"I..." The psychic tremor from the Celestial Dao Library had left his mind reeling; he was still in a daze. He didn't even know what fist routine the boy had performed. How was he supposed to guide him? "Teacher Xiao, please correct my flaws!" Liu Yang stepped forward and bowed low. Nearby, Su Ling watched, her eyes wide with curiosity. She wanted to see how this 'expert' she had just met would handle the situation. "Keng!" Every eye in the room was fixed on him. If he didn't say something soon, he would only be humiliated. Just as Xiao Ran was about to bluff his way through it, he suddenly remembered the list of flaws recorded in the library's book. He had no idea if the information was true, but he couldn't possibly invent a critique on the spot. Mustering his courage, he could only take the plunge. "There are many flaws in your fist routine," he declared. "A total of twelve of them!" "Haha, did he say twelve flaws? Did I hear that right?" "That's the funniest joke I've heard all day!" "The Soaring Flower Fist might not be an advanced technique, but it's one of the most common skills in the entire kingdom, known as the Basic Fist. After thousands of years of refinement, it may not be perfect, but to say it has twelve flaws?" "He's just making things up! He probably couldn't see anything wrong with it at all!" The surrounding crowd, which had been waiting with bated breath, erupted in laughter the moment he spoke. The Soaring Flower Fist was one of the most fundamental techniques of the Tianxuan Kingdom. Much like the Taizu Changquan, it was the first martial art any practitioner learned. After centuries of refinement by countless experts, it wasn't particularly powerful, but it was renowned for having almost no weaknesses. Some even called it the 'Flawless Fist'. And this fellow claimed it had twelve flaws... What a joke! Forget that he'd scored a zero on his Teacher Qualification Examination; not even the academy's principal could point out that many flaws! "Oh? Teacher Xiao is a genius indeed, to find twelve flaws in the Soaring Flower Fist. Do enlighten us!" Cao Xiong clearly hadn't expected Xiao Ran to make such a boastful claim right out of the gate. A malicious glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke, his words deliberately pushing Xiao Ran into a corner. Though he maintained a blank expression, Xiao Ran's heart hammered in his chest. He hadn't realized Liu Yang had performed such a well-known routine. His predecessor would have certainly known about it, but he had only just transmigrated, and his memories hadn't fully merged yet! Still, he was a librarian from another world, armed with different knowledge and a thick skin. With a mental roll of his eyes, he said, "Why, you don't believe me? It's not that I don't want to guide him, but that you all refuse to trust me. Since you won't follow my guidance... then you can't blame me! Su Ling, let's go. This wager is pointless!" "Hold it right there! We trust you! Do enlighten us!" Cao Xiong immediately moved to block his path. He could see Xiao Ran was intentionally throwing out an absurd number so they would call him a liar, giving him an excuse to flee. But Cao Xiong had worked too hard to set up this public humiliation; he wasn't about to let his prey escape! "That..." Seeing his escape route cut off, Xiao Ran could only turn his focus back to the book compiled by the library. It's do or die, he thought. There was no backing out now. He scanned the twelve flaws recorded in the book one last time, his gaze landing on the final entry. He gritted his teeth and spoke. "The fist routine you just used was right-handed. Here's my suggestion: try using your left hand to perform it, then strike the stone pillar!" Since this was a special ability granted to a transmigrator, there was a chance it was correct. Besides, even if the information was wrong, he couldn't think of a better way out of this. "Use his left hand?" "You call that guidance?" "What kind of joke is this? A person's left hand is naturally weaker. If he uses his left fist, he'll just botch the entire routine!" The crowd was stunned for a moment, then a fresh wave of derision broke out. They all stared at Xiao Ran with open contempt. Everyone knew the left hand was weaker than the right. Judging by the force of Liu Yang's previous punch, he was obviously not left-handed. To ask him to execute the technique with his weaker hand... It was absurd. "Liu Yang, do as Teacher Xiao says so we can put this to rest!" Cao Xiong hadn't expected such a ridiculous suggestion. He was so excited he could barely contain himself as he barked the order at Liu Yang. Although he had only just accepted him as a student, he was certain Liu Yang was right-handed. If he really used his left, the force behind his punch probably wouldn't even reach thirty kilograms! A student who scored 62kg before guidance and less than 30kg after—this would surely destroy what little was left of Xiao Ran's reputation! Let's see him act so smug after this! "Yes!" Liu Yang snorted coldly and began the routine again. He knew perfectly well he wasn't left-handed. Forcing him to use his left fist... what utter nonsense. He had been practicing the Soaring Flower Fist since he was a child. While reversing the movements felt awkward, he soon found his rhythm. The motion of his fist stirred the air, but both his strength and proficiency seemed far worse than before. Could it be... this transmigrator's ability is a sham? Xiao Ran's stomach was tied in knots. Other transmigrators got wise old grandfathers who could casually enlighten them, their advice always perfect. He, on the other hand, was stuck with a library that compiled books full of messy notes. If what was written in the book was false, he would be expelled for sure! Hu! The routine was over in an instant. Liu Yang walked to the stone pillar, raised his left fist, and smashed it against the surface. Weng! A series of numbers glowed to life. "One. Haha, to think it would only be in the tens—" When the digit '1' appeared, Cao Xiong burst out laughing, an ecstatic expression on his face. But before he could finish his sentence, the words caught in his throat. His eyes looked ready to pop from their sockets. "123?" "123 kilograms?" The crowd, which had been ready to jeer, was struck dumb, a collective shiver running through them. Moments ago, Liu Yang's punch had registered 62kg. Now, it had jumped to 123kg. That was nearly double! An improvement of almost one hundred percent! Was this for real? Even the top-ranked teacher in the entire academy couldn't possibly double a student's score in their first lesson! "I... I... Did I do that?" Even Liu Yang himself was stunned. He stared foolishly at the stone pillar, his mind blank with disbelief. He knew he wasn't left-handed. He could never have imagined that his left fist held so much power! Nearly twice the strength of his right! As the crowd gaped in astonishment, Xiao Ran almost leaped into the air with joy. "It's true!" At that moment, he could finally confirm it: the flaws compiled by the library were real. To be able to see through a person's cultivation techniques and their weaknesses... This transcender's ability was truly heaven-defying! "So, how about it? Your guidance led to a twenty-percent improvement, while mine led to a one hundred-percent improvement. Teacher Cao, is there anything else you'd like to say?" Xiao Ran smirked. "I..." Cao Xiong's face went pale, a burning sensation spreading across his cheeks. He had proposed this competition to watch the other man make a fool of himself. In the end, he was the one who had been made a fool of. Retrieving a jade token from his robes, he bit his finger and let a drop of fresh blood fall upon it. "Liu Yang, I am revoking your status as my student. You may now acknowledge Teacher Xiao as your teacher!" He shot a venomous glance at Xiao Ran. "Don't get too smug. You got lucky this time. Next time we compete, I will see your reputation utterly ruined..." Then, he turned and stormed away. This time, not only had his reputation taken a blow, but he had lost a student and been thoroughly slapped in the face. It was one thing to lose to other teachers, but the crux of the matter was that he had lost to the man who scored zero on the Teacher Qualification Examination, the worst instructor in the entire academy. "Teacher, teacher..." Watching Cao Xiong depart, Liu Yang's face fell. Although he had achieved an incredible result under Xiao Ran's guidance, he, like Cao Xiong, believed it was just a lucky fluke. He refused to believe this teacher possessed any real skill. "Alright, you are my student now. Take out your identification token!" Xiao Ran didn't care what the boy was thinking. He had won the bet and gained a new student, and he was still celebrating his victory. He casually tossed a jade token over. Though Liu Yang was unwilling, he knew he had to honor the bet. If he refused to acknowledge Xiao Ran, other teachers would surely reject him as well. Grudgingly, he pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the jade token, completing the process. "Meet here for lessons tomorrow," Xiao Ran said, first to Liu Yang, then glancing at Su Ling. Without another word, he walked out of the canteen. Returning to his lecture hall, Xiao Ran immediately delved into his mind to examine the Celestial Dao Library more closely. After a few moments of study, he finally began to understand. As long as someone executed a skill or martial art in front of him, the library would immediately compile a book detailing all of its flaws. "Haha, I've really struck it rich this time! With this in my hand, I can see through any flaw in an instant. There's no way I'll score a zero on the next Teacher Qualification Examination!" Frenzied joy coursed through him. As a transmigrator, Xiao Ran finally felt a surge of enthusiasm for the future.

Chapter 4: A Desperate Gambit