Although it was growing late, she still stood beneath the eaves, slowly finishing the cup of tea that had already sweetened, before bidding farewell to Wang Shu. Her visit was merely to express her gratitude.
Wang Shu saw her off for a couple of steps, then stopped outside the Spring Breeze Hall, watching Zhou Man's figure gradually blend into the twilight mountains, disappearing eastward like ink dissolving into water.
After returning to her room, Zhou Man opened the scroll on the desk by the window—a spiritual scroll used by the academy for students to select courses.
It listed the courses currently offered by the academy.
"Swordsmanship," naturally, was listed first, followed by the smaller characters "Sword Study Hall, Sword Master," indicating the location and the master.
The Sword Gate Academy, due to the existence of the Sword Pavilion, had enjoyed renowned reputation for thousands of years, attracting countless sword masters throughout history to leave their insights on the towering Sword Wall. Later generations often followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, constantly coming to admire and learn.
Ninety percent of the masters in the academy initially came to observe and learn.
Over the millennia, countless people had left their mark upon that sword wall. Even after a year or two of study, they couldn't finish, and reluctant to leave, most accepted the invitation of the academy's headmaster to register as teachers, offering classes to the students while spending the majority of their time studying the sword wall.
Over time, this became custom.
Any cultivator who came to study the sword wall, regardless of whether they taught classes, had to first register as a teacher at the academy.
Therefore, the Sword Gate Academy could be considered the only academy in the world with more teachers than students.
This resulted in a vast array of courses offered.
Students could choose whichever course they desired, and no one cared if they didn't wish to attend.
But Zhou Man came to the academy, naturally, to learn swordsmanship.
Although there were many courses, she wasn't interested in any of them, especially since she still had the Yi Shen Jue to cultivate. While others could freely choose their courses, she didn't possess that much free time.
The academy required students to mark the courses they wanted to attend on the scroll.
Zhou Man thought for a moment and decided to take a different approach—she wouldn't choose any other courses, only marking "Swordsmanship" on her list.
After closing the scroll, a flash of white light appeared from the crack. When she opened it again, it was completely empty, and even the mark she had made had vanished.
That was her enrollment.
Standing behind the table, remembering Wang Shu's reaction when he mentioned the Sword Master, Zhou Man didn't lie down to rest immediately. Instead, she took out the "Cicada Sword Technique" that Wei Xuan had given her and began to read it, comparing it with various sword techniques she had seen in her previous life. Only after finishing it did she extinguish the light and go to sleep.
The next morning, the east dormitory was bustling with activity.
As soon as Zhou Man opened her door and stood on the porch, she saw the door to the adjacent room open, and out stepped Yu Xiuying, the Emei Sect female cultivator who had fought with someone the day before.
Yu Xiuying lived up to her name, with a dashing and spirited appearance.
Looking up and seeing Zhou Man, she was taken aback: "Aren't there only eight people from the four sects of Shu Prefecture? How come there's one more?"
Before Zhou Man could introduce herself, a helpless voice came from behind: "Senior Sister Yu, you're really oblivious to what's going on while you're fighting with Senior Brother Huo. This is Junior Sister Zhou Man, recommended by the Wang family. She chose to stay in our East Dormitory yesterday."
Turning around, she saw that it was indeed Jin Buhuan.
As if she had just woken up, she was still not fully awake, standing there lazily, not even opening the fan she usually used to show off.
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiuying thought for a moment before reacting, then stepped forward and patted Zhou Man on the shoulder: "So you're the one they were talking about who came out of nowhere. Recommended by a noble family, coming to our East Dormitory—Junior Sister has good taste, you abandoned darkness and embraced light quite quickly!"
Zhou Man: "..."
Although she didn't really think there was anything wrong with what Yu Xiuying said, could the phrase "abandoned darkness and embraced light" be used so openly in the academy?
She subtly cast a knowing glance at Jin Buhuan.
Jin Buhuan, already accustomed to it, calmly replied: "You'll get used to it."
While the three were talking, almost everyone else had also emerged.
Besides Yu Xiuying, the Emei Sect had a young girl named Sun Ling, only fourteen years old, beautiful and lovely, but somewhat timid, silently following Yu Xiuying.
The Qingcheng Sect, besides Huo Zhui, who looked at Yu Xiuying with disdain, had a seemingly cheerful and talkative young man named Qiu Xiaochao; both wore Daoist robes.
From Du Caotang, it was naturally the "Senior Brother Chang" that Jin Buhuan and Zhou Man had met the day before, named Chang Ji, with a square, cold face, never smiling, the complete opposite of Jin Buhuan.
The two from Sanhua Tower were twin brothers, the older named Tang Mubai and the younger Tang Songbai, wearing brocade robes and jade lotus pendants at their waists; at first glance, they looked exactly alike, making it difficult to tell them apart. Fortunately, Zhou Man didn't intend to distinguish them.
Once everyone had arrived, Yu Xiuying called for them to set off together.
It was still early, and a thin mist still lingered in the mountains.
The Canjian Hall stood solemnly and majestically in the newly brightened light. The thirty-three steps leading to the hall's tightly closed gates were deserted.
The ground before the steps was paved with solid, thick bluestone slabs.
When the group from Shuzhou arrived, they saw another group approaching from the west—people from the six prefectures and one kingdom of Xishe, arriving around the same time.
Both sides paused for a moment, but neither spoke, merely nodding to each other in greeting before standing on opposite sides of the Canjian Hall, clearly maintaining a distinct and non-interfering relationship.
Zhou Man, finding this intriguing, was already quite interested in the people from the six prefectures and one kingdom, and now couldn't help but scrutinize them closely.
The most striking figure on the other side was a woman.
Her long, deep white dress resembled snow on a mountain peak, its sashes layered like flowing water, giving her a somewhat exotic air. It revealed a section of her alabaster-like arm and slender waist. Adorned with a necklace and glass pendants, she seemed to have flown out of a mural, yet her smile held a hint of allure, and her every glance possessed captivating beauty.
Zhou Man couldn't help but stare for a while.
It wasn't until Jin Buhuan, frowning, poked her repeatedly with his fan that she snapped out of her daze, frowning again, and asked: "What is it?"
Jin Buhuan looked at her with an extremely strange gaze: "Don't look at what you shouldn't. That's the goddess Miao Huanxi of the Nichiren Sect. Why are you staring at her like that?"
Zhou Man said: "The Nichiren Sect of Liangzhou? No wonder. Being beautiful naturally makes one want to look more. What's the matter with propriety?"
Jin Buhuan nearly choked on her words.
Miao Huanxi, seemingly having overheard their conversation, suddenly turned her gaze and smiled at Zhou Man, a smile that truly captivated all.
Zhou Man was puzzled.
Jin Buhuan's eyelids twitched instantly, and she leaned closer to whisper a warning to Zhou Man: "Miao Huanxi is bisexual."
Zhou Man: "..."
Ah, so that's what "Huanxi" means.
She understood, but still found her strangely attractive, and couldn't help but glance at her a couple more times before looking at the others.
However, with Miao Huanxi in front of them, these people inevitably paled in comparison.
From left to right, there was a dignified scholar, a proud man holding a sword, a man looking around, a man somber and gloomy, and one...
The last one was quite interesting.
His features were very regular, but standing there like a monkey, he kept shifting his position, a small leather drum hanging from his waist, and he kept looking towards the east side.
When Zhou Man looked over, the person, acting like a thief, covered their mouth with their hand and whispered: "Can I stand on your side?"
Zhou Man was taken aback, confused.
Seeing that she didn't refuse, the person immediately said: "Great, thank you, thank you."
Then, in a short run, they directly squeezed into the Eastern Shu State camp within the Western Six States and One Kingdom camp.
The people on the Western side watched coldly.
The people on the Eastern side were all completely bewildered.
Yu Xiuying asked: "Did you fall out with them? What are you doing here?"
The man replied: "Hey, I'm from Nanzhao Kingdom. How can I compare to those outstanding people? There aren't many cultivators in the whole country. I only managed to get first place because I'm the Grand Preceptor's disciple. When Master Jian arrives, he'll definitely test everyone first. Those from the six states and one kingdom will surely be ranked first. I don't want to embarrass myself so early."
Zhou Man hesitated: "May I ask your name?"
The man smiled: "I dare not accept such a title. My surname is Li, and my given name is Pu. If you don't mind, you can call me 'Li Pu'."
"..."
The entire East Dormitory fell silent for a moment.
Jin Buhuan, having seen it all, coughed and pretended not to notice. Pointing to the small drum hanging at Li Pu's waist, he said: "Brother Li Pu, this drum looks quite special."
Li Pu picked it up and smiled: "This is my magical artifact."
Jin Buhuan suddenly realized: "So it's a drum used as a magical artifact. It's obviously no ordinary item."
Li Pu immediately became proud: "This drum was crafted by me over three years with painstaking effort. Its name is 'Retreat'!"
"..."
The entire East Dormitory fell into an eerie silence once more.
Zhou Man suddenly gained a new understanding of the Jianmen Academy: What a Li Pu from the Nanzhao Kingdom! He's playing the Retreat Drum. This academy is truly full of hidden talents and should not be underestimated.
Wang Shu arrived at this time.
He seemed to live in the Spring Breeze Hall, which was a bit further away. When he arrived, his old Taoist robe was stained with some mountain dew, and his eyebrows and eyes seemed to be dampened by mist, making him appear even more serene and gentle.
Jin Buhuan looked up and saw him, then called out: "Mud Bodhisattva, come over here!"
Wang Shu smiled and came over.
Upon seeing Zhou Man, he gave a slight bow.
Zhou Man remembered the tea from yesterday, smiled, and returned the bow.
But as she turned her gaze towards the Six Prefectures and One Kingdom, she noticed something she hadn't seen before and suddenly asked: "Six Prefectures and One Kingdom should have seven people, why are there only six now?"
Even including Li Pu, it wasn't enough.
Jin Buhuan remained silent.
Yu Xiuying chimed in sarcastically: "What else could it be? The Song family is sending two people this year, of course they'll take up a spot from Zhongzhou."
The Six Prefectures and One Kingdom currently lacked someone selected from Zhongzhou.
This person was none other than Miss Song Lanzhen.
Although the Song family originally had a spot, it was only for one person; if it went to Song Yuanye, it wouldn't go to Song Lanzhen.
Therefore, this year, the Song family reserved the spot for Song Yuanye.
Song Lanzhen, originally from the capital of Zhongzhou, registered directly there. She spent two months fighting in eighteen arenas, defeating countless young talents from Zhongzhou, ultimately winning the championship and securing Zhongzhou's spot.
Huo Zhui, unusually, didn't refute Yu Xiuying's words, adding: "Song Lanzhen cultivates the 'Twelve Flower Goddess Manual,' her transformations are endless. Some say her talent far surpasses her brother's; she was chosen to compete for Zhongzhou's spot precisely because she's stronger. Even those from aristocratic families can't compare to her, let alone those from ordinary backgrounds and sects in Zhongzhou."
Zhou Man thought calmly, that was indeed true.
As they were discussing, Li Pu suddenly whispered: "They're here."
Zhou Man turned to look and saw three people slowly approaching along the long path opposite the Sword Refining Hall.
Leading the group was a handsome young man in white, none other than Lu Yangchen, the son of the Lu family of the capital. Behind him, a man and a woman walked side by side, of similar age and bearing a striking resemblance—who else could they be but Song Yuanye and Song Lanzhen?
She recognized all three of them.
Especially Song Lanzhen, who wore a light green dress, her slender waist cinched, her movements graceful and elegant, her eyes and brows exuding a refined air, her bearing extraordinary.
But…
Zhou Man suddenly frowned and turned to ask Jin Buhuan: "Are there only these three?"
Jin Buhuan replied: "Yes, all three great families have arrived."
Zhou Man said: "Since the Song family has two people, the other two great families each have one, so there should still be two more. Aren't we short one?"
Jin Buhuan immediately laughed: "You didn't know?"
Zhou Man asked: "Know what?"
Jin Buhuan said: "The Wang family recommended you this year, so there's no spot left. Because the remaining spot is reserved exclusively for that young master from the capital, and no one can touch it. It's just that he's left the spot empty every year, and this year he simply didn't come."
"…"
Zhou Man's heart was in turmoil, unable to calm down.
Wang Sha didn't come?
According to the bits and pieces she had heard in her previous life, Wang Sha should have arrived at the Sword Gate Academy this year.
Could it be that what she knew was wrong?
Seeing that her expression seemed a bit off, Jin Buhuan couldn't help but say: "You were recommended by the Wang family and will become a guest of the Wang family in the future, serving this person. You don't even know who I'm talking about, do you?"
Zhou Man finally suppressed all her doubts.
She acted as if it were real: "How could I not know? The young master of the Wang family in the capital, born with the mandate of heaven in his mouth, possesses unparalleled talent. I've heard that even his name was bestowed by heaven, revealed by divine will. He was born with it, so he must be a divine being. I just wanted to see him so badly, but he didn't come..."
"..."
The clay Buddha beside her, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly raised its eyes and slowly glanced at Zhou Man.
She smiled faintly, yet sighed softly, as if truly regretting not being able to meet Wang Sha.
A bitter taste suddenly welled up in her mouth.
A name bestowed by heaven, a divine being?
Wang Shu lowered his eyes, looking at his withered, plum-like fingers, and finally gently closed them, but his palms were truly empty.
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