Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 385 - 369: Ten Years to Nurture a Student, a Hundred Years to Build a School

"A century-old institute, once again meets the grand spectacle of the Martial Arts Joint Examination."

He sighed, his voice carrying an indescribable heaviness,

"Whether our Eighth Academy can advance to greater heights depends on these few days. At this moment of great honor, I believe every good student in our school will be willing to bring glory to us."

The counselor remained silent.

He held a different view in his heart; he believed that truly good students could not possibly cause trouble at such a time.

But he did not voice his objection, simply lowering his head silently, his eyes flickering.

From outside came faint cheering, with the live broadcast screen of the Martial Arts Contest suspended mid-air. As the referee announced the victory, excited students shot colorful fireworks into the sky.

The director of teaching admired the fireworks and said softly:

"When the joint examination concludes perfectly, will that be the most brilliant fireworks? Then, how many will still remember those few missing duds?"

The director of teaching withdrew his gaze, turning back to the counselor, his eyes becoming deep and dark.

"I remember you’ve been with our school for some years now,"

he said slowly, his tone holding a kind of allure,

"In terms of seniority and merit, you’re eligible for a promotion in rank. At the end of this year, our school can submit a list of excellent teachers to the Executive Government, and we can mention things like citizen status and related benefits."

I will then apply to the principal to add your name to it."

The counselor’s heart skipped a beat, an uncontrollable excitement surged within him.

All these years of his diligent teaching, seeing off generation after generation of students, wasn’t all this effort for this moment?

Unexpectedly, the wish he couldn’t fulfill while the students were alive—it was their death—no, their disappearance—that actually helped him achieve it.

In that moment, it was like a moment of enlightenment, clarity dawning in his heart:

"I was too narrow-minded before, students causing trouble in critical moments might not necessarily not be good students; they could very well be even better students."

He suppressed the excitement in his heart, took a deep breath, a look of almost devout determination crossing his face:

"I understand now. I’ll go contact the students’ parents and carry out their ideological education."

The director of teaching nodded in satisfaction and sat back down, his gaze behind the glasses cold and profound, as if it could see through people’s hearts:

"Remember, the honor of the school is above all else."

The counselor nodded solemnly and turned to leave the office. His steps were much lighter than when he came in, as if some heavy burden had been lifted from him.

He suddenly recalled Xiaojuan’s essay: "I want to become a student loved by the school, teachers, and classmates."

He felt Xiaojuan’s wish had already been realized. In a few days, after the joint examination, he would apply to the school for a "Distinguished Alumni" gift for the child, as a burnt offering.

The corridor’s lights stretched the counselor’s shadow long, twisting and distorting on the wall like a clawed monster.

The director of teaching watched the counselor leave, then slowly stood up and walked over to the bookshelf.

He reached for a heavy school history book, his fingertips lightly brushing over the gilded school emblem on the cover, murmuring to himself:

"To cultivate people in ten years, build a school in a hundred; only when the school becomes better can it nurture more good students!"

A chilling voice echoed in the office, melding with the noise of fireworks outside.

In the girls’ dormitory, the door banged open, and Zhang Liyou, Feng Yuhuai, and Cuicui entered one after the other.

In contrast to the bustling exam scenes outside, the dormitory felt almost drained of all life, suffocatingly desolate.

As soon as Cuicui entered, she slammed the door shut with suppressed anger in her voice:

"How can the school do this! Xiaojuan is clearly missing, yet they say she went home! Do they take us for idiots?"

She rushed to her bed, snatched up her pillow, and hurled it fiercely at the wall. The cotton burst from the seams, creating a whitish fog under the light.

Tears welled up in Cuicui’s eyes, and she screamed, almost losing control:

"Yazhi is dead, will Xiaojuan also, also...?"

Her gaze swept across Zhang Liyou and Feng Yuhuai, tinged with a hint of despair.

Zhang Liyou sat silently at the edge of the bed, watching Cuicui’s anger and fear, her eyes slightly red, her fingers subconsciously digging into her palm, but her peripheral vision never left Feng Yuhuai.

Feng Yuhuai stood by the window, her slender fingers resting on the window sill, her nails absentmindedly stroking the wooden frame, producing a faint sound.

Through the window, she gazed at the bustling playground outside, the laughter and fireworks reflected in her dark eyes making it particularly alluring. She couldn’t help but lick her lips.

Seeing them both silent, Cuicui grew even angrier.

She jumped off the bed suddenly:

"No! I can’t care that much anymore! If the school won’t act, then I’ll go to the Patrol Office myself! Otherwise, Xiaojuan will end up like Yazhi, never coming back!"

Instantly, Zhang Liyou almost instinctively grasped Cuicui’s wrist, speaking urgently:

"Don’t go!"

Cuicui paused for a moment, then glared at Zhang Liyou in disbelief, eyes filled with disappointment and anger:

"Liyou, what do you mean? Are you afraid the school will blame us? Xiaojuan is our friend! She trusted us so much, how can you be so cold-blooded!"

Zhang Liyou was momentarily rendered speechless by Cuicui’s rage, her tone becoming somewhat rushed:

"Cuicui, that’s not what I meant! Listen to me—"

Before she could finish, Feng Yuhuai by the window turned slightly, her cascading hair falling beside her cheeks, covering half her face.

Those eyes, deep and tranquil, were like an endlessly opaque lake, the black pupils shimmering with an inexplicable light, staring straight at Zhang Liyou.

Zhang Liyou’s heart tightened under her gaze, forcing herself to look away, forcing herself to compose her mind, continuing to persuade Cuicui:

"What I mean is, there’s no need to go to the Patrol Office. For the next few days, the school has arranged for Patrol Office members to maintain order, they’re right here in the school; we can approach them directly."

Zhang Liyou paused for a moment, then added:

"However, since the Patrol Office is here to help maintain order, with many important guests in the stands, I heard, officials from the Executive Government might attend tomorrow. So, the Patrol Office is likely to side with the school, helping to suppress the issue together."

Cuicui furrowed her brows, her rage gradually replaced by fear and hesitation.

Zhang Liyou took a deep breath, her tone growing heavier,

"And if the school has already notified the Patrol Office.

If we rashly report to them, we might end up being detained by the Patrol Office under the pretense of maintaining order. If all of us get caught, who will stay in school to continue searching for Xiaojuan?"

At this point, Zhang Liyou looked up at Feng Yuhuai, her face full of seriousness:

"Yuhuai, what do you think? Please help persuade Cuicui."