Book 1: Chapter 7: Valor, Loyalty, and Honor

Valor, loyalty, and honor, the passion of the academy predecessors made their merits and achievements exist forever.

Border barbarians, golden spoons and bumpkins were all singing, their voices reflecting the brilliance and ideals of those before them, filling these sounds with a type of great power.

This song was sung more than a single time, only when it was deep into the night did it slowly fade.

Meng Bai, Zhang Ping and the others all picked a nearby tent, falling asleep.

“Beef jerky… tastes good…”

Meng Bai who was in the tent next to Lin Xi was even occasionally sleep talking.

Even though Lin Xi was also exhausted, his eyes were closed, but he couldn’t sleep.

The singing that had continued for a long time slowly made the image of ‘Principal Zhang’ in his mind become clearer.

Sixty years ago, a middle-aged elder with a monster covered in lumps and a duck-like creature stepped foot into Central Continent’s Imperial City for the first time.

That year, this middle-aged uncle passed through the Sea of Mountains’ main vein, entering Four Season Plains, and into Green Luan Academy which wasn’t all that well-known at the time.

Fifty years ago, starting from Xiyi’s Fifteen Divisions eastward towards Central Province’s Imperial City, this middle-aged uncle and seventeen Green Luan Academy students left the academy. They took the heads of thirteen generals, forcing Xiyi’s Fifteen Divisions all the way to Greenfall City, increasing Yunqin Empire’s domain by one-third.

The same year, Nanmo Country took the opportunity to invade north. Yunqin Empire’s southern border army was completely wiped out. This middle-aged uncle and the seventeen Green Luan Academy students led five thousand border army troops, defending Meteor Lake North’s Meteor City to the death for thirteen days, slaughtering Nanmo Country’s army of three hundred thousand until their corpses piled up as high as Meteor City’s walls. In the end, Nanmo Country had no choice but to withdraw, keeping a low profile for fifty years.

Still in the same year, this middle-aged uncle went on a trip around Yunqin Empire’s borders. Some vicious and well-known roaming bandits all disappeared without a trace.

In those ten years, Green Luan Academy went from being an obscure and unknown small academy into becoming the holy land that represented the glory of the empire. Yunqin Empire’s territory that was previously approaching a crisis was instead doubled in those ten years.

Only, the song of his contributions, because of the inspiring legends and hot blood that soaked all of Meteor Lake, turned into a type of conviction, making all of Yunqin Empire’s youngsters pursue this type of glory, moreover pledging their lives to uphold it.

“There is no lack of geniuses wherever you go. In my classes before, there were also monsters who didn’t really study, sleeping through engineering and math classes, only pulling a few all-nighters at the end of the term and they could score full marks. To obtain this type of glory and honor, you are definitely a genius too, right? Only, why did you change halls into departments, changing instructors to lecturers and professors?”

Lin Xi closed his eyes, but he couldn’t help but chuckle. He couldn’t calm himself down. If he could only meet that middle-aged uncle from fifty years ago by entering the academy… he definitely had to pass tomorrow’s entrance examination, enter the holy land of the empire’s youth, Green Luan Academy.

The entire camp was quiet and silent, the bonfire also slowly going out, only the faint glimmers of fireflies lingering about. Lin Xi began to count sheep, slowly entering the land of dreams.

“Little sis, mom and dad, I’m starting to miss you all… sis.. this Green Luan Academy is quite interesting…” This long journey left Lin Xi quite tired. Inside this tent, from time to time, some vague and quiet murmurs could be heard.

…

“Lin Xi, you still haven’t woken up yet? We have to get ready, the entrance exam is about to start.” Early the next morning, Lin Xi was woken up by this type of voice.

When he finally opened his eyes with great difficulty, Lin Xi saw the already presentable Meng Bai, Li Kaiyun, Zhang Ping, and Xiang Lin standing outside his tent, strands of sunlight seeping through the gaps between the four individuals.

The four of them all wore brand new clothes, even their hair combed until not a single strand was out of place, faces full of nervousness and excitement.

Sounds of liveliness entered the tent, making Lin Xi who hadn’t slept enough feel a bit dizzy and light-hearted.

“He did arrive a bit later than the rest of us.” Zhang Ping looked at Lin Xi who forcefully blinked his eyes a few times, understanding fully well how miserable going without good sleep for a whole month on a rough journey was. However, he definitely didn’t want Lin Xi to be washed out because he was still drowsy when the entrance examination began. “Lin Xi, you should wash up a bit by the lake, it’ll help you become more awake.”

“Hurry and get up already, a lot of tasty stuff has been prepared outside.” Meng Bai’s cheeks were puffed, unknown what he was chewing on.

“Alright, I’ll change into some new clothes too.” Lin Xi rubbed his eyes, smiling as he slowly sat up, producing a set of light red silk clothes from the bag he carried with him.

“Why is it red? Lin Xi, you’re already light skinned to begin with, if you wear these types of clothes, you’ll really end up looking a bit feminine.”

“My mom chose this for me, saying that red was auspicious.”

“It’s not like you’re a bridegroom. However, there really are quite a few beauties who came to take the exam, who knows, some wealthy family’s unmarried daughter might be interested in you, at that time, you really might become a bridegroom.”

Lin Xi walked out of the tent. When the first strand of sunlight landed on his face, his mind was similarly gentle and warm. These four ‘bumpkins’ were just as adorable as his fellow students back in university. Even though the brand new light red clothes were a bit lacking in taste, this was what his mother personally chose for him, every single piece personally ironed flat by her, this fact once again making him feel that this world was extremely beautiful.

“Why are there so many people?” However, Lin Xi immediately became shocked.

By the lakeside camp, there were over a hundred long tables, on them piled a lot of the ‘tasty stuff’ Meng Bai spoke of. There were all types of meats, pastries, and fruits, many types of food Lin Xi had never even seen before. The place where over a thousand carriages gathered last night now had at least another five or six hundred added, moreover, on the distant plains and hillside, there were still quite a few people and carriages currently hurrying over.

The clamorous noise mostly came from those carriages. This lakeside camp was comparatively much more quiet, still the same with over a thousand entrance examination participants, moreover most of them whispering to each other, talking quietly.

“They are people sent over from some small academies and influential factions.” Li Kaiyun explained quietly next to Lin Xi. Today, he wore a white-colored long gown, making him look extremely clean. “The type of students the academy accepts each year is different, but what is for certain is that there will be large amounts of examinees who won’t be accepted. These small academies or influential officials will also select some geniuses they find suitable among the geniuses who fail to be chosen.”

“Isn’t this the same as ‘once the first main book is selected, then a second and third will then be picked after’?” Lin Xi immediately couldn’t help but laugh.

“Lin Xi, you should hurry and wash up. Good luck!” Zhang Ping gave Lin Xi a serious look.

“Everyone, good luck!”

Li Kaiyun and Xiang Lin also immediately became serious. They patted Zhang Ping, Lin Xi and Meng Bai’s shoulders, wishing them luck.

“Lin Xi, try some of this.” After the cool lake water was splashed on his face, Lin Xi became much more clear-headed as expected, his drowsiness disappearing bit by bit. When he had just made himself presentable, adjusted his clothes a bit, Meng Bai already ran up behind him, handing over a skewer of black grapes.

“You don’t seem all that nervous?” Lin Xi looked at Meng Bai, face carrying an amused and easy-going expression. This little fatty’s cheeks were still puffed, face full of excitement, as if his mouth hadn’t stopped moving from last night until now.

“It’s not like being nervous will help. Also, this stuff really is good, these Black Ice Grapes are five or so silvers a skewer outside, moreover not even easy to find.” Meng Bai gave Lin Xi a look and said, “If you like it, there’s more on the table over there.”

Lin Xi laughed, about to accept the black grapes from Meng Bai’s hands. These black grapes were much larger than the ones he saw before, oval-shaped like a thumb. Moreover, there was a layer of hoar frost covering it, looking like it was still cool.

“Bumpkins will always be bumpkins.” Right at this time, a sneer of disdain entered his and Meng Bai’s ears.

When he turned around after hearing this, Lin Xi saw a white-faced youngster dressed in a peculiar tall necked black robes. He was currently slowly drinking clear lake water out of a white metal container, and then put away a piece of white flatbread into his personal bag. His expression was arrogant and full of disdain, not avoiding Lin Xi and Meng Bai’s gaze in the slightest.

His hair was golden like midday sunlight, extremely unusual.

“Fine wine and delicious food will only degrade the willpower and spirit. Valor and loyalty, scars and sharpening, only these are the most dazzling and glorious.” While looking at the somewhat rigid Lin Xi and Meng Bai, this pale-faced young man coldly spat out this line, and then turned around to leave, proud and aloof, not even giving Lin Xi and Meng Bai another look.

“Ignore him, he’s someone from Yuhua Family.” Zhang Ping quickly walked over, saying this to Lin Xi and Meng Bai in a low voice.

“So it was that brat from Yuhua family, no wonder…” Meng Bai seemed to have suddenly realized something, clenching his teeth and making an annoyed face at that black-robed youngster.

“What kind of background does Yuhua Family have?” Lin Xi asked, somewhat curious.

“A third of all of our Yunqin Empire’s priests are from Yuhua Family. Yuhua Family’s people are all stubborn and prideful, attaching great importance to bitter training. However, they have a good reputation in Yunqin Empire. Quite a few people from Yuhua Family died in Starfall Battle, most people from Yuhua Family also living clean and honest lives, this one from Yuhua Family… he should also be trying to get into Green Luan Academy’s Spiritual Sacrifice Department, as that is Yuhua Family’s tradition.” Zhang Ping explained with a low voice.

“Either way, he’s just a freak who only drinks water and eats hard bread, always blabbering away, making things hard for himself.” Meng Bai grumbled in resentment.

“They believe this to also be a type of training…” Zhang Ping was about to continue, but all of a sudden, a loud commotion erupted not far from them.

“The entrance examination is about to begin!”

All of the exam candidates began to move towards the eastern side of the lake.

There were eight giant tents there. At this time, there were already groups of individuals dressed in Green Luan Academy uniforms walking out.

Meng Bai and Lin Xi were still alright, but Zhang Ping, Li Kaiyun, and Xiang Lin were so nervous and excited that even their bodies were shaking slightly.

There were six rows of Green Luan Academy personnel who walked out, the ones at the very front all dressed in golden bordered black clothes. From the distance, Lin Xi saw that Xia Yanbing was also among them; these should all be the academy’s lecturers.

Xia Yanbing was the youngest of the six lecturers dressed in pure black, golden bordered uniforms. Standing behind him was a row of academy students dressed in blue clothes.

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