Download App
3.98% Skyfire Avenue / Chapter 36: You don’t get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?

Chapter 36: You don’t get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?

Editor: AtlasStudios

“Two things,” the Keeper rejoined. “Go on.”

He handed the box in his hands to the old man. “This is a power gem I’ve recently acquired. It emits a rather powerful radiation, and after some investigation I found that it’s internal power of compression is A-ranked. But this gem isn’t in any record. You are the wisest man on Skyfire Avenue. I was hoping you could offer some insight.”

The Keeper took the box in his hands and opened it without hesitation. A faint light pulsed from the box, shimmered, and then ceased completely.

The Keeper relieved the box of the gem and examined it closely. After a moment had passed, he frowned. “If you aren’t in a hurry I suggest you leave it here. I’ll examine it more closely. It’s nothing like I’ve seen before.”

“Sure,” Lan Jue responded without hesitation. After all, the Keeper didn’t simply sell books. He was also an accomplished scientists, and the stone had clearly piqued his interest.

“And the second matter,” the Keeper inquired, replacing the stone and setting the box absently upon the tea table.

Lan Jue began, “I remember you have a good relationship with the greatest schools of Three Alliances. Do you happen to be familiar with the National Eastern University?”

The Keeper shot him a glance. “What. Are you planning to get your doctorate? Don’t bother, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – and they have nothing to teach you anyway! Hehehe.”

Lan Jue’ face scrunched in exasperation. This old guy, just a few Alpacas short of a herd.

“Well you’re not wrong, I’m old hat. I was hoping to enter the University as an instructor.”

“An instructor?” The Keeper blinked in astonishment and the smirk slipping from his face. He stared at Lan Jue in amazement. “You want to be a teacher? Did I hear that right? You aren’t going there to corrupt the youth of our nation, are you?”

Lan Jue forced a wry smile. “Keeper, is that honestly what you think of my character?”

“Oh not at all,” The Keeper replied, “It’s just that not long ago I saw something about a man stealing another man’s wife. Terrible business.”

“Eh…” Lan Jue’s face grew rigid. He’d certainly blocked Skyfire’s Satellite Network at the time. Had the Keeper been there?

“I’ve some connections,” The Keeper continued nonchalantly. “Getting you a job as an instructor wouldn’t be a problem. It’s just an old man like me who’s spent his life enlightening the inquisitive, I hope the teacher I recommend doesn’t end up being a poor influence.”

Lan Jue once more smirked towards the old man. “In fact I’m really not a good teacher. I’m actually going there to act as a bodyguard, so some official post with no real responsibility would be best.”

“Then what were you looking for,” the Keeper asked.

Lan Jue, in response, leaned close to whisper in to the old man’s ear.

When Lan Jue had finished speaking, it was as though the Keeper’s craggy face had deepened. “You’re serious?”

Lan Jue rejoined with serious countenance. “It’s an area I’m skilled in, and I can promise you I wont be a bad influence or shoddy instructor. Students who learned these skills certainly wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.”

The Keeper gave him a strange look. “Interesting,” he muttered. “Very interesting. Very well, then you go ahead and give it a shot. But be assured, if you hurt my relationship with the university, I won’t forgive you.”

“Be at ease. I know the implications.” Lan Jue dare not offend the man before him. He’d heard stories about the old man from the Wine Master. He had apparently perfected science to the point of a Discipline, becoming an Adept of science. Rarely did he deign to act, but when he did it was world-shaking. A mad scientist capable of firing positron explosions from his hands while suspended in mid-air, probably not the best idea to make him mad. The Wine Master had once told Lan Jue that Skyfire Avenue had only known two synthetic Tenth-Level Adepts. The Keeper was one of them. He was also considered Skyfire Avenue’s ultimate weapon. His power was considered synthetic because it was not derived from genetic Talent, but from intense learning and cultivation. His natural Talent didn’t exceed Sixth-Level.

The second Tenth-Level was naturally the Clairvoyant. On the surface the two looked incapable of holding their own in a fight. Only the inner council members knew the truth; they weren’t bad at fighting, just bad at skirmishes. When they fought they couldn’t help but rip the heavens and drown the earth…

“Remember young man, when the time comes to show your powers don’t hold back. Sometimes, the best way to avoid trouble is letting people know exactly what you’re capable of.”

ζ

Three days later, a letter of appointment from the National Eastern University arrived at Zeus’ Jewelry Shop.

“Boss, you’re really going to be a teacher?” Ke’er’s bright eyes watched Lan Jue closely.

Lan Jue nodded his head half-heartedly. “Uh-huh.”

Ke’er sighed wistfully. “Then you’ll definitely be the most handsome teacher there! It’s just… why?”

Lan Jue smirked. “I’ve got nothing to do in my spare time.”

“Blach!” Ke’er seemed to be choking on her own saliva. “I’ll send you, okay! Oh and by the way, the gourmet wanted me to remind you that the Bluefin Tuna will be ready to eat in two days.”

“Mmhm,” Lan Jue said, his eyes lighting up. It was certainly good news. “I’m going in to the back to rest for a while. I have to prepare to report for duty.”

“Do you need me to start packing some things?” Xiuxiu’s gentle voice inquired.

Lan Jue shook his head.

Returning to his room, Lan Jue extricated his interstellar communicator and input a number.

After a moment, a pleasant voice rang through the speaker. “What are you doing?”

Softly, Lan Jue answered. “At your request, I will be reporting to your school this afternoon. Do you need protection?”

The fair-sounding voice on the other end fell silent for a moment. “Keep in touch. This afternoon I’ll take you around the campus. After you’re more familiar with the place we’ll talk more.”

“Fine,” Lan Jue torpidly responded.

“Oh right, and what’s your name?” Zhou Qianlin asked.

Lan Jue truly didn’t understand why it was so easy to upset this girl. “Didn’t I tell you, that day?”

“Did you? I forgot. I tend not to bother with unimportant things or people.”

“My name’s Lan Jue,” he growled through the receiver.

Zhou Qianlin continued. “I was thinking, it would be better if we pretended we didn’t know each other in public. You can protect me from behind the scenes. How you do that is up to you, it shouldn’t be my job to tell you how.”

Lan Jue was confounded. “Why? What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

“Because,” she said, “If my classmates discovered I knew you, they’d be bound to question my taste.”

“…”

“By the way, I wanted to ask you a legal question,” Zhou Qianlin said. “You don’t get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?”

“Zhou Qianlin, do you happen to know what I’ll be teaching at your university,” Lan Jue said, the indignation eating away at him suddenly dissolving and replaced with a sly grin. Annoy me to death? Sh*t, you haven’t even seen what I can do.


Chapter 37: Etiquette Teacher

Editor: AtlasStudios

“Zhou Qianlin, do you happen to know what I’ll be teaching at your university?” Lan Jue’s question confused Zhou Qianlin. Wasn’t he going to be a mecha instructor?

Lan Jue unfolded the acceptance letter in his hand, and read from it’s contents. “We are happy to accept Mister Lan Jue as an associate professor of National Eastern University, hereby responsible for the ad-hoc curriculum of… Etiquette.” The communicator clicked off, his words still hanging in the air. Expected a mecha teacher, eh? How quaint.

Zhou Qianlin stared at the quiet communicator in her hand, her once proud demeanor now dumbfounded. “Etiquette? Since when did the University have this course? What is he even going to teach?”

Lan Jue saw the communicator strapped to his wrist hum, but all it accomplished was to make him laugh and shake his head. Since when did these mood swings become so common, he thought. Probably because she looks so much like Hera.

His memory conjured up that charming face, so like Hera’s, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest. And yet, at the same time he was looking forward to taking his post in the University.

He knew very well she wasn’t Hera, but in the deep recesses of his heart he still anticipated seeing her. At the very least, seeing her will remind him of his time with Hera.

Looking at the map, the University didn’t appear too far from Skyfire Avenue, but it would be quite a distance on foot.

Tomorrow I report to school. Think, when was the last time I enrolled in any classes? Ten years or more now. I was in my teens, and I was a pretty well-known problem child!

A smirk spread unbidden across his face. His memories were precious, recalling his wild and carefree youth like it was yesterday. And tomorrow he’d enter in to university again, but as a different person. The student had become the teacher. But what sort of teacher would he be?

The depression that had had accompanied Qianlin’s request had dispersed, what with the happenings of the last few days. He was adjusting to the rigors of life, or perhaps, it was the beginning of a new chapter. It was the desire of every man to shed the veil of sadness.

He pressed a few digits in the to the communicator on his wrist, and soon a lethargic voice arose on the other end.

“Eyy, A-Jue, what’s happening! Did you find Hera?”

A crooked smile split Lan Jue’s face. “The greater the desire, the greater the disappointment.”

The voice on the other end seemed to awaken. “It sounds like someone cheated you.”

The muscles of Lan Jue’s face jerked. “And it sounds like you’re gloating.”

“I’m not, really!” Chu Cheng’s voice solemnly swore from the receiver.

Lan Jue smirked. “Fine. I’ll deal with my own business. Give me an address, I have something for you.”

“What’s that,” Chu Cheng asked curiously.

“Some Harlequin Silver. You know the kind of person I am.”

“You know you don’t have to repay me,” Chu Cheng responded in agitation.

“Unacceptable,” Lan Jue stated categorically. “If I take too long to repay a debt I wont be able to. Besides, I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Although the silver isn’t as significant as the refined technetium to you, you might be able to use it to trade for a batch.”

Chu Cheng’s voice rejoined. “A-Jue, you really need to get out. It’s no good being shut in all the time.”

Lan Jue acquiesced. “I know. I’m trying, I even found a job.”

“A job? You coming out of retirement, back to being the Mercenary King?” Chu Cheng’s excitement was apparent. “That’s excellent! We’ve got a few missions that need tending to, all S-Ranked. They’re yours if you want ‘em. Price is no object. I remember your rules, you only need to ask. Whatever gem you need you’ll get, I’ll have the whole family out looking.”

During his time as a mercenary, Lan Jue never accepted money. He preferred to be remunerated in the form of power gems. It was the take from those days that allowed him to corner the gem market in Skyfire Avenue.

Lan Jue chuckled. “I said I was looking for a job, not that I was going back to merc work. I’m going to be a teacher!”

ζ

“Te.. teacher…” Chu Cheng’s mouth dropped open, and the cigarette that had lazily burned in his mouth tumbled to the floor instantly burning the shag carpet.

“Mmhm, a teacher. An Etiquette teacher, actually. Come on, give me an address.”

As if in a trance Chu Cheng muttered the address, and even when Lan Jue’s communicator went silent, he still didn’t know how to react.

Teacher? He’d said teacher, right? He wants to be… a teacher? Why did he sound so relaxed?

After a few moments of blind confusion Chu Cheng gradually came back to his senses. A wry smile spread across his face by degrees.

It appears A-Jue was finally letting go of what had happened the last few years, he thought. At least he’s getting out and letting go of his pain. It doesn’t matter what he’s out doing, so long as he’s doing something. And with his abilities, he’s sure to make an excellent teacher.

But what did he say he wanted to teach? I suddenly can’t remember…

“Chuuuu Cheeeeeng!” A wild voice suddenly rang out, full of bile.

“ You DARE smoke in my house again?! AGH! MY CARPET! You abhorrent little punk, do you have any idea how rare this carpet is?! Your father just bought it at auction. Don’t go running you awful degenerate, time for a whooping!”

“My fault mom. Pretend I don’t exist!”

ζ

National Eastern University.

It was one of the top ten schools in the Eastern Alliance, situated right here on Skyfire, in the city itself. It was particularly known for it’s mecha program, and though it wasn’t a military institution it’s piloting curriculum was known through the Alliances. Not only that, it was first among the Alliances in alloy research and application.

The school itself was enormous, constituting a tenth of the Western part of the city. At it’s back was the Western mountain, which itself had been incorporated in to the university. It provided the mecha students with a place to train.

Rays of early-morning light splayed across the campus, setting the morning dew to twinkling and bringing with it a vividly fresh scent. A figure slowly approached from the distance.

He was tall, clad in a three-piece azure blue suit. He wore a white shirt, pink neck tie, and a pink handkerchief folded in his breast pocket. And he came rolling in on a two-wheeled bicycle.


Load failed, please RETRY

Gifts

Gift -- Gift received

    Weekly Power Status

    Batch unlock chapters

    Table of Contents

    Display Options

    Background

    Font

    Size

    Chapter comments

    Write a review Reading Status: C36
    Fail to post. Please try again
    • Translation Quality
    • Stability of Updates
    • Story Development
    • Character Design
    • World Background

    The total score 0.0

    Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
    Vote with Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Power Ranking
    Stone 0 Power Stone
    Report inappropriate content
    error Tip

    Report abuse

    Paragraph comments

    Login

    tip Paragraph comment

    Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

    Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

    GOT IT