Chapter 11: Zheng Furen

“Which class are you from? What are you doing standing here?”

Zhang Pu was lost in thought when suddenly a menacing voice bellowed nearby.

Are there really such fierce people among students too? Zhang Pu even recalled those from the world of cultivation.

But with a sidelong glance, he saw that the speaker, with a face like a slab of pork and ears sticking out, was clearly no decent person—certainly not a teacher or a janitor. After all, teachers wouldn’t be so uncouth, and as for the janitorial staff, this modern high school was full of wealthy students and those with connections. Even if they had grievances, they wouldn’t dare to be so brazen, especially toward a new student whose background was still unknown.

Janitors, being adults, would act with more caution and care, unlike students who, sensing someone is weak, might blindly rush forward. Zhang Pu could tell at a glance that, despite his bulk, this was clearly just a high schooler.

“The boss is asking you which class you’re from. Are you deaf or mute?” Suddenly, a tall student appeared at Zhang Pu’s other side. “If you’re not from Class 10, get lost!”

Ha! Zhang Pu, in that instant, was so angry he laughed. This tall one must be the lackey of the pork-faced brute.

So, Class 10 of Senior Year is quite something after all!

It was still before class, and several students from Class 10 were noticing the commotion.

Most immediately kept their distance.

From afar, a voice drifted to Zhang Pu’s ears, “Oh no, the new guy has gotten on Boss Zheng Furen’s bad side.”

Another voice, softer still, said, “This new guy, really, should’ve asked around first about the boss of our class—Zheng’s fists are hard, and he has his ‘Four Guardians’ too!”

“He’s probably from the countryside. Doesn’t know any better…” whispered a third.

At that moment, the pork-faced brute—Zhang Pu guessed this must be the Zheng Furen everyone mentioned—cast a casual glance at the whispering students, sending them scurrying back into the classroom.

Zhang Pu, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to Zheng Furen’s actions, distracted by the sharpness of his own hearing. He could clearly sense that his hearing was far keener than on the day he was reborn.

When he had just been reborn, Zhang Pu was like an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes in terms of cultivation—his body’s functions were even weaker than most students, as he distinctly remembered having been quite frail in his previous life.

But now, after several days of focused cultivation of the “Heaven and Earth United Arts,” and aided by some medicinal herbs, he had truly stepped onto the path of a cultivator, reaching the Qi Refining stage!

He could hear every whispered word from the students behind him, while Zheng Furen probably hadn’t caught a thing.

“Still daydreaming?” Another voice exploded in Zhang Pu’s ear.

Only then did Zhang Pu lift his eyes.

With a slight turn of his gaze, he realized he had somehow become surrounded by Zheng Furen and four other students, blocking every possible escape route.

Zheng Furen and his Four Guardians? Zhang Pu instantly recalled the whispers from before.

Naturally, he felt not the slightest fear. He was not who he used to be.

Looking at Zheng Furen’s so-called Four Guardians, Zhang Pu thought that compared to any “enforcers” in the outside world, these four were laughably weak.

They were a mismatched bunch—tall, short, fat, and thin. In his mind, Zhang Pu gave them a name: the “Crippled Quartet.”

Of course, this was only relative. Among the dozens of students in Class 10, Zheng Furen’s Four Guardians were still quite imposing, at least enough to help Zheng establish his rule over this patch of turf.

Zhang Pu mused: could this Zheng Furen be the very one that Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying had warned him about, the one who collected protection fees? He certainly looked every bit the local tyrant of Class 10.

Sure enough, just as Zhang Pu was thinking this, one of the Guardians—a short one—sidled up to him and muttered, “Hey, new guy, have you paid your protection money yet?”

A cold smile flickered across Zhang Pu’s face, though he replied, “What protection money? I only know about tuition fees.”

“Ha! You’ve got guts, kid!” Zheng Furen strode forward in an instant.

Zhang Pu could plainly see that he was about to throw an uppercut toward his abdomen.

Hmph! Zhang Pu sneered inwardly. Even the martial arts masters of this world, in his eyes, amounted to little more than flashy, useless moves. What was this schoolyard tyrant’s uppercut compared to that?

In the cultivation world, Zhang Pu had memorized countless advanced combat techniques!

Even at his current Qi Refining stage, he knew a move called the “Shadowless Hand” from the Dark Star Realm, which was perfect for dispatching Zheng Furen and his Guardians—no matter how many they were, he could easily handle them all.

Yet, before Zheng Furen could throw his punch, the skinny Guardian suddenly warned, “Boss, there’s a teacher over there.”

Zheng Furen frowned, his threatening stance vanishing in an instant.

He shot a glance in a certain direction, then abruptly sidled up to Zhang Pu, slinging his thick, porky arm around Zhang Pu’s slender shoulders, and with a forced smile said, “Come on, new guy, let’s have a chat over there. I’ll buy you a drink.”

Without waiting for a reply, he dragged Zhang Pu along, relying on his strength to ensure that resistance was futile.

One of the lackeys leaned in, muttering threateningly, “Be smart about it.”

The message was clear: follow, or else.

Are they taking me somewhere secluded? Zhang Pu wondered.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk played at his lips.

Feigning the trembling nervousness of a new student, he obediently followed Zheng Furen and his Guardians.

He imagined they must be very satisfied with his cooperation.

The group headed toward the large boys’ restroom near Class 10. Students peeking from the classroom door wore expressions of sympathy.

Zhang Pu quickly caught sight of the “Boys’ Restroom” sign.

Feigning innocence, he asked daringly, “Didn’t you say you were going to buy me a drink, boss? Why are we coming here?”