Era of Mist

The surrounding crowd nodded, each chiming in.

"Yeah, yeah. Shouting in class like that? The dean’s office is definitely going to discipline him."

"Will he get a demerit?"

"A demerit? He might even get expelled."

"No way. All he did was shout. He didn’t do anything else. They’d expel him for that?"

"Who knows? Principal Liu is new. They say a new broom sweeps clean; maybe he’ll be one of the first to get swept."

"Sigh, just another poor guy driven mad by the pressure."

"What’s the big deal? It’s a mad dash for college admissions. Plenty of top students from middle school become nobodies in high school, right? If he can’t even handle a little academic pressure, how weak-willed can he be?"

The chirping clamor surrounded his ears, but Shi Tiexin’s face was completely expressionless. His thoughts were chaotic, like two ocean tides crashing against each other.

Looking at his surroundings and listening to the words, one moment he felt it was all completely foreign, the next, completely familiar. One moment he felt deep regret and immense confusion, wondering why he had just acted like a madman, flipping a desk and roaring. The next moment he was startled and horrified—horrified by his situation, horrified at how he had suddenly arrived in this place that resembled a historical drama, but not quite.

Thoughts were like breaking waves, popping up here one moment, surging there the next. They crashed and churned, a murky, chaotic mess.

In a daze, the bell for class rang, and all the students scurried back to their classrooms. The teacher for the next class walked over, giving him a couple of puzzled glances. Seeing him standing stock-still and seemingly with no intention of explaining himself, the teacher shook his head, stopped bothering with him, and walked into the classroom to begin the lesson.

"Let’s begin."

"All rise!"

HUALALA, the sound of everyone rising to their feet in unison.

"Hello, students."

"Hel—lo—Tea—cher—!"

"You may be seated."

HUALALA, they all sat down in unison again.

"Today we will be covering high school physics, electricity and magnetism. Turn to page 76 of your textbooks..."

The teacher’s voice entered his ears, and it was as if a small patch of light had suddenly been lit, clearing his chaotic mind just a little.

’Physics?’

’Physics, one of the Six Basic Heart Techniques. Basic Physics includes one level of Basic Mechanics, one level of Basic Electromagnetism, one level of Basic Optics, and one level of Basic Energetics, for a total of four levels. Mastering it can enhance one’s control over strength.’

’To qualify for the Lesser Township Examination, one needs to have cultivated two of the Six Basic Heart Techniques—"Mathematics" and "Rhetoric"—to the second-level pass standard. For the remaining four—"Chemistry," "Physics," "Biology," and "Natural History"—one also needs to reach a first-level good standard. The transmission of a Fundamental Heart Skill is a rare sight, yet here was a lecturer in a classroom, openly teaching the second level of Physics!’

’If I hadn’t even properly learned the first level of Physics, I probably would have benefited greatly from just listening in once. But now? I can’t even understand what’s being said. What a waste of a golden opportunity.’

...

’Uh, what was I just thinking?’

’What are the Six Basic Heart Techniques?’

’And what’s all this about "Natural History" and "Rhetoric"?’

’Aren’t Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology just the science subjects I need for my high school exams?’

’Besides, even for high school electromagnetism, I studied ahead. How could I not understand knowledge at this level?’

...

’Can I understand it?’

’Can I even understand the second-level Heart Skill?’

’Let me try listening... uh, it seems I actually can understand a little bit.’

’What about the first level? Do I understand the first level?’

...

’The first level?’

’You mean Basic Mechanics?’

’Let me think... Right, that covers the basics of forces and motion.’

’Isn’t that really simple stuff? I already mastered it completely back in middle school. What’s there not to understand?’

...

’Ho-holy shit!’

’No way!’

’Am I that badass?!’

’This... is me?’

’But...’

’Who...’

’...am I?’

A fog rolled through his mind. Something seemed on the verge of erupting, but it was just short of breaking through. In his daze, class ended and another began, then that one ended too. Before he knew it, it was time for dinner, but Shi Tiexin still stood there, unmoving, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Until a person appeared before his eyes.

His form teacher, Old Jia.

Old Jia walked up to Shi Tiexin with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at the student. It seemed he hadn’t moved at all for the entire afternoon since the incident. Old Jia’s anger had subsided a little, and the look on his face wasn’t as harsh. He figured the kid probably wasn’t trying to defy him on purpose.

But then he saw that hazy, sleepwalker-like gaze, that wooden expression devoid of any spirit, and Old Jia’s rage flared up again. He berated him loudly.

"Shi Tiexin! Look at you! You’re a big guy, you were even a First Guard Champion Scholar, and now you’ve ended up like this? I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but can’t a man even handle this much? So what if you dropped out of the elite class? Every year a few students drop out of the elite class!"

"Clench your teeth, gather your strength, and fight your way back in!"

"You walk around all day like you’re drunk. Have you given up on yourself? Are you letting down the people who nurtured you? Are you letting down all your own past efforts? You’re a damn good-for-nothing!"

"You—"

Old Jia roared, getting angrier the more he spoke, cursing Shi Tiexin out completely. But when he raised his hand to slap him, he held back in the end. He took a deep look into Shi Tiexin’s hazy eyes, shook his head and sighed, suddenly losing all enthusiasm. "Don’t bother with evening self-study. Go back to your dorm. If you want to sleep, then sleep. If you want to study, then study. Do whatever the hell you want. I’m done with you."

Shi Tiexin’s eyes moved, and a sliver of consciousness returned.

’Sleep?’

’Yes, I should get some sleep. My head is a mess. A good sleep might sort things out.’

So, Shi Tiexin tried to take a step and leave, but he had been standing rigidly for too long. The moment he lifted his leg, he stumbled and fell uncontrollably toward Old Jia. Shi Tiexin was tall and broad, while Old Jia was nearly a full head shorter. His fall was like a building collapsing, crashing down fiercely upon the teacher.

BANG! Caught off guard, Old Jia took the full brunt of the impact. His legs trembled, and his face flushed red as he barely managed to hold Shi Tiexin up.

"Are your legs made of jelly, you damn good-for-nothing?!" Old Jia was furious. He finally couldn’t hold back and swung his Iron Palm, smacking Shi Tiexin’s back. THWACK! THWACK! Shi Tiexin, still in a daze, didn’t even notice. He struggled to stand upright and swayed off in a direction his subconscious chose, completely ignoring Old Jia whom he had just crashed into.

Behind him, Old Jia ground his teeth with a loud GRIND. In the end, he let out a lion-like roar at Shi Tiexin’s back: "You little bastard, get your ass over there and eat something—!"

Leaving Old Jia’s roar behind him, Shi Tiexin staggered out of the academic building and walked alone toward the sports field. The dormitories were just behind it. As one of his feet touched the rubber track of the field, the bell for class suddenly rang.

A sudden feeling stirred in his heart, and Shi Tiexin turned to look back at the academic building. It was evening self-study time, and the sky was dark. But classroom after classroom was transparently bright, filled with students hunched over their desks, studying hard. As far as the eye could see, academic buildings stood one after another, filled with countless students. The entire, vast school was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

In his confusion, Shi Tiexin had a faint realization.

’Am I... in a Holy Land for cultivating Heart Skills?’

He looked up again, toward the roof of the central academic building. There were several large, crimson characters there, lit up for the night and emitting a dazzling glow.

"Knowledge Changes Destiny, Learning Forges the Future"

The large, crimson words seemed to slam straight into the depths of Shi Tiexin’s heart. His expression turned solemn as understanding dawned in his mind.

’That’s right. I really am in a Holy Land for cultivating Heart Skills.’

’Fengming First Middle School.’