In the classroom, Daisy was wondering where Wayne and the others were, since the class had already started. Had they decided to skip?

What if Teacher Zhong showed up today? She asked the other classmates, but none of them knew anything.

Daisy kept peering out the classroom door, hoping to spot Wayne and his group. Just then, her body jolted.

A look of sheer horror flashed across her face, and she instantly recoiled with lightning speed! “What—what’s wrong, Daisy?” a girl asked, startled and confused.

Daisy made a sharp, silencing gesture, whispering in a voice barely audible, “Our teacher is here!” That simple sentence caused everyone’s face to change drastically, afraid to utter another unnecessary word. They all quickly settled back into their seats!

Little did these students know that every one of their movements had already been perceived by Zhong Shenxiu; his spiritual wave had already scanned the area before he even arrived. The door slid open, revealing Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

Kenny wasn't with them this time because the "Dark Commerce Guild" was nearing completion, and she was busy procuring various decorative supplies. “Stand up!” Daisy called out in a slightly trembling voice.

The whole class rose in unison, shouting, “Good morning, Teacher!” Zhong Shenxiu paused, clearly surprised that these students had this protocol! Daisy and the others watched Zhong Shenxiu with nervous expressions, daring not to move until he told them to sit down!

“Is it just the few of you?” Zhong Shenxiu asked blandly. He had already been curious about where those few boys had disappeared to before coming over.

“R-reporting, Teacher. Wayne and the others haven’t arrived yet,” Daisy said tensely.

As the deputy class monitor, she was expected to answer first. Zhong Shenxiu pondered for a moment, not dwelling on it, and then left again!

It wasn't until Zhong Shenxiu had been gone for a while that Daisy cautiously peeked out. Seeing that he was truly gone, she finally dared to let out a long sigh of relief.

“That was nerve-wracking!” one girl exclaimed, patting her chest. “Me too, I didn't even dare breathe deeply!” “Can we sit down now?” “I think it should be fine!” These pampered young ladies, spoiled at home, had turned into perfectly obedient pupils in front of Zhong Shenxiu—it was truly something to behold!

The afternoon proceeded as usual with self-study. Halfway through the second period, Wayne and his group finally returned.

Although they had received basic treatment in the infirmary, the bruises on their faces were still quite evident! “What happened?” Daisy asked with concern.

She was now even suspecting that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had given them a lesson—the reason being their absence from class! “Don’t even mention it!” Wayne said, looking thoroughly wronged.

Paul, standing nearby, briefly explained the sequence of events, immediately stirring sympathy among the female students. “How could they do that!” Daisy pouted angrily.

“I still feel furious just thinking about it!” Wayne hung his head. It was true; after being beaten, they had to endure a lecture.

What made it worse was that those other guys had played the victim first, resulting in Wayne’s group being labeled the instigators. “I’m sorry, it’s all because of me…” Vyd said apologetically.

“It’s not your fault,” Wayne patted Vyd’s shoulder, signaling him not to worry. The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

“Ah!” Daisy cried out softly, “I have something to tell you all!” “What is it?” Paul asked. “Um,” Daisy looked embarrassed, unable to bring herself to say it, “Our homeroom teacher stopped by this afternoon and asked where you all were!” “What???” Paul and the others’ eyes widened.

Could their luck be this terrible? None of them had expected Zhong Shenxiu to show up right when they were in trouble.

“W-what did he say?” Wayne was the most anxious. “He didn’t say much!” Daisy replied.

“Didn’t say much?” Wayne and the others clearly didn’t believe her. “He really didn't say much; he just asked where you went, and then he left after staying just a moment!” “We’re done for, done for, this is over!” Wayne and the others sank into their chairs, imagining the fate that awaited them.

The rest of the day passed in anxious apprehension, but Zhong Shenxiu never reappeared! Wayne and his group assumed Zhong Shenxiu would come the next day, so to lessen their transgression, they quickly organized a thorough cleaning, scrubbing the classroom until it gleamed!

The group sat waiting quietly, but in the end, they had worried for nothing; Zhong Shenxiu still didn’t show up. So, what exactly was Zhong Shenxiu busy with?

In reality, his research into the teleportation array had yielded results over these two days, and he was currently busy with various calibrations. As for Wayne’s absence from class that day, he hadn't given it a second thought; after all, he and Robin had often skipped classes themselves back in the day!

That afternoon, Zhong Shenxiu was heading to the library to return a book. Just as he was about to turn a corner, a figure suddenly burst out from inside.

Zhong Shenxiu frowned slightly, recognizing the figure as Daisy, the deputy class monitor he had appointed! Daisy was looking frantic, running forward so focused on speed that she hadn't noticed someone suddenly appear in front of her.

Just as a collision seemed imminent, an invisible wall abruptly stopped her. This gentle, unseen barrier brought Daisy to an immediate halt.

As Daisy wondered what had happened, a voice broke the silence. “What’s the matter?” Zhong Shenxiu asked calmly.

“Ah!” Daisy looked up, completely shocked to see Zhong Shenxiu there. After her initial shock, a cry escaped her lips, making it sound as if Zhong Shenxiu had done something to her!

The truth was, Daisy was in a rush, and the matter concerned Vyd. She had just witnessed a group of people bullying Vyd again.

She had tried to intervene, but those people showed no intention of stopping, even threatening what they would do to her if she kept meddling! Daisy had no choice but to retreat to find reinforcements, never expecting to run straight into her homeroom teacher!

To be honest, Daisy was afraid to tell Zhong Shenxiu about this incident. That was why she ran to get help instead of reporting it to the teachers.

But the thing she feared most had happened—she ran into Zhong Shenxiu at this critical moment! “Teacher Zhong…” Daisy called out timidly, her eyes darting around, unable to meet his gaze.

Zhong Shenxiu remained silent, simply standing there. Even so, Daisy felt an overwhelming pressure.

Now she had to worry about Vyd’s condition while also figuring out how to answer Zhong Shenxiu’s inquiry. After much thought, she concluded that concealing the matter from Zhong Shenxiu was too risky.

If he hadn't asked, it might have been manageable, but now that he had, keeping quiet would lead to far worse consequences when he inevitably learned the truth. “Teacher Zhong, please hurry and look, Vyd is being bullied by several students from other classes.

And they’re shouting insults!” Daisy recounted what she had seen, repeating the offensive words the bullies had used verbatim to Zhong Shenxiu. Zhong Shenxiu’s brow furrowed initially, but then a sinister smile curved his lips: he genuinely wanted to see who dared to bully his students.

It seemed he had something to do again! Daisy found Zhong Shenxiu’s expression strange.

She couldn't understand why he was smiling. Did he have a penchant for tormenting others?

While she was lost in speculation, Zhong Shenxiu repeated his question, “Where are they?” “Just over there,” Daisy pointed. “Lead the way!” And so, the three of them headed toward the site of the incident!

When they arrived, only Vyd remained, sitting dejectedly on the ground. His hair was a mess, his clothes were torn, and his face was streaked with saliva.

“Vyd!” Daisy called out. While her tone implied concern, it was also a subtle alert that the teacher had arrived.

Vyd looked up, and upon seeing Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, his expression clearly froze. Like a sudden revival, he shot up from the ground with a ‘whoosh’!

Zhong Shenxiu only glanced at Vyd before beginning to survey the scene. It was his habit to gather useful information before the site could be disturbed!

“The four of them left?” Zhong Shenxiu asked calmly, not looking up, his eyes still fixed on the scattered footprints on the ground. Vyd assumed Daisy or Zhong Shenxiu had already told him, so he merely grunted, “En.” But Daisy was very puzzled.

She hadn't mentioned the number of people; how did Teacher Zhong know it was four? After observing the area for a moment, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp as he fixed them on Vyd, asking, “Why didn’t you fight back?” Although Zhong Shenxiu hadn't witnessed the event firsthand, the evidence at the scene allowed him to deduce that Vyd hadn't retaliated at all, only constantly defending himself!

Vyd trembled under Zhong Shenxiu’s intense gaze, finally murmuring in a voice barely audible, “I don’t have Dou Qi, and I don’t know magic!” “That is no excuse!” Zhong Shenxiu’s gaze sharpened further. He could support his followers, but he despised cowards!

A flicker of complex emotion crossed Vyd’s eyes. He chose silence, not because he lacked a reason, but because it was a reason he did not wish to share with others.

The true reason he endured was for his mother. If he had resisted those people, they might have redirected their wrath onto his mother.

If they dared to assault him, the young master, how much worse might they treat his mother! Therefore, until he possessed the power to protect her, he had to choose forbearance—to endure hardship others could not bear, and humiliation beyond imagination!

Though Vyd remained silent, Zhong Shenxiu caught that fleeting, complex look in his eyes; that was not the expression of a coward! That was enough.

What Zhong Shenxiu required was not a specific justification, but an unyielding spirit! Now, the real show was about to begin.