform, and textbooks before heading to Sun Jiulou.

He was in high spirits along the way; Taiding Academy, though not as grand as Maple Leaf Academy, exuded more of an academic atmosphere. The gardens, lawns, gymnasium, library—everything was exactly as he had dreamed.

Compared to the students passing by, his attire seemed a bit shabby, but nothing could dim his joy.

Sun Jiulou laughed, "Follow me," and walked to the office next door, knocking on the door.

"Come in," came a clear, melodious female voice from within. Sun Jiulou pushed open the door, and Ye Ran saw a female teacher in a white dress correcting assignments. She was lovely and elegant, her beautiful long hair draped over her shoulders, her bangs fixed with a red hairpin, both intellectual and gentle.

Ye Ran had seen her once in the gym’s training room; he remembered the students calling her "Miss Meow."

Hmm, the name was rather peculiar.

"Miss Meow, do you still have any class schedules?" Sun Jiulou asked.

"There are a few left," Miss Meow stood up, went to the cabinet, took out a schedule, and handed it to him. She glanced at Ye Ran and smiled, "Old Sun, aren’t you going to introduce your new disciple?"

Her smile was enchanting.

Ye Ran nodded politely in greeting.

Sun Jiulou chuckled, "Is an introduction necessary? He’s already a celebrity. From now on, you’ll be colleagues as well as teacher and student, so get along well."

"Ye Ran, this is Miss Meow, whose real name is Xu Miaomiao. Unlike us old-timers, the students adore her, hence the nickname. She’ll instruct you in Qi Force and Mental Power."

"Please guide me," Ye Ran said.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sun Jiulou led Ye Ran out of the teaching building.

"Ye Ran, I’ve discussed with the principal. From now on, you’ll be fully in charge of the advanced class’s physical technique course."

"Though I know physical techniques, I’ve never taught anyone," Ye Ran admitted, feeling a little apprehensive despite having accepted the instructor's badge.

Sun Jiulou shook his head, "With your skills, teaching them will be more than sufficient. Prepare ahead using the textbook content and you’ll manage just fine," he said, casting a half-amused glance at Ye Ran, "But there are a few troublemakers in the class who’ll require extra attention from you."

His words carried a hint of schadenfreude, making Ye Ran shiver inwardly.

A glance at the schedule and the advanced class roster made Ye Ran’s head spin. Literature, spellcraft, and primal force training—all his weak points. And the roster… Just seeing the name "Luo Ning" was enough to astonish him.

Just two days ago, he had helped this girl disguised as a boy change her canvas shoes three times, and now, so soon, he was her instructor. Sparks were bound to fly.

Sun Jiulou pulled a folded sheet of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Ye Ran, "Here is the list of our academy’s top ten martial artists. Get along well with them—except for Alisa, who ranks second. You’ll have to work things out with her eventually, whether it’s through future trials or in the Temple, the Demon Hunting Legion…"

Temple? Demon Hunting Legion? Alisa?

There seemed to be deeper meaning behind his words, but Sun Jiulou stopped there, and Ye Ran did not press further. Along the way, Sun Jiulou explained more about Taiding Academy.

The academy consisted of three grades: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. There were two advanced classes, Class One and Class Two. Ye Ran was responsible for Class One; Mars and Xu Nan were both on the roster.

After familiarizing Ye Ran with the various training rooms in the gymnasium and some equipment, Sun Jiulou led him back to the teaching building.

Ye Ran’s office was right next to Sun Jiulou’s, a small room less than fifty square meters. Still, Ye Ran was quite satisfied; it was larger than the place he shared with Freya.

Ye Ran tidied up the office a bit when Sun Jiulou came again, holding a pile of materials.

"Ye Ran, get used to the environment today. Your classes will be scheduled tomorrow. Take a look at these materials first."

Ye Ran nodded, placed the stack on the desk, and drew out a sheet at random. When his eyes fell on the picture in the middle, he was immediately intrigued.

The Golden Spear.

The very spear Atlass had obtained after killing the Golden Ant Queen on the third level of the underground nest.

He remembered that incident vividly; so much had happened since, he had never taken time to reflect on it. Now his curiosity was rekindled.

When he read the text below, his heart soared, his eyes shining as if he had discovered a new world.

"Senior, is everything written here true?" he asked, turning incredulously.

Sun Jiulou laughed, "You saw the Golden Spear yourself, didn’t you? Ye Ran, I hope you don’t mind—the principal did investigate you. After all, the roles of instructor and assistant concern the students’ safety."

Ye Ran nodded, "I understand. I suppose I was chosen as instructor because I know the underground nest better than most?"

Sun Jiulou replied, "Exactly, that’s one of the considerations. Your advantage will certainly be useful in the future."

Ye Ran smiled wryly, "I finally understand why Maple Leaf Academy insisted on Zhao Ziyang. The various Temples are surely involved in this matter, right? In a way, Senior, Taiding Academy, Shali Academy, and I share the same fate—the difference is, I was abandoned by Maple Leaf Academy, while Taiding and Shali were abandoned by the Temple."

Sun Jiulou chuckled, "That’s true. Ye Ran, I won’t hide it from you. My hope is that you study peacefully here, but I can’t deny my own interests. You’ll inevitably be involved in this matter."

Ye Ran drew out two more sheets and glanced at them, "I only see information on mutated giant monsters and Temple members. There seems to be a lot missing about the Gatekeepers."

"Even the Temple probably lacks information on the Gatekeepers. Compared to Maple Leaf Academy, we merely lack the Temple’s support. In the end, these things are benefits for your generation—it’s not our place to interfere."

Ye Ran nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "I understand. You don’t need to worry; I will do my utmost to obtain these weapons."