Chapter 200: Genius Kindergarten (Thirteen)

Chapter 200: Genius Kindergarten (Thirteen)

"What was that noise?"

Inside the second resting room, Zhou Yi'an was directing his spectral knights to protect him.

There was only one ghost in front of him, easily manageable.

Soon, after a horrific scream, the ghost was torn asunder by the spectral knights.

Zhou Yi'an, having expended a large amount of mana, slowly sank to the floor, somewhat drained.

The mana he had consumed while dealing with this single ghost was minimal compared to what he had spent in the first resting room.

After all, controlling three spectral knights at once to combat the ghosts had been an exhaustive ordeal for him.

The first resting room... he wondered how Zhan Xiaoming and the others were doing.

That loud noise seemed to have originated from the first resting room. Even across different spaces, the sound had reverberated into his own domain.

Were Zhan Xiaoming and the others fighting the ghosts?

Were they foolish? There were clearly too many ghosts for them to handle; why hadn't they given up and rushed to the corridor? That would have offered at least a glimmer of hope.

Even if he had stayed, the four of them would have had no chance against so many ghosts.

His decision to leave was a calculated one, opting for the most advantageous route.

Zhou Yi'an needed to prioritize his own safety. Since they couldn't defeat so many ghosts, it was better to extricate himself from the situation.

If he received commendations from the teacher, his parents might approve of him more back home. Only with the opportunity to complete the mission could he extend further help to others.

But if he played the hero and stayed in the first resting room with everyone else, they'd all be doomed.

It was a choice of necessity, the best decision he could make rationally.

Besides, he was the last one left in his small world. All the magical spells and magical items had been passed down to him. If he were to die, would anyone even remember their world?

Zhou Yi'an carried the heavy responsibility of a legacy on his shoulders!

He absolutely couldn't afford to make any mistakes!

Comforting himself with these thoughts, Zhou Yi'an quickly managed to genuinely convince himself.

As for the people he left behind in the first resting room... they could just exit from there.

Originally, these individuals would have had to face the ghosts even without him. Based on their capabilities, aside from Zhan Xiaoming, everyone else would have perished at the hands of the ghosts.

Zhou Yi'an rested while his mind roamed from one thought to another.

Just when he was contemplating further, Zhou Yi'an suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Almost instinctively, he rolled to the side, only to find a piece of bone now embedded in the ground where he had just been leaning.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Another ghost had appeared not far away.

How could this be??

Didn't each player only face a single ghost yesterday??

Though puzzled, Zhou Yi'an was undeniably skilled; he quickly adjusted himself to confront the ghost before him.

After a hard-fought victory over this specter, Zhou Yi'an closed his eyes for a moment to get his bearings. Soon, he found himself in front of the third resting room, where he inserted his beetle-shaped key into the lock, like threading a needle.

Click.

The door opened.

Inside the third resting room, countless child NPCs were searching for "civilians."

Safe at last.

Zhou Yi'an scanned the room, looking for the girl who had drawn the ghost lot.

He still had some strength to spare; if it were just that girl, he could lend a helping hand.

It would also be a good opportunity to curry favor with Liu Feiyao. The girl was quick-witted; if needed, they could team up.

However, after surveying the room, he found no sign of Liu Feiyao.

With his brows furrowed but still brimming with confidence, Zhou Yi'an approached an NPC and inquired, "Excuse me, where is Liu Feiyao?"

What Zhou Yi'an hadn't expected was that, upon asking his question, every child NPC in the room slowly turned to look at him.

The NPC he had questioned tilted its head at an unnerving angle.

"You can see us?"

Ghosts?

How is that possible??

There are so many NPCs before him, some of whom are even his classmates; he knows they aren't the ghosts today!

Wait... ghosts?

—— "How could a civilian see ghosts?"

.

In the second resting room, or rather, the altered space of the second resting room—

Liu Feiyao sensed something was wrong the moment she squeezed into the second resting room.

She hadn't used her hand to push the door, yet merely entering the room altered the space before her eyes.

The NPCs who should have been searching for civilians vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by familiar lockers.

Why?

Could it be that their hypothesis was wrong? Opening or not opening the door wasn't the key; the crucial factor was the change in the setting?

Liu Feiyao struggled to recall the clues from the others.

Yet she sensed something still didn't add up.

Was this really a Level 1 difficulty? Wasn't the required combat power a bit high?

Liu Feiyao had completed a Level 1 dungeon in the simulation, and generally speaking, Level 1 dungeons were designed for newbies and weren't supposed to be difficult.

Forums always emphasized that as long as newcomers weren't too reckless and didn't unluckily encounter a ghost scenario, Level 1 dungeons were relatively safe.

Liu Feiyao considered herself not unintelligent; although her journey in the simulated dungeon was arduous, she had successfully cleared it.

She could clearly feel that the Level 1 dungeon in the simulation was indeed not difficult.

But now, leaving aside the four players who weren't criticized yesterday, just focusing on Xie Fangcheng and Zhan Xiaoming... both of them lost their parents; wasn't this dungeon a guaranteed death trap for them?

Liu Feiyao had a nagging suspicion... had they been on the wrong track from the start for completing this quest?

Hide and seek... game.

Game!

It's a game among students!

And the punishment for losing the game is set by the student NPCs... they are also students, so why should they necessarily comply with the punishment established by other students??

The consequence of not accepting the punishment is to be ostracized by the other students, which would indeed be tough for regular kids. But they aren't ordinary children to begin with! Why should they, as players, fear ostracization?

The inherent dangers of the hide-and-seek game are exceedingly high, comparable to being punished by parents.

Yet, in the entire introduction and task requirements of the game, the only mention was to gain parental approval. There was never any directive to earn approval from teachers or classmates.

Teachers can indeed call parents and complain about their child's poor behavior at school, so teachers' impressions do matter.

But these classmates aren't going to complain to the parents.

Players shouldn't have participated in this hide-and-seek game in the first place!

There's no rule that mandates their participation or victory!

They should have refused right from the start when the lots were drawn...

Though Liu Feiyao has realized all this, she is still trapped in the second rest room, where the spatial dimensions have already altered. Somewhere from within a closet comes the sound of something crawling out.

Liu Feiyao feels a tightening in her chest.

Perhaps it's because she faced life-or-death circumstances yesterday; now, her thoughts are surprisingly clear.

If the initial drawing of lots started a hide-and-seek game for all the students, then after entering the separate space, it becomes a hide-and-seek game solely between the ghost and the player.

Is there any way to opt out?

—Yes!

As long as... one can't see the ghost, how could a hide-and-seek game even take place?

Behind Liu Feiyao, a small ghost—suspended by a hanger through its shoulders—crawls out of a locker.

As it emerges, the hanger knocks against the door of a neighboring locker, emitting a piercing noise.

Liu Feiyao appears to be wholly unaware, her steps leisurely, as if deaf to the noise behind her. She doesn't look back, her steps don't falter; she walks straight to the door of the third resting room.

Placing her hand on the door handle, Liu Feiyao turns it.

Just like yesterday, it still won't open.

Is it because it's not yet time?

Images from yesterday flash rapidly through Liu Feiyao's mind.

The time the NPCs spent searching in each resting room seemed to be roughly the same yesterday.

This means Liu Feiyao may also need to spend a similar amount of time in this second rest room.

At that moment, from the corner of Liu Feiyao's eye, appears a gaunt face, as if it had been dried out under the sun for an extended period.

"Hey, what are you doing here? You won't be able to open this door. How about we play a game of hide-and-seek instead? If you win, I'll open the door for you, okay?"

The ghost is practically draped over Liu Feiyao. Its fetid, rotten breath and voice penetrate her ears simultaneously.

Yet Liu Feiyao senses that the ghost is only "nearly" touching her.

It can't make actual contact!

Just like the ghost she shares a desk with, as long as Liu Feiyao doesn't "see" it, no matter how much it tries to intimidate her, it can't physically attack her.

The real reason ghosts can attack players is that the players reveal they can see the ghosts first.

Those attacked yesterday followed the same pattern. Zhou Yian, who was on top of the wardrobe, was so scared that he fell off it. As for her, she hid in a ghost-occupied closet and even spoke to it.

As long as she doesn't reveal that she can see the ghost, whether in hide-and-seek or in the classroom, the real ghosts can't harm her.

Not seeing the ghost is the golden rule for surviving in this kindergarten.

The ghost beside Liu Feiyao notices her lack of response and leans in even closer, its eyes unnaturally large as they fixate on her.

"Hey! Ignoring me isn't allowed; I'll get angry!"

Although Liu Feiyao understands this, beads of sweat have already appeared on her hands and back.

Uncertain whether her sweat will betray her ability to see the ghost, she exerts all her might to wrench the door handle before her, muttering, "Ah, what's going on? Is the lock broken?"

"You—"

Liu Feiyao wipes the sweat from her forehead and leans almost entirely against the door. This way, it's difficult for her peripheral vision to even catch a glimpse of the ghost beside her.

She continues her futile struggle with the unyielding door handle, even going so far as to feign pounding on the door.

"Is anyone there? Why can't I open this door?"

"You can see ghosts! I know you saw them yesterday!"

"So tired... Keep pushing, keep pushing; I still have zero points!"

"Are you asking for death!!!"

Sharp claws lunge toward Liu Feiyao's eyes. Biting her lip hard, she suppresses her natural reflex to blink.

This time, the ghost attempting to attack her recoils in the last fraction of a second before making contact, shrieking as it takes two steps back.

Her gamble paid off!

"You saw me!! You clearly saw me!!!" The ghost screams hysterically behind her, but no matter how furious it becomes, it still can't touch Liu Feiyao.

Liu Feiyao acts as if she's deaf, pretending to hear nothing.

Time ticks away second by second until, at one moment, the handle—already dampened by her sweat—finally turns in Liu Feiyao's hand.

She takes a shallow breath and finally pushes the door open.

From within, the voices of the child NPCs in the third rest area filter out.

The children are happily engrossed in their games.

Liu Feiyao steps inside at a measured pace.

This time, she has secured victory in the game of hide-and-seek solely through her own efforts.

Wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead, her eyes shimmer brightly as she scans the room.

She pauses, puzzled.

How odd...

Why does the third rest area look as if it's been through some great battle, appearing unusually disheveled?

.

Inside the first rest area.

Jie Fangcheng stacks the last of the fleeing child ghosts and shoves them all into a closet.

Jian Xiaoming is crying as if he were an actual child, making Jie Fangcheng feel exasperated.

"Enough, enough, enough," Jie Fangcheng mutters, somewhat speechless. "Those two didn't even cry, so what are you crying for?"

As soon as Jie Fangcheng speaks, Jian Xiaoming looks over and sees Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong lying on the ground, their conditions unknown. This only makes him cry even harder.

The two lie motionless on the floor, their injuries yet to heal as the time for the hide-and-seek game has not yet elapsed.

One has his intestines spilling out of his abdomen; the other has a large hole punctured into his neck.

When Jian Xiaoming thinks about what caused their grievous injuries, he feels both moved and guilty.

Through his tear-blurred vision, he sees Jie Fangcheng walk over, seemingly mumbling something. Then there's a faint glimmer of gold, and in the blink of an eye, the two on the ground are restored to their original states.

Wiping his nose, Jian Xiaoming moves closer, and quickly, the two individuals on the ground stir back to consciousness one after the other.

"Jian...bro..." The most severely injured and tormented among them, Han Ruihang, first blinks in confusion as he wakes.

Slowly turning his head, he spots Jie Fangcheng.

"And you, sir... Didn't I die? How am I seeing you again?"

Jie Fangcheng thinks to himself, if you were really dead, you might indeed see me again.

Meanwhile, Jian Xiaoming has already begun to explain swiftly.

He heavily emphasized how cool Jie Fangcheng looked when he first appeared, how ferocious his strikes were with that staff, and how pitifully the little ghosts and NPCs were beaten by him.

From his entrance to the end of the action, Jie Fangcheng took barely ten seconds. He emphasized speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, without caring for flashy moves; incapacitating or killing the target was his sole aim.

As a result, Jian Xiaoming kept talking for more than a minute without stopping, leading Jie Fangcheng to go from an initial thought of, "This kid is quite eloquent," to eventually, "How can he exaggerate so much?"

"Alright, alright, a few words will do. Are you done yet?"

At Jie Fangcheng's utterance, Jian Xiaoming immediately closed his mouth, only giving Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong a significant look.

The two were quite in sync; flanking him on both sides without needing to rehearse, they exclaimed in unison: "Brother Jie!"

Jie Fangcheng got the sense that he had become the dominant force in this kindergarten scenario.

His toes awkwardly digging into the floor, he mumbled, "If you're okay, I'm going back to sleep."

Jian Xiaoming immediately stood up: "Brother Jie, may I join you?"

As soon as he spoke, the other two exchanged glances.

Now that the danger had passed, everyone started harboring their own little schemes.

Jian Xiaoming, of course, wanted to go with Jie Fangcheng. After all, his parents had disappeared, and he had already run out of the rest area in front of the teacher; staying would be useless as he was doomed to be labeled a bad student.

But it was different for Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong; they hadn't even left the rest area yet.

Jie Fangcheng had acted so quickly earlier that the teacher NPC had not even had a chance to react. Now that NPC's head had been pierced and was hanging on the wall like a piece of art.

Of course, this teacher NPC was clearly not normal; despite being skewered like that, he hadn't died and even screamed after hanging on the wall. It took a casual blow from Jie Fangcheng to knock him out.

Who knew if they still needed to adhere to these rules? What if the teacher NPC woke up and called their parents?

But if they didn't go with Jie Fangcheng and the teacher and NPCs in this rest area woke up and decided to kill them, what then?

Jie Fangcheng's mind wasn't that complicated; he simply asked again, "Are you coming or not?"

"Uh..." Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong exchanged glances, each seeing the inner struggle reflected in the other's eyes.

"Not coming?" Jie Fangcheng was quite amiable. "Alright, Xiaoming and I will head out."

The worst of the noise hadn't arrived yet; once hide-and-seek ended and the doors of the rest areas opened, the babbling of children would envelop them like surround sound.

Jie Fangcheng chose to take precautions ahead of time.

Completely unaware, Jian Xiaoming also didn't catch the other two's drift, single-mindedly following his "Brother Jie."

As the two walked out, Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong stood behind to see them off.

"Leaving already? Really leaving? Won't stay for a bit longer? There's a bookshelf here; won't you read a bit? Ah? You don't like reading..."

As Jie Fangcheng and Jian Xiaoming reached the door, Pei Xiaodong, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke: "Wait!"

Three pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Jie Fangcheng and Jian Xiaoming looked puzzled, while Han Ruihang seemed somewhat expectant.

Under the scrutiny of those three sets of eyes, Pei Xiaodong hesitated for a moment, saying, "Uh..."

"Uh... take care on your journey..."

What the heck did he just say?!

Han Ruihang silently cursed in his mind.

Yet, neither of them had the nerve to ask Jie Fangcheng to stay and protect them.

He had already done them a favor by coming to their rescue, and given that Jie Fangcheng had little affection for players and didn't particularly care for this rest area, how could they possibly ask him to stay with the plea, "Boss, please stick around; we're scared?"

As for Jie Fangcheng, who had never given it much thought, he found it quite odd. Why were Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong acting like hosts bidding him farewell? It was all very strange.

But their expressions finally gave him a clue.

Realizing the situation, he said, "Ah, are you two a little uneasy about staying here alone?"

Once Jie Fangcheng brought it up, Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong eagerly nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"That's easily handled," Jie Fangcheng said, revealing his extraordinary skills. "I'll take everyone downstairs."

The tone was as casual as if he were saying, "I'll take the trash out," making it sound incredibly easy.

"Ah... won't that be too heavy?"

That many people, was he planning to carry them down one trip at a time? That didn't seem right.

"Not heavy at all," Jie Fangcheng responded matter-of-factly.

Soon enough, everyone found out that he was right; it wasn't heavy.

After all, he had just knocked everyone out, and now he was waking them up one by one.

"Hey, hey, wake up, all of you. Come with me."

As they woke up, a group of one large and six small shivered. Jie Fangcheng then turned to Jian Xiaoming and asked, "Got any rope?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

True to his status as a second-generation gamer, Jian Xiaoming’s backpack was like a universal toolkit. He quickly produced a bundle of rope, even asking, "Is this enough? I have three more bundles."

Jie Fangcheng then proceeded to tie up the NPCs and ghosts in a row. His skillful technique made one wonder if he had another line of work on the side.

He led the way, casually chatting with Jian Xiaoming as they walked.

"Where did you get this rope? From the system's marketplace? Where's the marketplace? Let me have a look. Wow, your marketplace is quite comprehensive, isn't it? Chains, hooks, sticks, even branding irons—how convenient! Impressive, very impressive..."

Engrossed in their conversation, the two of them floated away, followed by a motley crew of people and ghosts.

Silence once again enveloped the rest area.

Han Ruihang opened his mouth to speak, "Just what does Jie Fangcheng do for a living?"

Of course, it wasn't just Han Ruihang who was curious. Upon their return to the first-floor room, Jie Fangcheng expertly directed the crowd of one large and six small to face the wall and squat down, hands on their heads.

His finesse was as if he had orchestrated this countless times before; so compelling that even Jian Xiaoming felt the urge to squat down with them.

After securing the suspects, Jian Xiaoming whispered, "Hey, what did you do before this, Jie Fangcheng?"

Inwardly, Jian Xiaoming wondered, could this be the fabled policeman?

The game "Three Thousand Worlds" didn't feature such a profession because there was no need for law enforcement.

Jian Xiaoming wasn't lying; District D was indeed one of the more pleasant zones among the seven. It's said that the Zone Leader hails from an elf world, so players often call her "Elf Queen."

She loves peace and is particularly protective of natural races like elves, which may explain why District D has the friendliest atmosphere.

In contrast, District C is the antithesis of District D. Its Zone Leader, known by the alias "Tyrant," rules a domain obsessed solely with combat capabilities.

Regardless of whether it's the gentle District D or violent District C, there is no overarching law; each district creates its own rules.

Unlike the other six zones, District A doesn't have a Zone Leader but is governed by six major guilds.

Jian Xiaoming had only learned from forum supplements that in some minor worlds, at stages of technological development akin to the first half of the modern era, a "police" profession would emerge.

The hallmark command for dealing with suspects in those worlds was to face the wall and squat down with hands on the head.

This couldn't help but lead Jian Xiaoming to speculate whether Jie Fangcheng came from such a world.

Jie Fangcheng paused for a moment, contemplating the nature of his profession.

Although his job was in debt collection... er, a Financial Manager, besides his day-to-day responsibilities, Manager Jie would often lend a hand in other departments.

For example, he might casually capture a few elusive ghosts.

"The terminology might differ, but the job functions seem pretty similar?" Jie Fangcheng hesitated.

"Oh!" Jian Xiaoming nodded, then continued curiously, "So, Jie Fangcheng, what exactly does your job entail?"

He had only seen this profession discussed on forums and game guides, so he was quite curious.

"Normally?" Jie Fangcheng pondered, "It involves a bit of debt collecting, some capturing, a little fighting, and occasional killing, you know?"

Jian Xiaoming: "…"

The crowd of one large and six small huddled even deeper into the corner.

"Did you hear that? After 'fighting' comes 'killing'!"

Jian Xiaoming hesitated. Was that how it was described on the forum?

Not that he didn't respect Jie Fangcheng, but the job description sounded... somewhat illicit?

Jie Fangcheng couldn't care less about what he was pondering. Satisfied with his succinct summary, he nodded in affirmation.

"Alright, let's sleep."

With that, Jie Fangcheng calmly lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over himself.

Sleep was the last thing on Jian Xiaoming's mind. He grabbed a chair, positioning it as far from the seven 'suspects' as possible. He dared not close his eyes, nervously watching the group at the wall, afraid they'd act up while Jie Fangcheng was asleep.

He was worrying too much.

Despite Jie Fangcheng's seemingly casual knotting, his ropework was skilled and calculated. During the binding process, he had already implemented magical restraints on the ghosts.

Escape? Before they could even lift their heads, the rope would strangle them. Bound together like a string of human and ghostly gourds, they dared not move an inch.

With his eyes closed, Jie Fangcheng slept the sleep of the just.

Meanwhile, on the third-floor rest area, the game of hide-and-seek had finally reached its concluding phase.

"Punishment! Punishment! Punishment!"

The child NPCs chanted jubilantly, shoving the five kids designated for punishment onto the experimental table.

Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong, the last remaining 'civilians,' quickly noticed a familiar figure among them.

It was Liu Feiyao.

Zhou Yian was, of course, absent. For some reason, not long after Jie Fangcheng had left, Zhou Yian had rushed into the corridor.

By then, Teacher Liu had also been taken away. They wondered if Zhou Yian's abrupt departure would be considered disobedience.

They hoped so!

Zhou Yian kept harping on 'cooperation,' but when push came to shove, not only did he run away, but he also locked the door behind him, endangering everyone else!

Both fervently prayed for his punishment today. Yet, unsurprisingly, they saw Liu Feiyao on the list of the damned.

There was no helping it; the girl was simply too weak. Apparently, she had come from a less advanced world.

While they felt a bit sorry for her, a subtle sense of superiority also tinged their thoughts.

Liu Feiyao, now on the experimental table, had indeed figured out the rules of the game. Unfortunately, she hadn't identified a single 'civilian' until the very end.

Or perhaps she had stopped searching after figuring it out, as she, unlike Zhou Yian, couldn't distinguish the real ghosts from the NPCs.

If she were to catch a ghost in a moment of misguided brilliance, she'd never make it out alive with her limited abilities.

Inaction seemed the best course under these circumstances.

At this point, she made no move to resist the children's "punishment," as if she had resigned herself to whatever was coming.

As the surrounding children began to cheerfully leave the room, Liu Feiyao stood still, just like the other children awaiting punishment.

It was Han Ruihang who approached her.

"Jie and Jian are on the first floor. Maybe you could ask them for help?"

Liu Feiyao nodded. "Thank you."

But she didn't move.

Unsure what she was planning, Han Ruihang and his companion ultimately had no choice but to follow the other NPCs out of the room.

After all the children not facing punishment had left, Liu Feiyao looked at the remaining kids beside her.

Aware of their pending punishment and the likely scolding from their teachers and subsequent corporal punishment at home, various degrees of fear and anxiety spread across the faces of the four remaining children. Some were even on the verge of tears.

"Everyone," Liu Feiyao declared, climbing back onto the experimental table. Standing tall, she addressed the four anxious children below her, "Let's not waste any more time. Let's go back to the classroom!"

The children exchanged uncertain glances. One hesitantly spoke, "But if we go back now, we'll be breaking the game's rules. We'll be ostracized."

"So what? It's not they who will isolate us; we will isolate them! We'll simply not play with them anymore!" Liu Feiyao encouraged, sensing their hesitation. "We should aim to be children who are liked by teachers and parents. Being late would make us disliked."

The group looked at one another. Perhaps the fear of being isolated seemed less daunting with the five of them there.

Finally, one child nodded, whispering, "I can't afford to be late. If the teacher tells my dad, he'll kill me."

Soon after, the other three nodded in agreement.

After leaving the senior classroom, they moved to the second floor, where Liu Feiyao collected another five children who were facing punishment from the junior classroom.

Quickly, the group of ten gathered on the first floor, with Liu Feiyao leading the way and pushing open the large doors of the resting building.

Outside, the sun shone brightly. Across from them, the teaching building's corridor was filled with children eager to witness the spectacle.

They stood crowded and eager, young faces flushed with malicious anticipation, ready for today's "punishment" show.

Was there anything more delightful than watching others in misfortune?

But when they saw these supposedly punishable classmates emerging before time was up, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of noise.

"What's going on? Isn't it too early? How can they come out now?"

"Ah! Why! They're so disobedient! They can't do this!"

"They didn't follow the rules. They lost and still won't accept their punishment. We won't include them in future games!"

"Yes! Let's isolate them, not the other way around!"

The children behind Liu Feiyao were visibly daunted by the scene before them. Nonetheless, Liu Feiyao held her head high, standing undeterred at the forefront. She took the lead, entering the school building first.

Out of nowhere, a thrown book struck Liu Feiyao on the temple, breaking the skin.

Crimson blood began to trickle down her forehead.

The children who had followed her were initially driven by fear. Seeing her publicly humiliated now, they froze on the spot, nervously pulling in their necks, waiting to see if she had a way out.

If she didn't, well, then they could just blame it all on her and isolate her instead.

Under the scrutinizing gaze of all present, Liu Feiyao picked up the book from the ground.

A teacher from an unknown class, alerted by the smell of blood, hurried over, uttering exclamations while using a sleeve to wipe the blood from Liu Feiyao’s forehead.

"What's going on here?" The teacher seemed somewhat excited, whether due to the sight of blood or the thrill of the contentious situation was unclear.

A child beside Liu Feiyao immediately began to tattle: "She lost our game but broke the rules and returned to the school building ahead of time!"

The teacher looked at her disapprovingly: "A child’s word should be kept. If you’re participating in a game with others, you should accept the consequences when it's time for punishment."

Liu Feiyao stared back at the teacher and responded loudly, "They may not want me to return from the rest room, but shouldn't I listen to the teacher more and be back in the classroom before the school bell rings?"

The teacher narrowed her eyes, then nodded.

"Yes, you should."

Liu Feiyao lifted the book that had struck her.

"Teacher, I want to report bullying in the school building! Someone has been throwing books around; he's not a good kid!"

Without even opening the book, the teacher knew to whom it belonged.

She turned her head and fixed her gaze on one particular child.

"It wasn't me," the child frantically waved his hands.

But the teacher was already incensed.

"No bullying is allowed in the school building! You’re even throwing books and lying to a teacher! Wang Zhihe, I’ll be calling your parents shortly to discuss your behavior at school!"

The child named Wang Zhihe burst into tears immediately.

The surrounding children, initially eager to taunt and humiliate their ‘disobedient’ peers, instinctively took two steps back, suppressing their vindictive thoughts.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed from afar.

"What are you all doing? Shouldn't you be heading back to class?"

The words sounded as if they were spoken by a teacher, but when Liu Feiyao turned to look, the first person she saw was Jie Fangcheng, followed by Teacher Liu trailing obediently behind him.

Jie Fangcheng locked eyes with her for a moment.

Just yesterday, he had sensed her unignorable will to survive, prompting him to save her.

At the time, Liu Feiyao was in a poor state, and Jie Fangcheng had even bestowed upon her a bit of merit-based golden light.

That golden light couldn't magically grant her supernatural strength.

But today, she had figured out the key to clearing this instance map on her own. Impressive indeed!

When Jie Fangcheng had rescued Han Ruihang and Pei Xiaodong, he had taken the opportunity to sense her condition. Finding that she didn't require his help, he had moved on.

Now, as Liu Feiyao met his gaze, she pursed her lips in a subtle smile, a trace of gratitude showing in her expression.

After hearing Han Ruihang's reminder, she had understood that her rescuer from the day before was most likely Jie Fangcheng.

Jie Fangcheng paused, then realized what was happening.

What a clever girl!

Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but feel sentimental.

Having indulged in that sentiment, he couldn't resist making a comparison.

If it were Zhang Siqian... would he be as capable as Liu Feiyao?

He would certainly be no match for Professor Zhang, of course.

Professor Zhang possessed a level of wisdom that seemed inhuman, as if the blood flowing in his veins crystallized the wisdom of ages.

So thought Jie Fangcheng at the time.

However, after school in the afternoon, upon meeting Zhang Siqian, Jie Fangcheng quickly overturned his earlier thoughts.

"Do I remind you of someone you know?"

Zhang Siqian only asked a couple of questions before laughing composedly. "You're always looking through me, as if seeing another person."