Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

An unusual atmosphere permeated the classroom of Class 1, Grade 5, at the beginning of the new semester.

Zhao Xiaohu sat in his seat, his mind still replaying the conversation he'd overheard yesterday. Cang Tianci's senior brother also hated him… The world is truly full of coincidences. He glanced in Cang Tianci's direction, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

During break, Zhao Xiaohu strolled around the classroom carrying a plastic bag full of various trendy snacks—those brightly packaged imported goods were something most students rarely saw.

"Come on, brothers, have a taste! Follow me, and you won't be shortchanged!" He generously distributed the food, and the students gathered around with smiles, calling him "Brother Tiger" and "Class Monitor Tiger" affectionately.

Only around Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing's seats did a silent "vacuum zone" form. When Zhao Xiaohu's gaze swept over them, it carried undisguised contempt and a sense of superiority as a controller. Cang Tianci ignored this, instead transforming this deliberately created "isolation" into a rare tranquility. He was immersed in his books; the study methods Lin Wanqing had taught him, combined with the increasingly clear mind brought about by the Hidden Dragon Technique, allowed him to understand and memorize at a speed far exceeding his previous abilities. He cherished this moment of peace, single-mindedly focused.

Seeing that the physical corrosion was ineffective, Zhao Xiaohu's eyes darkened. Especially when he saw Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing sitting side by side, occasionally talking in hushed tones, that thorn was driven even deeper. What he wanted was far more than isolation; he wanted utter humiliation, to crush Cang Tianci's recently straightened spine back into the mud once more.

He quickly seized the opportunity. That morning, the sports school's extra training was extremely intense, and Cang Tianci arrived at the classroom about five minutes late for the scheduled morning reading time. The students on duty had just finished cleaning. Zhao Xiaohu, like a hunting dog that had been waiting, stood with his arms crossed, brazenly blocking the classroom door, and said loudly and righteously, "Cang Tianci, you are five minutes late, which is a serious violation of the seventh rule of the class. Please consciously abide by the discipline, stand at the door as punishment, and wait for Teacher Zhang to deal with you."

Cang Tianci frowned slightly and calmly explained, "The...training...intensified, which...caused...delays. Teacher Zhang...knows..."

Zhao Xiaohu sneered, his voice not loud but extremely penetrating: "Training? That's your personal matter. Class rules apply to everyone! Being late is being late, and no reason is an excuse for breaking discipline. Please stand in the corner immediately and don't disturb the other students' morning reading."

A surge of anger welled up in Cang Tianci's chest, and his fists clenched instantly at his sides. But he immediately felt the dormant dragon energy within his dantian circulating on its own, and a gentle, calming force quickly soothed the sudden surge of emotion. He took a deep breath, suppressing all desire to argue, straightened his back, and stood silently against the wall. The morning light filtered through the doorway, casting his shadow long and solitary.

The commotion at the classroom door attracted several glances—some worried, some sympathetic, some indifferent, and some gloating. Lin Wanqing, sitting in her seat pretending to read, could only watch angrily as Cang Tianci was bullied, her fingers unconsciously gripping her pen tightly until her knuckles turned white.

During the last self-study period in the morning, Cang Tianci was stumped by the auxiliary lines in a geometry problem. He turned his head, lowered his voice, and quickly asked Lin Wanqing for help: "Wanqing, this problem... here, should we draw this line?" Lin Wanqing had just looked down at the problem—

"A gift from heaven! Lin Wanqing!"

Like a venomous snake striking a deadly blow, Zhao Xiaohu slammed his hand on the table and jumped up, his face a mixture of barely suppressed excitement and malice: "Openly whispering during self-study is a serious violation of classroom discipline! Stand up immediately and go stand at the back of the classroom as punishment! You also need to write a thousand-word self-criticism and hand it in after school!"

"I...I asked...a question that has...nothing to do with Lin Wanqing," Cang Tianci said loudly, his face flushed.

"You think it's unrelated? I clearly saw you talking in hushed tones for a while. Everyone was studying quietly, and you were the ones ruining the atmosphere!" Zhao Xiaohu's voice was even louder.

Their argument caught the attention of class monitor Lin Ruoxi. She walked over with a frown: "Zhao Xiaohu, you need to be quiet during self-study. What kind of noise are you two making?"

"Lin Ruoxi, Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing have blatantly violated classroom discipline. As the class monitor on duty today, how can I turn a blind eye? Are you going to cover for them?"

"You..." Lin Ruoxi blushed with anger at Zhao Xiaohu's words and could only say, "Fine, I can't handle this either. I'll go call Teacher Zhang." After saying that, she stormed out of the classroom to find Zhang Zhengping.

A short while later, Lin Ruoxi and Zhang Zhengping walked into the classroom one after the other.

Zhang Zhengping asked in a deep voice, "Zhao Xiaohu, tell me what happened first?"

Zhao Xiaohu pointed at Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing, his tone indignant: "Teacher Zhang, Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing kept talking during self-study. As the class monitor on duty, I tried to stop them, but they not only ignored me but also argued back. This seriously affected the classroom order and my management work."

Zhang Zhengping glanced at Cang Tianci and Lin Wanqing, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew about the conflict between Zhao Xiaohu and Cang Tianci, and couldn't help but feel some doubt. So he looked at Cang Tianci and asked, "Tianci, what do you have to say?"

"Teacher Zhang... I... I only... asked one question, and Lin Wanqing didn't... didn't say anything," Cang Tianci answered honestly.

"One sentence? I clearly saw you guys whispering for ages!" Zhao Xiaohu immediately retorted loudly, then his gaze swept over the boys who usually hung out with him and had benefited from him quite a bit. "Wang Tao! Li Gang! Zhang Chao! You guys were sitting close by, didn't you all hear it? Did they say more than one sentence? Did they disturb everyone's studies?"

Wang Tao, Li Gang, and the others who were named, under Zhao Xiaohu's threatening gaze, avoided eye contact, their lips trembled, and in the end they lowered their heads and nodded vaguely, making almost inaudible "uh-huh..." and "yes..." sounds.

Lin Wanqing's eyes reddened with anxiety, and she said in a trembling voice, "Teacher Zhang, it's not like that. Tianci wanted to ask me a question, but he was caught by Zhao Xiaohu as soon as he opened his mouth. I didn't even say anything, and he told us to go out and stand as punishment, and he also made us write a thousand-word self-criticism."

As Zhang Zhengping listened to Lin Wanqing's account, his gaze swept over Cang Tianci's frankness, Lin Wanqing's grievances, and Zhao Xiaohu's aggressive demeanor, finally settling on the few students who remained silent with their heads bowed. He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the podium.

This scene is all too familiar—again, manipulating rules and controlling public opinion. Wasn't Lin Wanqing's lesson enough?

A wave of helpless frustration washed over him. He knew there was likely more to the story, but the words "class monitor on duty," "multiple testimonies," and "classroom discipline" stood like a wall blocking his way. If he delved deeper, the class would be ruined, and it might even encourage finger-pointing. He remembered the look in Lin Wanqing's eyes as she was dragged away last year—the last glimmer of light in those eyes, one he had extinguished himself. He couldn't let that happen again.

But what can he do at this moment?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Quiet down! Talking during self-study is a violation of discipline, no matter how few words you say! As the class monitor on duty, it's Zhao Xiaohu's responsibility to maintain order."

He paused, his tone carrying a barely perceptible weariness and a resigned sigh: "However, punishment must be based on facts. Writing a thousand words is too much; change it to five hundred. Also, Lin Wanqing's situation is special, so she shouldn't be made to stand as punishment." He then looked at Zhao Xiaohu, emphasizing his words, "Zhao Xiaohu, as the duty monitor, your dedication to your duties and strict discipline are commendable. However, management requires methods! Next time a similar situation arises, first remind her, then warn her, and only then impose punishment! Understand?"

This seemingly impartial punishment, while seemingly fair to both sides, actually favored the "order" and "majority" represented by Zhao Xiaohu. Cang Tianci silently accepted the punishment and stood outside the classroom. The early spring wind carried a chill through the corridor, but it couldn't dispel the coldness in his heart. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and with the Hidden Dragon Technique activated, his senses were exceptionally clear. He could "feel" the gazes cast upon him from inside the classroom—some sharp with schadenfreude, some icy with indifference, and a few warm with concern, like Lin Wanqing… So this was how distinct the "qi" of people's hearts could be. Zhao Xiaohu's smug look, the guilty evasiveness of the "witnesses," Teacher Zhang's slightly heavy back as he turned to leave… How similar this was to Wang Zhenkun's distorted face in Xiqiao Village and Liu Tietou's arrogance at the temple fair, relying on his numbers! Only the weapons had changed from direct power and violence to more insidious rules and gossip. Those with power and money can truly manipulate events and call a deer a horse! This chilling realization, like a steel chisel forged in fire, was deeply etched into his heart.

Cang Tianci was unusually silent during class that day. The words in the textbook floated before his eyes, yet failed to penetrate his mind. Zhao Xiaohu's smug profile and Teacher Zhang's departing figure flashed alternately in his mind like two frozen images. The warm energy in his dantian circulated endlessly on its own, like a silent furnace, forging and compressing the churning, sharp anger and resentment again and again. Under the desk, where no one could see, his fists would sometimes clench tightly, veins bulging, and sometimes slowly relax under the guidance of his breath.

Evening, at the sports school training hall.

"drink!"

Cang Tianci's fist, accompanied by a whooshing sound, slammed heavily onto the heavy sandbag. The sandbag emitted a dull thud and shook violently. Sweat had already soaked through his training clothes. His eyes were sharp, his movements swift, and every move carried a ruthless, cathartic release.

Zhou Zhenhua stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on him. This kid was acting very strangely today.

"Stop!" Zhou Zhenhua shouted.

Cang Tianci stopped abruptly. He looked at the coach, his eyes now calm again.

"Is something on your mind?" Zhou Zhenhua asked as he approached.

Cang Tianci paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Coach Zhou... today... I understand... the principles of fists."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"A fist... can hurt... can protect you... but... it can't penetrate... the filth in someone's heart. Nor can it break... the web woven by others... with money and words." He thought of Teacher Zhang's final helpless choice, and of the classmates who echoed him.

A glint flashed in Zhou Zhenhua's eyes, and he slapped his shoulder sharply, saying, "Good lad, you've hit the nail on the head. Mighty fists are the foundation of survival, that's true, but if you only have fists and don't understand human nature and the ways of the world, don't know how to use the rules or even break them, you're just a reckless fool, and you'll get played sooner or later." He paused, his tone unusually cold, "Look at Zhao Xiaohu's father, could he become the richest man in Ji County just by relying on his fists? This world is a mixture of fists, brains, connections, and an understanding of the 'rules.' The loss you suffered today is because the 'rules' were broken by dirty hands. Getting angry won't help; you need to think about how to chop off his dirty hands in a 'rule-compliant' way next time he tries the same trick. That's what it means to develop your brain and hone your skills."

Cang Tianci nodded heavily. Coach Zhou's words were like another heavy hammer blow, striking the furnace in his heart and sparking new flames.

After dinner, he returned to his dorm to do his homework. Opening his pencil case, he found a neatly folded note. Unfolding it, he saw Lin Wanqing's elegant handwriting, which outlined three different methods for adding auxiliary lines to a geometry problem, demonstrating a clear and logical approach. At the bottom, there was a line of smaller print: "There are a hundred solutions to a problem; the path is not so solitary. Let's encourage each other."

Holding this note, Cang Tianci's cold, hard heart seemed to be infused with a resilient, warm current.

Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the county town, Zhao Xiaohu was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The events of the day replayed in his mind again and again—it wasn't enough. He was far from satisfied.