Chapter 21

In the VIP ward of Luoshan City's First Comprehensive Hospital, Qian Lin was wrapped in layers of bandages, lying on the bed like a mummy. Qian Li and Gao Jing sat beside him.

Regarding Qian Lin's injuries, the hospital's diagnosis was—severe contusions of the soft tissues throughout the body, meaning all his muscles were severely damaged, but his bones and internal organs were unharmed. This kind of injury left the doctors marveling; it was the first time they had seen someone beaten so badly without any bone or organ damage.

Suddenly, Qian Li's communicator vibrated, receiving a message: "Carter opposes the activation of the [Teacher Protection Measures]."

"What, Coach Carter voted against it?" Qian Lin screeched, his voice filled with resentment, "That trash Sun Yan, and Carter is also a bastard. Uncle, why don't you fire Carter?"

As soon as he said this, Qian Lin groaned in pain, as every muscle in his body ached with the slightest movement.

"Sun Yan, I will make him regret being born," Qian Lin thought, feeling immense humiliation from last night's events.

Gao Jing smiled apologetically, "Young Master Qian, it's not easy to fire a martial arts instructor. You know Carter often opposes Director Qian, so it's normal for him to oppose this."

Qian Lin gritted his teeth, "Brother, you must help me take revenge!"

"Shut up!" Qian Li glared and scolded, "All you do is play and chase girls. If you had put in some effort, would you have been tricked by a waste like Sun Yan? You're useless."

"I didn't know Sun Yan was so devious, waiting in the 7th District and calculating my movements. Brother, you know our strength is about the same. What could I do if he planned to trick me? Brother, you must help me take revenge!"

Qian Lin dared not recount the events of last night in full detail. Subconsciously, he believed it was his momentary carelessness that allowed Sun Yan to succeed.

Qian Li sneered, "You are a member of the Qian family, so this can't just be left alone. Since the [Teacher Protection Measures] will be delayed until after the final exam, we can find other ways to torment that trash Sun Yan during this time."

The three men in the ward laughed together. With nine days until the final exam, they had enough time to make Sun Yan unrecognizable, neither human nor ghost.

Gao Jing's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Young Master Qian, why not act tonight?"

Qian Lin smiled with malice, "Of course, if Sun Yan dares to leave the school tonight, he'll get a taste of what he deserves."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside the door, "You are so useless, trash!"

The ward door opened, and a man walked in. His short hair stood on end, his thick eyebrows overshadowing eyes that commanded respect without anger. He wore the uniform of Nanying Academy, with a three-A (1-9) armband.

Qian Li and Gao Jing's faces changed instantly, and they stood up, bowing respectfully.

"Fifth Brother."

"Fifth Young Master."

Qian Lin, lying on the bed, could not move. Fear showed in his eyes as he respectfully said, "Fifth Brother."

Looking at Qian Lin on the bed, Qian Julong's face was expressionless, "You are truly useless."

Faced with this rebuke, the three of them meekly agreed, not daring to show any disrespect. In the family, people with ordinary martial arts talent like them were marginalized. Qian Julong, being the ninth-ranked student in the third-year A-1 class of Nanying Academy, was one of the geniuses the Qian family focused on cultivating, destined to be a powerful figure in the family.

Qian Julong smiled coldly, "Father has told me the general situation. What? You plan to torment that trash for the next nine days, making him too afraid to take the final exam? Is this the best you can do?"

The three of them looked at each other, and after a moment, Qian Lin said softly, "Fifth Brother, you know I'm only this capable. What should we do?"

Qian Julong smiled deeply and said, "For the next few days, none of you should make a move. On the ninth day, during the third part of the martial arts test, Qian Li, you will take action and publicly cripple that trash. I want everyone to understand that the Qian family will not let any grievances go unpunished."

Hearing this, the three of them were enlightened, their faces showing admiration. Crippling Sun Yan in front of everyone on the ninth day, and then activating the [Teacher Protection Measures], would push that trash into hell. It would also serve as a warning to others in the school, like killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

...

In the morning, the sun was bright, but Sun Yan's mood was dark.

The street ahead, with Nanying Academy in sight, felt like a monster to Sun Yan. He feared he might never leave once he entered.

With the end of the special training yesterday, the third-year classes had concluded. The teachers had a laissez-faire attitude toward the students, but the only requirement was to report to school daily. With the final exam approaching, the teachers did not want any trouble, as it would have a bad impact.

If it weren't for the final exam, Sun Yan would have said goodbye to Nanying Academy. But now, he could only steel himself and head toward the school.

"Last night was just an accident, just an accident. A person as magnanimous as Feng Lingsnow wouldn't mind, right? No, she definitely wouldn't mind."

Thinking about last night, Sun Yan wished he could cut off his left hand. Recalling the events, he remembered that Feng Lingsnow was a third-level martial artist when she entered Nanying Academy. If she had been serious last night, Sun Yan would have had no chance to resist.

Sun Yan kept reassuring himself, "It was just a friendly sparring session, a pure sparring session! Feng Lingsnow wouldn't take it to heart, otherwise, I wouldn't have made it back last night. Yes, that's definitely it. Let's just let last night's events blow away in the wind, and we'll never see each other again."

Under this self-hypnosis, Sun Yan's mood improved, and his steps became lighter. Suddenly, his communicator vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message: "Tonight 7:00, C-level teaching building rooftop, see you there - Feng Lingsnow."

The message was like a death warrant. Sun Yan's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, and he felt instantly drained. How did Feng Lingsnow know his communicator number?

"Girl, you can't be this vengeful, right? I just accidentally touched your face. I admit my hand was itchy, and it felt good, so I pinched it a bit. But bumps and bruises are normal in a fight, especially after a few drinks. Ignorance is bliss, right?"

Sun Yan trembled as he looked at his left hand. Was she planning to cut it off? This girl was too ruthless.

Images of bloody scenes flashed in his mind: dripping wax, whips, broken fingers, tongue pulling, castration... This must be a dream, right?

Sun Yan's face turned pale. He felt like the end of the world was coming, and he couldn't tell anyone, let alone seek help. If a third party found out, even his best friend Muxin, Sun Yan knew he would immediately turn against him and tie him up to deliver him to Feng Lingsnow.

Why am I so unlucky? Sun Yan lamented. Just then, his communicator vibrated again, and a message appeared: "Come to my office immediately upon arrival at school - Carter."

A cold wind blew, and Sun Yan froze. Misfortunes never come singly.

With a heavy heart, Sun Yan pushed open the door to the office and saw Coach Carter sitting there with a stern face. His heart skipped a beat. Was this devilish coach planning another torture method?

Standing at the door, Sun Yan stood tall, "Coach, Sun Yan reporting!"

Carter looked up and smiled, gesturing, "Sun Yan, come in, sit down, and have some tea."

Seeing the tea in front of him, Sun Yan was surprised. When did Coach Carter become so kind to students?

Carter's face then turned serious, and he said, "Sun Yan, I have something important to tell you. You are in trouble."

Sun Yan nearly spat out his tea, staring at Carter in shock, "Coach Carter, I performed well during the four-day special training, right? You wouldn't give me a failing grade, would you?"

"Of course not. I gave you a perfect score for your regular performance. However, this morning, Director Qian and Teacher Li Gang held a meeting to activate the [Teacher Protection Measures] against you. I voted against it."

"Teacher Protection Measures? Against me?" Sun Yan was incredulous.

Sun Yan had heard of the [Teacher Protection Measures]. Three years ago, when he first entered Nanying Academy, a student with mental issues committed a series of murders, causing a stir in Luoshan City. The student was eventually arrested by the police, and Nanying Academy responded by activating the [Teacher Protection Measures] to protect the teachers' rights.

However, Sun Yan felt that, while he wasn't the best, he was far from that student. Anger rose in his chest. What was going on?

Sun Yan's expression turned cold, "The school is going to activate the [Teacher Protection Measures] against me?"

Carter's heart skipped a beat and he quickly corrected himself, "If it were the school's decision, my vote wouldn't matter. From the entire situation, it was the decision of Teacher Li Gang and Director Qian."

Carter paused and added, "Director Qian, Qian Juren, is a member of the Luoshan Qian family."

Sun Yan's eyes narrowed. He understood what was happening, and his anger intensified. Qian Lin, that punk, was using his family to get back at him? He should have beaten him harder last night.

Noticing Sun Yan's expression, Carter confirmed his suspicions. It was indeed Sun Yan who had caused trouble for Qian Lin or Qian Li outside school. He had expected this, but he didn't think the Qian family's methods would be so ruthless.

Sun Yan clenched his fists, suppressing his anger, and asked, "Coach, can I still take the final exam?" This was his biggest concern.

"Of course, I am your martial arts instructor and have 50% of the decision-making power. My vote against it means they can't do anything," Carter nodded firmly. "However, Qian Juren decided in the meeting to delay the [Teacher Protection Measures] until after the final exam. At that time, I will no longer be your instructor, and my decision-making power will be void."

"Coach, does that mean I will still face the [Teacher Protection Measures] after the final exam?"

Carter nodded and then shook his head, saying seriously, "It depends on your performance in the martial arts test during the final exam."

Sun Yan was taken aback, "Martial arts test scores? They can affect the activation of the [Teacher Protection Measures]?"

"Exactly. If you score B in all three parts of the martial arts test, the [Teacher Protection Measures] against you will be automatically canceled."

Carter then smiled, "Scoring B in all three parts of the test gives you a chance to enter one of the top 50 advanced colleges in the Nanfeng Domain. Even excellent students in the A-level classes can't guarantee such scores. However, with your strength, I have confidence in you."

"Scoring B in all three parts, top 50 advanced colleges in the Nanfeng Domain." Sun Yan muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Coach Carter, what are the admission standards for Difeng College?"

"Difeng..."

Carter's heart raced. He stared at the young man, subconsciously saying, "The admission standard for Difeng College is A- in all three parts of the martial arts test."

Difeng College only accepts geniuses.

Carter had imagined that this young genius might be able to enter Difeng College, but it was just a fantasy. Reality is always harsher than dreams. Carter's rationality told him that if Sun Yan could enter one of the top 50 advanced colleges in the Nanfeng Domain, it would be enough.

However, when the young man looked at him with clear eyes and asked this question softly, Carter felt a sense of familiarity. This gaze was like that of the martial arts geniuses he had encountered in his life.

These people shared similar traits—confidence, pride, determination, and a radiant demeanor.

Carter took a deep breath and said, "Sun Yan, can you promise me one thing?"

"Please, Coach."

"Regarding the activation of the [Teacher Protection Measures], it is just a personal matter between Qian Juren and Li Gang. Please don't hold a grudge against Nanying Academy. After all, this is where you have studied for three years."

Stunned, Sun Yan thought for a moment and smiled, "Of course, Coach. I am a student of Nanying Academy and will always be your student."