Mar Ke Xin stared at Monica and Edra, utterly stunned. From their words, she had gleaned new information: the strange child Sherry had encountered in the Demon Beast Forest last time turned out to be Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin!
What sheer coincidence!
She still clearly remembered when Sherry had brought her the carcass of a Wind Chaser Wolf for an autopsy. She had been deeply shocked because the wolf's death had been instantaneous, its heart shattered by some strange force. Combined with Sherry's description, the death of the Wind Chaser Wolf was highly likely linked to those two mysterious children!
But who could have imagined those two children would turn out to be Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin? Even more unfathomable to Mar Ke Xin was that they were now her students!
In Mar Ke Xin's eyes, Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin were merely two somewhat stubborn children. She never expected such an outcome, that the mysterious incident would be connected to them!
At that moment, Mar Ke Xin suddenly recalled what Elena had told her that day: Never provoke these two children!
Could it be that they were truly as formidable as legend claimed?
Mar Ke Xin had initially been completely skeptical, but now doubt had taken root. Yet, little did she know, the true extent of Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin's prowess was far more terrifying than any rumor!
“Teacher Mar Ke Xin, what’s wrong?” Monica noticed Mar Ke Xin’s strange expression and quickly asked with concern.
To be honest, she wasn't particularly surprised by Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin. Her initial attention to them stemmed only from a feeling of guilt.
It was a matter of ingrained human thought patterns, presuming that children were synonymous with vulnerability. Unless one truly witnessed the abilities of Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin, they wouldn't believe the pair possessed power capable of chilling the soul!
“N-nothing,” Mar Ke Xin snapped back to reality, masking the look of horror on her face.
Monica didn't press further, instead turning her gaze back to her friend, Edra. She questioned her again with immense skepticism, “Were you really thrown out? Think carefully, did you misremember? Did you perhaps just slip and fall? Did you step on a banana peel or something?”
It wasn't Monica’s fault for disbelieving; the truth was, Edra had tricked her too many times before. Often, a minor incident, once filtered through Edra’s telling, could escalate into a planetary attack by terrorists or something equally dramatic.
“I remember clearly, I was thrown out.”
Edra felt deeply wronged. Why didn't Monica believe her? She usually believed Edra when she was spinning tales, so why wouldn't she believe her when she was telling the truth this time?
“Then tell me, why was only you thrown out?” Monica challenged.
“I... I...” Edra stammered, unable to speak clearly.
“Can’t explain it now, can you?”
“Well, I only asked a few questions, and then that... the little boy said to the little girl: ‘Robin, if she keeps babbling nonsense, help me toss her out.’ And then somehow, I was thrown out!”
Edra mimicked Zhong Shen Xiu’s tone flawlessly, perfectly recreating the scene.
Monica was momentarily stunned, then she burst out laughing. It turned out she wasn't the only one who found Edra unbearable; others were too!
There were times when Edra annoyed Monica so much that she had fleeting thoughts of tossing her out, but she had never acted on it.
Unexpectedly, someone actually did it today!
“You’re still laughing!” Edra pouted crossly.
Though Monica knew laughing wasn't entirely appropriate, she couldn't stop. It felt as if long-suppressed emotions were suddenly released, bringing an inexpressible sense of relief. What a fine day it was!
Monica wasn't gloating, but rather felt it was understandable. No one knew Edra’s capacity for annoyance better than she did. She even started thinking that such a minor punishment might be beneficial; perhaps Edra would become more restrained in the future!
Just then, Mar Ke Xin, who had been silent until now, interjected: “Edra, which library are you talking about?”
She had previously assumed Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin wouldn't return to the Academy, never imagining they had gone to the library instead. Did this mean her teaching was less effective than their self-study at the library?
She recalled Zhong Shen Xiu’s parting words to her from days ago, and even now, the memory was a heavy weight in her chest!
Edra provided the location, and Mar Ke Xin didn’t linger, offering a brief farewell before departing.
“That’s strange! Why does Teacher Mar Ke Xin care so much about those two children?” Edra asked casually.
“I heard those two children are Teacher Mar Ke Xin’s relatives. Teacher Mar Ke Xin personally escorted them to our class that day!” Monica replied slowly.
“What???” Edra’s eyes widened, seemingly forgetting the pain in her posterior.
Meanwhile, back in her office, Mar Ke Xin grew increasingly agitated the more she pondered. The images of Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin kept flashing through her mind.
After much deliberation, she finally decided to go to the library to investigate. Her stated justification was: they were her students, and she couldn't just abandon them to their own devices!
Upon reaching the location Edra described, she indeed spotted Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin engrossed in reading. She was somewhat surprised; Zhong Shen Xiu’s focused demeanor didn't look like an act.
Mar Ke Xin didn't approach immediately, choosing instead to observe secretly from a corner. As the saying went: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated! Only by understanding these two children could she devise a practical plan!
But to think she could see through Zhong Shen Xiu with such simple observation—that was the height of delusion! Not just her, but even Angelia, who had spent considerably more time with him, still found Zhong Shen Xiu to be an unsolvable enigma.
Mar Ke Xin hadn't realized this. She was now straining to see what book Zhong Shen Xiu was reading. Just as she was concentrating intently, a soft voice sounded beside her, startling her badly.
“Teacher Mar Ke Xin!”
It was merely a student offering a polite greeting.
Perhaps sensing her current behavior was somewhat clandestine, Mar Ke Xin quickly adjusted her composure, constantly reminding herself: I am the teacher; who should I fear? Finally, she walked towards Zhong Shen Xiu and Robin.
Her movement immediately drew attention. There was no avoiding it; these people were still recovering from the shock Robin had delivered moments earlier, and now seeing Teacher Mar Ke Xin approach only fueled their curiosity!
Though they maintained the façade of serious reading, their peripheral vision was fixed on the group, and their ears were perked up, their focus sharper than ever!
Robin glanced up at Mar Ke Xin, but Zhong Shen Xiu didn't even lift his head.
Mar Ke Xin wasn't overly surprised by their coldness and sat down calmly. Coincidentally, the spot she chose was exactly where Edra had been sitting earlier!
“Why are you two reading here instead of attending class?” After careful thought, Mar Ke Xin ended up asking this simple question.
Robin didn't answer, instead glancing at Zhong Shen Xiu, his expression seeming to ask: Master, should I throw this woman out too?
Mar Ke Xin, oblivious to the danger she was currently in, assumed their silence meant they felt remorse but were too embarrassed to speak. So, she continued, “Actually, class is very interesting. You two probably just haven’t adjusted yet. Once you get used to it, you’ll find that—”
“Hey,” at this moment, Zhong Shen Xiu finally raised his head. “You don’t want to be thrown out too, do you?”
Huh?
Mar Ke Xin froze for a second, but then connecting the dots, she understood the implication.
Looking at Robin now, he was actually rolling up his sleeves, looking eager to act. It seemed he had gotten a taste for tossing people out and was ready to try it on Mar Ke Xin!
The surrounding students were vigilantly tracking the situation. Those closer heard Zhong Shen Xiu’s words and nearly cried out in shock.
Damn, so arrogant? Daring to toss out the teacher??
The blood of these students seemed to instantly boil, and expectant looks spread across their faces! Ah, what could one even say about these youths!
Mar Ke Xin proved herself a mature woman, as she seemed to sense the impending danger.
While being thrown out wouldn't cause physical injury, the repercussions would be huge. How could she maintain her standing in the teaching profession afterward?
Therefore, Mar Ke Xin wisely chose silence, staring blankly at Zhong Shen Xiu.
Since he had no command from Zhong Shen Xiu, Robin held back from making a move!
“Robin, let’s go!” Zhong Shen Xiu suddenly said to Robin, simultaneously casting a warning glance at Mar Ke Xin, “Stop bothering me!”
With that, he actually led Robin out of the library!
Mar Ke Xin stood there stunned for a long time, her demeanor like an eggplant frost-bitten. Zhong Shen Xiu’s warning left her deeply frustrated; her earnest advice had been misinterpreted as ‘bothering him’!
Perhaps readers wonder why Zhong Shen Xiu would leave the library. Did he decide against researching the magic array?
Not at all; quite the opposite! He was leaving because he intended to further study this “magic array” by personally observing the physical object to ascertain what features and functions the so-called "magic array" truly possessed!
And the direction they headed was the training grounds of the Dober Magic and Martial Arts Academy!
To minimize destruction during practice sessions, the training grounds throughout the academy were shielded by barriers. A barrier was, after all, a type of magic array, and Zhong Shen Xiu’s purpose in going there was precisely to study this barrier!
As for the harvest from this trip—hehe—it was truly beyond Zhong Shen Xiu’s expectations.
Zhong Shen Xiu never imagined that a casual action of his would bring him such tremendous benefit!