"Swindler! Great swindler!"
An enraged roar echoed down the street, followed by the frantic slap of footsteps on the bluestone pavement.
Xiao Ran spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I'm not a swindler, I'm a teacher at the academy... I just want to make you my student! And do you really have to add 'great' to it? You make me sound like some unpardonable criminal..."
Muttering to himself, he recalled the director's ultimatum. "That was the seventeenth one! If I can't find a student by the end of the day, I'll have to pack my bags tomorrow!"
Xiao Ran was not from this world. He'd been an ordinary high school librarian in another life. He remembered a flash of blazing fire, and then... nothing. When he woke up, he was here.
This world was straight out of a fantasy novel, a place where martial arts were revered and the strong reigned supreme.
He had initially imagined that, as a transmigrator, he’d be some useless young master, get a fiancée who would break off their engagement, and then he’d make a glorious comeback, slapping his enemies in the face as his life took off. It seemed he had overthought things. Upon arriving, he found he wasn't a student, but a teacher.
The most pathetic teacher in the entire academy.
Other instructors’ classes were so full that students spilled into the hallways. His, on the other hand, was completely empty. The few times he’d managed to rope someone in, they’d ended up screaming "swindler" and running for their lives.
The reason was simple. The body’s original owner had not only been the weakest teacher on campus, with a terrible eye for talent, but he had also... given a student such terrible advice that it caused the boy’s cultivation to go berserk.
It was the academic equivalent of medical malpractice. His reputation was in tatters, despised by everyone. Even new students knew to steer clear of him, terrified they’d suffer the same fate if they fell into his clutches.
His abysmal track record and lack of students had earned him last place in the previous year's Teacher Qualification Examination. He’d even scored the first and only zero in the academy’s long history.
Depressed, the original Xiao Ran drank himself into a stupor and, just as he might have wished, died, creating an opening for the new Xiao Ran to take his place.
Now, at the start of a new term, the academy had given him an ultimatum: if he failed to recruit a single student this year, his teaching license would be revoked.
Seventeen prospective students had walked past his classroom today. Every single one had heard his name and bolted as if they’d seen a ghost, running as far as their legs could carry them.
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to coax one of them," he sighed.
Just as he was pondering how to entrap his next victim, he saw a girl with a dazed expression peer into the entrance of his classroom.
"Excuse me, is this Teacher Gao Feng's classroom?"
She had a cute, elegant face and a sweet voice to match.
Teacher Gao Feng was the academy’s star instructor. His lessons were always packed, and countless students enrolled at Cangyun Academy just for a chance to study under him.
"This is my chance!" Xiao Ran's eyes lit up. Someone had finally walked into his web.
Recalling every trick he'd ever seen for looking profound, he settled back into his chair and adopted the pose of an enlightened master. "You wish to become his student?"
The young girl nodded furiously, her dark eyes shining with admiration. "I've heard that Teacher Gao Feng is the most incredible teacher in Cangyun Academy. All of his students are extraordinary. It's an honor just to be in his class!"
"Rumors can be deceiving," Xiao Ran said slowly. "A teacher is like a pair of shoes; what matters is the fit. No matter how brilliant his lectures are, if his methods don't suit your own skills, you won't just struggle to advance—your strength might even regress. Conversely, even if a teacher is unknown, you can improve swiftly and watch your cultivation soar if his theories harmonize with yours."
"Is that so... My elder brother once told me something similar," the girl mused, a flicker of uncertainty in her beautiful eyes. "But I don't know what kind of lessons would suit me."
Seeing she was taking the bait, Xiao Ran's eyes gleamed. He hesitated for a moment, visions of great sages like Mo Zun and Fa Sheng flashing through his mind. Feigning a thoughtful expression, he said, "Our meeting must be fate. How about this? I am also a teacher here. Allow me to observe your foundation, your innate talent, and your disposition. Then I can recommend a suitable teacher for you."
"Oh, thank you, mister! I'd be so grateful!" The girl hadn't expected a random teacher to be so accommodating. She nodded excitedly.
"First, display your cultivation for me."
Xiao Ran's eyes were half-closed, as if this were a trivial matter for an expert such as himself.
"Yes!"
Huuuuu!
With a single punch, the air in the room whistled. Waves of spiritual energy swirled around her body, gathering instead of dispersing. The power was potent but controlled, a clear sign of a solid foundation.
"Alright," Xiao Ran said, nodding with satisfaction after she finished her routine. "I can see you have trained diligently. Your foundations are solid, and your talent is top-notch. You are a rare genius!"
He was channeling the fortune tellers from his old world, using vague, flattering words that were impossible to disprove. The listener would only be amazed by his supposed insight.
"Your leg strength, in particular, is like a coiling dragon. Every movement flows like a raging river, brimming with power. If you continue to train hard, your future will surely be bright..."
"Teacher," the girl interrupted, a hint of suspicion in her eyes, "my leg is injured. The physician said it's as good as crippled."
"Injured..." Xiao Ran's face flushed, though his composure was so thick-skinned that it wasn't noticeable. He plowed on without missing a beat. "Do you think I couldn't see that? I knew it the moment you exerted your strength! The reason I said what I did is because... from destruction comes rebirth! Though your leg was injured, you've been blessed with an opportunity others can only dream of. If you grasp it, your legwork will become your greatest asset. Others will only be able to look on in envy."
He was just making it up as he went along. If he could convince her with pure nonsense, he would. The only thing that mattered was securing a disciple.
"An opportunity? Teacher, what kind of opportunity?" the girl’s eyes lit up.
Her injury had always made her feel inferior, a constant blow to her self-esteem. She'd never imagined that this misfortune could actually be a blessing in disguise.
"This opportunity could allow you to soar to the very top. Becoming the number one freshman would not be difficult. After all, your talent is extraordinary, the kind of genius that appears once in a generation. However..." Xiao Ran's spiel went on and on, sounding as if he were about to produce a legendary, long-lost martial arts manual.
Hearing that she was a genius capable of becoming the top freshman, the girl's face blushed. She pressed on, "However what?"
"However," Xiao Ran sighed, a deep, mournful sound, as if lamenting a great talent about to be wasted, "there are not many teachers in this academy who can perceive such an opportunity. Including myself, there are only three. The other two, well, they stopped accepting students three years ago, so... it would be difficult for me to ask them."
"They stopped accepting students?" The girl's initial hope faded, her expression turning gloomy. Then, as if struck by a thought, she looked at him. "They may not be, but... Teacher, are you still accepting students?"
"Of course I am. It's just that, as you can see, I am indifferent to fame and fortune. I also have very little free time," Xiao Ran said, a look of profound reluctance on his face. "Unless it is a truly exceptional jade, I would not easily accept a student, even if our paths were destined to cross..."
Before he could finish, the girl dropped to her knees and bowed low. "I know you are a noble expert, sir, but please accept me as your student! I will train diligently and never bring you shame!"
A surge of joy flooded Xiao Ran's heart, but his face remained a mask of solemn difficulty. "There is indeed a destiny between us, but... as you can see, I prefer peace and quiet."
"As your student, I promise to never disturb you unless it is an emergency!" Seeing his hesitation, the girl nodded eagerly, her expression sincere.
"I do not have many students, so the resources I can offer you cannot compare to other teachers. You might also face criticism from others..." Xiao Ran continued, adding another layer to his act.
"Is that so..." The girl hesitated. "I've heard that training resources are very important."
The volume of resources a teacher could claim from the academy was tied to the number of their students and their achievements. Without sufficient resources, a cultivator’s progress would be slow.
"Ahem, I was merely testing you. Since you are so determined and sincere in your desire to become my student, I will reluctantly accept you!" Seeing her waver, Xiao Ran cut her off. "Your identity token!"
"So... so quickly?"
She hadn't expected the teacher's tune to change so abruptly. A little stunned, she took the jade token he held out, which represented his status. As she was still considering whether to commit, the supposedly reticent Teacher Xiao grabbed her hand, pricked her finger with a small, sharp dagger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the token.
Weng!
A soft light flashed from the jade.
"Ah..."
The girl was dumbfounded.
Didn't he say he had to consider it carefully? Indifferent to fame and fortune, was he? Why had he moved so fast? And... had he prepared the dagger beforehand?
"From now on, you are my student." With the blood verification complete, Xiao Ran breathed an internal sigh of relief. He then resumed his persona as a worldly expert. "What is your name?"
"Teacher, my name is Su Ling."
Knowing the decision was now irrevocable, the girl didn't protest further and simply nodded.
"Alright. Take your identity token to claim your bedding and books. Find your lodging while you're at it. Lessons will begin here tomorrow morning."
Xiao Ran gave a dismissive flick of his hand.
"Yes!" Su Ling nodded, then turned and left.
"Phew! I finally managed to trick one."
Once he was sure she was officially his student, Xiao Ran let out a long breath, a wide smile spreading across his face.
That hadn't been easy. If it weren't for all the "how-to-act-cool" guides he'd read online in his past life, he never would have pulled it off.
With one student, he had staved off the humiliation of expulsion. A great weight lifted from his shoulders, and his spirit felt immeasurably lighter. At that moment, a lingering obsession that had clouded his mind finally began to dissipate.
"Rest easy," he whispered to the air. "Now that I'm in your body, I'll live a proper life in your place."
The previous Xiao Ran had died from the despair of being unable to recruit any students, leaving behind a powerful, lingering regret. Now that this regret was resolved, the new Xiao Ran finally gained complete control over the body.
Boom!
Just as he was considering how to con a few more students, his head suddenly trembled. The deep, resonant chime of an ancient bell echoed in his mind.
"The heavens and the earth are callous, treating all living things as straw dogs..."
"The sun sets and the moon wanes; an imperfection appears in the heavens and the earth..."
Boom!
A torrent of profound adages left him dizzy. In his mind's eye, a gigantic palace materialized from the void. Four glowing words were emblazoned above its gates.
Celestial Dao Library!
He pushed open the doors and walked in. Countless towering bookshelves stretched before him, filled with every kind of book imaginable. He couldn't see the end of the rows.
"Is this my transmigrator's golden finger? A library? Damn it, I was a librarian in my last life. Don't tell me I'm going to be one in this life too!"
Other transmigrators got ancient grandfathers in a ring, all-powerful systems, or overpowered artifacts. He got a library. Xiao Ran felt the world go dark, and he almost fainted from the sheer irony.
A library? What for? Was he supposed to throw books at his enemies while they were throwing swords at him?
"Let's see what these books are."
Feeling utterly defeated, Xiao Ran reached for a book on the nearest shelf to see what this library was for. But as he reached out, his hand passed right through the bookshelf, grasping nothing but thin air.
"Are you kidding me? You give me a library but won't let me touch or read a single book? What is the point of this?"
Xiao Ran was speechless. He felt an urge to cry, but no tears came.