Chapter 86: The Master Sitting on the Table

Cui Daisheng cleared his throat: "Junior Master, thank you for your trouble today, teaching them here. My disciple has other matters, so I'll stay away, stay away."

Tuan Tuan mimicked his posture in front of the students, clasped her small hands behind her back, gave a soft "hm" and nodded.

Zuo Zhengji widened his eyes: "Teacher, you…"

Then, he watched helplessly as his own teacher drifted away, the silhouette so dashing it seemed almost merciless.

He lowered his head, glanced at the Junior Master Ancestor in front of him who was still shorter than the desk and the room full of students with amused expressions, and felt a tingling on his scalp.

He inhaled deeply, forced a friendly smile, bent over and carefully handed a notebook to the delicate Xiao Tuanzi: "Junior Master Ancestor, I'm reviewing the students' assignments from yesterday…"

Tuan Tuan took it, glanced at the students in the room, then looked at the solitary set of the highest desk and chair at the front: "Is that where I'm supposed to sit?"

"Yes, Junior Master Ancestor, that is the Master's seat."

"Alright!" she stepped forward with steady strides, walked to the tall desk, and tossed the assignment notebook onto it.

Then, using hands and feet, she began to climb, wobbling and huffing several times, before barely managing to get into the tall, deep chair.

A low ripple of giggles rose from the room.

Zuo Zhengji watched from the side, his heart pounding: "Junior Master Ancestor, please don't fall. If you get hurt, how will I explain to the teacher!"

After Tuan Tuan settled herself, she straightened her little back and realized she was only half a head taller than the desk, unable to see the students in the room, and frowned in dissatisfaction.

She set her small face in a solemn expression and opened the assignment notebook before her.

"How do I mark this?"

Zuo Zhengji hurried to her side, dipped the brush in ink on the desk and handed it to her, grinning broadly: "Junior Master Ancestor, if you see any errors, circle them with the brush; if there are doctrinal notes, you can write them in the margin."

"Oh." She curiously took the overly long brush, examined it carefully.

In the next instant, Zuo Zhengji's smile froze on his face.

She saw the pink little hand clench five fingers around the brush like grasping a bone stick, gripping the shaft tightly in a tiny fist, the tip nearly poking her cheek.

A burst of uncontrollable laughter erupted from below.

A student in the front row named Wu Qilin pounded the desk repeatedly, laughing uproariously: "Whoa! Little Master, look at your pen‑holding stance!"

"Planning to beat this notebook? Hahaha! How can you not even hold a brush properly?"

The uproarious laughter in the classroom grew louder.

Zuo Zhengji's face turned awkward, he bent over and whispered a reminder while demonstrating: "Junior Master Ancestor, you must pinch the brush with your fingers, like this…"

Tuan Tuan became displeased, slapped the brush onto the desk, lifted her small face, and stared at the leading heckler Wu Qilin with round eyes: "What are you laughing at? Are you writing well? Then write a few characters for me to see!"

Wu Qilin sneered: "Write then! I may be mediocre, but I'm still better than someone who can't even hold a brush!"

He confidently lifted the brush and, with full posture, began writing on the paper.

His posture was impressive, but the characters were ugly; a few students nearby craned their necks: "Brother Wu, after all these years of practice, why do your characters look like this?"

Wu Qilin's face flushed bright red: "What are you laughing at! My strength isn't in brushwork! If you have skill, let's compare something else!"

Tuan Tuan tilted her head and asked: "Oh? Then what is your strength?"

"I'm a master at the Nine-linked Rings! No one in the Guozijian can beat my speed!" Wu Qilin lifted his head, trying to regain the floor.

"Nine-linked Rings?" Tuan Tuan repeated, a spark of curiosity in her big eyes, "Alright, I'll challenge you at that."

Zuo Zhengji's vision went dark; this was a proper Guozijian classroom! Compare Nine-linked Rings?

He was about to speak up, but his teacher's smiling face toward the Junior Master Ancestor flashed before him; after all, he was merely her disciple, how could he object?

The words got stuck in his throat, and he could only sigh inwardly.

Wu Qilin didn't expect the little girl to actually accept, and immediately produced an exquisite, intricate Nine-linked Rings.

Holding it aloft, he weighed it proudly: "Little Master, you can still concede now, lest you fail to solve it later and start crying!"

Tuan Tuan curiously eyed the silver‑shimmering rings: "Give me one!"

A student promptly stepped forward and placed an identical Nine-linked Rings on the desk before her.

Tuan Tuan complained the desk was too high, pointed at it, and glanced at Zuo Zhengji: "Lift me up."

"Huh?" Zuo Zhengji was startled, sighed helplessly, and lifted her onto the desk.

He roared inside, "My god! The Guozijian has never had a Master sitting at the lectern before!"

Tuan Tuan sat upright on the lofty desk, pleased: "Now I can see clearly without craning my neck."

"How's it? Little Master? All settled? I'm about to start," Wu Qilin said in a teasing tone.

Tuan Tuan fiddled with the Nine-linked Rings in her hands: "That's it?"

She pursed her lips: "Start whenever you want, then."

Wu Qilin suppressed his grin: "Begin!"

The students gathered around, watching the two.

Wu Qilin focused completely, his fingers flicking the copper rings rapidly, producing a tinkling sound; his technique was highly skilled.

Meanwhile, the little Master's tiny hands moved haphazardly, snapping here, pulling there; it looked less like solving the puzzle and more like playing with something novel.

The students shook their heads and snickered; the little Master clearly had never played before, yet dared to challenge Wu Qilin—surely a loss!

However, just as Wu Qilin was solving the third ring, a crisp "click" rang out.

Everyone turned toward the sound; Tuan Tuan raised both hands, and the Nine-linked Rings in her grip had completely fallen apart!

All the loops were clearly separated, dangling in her hand as she waved them: "I win!"

The classroom fell silent instantly, even Zuo Zhengji's eyes widened: "Junior Master Ancestor, you solved it? That fast?!"

Wu Qilin's movements froze; his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg, staring in disbelief at the pile of separated pieces in her hand.

"This… this can't be!" he shouted, "How did you do it? You must have practiced hard! Otherwise you couldn't be faster than me!"

Tuan Tuan placed the disassembled Nine-linked Rings onto the desk, producing a crisp clack.

She patted her little hand: "No need to practice? One look and you know how to solve it. Much easier than handling a brush."

……

All the students only then let out a wave of astonishment.

How impressive! This is the fastest I've ever seen!

Me too!

Wu Qilin, you're no longer the fastest at solving the nine linked rings at the Guozijian!

Wu Qilin's face flushed hot, he couldn't help but crane his neck and shout: "It was just that I, the young master, was careless earlier! Luck! Exactly, you're just lucky! If you have the skill, compete again in something else!"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, smiling: "Sure, what else do you want to compete in?"