Chapter 95: WHY IS THE TOP DISCIPLE SLEEPING IN CLASS?

After finishing his bath, Fu Hanzheng stepped out of the bathing area and dried himself before putting on his bath robe.

The warmth from the water had eased some of the tension in his body, but he still had several things to finish before he could rest for the night. Rather than returning directly to his bedroom, he walked toward the alchemy room where Anyu had left the remedies from his assignment, each one arranged neatly on the table for inspection.

Fu Hanzheng sat down and picked up the first remedy, examining it carefully before moving on to the next. He checked the color, consistency, scent, and the condition of the medicinal ingredients after they had been processed, paying particular attention to whether Anyu had maintained the correct heat and timing during preparation.

The assignment had not been difficult for someone with sufficient experience, but it was designed to test whether Anyu could apply what he had been taught without relying on someone else to correct every step.

Most of the remedies were satisfactory, and Fu Hanzheng placed them together on the left side of the table as he continued his inspection. Anyu’s understanding of the basic principles was clear from the results, although several preparations still showed small flaws that could become serious problems if he continued making the same mistakes with more complicated remedies.

Fu Hanzheng did not intend to overlook those mistakes just because the majority of the assignment had been completed properly.

He examined the remaining preparations with the same patience before reaching for a sheet of yellow paper. With a brush in hand, he wrote down the problems he had found and added several instructions for Anyu to follow when making those remedies again.

He did not need to explain every basic principle from the beginning, since Anyu had already learned them, but the notes would remind him which parts of the process needed more attention.

Once he had finished writing, Fu Hanzheng placed the paper beside the remedies he had put on the right side of the table.

After putting away the brush, Fu Hanzheng looked over the arrangements one final time before standing. Anyu would understand the meaning of the two sides immediately, and if he did not, the note would make the distinction clear.

Fu Hanzheng then returned to his room and changed into proper sleeping clothes before beginning his preparations for the following day. His morning lesson required several medicinal samples and reference materials, so he gathered everything he would need and arranged them in the order he planned to use them.

Once that was done, he prepared the materials for Li Yan’s afternoon lesson separately, checking each item before putting it together with the others.

Teaching Li Yan required a different approach from teaching an ordinary disciple. The boy learned quickly, but Fu Hanzheng did not want to throw complicated knowledge at him simply because he could understand it.

There was a proper order to cultivation and apothecary studies, and Fu Hanzheng intended to build his foundation carefully while allowing him to progress at a pace his body could withstand.

When everything for the following day had finally been prepared, Fu Hanzheng put the materials aside and returned to his bed. He lay down and closed his eyes, expecting that the exhaustion from the long day would allow him to fall asleep quickly, but his mind remained unexpectedly active.

Bu Tangshan’s face appeared in his thoughts almost immediately. Fu Hanzheng’s brows tightened as he remembered the events after the meeting, particularly the man’s refusal to respect a very clear warning.

The more Fu Hanzheng thought about it, the more irritated he became. He had dealt with enough troublesome people throughout his life, but Bu Tangshan possessed a particular talent for appearing exactly when his patience was at its lowest.

Fu Hanzheng turned onto his side and closed his eyes again, deliberately pushing the man’s image out of his thoughts. He tried to concentrate on the following day’s lessons instead, going over the materials he had prepared and considering how he would explain the more difficult portions to Li Yan. That worked for a while, but eventually Bu Tangshan’s ridiculous behavior returned to his mind again, forcing Fu Hanzheng to endure several more moments of irritation before he finally managed to fall asleep.

The next morning, Li Yan was in no condition to be wandering around the sect as he normally did. The injuries from his confrontation with Mo Lang had become considerably more painful after a night’s rest, particularly around his waist where the water whip had struck him with the most force.

Every time he moved, the soreness reminded him exactly how much stronger Mo Lang had been during their fight.

Li Yan had hoped the pain would ease after sleeping, but instead his body felt heavy and exhausted when he woke. He remained in bed longer than usual before finally forcing himself to get up, and even getting dressed took more time than he wanted.

Xiaoxiao noticed that he was moving differently, but Li Yan still insisted on attending his lessons rather than staying behind to recover.

By the time he left the residence, he was already running late. He hurried as much as his injuries allowed, although there was little point in trying to move at his normal speed when every sudden movement caused his waist to ache.

He eventually reached the classroom after the lesson had already begun and slipped inside quietly, hoping that his late arrival would attract as little attention as possible.

Li Yan made his way toward the back and found an empty seat where he could sit without disturbing the other disciples. He lowered himself carefully, adjusting his position until the pressure against his injured waist became bearable, before resting his head against his folded arms. He had intended to listen to the lecture from there, but his exhaustion quickly became overwhelming.

His eyes closed despite his attempt to keep them open, and within moments he had fallen asleep.

The teacher continued with the lecture, initially unaware of what was happening at the back of the room. The disciples sitting nearby noticed first, and their surprise gradually spread as they realized that Li Yan was not simply resting his eyes. He had actually fallen asleep shortly after arriving, and the longer the lesson continued, the more obvious it became that he had no intention of waking on his own.

Several disciples quietly glanced in his direction, unable to understand how the person who had taken first place in the entrance examination could sleep through an entire lecture.

Some of them had expected Li Yan to be particularly diligent after receiving the highest ranking, while others had simply never imagined that he would be bold enough to sleep in class with the teacher standing directly in front of him.

The teacher eventually noticed that the disciples were becoming distracted and followed their gazes toward the back.

His eyes immediately settled on Li Yan, who remained asleep with his head resting on his arms as though the lecture had nothing to do with him. The teacher’s expression changed at once, and his voice rang across the classroom as he demanded, "You there! Why are you sleeping in my class?"