Night of the Broken Gliph

Chapter 187

“Now, let me introduce myself,” the woman spoke. She looked young, only around thirty or forty. She tidied herself once more to make sure she was presentable before starting. “I’m Woo Nim, and you can address me as teacher or Miss Woo. I’m the second teacher’s assistant.” 

Upon hearing the title of the second teacher or Woo Nim’s title as assistant, all the students looked at her respectfully. But it was unknown whether the respect was meant for Woo Nim or the mysterious second teacher she was assisting. 

“What’s an assistant?” Chui Yim raised his hands and asked loudly.  

This made Kam Chin Kee laugh. He didn’t know what an assistant was either, but he wouldn’t voice out his questions like Chui Yim.  

“All seven disciples of the Cloud Palace are allowed to take in assistants. Every teacher of the Cloud Palace are legends, after all. They won’t have time for minor matters, which are what us assistants help them with,” Woo Nim answered patiently and thoroughly.  

“Oh, so you’re basically their servant?”  

Chui Yim’s words made all the students frown. Can he watch his mouth, calling a Cloud Palace’s assistant a servant… She is somebody we cannot offend! 

As the class was prepared to see Chui Yim get scolded, Woo Nim nodded her head, unfazed. “Yeah. Just that the name is different.” 

“Oh, alright, I understand.” Chui Yim nodded, looking like he understood Woo Nim clearly as he sat down.  

“I’ll be your teacher for astrology, geography, language, history and math. Another master will teach Gliphism, and you’ll meet him another time. On the fifteenth of each month, a special lesson will be conducted by one of the five teachers who will also decide the lesson’s content. 

All students were excited about the special lessons. Besides branding themselves, this special class was the best benefit of entering the Cloud Palace’s outer sect. Every one of the Cloud Palace’s seven disciples were outstanding cultivators, and attending a class conducted by them was undoubtedly beneficial. Even if the knowledge wasn’t useful, just meeting such mysterious and powerful cultivators was something they could brag about for life.  

“Since it’s the first day today, we’ll start lessons tomorrow. If there aren’t any more questions, we’ll start by choosing the class captain.” Woo Nim stood straight as if she measured her posture with a ruler.  

Her words affected all the students. The word “class captain” made them wear a serious expression on their face. It might seem like any title, but this was an important position. 

The Cloud Palace’s outer sect class captain was an important position that could get one to many places. The best example would be Chui Yi, the current grand chancellor who didn’t have any cultivation talent but topped the class in every subject except Gliphism, who became a valedictorian of his cohort. 

The Chor Clan’s Chor Huet Zhin was once the class captain of the Cloud Palace’s outer sect too, as well as the current Emperor Lam, Lam Chun. 

Every class captain of the Cloud Palace outer sect became successful in the future, which was why the students wanted to fight for the position! 

Of course, some calmer students felt the decision wasn’t theirs to make; it belonged to the teacher. Many felt that this cohort was the strongest in fifty years as there were students like the current crown prince Lam Zaa, Lee Bat Fan of the Lee Clan, and the group of powerful cultivators from the North… 

“I’ll now ask a question, and the student who is right will become the class captain,” Woo Nim spoke slowly. But before she could start, an annoying voice rang out once more. “Miss Woo, can I ask what the benefits of becoming the class captain are?”  

All the students present held in their urge to kill the bald country bumpkin. To put it simply, as the Cloud Palace’s outer sect class captain, the title itself would secure one a successful career as it symbolised that you possessed the ability to become a leader amongst the powerful talents of your generation! How great was this title? Even Lam Zaa viewed this position with importance.  josei

Woo Nim was taken aback by Chui Yim’s question as shock took over her serious expression. “Benefits….? There are no benefits, but you will receive duties such as collecting homework and looking after your class…”  

Hearing this, Chui Yim had a bored expression on his face. “Oh, thanks, Miss Woo, I understand.” 

Lee Bat Fan gritted his teeth. He was dying to throw a gliph at Chui Yim’s face. Chui Yim’s disdainful expression made the other students feel the same way as Lee Bat Fan, except for Kam Chin Kee whose smile grew wider. 

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After being interrupted by Chui Yim’s question, it took Woo Nim a minute to gather herself and restore her serious expression. “Alright, I’m going to ask my question now. There’s a river known as the Mother River in the South; it has a length of…” 

Before Woo Nim could finish, a growing boy with acne all over his face stood up. However, nobody dared to mock him as he came from Snow Stellar, one of South’s Five. Snow Stellar was located in the east, and you would reach the Forbbiden Forest if you were to go further east from the city. 

Snow Stellar’s unique geographic location resulted in marvellous astrological sights at night. It attracted many astrology scholars and enthusiasts to stay in the city. As time passed, the city came to be known as the Intelligent Stars City as many astrologists, gliphists and gliphs were created in the famous city. 

This teenager was Yik Suen, the most outstanding cultivator of his generation in the Yik Clan, a clan from Snow Stellar city. 

“Mother River has a length of seven thousand and thirty-six kilometres, passing through both the North and South.” Yik Suen’s eyes shone brightly. He was confident he would get these questions right, and some knowledgeable teens sitting next to him had a depressed look on their faces as he answered before them.  

But Woo Nim was left stunned again. “I didn’t ask for its length.”  

“Huh?”  

“There’s a river known as the Mother River in the South. It has a length of seven thousand and thirty-six kilometres. Which book, chapter, page, and paragraph is this number derived from?” Woo Nim recollected herself faster this time around. 

The class turned so silent one could hear a pin drop.