Volume One: Entering the Path Chapter Fifty-Nine: Sun Yu

After parting ways with Wang Dongdong, Ye Junze walked alone and soon arrived at the area dedicated to the Daoist Techniques Department. According to the class schedule, he found his way to the designated classroom, where a few students had already arrived ahead of time. Ye Junze had assumed that, just like before, the classroom floor would be lined with rows of meditation cushions. However, upon entering and surveying the room, he noticed the absence of those familiar cushions. Apart from small groups of students scattered around, the room was otherwise empty. On the floor, he vaguely discerned some intricate patterns and lines. He studied them for a while, but seeing nothing particularly remarkable, he concluded they were merely decorative and paid them no further mind. Glancing at the time and seeing that class was about to begin, he settled in to wait.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. The minute and hour hands turned ceaselessly on the clock. As time passed, more and more students filed into the classroom. Once the final group had arrived, the bell rang right on schedule.

The instant the bell chimed, a figure appeared at the classroom door. Only after the bell finished ringing did the person step inside at a measured pace. As the figure took their place at the front, many of the male students who had been hoping for another beautiful teacher like Yin Jia showed visible disappointment. The female students, however, reacted quite differently. As they caught sight of the new instructor’s face, infatuation bloomed openly on their features; some even clapped their hands over their mouths, as though they might have screamed had it not been a classroom setting. The students began to scrutinize their teacher with unrestrained curiosity, Ye Junze included. He looked up to see a man in a dark blue robe, his long hair casually tied back. If there was one thing especially memorable about him, it was his eyes—eyes like blossoming peach petals, brimming with an almost boundless allure. Just a glance was enough to draw one in, to the point that it was little wonder the girls in the room looked so entranced. Some of the boys wore expressions that were equally hard to describe, almost matching the girls’ dazed looks. Noticing this, Ye Junze felt a chill run down his spine. He shook his head to banish the odd thought before returning his gaze to this strikingly attractive teacher.

Beyond those mesmerizing eyes, the man’s features seemed nothing short of a gift from the heavens, as if designed specifically to accompany his enchanting gaze. His facial structure was flawless—finely drawn features on a face so exquisite it could easily make any young woman swoon. The reactions of the girls nearby made this abundantly clear; their faces expressed that, should the teacher so much as glance their way, they would be utterly smitten.

Observing all this, Ye Junze could only shake his head helplessly, thinking, "By all rights, I’m not bad myself. Why don’t I get this kind of attention from the girls?" He seemed to have forgotten that his perpetual air of aloofness, the icy aura he exuded, made him difficult to approach. Even those who harbored feelings for him wouldn’t dare initiate a conversation.

While the students were busy scrutinizing him, the teacher said nothing, simply sweeping his gaze over the class. When his eyes lingered on the faces of the girls, a faint frown creased his brow, as though something had just occurred to him. This slight frown only enhanced his already extraordinary features, a different kind of beauty blossoming there, leaving the girls even more enchanted and lost in adoration. Some seemed even more infatuated than before, the feverish atmosphere only intensifying.

Finally, it was as if the teacher, besieged by the fervent gazes of the girls, decided to surrender. He cleared his throat and spoke: "Hello, everyone. I am your instructor for today’s Daoist Technique class."

With that, the students snapped out of their daze, no longer staring at him so freely. The girls, too, returned to their senses, their cheeks flushing with embarrassment at their earlier behavior.

Seeing this, the man breathed a quiet sigh of relief and continued, "My name is Sun Yu. I’m pleased to be teaching you today, and I hope we can all get along well in the future."

Having been through similar scenarios before, the class responded enthusiastically, calling out, "Hello, Teacher!" and "Hello, Teacher Sun!"

Observing their politeness, Sun Yu thought to himself, "Sister Jiajia was right—these children really are well-mannered."

He clapped his hands to quiet the class and went on, "Thank you, everyone, but there’s no need to be so formal. I hope we can interact more comfortably—let’s treat each other as friends in this class."

The warmth and sincerity in Sun Yu’s words were met with ready agreement. The students nodded and responded, "Alright," and "Understood," and so on.

Seeing that he’d successfully broken the ice, Sun Yu smiled. But that smile, coupled with those signature peach blossom eyes, radiated an innate charm. Instantly, some students who had just regained composure found themselves mesmerized once more, their eyes reflecting that same captivated longing.

Sensing that things were about to repeat themselves, Sun Yu quickly interjected, "Let’s save the chatting for after class. For now, let’s begin the formal content of today’s Daoist Technique lesson."

Jolted by his interruption, the students immediately snapped back to attention, waiting in embarrassment for Sun Yu to continue.

Noting their swift recovery, Sun Yu thought, "Good thing I caught that in time, or I’d have had to spend more effort getting them back on track."

Of course, he wouldn’t voice these thoughts. He still had a mysterious and dashing image to maintain. Composing himself, Sun Yu began, "First of all, you all attended the Dao Comprehension class yesterday, so I trust you now have your own understanding of what ‘Dao’ means. I won’t dwell on that. Today, let’s turn our attention to the other character in ‘Daoist Techniques’—that is, the word ‘Technique.’"

"With your recent practice and lessons, you must have gained some familiarity with spellcraft. I imagine you’ve seen upperclassmen from our department performing various techniques?"

The students nodded in agreement.

"Now, having seen those techniques, what thoughts do you have?" Sun Yu asked.

There was a brief silence as the class mulled over the question. Some students clearly wanted to answer, but hesitated to speak up.

Sun Yu encouraged them gently, "Feel free to share your thoughts. There’s no need to worry—this is just a casual question."

Bolstered by his encouragement, several girls who had been eager for Sun Yu’s attention raised their hands, hoping to stand out in his eyes.

Pleased by their response, Sun Yu smiled again and called on one of the girls sitting in the front. "Let’s hear from you. What did you think when you saw others using techniques?"

The girl, realizing she’d been chosen, asked uncertainly, "Teacher, do you mean me?"

Sun Yu replied patiently, "Yes, that’s right. Please go ahead."

Delighted to have been noticed, the girl’s face brightened with joy. Determined to make a good impression, she steeled herself to answer thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, the other girls who had also raised their hands looked on with complicated expressions—envy, jealousy, and disappointment all flickered in their eyes, as if their faces proclaimed, "Why didn’t the teacher pick me?" The chosen girl, oblivious to their feelings, stood up to respond.

Ye Junze, ever observant, noticed this interplay at a glance and shook his head in amusement, thinking, "Girls’ thoughts are truly unfathomable." He decided then and there it would be wise to keep his distance from such entanglements.

The girl stood, looked at Sun Yu, and began confidently, "Teacher, I’d like to share my thoughts. If I say anything wrong, I hope you’ll forgive me."

"Of course," Sun Yu said with a smile. "You’re free to speak your mind."

His smile made the girl blush, but she forced herself to calm down before continuing, "When I first arrived at Anze, I saw upperclassmen demonstrating all sorts of techniques. My first reaction was, ‘Wow, what is that senior doing? He looks so impressive!’ Or seeing a senior girl with light glowing from her hands, her hair and dress floating as if she were a fairy—it was amazing." She gave an embarrassed laugh, as if her thoughts had been laid bare.

The rest of the class laughed as well—after all, they had all had similar experiences.

Sun Yu laughed too. "And then?"

"Well," she continued, "after joining the Daoist Techniques Department, I saw many people using different spells. At that point, my feelings changed. Knowing that I could learn to do what the upperclassmen did, I started to look forward to it even more. I began imagining the day when I could be just like them, praised by new students in the future."

"Ha! Then let me congratulate you in advance, since your little wish will probably come true very soon," Sun Yu said warmly. "Is there anything else you’d like to add?"

Blushing even more, the girl shook her hands shyly, "No, that’s all I wanted to say."

"Alright, then please take your seat. Thank you for sharing," Sun Yu said, waving her down.

She obediently sat, covering her now even redder face with her hands.

Once she had sat down, Sun Yu addressed the class, "After hearing her thoughts, I’m sure many of you have felt the same—or perhaps still do. Am I right?"

Everyone nodded. Of course they did—who wouldn’t want to learn something that made them look so cool?

"I imagine you’re all eager to learn your own techniques?" Sun Yu asked.

The class nodded again, excitement building.

"Well then," Sun Yu announced, "let’s begin learning the spellcraft you’ve all been looking forward to."

The students’ faces lit up with delight. The long-awaited moment had finally arrived, and the atmosphere in the room instantly ignited with enthusiasm.