Chapter 6: Applause like thunder, tears in the corners of their eyes!

Huang Haoran wanted to give up right there.

An expert's move reveals their true skill.

He had deliberately chosen two questions that were within the realm of Chinese literature but were somewhat obscure to test Fang Yan, and Fang Yan had quickly given the answers. Moreover, his answers far exceeded his expectations.

If he was so clear about such knowledge points, he should be even more familiar with the knowledge clearly written in the Chinese textbooks.

In that case, as a high school Chinese teacher, he was fully qualified.

Huang Haoran felt pleasantly surprised. This teacher wasn't just a young man with an empty head; he had read a lot of books. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to answer the two questions so easily. He even had the ancient classics like the "Book of Han" memorized.

A great teacher naturally benefits the students.

However, Huang Haoran felt an overwhelming bitterness. His pride in his knowledge of ancient literature was being overshadowed, and this harsh reality was not something he was willing to accept.

So, he insisted on asking the third question.

He took off his glasses and carefully wiped them with a yellow cloth.

Huang Haoran didn't ask the third question lightly because he knew that the young teacher in front of him, who looked almost his age, was not easy to deal with.

He wanted to make the third question more difficult and use this last chance to stump Fang Yan.

This approach seemed somewhat petty and deliberately difficult, but he wanted to win. Win this time, win back a bit of pride and self-respect.

Fang Yan looked at Huang Haoran, and all the students in Class 9 looked at Huang Haoran.

After two losses, Huang Haoran definitely wanted to turn the tide.

The third question was his last chance.

What would the third question be?

Huang Haoran put his glasses back on, clutched the cloth in his hand, and said softly, "Recite the 'Laozi Wenzhang.'"

"What?"

Many students didn't understand what the "Laozi Wenzhang" was.

"It's the 'Tao Te Ching,'" a student answered.

---

All the students stared at Huang Haoran as if he were a madman. Was this guy too ruthless?

Many people were unfamiliar with the "Laozi Wenzhang," but they had some knowledge of the "Tao Te Ching."

Not to mention the obscure ancient text, just the length of the "Tao Te Ching" was enough to make anyone's head spin.

The "Laozi Wenzhang," as the name suggests, has over 5,000 characters. The current "Tao Te Ching" is divided into 81 chapters, reflecting the Daoist concept of "nine times nine equals one."

To ask someone to recite such a long classic word for word, wasn't that bullying?

"That's too much," a pretty girl stood up and said. "Huang Haoran, you can't do this. Even if you want to make things difficult for Teacher Fang, you don't have to use such despicable means. Why don't you ask Teacher Fang to recite the entire 'Dream of the Red Chamber'? That way, you'd definitely win."

"Exactly. If you ask Teacher Fang to recite it, can you do it first and let us hear it?" another girl chimed in.

"Teacher Fang, don't listen to him. You've already won and have the qualifications to be our teacher," a third girl stood up.

---

Fang Yan suddenly started to miss home, missing his dear parents.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for making me so handsome.

Being handsome is great. Although you can't use your face to withdraw money from the bank, it does make it easier to get support from female students.

As an idol teacher, Fang Yan felt no pressure in his life.

Huang Haoran sneered and said to the girls, "I said, I would ask him three questions, and he can ask me three questions. If he finds it difficult, he can use this question to test me."

Everyone fell silent.

Top students are truly terrifying; they can even recite the entire "Tao Te Ching." What in this world can stop them from moving forward?

"Are you sure you want to ask this question?" Fang Yan looked at Huang Haoran calmly and asked gently.

Talented people can easily earn respect. To be honest, Fang Yan had some dissatisfaction with Huang Haoran.

Other students had been subdued by his overwhelming presence and accepted his arrival as their new teacher without a word. Why did you have to be so talkative and troublesome?

"What qualifies you to be my teacher?"

Look at how low-level that question was, how unpleasant it made people feel.

Now, Fang Yan forgave Huang Haoran and even had some good feelings towards him. A student who could recite the entire "Tao Te Ching" had the right to be a bit more arrogant.

Extensive literary knowledge, a vivid personality, and a character who doesn't easily compromise with reality—these were things that many students lacked.

If all the students in Class 9 were like Huang Haoran, Fang Yan would have no face or qualifications to stay as their teacher.

Because of Huang Haoran's existence, Fang Yan found the value of his journey.

"Very well," Huang Haoran looked at Fang Yan on the podium with determination. "If you find it difficult—I will recite it word for word."

"Teacher Fang, I now call you teacher—you have the qualifications to be our teacher. But this time, I want to win. Even if you are the teacher, I still want to win."

"Are you sure you don't want to change the question?" Fang Yan liked his confidence and asked with a smile.

"No," Huang Haoran's attitude was firm, and his answer was one word.

"Then—let's make it a bit more challenging," Fang Yan took a few steps on the podium and said, "I'll recite the 'Laozi Wenzhang' backwards."

Fang Yan cleared his throat and recited loudly, "Truthful words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not truthful. The good do not argue, and those who argue are not good. The wise are not extensive, and the extensive are not wise. The sage does not accumulate. The more he does for others, the more he has. The more he gives to others, the more he possesses. The way of heaven is to benefit without harming. The way of the sage is to act without contention."

"Small states with few people. Even if there are ten or a hundred tools, they are not used. People value life and do not travel far. Even if there are boats and carriages, they are not used. Even if there are weapons, they are not displayed. People return to the use of knots. They enjoy their food, find their clothing beautiful, find their customs delightful, and are content with their way of life. Neighboring states can see each other, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, but people live and die without interacting."

---

Fang Yan recited while writing on the blackboard.

Row after row of beautiful cursive script flowed from his hand like mercury, harmonizing with his voice in a wondrous and beautiful rhythm.

He recited faster and faster, and his hand moved faster and faster, the chalk scraping against the blackboard with a crisp sound.

His recitation was clear and full of righteousness, his calligraphy was graceful and fluid, and the reciter, the writer, and the thousand-year-old classic "Tao Te Ching" merged into one.

He was Li Bai composing a hundred poems after a drink, a young man dancing with a sword in the bamboo forest, and Ji Kang playing the "Guangling San" before his execution—any art form, when performed to its utmost, can emit a breathtaking and captivating beauty.

"The way that can be spoken is not the eternal way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of all things. Therefore, always without desire, one can observe the subtlety. Always with desire, one can observe the boundaries. These two come from the same source but have different names. They are both called profound. Profound and deeper still, they are the gateway to all subtleties."

Finally, he finished reciting the first sentence of the "Tao Te Ching," and the chalk in his hand broke from the force.

The young man's smile was clear and bright, his posture wild and unrestrained. The warm sunlight outside the window bathed him in a golden glow.

At that moment, he seemed like a god!

Silence.

Then, all the students stood up.

Clap, clap, clap—

Applause like thunder, tears in the corners of their eyes!