Chapter 11: A Step Too Late?

Zhang Kai revealed a glimpse of his skills, and the driver quickly adjusted his course, desperate to reach the destination as soon as possible and get away from this ruthless man. In less than half an hour, the van stopped by the roadside. The driver said, "From here to Daliushu Village, the road is terrible—hard to get in, hard to get out, even slower than walking. I can charge you less; you'd better get out and go the rest of the way on foot."

With that, the driver looked at Zhang Kai expectantly.

Zhang Kai smiled. "Thank you for your trouble, sir. Here’s a hundred yuan—keep the change." As he spoke, he slapped the money into the driver's hand.

The driver dared not refuse. He caught the cash, forced a laugh, and thanked them.

After disembarking, the van sped off, leaving the three of them standing by the roadside in silence.

"All right, stop staring," Zhang Kai said. "Things like this aren’t common, but when you go out in the future, you need to be more careful. After all, young women traveling alone can easily attract the wrong kind of attention."

The two girls came back to their senses. Yun Xiyao gazed at Zhang Kai with admiration. "Thank you, Brother Kai. If it hadn’t been for you, we might’ve found ourselves in serious trouble."

"No need to thank me. I told you already—volunteering as teachers in impoverished areas is a great act of virtue; there will be good karma," Zhang Kai replied with a gentle smile.

"Brother Kai, why did you let him go? That man is a villain—he might hurt someone again in the future," Liu Xiaoyue couldn’t help but protest.

Zhang Kai shook his head. "It’s useless. People like him never act alone—they’re part of a group, maybe with complicated connections. Even if you call the police, if he hasn’t done anything, there’s no way to convict him. Unless you kill him—can you do that?"

At the mention of killing, the two girls shook their heads without hesitation. It was obvious they’d never even killed a chicken, let alone a person.

"Haha, come on, let’s get going. Once we’re at the school, you’ll be safe. Teachers like you will certainly be protected by the villagers," Zhang Kai assured them with a smile, though inwardly he was sneering.

Men like that—just a few words and you could tell he was an old hand, steeped in all kinds of wrongdoing.

Zhang Kai felt he hadn’t accumulated enough virtue yet—how could he let such a person off?

When he handed over the money, Zhang Kai had already made his move—a thread of inner energy transferred. For now, nothing would happen, but whether the man would live to see another sunrise was anyone’s guess.

Yet, seeing the girls’ reactions, Zhang Kai began to doubt himself. Since practicing martial arts, he seemed to treat killing as nothing at all. He wondered if, deep down, he’d always been this cold.

Following the dirt road, they walked for less than twenty minutes before spotting a village up ahead. It was surprisingly large, with mostly old, ethnic-style houses and hardly any signs of modern architecture.

Entering the village and asking around, they soon found the local school.

The school, in contrast, was a rare modern building in the village, with a classroom block and even a playground. Though somewhat worn, the facilities were well-maintained. Above the gate, the sign read "Le Elementary School."

At this moment, the school grounds were empty, save for an elderly local man watching over the gate.

After explaining their purpose, the two girls revealed they were university students volunteering to teach. Tears welled up in the old man’s eyes as he grasped their hands, his face full of gratitude. His Mandarin was mixed with dialect, mostly unintelligible, yet his excitement and appreciation were unmistakable.

Not long after, another elderly man arrived, having been notified. His Mandarin was much better. Conversation revealed he was the principal. He expressed heartfelt thanks and welcome for the girls’ volunteer work and explained the school’s situation.

Though this place had produced a teacher whose dedication had touched the whole nation, hardship was the norm—there were almost no teachers left. Aside from the retired teacher, only a few elderly staff remained, lacking both youth and energy. There was not a single young teacher, yet the student body was large—not only from the village but from several surrounding settlements as well.

For years, these elders knew education was the only way out of poverty—they would never let their children’s path be cut short.

However, young teachers could rarely endure the hardship and loneliness; one after another, they resigned, or simply left without notice.

Although recent events had drawn government attention, the need for teachers was not unique to this village—countless regions suffered the same shortage. Even if new teachers were assigned, it would take time, and meanwhile, the children’s education would be delayed.

For the children of these villages, the arrival of the two young women was nothing short of the coming of angels.

"Principal Bahu," Zhang Kai spoke up, "I came to visit after hearing about the old teacher’s story. Would you take me to see him? I’m willing to donate a million yuan to your school, to build better facilities. I can also set up a scholarship fund, provide breakfast and lunch for the children, and contribute money to improve the roads, so your village can connect more easily with the outside world."

At these words, the principal, the two girls, and the gatekeeper, Old Jingmu, were all stunned, unable to believe their ears.

Especially the two girls—their minds seemed to stall completely.

This man, who claimed to have been raised in a monastery and lived an ascetic life, was not only handsome and extraordinary, skilled in martial arts, but now also revealed himself to be wealthy beyond imagination. How could someone so perfect exist in this world?

"Is— is it true? How— how can we accept such a thing…" The principal was so moved he was lost for words.

Zhang Kai smiled. "To be honest, Principal, I am a man of the Dao—a disciple of the Way. Though we rarely walk among the common folk, when we come across suffering, we are willing to help."

"Thank you, thank you so much! Most people here are believers in the Dao. Years ago, there was a Baiyun Temple on Niutou Mountain—the old Daoist priest there could heal and perform wondrous arts. As a child, I received his kindness, and was taken by my elders to pay respects. Sadly, the old priest passed away, and the temple fell into decline. Who would have thought, after all these decades, the Dao would still bless us? Thank you, thank you so much!" Tears ran down the principal’s weathered face.

After much soothing, the principal finally calmed down and sighed. "Alas, you’ve come too late—Teacher Zhang passed away just last night. He’s now at the city hospital, where his affairs are being handled by our village committee. In a day or two, his ashes will be brought back, as he wished, to be enshrined in our ancestral hall, to be honored forever by Daliushu Village and the neighboring settlements."

Zhang Kai paused.

Dead?

He really had come too late.

A hollow feeling settled in his heart.

Though deification after death is the true path to the Divine Rankings, Zhang Kai, after beginning his cultivation, had visited graveyards and odd, rumor-shrouded places, yet had never seen a ghost. He wondered whether it was his mundane vision that failed him, or whether ghosts truly no longer had a place in this world.

Now that the old teacher had passed, there was little hope left.

After a moment of disappointment, Zhang Kai pulled himself together.

No matter what, supporting education was a deed of immense virtue, and could only do him good. Since he had come all this way, he would see it through before leaving, so his journey would not be in vain.