Chapter 49

During this period, the homeroom teacher vaguely had the feeling that pill cultivators did not seem to like him very much.

He was completely baffled. As far as he remembered, he had never offended any pill cultivators, right?

It was a pill cultivator friend who told him, “Apparently, you look down on the pill Dao and advised that Song Yi not study it. Their attitude is already pretty mild. Back in the Old Era, this would have called for a duel.”

Homeroom teacher: ???

I have never done anything like that!

He had indeed said things like, “You’re still young, so you should try more things.” That was also his attitude, but he had not been targeting the pill Dao.

That clever little brat Song Yi must have wanted to refuse them herself and deliberately used him as an excuse.

He had taught her so many things, especially not to cause trouble. Just look—had she listened to any of it?

She kept whatever she found useful and pretended not to hear the parts she thought were useless, huh?

His friend suggested, “Then why don’t you make her study the pill Dao? That way, the rumor will collapse on its own.”

Unfortunately, Song Yi was a heartless little kid, but he was a homeroom teacher with principles, so he did not adopt that suggestion—because based on his understanding of Song Yi, even if he said it, it would be useless.

For several days in a row, Song Yi lived under the homeroom teacher’s eerie gaze.

He had decided. The administrator was right. He really did need to get strict with Song Yi and the others!

Randomly punishing students for no reason was not his style, but if he caught them by the tail, then they should not blame him for being merciless.

Song Yi, however, felt no guilt at all.

Although she copied homework, although she failed exams, although every time she did something she made it a huge deal, she was essentially a good little kid.

A mere homeroom teacher’s surveillance—she could endure it.

She did not arrive late or leave early, listened seriously in class, and maintained an excellent lifestyle... But before long, Song Yi and the others were still punished in turns to sweep the athletic field.

The reason was that they had brought out the pits of happy fruit from the absolute-spirit pocket realm.

Happy fruit was the fruit of their labor, so they could not just take it. But fruit pits counted as waste. The administrator had used happy fruit as an ingredient to entertain everyone every day, leaving behind quite a lot of pits. Only children would treat that kind of thing as treasure. Adults would not care and would only dispose of them.

On the night inside the pocket realm, Song Yi had volunteered to throw out the “kitchen waste,” then, together with Li Wenwen and the others, stuffed all the fruit pits into storage pouches.

The administrator only paid attention to major issues. Who would care that a few kids were collecting trash?

Up to this point, there had been no problem.

The problem was that they used the demon beasts inside Teacher Yang’s trial tower for an experiment: if humans drank water infused with happy fruit pits, they would laugh loudly for ten minutes. What about demon beasts?

A little water had no effect, but would drinking more work?

If demon beasts were too busy laughing, would that mean they could be slaughtered at will?

Certain things used for pranks could produce unexpected effects under special circumstances.

The experiment’s results were quite good. After the demon beasts drank the water, strange laughter came from their throats, startling even themselves.

Then they began circling around themselves, searching for potential enemies, and instead ignored Song Yi and the others not far away.

Because the water had not been fed directly to the demon beasts by them either. They had soaked the happy fruit pits in the water source...

The demon beasts did not know that the culprits were these children.

Unable to find an enemy and unable to confirm the method of attack, the demon beasts became increasingly agitated. After the effect wore off, the ferocity that had been provoked in them did not dissipate. They began attacking everything around them, living and nonliving alike.

The inside of the trial tower was in absolute chaos. Old Yang had thrown the three little kids out at the first possible moment. He could still control the entire trial tower, but he was also facing a great deal of trouble.

The good news was that for the next few days, he would not have to teach. This was a perfectly justified leave of absence.

The bad news was that the reason he did not want to teach was that he feared trouble, and the trouble Song Yi and the others had created was clearly even greater.

They even bullied demon beasts. These people really did not act human.

This time, no matter how the three of them clung to his legs and begged to be spared, Old Yang unceremoniously kicked them over to the homeroom teacher.

That was right. Some children had no small problems, but the moment they did anything, they made it a huge problem.

The homeroom teacher did not hesitate at all. He directly renewed their annual package for sweeping the athletic field.

The other children in the lower grades were filled with gratitude toward these three brave warriors.

Even if older students were punished, they rarely had to sweep the athletic field. This was usually a requirement for lower-grade children when they were punished. Since Song Yi and the others had booked an annual package, everyone else could go do relatively easier work.

And when the teachers of other classes were so angry at children that their heads hurt, they thought about the situation facing Class One’s homeroom teacher and suddenly became much more tolerant: Ah, by comparison, the kids in my class are already very obedient. There’s no need to be angry at all.

So the punishment for naughty children became lighter as a result.

Song Yi and the others had sacrificed too much for this cohort of classmates.

In the past, considering Song Yi’s situation, the homeroom teacher had deliberately arranged for them to work together whenever assigning chores.

Doing bad things together and being punished together was actually also part of the bonding process for little cubs, and reliable interpersonal relationships were helpful for Song Yi’s physical and mental health.

But now, the homeroom teacher faintly felt as if he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot. Wasn’t your relationship a little too reliable?

Their destructive power when they mixed together was too strong, so in the new annual package, the three of them took turns sweeping every day, lest they exploit a loophole and continue turning punishment into a reward.

Sweeping the athletic field alone was a little boring. But after the three of them racked their brains, they still failed to find a good way to escape the homeroom teacher’s Five Fingers Mountain.

Until after one Meditation class, Song Yi’s face finally revealed a confident smile. “I know what to do.”

Lin Ze and Li Wenwen immediately leaned in.

“Do you remember what theory the teacher talked about in the last Meditation class?”

The two shook their heads. Meditation class had always been an excellent class for slacking off. It would be strange if they had listened seriously.

Song Yi was not surprised at all. She chuckled, carrying a top student’s confidence. “The Meditation teacher mentioned a theory: ‘No man can step into the same river twice.’”

“And then?”

“And then I don’t need to go sweep the athletic field anymore.”

Li Wenwen and Lin Ze did not understand what these two things had to do with each other, but they felt that Song Yi might be finished.

“We’d better keep a low profile for a few days.” They tried to persuade her.

“Just watch. I’ll give you a demonstration first.” Song Yi always had a unique kind of confidence when it came to strange matters.

Based on Li Wenwen and the others’ experience, at times like this, Song Yi either had the highest success rate or crashed and burned the most catastrophically.

In order to preserve her little life, Li Wenwen very experiencedly made Song Yi put a magical robe that could withstand beatings under her school uniform.

Song Yi really did dare put it into action. That day, it should have been her turn to sweep the athletic field, but when evening free activity time came, she did not go.

Looking at the leisurely Song Yi, the two could not help praying in their hearts: Hopefully, she survives.

“If something happens, I’ll help you spend all your inheritance,” Lin Ze muttered quietly.

After Li Wenwen heard it, she gave him a furious beating. “Do you even have a conscience? Little Yi hasn’t even had anything happen to her yet!”

Song Yi had not even had time to feel touched when she heard her continue, “Even if something did happen to her, I should be the first heir, right?”

The two started arguing over who was truly her first heir.

Song Yi: ...

Are you sure you really hope nothing happens to me?

The homeroom teacher naturally noticed this abnormality. He frowned a little strangely. In the past, no matter how much trouble Song Yi caused, when it came to what teachers said and what they asked her to do, she was still willing to listen.

A child who followed the rules suddenly giving up completely was not a good sign.

Had the punishment been excessive?

The homeroom teacher decided to go talk with Song Yi.

With her little face stern, Song Yi began “negotiations” with the homeroom teacher. “Yes, I’m not planning to sweep the athletic field. I admit that the past me did something wrong, and the past me also accepted the punishment. But you should go find the me who agreed to the conditions and have her continue sweeping the athletic field.”

“I am no longer the me from before.”

Why should the current Song Yi bear responsibility for the things the past Song Yi had done?

The homeroom teacher’s hand trembled slightly.

Then he took a deep breath, waved his hand, and the pointer at the front of the classroom fell into his palm. “Then I’ll tell you this: I’m specifically hitting the current you!”

How was this a sign of excessive punishment?

It was clearly because the punishment had not been enough or heavy enough that this child learned a little sophistry and immediately started jumping around.

With a “Wah-ow!” Song Yi turned and ran. “Teacher has no martial virtue!”

The homeroom teacher knew this little devil had some talent in the martial Dao, but he had never truly seen it before and had no intuitive understanding. She really did manage to slip away.

When Song Yi ran into the corridor, she saw Teacher Yuan coming toward her. It was as if she had seen a savior. “Teacher Yuan, the homeroom teacher is going to hit someone!”

Teacher Yuan froze. “Really? Wonderful! He’s finally doing what I’ve wanted to do for a long time!”

Song Yi’s flying steps immediately slammed to a stop. She quickly withdrew her outstretched hand. This was bad. Teacher Yuan had already colluded with the homeroom teacher.

She turned and ran in another direction, where she saw the math teacher not far away.

According to Song Yi’s analysis: the math teacher was highly respected, devoted to academics, and different from these teachers who liked fighting and killing!

Most importantly, she had never angered this teacher before.

She rushed straight toward the math teacher and pitifully asked for help. “Teacher, I just consolidated the knowledge taught by the Meditation teacher, and now the homeroom teacher is going to hit me.”

The math teacher revealed a gentle smile and patted her head. “It’s all right. I’ll stand up for you.”

Song Yi gave a hehe in her heart. Being a child also had its conveniences, and she was using them more and more smoothly. She hid behind the math teacher as if she had found refuge.

Only in the next second, Song Yi’s expression froze.

Because after the homeroom teacher and Teacher Yuan came over, the math teacher handed her over directly.

The words used to comfort her just now had only been deliberately meant to stabilize her and prevent her from running around.

Song Yi glanced at the kindly, benevolent-looking math teacher, and her mentality collapsed. “Boohoo, what happened to trust between people? In the end, my feelings were misplaced...”

The child’s tone carried an indescribable sense of vicissitude, as if she had seen through hypocritical human nature and lost faith in this filthy world.

The homeroom teacher tapped her little head. “Don’t be so dramatic. Rather than thinking about the treachery of the human heart, you should think about why you’ve lost everyone’s support and are besieged on all sides.”

The teachers of every subject had had their eyes on her for who knew how long. Did she really think teachers did not communicate with one another?

“You should be glad your Meditation teacher isn’t here. If she knew you were using what you learned in her class like this, she would be the first one to come whip you.”

Song Yi drooped her head and held out her hand. Fine, hit me, hit me.

Since she could not dodge it, it was best to get it over with quickly.

But at this moment, the math teacher held Song Yi’s little hand and said, “I think hitting palms is also a little too painful. We should use gentler methods to educate children. Student Song Yi, don’t you think I’m right?”

Song Yi had not expected this “traitor” to take the initiative to speak up for her. She was so pleasantly surprised.

Thank goodness. The math teacher still had a little kindness in him after all.

Song Yi felt that she had not misjudged him and immediately nodded like a chick pecking rice. “Teacher is right.”

The math teacher stuffed several exercise jade slips into Song Yi’s hand and smiled. “Since you admit it too, then we’ll follow the gentle education method.”

Song Yi looked at the math problems inside the jade slips, withdrew her hand from the math teacher’s, and offered it to the homeroom teacher. “Teacher, you should hit me after all. I think what I did was too outrageous and requires severe lashing.”

It was already too late for regret.

The math teacher said kindly, “It’s also fine if you don’t want to sweep the athletic field. Just come to my place every day to do problems. As long as you’re willing, I’ll help you tell the homeroom teacher. Mathematics is an elegant subject. It can cultivate one’s temperament and foster excellent character.”

Song Yi decisively hugged the homeroom teacher’s leg. “Teacher, I especially like sweeping the athletic field. There’s no other reason. The school is my home. Seeing this home clean and tidy makes me happy from the bottom of my heart.”

Very regretfully, this “refusal to sweep the athletic field” negotiation ended in failure. With tears in her eyes, Song Yi harvested two sets of math problems. The organization highly affirmed her fearless spirit in the face of death.

It was not as if there were no additional gains. Song Yi’s precious life experience had increased: the more easygoing someone looked, the less easy they were to mess with. Especially the kind who looked low-key but was doing pretty well!

The math teacher, who had no cultivation yet was doing very well, had already fully demonstrated this point. He was absolutely not someone harmless!

After being miserably persecuted by teachers, Song Yi looked at the vast athletic field and decided to persecute other people.

If she could not solve the trash once and for all, then she would solve the people who created trash once and for all.

“I’m going to make the people who create trash stay behind.”

Seeing Song Yi leave with a strange smile on her face and her sword in hand, Li Wenwen and Lin Ze were both startled and hurriedly grabbed her. “You mustn’t, you mustn’t.”

Ever since the “negotiations” broke down, Song Yi had always been muttering things like “human nature is treacherous.” Now she had even taken out a sword, making people very worried that she would step onto some path of no return.

“Don’t you get annoyed when you see people littering?” Song Yi asked them.

The two people who were also on the athletic field sweeping duty roster immediately said, “How could we not be annoyed? But it’s not enough to kill them over...”

Song Yi: ?

“Who said I was going to kill them?”

“Then why are you going out with a sword?”

And she had said she wanted to solve those people once and for all...

When ordinary people said that kind of thing, it was just boasting, and they would not believe it. But when Song Yi said it, whether she could accomplish it was one thing; she would definitely try to do it.

“A sword isn’t only a weapon. It’s something I use to guide spiritual power, so it saves effort.”

A nurtured lifebound weapon naturally had many uses. This broad sword had not yet become a lifebound weapon and could not be stored in her sea of consciousness, but she had already cultivated a certain degree of tacit understanding with it, and it was compatible with her spiritual power.

What was Song Yi preparing to do?

She wanted to set up a maze array on the athletic field. Anyone who left things behind on the athletic field would trigger the restriction, and they would have to pick up more than ten times the amount of trash before they could leave.

Some people threw things away casually, and some people might simply forget they had left something behind. It was not necessarily trash, or not necessarily intentional, but all of them would trigger the maze array.

Song Yi did not care what the other party’s situation was. All of you, stay behind!

She carefully studied the situation of the athletic field and also considered her limited Qi Refining cultivation. She felt that if the array she set up was too weak, it would be easy for high-level cultivators to violently break through it.

So she decided to secretly use the school’s protective array: connect her maze array with the school’s basic protective array.

To break the maze array, one would first need to break the protective array.

But the school’s protective array had extremely strong defenses, loose on the inside and tight on the outside. If one wanted to violently break the array in a short time, even Old Yang might not necessarily be able to do it.

This protective array had been designed by the math teacher. For fear that connecting the array would alarm everyone, Song Yi also used the opportunity of asking about problems to ask some more questions related to restrictions.

The math teacher was quite gratified. If she was interested in the protective array he had designed, sooner or later she would become interested in mathematics.

After figuring out what she wanted to know, Song Yi got to work.

Not long after, the little cub dragging a trash bag across the athletic field disappeared. Taking her place was a child with her hands clasped behind her back, patrolling like a supervisor.

Sweep what athletic field?

Weren’t there people doing it for her?

Strictly speaking, if there was no trash on the athletic field, then the punishment no longer existed.

When it was her turn for duty, she only needed to patrol once and confirm there were no problems.

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