Wayne and the others were incredibly tense, their hearts threatening to pound right out of their chests. He had no idea if Zhong Shenxiu would punish them for fighting; usually, teachers were dead set against it, often leading to parent conferences or detentions!
Of course, they weren't actually afraid of those consequences; what terrified them was the thought of Zhong Shenxiu being angry with them!
Now, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin stood there. Though they desperately wished they could disappear, they dared not fail to approach, as doing so would only compound their offense!
The group could barely feel their own legs move, sensing a violent thud in their chests with every step they took forward!
"Teacher Zhong!" Daisy called out timidly.
The smile on Zhong Shenxiu's face hadn't faded, but his eyes swept over each person, causing a shiver to run down the spine of anyone he focused on!
"Where have you been?" Zhong Shenxiu asked very calmly.
It was a simple question, yet it made everyone immediately drop their heads. Even a mouse seeing a cat couldn't look more subdued! (Though, perhaps mice are starting to bully cats these days, sigh!)
Zhong Shenxiu didn't press them further, instead saying casually, "Go back to class!"
The others didn't dare defy him and obediently followed Zhong Shenxiu toward Classroom D27. The whole journey, they were fraught with anxiety, constantly trying to figure out how they would answer later. But alas, their minds were in utter disarray; the more they thought, the more confused they became, wishing they could just pull their own hair out!
In this state of apprehension, time passed quickly, and they arrived at Classroom D27.
Once everyone was seated, Zhong Shenxiu didn't rush to question them. He sat at the lectern, watching them, his gaze so sharp it made their hearts tremble!
They say silence speaks louder than words, and that was certainly true now. The classroom was utterly still, so quiet it seemed devoid of people!
This silence only made the group more panicked, wishing for something, anything, to knock them unconscious and end this agonizing wait!
"Teacher Zhong, we confess!" Wayne finally couldn't stand the tension. He swallowed hard and stood up.
"Sit down and answer!" Even in his tone now, there was no discernible emotion from Zhong Shenxiu.
So Wayne sat down and recounted everything that had happened, daring not to hide a single detail or embellish the story; he stuck strictly to the facts!
"Does anyone else have anything to add?" Zhong Shenxiu shifted his gaze to the others; still, it was impossible to tell if he was pleased or angry!
Perhaps because Wayne had broken the ice, the others dropped their burdens too, supplementing details Wayne hadn't mentioned.
"Anything else?" Zhong Shenxiu inquired again.
"That's it!"
A slightly wicked smile suddenly curved the corner of Zhong Shenxiu's mouth. He said to the group, "Follow me!"
Wayne and the others blinked again, unsure where Zhong Shenxiu intended to lead them this time. Despite their doubts, no one dared voice a question, and they quietly trailed behind him!
Robin had cast a healing spell on them earlier, restoring much of their strength, but for some reason, the bruises on their faces hadn't faded; if anything, they seemed more pronounced than before!
Winding through various turns, the group exited the main building and walked along the street for an unknown time before finally stopping.
When they looked up, everyone froze!
Zhong Shenxiu had brought them to the "Dark Guild"! What on earth was he planning?
The confusion deepened, but what followed was even more baffling!
After pausing briefly, Zhong Shenxiu led them toward the "Dark Guild's" back entrance!
The back door was for staff entry and exit. Ordinary people couldn't even get close without guards intervening!
Yet, this time, they walked straight in without hindrance, stopping directly in front of a warehouse door!
The group’s hearts were in their throats. They began to wonder if Zhong Shenxiu intended to rob the place, as he didn't even use a key; he simply wrenched the lock open and stepped inside first!
Wayne and the others exchanged glances, then, steeling themselves, followed him in!
The anxiety that had plagued them moments before instantly transformed into sheer shock upon entering. The warehouse was impossibly vast, lined with shelves packed with every kind of scroll imaginable—from "Magic Scrolls" to "Necromancy Scrolls"—truly encompassing everything!
"Th-these are...?" Wayne and the others stared, their eyes glazed over. If Zhong Shenxiu and Robin hadn't been present, they would have lunged forward without regard for decorum.
They didn't need to test the power of these scrolls firsthand; just reading the functional descriptions beside the shelves made their breathing rapid!
Incredible. Truly ancestrally incredible!
To possess so many potent scrolls—it truly lived up to the "Dark Guild's" reputation for immense wealth!
Just as the group was reeling in astonishment, Zhong Shenxiu uttered something that shocked them even further!
"Each of you may take one hundred scrolls. You have fifteen minutes, starting now!" Zhong Shenxiu's voice drifted over, hitting their ears like a clap of thunder.
What? Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
One hundred scrolls? Was he joking??
Wayne had casually mentioned buying a hundred or so scrolls earlier, but that was just idle talk born of anger. He knew such scrolls must be wildly expensive; being able to afford even a few with his allowance would be a stretch!
Yet, Zhong Shenxiu was telling them each to take a hundred. Good heavens, was he seriously planning a robbery here?
Though the scrolls were intoxicatingly tempting, they dared not harbor any greedy thoughts, given the sheer influence of the "Dark Guild." They certainly didn't want to provoke such a powerful entity!
"You have ten minutes left!" Zhong Shenxiu reminded them.
The others exchanged worried looks again. Just as they were paralyzed, Wade took the initiative and started moving.
Wade knew Zhong Shenxiu's background, and he often helped out at the "Dark Guild," so he didn't share the others' worry. His momentary stunned reaction was only because he couldn't grasp why Zhong Shenxiu wanted them to take so many scrolls!
Seeing Wade already frantically selecting scrolls, the others gritted their teeth and began to follow suit!
There were simply too many scrolls here, dazzling their eyes. Moreover, the function of the scrolls on every single shelf was different, making the selection process even harder!
"You have five minutes remaining!" Zhong Shenxiu's voice sounded again.
The group snapped back to the time limit. They abandoned careful selection, looked at the impressive descriptions, and started stuffing them into their magic rings indiscriminately—their expressions were no different from those in a massive sale!
Soon, everyone had gathered their hundred scrolls. No one dared take more, nor did the thought even cross their minds!
"Follow me!" With that, Zhong Shenxiu led them to a spacious training hall.
There were several such training halls within the "Dark Guild."
Wayne and the others grew increasingly unable to fathom Zhong Shenxiu's intentions. They had expected scolding or physical punishment after admitting to the fight, but this outcome was drastically different from their expectations!
(How could the actions of Zhong Shenxiu be fathomed by a few young children?)
"You now have half an hour to memorize the effects of the scrolls in your hands!" After saying this, that inscrutable smile reappeared on Zhong Shenxiu's face.
Then, Zhong Shenxiu took Robin and temporarily left, leaving Wayne and the others bewildered!
The strange questions piled up. Most astonishingly, after being here for so long, not a single staff member had approached to stop them. Were the security here truly that poor?
Clearly not!
Such a massive guild couldn't possibly have such lax defenses, or it wouldn't be called a guild!
Wayne and the others weren't stupid. After some calm reflection, they concluded that their Teacher Zhong must know some very important figures here, otherwise, he couldn't have brought them in so easily or allowed them to take so many scrolls!
Yet, they were unaware that Zhong Shenxiu didn't just know important figures; he was clearly the most important figure here himself!
"Daisy, what do you think our teacher wants us to do with so many scrolls and memorize them here?" Wayne inquired.
"I don't know either!" Daisy said, shifting her gaze toward Wade, because, with a woman's sixth sense, she sensed Wade had some kind of special connection with Zhong Shenxiu.
"Wade, do you know?" Daisy asked tentatively.
Wade looked up at everyone and said something astonishing!
"I suspect we're going to need to use these scrolls very soon!" Wade said, barely containing his excitement.
Many things didn't need to be spoken too clearly!
These few had already developed a silent understanding. From Wade's tone, expression, and eyes, Daisy and the others grasped the implied meaning!
"You... you mean..." Wayne was so excited he almost blurted it out.
Wade nodded, then gestured for Wayne to understand implicitly and keep quiet!
Instantly, the group was filled with wild joy, their hearts pounding fiercely! Wasting no more time, they focused entirely on familiarizing themselves with the scrolls in their hands!
The half-hour passed quickly, and Zhong Shenxiu and Robin walked back in from outside.
"Have you memorized them all?" Zhong Shenxiu asked.
"We have!" everyone replied in unison!
They had taken the majority of their scrolls from the same shelf area, so mastering one was essentially mastering the rest.
"Then now, follow me for a tour of the 'Diligàn Magic and Martial Arts Academy'!" Zhong Shenxiu said with a smile—a smile that seemed a little... (!)
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