Chapter 51: High Achievers Academy (Sixteen)

Chapter 51: High Achievers Academy (Sixteen)

Due to her formidable individual skills, Tong Xinxin had always adopted a more aggressive approach towards clearing the instances.

Even in her aggression, she merely treated NPCs with less caution compared to some players, sometimes eliminating those who were a bit more troublesome.

What was she hearing now?

Dismantle the school??

Is this even conceivable?

"Thi...this..." Tong Xinxin's face was filled with question marks and shock, her expression blank, "You guys are planning to dismantle the school?"

Xie Fangcheng replied, "Yes, it's more convenient this way."

???

Convenient???

What kind of absurdity is this???

Tong Xinxin involuntarily turned her gaze towards Zhang Dao'an.

This man wasn't like Xie Fangcheng, who was more...well, whose physical prowess was considerably more notable than other aspects, he surely wouldn't also think that...

"Yes," Zhang Dao'an nodded.

Destruction was easier than reconstruction. Changing the existing state of this school wasn't a matter that could be accomplished overnight. They, as players, were only experiencing this instance once. Once they left, everything would revert back to its original state.

It might as well be directly dismantled, allowing it to cease existing.

The nonchalant attitudes of the two left Tong Xinxin bewildered. She couldn't help but wonder if her previous approach to clearing the instance was incorrect. Should she have dismantled it directly, thereby nipping the evil forces at its root?

Was this... even feasible?

Tong Xinxin pondered deeply.

Meanwhile, Xie Fangcheng and Zhang Dao'an were discussing something as they walked away. Tong Xinxin watched their retreating figures, her expression seemingly eager to give it a try.

Tan Chen hurriedly nudged her from the side.

"Don't follow their lead."

Tong Xinxin let out an "Ah."

Tan Chen quietly pointed at Zhang Dao'an's retreating figure.

"That one," he said, raising a thumbs up, "his cunning is at this level."

Then he pointed at Xie Fangcheng's retreating figure.

"That one," he raised another thumbs up, "his physical prowess is at this level."

Tan Chen pinched his own pinky fingernail: "We, at most, are at this level."

Tong Xinxin froze for a moment, then burst into tears, "I understand, I understand, don't say anymore."

.

Yu Hanfei's death was like a droplet falling into the ocean, barely causing Director Wei to furrow his brows.

"Such a nuisance."

Compared to the insignificant death of Yu Hanfei, the demise of Qian You, a top-ranked student, drew much more attention from the school, to the extent that the vice principal even appeared in the senior two section... albeit for only two minutes.

After much difficulty in trying to locate the principal, Xie Fangcheng finally spotted someone with a higher rank than Director Wei. Without any hesitation, he rushed towards him, wielding his stick.

The vice principal had apparently heard about the new teacher in senior two, who was remarkably slender and good-looking, but also vicious and ruthless when taking action.

Rumour had it that this individual sported an endearing bunny headband which was quite beguiling, making the uninformed mistake him for some decorative celebrity, except for the ever-present stick he carried, giving him the appearance of a martial arts movie star.

Of course, he was much harsher than any martial arts star, evidenced by the number of students still attending classes with bandaged heads even after several days had passed.

A headband, good looks, and a stick.

From a distance of ten meters, the vice principal was furious just a second ago, berating Director Wei.

"Do you realize Qian You ranked in the top ten in the last exam throughout senior two? Do you have any idea how much benefit his performance would bring to the school once he entered senior three? Do you even know..."

Before he could finish the last sentence, the vice principal's eyes widened in horror, and he turned to flee.

Director Wei had yet to react, standing bewildered at the same spot, until the vice principal vanished without a trace, sprinting away like a rabbit evading an eagle. It was then that Director Wei muttered, "Why does it seem like he saw Xie Fangcheng..."

Before he could finish, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Director Wei's neck stiffened, and he slowly turned his head, segment by segment.

Xie Fangcheng was casually observing the fleeing vice principal with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

"It's quite easy to discern the strength levels of the NPCs in this school, isn't it? Teachers < Directors < Vice Principals, the power hierarchy is clearly marked by their positions!"

"This vice principal sure ran fast. wonder if the principal would be even quicker."

"Director Wei is much better, he might be capable of running, but his movement patterns are quite predictable, making him easy to corner."

Xie Fangcheng turned his head, wearing a bright smile.

"Hi, what's up?"

Director Wei's voice trembled, "What are you up to? Shouldn't you be teaching?"

"Oh, I'm heading back now."

It was clear that he had come rushing here upon hearing that the vice principal had arrived, even while in the middle of a class.

As for the reason why he rushed here...

Xie Fangcheng slung his stick over his shoulder and sauntered off, swaying slightly with each step.

Director Wei: "..."

He believed that allowing such a teacher to continue staying at the school would be the end of Gaoji Academy.

But for Director Wei, this realization came too late.

Due to the death of Yu Hanfei, other players who had initially intended to mimic NPCs to deal with students had to temporarily halt their schemes.

Everyone knew of Xie Fangcheng's prowess; among their group of players, Liu Huitong had cleared the most levels, showcasing notable strength. Tong Xinxin possessed formidable individual skills, while Tan Chen, Xu Xiuxiu, and Yue Haiyang might be slightly less adept but were far from mediocre. Zhang An maintained a mystique, with no one truly grasping the extent of his strength to date.

However, they all believed that the opposition wouldn't take action so soon, as usually, confrontations between players, even in competitive dungeons, occur in the latter stages.

Xie Fangcheng's personality was rather evident; a person of great capability yet prone to bouts of tenderness.

Given their treatment of these NPCs, could their attitude towards other players possibly be worse?

No one could have anticipated that they would actually kill Yu Hanfei.

But the reality proved that they could and would.

The remaining players didn't dare to wager whether they might be the next target, thus everyone decided to hold back for the time being.

But while they held back, the other teacher NPCs did not.

The first mishap occurred on the fifth floor, involving the Chinese teacher from class 26, who also served as the class adviser.

During the self-study period, he called a student out to the corridor.

This student had the worst academic performance in the class, but no matter how much he was berated, he refused to die.

Because of these few underperforming students, the class's overall academic performance remained stagnant.

Why wouldn't he just die?

Die! Just die!

The teacher from class #2 looked at the student standing in front of him, head lowered obediently awaiting another verbal lashing, a malicious grin of satisfaction flickered across his face.

Soon, a teacher from class 17 on the fourth floor approached, accompanied by a male student.

The underachieving student was taken aback, his face turning a sudden shade of red.

"Number forty-five, do you see the score you obtained in the last exam?!"

This round of verbal abuse finally elicited a response.

The underachiever before him displayed a pained expression, his head hung low, not daring to meet anyone's gaze.

The boy from class 17 who stood beside him observed quietly, his face bearing a trace of amusement.

The homeroom teacher of class #2 was ranting furiously, spittle flying, before finally coming to a point—

"To have birthed such a foolish son, your mother must indeed be a simpleton! Your father leaving you two was truly the wisest decision. Just look at your classmate Yue Yang, who ranked fifth in the whole school in the last exam..."

Before him, the ever-bowed head of Yue Heng, a student constantly overlooked, lifted.

"Don't insult my mother!"

His voice, rarely permitted to be heard, was faint but carried clearly in the silent corridor, reaching the person opposite him.

Yue Heng was trembling all over, his fists clenched tight, his eyes filled with red-hot anger as he stared at the "teacher" before him.

The person before him was stunned momentarily before flying into a rage: "Number forty-five! You scored the lowest in the class! And now you intend to break school rules as well? Who gave you the permission to speak so freely?!"

Yue Heng took a deep breath, using the loudest voice he had ever mustered in his life.

"I said, don't insult my mother!!!"

Enraged, the teacher raised his hand, intending to slap him squarely across the face.

Just then, with eyes turned a blazing red, Yue Heng suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the teacher by the waist and throwing him out of the window in the corridor.

A scream followed by a heavy thud echoed.

The teacher from class #1 took two steps back in fear and astonishment.

"Have you lost your mind? Attacking a teacher, aren't you afraid of being thrown into the black room?!"

The school's method of punishing students was straightforward: a pitch-black room in the basement of the dormitory building where not a sliver of light penetrated.

In the first year, a student from class 17 was confined there for speaking loudly in the corridor. Upon release, his sanity had frayed, naturally causing his grades to plummet drastically. Fortunately, the student soon leaped from a building, sparing class 17's overall performance any further detriment.

At this moment, Yue Heng gasped for air a couple of times, finally regaining his senses.

He had pushed that teacher down.

Was the teacher dead?

...He deserved it even if he was dead.

He had heard that a teacher from class 4 was also dead, likely killed by a student too.

Yue Heng patted down his school uniform trousers.

His uniform trousers looked just like everyone else's, but these were made by his mother.

Despite having quite decent grades in middle school, since enrolling in this high-rate progression high school, his scores had plummeted to just over four hundred points.

His mother loved him dearly, harboring hopes that he would become the best student.

In Gaoji Academy, each student is issued two sets of uniforms. Knowing his penchant for cleanliness, his mother made an additional set identical to the official uniform for him to bring to school.

But with his current grades and the incident involving him pushing the teacher...

Yue Heng climbed onto the windowsill.

He turned his head to look at Yue Yang standing behind him — his half-brother born from his father's mistress.

Yue Heng glared at him intently.

"You will all pay the price..."

Yue Yang only responded with a breezy smile.

"Oh, will we?"

Yes.

Definitely.

For some unknown reason, even without corresponding memories, Yue Heng was certain that there existed a place where wrongdoers are punished and virtuous individuals are rewarded.

They were supposed to go to that place originally, only he didn't know why...

Yue Heng looked down at the ground.

The teacher he had pushed lay dead, face-down and unrecognizable from the fall. Yet, one eye remained eerily open, fixated on him.

Yue Heng closed his eyes.

Would death bring release?

He took a step forward.

A sensation of weightlessness and the roaring wind struck him simultaneously. After a momentary blankness in his mind, Yue Heng suddenly felt a sharp pain around his waist.

With a "thud", he hit... a wall??

"Come on, lend a hand here."

A foreign voice echoed from a distance.

Dizzily, Yue Heng opened his eyes, first noticing he was face-to-face with the deceased teacher. The distance between them, initially as wide as an arm's length, was gradually increasing.

A peculiar rope was tied around his waist.

[Item: Universal Bird-Leash]

[Description: To walk a bird without a leash is akin to letting it escape.]

[Function: Just a mundane rope, really. Were you expecting some bizarre feature?]

On the second floor, Jie Fangcheng gradually pulled up the rope, rescuing the half-dead Yue Heng.

For a regular student, even caught by the rope, a fall straight from the sixth to the second floor would typically be fatal.

But these students generally survive as long as they don't crash directly onto the ground.

Upon being rescued, Yue Heng appeared to have sustained only minor injuries. Nearby, Zhang Dao'an squatted down with a gentle and compassionate expression.

When had the students of this school ever seen a teacher who emanated such gentle reliability and elegant demeanor? Quickly, a crying Yue Heng recounted the recent events.

With a few words, Zhang Dao'an comforted him, before continuing to instill some progressive thoughts into the students.

Yawning, Jie Fangcheng crouched in a corner alongside Yue Haiyang, studying the rope in hand.

"Where did you get this rope?"

"Oh, I bought it from the trading platform."

"Trading platform??" Jie Fangcheng looked puzzled.

"Yeah, you know the player's hall, right? There are many screens in the center; the ones on the north are mainly for buying and selling information. Do you like this rope, Jie bro? I can give it to you; it's not expensive."

Such an ordinary rope, besides being a prop that can be stored in the system backpack, had no particular function nor was considered a rare item, thus it could be purchased for just a few hundred points.

While verbally expressing "this isn't appropriate", Jie Fangcheng's hands were fondly caressing the bird-leashing rope, his face revealing a genuine liking for it.

Yue Haiyang muttered inwardly, wondering about Jie bro's peculiar taste — be it sticks or ropes, they all seemed somewhat nefarious.

"Really, really, it's very cheap."

"Oh, oh." Jie Fangcheng finally accepted, patting Yue Haiyang's shoulder, "Once we're out, I'll repay you the points."

"No problem," Yue Haiyang demonstrated the generosity of a veteran player at this moment, "I still have over a hundred thousand points. If we clear this instance, I'll at least have a hundred thousand."

"Wow, that's a lot!" Jie Fangcheng exclaimed.

The members of the Moon Reading Guild didn't seem like novices at all; reportedly, the guild leader was even on the points leaderboard.

A miscalculation indeed, he had only borrowed ten thousand points per person last time, assuming that's all they'd lend him.

But could the ten thousand points of a newbie who only cleared once equate to that of a veteran player?

Once they were out, he'd borrow some more from them, at least to buy a decent weapon, so he wouldn't have to dismantle and craft one himself each time.

As Jie Fangcheng contemplated this, Yue Haiyang felt somewhat embarrassed.

"I just cleared many times, but my skills are not up to par. With your abilities, Jie bro, you'll surpass me in points quickly with a few more clears."

Jie Fangcheng expressed regret: "That's no longer possible."

"Ah... Brother Jie, don't be so modest."

The two of them were squatting in a corner, chatting away. Initially, Tong Xinxin was standing with a cool demeanor, her arms crossed and her expression cold and ruthless, utterly commanding in her style.

But as she listened, she realized that Yue Haiyang was now discussing shopping with Jie Fangcheng.

"Weapons, huh? They tend to be on the expensive side. If you're considering buying one, Brother Jie, you might want to check out screen 618, or consult with members of the Players' Union. Although they charge a 10% commission fee, they are regulars in the hall and tend to have the inside track on many buying and selling updates..."

Unable to resist, Tong Xinxin also squatted down to join them.

"I wouldn't recommend dealing with the Players' Union when purchasing items. They're more like real estate agents or regular household services, perhaps good for takeout, but their transaction fees for buying and selling goods are quite high! Let me tell you, Brother Jie, it's better to approach the top-ranked guilds directly. For instance, our Chaoyang Guild has internal notifications for buying and selling, which are highly centralized and easy to find. What kind of weapon are you looking for? Just a long one? No specific attributes? That won't do at all! If you ask me, it's better to get fully equipped in one go and save yourself the trouble later. It would only cost several hundred thousand points..."

Before long, Tan Chen couldn't resist joining them either.

"...Xinxin, you're being extravagant because you have lots of points. Getting the best of the best is just too expensive. Listen to me, Brother Jie, a transitional piece of gear will suffice for now. Weapons available for purchase aren't generally the strongest. Even the top-tier ones are only second-level dungeon gear; no one would sell gear from third-level dungeons or higher. With your capabilities, Brother Jie, you'd naturally acquire better weapons as you clear more dungeons, so there's no need to splurge on the best gear now!"

Xu Xiuxiu was initially engrossed in listening to Zhou Daoan indoctrinating the student NPC with his philosophy.

It has to be said, this man has a way with words, capable of bringing the dead back to life with his rhetoric. Didn't you see how that student NPC almost revered him as a second parent?

His wit and eloquence were both fearsome and admirable.

—Thankfully, he was on their side.

As Xu Xiuxiu took a break from her diligent study of raiding tactics, her mind wandered. Turning back, she was stunned.

"What are you all doing? Oh, discussing shopping? What are you planning to buy? Huh? Brother Jie wants a weapon? What kind of weapon are you looking for, Brother Jie? I have a close friend who does proxy shopping, connected to people from various major guilds and very well-informed. Moreover, she only charges a 5% commission, and mentioning my name could secure an additional discount, offering a much better deal than the Players' Union. Do you need this service, Brother Jie?"

And so, when Zhou Daoan finally finished his fervent indoctrination, feeling his throat parched and tongue weary, and sent Yue Heng away, he turned around only to find a line of squatting figures in the corner.

Tong Xinxin was in the midst of asking, "Xiuxiu, do you know of any good hair dyeing places? Last time I had my hair dyed silver, but it turned out more white than anything. It aged me by a decade, looking both expensive and unappealing! Ah, Brother Jie, do you dye your hair? These places usually offer group discounts, shall we go together? How about... let me think... a wine-red for you? It would definitely complement your complexion!"

Zhou Daoan: "..."