Chapter 43: Tripitaka
Chapter 43: Tripitaka
“You should go in by yourself. Return to your classroom on your own after you are done meeting the principal,” instructed the staff member. It was apparent from the principal’s words the staff member was not needed in the room. Knowing his place, the staff member took his leave.
The door to the office was pretty heavy. Zu An pushed it open and entered. He was greeted by a bulky-looking office desk placed centrally in the room. He couldn’t tell what kind of wood it was made of, but a single glance was enough to tell that it was definitely not cheap.
Beside the office desk stood a huge bookshelf filled with all sorts of books. Zu An tried to use his enhanced eyesight to scan through the book titles, but was astonished to find that no matter how he squinted, the characters remained blurry and indistinct.. At this distance, he should have been able to easily read the words on the book covers.
A cold voice came from off to the side. “You are Zu An?”
Zu An glanced over, and saw the principal sitting on a sofa on the other side of the room.
The first to come into his line of sight were her long and alluring legs. They were wrapped in dark-colored stockings that shimmered slightly and made his throat dry up from the heat. Her plump thighs, paired with her A-line skirt, hinted at a hidden and unexplored domain that spurred a man’s thirst for adventure and knowledge. Her tight-fitting shirt highlighted her well-filled breasts, and her beautiful and impeccable face was accentuated by her slender, swan-like neck, and her hair, which was shaped into a graceful bun. She emanated an air of nobility and elegance.
This was the woman ranked fourth in the Sweetheart Ranking, as well as the principal of Brightmoon Academy, Jiang Luofu.
“Enjoying the view?” Jiang Luofu interlaced her fingers together and interrogated Zu An.
“Indeed,” Zu An nodded without thinking.
“I find your gaze highly disrespectful.” Her words chilled the room by several degrees.
You have successfully trolled Jiang Luofu for 99 Rage points!
Zu An felt a great pressure weighing down on him and immobilizing him. He spoke up hurriedly, “Soh cah toa?”[1]
Jiang Luofu’s face twisted in confusion.
Unwilling to concede, Zu An tried a second time. “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good?”
Jiang Luofu stared at Zu An as if his brain had somehow stopped developing during infancy. Is this fellow an idiot?
The pressure on him lessened. Zu An rushed toward her excitedly and asked her, “Sis, are you really a transmigrator too? I’ll be your lil’ bro, so cover me!!”
Before he could leap onto the sofa, Jiang Luofu raised a leg to stop Zu An’s advance.
“What do you mean, ‘transmigrator’?” Jiang Luofu’s eyebrows knit together. She couldn’t make sense of the situation. Even though she had heard rumors that the drafted son-in-law of the Chu clan was a wastrel, she had never heard that he was a fool!
Zu An was surprised. “Are you sure you aren’t a transmigrator? What’s with this office-wear cosplay then?”
“What nonsense are you spewing?” The principle was utterly befuddled by the words Zu An was using. “I acquired this set of clothes in a hidden realm by coincidence. I thought that it looked interesting, so I ordered some tailors to replicate it. Why, have you seen it before?”
“Urk. I happened to see them in my dream once before.” Naturally, Zu An dared not give away his background. As he replied, he wondered just what this ‘hidden realm’ was. It was a pity that the principal didn’t appear interested in offering an explanation.
Following the war against the foreign tribes, as the races began to coexist in harmony, the culture and sense of aesthetics of different races began to overlap. At some point in time, clothing with more modern elements came into fashion. While Jiang Luofu’s outfit was a little avant-garde for this world, it wasn’t completely unacceptable.
“In your dream?” Jiang Luofu frowned in contemplation. While odd, such a thing was not entirely impossible. Occurrences that were beyond human comprehension were common in this world.
Zu An’s gaze drifted downward of its own accord. Given their current positions—Jiang Luofu had one foot raised in order to keep Zu An away—he could vaguely catch a glimpse of something which he wasn’t supposed to see.
*Bam!*
A great force struck Zu An in the chest as the principal’s kick sent him flying.
Jiang Luofu’s voice was ice. “The Brightmoon Duke asked me to take care of you as a favor to him. However, given your wretched nature, I doubt that you would survive even two days in the academy.”
Zu An climbed to his feet and spat out a mouthful of blood. To his surprise, his injuries weren’t as serious as he thought they would be. Clearly, Jiang Luofu had gone easy on him. “Aren’t you exaggerating things a little?”
Surprised flickered across Jiang Luofu’s eyes as she watched Zu An. “You don’t seem to be as weak as the rumors put you out to be.”
His eyes widened as she continued, “You don’t need to worry. Whether you are seeking a leisurely life, or whether you’re a wolf dressed in sheepskin, it matters not to me. I’m not so close to the Brightmoon Duke as to tell him everything I know of.”
Zu An wiped away the blood trickling out the corner of his mouth. “Thank you, principal.”
Jiang Luofu continued calmly, “While your strength is greater than I expected, it isn’t considered outstanding within the academy. There are many students here who aren’t subordinate to the Chu clan, so I advise you not to go around causing trouble.”
Zu An stuck out his chest. “Do I look like the kind to cause trouble?”
Jiang Luofu blatantly disregarded his question. “Fights are prohibited in the academy compounds, but if both parties agree to it, the right to duel will be granted. The academy cannot take sides in such a situation, so you ought to think it through before accepting any duels.”
“Thank you for your advice, principal.” Zu An was a little surprised. He could tell that Jiang Luofu was really looking out for him. Is it because of my relationship with the Chu clan? That doesn’t seem like it. She did mention that she isn’t close to Chu Zhongtian. If so… could it be that she has been charmed by my handsome appearance?
Jiang Luofu picked up a document that she had just received and began flipping through it. A deep furrow formed on her forehead. “Your talent is lower Ding class? Impossible! Hm? You broke the crystal ball during your aptitude test?”
Zu An sensed the situation going awry. However, the multitude of eyewitnesses that had been present made it impossible for him to deny it. Attempting to hide something that happened in the academy from its own principal was nothing short of foolishness, so he had no choice but to admit to it. “The crystal ball must have been faulty.”
“Come over here.” Jiang Luofu beckoned with her finger.
Zu An walked up to her as he wondered if this woman was going to send him flying with another kick.
“Give your hand to me,” Jiang Luofu ordered with unquestionable authority.
“What are you going to do?” Despite Zu An’s question, he still offered his hand to her. What happened next made his eyes bulge in disbelief. Jiang Luofu straightened, then pulled his finger into her mouth!
What’s going on? Could it be that the number one expert in the academy, the famously beautiful principal, had succumbed to his dashing appearance and was lusting after his body? Was she going to use her authority and power to take advantage of him?
What a joke! As a man, I, Zu An, will never bow to such tyranny, even from a beautiful woman…
Well, that being said, should I just give in this once? I mean, just look at her! Maybe I should just ask her to be gentler with me later on…
“Ah!”
A sudden spike of pain made Zu An yelp loudly.
“A man like you can’t even take this bit of pain?” Jiang Luofu pushed him disdainfully aside.
Zu An noticed a small bite mark on his finger, which was continuously seeping blood. Jiang Luofu licked her lips. The crimson blood staining her cherry lips gave her an irresistible touch of seductiveness.
“Are you a dog?” Zu An gave up caring about the consequences. The contrast between the reality and his expectations was so great, and his disappointment manifested itself as rage.
Surprisingly, Jiang Luofu let the insult pass. She looked at him with eyes that were difficult to read. “Your aptitude has indeed reached the legendary transcendent class.”
Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. He finally understood why she had wanted to taste his blood.
Jiang Luofu closed her eyes, seemingly considering her options. She took her time, then breathed out deeply and asked, “Who else knows about this?”
Zu An subconsciously took a step back. “Don’t mess around. I’ll have you know that quite a few people know about this. My wife, my father-in-law, and my mother-in-law are all aware of this. There are many people who have my back…”
Seeing Zu An’s guarded appearance, Jiang Luofu burst into laughter, banishing the chill in the air that had been ever-present since Zu An entered the office. “Little brat, are you worried that I’ll take your life? Given how you willingly bore the reputation of a wastrel for so many years, you must be aiming for something huge. Someone that determined wouldn’t tell such a massive secret to anyone, not even your own wife.”
Seeing Jiang Luofu’s confidence, Zu An knew that his scam had failed. So, he bucked up his courage and replied, “Fine, you’re right. I have never told anyone about this. But remember, many people know that I have come to your office today. If anything happens to me, those of the Chu clan will surely hunt you down!”
“Enough, enough!” Jiang Luofu’s head was starting to hurt from all his shouting. She massaged her temples with her thumbs. “Who said that I’m going to kill you?”
“If you aren’t, why are you asking me about all this?” Zu An was so worried that she would make a move against him that he had even summoned the Heiress Ball of Delights in secret. If it came to that, he was willing to wager his own life against hers. As long as he was able to effectively use the Heiress Ball of Delights in tandem with the Poisonous Prick, he might just be able to turn the tables on her.
“I just want to warn you that you’re still too weak at the moment. If others were to learn of your transcendent class talent, it would spell disaster for you,” Jiang Luofu said.
Zu An was stunned. “Is my situation that serious?”
Jiang Luofu rolled her eyes. “All this while, the transcendent class talent has existed as nothing more than a legend. No one has ever witnessed it before. What do you think?”
Fearing that Zu An wouldn’t understand the severity of this matter, she spelled out the dangers facing him explicitly. “A cultivator possessing a transcendent class talent would be coveted by every powerful faction. If they are unable to win you over to their side, their next move will be to destroy you. No matter what, no side could afford to allow a rival power to groom a cultivator that holds as much potential as you do. Furthermore, it’s said that the blood of a human who possesses transcendent class talent can be used to…”
Jiang Luofu’s face flushed a little. “In any case, until you’re strong enough to protect yourself, it’s best for you to keep your true nature under wraps.”
Zu An swallowed as he finally understood the implications of his maxed-out talent. “In other words, I’m like Tripitaka now?”[2]
“Tripitaka? What’s that?” Jiang Luofu was perplexed.
Zu An quickly changed the subject. “There were at least a dozen people who witnessed my aptitude test earlier. What if they were to spread the word?”
Jiang Luofu shook her head in response. “There’s no need to worry. Transcendent class talent is, after all, no more than a legend in this present age. It’s not something ordinary cultivators would even consider. Besides, you have done well keeping up the pretense of a wastrel over the years, so it’s unlikely that anyone would question your true nature. I’ll erase the relevant records for you, but you’ll have to make sure to keep a low profile too. Give it some time, and everyone will forget about it soon enough.”
Zu An nodded earnestly. “Thank you, principal.”
There was a moment’s silence, then he asked hesitantly, “Principal, why are you treating me so well?”
Jiang Luofu looked at him impassively. “As the principal of Brightmoon Academy, it’s my responsibility to protect each and every single one of my students.”
“That’s all?” Zu An narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“What else do you expect?” Jiang Luofu’s gaze turned cold. “You can’t be thinking that I’m fond of you because of your looks, can you?”
Zu An nodded. “I think that reason is much more convincing.”
Jiang Luofu stared at him for a long while. “It’s truly a miracle that you’ve managed to survive all along,” she observed in wonder.
1. SOH CAH TOA is a helpful mnemonic phrase used to remember the formulae for trigonometric functions, which is ubiquitously taught in schools.
2. Tripitaka, also known as Tang Sanzang, is a Buddhist monk and main character in Journey to the West. He is personally helpless in defending himself, and relies on three supernatural beings to escort him on his journey.