Chapter 1  : Swindler

StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex

“Swindler! Great swindler!”

An enraged roar can be heard and the sound of footsteps on a bluestone pavement by someone escaping could be heard.

Zhang Xuan stretches out his both hands helpless, “I am not a swindler, I am a teacher of the academy… I only want to make you my student! Besides that, do you have to add a ‘great’ while saying that I am a swindler? You make it sound as though I am some unpardonable criminal…”

After he finishes his muttering, he recalls the words of the director, “This is the 17th one already! If I still fail to find a student today, I would have to pack up and leave tomorrow!”

Zhang Xuan isn’t a person from this world, but an ordinary librarian of a high school. He only remembers the blazing flames and then… There is no more then. When he woke up, he was already in this world.

This world is just like the ones depicted in novels, the path of martial arts is respected and the strong reigns!

Initially, he thought that after traversing, he would become a useless talent and end up rejected by his fiancee. Afterward, he would strike back, slapping them in their face, and his life would proceed smoothly from then on… Looks like he had overthought it. After arriving here, he realized that he isn’t a student but a… teacher!

The most pathetic teacher in the entire academy!

The lectures of other people are always overflowing with people that many people who find themselves without seats. On the other hand, there isn’t a single person in his class. It was difficult for him to rope in a few students but they ended up labeling him as a ‘swindler’ and escaped!

As for the reason, ignoring the fact that the fellow whose body got took over by him was the weakest teacher in the entire campus and his inability to pick out talents, the crux of it all is that… he even misguided a student, causing his cultivation to go berserk!

This was just like having a dead patient under your record! His reputation went down and he was despised by everyone else. Even the new students chose to stay away from him, afraid that they would end up in the same situation if they were to fall into his clutches.

A bad track record and his lack of students caused him to be ranked as the first from the bottom in the entire academy for the Teacher Qualification Examination last year. He even got the first and only zero marks in the entire history of the academy.

Depressed, he used alcohol to drown his sorrows. In the end, just as he wished, he died, providing an opportunity for Zhang Xuan to leap over.

At the start of a new term, the academy issued an ultimatum to him. If he were to be unable to recruit a single student to his lessons by this year, his qualifications as a teacher would be revoked!

Today, there were already 17 new students who passed by his classroom. In the end, the moment they heard his name, every one of them ran away, as though a young lady meeting a strange uncle, running as far as their feet could take them.

“Looks like I have to look for a way to coax one of them!”

As he is still thinking about how he should rope someone in, he sees the head of a girl with a dazed expression at the entrance.

“May I ask if this is the classroom of Teacher Lu Xun?”

She has a cute and elegant appearance, not to mention her sweet voice.

Teacher Lu Xun is the academy’s star teacher. His lessons are always packed and innumerable people chose to come to the academy due to his fame.

“I will take her!” Seeing someone walking into his trap, Zhang Xuan’s eyes light up.

Recalling all kinds of methods to act cool from his previous life, he sits quietly on his chair and poses like an enlightened expert, “You want to become his student?”

The young girl nods her head furiously as admiration appears in her pitch-black pupils, “I have heard that Teacher Lu Xun is the most incredible teacher in Hongtian Academy. All of the students he taught are extraordinary and joining his class is an honor in itself!”

“Rumors may not reflect the truth. Teachers are just like shoes, what is important is whether it fits or not! No matter how well he lectures, if the theories are not suited to the skills you are practicing, not only will you find it hard to advance, your strength might even regress! Even if a teacher isn’t well-known, if his theories harmonize with yours, you can still improve swiftly and your cultivation will rise exponentially!”

“Is that so… I have also heard my elder brother saying such words before!” The young girl ponders for a moment, uncertainty appearing in her beautiful eyes. “However, I don’t know what kind of lessons would suit me!”

Seeing that she is on the hook, Zhang Xuan’s eyes light up. He hesitates for a moment as great sages like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels flashes through one after another in his mind. He feigns a look of difficulty and says, “Our meeting could be considered as destiny as well. How about this, I am also a teacher of this academy. I will help you take a look at your bones, talents and personality and recommend a suitable teacher for you!”

“Then I will trouble you, mister!” She didn’t expect that a teacher she met so casually would be so accommodating. The girl immediately nods her excitedly.

“Display your cultivation first!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes are half-open, putting on a look as though this doesn’t bother him in any way.

“Yes!”

Huuuuuuuuuuu!

In a short moment, the entire room whistles from the shockwave of her punch. Wave after wave of spiritual energy swims around the body of the girl. For her spiritual energy to gather instead of dispersing, not to mention powerful but hidden, this shows that she has a great foundation.

“Alright, I can tell that you have been training diligently and arduously. Your foundations are solid and your talent is top-notch. You are a hard-to-come-by genius!” After she finishes a punching routine, Zhang Xuan nods his head in satisfaction.

He is imitating the fortune tellers from earth. His words are slippery with a great range of interpretation. The ones listening are unable to find a flaw with his words and instead, they will be shocked by how accurate his comments are.

“Especially the strength on your legs, they are just like a coiling dragon. Every movement is just like the raging waters, full of strength. As long as you were to train hard in the future, you would surely have a bright future…”

“Teacher, my leg is injured. The physician said that it is as good as crippled…” The girl interrupts his monologue with a look of suspicion in his eyes.

“Injured…” Zhang Xuan’s face turns red. However, he is thick-skinned, so others can’t really tell. He continues to bullshit, “Do you think that I can’t tell? I knew it from the moment you exerted your strength! The reason why I said it is because… Through destruction will there be rebirth! Although your leg is injured, you were unexpectedly blessed with an opportunity that no one else expected. As long as you grasp it properly, your legwork will become your greatest strength! Others can only look on with envy!”

Anyway, he is just coaxing her. If he can convince her with bullshit, he will bullshit. The important thing is to get a disciple over to him first.

“Opportunity? Teacher, what kind of opportunity is it?” The girl’s eyes lit up.

After her leg was injured, she had always felt that she was inferior to others, causing her to have low self-esteem. She didn’t expect to stumble on a fortune due to such a mishap.

“This opportunity can allow you to soar to the top in one go. It won’t be difficult for you to become the top of the freshmen. After all, your talents are extraordinary, a genius that has yet to appear in history. However…” Zhang Xuan’s words go on and on. All he is short of now is to take out a ‘Buddha’s Palm’ manual.

TL: Kungfu Hustle

Upon hearing that she is a genius capable of becoming the first among the freshmen, the girl’s face blushes furiously and continues questioning, “However what?”

“However…” Zhang Xuan sighs. It is a sigh lamenting that a talent is about to be buried in dirt. “The teachers who are able to spot such an opportunity don’t number many in this academy! Including me, there are only three. The other two has already stopped accepting students from three years ago, so… It would be difficult for me to ask them as well…”

“Stopped accepting students?” Initially, the girl had high hopes for it but after hearing those words, her expression turns gloomy. Then, she seems to recall something suddenly and says, “They aren’t accepting students but teacher, are you… accepting?”

“Of course I am. Just that, you can also tell, I am indifferent to fame and fortune and I don’t have much time to spare as well!” A look of difficulty appears on Zhang Xuan’s face. “If it isn’t a good jade, I won’t accept it easily even if our paths cross…”

Putong!

Before he can finish his words, the girl kneels onto the floor and bows, “I know that mister is noble, but please accept me as your student! I will train diligently so as to not embarrass you!”

A surge of joy rushes into Zhang Xuan’s heart, though his face still maintains a look of difficulty, “There is destiny between us, just that… You can also tell, I like peace…”

“As your student, I promise to never interrupt teacher unless it is an emergency!” Seeing that he is a little unwilling, the girl immediately nods her head with a sincere look on her face.

“I don’t have many students, so the resources I have cannot be compared to other teachers. Also, you might be criticized by others…” Zhang Xuan continues.

“Is that so… I have heard that training resources are important…” The girl hesitates.

The amount of resources a teacher claims from the academy is related to the number of his students, their results and numerous other factors. Without sufficient resources, it is difficult to advance ahead in one’s cultivation.

“Cough cough, I only said that to test you. Since you are determined and sincere in acknowledging me as your master, I will reluctantly accept you!” Looking at her signs of hesitation, Zhang Xuan interrupts her and says, “Your identity card!”

“So… so quickly?”

She didn’t expect that the teacher would change his face as quickly as flipping the page of a book. The girl is slightly surprised as she grasps the token passed over by Zhang Xuan which represents his identity. Just as she is considering whether she should affirm the relationship, she sees the reticent Teacher Zhang pull her hand over and cuts it with a sharp dagger. A drop of blood falls on the jade token.

Weng!

Light flashes.

“Ah….”

The girl is a little dumbfounded.

Didn’t the teacher say that he has to consider carefully about it? Indifferent to fame and fortune, was it? Why is his movement so fast and… even the dagger was prepared beforehand?

“From now on, you are my student!” After the verification through blood, Zhang Xuan heaves a sigh of relief. Then, he continues to assume his image as a unworldly expert, “What is your name?”

“Teacher, I am called Wang Ying!”

Knowing that her decision cannot be revoked, the girl doesn’t say anything else and nods her head.

“Un, take your identity token to claim your bedding and your books. Also, look for your lodging while you’re at it! We shall begin lessons tomorrow. Meet me here!”

Zhang Xuan flicks his hand.

“Yes!” Wang Ying nods her head and turns around to leave.

“Huu! I have successfully coaxed one in!”

After confirming that she is his student, Zhang Xuan heaves a sigh of relief and smiles.

It really isn’t an easy task. If it wasn’t for the techniques in acting cool that he learned from the internet, it would be hard for him to succeed today.

With one student, he will be able to avoid the misfortune of being expelled. Zhang Xuan feels the burden on his heart disappearing. In a moment, his spirit feels much more relaxed. The obsession that was lingering in his brain disappears gradually.

“Rest easy, now that I am in your body, I will live properly in your stead!”

The previous Zhang Xuan died because he was unable to recruit students, so he held strong regrets in this world. Now that there is a student under him, his final obsession disappears. At this moment, Zhang Xuan could be considered to finally gain complete control over this body.

Boom!

After gaining full control of this body, Zhang Xuan wants to continue coaxing a few more students over. However, he suddenly feels a tremor in his head as he hears a sound of ancient bells striking in his head.

“The heaven and earth are callous, treating all beings like dogs…”

“The sun sets and the moon wanes, an imperfection appears in the heaven and earth…”

Boom!

All kind of profound adages shocked him giddy. Following which, a giant palace appears before him in his head. On it, four words glow brightly.

Library of Heaven’s Path!

Opening the door, he walks in. Countless bookshelves stand tall and mighty with all kinds of books on them. The end can’t be seen at a single glance.

“Could this be the gift pack for transcenders? A library? Damn it, I was a librarian my previous life. It can’t be that I would still be the same in this world as well!”

The gift packs of others are old grandfathers, systems or all kinds of overpowered items. Yet, my gift pack is a library? Zhang Xuan could feel the sight before him turning dark and he almost faints.

Library? For what? It can’t be that in my future fights when other people are throwing swords at me, I would be throwing books?

“Let me see what books are those.”

Feeling helpless, Zhang Xuan reaches out to grab a book from a bookshelf so as to determine the purpose of this library. However, when he stretches out, his hand passes through the bookshelf, causing him to grab thin air.

“Are you playing with me? Giving me a library yet preventing me from grabbing and reading any book, what exactly do you want?”

Zhang Xuan is speechless. An urge to cry overwhelms him but no tears fall out.

TL note: Emperor Haotian is a supreme deity of the Han tribe who governs everything under the teachings of Confucianism