Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Xuan Ren means Mystic Nine.
An Jiu inwardly scoffed. Names like Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow, along with titles like "Instructor," sounded like some Eastern cult organization.
Sheng Zhangku locked away An Jiu's records and said to Xu Zhi, "You take her there."
By protocol, Xu Zhi shouldn’t have been the one to escort An Jiu, but Sheng Zhangku had worked with him for years and had yet to encounter someone whose mind he couldn’t read. So he deliberately let Xu Zhi spend more time with her, hoping for some progress.
Xu Zhi was more than willing. Without hesitation, he agreed and led An Jiu to the Chief Instructor. Along the way, he briefed her on the Crane Control Institute’s structure, all while subtly probing her.
The highest authority in the Crane Control Institute was the Director, followed by the Envoy and the Deputy Envoy. There were also numerous other civil officials of varying ranks, but the one who actually managed the institute’s day-to-day affairs was the Chief Instructor. Below the Chief Instructor were the four teams: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow, each led by their respective Instructors.
Newcomers like An Jiu weren’t qualified to meet everyone. They only needed to be inspected by the Profound Instructor.
Xu Zhi led her to the training grounds. "Normally, the Profound Instructor isn’t here, but these past few days are for assigning new recruits, so all the Instructors are present to select candidates. If you’re accepted into the Mystic Team, you’ll effectively be part of the Divine Martial Army. But if your aptitude doesn’t meet the standards and the Profound Instructor rejects you..."
Xu Zhi deliberately trailed off, hoping to pique her curiosity. Unfortunately, An Jiu wasn’t biting and showed no intention of asking. Left with no choice, he muttered sullenly, "If the Profound Instructor doesn’t take you, you might be assigned to another team."
An Jiu gave an indifferent "Mm" to acknowledge she understood.
Her nonchalance made Xu Zhi grit his teeth. Resolved, he bluntly asked, "I heard most of the attackers besieging Mei Shi were eighth- or ninth-rank experts. Must’ve been terrifying to escape death like that?"
An Jiu replied flatly, "Terrifying."
"Doesn’t it still upset you to think about it now?" Xu Zhi was nearly going mad—he still couldn’t detect any emotional fluctuations from her!
An Jiu paused briefly but didn’t respond. She knew her words often came off poorly, and since she’d just entered the Crane Control Institute, it was better to speak less and avoid mistakes.
At this moment, Xu Zhi finally sensed something from her thoughts—her innate wariness and caution. He decided not to press further. Once he calmed down, he recalled his earlier questions and wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in shame. His performance had been downright disgraceful for someone who claimed mastery of "Mind Reading"!
An Jiu followed behind Xu Zhi, keeping her gaze forward, but her peripheral vision never stopped surveying the layout of the Crane Control Institute.
The entire path was lined with cold, austere buildings, reminiscent of some training facilities An Jiu had stayed in before. The area near the training grounds was more open, but it was surrounded by thirty-foot-high walls. The architecture was cleverly designed to block sunlight, ensuring that even the sunniest spots received no more than two hours of daylight.
"Up ahead is the training grounds," Xu Zhi said, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he nodded toward a pair of tightly shut black iron gates.
The gates stood about nine feet tall, devoid of any carvings or even door rings—just a solid, oppressive black mass that looked incredibly heavy.
"Master Xu," a guard atop the gate tower spotted Xu Zhi and saluted with clasped fists.Mind Reading is an extremely rare ability, and whether one can master it entirely depends on innate talent. Therefore, even though Xu Zhi worked on the periphery without an official rank and couldn’t interfere in internal affairs, his status in the Crane Control Institute was not low. Most people still respectfully addressed him as "Sir" when they saw him.
"This is a newcomer recommended by the Divine Martial Army, Xuan Ren. Sheng Zhangku asked me to bring her to the Profound Instructor for inspection," Xu Zhi said.
Hearing this, the guards dared not delay and relayed the message to open the inner door.
The heavy iron door emitted a dull, occasionally sharp grinding sound as it slowly parted, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through. Inside was pitch black, with a chilling wind whistling through. Faint sounds of distant combat could be heard.
"I can only take you this far," Xu Zhi said.
An Jiu thanked him and stepped inside without looking back.
Xu Zhi was surprised. He had assumed this girl was naturally aloof and unfamiliar with social niceties, never expecting to hear a word of gratitude from her! Immediately, he felt his earlier judgment might have been mistaken. But just as he thought to exchange a few more words with her, the iron door slowly began to close.
A heavy, muffled thud—like the low growl of a beast—cut An Jiu off from the normal world.
Following her guide, An Jiu walked down a long corridor. The intermittent sounds of combat ahead were the only noise apart from her own footsteps, as if a living person had trespassed into hell.
At the end of the path, another wooden door opened, and blinding light suddenly flooded in. An Jiu squinted against the stinging brightness.
After adjusting slightly, she could see two figures locked in combat not far away. Dark red blood was splattered everywhere, and yellow sand kicked up by their movements hung thick in the air, mingling with the heavy scent of blood to form a hazy mist.
The space was a circular arena, not particularly large. Sunlight poured onto the central area, while the shaded areas beneath the surrounding canopies were cast in deep darkness. Those standing in the center were fully exposed, yet the figures beneath the canopies remained indistinct.
Even An Jiu could only vaguely make out the scene. Under the southern canopy sat four figures clad in black, each flanked by another person. Opposite her, more than twenty people sat in the open. With a quick glance, An Jiu spotted a familiar face among them!
The moment the wooden door opened, the people opposite all turned to look. Lou Mingyue, seated among them, immediately recognized An Jiu and gave her a slight nod.
"Come with me," the guide whispered.
An Jiu withdrew her gaze and followed him to the canopy where the four black-clad figures sat. She swiftly assessed them—three men and one woman, all draped in wide mantles, their faces entirely concealed by hoods, making their features indiscernible.
"Honored Instructors, another newcomer has arrived," the guide reported with a bow. "She was recommended by the Divine Martial Army. Sheng Zhangku has already assigned her to the Profound Group under the designation Xuan Ren."
Almost simultaneously, the four turned their gazes toward An Jiu, their mental strength exerting a palpable pressure.
Seeing An Jiu lower her head slightly yet remain utterly unshaken, the four were astonished. With such strength, she could have directly entered the Crane Control Army—why go through the motions at the Crane Control Institute?
"Who recommended you?"
The second figure from An Jiu’s left spoke, his voice suggesting he was at least in his sixties.
An Jiu guessed this must be the Profound Instructor.Over there, Sheng Zhangku had known from the start that it was Chu Dingjiang who recommended her, which meant the connection was already exposed. Chu Dingjiang, that towering tree, seemed to be in danger himself—but hadn’t he once held the Divine Martial Decree? As someone rumored to be the emperor’s man, surely he wouldn’t fall so easily? Moreover, her current situation wasn’t exactly optimistic.
After a brief consideration, An Jiu replied, “Former Divine Martial Commander of the Crane Control Army, Chu Dingjiang.”
“Chu Dingjiang…” The Profound Instructor wasn’t entirely familiar with the affairs of the Crane Control Army, but news as significant as the replacement of a commander had reached his ears—especially since that man had technically been his superior.
“How timely. Arrange for her to take the field,” an elderly woman’s voice interjected.
The speaker was the farthest from An Jiu. Based on the “Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow” ranking, An Jiu deduced she must be the Heaven Instructor.
“Though the Divine Martial Commander was demoted, he still holds the position of Divine Martial Commander. Since he personally recommended her, I suggest we skip the test,” the Profound Instructor said.
An Jiu hadn’t expected Chu Dingjiang to still hold such prestige within the Crane Control Institute. Even after being demoted, there were those willing to show him respect.
“We never said she couldn’t join the Mystic group. It’s just that this is the first time such a high-ranking official has personally recommended someone. Let’s see her in action—give us something to marvel at,” the Earth Instructor remarked, his tone laced with faint amusement that came off as particularly cutting in this context.
The Earth Instructor’s voice carried a somewhat effeminate quality. An Jiu couldn’t gauge his exact age from his voice alone, but he was clearly much younger than the others, likely under forty.
The Heaven and Yellow Instructors voiced their agreement.
The Profound Instructor chuckled. “Since she’s already entered the Crane Control Institute, you’ll have plenty of chances to see her in action. What’s the rush? Sheng Zhangku has already assigned her the name ‘Xuan Ren,’ making her my student. If I say she doesn’t need to take the field, then she doesn’t! Anyone who disagrees can take it up with Sheng Zhangku!”
Because Sheng Zhangku resembled Zhao Shanchang from the Mei Clan School—though with fairer skin—An Jiu had privately nicknamed him “White Fox” in her mind.
Initially, she hadn’t realized this White Fox held much authority, given how perfunctory he seemed in handling matters, often scribbling “pending investigation” without proper inquiry.
“Fair enough,” the Earth Instructor said lightly, flicking his fingers in a delicate gesture as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “Three months is more than enough time. I’ll have to plan something special for our newcomer.”
A blatant threat! In three months, there would be a major life-or-death trial. He was clearly planning to make things difficult for An Jiu—openly and without shame.
The Profound Instructor snorted coldly and refused to engage further.
From this exchange, An Jiu could roughly surmise that the dynamics within the Crane Control Institute were quite complex. Her initial impression was that the Profound Instructor was upright and principled, the Heaven Instructor unafraid of trouble, and the Yellow Instructor—who had spoken little—seemed more cautious. As for the Earth Instructor, her strongest impression could be summed up in two tactful words: effeminate! If she had to add an adjective to those two words, it would be: snide and effeminate! And if she had to pick a more fitting term, An Jiu would say: damn eunuch!
“Go sit over there for now,” the Profound Instructor said.
An Jiu clasped her hands in a brief salute and turned to join Lou Mingyue and the others.
The four instructors watched her composed and unyielding demeanor, each harboring their own thoughts.
The seats on either side of Lou Mingyue were already taken, so An Jiu settled into an empty spot not far behind her.
The focus of the training grounds returned to the two figures locked in combat at the center.An Jiu was observing the fight when she suddenly sensed someone spying on her. She turned her head and caught sight of an unfamiliar face.
The man had a long, gaunt face devoid of color, with brown eyes and even faintly brownish-yellow eyebrows, giving him a rather plain appearance. He was sitting beside Lou Mingyue and, caught off guard at being discovered, froze for a moment before smiling openly at An Jiu.
An Jiu vaguely felt that this person was familiar—but who was he? (To be continued...)
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