Journey of the Scholar

She smirked and continued her tale. "I listened carefully, and I heard them talking about their past encounters with you, Principal Yuan. It seems that in their eyes, you've scammed them over and over again."

Yuan scoffed. "Scammed? Me? That's preposterous!"

"Let me explain," Xiao Li said, holding up a hand. "The first to speak was Principal Liang. He was ranting about some old incident involving a bet you two made."

At the Inn

Principal Liang raising his mug, "To our sweet, sweet revenge! Finally, that swindler Yuan gets a taste of his own medicine!"

Principal Mei laughing, "Oh, don't get me started on that bet! He convinced me that the new training method would make my students twice as fast! Instead, they just became twice as hungry and drained our academy's food supplies for weeks!"

Principal Zhang chuckling, "You think that's bad? He sold me on those 'meditative lotus seeds' for calming the mind. Turns out, they were just plain sunflower seeds! My students spent hours snacking instead of meditating!"

Principal Liang pounding the table, "Don't even talk about scams! Remember the 'premium' cultivation manual he sent me? It was just a blank journal! The cover looked fancy, though!"

Principal Mei snorting, "He's always been crafty. That time he convinced me to invest in 'cloud silk robes,' saying they'd improve spiritual energy absorption. Turns out, they were just regular robes made of cheap cotton. We looked like we were attending a pajama party instead of training!"

Principal Zhang sighing dramatically,"And who could forget the 'spiritual tea' he gifted me? I thought it was going to boost my energy, but it just put me to sleep for three days straight! I missed an entire academy meeting!"

___

She stifled a laugh as she recounted the story, but Principal Yuan looked horrified.

"That's… that's slander! I never… well, maybe some slight misunderstandings happened in the past, but nothing intentional!"

Garret couldn't contain himself any longer. "Oh, Principal Yuan, you've been scamming other academies with fake robes and meditation seeds? This is priceless!"

Yuan shot him another glare. "Quiet, Garret! This is serious!"

She cleared her throat, trying to stay on track. "But the real kicker was what they said next. After recounting all their grudges, Principal Liang came up with a devious plan."

Back at the Inn

Principal Liang, leaning forward, grinning mischievously, "Yuan's always been obsessed with money, right? Well, what's the best way to drive him mad? Take away one golden coin! Just one! Leave him with 99 instead of 100, and watch him spiral into madness."

Principal Mei laughing, "Brilliant! He won't be able to stand it! He'll be counting those coins day and night, wondering where the missing one went!"

Principal Zhang chuckling, "I love it! It's so simple, yet so cruel. He'll be tearing his hair out within days!"

Principal Liang, raising his mug, "To chaos! This is what happens when you mess with us!"

____

The assistant continued. "It turns out Principal Liang, Principal Mei, and Principal Zhang have been secretly jealous of your success for years. They were furious about how you always seem to come out on top. Principal Liang complained that you'd once scammed him out of an entire collection of rare scrolls during a 'friendly' trade."

Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, please, that was ages ago. And he was a fool to think I'd give him that priceless jade artifact for a few scrolls on beginner-level sword techniques."

The assistant raised an eyebrow. "Well, it seems he hasn't forgotten. Principal Mei ranted about how you embarrassed him at last year's academic summit by revealing his 'top-secret' martial technique to the audience—"

"That technique was just basic chi manipulation!" Yuan protested. "I was doing him a favor, saving him from further humiliation!"

"—and Principal Zhang claimed that you once won a bet that cost him half of his academy's annual budget."

Yuan chuckled, a little sheepishly. "He really should've known better than to bet against me in a game of wits."

Garret wiped tears from his eyes, still laughing. "No wonder they wanted revenge! You've been driving them up the wall for years."

She finished her story with a triumphant smile. "So, that's how it happened. They took one of your golden coins just to mess with you, and when they heard about how frantic you were becoming, they gathered at that inn to celebrate."

"And they succeeded," Principal Yuan muttered, his fists clenching. "Those... those treacherous villains!"

The assistant sighed. "They were gathered at the inn to celebrate how well their plan had worked. They were laughing about your recent behavior, mocking you for running around the city like a madman, counting and recounting your coins."

Principal Yuan's face turned beet red. "Mocking me, were they? Oh, they'll pay for this. I'll—"

Garret stepped forward, still grinning. "Well, I've gotta say, Principal Yuan, this whole thing's been quite the ride. But hey, now you know who your true enemies are. And at least they didn't steal all your coins."

Principal Yuan grumbled under his breath, still fuming. "I'll have to think of a way to deal with those three... but for now, it seems I owe you my thanks," he said, turning to his assistant.

She smiled modestly. "Just doing my duty, sir."

As Principal Yuan stormed back into his office, plotting revenge in his mind, Garret followed, still chuckling at the absurdity of it all. "You've gotta admit," he said, clapping Yuan on the back, "this is one for the history books."

Yuan muttered darkly to himself. "They'll regret the day they crossed me…"

Garret leaned back with a grin. "So, what's next? Are you going to confront those pranksters or let it slide?"

Yuan's eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint. "Oh, I'll confront them, alright. But not yet. I think it's time I return the favor… with interest."

Garret's grin widened. "Now that is a story I can't wait to see unfold."

But deep down, Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of twisted admiration for the scheme his rivals had cooked up.

_______

Principal Yuan leaned back in his chair, a devilish grin spreading across his face. His earlier frustration over the missing coin had faded, replaced by the thrill of executing a perfect prank.

The three principals who had dared to mess with him—Liang from Rainbow Academy, Mei from Destiny Academy, and Zhang from Pure Heart Academy—were about to walk into his trap.

He had invited them to a "Cultivation Insights" event, promising exclusive predictions about their academies' futures from a renowned fortune teller.

And boy, was this fortune teller renowned. Renowned, that is, for being an actor with a flair for the dramatic and a wicked sense of humor.

As the day of the event arrived, Yuan watched from the shadows, his acting flawless as ever.

He welcomed his unsuspecting guests with a serene and mysterious air, as if he himself had seen the truths of the universe through countless meditative hours.

he event was held in a candlelit room, filled with incense and draped in mystical symbols, designed to look ancient and foreboding.

The fortune teller, an eccentric old man dressed in elaborate robes, sat cross-legged on a mat, his eyes half-closed, humming softly. A crystal ball sat in front of him, flickering with eerie light.

Principal Liang, Principal Mei, and Principal Zhang exchanged uneasy glances as they entered the room. Each of them had received personal invitations, each signed with Yuan's typically formal handwriting.

They had been suspicious at first—Yuan was not exactly known for sharing insights, especially not for free—but curiosity had won out.

"Perhaps he's trying to make amends," Principal Mei whispered to the others as they sat down.

"Or maybe he's setting us up for another one of his schemes," Principal Zhang muttered, eyeing the fortune teller warily. "Remember the 'meditative lotus seeds'? I'm still finding sunflower shells in my academy courtyard."

Principal Liang, always the optimist, waved them off. "Nonsense. Maybe Yuan's finally turning over a new leaf. Besides, if this guy is really a seer, think of the advantage we'll have!"

Yuan, keeping his expression carefully neutral, welcomed them all. "I've brought you here to glimpse into the future of your academies. Our fortune teller, the Great Sagesse, is unparalleled in his accuracy. I thought it would benefit us all to hear his predictions."

Principal Mei raised an eyebrow. "And you're not seeking anything in return?"

Yuan shook his head, giving a benevolent smile. "Consider it my gift of peace."

The three principals nodded cautiously, though their skepticism lingered. After all, this was Principal Yuan.

_____

The fortune teller, "Great Sagesse," sat up straighter, cracking his knuckles dramatically. "Let us begin," he said in a gravelly voice, leaning over his crystal ball and squinting as if the future itself were a little blurry today.

He turned first to Principal Liang, waving his hands in the air as though summoning cosmic energies. "Principal Liang," he began, his voice deep and foreboding, "I see in your future…a great challenge awaits you."

Liang leaned forward eagerly. "A challenge? What kind?"

The fortune teller raised a hand, signaling for silence. "A challenge…involving an unexpectedly large quantity of vegetables."

Liang blinked, confused. "Vegetables?"

The fortune teller nodded solemnly. "Yes, a mountain of vegetables. They will overwhelm you if you are not prepared."

Principal Liang sat back, frowning. He was trying to make sense of it. "A surplus of vegetables… Perhaps this is symbolic? Maybe it means I'll receive too many resources at once, and I'll need to preserve them… Yes, yes, a test of managing abundance! That's it!"

Principal Mei stifled a laugh, but Yuan remained stoic. "The future is mysterious," he said, hiding his amusement.

Next, the fortune teller turned to Principal Mei, locking eyes with her as if he were peering into her very soul. "Principal Mei, I see…a grand feast in your future. A feast of great importance that you must prepare for."

Mei's eyes lit up. "A feast? So, you're saying I'll be hosting a major event? Perhaps to celebrate a victory or a significant achievement?"

The fortune teller nodded slowly. "Yes…a feast with many mouths to feed. But beware, for the guests will have unusual appetites."

Mei, not one to miss an opportunity, took this seriously. "Unusual appetites? That must mean they'll be from distant regions, with different tastes! I should prepare dishes from across the continent. It'll be a cultural feast!"

Yuan nearly snorted at her interpretation but kept his composure.

Finally, the fortune teller turned to Principal Zhang. He waved his hands over the crystal ball, mumbling under his breath, before declaring, "Principal Zhang, you will soon become a legendary figure in a field related to…bread."

Zhang's brow furrowed. "Bread?"

The fortune teller nodded, his voice serious. "Yes. Bread. The dough of destiny shall rise under your leadership."

Zhang, ever the intellectual, tried to connect the dots. "Bread… Bread could be a metaphor. Perhaps I'm destined to revolutionize the cultivation of grains, turning it into a new, vital resource for spiritual energy. Yes, that must be it! A new cultivation method using the power of food! I'll become a legend!"

Yuan bit his lip, fighting back laughter. His plan was working beautifully.

_____

The next few weeks were a sight to behold. Each of the three principals took the predictions to heart, implementing bizarre new programs at their academies based on the fortune teller's "insights."

Principal Liang, convinced that a vegetable crisis was imminent, set up emergency vegetable preservation workshops. His students were baffled as they were taught how to pickle cabbages and store turnips for the coming "challenge." The academy's gardens were overflowing, and soon, there were more vegetables than they knew what to do with.

"Better safe than sorry," Liang said, eyeing the growing piles of preserved radishes with concern.

Meanwhile, Principal Mei went all out on her "grand feast." She hired chefs from every corner of the kingdom, expecting dignitaries and important figures to arrive at any moment. The tables were set, the food was prepared, but the guests… were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, she was faced with an influx of new students—all of whom had peculiar dietary needs. One only ate boiled eggs, another could only consume soup made from dragon bone marrow, and yet another insisted on a diet of raw mushrooms.

Mei, flustered but determined, tried to meet their demands, thinking this was the "grand feast" the fortune teller had mentioned.

"Is this what you meant by unusual appetites?" she grumbled, watching as her carefully prepared banquet was ignored in favor of bizarre snack requests.

Over at Pure Heart Academy, Principal Zhang had turned his attention to bread-making with an intensity that bordered on obsession.

He believed he was on the verge of a great breakthrough—combining cultivation techniques with baking to create "spiritually enhanced bread."

His students were subjected to endless bread-making lessons, with Zhang encouraging them to "knead their spiritual energy into the dough."

The results were… less than legendary. In fact, most of the bread was inedible, and some students began to wonder if their cultivation skills had been traded for the ability to bake mediocre loaves.

After a month of watching his rivals scramble under the weight of ridiculous predictions, Principal Yuan decided it was time to reveal the truth.

He invited the three principals to a joint academy event, promising another "important announcement."

The room was filled with students and faculty from all four academies, buzzing with excitement. Yuan stepped up to the podium with a smug smile, his hands clasped behind his back.

"My esteemed colleagues," he began, "I hope the last few weeks have been enlightening for you. But before we continue, I must reveal something."

He gestured to the large screen behind him, where a video began to play. It was footage of the fortune teller rehearsing his lines—exaggerating every word with comedic flair.

The audience burst into laughter as the predictions were revealed for what they truly were: a prank.

Principal Liang's face turned bright red as the camera zoomed in on his panic-stricken expression when he heard "vegetables."

Principal Mei gasped as her overly serious reaction to the "feast" prediction was replayed, while Principal Zhang stared in disbelief as his bread-baking obsession was mocked on screen.

Yuan turned to face the three principals, barely able to keep a straight face. "It seems the future wasn't quite as mysterious as we thought, hmm?"

The room erupted in laughter, and even the three prank victims couldn't help but chuckle at themselves. Liang shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Well played, Yuan. Well played."

Mei crossed her arms but smirked. "You're lucky this was actually pretty funny."

Zhang, still in shock, muttered, "I can't believe I started a bread-making class…"

The video went viral across the academies, and Principal Yuan's reputation as a master prankster was cemented. His lighthearted revenge had not only entertained everyone, but also brought the four academies closer together—one laugh at a time.