Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Teacher Huo

I had to get out of the carriage 100 meters away from the entrance as the way was blocked by too many students. What can I say, the Yu family was an average family. Even if they could afford sending their kids to the wealthy section, their power was not good enough to let other students make way for them. 

Again, no student talked to me or even looked my way during my trek to the classroom. I arrived 15 min early so I stood next to the door while daydreaming. There were too many things I had to do in the next few months. The urgent one was to make a plan for the upcoming freezing winter to save as many people as I could. That was too much work with my current abilities, I wonder if I could make the city lord aware of the calamity without talking about my rebirth? Cultivators with prediction skills were worshiped but with no power or protection they could easily be kidnapped and tortured by some secret society or powerful family so that explanation was out of the question.

How about looking for records of previous extreme weather to recognize the early signs? With that proof, I might be able to convince some people to get prepared... Or maybe advocate preparation awareness? …Mmm, no one would listen to a 10 year old. How about writing a story about an apocalypse or a war to make people get ready for the ‘just in case’ scenario?... it would take too long. If I had been reborn 1 or 2 years earlier it would have worked though. For now, I will look at the library for information about freezing winter. I could find a good reason for me to take a look later on. 

Oh, and I need to find the time to do inventory of my assets! That, I can do after the trio is settled. I need to buy as much food and wood not only for this winter but also for emergencies. I was able to survive on that cave for 5 years thanks to the little food I had stored in the ring…let’s forget about bad memories for now

After passing the advanced exam and being out of the toxic family, I would start looking at improving my cultivation and array techniques - I wanted to be a researcher in my 2nd life if my body would have let me - ...

The city lord poisoning is 10 years from now but if I can eliminate the root cause…

“What are you still standing here? get to the classroom!” said a voice I recognized but did not hear for decades. I quickly bowed to teacher Huo and said my apologies in a small voice then quickly entered the classroom. While I was daydreaming, everyone got inside and chose their favorite spot. Now the only available desk is in the front row, right in the middle. So unlucky on my birthday…

“I am replacing your teacher for the next few days. I am his disciple, you can call me teacher Huo. I started teaching the intermediate class last year so you never had me as a teacher.” said my - is it former or future? - master

“How is teacher Liu?” said my she-wolf cousin. Mmmm Liu…maybe he is related to my aunt.

“Next time you raise your hand then stand up before talking” said my master. MY HERO! then he continued without waiting for the she-wolf cousin’s apology

“He is better. I expect him to come back in 2 or 3 days” then after a pause “I do not know your level so I planned a few questions for you all. You have 1 hour” so far no deviation from 1st life

He distributed some papers containing the quiz with a flick of a hand. He used wind magic and not spiritual skills so the flick is acceptable - not that I am biased or anything-

The questions were very easy for me. Especially the arithmetic ones so I finished in half the time after re-checking my answers twice. When the master saw me playing with my brush - I was painting my nails in black -, he took my answers in silence using wind magic then checked them right there. Now that I had nothing to do, I recalled our time together. I could not look him in the eyes or I might start crying. 

“Student Bai, please go to the warehouse and bring more ink for everyone” said master Huo to me with spiritual mental power. The warehouse token was already at my desk with a note to give to the manager. I stood up noisily, said with a muted voice ‘sorry’ to anyone who looked my way before walking out slowly and quietly. 

All students in my classroom could afford their own ink and paper but to avoid cheating, only materials provided by school could be used during class time. This was also one of the reasons the classrooms were locked between lessons; to keep some mischievous kids from switching materials to fart smelling inks when you grind them or screaming brushes - I laughed so much that day, the culprit was never caught so I suspect it was not a student -