"Savior or not, isn't she the the one who's guilty for causing Mermaid Yu Ping's crime in the firt place? Our great seniors died sacrificing their lives for something that shouldn't have even happened!!
It's understandable why Mermaid Yu Ping did what she did after being betrayed by her husband and her best friend. It's all thanks to teacher Xiao that she ruined a family."
Yufeng and Zhenyi who were also listening suddey felt angry and Wang Yi wasn't an exception. They had to hold themselves back because they were only girls and their seniors, despite wanting to argue badly.
"But it payed off, didn't it? Teacher's long awaited child and husband passed away almost at the same time. Poor teacher Xiao...She's all alone and very pitiful right now, nothing to be proud of anymore whatever the kind of past she had."
"Stop. Stop talking about her like that...it's making me feel terrible."
Wang Yi thought on the inside, knuckles gripping tight.
He wasn't sure on behalf of who he is about to stand whether it's his biological mother, his father or...his Teacher Xiao.
He is about to stand up from where he sat and confront them directly at this point.
"Yeah, if she hadn't seduced dr. Wang this tragedy for both families wouldn't have happened-"
Before she could continue, a strong force of the leg falls on the chair where the female disciple sat, trapping her in.
Zhenyi, Yufeng and everyone else got startled as they look up in surprise at the sudden scene that took place.
"Blaming it all only to teacher Xiao, are we? Hah,"
Came a sarcastic laugh, with knife swinging on their bandaged hand.
"You tell me...Was it her fault that boys choose to fall for her? Was it her fault for just living her life the way she think is right? Is it her fault? What about those men? Why aren't they taking the blame?"
Wang Yi stops his planned movements of wanting to stand up, letting a sigh of relief, thinking that someone had done it in his place.
"That's...that's because-"
The female disciple stutters, eyes falling on the knife that is threatening to meet with her face in any time.
"Alright, you want to have teacher Xiao's life so badly that you can't stop yourself from blabbering nonsense, so why don't we start with giving you really nice scars? They look good on teacher, so certainly they will look good on you too! Who knows maybe a lot of boys will start running after you? So why don't we try, hmm?"
The knife only gets closer to her face, one more move and it will cut her skin.
"O-okay, okay i was wrong, i was wrong. I am wrong, al-alright? It's my fault. You, let go of the knife first..."
"Classmate, you're crazy!!!! Let go of senior sister now!!!"
The hand that held the knife tightly slowly loosens up,
"And you, all of you! how can you be sure that all the blame goes to teacher Xiao? Isn't she your respected teacher!? Did she ask those boys to fall for her? Did she ask them to fight in a duel for her? Even if she did seduce dr. Wang, he had every reason to push her off since he was the one with the more power and strength.
Didn't you ever think about that it may have been the other way around? Why are you all so caught up with only teacher Xiao, but not her suitors? What did she do wrong!??"
"I- well...how would you know anyway?"
One the girls argues back.
"And you? Do you know everything? Were you there to see this all happen? All you know is spreading false rumors and ruining reputation. That's all you're capable of and nothing more. The one who should be pitied is you, not her."
"Hey! Take that back! How can you scold senior sister like th-"
Then the one defending the other gets pointed at.
"And you, don't you find yourself embarassing sitting here and all you can do is backbite others? You should find better things to do if you want to grow up outstanding. Unlike this, you're just a busybody that everyone will look down on-"
In the back of the eyes could be seen how Wang Yi and his comrades were silently leaving the tea house.
"Anyway, I'm wasting my time so I'm off. You girls are still young so you have the chance to repent~"
Is the last thing that is said before leaving.
Everyone who were aftaid immediately heaved out a sigh of relief once that person left.
"That classmate Ke La...she's out of her mind!!! Just what is wrong with her head? It's best to avoid her in the future because she's utterly crazy..."
"I agree..."
Then the disciple who looked out of the window turns to look at her classmates and say,
"Did you just see how junior Wang Yi leave this place...?"
"I saw it too...it was definitely him."
"Huh?? Wait. So does it mean that... He was here the whole time?"
"No way!! Do you think he heard us talk about him..?"
"Nooo!!! That's too bad!!"
" Now he will never find me attractive..."
"Wang Yi!"
Ke La calls out, running.
Ke La was a regular human who practiced magic, she was a young adult with a slim body. And if weren't looked closely she would've been mistaken for a boy , because she has short messy hair with long bangs, shorter than most males yet it suit her very well. Her dark eyeliner complimented her handsome attire.
Wang Yi stops at his track after hearing his name being called, the others following suit.
Once she caught up, the teenager meets her gaze.
"You're Wang Yi, right?"
"That's right."
"I'm Ke La, human mage. Teacher Xiao's disciple, just like you."
She brings out a hand so they could shake.
"Well, i didn't ask."
Came a flat answer, who didn't even bother to return the handshake.
"Hahhah,"
The non stop laughter of Zhenyi filled the empty street while Yufeng starts to feel awkward at this situation.
"Tsk, hey, little brother, don't be like that. Be nice to your senior sister."
Ke La seriously scolds, but even then doesn't take away her hand.
"I've wanted to talk to you for a long time! It's nice to see you in person this close."
Wang Yi looks at her hand that anticipated of touching his, so withour hesitation he refuses.
" i don't touch girls and it's inappropriate for a boy and a girl to have physical contact before marriage."
" Moreover i don't want to be punished."
He finishes with a strict explanation to which Ke La couldn't help but not take it serious, so she burst out in laughter,
"Bwahahaha!!"
"Oh My Gosh! For real? Kids those days follow that? Come on, it's not that bad just a lil contact should be fine! No one's here except for us anyway."
Ke La insists, about to give the teenager a shoulder hug but he was quick to dodge.
"Easy for you to say, because you guys get away easily with punishments."
He says in a grumpy manner, reminiscing about the times where he got flogged, beaten, undressed in public by XiaoXiao because of some of the rules he broke unknowingly.
The reason was he was supposed to be an example for other disciples as a warning to not do the same, he didn't get away without punishmens and wasn't forgiven easily.
"And how about you guys? Are you guys the same?"
She turns to point at Yufeng and Zhenyi.
Zhenyi agrees, mind taking back to the memory he playfully tried to flirt with female disciples only to get severely punished and lose face in front of everyone. Sometimes this memory still haunts him.
"Well, actually i've tried before...the outcome is hideous, so now we don't dare to break the rules...it wasn't worth it. Teacher Xiao is absolutely merciless when it comes to breaking rules...kinda ironic given how she also used to be rebellious because of love for uncle Xie when she was our age."
"Also about what happened..."
"Not gonna lie... You were pretty cool back there, Ke La. I appreciate you for giving face to our lovely teacher Xiao and putting them on their place."
Wang Yi and Yufeng gives a nod, also agreeing and giving their thanks to her.
"Only for a second i thought you were a boy back there, sorry..."
Yufeng admits, embarassed.
"Right after hearing your voice did i realize."
"Pshh. That's completely natural, i get that a lot. You won't believe it but i have more female suitors than males, hahah!"
"Right, by the way is there something you need our help with? You see, we have to get going now."
As usual, Wang Yi was quick to chase her away.
Zhenyi after seeing Ke La's dumbfounded look hurriedly explains,
"Uh, brother is just that type of person. He doesn't like talking a lot, especially with opposite genders. So don't mind him."
"I just have to go now, the sooner the better."
The teen reports as he speeds up his steps.
Ke La turns to throw a knowing look at Yufeng and Zhenyi, who understood immediately.
"Brother, i don't think that's a good idea..."
Yufeng comments,
"Let's leave them be. Maybe Wang Yi will finally soften up and who knows, maybe find love? Because where else we can find this opportunity where he is alone with a woman? He's such a hard ice that is difficult to melt."
Zhenyi claims, as he is leaving he shouts,
"Brother Wang, then we're leaving first!"
To which Wang Yi only raises his hand as a goodbye and goes off.
Ke La continued talking as she followed him, Wang Yi mostly being quiet because he didn't find it necessary to speak.
Only when he found it unbearable, he snap.
"Why are you still here? Don't you have your own home?"
"I just met a new younger brother, Can't i get to know him?"
"Don't call me that! I don't like it."
"But you are a younger brother. Since you're the youngest i bet everyone is calling you by that name!"
"Ugh, you're really bold. This is the first time any female disciple dares to speak to me this much."
Wang Yi gives an annoyed glare.
"Why? Are they afraid of you or something? As far as I've heard, a lot of sisters actually admire you very much."
Wang Yi ignores, inside hoping that she would leave already. Ever since he was young he was known as a boy with minimum speech, the most quiet and serious looking one that not many kids dare to approach.
Maybe it's because of the circumstances where he grew up and how things changed for him, nevertheless he liked himself this way.
"Let me ask you, do you believe the things that they said about teacher Xiao?"
No answer.
"Then if it's true as they say, so you as her slave, doesn't that mean she has bewitched you as well?"
Wang Yi stops walking, turning to face the woman.
"What?"
"It's just...why would she let you off the hook? You must be the one she hate the most because of your mom, yet she chose to take you in. Have you never thought that she might've had alternative moves?"