Zheng Qingfang knew that there were three headmasters in Central Province Academy. An Xinhui, for one, was too famous. There wasn’t anyone in Jinling City who didn’t know of her. She had high morals like her grandfather, never being impartial to others.
Wang Su was a 4-star great teacher and a well-known perfectionist. If someone wasn’t a perfect talent, he wouldn’t care for them.
To speak the truth, Sun Mo had graduated from Songyang Academy.
Thus, no matter how Zheng Qingfang looked at it, he didn’t think that Wang Su would admire Sun Mo. Therefore, it was impossible for Wang Su to help Sun Mo get a position in the school.
Then there was only Zhang Hanfu left.
“Uncle Zheng, what rubbish are you talking about?”
Sun Mo was speechless. (How can that potato Zhang be able to give birth to a handsome guy like me? It’d be impossible even if he were to wed a goddess!)
“I’m sorry, it was a slip of tongue.” Zheng Qingfang apologized and smiled, feeling bad about it. “Your drawing skill is very good and your calligraphy isn’t bad either. An Xinhui must admire you a lot, right?”
In Zheng Qingfang’s opinion, Sun Mo was a famous artist who had reached the level of being able to create great masterpieces. It wouldn’t be surprising for An Xinhui to hold him in high regard.
“No, she doesn’t know that I can draw!”
Sun Mo shook his head. Ever since he started drawing character illustrations for Journey to the West the other day, he didn’t draw anymore. He’d just be drawing spirit-gathering runes every day.
“Uhh!”
Zheng Qingfang was speechless. (Brother, you weren’t this bad at chatting in the past. How am I supposed to carry on the conversation with you giving me these replies? And it’s really a great waste of talent for you not to be drawing.)
“I’ll be heading to the Darkness Continent in half a month, so I won’t be free to write (Journey to the West] now.”
Sun Mo said honestly to save Zheng Qingfang from constantly thinking about it.
“What? Are you crazy?”
Zheng Qingfang frowned. “Did someone plot against you?”
“No!”
Sun Mo was perplexed.
“Then why would you be assigned to go to the Darkness Continent when you’re new on the job? Do you know what kind of place that is?”
Zheng Qingfang looked at Sun Mo. He was very disappointed when he heard that Sun Mo wasn’t going to write (Journey to the West] anymore. But when he heard the word ‘Darkness Continent’, he was instantly shocked.
“I know!”
Sun Mo nodded. The original owner of this body had been there before, but he had only been to the second level.
That was right. Given all the known information for now, there was a total of five levels in the Darkness Continent. Each level had different natural laws.
For example, the spirit qi in the first level wasn’t as stable as that in Middle-Earth Nine Provinces. They were like tidal waves, seething non-stop.
Such a phenomenon resulted in varying spirit pressure in various regions.
It wasn’t an issue to move around in areas with low spirit pressure, but they had to be careful when they were to enter high spirit pressure areas. When it exceeded a certain value, one’s organs would be compressed and damaged.
Therefore, if one wished to explore the relics and excavate mysterious treasures in the Darkness Continent, the first thing they had to learn was to distinguish the spirit pressure. This would allow them to survive.
“You’re going despite knowing about it? You don’t want your life anymore?”
Zheng Qingfang frowned. As someone who had experience in this, he persuaded Sun Mo, “What you need to do right now is to raise your teaching capabilities, then take in disciples, conduct lessons, and stabilize your standing in the Central Province Academy. It’s not to take risks and head to the Darkness Continent.”
“But my students want to go. So I have to go along.”
Sun Mo shrugged.
“What?”
Zheng Qingfang thought that he had heard wrongly. “Was it that girl who was with you the other day? If I didn’t remember wrongly, she hasn’t reached the body-refinement realm successfully, right? Is she going to the Darkness Continent to court death?”
“She’s not the only one.” Sun Mo smiled. “It’s good to go to the Darkness Continent earlier to get some experience. I’ll protect her.”
“Wait a minute. This might be presumptuous of me, but how many students do you have?”
Zheng Qingfang asked.
“Six!”
Sun Mo answered honestly.
“How many?”
Zheng Qingfang was someone who had been through many things in life. In the imperial court, he had seen his political opponents having their positions removed by the king and being beaten to death by rods. He hadn’t even blinked his eyes then. But now, he was a little surprised!
“Six!”
Sun Mo put out his hand and gestured six.
Zheng Qingfang raised his hand and waved it in front of Sun Mo. “Have you become delusional because things haven’t been going well lately?”
It was no wonder that Zheng Qingfang didn’t believe him. Acknowledging a teacher was a great matter in a student’s lifetime. It was because after a person had acknowledged a teacher, their reputations would be gone if they were to acknowledge another teacher later on.
Therefore, who wouldn’t exercise great care in such a matter? It wasn’t that Zheng Qingfang looked down on Sun Mo.
(You’re only an intern teacher, right? Alright, even if you’ve been employed, how can you possibly have taken in six students? Wait a minute, this isn’t the important thing.)
“Brother, I understand your pressing urge to become a teacher. But you shouldn’t be anxious about taking in disciples. Once you do, you’ll have to take care of your students like they are your children. You mustn’t slack at all.”
Zheng Qingfang hesitated for a moment before saying, “You shouldn’t take them in if their aptitude and character are bad. Therefore, you should take more time to observe them!”
“I know. I’m quite satisfied with my six students.”
Sun Mo was very thankful toward Zheng Qingfang. After all, he was an influential character and would need to pay attention to his image. However, he still said these things for Sun Mo’s sake.
“You…”
Zheng Qingfang shook his head, feeling very disappointed. However, everyone had their own aspirations. “I have a student who has been by my side for too long. I wish to let him go to the Darkness Continent to gain some experience. Sun Mo, can you help me to take care of him for a while?”
Sun Mo was stunned for a moment then he felt a little warm inside. He cupped his fists together toward Zheng Qingfang. The latter was planning to send an expert to protect Sun Mo and his students.
Old Zheng was worried that if he were to say this outright, Sun Mo might lose face. That was why he had said something of a completely different meaning.
“It doesn’t matter if you were to die, but that (Journey to the West) would be lost in history.”
Zheng Qingfang wanted to make a joke, but after he said this, he quickly spat out. Why was he bringing up dying? It was really inauspicious.
“Why don’t I tell you about it verbally? I really don’t want to write it anymore.”
Sun Mo couldn’t find the time to write.
“Think about it a little more. This book is extremely popular and has become a precious item in Jinling. In another two months, it wouldn’t be a problem for it to take the entire Tang Country by storm.” Zheng Qingfang sighed. Sun Mo’s book could really leave a name in history. “Hehe!”
Sun Mo wasn’t interested.
“You’re really wasting such a precious thing. An incomplete (Journey to the West) can be said to be the greatest regret in the history of Tang Country’s literature.”
Zheng Qingfang was extremely disappointed.
“I’m sorry, my aspiration is to teach and educate people, nurturing a few good and successful students. It brings me greater satisfaction than to write a popular novel.”
Sun Mo apologized.
Hearing this, Zheng Qingfang immediately felt great respect for Sun Mo. Wearing an embarrassed expression, he cupped his hands toward Sun Mo. “I should be the one to apologize. My view is too narrow.”
Ding!
Favorable impression points from Zheng Qingfang +50. Neutral (90/100).
As a learned person and an important official in the imperial court, Zheng Qingfang knew the importance of talent. It could be said that Sun Mo’s aspiration was extremely noble.
“Uncle Zheng!” Sun Mo quickly dodged. He couldn’t accept such a solemn greeting.
“Since I won’t be able to read the second half of the story, then how about you tell me verbally to satisfy my craving?”
Zheng Qingfang immediately turned into a giraffe that was waiting to be fed, looking at Sun Mo with a pleading gaze.
“Alright!”
Sun Mo started to dictate the story.
Zheng Qingfang was infatuated with it. The stories of the 81 tribulations were truly fascinating. At the part where the quartet mistakenly drank from the Spring of Pregnancy and became pregnant, he was completely stunned.
Then, the story went on to Tang Sanzang’s love entanglement in the Women’s Kingdom. Tang Sanzang was moved by the queen of the Women’s Kingdom, while she was infatuated and decided to remain single for life. Hearing that, Zheng Qingfang moaned and gasped. Ding!
loa
“Congratulations, you’ve finished massaging ten people, completing the mission. Rewarded with one black-iron treasure chest.”
The system’s notification suddenly rang out.
ILII
Sun Mo was speechless. (Isn’t this delay too long?) He reckoned that he’d have to spend the day with Old Zheng here. Therefore, he decided to go ahead and open the treasure chest.
After the light flashed past, there was nothing.
“Very sorry, your luck isn’t good. Please try again next time!”
After the system said that, it couldn’t hold it in anymore and broke out laughing. “I’ve seen many people with bad luck, but people with abysmal luck like this are really rare!”
II
Sun Mo had the urge to beat someone up. (I know that I’m unlucky, but does it have to be so thorough? You can at least give me a small lump of dark soil, right?)
Hearing the system’s teasing, Sun Mo was about to retort when Old Zheng suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. “Uncle Zheng?”
Sun Mo was given a shock and quickly put out his hand to take his pulse.
“Old Master!”
At the instant Zheng Qingfang fell, seven burly men immediately darted out of the forest, wearing anxious expressions.
“Quick, clear the path!”
The leader of the pack ran the fastest. He extended out his hands and wanted to carry Zheng Qingfang on his back.
“Don’t!”
Sun Mo grabbed onto the man’s hand.
“Let go. If you were to cause a delay to Old Master’s treatment, the heads of everyone in your family will have to be chopped off in apology.”
The man bellowed furiously.
“A blood vessel in his head had burst. If you were to carry him on your back, the jolting from just one minute of running will be sufficient to kill him.”
As Sun Mo said this, he put both of his hands on Zheng Qingfang’s head, performing the living blood technique. “Ahh!”
Zheng Qingfang, who had sunk into a coma, suddenly let out an agonizing cry. He was in so much pain that his countenance was distorted.
“What are you doing?” The men were overwhelmed by shock and fury, and they drew out their blades at him.
“If you don’t wish for him to die, then shut up!” Sun Mo bellowed.
When the students passing by saw this scene, they immediately came running over. By the time they noticed that Sun Mo had been surrounded, they immediately shouted out.
“Teacher Sun is in danger!”
The students weren’t scared of the ferocious men and stood in front of Sun Mo instead.
“Scram! Are you courting death?”
Sun Mo bellowed furiously toward the students. He was really worried that these guards would be too nervous and start killing people.
“Our Old Master’s old ailment has acted up. Don’t act recklessly, or he’d lose his life!”
“Where’s your school’s doctor? Quickly call them over!”
“Go call your headmaster here!”
The guards shouted loudly.
“I told you to shut up! Do you f*cking not understand human language?” Sun Mo was enraged. “Don’t distract me!”
If the treatment wasn’t done in time, cerebral hemorrhage, even in modern society, would result in dementia or paralysis even if the patient’s life could be saved.
Sun Mo’s living blood technique was only at the expert-grade. Without the genie’s help, he could only try his best. “Go inform Headmaster An!”
