"This Jiang Qiling, I thought she had some brains, but it seems sheâs not much at all. Does she think that without anyone helping us, we canât survive in Long Yan Academy?" Jiang Yuzhe said disdainfully.
Given this situation, they donât need to guess who is behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, the former Big Playboy Mu was not well regarded in Heishi City or in the Capital, so he didnât pay much attention to such situations, having seen plenty before.
"Donât underestimate her. In Long Yan Academy, if you canât interact with other disciples, you wonât be completely stranded, but itâs definitely detrimental to your future cultivation," Tan Yu said.
"Oh, what do you mean by that?" Jiang Yuzhe asked, puzzled.
"Itâs a long story, but youâll know soon enough," Tan Yu replied.
Indeed, Mu Hanyan and the others quickly realized that though Jiang Qilingâs little tricks seem futile, they can be truly vexing at times.
For example, right now, they donât even know where to report or where their master Gong Hongru resides. They want to ask someone, but everyone avoids them as soon as they see them. Who would dare to engage them?
"By the way, why are you still following us?" Mu Hanyan asked Tan Yu with curiosity.
While everyone avoided any connection with them, Tan Yu kept following them, looking somewhat excited.
"Actually, I donât want to follow you either, but if I donât, do you know how to find Wenjian Valley?" Tan Yu laughed, speaking seemingly begrudgingly but without any trace of reluctance on his face.
"Wenjian Valley?" Mu Hanyan looked at Tan Yu, puzzled.
"Wenjian Valley is Lord Gongâs residence, and will be your future home," Tan Yu explained.
"How do you know?" Mu Hanyan was even more intrigued.
When they first met, Tan Yu obviously didnât know their identity and background. Qiu Zizhong did mention it to Jiang Qiling, but he used Gathering Qi Transmission, and even her strong and sensitive Six Senses found it hard to eavesdrop. Tan Yu shouldnât have such skills.
"Because I can barely be considered a person from Wenjian Valley." As he spoke, Tan Yu took out a token, which looked somewhat similar to the token in Mu Hanyanâs hand.
"So youâre a senior." Mu Hanyan said with a smile.
Initially, she called Tan Yu senior just because they were both disciples of Long Yan Academy. Seeing this token, she realized he was indeed from Wenjian Valley, and genuinely began to feel a sense of camaraderie.
"Please, donât refer to me as senior. The title is more than I deserve. Iâm not really a disciple of Long Yan Academy; Iâm at best an Outer Disciple, my status is equivalent to a servant in the academy. Just call me by my name, otherwise if people hear, I donât know how theyâll ridicule me." Tan Yu quickly said.
"Does Long Yan Academy have Outer Disciples?" Mu Hanyan was surprised.
"Long Yan Academy recruits disciples only once every few years, no more than a hundred each time. Those who can pass the assessment are invariably elites from various families or exceptionally talented civilians, so naturally the tutors need not be served by them.
Thus, during each recruitment, some youth with passable aptitude are selected, or some tutors may recruit promising youth as assistants. Itâs said they are Outer Disciples but theyâre actually servants and laborers.
Of course, even as servants, they serve the academyâs tutors. If lucky, they may receive some guidance or attend the tutorsâ lectures. If really fortunate, a tutor might take them in as a disciple, so despite their low status, many descendants from ordinary families and civilians still eagerly pursue this opportunity.
But if luck isnât on their side and theyâre not chosen by a tutor, they will have to leave the academy after ten years." Tan Yuâs expression showed a hint of melancholy as he spoke.
Mu Hanyan finally understood. Itâs no wonder Tan Yu mentioned heâs about to leave the academy. His ten-year term must be up, and he hasnât been taken in by Gong Hongru, so he has to leave.
It was clear he didnât want to leave the academy like this, but Long Yan Academy has its rules and Mu Hanyan was powerless to change them.
"Is there no other way to stay?" Mu Hanyan asked sympathetically.
Though theyâre not well acquainted, she could tell Tan Yu was cheerful and kind-hearted, and leaving Long Yan Academy like this seemed a pity.
Even as Outer Disciples, Mu Hanyan hadnât heard of the existence of Outer Disciples in Long Yan Academy. Once they leave the academy, nobody admits their identity. If they learned something, itâs fine, but if they gained nothing, itâs just a wasted decade.
"Well, unless Master Gong is willing to take me as a disciple, thereâs no other way." Tan Yu shook his head, clearly without hope.
Itâs understandable. Gong Hongru is one of the academyâs top three masters and has never taken a disciple. Mu Hanyan is the first, so he didnât dare expect such luck.
"Iâll plead for you then, see if Master can keep you." Mu Hanyan wanted to help, though she dared not promise lightly.
Gong Hongru is known for being fair and impartial. He only accepted Huayue and the others due to Wenren Qingqiuâs provocation, so she wasnât sure she could persuade him.
"Thank you then." Tan Yu politely said, but wasnât overly excited.
Mu Hanyan might not understand the nature of Lord Gong, but Tan Yu knew very well. In his view, Mu Hanyan even with exceptional aptitude, was extremely lucky to be accepted by Lord Gong. Expecting influence over his decisions wasnât realistic.
Tan Yu was even a bit worried that Mu Hanyan, being spoiled and unaware, might offend Lord Gong. If she irked him, and was expelled from the academy upon joining his disciples, wouldnât he have harmed her!
As they walked and chatted, they soon arrived at Wenjian Valley.
The valley was deep and tranquil. From afar, Mu Hanyan felt the power of heaven and earth gathering in the valley, yet it was gentle and soft.
In fact, the power of heaven and earth within Long Yan Academy was comparable to that of the cultivation blessed lands deep within the Longyan Mountains, and within Wenjian Valley, it was more than twice as strong compared to other parts of the academy.
No wonder Long Yan Academy has long been revered as a holy place by cultivators, not for its heritage or the strength of its tutors, but just for this heaven and earth power, enough to draw many. Coupled with good cultivation methods and ample resources, cultivation here is twice as effective.
"Besides you and Master, who else is in Wenjian Valley?" Mu Hanyan asked.
"There are two brothers, one named Gu Yushu, and the other named Gu Linfeng. Youâll meet them soon." Tan Yu replied.
"Yushu Linfeng, lovely names." Mu Hanyan blurted out.
Though she hadnât seen them, just hearing their names, Mu Hanyan could imagine their charisma.
Soon, Mu Hanyan found herself being too naive.
(Dear friends, please vote for me monthly, oh wow. This month I promise to write about Han Yan returning to her female attire. If I donât get to it, Iâll stream eating my keyboard for you all. Not just the keyboard, Iâll eat the whole computer too. Then Iâll roll around and act cute begging for monthly votes! For those without monthly votes, recommendation votes are great too.)