Before the second day had fully passed, all eighteen disciples could already steadily fly from the Disciple Room in the south to the northern island. Though some were faster than others, achieving such results in just two days showed this year's disciples were indeed different from previous years.
The Black-veiled woman, who had been hiding in a tree on standby, nodded approvingly. Suddenly, she heard sweet snoring sounds from below. Helplessly peeking out from the shadows, she saw Hu Jiaping, who had been invited to teach the disciples, sprawled out asleep—grinning and drooling in some dream.
A young female disciple approached, looking at him with disdain as she poked him with a finger. "Sir? Sir! Everyone can fly now! Wake up already!"
Despite her poking and calling, Hu Jiaping merely smiled, rolled over, and continued sleeping. The Black-veiled woman couldn't take it anymore—she flicked a tiny light toward his forehead. He jolted awake in pain.
"Hmm...?" Hu Jiaping rubbed his forehead groggily, looking around. "Who hit me?"
Seeing him finally awake, the girl said, "Sir, we've all learned Sword Flying. Please take a look."
Hu Jiaping glanced at the sky—there was still time before nightfall. Had they really learned so quickly? Yawning lazily, he got up, dusted himself off, and followed the girl a few steps before suddenly turning to gaze at the treetop behind him.
The Black-veiled woman quietly pulled her black skirt back up the trunk, shrinking into the shadows without moving a muscle.
Abruptly, he chuckled and drawled, "A Mu? Finally done hiding from me?"
"Huh? Sir, what are you talking about?" the young disciple frowned.
He only smiled without answering. By then, all the disciples had gathered in the clearing—but not a single one stood on the ground. Each was high in the air on their swords, as if silently protesting their irresponsible teacher from above.
Hu Jiaping let out an "Oh," offering rare praise: "Not bad. At least you won't starve now that you can Sword Fly."
...Won't starve? The kids had no words for him.
"Since you've all learned Sword Flying, we can start formal training early tomorrow... Hmm, let's see—groups of three should work."
He pulled out a training schedule from his robe, flipping through it haphazardly before suddenly raising his voice: "A Mu! August training starts a day early—basic training in groups of three! You handle the groupings!"
Who was he talking to? The children exchanged confused glances. Who was A Mu?
From a massive tree in front of the Disciple Room, the Black-veiled woman's icy yet delicate voice rang out: "Understood."
The Black-veiled woman was A Mu? Everyone erupted in murmurs. When had she arrived? Had she been hiding in the tree this whole time?
Hu Jiaping grinned, crossing his arms. "That's all for today. You brats can scram now!"
...How rude! The children disdainfully walked past him toward the Disciple Room. After a few steps, they heard him shout again: "You dare run! A Mu, let's see where you escape to this time!" With that, he vanished in a gust of wind.
Baili Gelin snorted. "That Hu Jiaping definitely likes the Black-veiled woman, A Mu! Too bad she won't give him the time of day! Serves him right!"
Li Fei asked curiously, "How do you know?"Baili Gelin wore a look that said “I know everything” and laughed, “Didn’t you hear him? The black-veiled woman has been avoiding him—she must think he’s unreliable and too much of a rogue! Only someone blind would take a liking to him.”
Li Fei was even more puzzled. “Why would someone have to be blind to like him just because he’s unreliable and roguish?”
This Hu Jiaping was a direct disciple under some Zhenren from No Moon Court. Though she didn’t know how that differed from ordinary disciples, it sounded more impressive. Right, he was from No Moon Court—maybe he knew her senior brother? She should find a chance to ask him later…
Li Fei’s thoughts began to drift.
Baili Gelin was still holding forth with her vast knowledge. “Of course she wouldn’t like him! This Hu Jiaping speaks rudely, acts frivolously, and can’t even dress properly—he looks awful! How could any girl like him?”
Li Fei gazed at her in admiration. “Ge Lin, you know so much.”
She had never even considered the things Gelin was talking about. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of them—more like such ideas simply didn’t exist in her mind. Those seemed like grown-up matters. They were still children—why worry about such things?
“You have to start searching for and nurturing a good man early,” Baili Gelin sighed, patting her shoulder. “You’re almost eleven—you should start thinking about it soon. Otherwise, when you’re older, men will only get worse and harder to manage. Li Fei, you should dress up a bit and see if anyone at the Academy catches your eye. Ye Ye is the best, but he’s already my sister’s, so you’ll have to pick someone else.”
Ye Ye, who had been silent until now, finally reacted. He flicked Gelin’s forehead with a finger and scolded, “Nonsense. Spouting rubbish despite your tiny size. Li Fei, don’t listen to her—you’ll be led astray.”
“I’ve been carefully observing the boys at the Academy lately,” Baili Gelin dodged Ye Ye’s hand and winked at Li Fei. “There’s one surnamed Zhao who seems pretty good—looks simple and naive, definitely won’t twist my head like Ye Ye does!”
Who was this Zhao person? Li Fei racked her brains but couldn’t recall. She hardly knew or interacted with the other children at the Academy.
“Anyway, I’ve decided—I’ll definitely find the one I like best.” Baili Gelin grinned and took Li Fei’s hand. “Li Fei, you should find one too.”
“Huh? I—I’ll just… I’ll pass…” Li Fei hastily declined. As she turned her head, she suddenly caught sight of Lei Xiuyuan’s figure flashing past in the crowd. Instinctively, she called out, “Xiu Yuan!”
He didn’t seem to hear and vanished into the throng in the blink of an eye. Li Fei hesitated, about to chase after him, when someone grabbed her. Baili Gelin said, “Forget that two-faced guy! Come on, let’s go see what food they have up north.”
Without waiting for a reply, she dragged Li Fei onto her sword and flew toward the northern island.
The courtyard of the Disciple Room was silent. Most of the children had gone to the eateries on the northern island for meals. Ji Tongzhou stood quietly, gazing at the wisteria vines cascading over the courtyard wall. His mood was foul, and he had barely spoken all day.
Though he had quickly mastered sword flying today and flew no worse than those beggars, in the end, he had still been overshadowed—none of them had learned as swiftly or skillfully as the others.He had always prided himself on being a prodigious talent, doted upon even among the imperial family of Yue Kingdom. Though there were others in the clan with Spirit Roots, from childhood he had always been the strongest. Even among the disciples participating in the Young Phoenix Academy's selection, he was confident he stood above the rest.
Yet this confidence had begun to crumble ever since the preliminary selections for the academy began.
In combat, he found himself no match for Jiang Li Fei. In Sword flying, he couldn't even surpass that useless beggar who cried all day.
Noble in status, he had always been revered—from the servants and maids in his mansion to the children of officials and ministers, even the princesses and princes of various vassal states. But at the academy, not only was he rooming with two beggars, the other disciples ignored him entirely. They'd rather talk to Ye Ye and his group than spare him a glance. The only ones still by his side were Lan Ya Junzhu and his sycophants—everything he had once prided himself on was slowly slipping away.
The proud young prince couldn't immediately accept this stark contrast and let out a soft sigh.
One of the sycophants immediately stepped forward to console him: "Your Highness, why sigh when you've only just arrived at the academy? Shall we head north for a meal? It's livelier there."
The second sycophant sneered: "His Highness lacks nothing. Why mingle with those lowly commoners in the north and dirty his robes? I say we dine in the Disciple Room—it's far more refined with Lan Ya Junzhu."
Ji Tongzhou watched coldly as his sycophants fawned over him. Normally, this would have pleased him, but today, for some reason, it only deepened his irritation.
How many of them were truly sincere? Perhaps most only cared for his princely status? These people had been selected since childhood to accompany him—children of commoners with excellent potential, their parents rewarded with wealth and noble status. But if... if one day he failed to become a pillar of the Yue imperial family, would anyone still care for him?
A flicker of fear crossed Ji Tongzhou's mind. These weren't new thoughts, but he had always brushed them aside before they could take root. Even now, he refused to dwell on them.
No one loathed the idea of "perhaps not being as formidable as he thought" more than he did. He would never admit it—he would be the strongest. He had to be!
The academy gate creaked open softly, followed by light, graceful footsteps. Among all the disciples, only Lan Ya carried herself with such poise. Ji Tongzhou didn't need to turn to know it was her—the faint orchid fragrance from her skirts, mingling with the cool scent of creeping fig vines, was unmistakable.
"Your Highness, won't you dine yet?" Lan Ya Junzhu approached with a smile. "It's getting late."
Ji Tongzhou hesitated, then suddenly said, "...Why not go to the northern island to see what food they have?"
Lan Ya's delicate face darkened instantly. She forced a smile. "Your Highness, Lan Ya has never dined with commoners. Moreover, given your status, visiting such a place might... tarnish your dignity."
Ji Tongzhou nodded silently. "...Let's go. We'll eat inside."
"After you, Your Highness." Lan Ya took a step back and half-bowed, waiting for him to enter.
Perfect etiquette, flawless movements—compared to the casual demeanor of the other disciples, they seemed like beings from entirely different worlds.The courtyard gate creaked open again, and it was Lei Xiuyuan returning alone. The sight of him instantly darkened Ji Tongzhou's mood, stirring up the irritation from yesterday when Xiuyuan had outshone him with his sword flying.
Frowning, Ji Tongzhou pushed the door open to enter when Lan Ya timidly called out from the side, "Your Highness...?"
"What is it?" He turned impatiently, only to see his usual lackeys had already surrounded Lei Xiuyuan. Noticing their master's foul mood, they had likely decided to vent his frustrations on this pitiful beggar.
"Hey! Who said you could come in here?" One of the lackeys spread his arms arrogantly, blocking the way. "His Highness is about to dine, and your stench will ruin the meal! Get lost!"
Lei Xiuyuan regarded them coldly, neither speaking nor moving. Thinking he was paralyzed with fear, the lackeys grew bolder. One stepped forward and shoved him hard. "I said scram! Or we'll beat you senseless!"
They expected the beggar to crumple as usual, wailing in terror. But today, despite being shoved repeatedly, he stood firm.
"Enough!" Ji Tongzhou snapped, too weary for this nonsense. "All of you, come here!"
Grumbling, the lackeys gave Lei Xiuyuan one final push. "His Highness is merciful today. Now get lost!"
Suddenly, one of them yelped in pain—his wrist seized in an iron grip. To everyone's shock, the hand belonged to the supposedly weak and cowardly beggar.
Lei Xiuyuan's brow furrowed darkly. "Perfect timing. I'm in a foul mood myself. You'll do nicely to vent it."
A sharp crack followed. The boy whose arm was grabbed turned deathly pale, collapsing to the ground clutching his wrist. His agonized scream came moments later—his hand felt nearly shattered!
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