"Fine," Qian Biao sneered."You claim you've recruited four students. Go find them. Bring them here and let us confirm—are you waiting for me to slap my own face?"
Zhang Xuan shook his head calmly.
"There's no need to bring them. All of us here are logistics teachers—don't tell me you don't know the simplest verification method?"
"The moment a student performs blood recognition on a teacher's identity token, the Teaching Department automatically records the master–disciple relationship. The records are detailed and immutable."
"We'll just check the Teaching Department. There's no way for me to collude with them to cheat you."
His tone was steady, confident.
Hearing this, Qian Biao's smile stiffened slightly—but he quickly snorted.
"Li Yuan. Go check."
"I want to see how long this trash can keep pretending."
Li Yuan, who had mocked Zhang Xuan earlier, turned and left. The Teaching Department was close; it didn't take long.
When Li Yuan returned, his face was pale and stiff.
"Well?" Qian Biao's heart sank.
"There… there really are four students.""These are their names and detailed records."
He handed over the list.
Qian Biao grabbed it immediately, his face dark.
"Hmph. Let me see what kind of trash students would follow a zero-score teacher."
Many teachers inflated their numbers by recruiting borderline students—those likely to be dismissed anyway. Even if they stayed, they wouldn't last long.
That was what Qian Biao believed Zhang Xuan had done.
His gaze fell on the first name.
Wang Ying.
"A female student?" he sneered."Never heard of her. Probably one of the bottom entrance-exam ranks."
Hongtian Academy admitted only those who passed the entrance exam, ranking them afterward. Outstanding students were famous from the start.
Wang Ying's name rang no bells.
"Teacher Qian… keep reading…" Li Yuan said weakly.
Qian Biao frowned and glanced at the detailed notes beneath the name.
Entrance Exam Rank: 67Younger sister of Wang TaoMember of the Wang Family — one of the Four Great Clans of Heavenly Profound City
"What?!"
Qian Biao sucked in a sharp breath.
"The Wang Family's daughter? Wang Tao's sister?!"
Wang Tao—top ten of the academy's overall evaluation, a favored direct disciple of an Elder.
If the elder brother was a monster, how could the younger sister be ordinary?
Such a person… chose Zhang Xuan as her master?
Lightning seemed to strike Qian Biao's head.
"This… this must be wrong…"
His trembling fingers moved downward.
The next name appeared.
Zhao Ya.
Grade Assessment Rank: 7Daughter of the White Jade City Lord
Qian Biao's vision went black.
"Zhao Ya?! The White Jade City Lord's daughter?!"
That name alone was enough to drive teachers mad with envy.
Beauty. Talent. Background.
Countless instructors fought over her—yet she chose the academy's zero-score trash teacher?
Impossible. Completely impossible!
Hands shaking violently, Qian Biao continued.
Liu Yang.Zheng Yang.
Both ranked within the top hundred of the entrance exam.
Especially Zheng Yang—renowned for spear technique. Rumor had it that he hadn't even displayed his full strength during the assessment. Had he done so, top twenty wouldn't have been out of reach.
The list fell from Qian Biao's hand.
The surrounding teachers stared in silence, faces pale.
This wasn't just absurd—
It was insane.
"This is cheating!" Qian Biao suddenly roared."You must've used some despicable trick!"
"These students don't know who you really are! Once they find out you're the zero-score teacher, they'll immediately withdraw!"
"That's it! That must be it!"
Zhang Xuan looked at him calmly.
"Whether they withdraw later has nothing to do with our bet."
"Our agreement was simple: if I have students now, I win."
"You've confirmed I have four."
"So—shouldn't you honor the bet?"
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Qian Biao and the others exchanged looks, their expressions twisting.
Admitting defeat meant being slapped in the face—three times—by the academy's Trash Teacher.
They couldn't accept it.
After a moment, Qian Biao sneered viciously.
"And if we don't honor it?"
"What can you do?"
"You think you can force us? With your pathetic cultivation?"
"The weakest teacher in the academy wants to slap our faces? Laughable."
"If we beat you into a pig's head right now, who would dare interfere?"
Li Yuan and the others instantly understood his meaning.
They sneered.
Zhang Xuan's cultivation was well known—Martial Artist Third Layer, peak.
Li Yuan alone was Martial Artist Fourth Layer, advanced stage.
An entire realm higher.
The gap was absolute.
"Oh?" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly."So you plan to renege?"
"That's right!" Li Yuan shouted angrily."Who do you think you are?! Slapping our faces—believe it or not, I'll slap you first!"
His palm swung forward.
The wind howled.
Power surged.
Everyone expected Zhang Xuan to be sent flying.
Pa!
A crisp sound echoed.
But the one who flew back—
was Li Yuan.
Blood sprayed.
Teeth scattered across the floor.
His massive body spun through the air and crashed down, stunned.
The entire logistics hall froze.
Every single person stood rooted to the spot.
Their minds went completely blank.
"How… how is that possible…?"
No one could understand it.
The academy's Trash Teacher—
had just slapped a Martial Artist Fourth Layer teacher into silence.
And this—
was only the beginning.