Chapter 3: Tutoring

The next day.

Last night, while having a late-night snack, Zhou Chen once again used the Soul Devouring Worm to consume the souls of several thugs.

Although he didn’t fully devour them, just like with the wealthy woman before, even if they didn’t die, their minds would be shattered.

Zhou Chen didn’t feel this was wrong; on the contrary, he felt like a city hero, ridding the people of evil and upholding justice.

Through the two instances of soul energy feedback, Zhou Chen could clearly sense a vast difference between the souls of dogs and humans.

It took the soul energy of about ten dogs to equal that of one human soul.

Perhaps in ancient times, the Soul Devouring Worm subsisted on humans, which led to human cultivators launching a siege against them.

After breakfast, Zhou Chen picked up a book and resumed reading.

He was studying an anthology of ancient poetry, memorizing not only the poems but also the annotations, thoughts, and structural elements, all firmly etched in his mind.

Time passed until after nine in the morning.

A visitor came.

It was Saturday, and both his parents, a doctor and a nurse, had gone to work. His eldest sister, Zhou Yuting, had also gone with them.

Only his middle school-aged younger sister, Zhou Xiaoyan, was at home doing her homework.

“Hello, I’m Zhou Chen’s homeroom teacher, here for a home visit.”

Zhou Chen’s homeroom teacher was an extraordinary beauty, admired by many single male teachers at City No.1 High School.

She exuded intellectual charm, appearing to be in her early twenties.

Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she also radiated a scholarly aura, reminiscent of a female poet from ancient times well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

“Brother, your homeroom teacher is here!” Zhou Xiaoyan called out toward Zhou Chen’s bedroom.

Zhou Chen had already heard the commotion.

He guessed the news of his brave stand against the thugs had reached the school, prompting the homeroom teacher’s visit.

“Zhou Chen, how were you discharged so quickly? How is your injury?” Gu Zhaoyue, the homeroom teacher, asked with concern.

Zhou Chen lowered his collar, revealing the shocking scar.

The stitched wound looked even more gruesome.

“Ah!”

Gu Zhaoyue flinched, her eyes filled with sympathy.

She had always thought Zhou Chen was a troublemaker who neglected his studies and led other students astray with early romances.

But now, she realized she had been mistaken.

“Zhou Chen, I’m sorry. I had a bias against you before. You’re a hero, a pillar of the nation’s future.”

After a pause, she continued, “I came this time to tutor you. Because of your brave deeds, the school will apply to add extra points to your college entrance exam score.”

“However, to get into your desired university, you still need to work hard. I’ll come to tutor you in Chinese on Sundays for the next few weeks, provided I don’t have anything important.”

Zhou Chen scratched his head. Right now, he didn’t need anyone to tutor him—he was confident he could make rapid progress in the remaining twenty-odd days.

So he politely declined, “Thank you, teacher. But I don’t want you to waste time on me at the expense of other students. I’m already like this; even if I try, I can’t improve much.”

Gu Zhaoyue’s brows furrowed sharply. “Zhou Chen! You can’t give up on yourself. Unless you push yourself, how will you know what you’re capable of?”

“Then it’s settled—I’ll start tutoring you in Chinese right now.”

Zhou Chen was speechless.

He still felt some respect for his homeroom teacher.

But a beautiful woman getting angry was truly a delightful sight.

Gu Zhaoyue stepped into Zhou Chen’s bedroom and saw a copy of the ancient poetry anthology open on his desk, which brought her some comfort.

As long as Zhou Chen hadn’t completely given up on studying, there was hope.

“Let’s begin with ancient poetry. Reciting ancient poems is an exam staple every year. How many of the must-memorize poems for the college entrance exam do you know?”

Zhou Chen, already having read the anthology thoroughly, answered confidently, “I can basically recite them all.”

Gu Zhaoyue was surprised. “All of them? Then let me test you. Recite ‘Ascending the Height’.”

Zhou Chen began smoothly:

“‘Ascending the Height’ by Du Fu:

The wind is swift, the sky is high, the apes wail mournfully;

The islets clear, the sands white, the birds circle back.

Boundless falling leaves rustle down;

The endless Yangtze rolls on.

Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, I am always a traveler;

A hundred years of illness, I climb the terrace alone.

Bitter hardship and hatred frost my temples;

Down and out, I recently stopped drinking my turbid wine.”

He recited effortlessly, exuding ease.

Gu Zhaoyue nodded and flipped through several pages in the anthology, raising the difficulty.

“Now recite ‘Memorial to Emperor Taizong’s Ten Thoughts’.”

This was not a poem but a lengthy memorial written by Wei Zheng to Emperor Taizong of Tang, with many words and considerable difficulty.

Yet Zhou Chen recited it flawlessly:

“‘Memorial to Emperor Taizong’s Ten Thoughts’ by Wei Zheng:

I have heard that those who seek a tree’s height must first strengthen its roots;

Those who desire a river’s flow must first dredge its source…”

He went on without pause, impressing Gu Zhaoyue with his fluency.

“Zhou Chen, I underestimated you. Do you know if you can recite ‘Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River’?”

The ‘Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River’ is considered one of the most difficult among the seventy-two must-memorize ancient texts for the college entrance exam.

If Zhou Chen could recite it perfectly, she would be thoroughly convinced.

Without hesitation, Zhou Chen began:

“‘Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River’ by Cao Zhi:

In the third year of Huangchu, I traveled to the capital and crossed the Luo River.

The ancients said the spirit of this water was called Mi Fei…”

He continued fluently, confidently delivering even the most challenging text.

After he finished, Gu Zhaoyue fell into a brief silence.

She hadn’t expected a student ranked in the lower-middle tier to be so talented in reciting ancient texts.

To recite the ‘Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River’ so smoothly was rare even in the entire City No.1 High School.

“Alright then, since you can recite them all, let’s move on to reading comprehension of ancient texts.”

Zhou Chen still needed guidance here because some questions in the college entrance exam didn’t have standard answers—only reference ones.

Gu Zhaoyue was the star Chinese teacher at City No.1 High School.

Though young, her teaching skills were among the very best in the school.

The morning passed quickly.

Under Gu Zhaoyue’s instruction, Zhou Chen improved rapidly.

He felt moved—concepts that used to baffle him now suddenly became clear.

The biggest emotional shift was in Gu Zhaoyue.

In just three hours, Zhou Chen’s reading comprehension of ancient poetry had made a revolutionary leap.

Not only did he grasp ideas immediately, but he could also apply them flexibly.

Gu Zhaoyue even wondered if the thug’s slash wound had somehow opened his meridians, unleashing his potential.

With such learning ability, if he had focused on studies earlier, he might have become the province’s top scorer.

“Teacher, please stay for a meal,” Zhou Xiang invited.

Gu Zhaoyue didn’t refuse. “Alright, after eating we’ll continue in the afternoon.”

Zhou Xiang, Yang Shurong, and Zhou Yuting ate in the hospital cafeteria.

Since it was the weekend, Zhou Chen usually cooked while Zhou Xiaoyan prepared the rice.

The flavor wasn’t notable, but it was edible.

After another afternoon of one-on-one tutoring, Zhou Chen had thoroughly mastered the reading comprehension of ancient texts.

That evening, Zhou Xiang and the others returned home from work.

Liu Shurong expressed her gratitude to Gu Zhaoyue.

After some small talk, Gu Zhaoyue slung her bag over her shoulder and left the Zhou household.

After dinner, Zhou Chen went for a walk in the streets.

Like a righteous urban avenger, he sought out those who disturbed social order and committed crimes.

Not only did this give Zhou Chen a sense of accomplishment, but it also allowed him to enhance his soul energy through the Soul Devouring Worm.

It wasn’t until ten o’clock at night that Zhou Chen emerged from a bar.

An ambulance soon arrived, carrying several unconscious scoundrels on stretchers.

Among them were thieves and despicable men who drugged women.

Zhou Chen’s heightened senses allowed him to detect their vile acts and precisely punish them using the Soul Devouring Worm.