Chapter 26: Practical Combat Class

A good night's sleep, filled with the scent of laurel in my dreams.

Jiang Tang rose, full of energy. After completing her required courses in order, she arrived at the combat classroom promptly in the afternoon.

Xia Qiu was stretching, her back turned to Jiang Tang, her black combat suit outlining the perfect shape of her muscles.

Jiang Tang wasn't the only one in Xia Qiu’s class; she spotted an acquaintance: Tanaka Mari.

Tanaka Mari caught sight of her as well, and for reasons unknown, her eyes filled with admiration. Since they were roughly the same height, Jiang Tang naturally stood beside her.

Tanaka Mari whispered, "You're here for Lieutenant Colonel Xia Qiu too, aren't you?"

Jiang Tang paused, then said, "More or less..."

"I knew it! You admire the Lieutenant Colonel's swordsmanship as well! But I won't give up the chance to learn from her to you!" A competitive spark flickered in Tanaka Mari's clear eyes.

Jiang Tang: ?

What swordsmanship? She felt that Tanaka Mari had misunderstood.

"Wait, I didn't mean—"

"No need to hide your desire! I will compete with you fairly!" Tanaka Mari’s fair face turned flushed with excitement.

Jiang Tang’s mouth twitched. She understood now: Tanaka Mari wasn't just single-minded; she was also still stuck in her "chunibyo" phase.

"Forget it, think whatever you want..."

Xia Qiu tossed a large bag in front of the students. "Brats, put on your armor."

Someone in the group asked, "Teacher Xia Qiu, we’re already wearing combat suits. Is the armor really necessary?"

The armor Xia Qiu had brought was designed to withstand heavy weaponry—thick, heavy, and cumbersome. Nobody wanted the extra burden during a combat lesson.

"Oh, you don't have to wear it." Xia Qiu pulled out a stack of papers and dropped them. "Sign these liability waivers."

"We have to sign death waivers for a combat class?" The group began to murmur. "Teacher, we’re here to learn, not to challenge you. A death waiver seems a bit much..."

Xia Qiu smiled. "Challenge me? Let’s get one thing straight: in this class, the only thing you’re qualified to be is a punching bag."

"Teacher, if you talk like that, I can report you to the Education Committee!" a bespectacled student said righteously.

Xia Qiu shrugged. "Go ahead. Anyone who doesn't want to attend can just drop the course."

As a temporary substitute without even a teaching license, she had nothing to lose.

Jiang Tang, fearing for her life, immediately grabbed a piece of armor and strapped it on. She needed the credits; she had to survive the semester under this demon one way or another.

Tanaka Mari was the second to put on the armor, and seeing this, the other students followed suit.

However, the armor was incredibly heavy—easily seventy or eighty pounds... Jiang Tang sighed once more at the sheer physical endurance of interstellar humans.

"Oh, by the way, if any of you can manage to land a hit on me, you can finish the course and get your credits early," Xia Qiu said with a smile, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Tang with a hidden meaning.

Jiang Tang shuddered and lowered her eyes. She needed credits, sure, but she couldn't beat Xia Qiu!

"Now, you may begin your attack."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a shadow flickered beside Jiang Tang—Tanaka Mari had lunged forward.

*Bang! Crash!*

Tanaka Mari was sent flying back, slamming into a crowd of students.

"Even Tanaka..." The group stood stunned, unable to process what had happened.

Suddenly, a chill crept up Jiang Tang's spine. She instinctively dodged, but the next second, she found herself face-to-face with Xia Qiu. She felt a heavy blow to her abdomen, and she went flying backward.

Xia Qiu shook her fist. "A distracted punching bag is a poor student."

For most of the class, Jiang Tang’s agility advantage was useless. The more she dodged, the more she was targeted, tossed around like a piece of dough.

Little did they know, Xia Qiu was secretly puzzled herself. *This Jiang Tang... she’s sliding around like a loach even while wearing eighty pounds of armor.*

Jiang Tang sharply noticed Xia Qiu’s momentary distraction and lunged, wrapping her arms around the teacher's legs and shouting, "Now’s our chance! Everyone, attack!"

The other students weren't fools, and they swarmed forward.

Xia Qiu raised an eyebrow and glanced at her watch. "Oh, class is over."

...

Throughout the entire lesson, Xia Qiu truly treated the students like punching bags.

Jiang Tang was the most miserable one. Wearing armor already dented from the impacts, she hissed in pain, pressing ice packs to her eyes.

Xia Qiu coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, it’s my first time teaching. You have to understand."

When the kid tried to pull a dirty trick during the group attack, it had been a reflex.

"Teacher, it would be much more convincing if you didn't hit me in the face," Jiang Tang said resentfully. Xia Qiu could have easily kicked her away, yet she insisted on picking her up to pummel her.

"Sigh, why is the classroom such a mess? I’ll clean up, Jiang Tang, you head out first," Xia Qiu said, masking her guilt.

Jiang Tang limped out of the classroom only to be blocked.

"Student Jiang, hello. I am Sheng Lei, a member of the Disciplinary Committee." The man with glasses handed Jiang Tang a business card.

Jiang Tang didn't take it. She wasn't in the mood for mind games. "What is it?"

The man felt annoyed. *What is a fake S-rank acting so arrogant for? She’s only in the Academy because of Sheng Huaian!*

His tone turned condescending. "Student Jiang, have you considered joining the Disciplinary Committee after graduation?"

"No."

Jiang Tang coldly brushed past him.

The man’s smile stiffened. He repeated, "Perhaps you didn't hear me clearly. I’m asking if you’d like to join the Disciplinary Committee—the federal-level Disciplinary Committee!"

Jiang Tang looked up and studied him with a strange expression. The man felt uncomfortable under her gaze and instinctively adjusted his collar.

Jiang Tang hesitated, then said, "You..."

The man offered a confident smile. He knew it—no one could refuse an invitation from the Disciplinary Committee.

"If your hearing is bad, you should visit the school hospital," Jiang Tang advised kindly. "Mention my name for a ten percent discount."

*How pitiful,* she thought, *to be deaf in this day and age.*

She thought for a moment, then pulled out a business card and tucked it into his jacket pocket. "If you can't afford the treatment, you can take out a loan. Our bank has a promotion right now; the interest rates aren't high."

The man stiffly pulled the card from his pocket.

[Jiang Yang: Account Manager. Contact: 666666]

She hadn't even given him her own card.

Once he realized this, the man angrily chased after Jiang Tang, who hadn't gone far. "Ms. Jiang, with your qualifications, you would never be able to join the Disciplinary Committee!"

Jiang Tang, already annoyed from being beaten all afternoon, grew impatient. "Oh, and?"

"However, if you can convince Sheng Huaian to join, we are willing to offer you a clerical position." The man held his head high, his arrogance on full display.

"Aren't you a Sheng family member too? Why don't you go yourself?"

The man suppressed his rage. Before he could speak, Jiang Tang realized. "Oh, I see. You’re too low-ranked to even reach Sheng Huaian."

It was true, but hearing it said out loud made it all the more humiliating.

"Student Jiang, I advise you to think carefully. This might be the only chance you get in this lifetime to turn your life around," the man insisted, forcing a front.

Jiang Tang smiled lazily, though her eyes grew icy. "What level do you think you are, to be talking to me?"