Zhao Ya clenched her fists.
I must expose this shameless fellow today.
A thought flashed through her mind. The Recording Crystal—it was still hidden in her sleeve.
Recording Crystals could capture images and sound from the surrounding area. If she recorded his nonsense and spread it publicly, even with a hundred mouths, he wouldn't be able to explain himself away.
When that time comes, let's see how you show your face. Compared to Teacher Lu Xun, you're nothing but a joke.
The more she thought about it, the brighter Zhao Ya's eyes became. She almost laughed out loud, forcibly suppressing her excitement. She couldn't wait to hear what nonsense he would spout next.
Just as she was about to listen closely, two bright eyes suddenly appeared before her—like lanterns hanging in the dark.
"Ah!"
Startled, Zhao Ya staggered back a step. Only then did she see clearly—it was Teacher Zhang Xuan.
She gritted her teeth, her anger flaring."What are you trying to do?!"
"Relax. I'm just taking a look."
Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and slowly circled her once. He shook his head, then suddenly stopped directly in front of her—less than a foot away.
The heat from his body washed over her.
Zhao Ya's face flushed red instantly. Since childhood, no man had ever stood this close to her. Her heart raced in panic, and before she could react, she heard his calm voice:
"You're sick."
That sentence nearly made her explode.
"You're sick! Your whole family is sick!" she snapped, almost fainting on the spot.
This man was insane!
She had come to demonstrate her martial skills and let him point out flaws—and he directly said she was sick? How could there be such a hateful person in this world?
"Why are you cursing people?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Then he realized the misunderstanding and smiled faintly."I mean you have a physical illness. I wasn't insulting you."
"I'm not sick!" Zhao Ya snorted coldly. "You're the sick one—your brain is sick!"
Her body was strong enough to punch with over a hundred kilograms of force. Sick? She knew herself best.
"Don't rush to deny it." Zhang Xuan spoke evenly."You often feel pain in the Middle Palace and Great Palace acupoints. It's worse at night—especially during the full moon. When cold wind blows, your entire body heats up, your mood becomes restless, and you feel unusually… unsettled."
He hesitated slightly before adding,"No matter how much you cultivate, you can't calm your mind. Am I wrong?"
"You… how do you know that?"
Zhao Ya froze.
She had planned to reject anything he said, but every word hit precisely where it hurt.
Recently, she had felt dull pain in those two acupoints. Normally it was tolerable—but on full-moon nights, when cool wind passed over her skin, her body reacted strangely. Heat surged through her, her thoughts grew chaotic, and an indescribable urge rose within her.
She was only sixteen or seventeen, ignorant of such matters. She only knew it made her unbearably embarrassed. At first, she thought it would pass—but as her body matured, the symptoms grew stronger.
She could no longer sleep without cultivating until dawn.
This condition was too strange. She hadn't dared tell anyone—not even her closest friends or her father, City Lord Zhao.
Yet this man… knew everything.
"I'm a teacher," Zhang Xuan said calmly. "You performed a set of fist techniques earlier. I saw it."
Of course, he hadn't learned this from her fists alone. The Library of Heaven's Path had revealed everything.
"Is there… a solution?" Zhao Ya asked softly, her face burning red.
Just moments ago, she had wanted to humiliate him. Now, she felt only embarrassment.
"There is."Zhang Xuan waved his hand lightly."Come to class tomorrow. I'll explain it to you."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up.
She knew her condition well—it was becoming harder to control each day. She never imagined that the academy's lowest-ranked teacher could see through it so easily… and even offer treatment.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask other teachers," Zhang Xuan said indifferently, adopting the air of an expert.
"No—no need!" Zhao Ya nodded hurriedly. "I believe you!"
She had consulted countless physicians in the city. Even her father hadn't discovered anything. Yet this man diagnosed her at a glance.
Then Zhang Xuan casually pointed."That Recording Crystal… were you planning to keep it?"
"Ah!"
Zhao Ya stiffened. Only then did she remember her earlier plan.
If that recording were revealed, how could she ever show her face again?
Crack!
With a sharp squeeze, the Recording Crystal shattered into powder.
Looking back at Zhang Xuan, she no longer saw a shameless fraud—but a figure unfathomably deep.
Someone like this… how could he have scored zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination?
"He must be indifferent to fame and fortune," she thought. "True experts are always like this…"
"Tidy up your bedding and books. Find your residence. Be on time for class tomorrow," Zhang Xuan said calmly.
Just as everything settled, a loud boom echoed outside.
A figure rushed in like lightning.
It was a middle-aged man with a powerful aura.
"Young Lady!"
"Uncle Yao?" Zhao Ya stared.
It was Yao Han, the City Lord's chief steward.
When he saw Zhao Ya inside Zhang Xuan's room—and the shattered Recording Crystal on the ground—his face turned icy cold.
"Brat!" he roared. "What did you do to our young lady?!"
The pressure of his aura exploded outward. The air trembled, the ground creaked.
Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"What exactly do you think I did?"
This misunderstanding… had grown far too large.