Tan Mo's expression remained unchanged when he arrived at Yan Chi's side.
Yan Chi turned his head and glanced at him. The arrogant man was nowhere to be seen. The players huddled together in fear, looking at him with eyes that seemed to regard him as a demon.
When someone's gaze met Yan Chi's, that person fearfully hid behind their companion.
Yan Chi lowered his eyes slightly, suddenly feeling a little tired, too lazy to delve into the reason for the players' fear.
Only after Yan Chi left with Sethia and Tan Mo did the group of players dare to speak.
"No...wasn't Teacher Yan Chi supposed to help us? Why did he attack us?"
"All crows are black. He's an NPC, so he's definitely on the NPCs' side."
"Did you see that just now? Was that person a ghost or some kind of monster?"
"We can't trust them..."
In a few words, the players reached a consensus.
A handsome A-level player, who looked to be in his thirties, stood where the giant snake had disappeared. His expression was urgent. "You all saw it, right? We're no match for these NPCs. We must unite, or we'll end up like Old Shang!"
Old Shang was the man swallowed by the giant snake.
A lower-level, younger player was somewhat bewildered. "But...but..."
But wasn't it Old Shang who started the trouble? Why are they blaming the NPCs now?
But before he could finish speaking, his companion covered his mouth and shook his head. He could only swallow his words.
The man in front was still delivering his impassioned speech. Finally, he said, "Let's gather our friends together at noon and have a meeting to discuss our next steps."
Yan Chi, who had already returned to the classroom, was completely unaware of the players' actions. Only Feng Wang and Li Huai were in the classroom. As soon as Feng Wang saw them, he immediately asked, "Did you get first place?"
Sethia replied casually, "Of course. But I encountered a really annoying player. Humph, players are as disgusting as ever."
Feng Wang wholeheartedly agreed: "Did you kill him?"
"Tan Mo killed him."
What?
Yan Chi was stunned upon hearing this, turning to look at Tan Mo. "You killed him?"
When did this happen? How come he didn't know anything about it?
Tan Mo was about to say something when his expression suddenly changed.
Beside Feng Wang and Li Huai, the shadowy figure gradually transformed into a slender man. His long silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, making him appear as if he had stepped out of the snow. His light blue eyes held a gentle, warm smile, and a small dimple graced his slightly upturned lips.
He gazed intently at Feng Wang and Li Huai, his eyes sparkling like sunlight filtering through the snow-covered sky after the first snowfall—a warmth that wouldn't scorch.
Yan Chi: "...?"
Who was this person?
Feng Wang and Li Huai froze in place. Li Huai's eyes reddened slightly. Feng Wang covered his eyes and shouted at Tan Mo, "Take it back!"
Tan Mo frowned and apologized to them, "Sorry, it's a bit out of control."
The silver-haired man vanished like a fleeting moment.
Feng Wang released Li Huai's eyes. Li Huai stared blankly at the floor where the man had been, speechless for a long time.
The atmosphere grew heavy. A guess formed in Yan Chi's mind, "He is…"
"My father." Feng Wang slowly clenched his fist, coldly looking at Tan Mo. "This is the second time. Third time's the charm."
"Okay, it definitely won't happen again." Tan Mo rubbed his temples. He'd been controlling himself quite well lately; he couldn't understand why he'd suddenly lost control today.
Their father… Li Xian!
But wasn't Li Xian already dead?
Yan Chi whispered to Sethia, "What is Tan Mo's ability?"
"Resurrection of the dead." Sethia added, "But those spirits exist only because they're attached to Tan Mo's ability, so they're not true spirits and can't truly resurrect the dead."
Yan Chi understood. His memory suddenly flashed back to his first day at school; Tan Mo and Feng Wang's fight must have been because of this.
But he couldn't interfere too much in this matter. He couldn't show favoritism to either side; they had to resolve it themselves.
"It's alright," Li Huai said, composing himself and gently tugging at Feng Wang's arm. "Actually, I haven't seen my dad in a long time either, I miss him terribly."
Feng Wang felt the same way.
Yan Chi, wanting to ease the tension, deliberately changed the subject. "I heard a new flower shop opened on the shopping street, want to come check it out with me?"
The four of them agreed and followed Yan Chi to the shopping street.
It was nearing noon, and the shopping street was filled with students and gamers coming out for lunch in groups. Yan Chi led the four students to the newly opened flower shop.
The flower shop was neatly arranged, with various flowers and plants displayed on shelves. One wall was a beautiful flower wall, adorned with brightly colored flowers; the color scheme was bold but not jarring, and soft music calmed their restlessness.
Yan Chi had a very good impression of the flower shop at first glance.
The shop owners, two young women, were busy trimming and removing thorns from the flowers. Seeing customers enter, they greeted them in unison with a "Welcome!"
"Customers can choose their own flowers, and we'll arrange them for free," one of them said.
Yan Chi nodded and smiled. "Okay, thank you."
He said to Feng Wang and the others, "You guys should also pick out some flowers you like. It's on me today to celebrate you winning first place."
So the four of them started browsing in the flower shop.
Yan Chi wasn't idle either. He first picked out a few uniquely shaped flowerpots, then stopped in the succulent section. He picked up a cute little pink succulent and asked, "Is this a Peach Egg?"
"Yes," the girl said, walking up to him and enthusiastically introducing it. "Peach Eggs are very easy to grow; even beginners can easily keep them alive."
Then she picked up another small, pinkish-green succulent. "This one's also very nice, it's Alba Moon Shadow, very pretty."
Yan Chi nodded repeatedly, "It is very pretty."
So he directly picked out five exceptionally beautiful succulents, temporarily leaving them with the shopkeeper, to check on Sethia and the others' choices later.
Sethia and the others had never been to a flower shop before, so they were extremely curious about everything. Li Huai carefully examined each bouquet, while Feng Wang ignored the appearance and went straight to smell them, using the fragrance to determine which flowers were the best.
Yan Chi slowly walked to Tan Mo's side, casually mentioning, "This flower is a violet, representing loyalty and apology."
Tan Mo's eyes flickered slightly, understanding Yan Chi's intention. "Thank you, teacher."
Yan Chi patted his shoulder, saying nothing. Having spent so much time with these children, he had noticed their sometimes contradictory and awkward behavior, especially in dealing with interpersonal relationships with classmates; most of the time they were quite clueless.
A ingrained personality is difficult to change; Yan Chi could only guide him little by little.
Tan Mo called over the young girl, "Could you help me wrap up the violets?"
"Of course."
Yan Chi also picked out a bunch of roses and a bunch of hyacinths.
After leaving the flower shop, Tan Mo gave the violets to Li Huai and Feng Wang, and apologized again.
Feng Wang looked awkward, "Alright, this isn't something you can control. Let's leave it at that, don't mention it again, let's turn the page."
Li Huai smiled, "It's alright, thank you too."
At that moment, Tan Mo felt extremely relaxed, both physically and mentally. Suddenly, a fragrant aroma wafted over, and pale purple hyacinths were placed before him.
Tan Mo looked up at Yan Chi.
Yan Chi gently placed the hyacinth in Tan Mo's arms, his voice soft, "Hyacinths symbolize victory."
Tan Mo hugged it tight, "Thank you..."
It was almost midnight, and Yan Chi was getting ready to go home. "Then we'll..."
"Teacher Chi!" A loud voice rang out, and Yan Chi could almost immediately recognize who it was. "Teacher Yi."
Yi Hong walked over with several of his students. He put his arm around Yan Chi's shoulder like a good buddy, "I went to your office but couldn't find you. I didn't expect to run into you here! Hahaha, what a coincidence!"
"Come on! We promised to treat you to dinner last time. Now that we have the chance, let's go get some!" Yi Hong gestured to Feng Wang and the others, "Come on over, it's more fun with more people."
Yan Chi was pushed forward by Yi Hong, his tone helpless, "No need, Teacher Yi, the food's already prepared at home."
Yi Hong gave him a knowing look, "Is the principal home? Hey, just call him and tell him you're not coming home for lunch today, it's no big deal."
Yan Chi still declined, "No need, no need."
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll call him then." Yi Hong took out his phone and called Shen Mingsu. After the call connected, he said casually, "Principal, Teacher Chi won't be home for lunch today, I owe him a favor, so I'll treat him to lunch."
"Of course, I'll be joining you."
The next second, Yi Hong's face stiffened, "Huh? You're really coming?"
There was only a busy tone on the other end of the line; the call had been unilaterally disconnected.
At this moment, in Yan Chi's home, Shen Chang Le sat at the dining table, looking at the dazzling array of dishes. His stomach rumbled. Why hadn't his uncle come home for dinner yet?
"You guys eat first," Shen Mingsu said decisively after hanging up the phone. "Teacher Xiao Chi went to eat with his colleagues. I'm going too. Don't worry about me."
With that, he rushed off. Anyone who didn't know better would think his wife had run off with another man with their child, and he was going to chase after her.
In the dining room, Shen Chang Le secretly glanced at Xie Tao, feeling a little uncomfortable eating alone with him.
Xie Tao picked up his chopsticks and placed a chicken leg on his plate. "Eat up. Why are you staring at me? I don't have any food on my face."
Shen Chang Le: "...Thank you."
He just felt strange eating alone with Xie Tao here, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
If he had to describe it, it was like the awkwardness he felt when his parents went out to play and he was left in the care of his cold-hearted grandfather.
Shen Chang Le took a bite of his chicken leg, not daring to meet Xie Tao's gaze.
Meanwhile, Yan Chi, led by Yi Hong, had already arrived at the hot pot restaurant. Seeing their large group, the owner gave them two private rooms. The children went to the large room, while Yan Chi and Yi Hong waited for Shen Mingsu in the smaller one.
Yan Chi carefully placed the roses on his lap before sending the message to Shen Mingsu.
Shen Mingsu seemed to have teleported there. He entered the private room and went straight to sit next to Yan Chi. Seeing the roses beside him, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Here, these are for you." Yan Chi presented the roses to Shen Mingsu.
Shen Mingsu held the flowers preciously, ignoring Yi Hong's presence, and kissed Yan Chi on the cheek. "Thank you, Teacher Xiao Chi."
Yi Hong: "..."
The heart of this single person felt as if it had been run over by a truck. Why did he even invite a couple out to dinner?!
Yi Hong regretted it too late. He picked up his tablet and started ordering, "What kind of hot pot do you want? Spicy?"
Yan Chi: "A half-and-half pot, I guess. He can't handle spicy food very well."
Shen Mingsu was still holding his roses, intently watching Yan Chi. "Hmm, he's right."
Yi Hong: "..."
This feeling of being bombarded with this couple's public display of affection is truly bittersweet.
The third wheel felt he needed to do something, so Yi Hong got up and called the little zombie over.
The little zombie was still wearing his precious sunglasses. Upon seeing Yan Chi, he happily tried to run to his side, but Yi Hong grabbed him by the collar and shoved him into the seat next to him. "You sit here."
The little zombie turned his head away angrily, "Hmph!"
After the food was served, the three adults and one child began to eat, chatting about recent events at school.
"The one who killed the zombie wasn't the first player to die," Yi Hong said, placing a slice of beef roll on the little zombie's plate. "Yesterday, one of our classmates was so audacious as to steal the zombies' burial goods from their backpacks, and he was poisoned to death on the spot."
Yan Chi took a bite of lettuce, his chewing motion abruptly halting. "Buried goods?"
"Yeah, some gold and silver jewelry, but if someone takes it without permission, the zombie poison on it will kill them instantly."
Yan Chi clearly remembered that earlier today when he went to deliver sunglasses, these zombies brought him all the gold and silver jewelry from their backpacks. So those were their burial goods?
Yan Chi was incredibly grateful he hadn't taken them.
Seeing Yan Chi's expression change, the little zombie rummaged through his wide sleeves and finally presented him with an exquisitely crafted glass cup. "Teacher Yan Chi...this is for you!"
Yan Chi frantically declined again, "No, no."
The little zombie was a little sullen at not being able to give a gift, but he cheered up after eating a piece of tender beef.
Midway through the meal, Yan Chi, with his sharp ears, heard voices from next door, as if someone were whispering in his ear. He instinctively tried to listen, but heard nothing.
Yan Chi frowned slightly and asked Shen Mingsu, "Did you hear anything?"
"Players are talking next door, using a sound-masking system item." Shen Mingsu knew players very well, "But unfortunately, the item isn't very good."
Yi Hong, who was bored feeding the child, immediately became interested. "Come listen to what they're saying."
He walked to the wall and gently tapped it. Yan Chi seemed to hear the sound of shattering glass, and the next second the voices from next door became clear.
"The most terrifying aspect of this instance is that the NPCs are all demons who tempt us to corruption!" a somewhat neurotic voice said. "Even S-rank players aren't immune. Lin Heng, Rong Wenshi, Xin Xia… they were all seduced by demons."
"Yes! They are Pan the Shepherd! The goats that corrupt us!"
A cold, indifferent female voice then rang out, "Hmm, I understand you. Just like those disgusting sailors, you can't control your lower bodies and go after goats, then you solemnly say the goats seduced your disgusting things."
She added, "You can only bully the goats because they can't speak human language, and now you're blaming the students. Whoever spreads the rumors is right."
Yan Chi was surprised for a moment upon hearing this voice. Was it Ding Yang?
There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a burst of angry curses, "What the hell are you spouting, you bitch?!"
A series of crashes and knocks of tables and chairs followed, as if a chaotic brawl had broken out. Amidst the cacophony of curses, Yan Chi clearly heard Lu Yuanming's voice.
"You can argue all you want, but why are you throwing away my food?!"
"Pah! NPC lackeys don't deserve to eat!"
"Damn it! I paid for this, what's it to you! Give me back my lamb skewers!"
"Go to hell!"
"..."
Yi Hong, squatting in the corner, listened with great interest, "They're fighting amongst themselves, hahaha... but the insults are so unoriginal, just the same few phrases over and over again, so boring..."
Yan Chi, listening with some concern for Ding Yang and Lu Yuanming, was reassured by Shen Mingsu, "Don't worry, they're not helpless. If they can't win, they'll know to run."
A moment later, silence returned from next door. Just then, the shop manager came to deliver the food, and Yan Chi hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, are the people next door alright?"
The shop manager, his face dark and suppressing his anger, said, "They smashed all my tables and chairs. Only one girl and one boy who didn't look very bright paid for their things; the rest ran away."
The shop manager gritted his teeth, "I've already reported it to the commercial street supervisor. If they can't pay, they'll be washing my dishes!"
The commercial street was part of the school's extension, and the principal had specifically assigned several teachers to maintain order there. Incidentally, one of those teachers was Lin Heng.
Yan Chi remembered that among the players arguing earlier was a die-hard fan of Lin Feng. Now his idol was going to personally drag him to wash dishes. Thinking of this, a smile crept into Yan Chi's eyes.
But Yan Chi never expected that that afternoon, as he walked alone along the shady path leading to the teaching building, a player suddenly jumped out from the bushes beside the road, pleading, "Teacher Yan Chi, could you lend me some money?"
Yan Chi: ...?
He found it absurd. "You're...borrowing money from me?"
"Yes, yes! I only need two thousand!" the player said matter-of-factly. "Just lend it to me, I...I'll pay you back."
Yan Chi wasn't stupid. "You have the money to pay me back?"
The player nodded repeatedly. "I definitely will."
Yan Chi: "Tell the truth."
The player's tongue slipped out of his control. "I broke the hot pot restaurant owner's tables, chairs, and dishes, and now I have to pay two thousand yuan in compensation. Someone's already been arrested. I heard you have a good temper, so I thought I'd borrow some money from you."
"Of course I won't pay you back. I'm not stupid. When the dungeon ends and I go back, do you think you can chase me out of the dungeon and demand my money back?"
Yan Chi had encountered many bizarre things, but this was a rare exception. He laughed in exasperation, didn't even look at the player, and turned to leave.
The player turned around abruptly, his face deathly pale. He didn't understand why he had blurted out everything. He hurriedly caught up with Yan Chi, but before he could speak, several tall figures blocked his way.
The zombies, all over 1.9 meters tall, were burly and imposing. They stood like a wall between him and Yan Chi, their expressions serious, wearing sunglasses, radiating a terrifying aura.
The player's legs went weak, and he knelt down.
No...nobody told him this teacher had a bodyguard squad!
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