It had been a full ten years since the battle against the Ethereal Army.
In that time, New Eridu had developed rapidly—not only resolving its dependence on Ether energy but also successfully eliminating all Hollows.
Now, New Eridu had entered a brand-new era. This era was rich in talent, with advanced technologies being developed and territorial expansion progressing steadily.
Including the previous outer ring, the current territory of New Eridu was nearly double its original size, now encompassing the Old Eridu that had been liberated from Hollow Zero a decade prior.
The Old Eridu was now referred to as the Old City District. While development there wasn't prioritized, its potential for growth was undeniable.
...
That day, at a primary school located in New Eridu's central urban district—
This particular school was ranked among the top three in all of New Eridu. Not only were the tuition fees outrageously high, but the academic standards demanded from each student also discouraged many parents from applying.
Years ago, Zhong Yan had enrolled all three of his children in this school. To ensure they could support each other, he had arranged for them to be placed in the same class.
It proved to be a wise decision—at least, when facing a new environment, the children had someone to talk to.
At that moment, in one of the classrooms, several children were locked in a heated argument.
One of them—a boy with short dark-blue hair and striking features for his age—was already remarkably handsome. If he had been older, his presence would no doubt have outshone the rest.
This was Zhong Lan, the youngest of Zhong Yan's three children.
"I told you, that Uchiha guy was a criminal from the start! If he hadn't done a few good things later on, there's no way he'd be respected now. Once a criminal, always a criminal. And the fact that he doesn't dare show his face anymore just proves it."
The one speaking was a boy the same age as Zhong Lan, his tone utterly dismissive. Behind him stood a group of lackeys.
Cliques among schoolchildren were nothing new, especially since this boy came from a well-connected background.
His uncle was the deputy director of a district's Public Security Bureau in New Eridu. Even the school principal showed him deference.
As a result, he behaved with arrogant impunity and had attracted quite a few followers.
Zhong Lan, on the other hand, had no such background and no posse of his own. In such an uneven situation, he could never win a shouting match.
Even so, he didn't hesitate to retort, "Who says so? He's clearly a great hero of New Eridu. People even built a statue for him! How could you call him a criminal?"
The boy's face darkened. He slammed his desk and shouted, "My uncle said it—and he's a deputy director! You saying he's a liar?!"
"Your uncle is lying!"
"You little—how dare you insult my uncle?! You want the Public Security Bureau to come arrest you?!"
Tension escalated rapidly, and the rest of the class dared not intervene.
After all, his uncle was the deputy director. Everyone just assumed Zhong Lan had terrible luck.
"Drag him to the bathroom!" the boy barked, furious. His lackeys moved immediately, grabbing Zhong Lan by the arms to haul him away.
Terrified, Zhong Lan began screaming, clearly about to be dragged out of the room.
At that instant, a piercing voice exploded in the classroom like a thunderclap.
"Wang Yi! Let him go!"
Everyone turned toward the front door of the classroom. A girl about the same age stood there.
She wore the school uniform, and behind her was a prominent shark-like tail. The anger on her face was so intense it seemed to radiate from her.
Zhong Xi—Zhong Lan's sister, Zhong Yan's daughter, and the class's feared "female tyrant." Many boys who tried to act tough in front of her had ended up eating dirt.
Though not a doting sister by nature, she never tolerated anyone bullying her little brother.
"Zhong Xi, stay out of this. I'm just trying to have a private chat with him in the bathroom—he'll be back in no time," said Wang Yi, clearly intimidated by her.
Still, he had numbers on his side. No matter how strong Zhong Xi was, she couldn't take on all of them alone.
And Zhong Lan? Known for being an easy target. Otherwise, Wang Yi wouldn't have picked on him in the first place.
"You think I don't know what you're planning? Let go of my brother now, or don't blame me for what happens next!" Zhong Xi clenched her fists and began walking toward him.
Wang Yi instinctively took two steps back and gestured to his lackeys. "Hold her—"
Before he could finish, a freshly opened milk carton came flying from the back of the room and hit him squarely on the head.
The carton burst on impact, drenching him completely in milk.
His soaked, miserable appearance made several students burst into laughter—though none dared laugh too loudly.
Everyone now looked toward the classroom door to see who threw it.
It wasn't Zhong Xi—she was still walking forward, fists clenched.
Then they saw him—a boy with short silver-gray hair standing calmly near the front.
He nonchalantly pulled out another carton of milk from his pocket, inserted a straw, and took a sip.
"Big bro Zhong Ling is so cool..." someone murmured, though the voice quickly vanished—it wasn't the time for such remarks.
Zhong Ling—older brother to Zhong Xi and Zhong Lan. He was a year older than everyone in class, and his cold demeanor paired with his good looks made many girls harbor secret crushes.
"Wang Yi, someone like you only bullies my little brother because you know you're weak. Want to settle it one-on-one with me? I promise not to throw you off the building," he said, placing his milk carton on the desk and stretching lazily.
Wang Yi, already at his limit, exploded with rage: "Get him! Show all three of them what happens when you piss me off!"
SMACK!
The next second, a thick shark tail slapped across Wang Yi's face with brutal force.
He staggered, disoriented, just in time to see Zhong Xi standing before him—and his two lackeys flying through the air.
"Show what? This?" Zhong Xi snarled.
Unsatisfied, she raised her fist and punched Wang Yi square in the head, again and again, until finally letting go of his collar.
Not one lackey dared intervene. They all knew how terrifying Zhong Xi's combat skills were.
Zhong Ling might scare people, but Zhong Xi actually fought.
"You're finished... you're so finished! Touching me like this... you'll be expelled for sure!" Wang Yi sobbed as he struggled to his feet, supported by his underlings, and stumbled out of the room.
"You two done yet?" Zhong Xi turned to glare at the boys holding Zhong Lan.
They dropped him instantly and bolted.
"Big Sister..." Free at last, Zhong Lan ran into Zhong Xi's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zhong Ling picked up his milk again, sipping it casually.
He sighed, "Tch. Idiot. If he'd just taken the one-on-one, he wouldn't have gotten beaten so bad."
Still, he knew the noise they'd made would bring trouble. With Wang Yi's background, they might all be expelled.
...
Before long, the class bell rang. Midway through the period, the school's disciplinary officer arrived and called the three siblings out.
In the hallway, the officer stood beside a bruised and swollen Wang Yi, glaring at them. "What were you thinking?! Beating up a classmate? If anything serious had happened, could you—or your parents—have taken responsibility?"
"He started it! If I hadn't seen it, Lan would've been the one looking like this!" Zhong Xi stepped forward, angry and unafraid.
The officer didn't even consider her words. He frowned and snapped, "Still making excuses?! You say Lan was bullied, but does he have any injuries? Wang Yi's the victim here!"
Wang Yi, seeing the adult on his side, cried louder and louder, mentioning his uncle at the Public Security Bureau.
Of course the officer knew Wang Yi's background—otherwise, he wouldn't be involved.
"You three, call your parents. Pack your things. You're done here. This school doesn't tolerate students with poor conduct," the officer declared.
He led Wang Yi to the infirmary, leaving the three siblings in stunned silence.
"This old bastard! Twisting the truth like that—makes me want to whip him!" Zhong Xi fumed, lifting her tail to strike again.
Zhong Ling stopped her. "If you hit him now, we're really done for. Let's go home and tell Dad. Maybe he'll have a way."
...
Soon after, the scene shifted to the Victoria Household estate.
"Master, Miss Zhong Xi's teacher just called. Apparently, she and the two young masters are about to be expelled for bullying a classmate," Rina reported to her Mistress, clearly worried. She quickly explained everything in detail.
Upon hearing it, the Mistress's expression shifted slightly. After a pause, she said calmly, "Summon Lycaon and come with me to the school. And call Mr. Zhong Yan—tell him I'll handle this."
...
That afternoon, in the school principal's office—
"You're their guardian? And these two behind you are..." The principal looked at the composed woman and her maid and werewolf butler with growing discomfort.
The aura they exuded was simply overwhelming.
"That question has nothing to do with what we're here to discuss. Principal, I hear you plan to expel the three children. Is that true?" the Mistress asked.
The office contained the principal, the Mistress's entourage, the three siblings, Wang Yi, and the same biased disciplinary officer—oddly, Wang Yi's own parents weren't present.
The principal straightened up and said sternly, "Their behavior was appalling. Children or not, I won't allow such actions during my term. Take them home. They're not welcome back."
He waved his hand as if dismissing a servant.
But she wasn't leaving. "Is that so? Because I heard the fight didn't start with my children. You won't even mention the other side's role?"
"Hmph! Victim-blaming? Wang Yi is one of our top students. You expect me to believe he started it?"
The Mistress's eyes narrowed, her tone now cold. "What a pity. I thought you might show some fairness. I suppose there's no reason to be polite anymore."
"Oh? And what? You think you can fire me?" the principal sneered.
She didn't reply. Instead, she turned to Lycaon, who promptly handed her a phone—already connected.
She passed it to the principal, who accepted it with a puzzled expression and held it to his ear.
Seconds later, his face shifted—from confusion to shock to pale horror, as if he'd heard something terrifying.
"You... you..." he stammered, unable to speak.
The Mistress finally spoke, voice calm and razor-sharp:
"I apologize. I just purchased this school. As of now, I'm in charge."
"As for his uncle at the Public Security Bureau—embezzlement, collusion, harboring criminals. He won't be dying, but he'll be spending the rest of his life in prison."
"And one more thing—you were right earlier."
"Mr. Principal… you're fired."
With that, she stood and left without a backward glance, her group following in silence.
All that remained were the stunned principal, the panicked officer, and Wang Yi—who had just lost all his protection.
In truth, the principal should have considered himself lucky.
Had Zhong Yan come instead of her… being fired would've been the least of his problems.