Chapter 69: Withdrawing from Tutelage
“Clan head Wang, you…”
Not just the crowd is shocked, even Zhang Xuan is slightly bewildered by the current situation.
Even if he had taught Wang Ying, there shouldn’t be any need for him to specially make the journey to visit him.
“You treated my daughter’s legs and imparted to her incredibly profound knowledge. It is only fitting for me to come in person to show you my gratitude!” Clan head Wang nods his head.
The issue with Wang Ying’s legs has always been a weight on his heart. Not only did this teacher treat her disability, he even brought about a rise in her strength. His capabilities are already comparable to a Master Teacher!
Before a Master Teacher, even his identity as the head of the Wang clan means nothing at all!
“She is my student, so it is natural that I have to guide her well. This is where my responsibility lies, so there’s no need for you to be thankful to me!” Zhang Xuan nods his head.
The responsibility of an educator is to impart knowledge, impart skills and clarify doubts!
In his previous life, although he might have just been a librarian in a high school, he was still a member of the teaching faculty. As such, he holds high respect and love towards this occupation.
Since Wang Ying is his student, there is no reason for him to feel smug for solving her problems to allow her to cultivate better.
Upon seeing the calmness he speaks with, the crowd goes insane once more. This is the head of the Wang clan! It is like a beggar meeting a billionaire! How can he still remain so calm, not anxious in the least at all?
“This is where my responsibility lies. Good, good!”
Taking this scene into sight, Elder Mo strokes his beard and he nods his head in approval.
As the winds of the world change, the ancient values gradually corrode. In the pursuit of fame and benefits, many teachers have already forgotten their primary objective. It is respectable for this Zhang Xuan laoshi to be able to remain true to his core.
“With this kind of mindset, along with Liu Yang’s high level of trust and clan head Wang Hong’s commendation and respect, could Elder Shang Chen be mistaken?”
At this point, doubts start to bloom in Elder Mo’s mind.
Before he came, he had heard many criticisms about Zhang Xuan laoshi from Shang Chen, causing him to think that he is truly a useless trash who is only capable of deceit, flattery and bringing harm upon others. However, by the looks of it now, this doesn’t seem to be the case at all!
However, he chooses to keep his misgivings to himself and continues to watch over the situation.
“Clan head Wang, please proceed in!”
As expected of an elder, Shang Chen’s awkward expression recovers swiftly as he invites the group from the Wang clan to their respective seats.
“Clan head Wang Hong!” Elder Mo clasps his hand.
“Oh, it is Elder Mo Xiang from the Teacher Guild. What kind of wind brought you here today?” Only noticing Elder Mo now, Wang Hong quickly stands up.
The Teacher Guild is the number one guild, rising above that of the Apothecary Guild, Formation Master Guild and many others. Even if the cultivation of the elders in the guild is not comparable to his own, they still aren’t people that a mere Wang clan can afford to offend.
“There is some minor matter that requires my attention!” Elder Mo casually replies. Then, with a puzzled look, he gazes over, “Even if Wang Ying xiaojie were to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher, there shouldn’t be any need for you to come over personally to pay a visit to him!”
Xiaojie -> Miss/ Young mistress
Who is this person before him? The clan head of one of the Four Great Clans, an incredible expert who lords over a formidable power!
Even if his daughter has acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her teacher, and Zhang Xuan had treated the disability that had been plaguing her for a long time, the situation still shouldn’t warrant a personal visit on his part.
“Looks like Elder Mo is still as wise as always! Indeed, I have something that I need to trouble Elder Shang Chen for!” Clan head Wang Hong nods his head with a smile.
“Oh? Trouble me? Clan head Wang is too polite. Feel free to speak whatever you need me! As long as it is within my abilities, I will try my best to accomplish it!” Hearing that the other party has something to ask of him, Elder Shang Chen’s self-confidence recovers. He looks at Zhang Xuan gleefully as he strokes his beard, putting on an attitude of superiority.
You just happened to treat Wang Ying’s disability by coincidence, thus impelling clan head Wang to spare you an additional glance. However, if we were to look at the situation carefully, regardless of identity or the ability to nurture others, you still pale too much in comparison to me!
Look, clan head Wang has something to ask of me…
“It’s like this. My son has been under your tutelage for these few days and he has been under Shang laoshi’s care. I apologize for not coming over personally earlier to express my gratitude to you!”With a hand gesture from clan head Wang, an elder walks forward and presents something. “This is a token of my appreciation for the concern you have shown my son these few days!”
“Clan head Wang, there’s no need to be so polite. Teaching and nurturing the young generation is the duty of a teacher, I dare not accept your present!”
Elder Shang Chen quickly rejects it.
Given that Elder Mo from the Teacher Guild is here, even if he wanted to accept the presents, he would need the guts to do so!
“Elder Shang’s upright character is worthy of admiration!” Upon the other party’s refusal, clan head Wang Hong waves his hand as he drops the matter. Then, he hesitates for a moment before continuing, “Actually, there is something I would like to discuss with Elder Shang today. Recently, my son has been facing some problems in his cultivation. He realized that elder’s lessons weren’t compatible with him. So… can you withdraw him from your tutelage?”
“Withdraw from my tutelage?”
Upon hearing these words, the calm on the surface but gleeful on the inside Elder Shang Chen staggers and almost falls down.
Withdraw from my tutelage?
Why would you want to withdraw from my tutelage all of a sudden?
A student withdrawing from a teacher’s tutelage is equivalent to slapping him in his face, as this means that the teacher’s ability to impart knowledge is sub-par. Initially, he thought that clan head Wang Hong was here to delegate some task to him, so he was feeling gleeful about it. In the end, the reason for his visit turns out to be this matter. The heck, if news of it were to spread out, he might even lose his position as head of the Education Bureau!
He could very well die from the shame!
“Indeed! I hope that elder can fulfill this request of mine!” Clan head Wang Hong says.
“This…” Elder Shang Chen feels a fiery sensation on his face, as though someone slapped it. He feels like throwing a temper, but at the same time, he dares not to. After hesitating for a long period of time, he squeezes out a smile and says, “Clan head Wang, don’t worry about it. Since your son has already made his decision, then I will grant his request!”
After which, he takes the identity jade token from the other party and drips a droplet of his fresh blood on it.
Weng!
His lessons plan on it has been erased.
“My gratitude, Elder Shang!” Clan head Wang Hong nods his head in satisfaction as he passes the jade token to Wang Tao.
“There’s no need for such words. The relationship between a teacher and a student should be mutual. If he is unable to adapt to my teachings, it is perfectly normal for him to want to withdraw from my tutelage. Just that, may I know which teacher Wang Tao wants to acknowledge after withdrawing from my tutelage?”
As his heart bleeds, Elder Shang Chen squeezes out a smile.
Wang Tao is an extremely famous student under his wing. He is an incredible existence that is able to score within the top ten in the level examinations every year!
For such a person to withdraw from his tutelage… Just by thinking about it, he feels like pulling his hair out.
At the same time, he is also perplexed. Since clan head Wang Hong is adamant to have his son withdraw from his tutelage, who will he have him acknowledge?
He is an elder, as well as the head of the Education Bureau. He might not be the best teacher in the entire academy, but he is considered as a star teacher. There are many people who would squeeze their way to come under his wing!
He truly can’t think of anyone who could make the head of the Wang clan specially make the journey here to help his son withdraw from his tutelage and switch to that of theirs.
“Oh, I already have a candidate in mind!”
Clan head Wang Hong stands up and walks over to Zhang Xuan. Courteously, he asks, “Zhang laoshi, is it possible for you to accept my son, Wang Tao, under your tutelage? Can you accept him as your student?”
“What?”
“This…”
“This shouldn’t be happening? To withdraw from Elder Shang Chen’s lessons, just to become Zhang Xuan’s student?”
Seeing his actions and hearing those words, the entire Enlightenment Will Tower goes deathly silent. Everyone has gone insane.
Especially Elder Shang Chen, he almost pukes a mouthful of blood and dies on the spot.
Clan head Wang Hong, you must be joking!
Withdrawing from my lessons just to come under the tutelage of a fellow who has scored a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination?
Shang Bin and Cao Xiong are dumbfounded.
The trash teacher whom they had viewed contemptuously before actually made the head of a clan personally step forth to persuade an elder to withdraw his son from his tutelage so that his son could come under his wing. The great heavens and the vast earth, can you be any more unreasonable…
However, before the crowd could recover from their insanity, they hear the faint voice of a young man echoing in the room.
“My apologies, but I refuse!”
Gudong!
Everyone falls to the floor.
世风日下，人心不古 -> As the winds of the world change, the ancient values gradually corrode.
Literally translating, it means that as times change, the heart of man no longer retains what it used to stand for.
This phrase is a lamentation directed towards the circle of the academics changing for the worse. The kindness and innocence have been replaced with schemes and hypocrisy. The hearts of the current generation is no longer as pure as those of the previous.
分宾主坐 -> As expected of an elder, Shang Chen’s awkward expression recovers swiftly as he invites the crowd from the Wang clan to their respective seats.
For those who are feeling curious why the word ‘respective’ is used for the seats, in Chinese customs, there are actually seats of ‘higher standing’ and ‘lower standing’
It is just like how the chairman of a meeting always sits at the end to direct the flow of the meeting.
The head of the family will always sit in the center of the lounge, and those who are higher in ‘hierarchy’ will sit closer to him, so on and so forth.
If someone of higher position were to visit a family, sometimes, the head of the family will give up their seat to them (Alright, I’ve seen this a few times in historical drama, but I cannot confirm this)
So, that’s the reason behind the ‘respective seats’. As the head of the Wang clan, Wang Hong is probably sitting in the ‘most esteemed’ seat.
I used cupped hands together for one chapter, but the right terminology should be clasped hands.
Cup = Stretching both hands out open (like waiting for someone to put something on your hands, feel free to google image)
Actually, clasp isn’t very appropriate as well (based on what I see in google image).
What it should be like is,
1) Open your left hand (paper)
2) Clench your right hand (stone)
3) Then wrap your left hand (paper) over your right hand (stone), covering the four fingers (exception of the thumb) of your right hand by your left hand.
This is a gesture normally used for greetings. Nowadays, Chinese sometimes use it when they go house visiting during Chinese New Year, putting their hands in such a position and going ‘Happy New Year’.
In ancient China, (as in the context of the story), this action usually accompanies a greeting (especially towards someone of higher/equal standing), or when taking one’s leave.