Journey of the Scholar

Principal Yuan walked through the door of his modest home, his mind still buzzing from the strange encounters of the day—most notably, the thoroughly confused demon he'd just left in the alley. But despite the odd adventures, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to his missing golden coin.

"Where could it be?" he muttered, scratching his head as he made his way to his study. The missing coin had gnawed at him for days, and despite his best efforts, it seemed to have simply vanished into thin air.

Frustrated, he had taken to patrolling the city and interrogating everyone from street performers to demons, but to no avail.

With a deep sigh, he flopped into his chair and reached for the small velvet bag of golden coins on his desk. He absentmindedly weighed it in his hand, feeling its familiar heft, and then—on impulse—decided to count them again. Maybe a fresh look would jog something in his memory.

"Let's see… one, two, three, four…" Principal Yuan's voice trailed off as he methodically counted the coins, setting them down on the desk in neat rows.

As he reached the end of the count, his brow furrowed. "One hundred? There are one hundred coins here?"

He blinked in disbelief, staring at the neat rows of gleaming gold. "That can't be right." He snatched the coins back into the bag, shook it, and dumped them out again, ready to count once more.

"One, two, three…" His fingers worked faster this time, his heart beginning to race. By the time he reached the last coin, the number still stood.

"One hundred," he whispered, wide-eyed. "There are one hundred coins."

A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "But that's impossible! There was one missing! Who's playing tricks on me?" He glanced around suspiciously, as if expecting a prankster to jump out from behind his bookshelf. "I know there was one missing. I'm not losing my mind, am I?"

Despite his growing suspicion, he couldn't shake the glimmer of hope that began to bloom in his chest. Could it be true? Could all the coins really be there? He counted again. And again.

Each time, the result was the same.

"One hundred!" he shouted in sudden elation, leaping to his feet. "One hundred coins! They're all here! I've found it!"

He clutched the bag to his chest, eyes gleaming with triumph. All the frustration, all the sleepless nights spent thinking about that lost coin—finally over.

Without a second thought, he bolted out of the house, eager to share his discovery. His first stop was his assistant, who was busy cataloging scrolls in the academy library.

"I've found it!" Principal Yuan cried, bursting into the room like a man possessed.

His assistant jumped, nearly knocking over a stack of ancient manuscripts. "F-Found what, sir?" he asked, looking thoroughly alarmed.

"The coin! The missing golden coin! It was here all along! I've counted, and there are exactly one hundred coins!" Yuan exclaimed, waving the velvet bag triumphantly.

The assistant blinked. "Oh… that's… wonderful news, Principal." He forced a smile, but internally he sighed, Wasn't there a demon ambush just earlier?

Oblivious to the assistant's doubts, Yuan turned and rushed to find the next person. He ran into the gardener, who was peacefully trimming a hedge.

"I've found it!" Yuan shouted, skidding to a stop in front of the poor man.

The gardener raised an eyebrow. "Found what, Principal?"

"The coin! It's all here!" Yuan said, his voice filled with pride. He rattled the bag of coins, causing a metallic jingle.

The gardener gave him a slow nod, completely bewildered. "Er… congratulations, sir?"

"Thank you!" Yuan shouted, already halfway down the path, his robe billowing behind him as he hurried toward the janitor. The janitor, busy sweeping leaves, barely had time to process the principal's ecstatic ramblings before Yuan darted off again, this time in search of Garret.

He found Garret lounging under a tree near the academy gates, sharpening his sword with a satisfied grin.

"Garret!" Yuan panted, breathless from his sprint across the courtyard. "You won't believe it—I've found the coin!"

Garret looked up from his sword, blinking in surprise. "The coin? You mean… after all that trouble?"

"Yes! It was here all along!" Yuan declared, beaming. "One hundred coins, Garret. One hundred!"

Garret stood up slowly, a smile creeping across his face. "Well, I'll be damned. After all that, huh?"

"Yes! Isn't it incredible?" Yuan said, practically vibrating with excitement.

Garret chuckled, giving Yuan a hearty clap on the shoulder. "Well, Principal, seems like the universe decided to throw you a bone. You've finally got your treasure back!"

Yuan grinned from ear to ear. "I couldn't be happier!"

As Yuan skipped away, joy radiating from him, Garret leaned against the tree again and muttered to himself, "You'd think he found the secret to eternal life, not just a misplaced coin."

Principal Yuan, still giddy with excitement, raced back toward the academy, his heart lighter than it had been in days. He couldn't wait to tell the students. After all, finding a lost coin was no small feat in his book.

His happiness knew no bounds. Finally, the mystery was solved—or so he thought.

_____

Principal Yuan had barely finished basking in the glow of his newfound happiness when his assistant, with a smug expression, stepped out from behind the academy's great oak doors. Her face was calm but filled with a certain air of mystery, and Yuan immediately felt a shift in the air.

"Principal Yuan," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction, "I've discovered the culprit behind the missing coin."

Principal Yuan froze mid-step, his euphoric grin faltering. "C-Culprit? You mean there was a plot behind the 99 coins?"

Garret, who had been leaning against the gate with a satisfied smirk, raised an eyebrow. "Oh, now this is getting interesting," he muttered under his breath, clearly entertained. He thought the story had ended, but here was a new twist. He crossed his arms, a grin spreading wider on his face. This just keeps getting better, he mused.

Yuan's assistant, thoroughly pleased with herself, nodded. "Yes, sir. And you'll never guess who's responsible." Her tone was almost too smug, as though she had unearthed a grand conspiracy.

Principal Yuan's eyes widened in shock. "Who…who would do such a thing? Who would torment me like this?"

Garret chuckled to himself at the dramatic way Principal Yuan was clutching his velvet bag of coins as if it were his firstborn. "I'm going to need a snack for this," he whispered, leaning closer with an eager gleam in his eyes.

The assistant clasped her hands behind her back and took a breath, ready to explain. "Well, before we get to that, I must confess something." She paused for effect, drawing Principal Yuan's undivided attention.

"The extra coin—the hundredth one you found this morning—that was me."

Principal Yuan's mouth fell open in disbelief. "You? You put the extra coin in there? But why?!" He couldn't decide if he was touched or even more confused.

The assistant gave him a knowing smile. "I couldn't stand watching you suffer any longer. You were obsessed with that missing coin. It was all you could think about. I thought it best to restore some balance to your world."

Principal Yuan blinked, then his eyes softened. "You did that... for me?" He suddenly felt a wave of warmth. What a thoughtful assistant! How lucky I am to have someone so considerate, someone who would go out of their way just to give me peace of mind.

Garret, on the other hand, could barely contain his laughter. He clutched his stomach as he snickered. "Obsessed? That's putting it lightly. You've been like a squirrel on a sugar high all week."

Principal Yuan shot him a fierce glare that made Garret immediately straighten up and zip his mouth shut, though the amusement still danced in his eyes.

The assistant, sensing the moment to strike, continued her tale. "But my act of kindness wasn't the real mystery. No, no... the real plot was hatched by others."

Principal Yuan leaned in closer, his curiosity piqued. "Who? Who would dare to toy with me like this?"

She cleared her throat, looking a little proud. "I went on a quest to get to the bottom of the matter. After days of observing your... peculiar behavior—"

"Peculiar?" Yuan interrupted, clearly offended.

She cleared her throat and launched into her story. "So, a few days ago, I noticed your behavior was becoming… a bit unusual."

"Unusual?" Yuan scoffed. "What do you mean, unusual?"

"Obnoxious," she replied, deadpan.

Garret burst into laughter. "She said it, not me!"

Principal Yuan glared at Garret, who quickly stifled his chuckles but still wore a wide grin.

"Anyway," she continued,

"—I decided to visit several inns and tea houses around the city, hoping to find a lead," the assistant continued, ignoring the interruption. "Then, yesterday, I stumbled upon a curious scene at a quiet inn on the outskirts. I walked in and saw three principals, seated together at a small table—Principal Liang of Rainbow Academy, Principal Mei of Destiny Academy, and Principal Zhang of Pure Heart Academy. All three, in the same room, in secret."

Principal Yuan's eyes widened in shock. "They what? Those old fossils were meeting together? Without me?"

Garret leaned back against the gate, arms crossed, shaking his head with a grin. "This is gold."

The assistant smirked slightly before resuming her tale. "I was confused, too. I mean, why would those three meet like this? So, naturally, I stayed close and… listened in."

"You eavesdropped?" Principal Yuan asked, half-impressed, half-scandalized.

"Of course," she replied with a shrug. "And I'm glad I did. You won't believe what I heard."

Garret leaned in, eagerly awaiting the juicy details. Principal Yuan held his breath.

"The three principals were celebrating." She paused dramatically.

"Celebrating what?" Yuan asked, his heart pounding. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"They were celebrating the success of their revenge plot against you," she said, eyes wide with emphasis. "It was all an elaborate scheme to drive you crazy!"

Principal Yuan stumbled back as if he had been physically struck. "Revenge? Against me? Why?!"

The assistant crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "They said they were getting back at you for all the times you've outsmarted them or gotten the better of them in the past. Apparently, they've been holding onto some grudges for years. And it all came to a head with this—targeting your greatest weakness."

Yuan frowned. "My greatest weakness? What, my impeccable sense of strategy? My vast knowledge of martial arts? My—"

"Your money, sir," the assistant interjected bluntly.

Garret burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. "Your money? Oh, this is rich! I've never heard of someone's Achilles' heel being their gold coins."

Principal Yuan ignored him, his face turning a shade of red. "Those scoundrels… targeting my finances? Unbelievable!"