PCJ – Chapter 444 Sleeping and Unwaking

Li Shuhai regretted his careless remark “You want to see a person alive, and you want to see a corpse when they die.” A day had passed, and Zhang Jiaohua had still not appeared. Li Shuhai wasn’t sure if Wan Youming remembered the words he had said, but if he did, it might cause trouble for him.

Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye didn’t care about what the school teacher had said. They knew their child’s abilities, and this wasn’t the first time Zhang Jiaohua had been out for this long. However, they had an uneasy feeling. Jiaohua, who had been rather lazy, had created enough Jade Immortal Drink and Red Jade Immortal Drink to last years during his time at home, when Liu Qiaoye had forced him to stay obediently at home after he left the film set.

Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye both sensed that one day Jiaohua might leave them. Their child was not ordinary and could not follow the usual life path of an average person. Jiaohua’s seemingly casual creation of the Jade Immortal Drink seemed to be part of a bigger plan.

“Do you think our child no longer wants us?” Liu Qiaoye asked softly.

Zhang Youping chuckled, “What are you talking about? No matter how capable our child is, he’s still our child. How could he leave us?”

Liu Qiaoye still worried, “Where do you think Jiaohua went?”

“How would I know? If I did, I’d just twist that little rascal’s ear,” Zhang Youping said, showing his annoyance.

“You dare!” Liu Qiaoye’s sharp eyes glared at him, fiercely protective of their child.

Zhang Youping shrank back and helplessly said, “This rascal has become so bold because of you spoiling him.”

“I spoil him because he hasn’t done anything wrong. If it weren’t for Jiaohua, would the people in Meizi’ao be living such a good life now? It’s not just them, the whole of Xintian County has benefited from our child.” Liu Qiaoye didn’t think she had done anything wrong by pampering her son.

“This little rascal, where has he gone?” Zhang Youping was still deeply worried about their son.

“This time, it’s also the fault of his teacher. Why wouldn’t they let Jiaohua into the school? If they had handled it more reasonably, Jiaohua wouldn’t have left home like this. We need to get to the bottom of this; they owe us an explanation!” Liu Qiaoye wasn’t a woman of power, but this time, Li He’s actions had crossed the line. If she let this slide, she wouldn’t be a good mother.

“You’re right! Even if Jiaohua was wrong, they should have contacted us as parents first instead of refusing him entry to school. Let’s go talk to the principal!” Zhang Youping agreed with his wife.

Wan Youming was in his office, scolding Li He, “Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve caused? If the news gets out that Zhang Jiaohua was stopped from entering the school by Teacher Yi Dushui, Yi Dushui Middle School will be torn apart by the people of Xintian County! You don’t know how important Jiaohua is to this county!”

“But I was doing it for Jiaohua’s own good. He’s always hanging out with those young people, mixing with the wrong crowd. Who will be responsible if he turns out badly?” By now, Li He realized his reasoning wasn’t as convincing as it had been.

“Wrong crowd? You’re talking about Xie Mingyuan, right? You think Xie Mingyuan can corrupt Jiaohua? Are you out of your mind? Jiaohua is more likely to lead him astray! Xie Mingyuan’s already been on the streets, but when he came to school to help his cousin, Wang Yiyun, teach Jiaohua a lesson, Jiaohua didn’t even lift a finger. Zhang Yuanbao knocked Xie Mingyuan out. Now, Xie Mingyuan is Jiaohua’s disciple. He no longer runs with the wrong crowd, and now he’s selling stuff at Yi Dushui Middle School. Everyone at the school knows this. Haven’t you heard of it?” Wan Youming couldn’t help but bang his fist on the table.

Li Shuhai barged into the office, not even bothering to knock. Wan Youming furrowed his brow.

“Principal Wan, Zhang Jiaohua’s parents are here. From the looks on their faces, I think they’re here to demand an explanation,” Li Shuhai quickly said.

Wan Youming, who had been about to reprimand Li Shuhai, felt a headache coming on. “You just wait here. There’s no way I can protect you this time. This has to be dealt with seriously. Go back and wait for the party’s decision.”

Li He was furious. Though he didn’t care about achieving anything at Yi Dushui Middle School, he couldn’t tolerate a stain on his record. If he was penalized at the school, that would go into his file, and it would hurt his future career. He had originally planned to stay at Yi Dushui for a year or two, then return to the city for his urban life. But now nothing was going according to plan.

“Principal Wan, even if my approach was flawed, my intentions were good. If this had been a normal student, it wouldn’t have led to such serious consequences. If the school disciplines me for this, I won’t accept it,” Li He said seriously.

“You still have the nerve to argue? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve caused for the school? Besides, who gave you the authority to kick a student out of campus? Zhang Jiaohua is still under fourteen! Do you realize how dangerous that is? We don’t even know if the child is alive or dead, and you still dare to argue?” Wan Youming slammed the desk in anger.

“Principal Wan, Zhang and Liu are here,” Li Shuhai said nervously. He hadn’t yet had a chance to warn Wan Youming that Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye were right behind.

Liu Qiaoye and Zhang Youping had heard everything from the conversation in the office. How could they stay calm now?

Liu Qiaoye stormed into the office, demanding, “My child’s alive, but there’s no sign of him. Are the teachers at Yi Dushui Middle School trying to shirk responsibility?”

“No, no, let me explain, Liu Manager,” Wan Youming said, his head spinning, shooting a glare at Li He.

“I’m not deaf. I heard everything clearly just now. This is the teacher who kicked my son out of the school, isn’t it? I’m not interested in excuses. I just want my son. You lost him, so you have to find him!” Liu Qiaoye said sharply.

Zhang Youping also angrily added, “The teachers and students at the school have searched all night for Jiaohua. Now many teachers and students are still helping us look for him, but the teacher responsible is only thinking about passing the buck. It’s infuriating! If this is the way the teachers at Yi Dushui are, who would dare entrust their child to this school?”

“President Zhang, Manager Liu, don’t worry. We will handle the responsible parties seriously. We won’t stop searching for Zhang Jiaohua. I believe we will find him!” Wan Youming quickly reassured them.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jiaohua was still in a deep sleep. The long dream had ended, but Jiaohua was lost in the dream, unable to wake up. After the old Taoist priest had broken the incense fortune hexagram, a vast amount of information flooded into Zhang Jiaohua’s mind. This was the true inheritance of the Meishan Taoist Arts. What Jiaohua had received before was just the minor techniques of Meishan Water Mastery, including summoning spirits and Meishan Martial Arts. But these were only small parts of the true Meishan Water Master’s Arts, which required the cultivation of the self.

Meishan Taoism wasn’t as simple as Zhang Jiaohua had previously encountered. Even the old Taoist priest might not be able to cultivate profound Taoist abilities due to limited talent. He would still grow old and die like an ordinary person. The true Tao, however, was shrouded in mystery. In the vastness of cultivation, there were only various clues. Whether one could step onto the path of Taoism depended on individual comprehension.