Silence.
The academy was eerily silent that day.
There were no clear and pleasant recitations from the young girls, nor the sounds of punches landing on flesh or the vibrating of iron stakes from practice.
Even Wang Sheng and Xiao Chenyu, the two Protectors of Peach Garden Academy and training fanatics, had stopped their practice and were sitting on a stone bench under a tree at the school gate, lost in thought.
Only gentle breezes wafted through the Peach blossom and red maple trees, carrying a faint fragrance.
"Senior Brother Wang Sheng, do you smell a hint of blood in the air?"
"I have a strong premonition that the academy is about to face trouble."
Xiao Chenyu's nose was as keen as a dog's; he took a deep breath, sensing the storm beneath the calm.
Wang Sheng nodded in agreement: "The academy is already in trouble."
"It's really strange. Isn't it a good thing that Teacher Su Ran has a lover and a child? Why are the Senior Sisters reacting so strongly? They're all fainting from happiness?"
"Boss Xiao, you joined the academy late. During your time here, Teacher Su Ran was often away. You usually practiced boxing here and didn't attend lessons at Peach Garden Academy much, so you don't know how great Teacher Su Ran's charm truly is!"
"The Senior Sisters' Dao Hearts are likely to shatter!"
Wang Sheng said seriously.
Xiao Chenyu paused: "Is it that serious?"
"Yes!"
…
In front of the academy, after a full fifteen minutes, Senior Sister Ning Rongrong, Junior Sister Shui Yue'er, and Xiao Wu slowly recovered, suddenly sitting up from the Peach blossoms:
"Teacher Su Ran! Teacher Su Ran!"
"It was too terrifying, that dream was too terrifying!"
"Zhuqing, Ling Ling, I just dreamt that Teacher Su Ran brought Bibi Dong back and announced her status as our Teacher's wife! It was too terrifying!"
Ning Rongrong's eyes were hazy, transitioning from blurred to clear, only then did she see that all the other Junior Sisters were silent.
Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Meng Yiran, and Shui Bing'er were all sitting by the stone table, rubbing their temples with bitter expressions.
Yao Zi, Mu Yunteng, Mu Yunzhu, Xue Wu, Qiu Ruoshui, and other Junior Sisters leaned against the surrounding Peach blossom and red maple trees, sighing softly.
Seeing the sorrow of the Junior Sisters, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu immediately faced reality:
"It's not a dream."
"It's real!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"Oh, vast Heaven, why are you so unkind to me! So unkind to me! Hahaha, hahahaha~"
"Teacher Su Ran, you are unfair!"
Ning Rongrong raised her hands to the sky, sighing deeply. Great sorrow turned to great joy, and she actually laughed amidst her grief, her laughter echoing throughout the garden.
Shui Yue'er also collapsed, ready to sleep:
Practice, practice, practicing punches well, is not as good as Teacher Su Ran embracing well.
Teacher Dong is in her late spring years, past her prime. How can she compare to my Shui Yue'er's sweet and tender youth?
I punch through the flowing hearts of maidens, with honeyed words for my beloved. My only regret is Teacher Su Ran's lack of affection, that I cannot be his Ding Hai Shenzhen!
"Are they crazy, Senior Sister Rongrong and Senior Sister Xiao Wu are crazy?"
"Such a sad thing, yet they are still laughing."
"Extreme joy turns to sorrow, extreme sorrow finds joy. When people are speechless to a certain extent, they will laugh."
Dugu Yan rubbed her temples. She considered herself a relatively strong and rational person in the academy, but at this moment, she also felt very upset.
Especially since Wang Sheng had just gotten married in the academy, which was already a kind of stimulation for them.
For Teacher Su Ran to drop this bombshell now, it was not an exaggeration to say it left them bruised all over.
They had thought their biggest love rival was within the academy, but unexpectedly, they were cut off by an outsider in the end!
…
"Teacher Su Ran, it seems the students are reacting strongly, oh. I wonder how our dear Teacher Su Ran plans to resolve this?"
"I'm afraid these girls won't give up easily. Who can blame them when our Teacher Su Ran is so charming?"
While the students were in distress, inside the room, the culprit gracefully popped a sour plum into her mouth, still teasing Teacher Su Ran.
"Clap!"
Su Ran glanced at Bibi Dong, and a teaching rod suddenly appeared in his hand. He struck it on the podium, making a vibrating sound, and sternly said:
"Teacher Dong, stand up!"
"Clatter~"
The sour plum in Bibi Dong's hand dropped to the ground, and she instinctively stood up, startled. The faint happy smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a very serious expression. Two seconds later, she recovered and leisurely said:
"Teacher Su Ran, what are you doing? You almost scared me to death. If you startled the baby, you'd be the one at a disadvantage."
"What am I doing? Didn't you want to know how I'm going to discipline you?" Su Ran said indifferently.
"Oh, so Teacher Su Ran also likes teacher-student relationships? And in the academy, too, that's quite a unique flavor. The students are all outside, isn't this inappropriate? But… it's really exciting, I like it!"
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up, and a blush appeared on her skin as she said excitedly.
"Correct your attitude!"
"Thump~"
She was excited, but Teacher Su Ran was not.
Su Ran, holding the academy teaching rod, directly struck Bibi Dong's head, letting Bibi Dong experience the rod's power.
Although the academy teaching rod looked simple, just a flat stick woven from several flexible Peach Blossom Branches, when struck, it caused a stinging pain in the flesh and a spiritual admonition.
That feeling was like a sinner who had committed a wrong, kneeling before God in repentance while being beaten, both painful and sinful.
"Teacher Su Ran, I am an Auxiliary Teacher, not a student, and I'm also pregnant…"
Bibi Dong said, feeling wronged.
Teacher Su Ran is abusing his power! Help! Peach blossom Immortal Teacher Su Ran is abusing his power!
"I know."
"But for the sake of your teaching career development in the academy, and precisely for the sake of this child, I must treat this seriously and handle it strictly."
Su Ran spoke gravely. The Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong blinked and pursed her lips.
Now it was good. The students outside were suffering, and she was suffering too. Families, look closely, this is the consequence of liking a teacher. None of you should marry a teacher, I'll marry him, that's enough:
"I didn't do anything, I just teased Teacher Su Ran a couple of times. It's not necessary to hit me like this~"
"This is not about that, but about the battle in the Supreme Pontiff Palace."
"I ask you, knowing you were no match for the Offering Hall, why didn't you decisively hand over the Supreme Pontiff's authority to protect yourself? I told you to leave first, why did you turn back? If I had lost, do you know what the consequences would have been?"
Su Ran held the teaching rod and tapped the podium, full of deterrence.
Bibi Dong was stunned, finally understanding why Xiao Wu, Shui Yue'er, and the other giggling students would instantly change their expressions and become extremely obedient whenever Teacher Su Ran took out the teaching rod.
In this state, Teacher Su Ran truly had a teacher's dignity. Who would dare to offend him?
Bibi Dong explained:
"Although the Supreme Pontiff Palace was initially established by Spirit Hall, I took over for more than twenty years and only then, with Gui Mei and Yue Guan, developed the Supreme Pontiff Palace to its current scale. Most of the resources within the palace were poured into their Elder Palace, leading to a scarcity of Spirit Masters in our Supreme Pontiff Palace. The Spirit Masters and resources of the Supreme Pontiff Palace are my painstaking efforts; I was unwilling to give them away for nothing to the Qian family."
"As for turning back… I just… didn't want Teacher Su Ran to fall into a bitter battle alone. Even if I died, being able to die with Teacher Su Ran, taking half of the Elder Palace's Spirit Masters with us as a burial, wouldn't that also be a kind of romance?"
"Hold out your hand."
Su Ran's face darkened, and he only said these four words.
Bibi Dong had originally thought she could move Teacher Su Ran, but she tremblingly extended her hand:
"What for?"
"Ah!"
"It hurts so much!"
The next second, the teaching rod landed on Bibi Dong's palm, hurting her so much that she quickly covered her hand:
"Teacher Su Ran, what did I say wrong again? Teacher Su Ran, you're too much!!"
"This is punishment for your wild thoughts. If such insane actions are not curbed in time, I dare not imagine what will happen in the future."
Su Ran said gravely:
"As the Dean of the academy, Teacher Dong, I hope you understand that as a teacher, you must try to remain rational and not be carried away by impulse, leading to situations escalating beyond control."
"As a colleague and friend, I hope you preserve yourself even more, assess the situation, and do not harm yourself because of a moment of stubbornness."
"As a father, in the future, I ask for Teacher Dong's guidance."
Finally, Su Ran bowed slightly to Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong's palm no longer hurt, and her heart felt somewhat sweet instead.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"