Chapter 23: Azure Cloud (1)

Azure Cloud Academy had been established for barely a decade. Initially, it was just because some bigwig’s kid from one of the Five Sects couldn’t learn their family’s traditional cultivation method, but was instead particularly fond of the neighboring sect’s cultivation style. After much exchange and communication, the sects pooled their resources and carved out a piece of land at the border between Central Province and Cloud Province, building a place for the children to play.

Unexpectedly, what was planted without intention flourished. The cultivation results were surprisingly good. The immortal sect elders sighed that teaching truly needed to suit the individual, and subsequently ordered the formal establishment of Azure Cloud Academy.

Initially, it only targeted the juniors within the Five Sects’ Immortal Alliance for mutual exchange. Later, even the aristocratic families came to join in the excitement, throwing resources in by the crateful. Azure Cloud Academy’s scope continuously expanded, and students were selected batch by batch.

Last year, they changed principals. The new principal felt selecting seedlings bit by bit was too slow—better to cast a wide net. With one command, across the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, as long as age requirements were met and one could pass the Azure Cloud trial, regardless of status or background, all could enroll.

Notices were posted everywhere, and news spread throughout the Nine Provinces, drawing countless people eager to try. Combined with the immortal sect’s deep pockets—food, clothing, housing, and travel during the examination period all supported by the academy—quite a few people came without any concerns.

Although the exam didn’t start until March tenth, the area below Azure Cloud Academy was already packed with people. The queue seemed endless at a glance.

He Tingdong struggled to squeeze through the crowd, looking for Azure Cloud Academy’s reception.

However, this recruitment drive by Azure Cloud Academy was too grand in scale. Quite a few sects with some influence came, and their displays were impressive. Aside from those who came to study, the majority blocking the way were the tall, spacious carriages of young masters and ladies, along with rows upon rows of servants holding lanterns and incense. Like paintings of immortals traveling—jeweled horses and ornate carriages, brocade clothes and gorgeous robes, carrying censers with misty vapors, massive clumps blocking everything so that one couldn’t even see the academy entrance, let alone find anyone to register.

The queue hadn’t budged a fraction in an hour, lying on the road like a dead snake. Behind them, complaints filled the air, asking what exactly was happening up front.

He Tingdong, stuck in the middle, also wanted to sigh.

Finally, some immortal sect’s noble offspring finished registering and went in. The servants dispersed, and the crowd pressed forward tightly, instantly clearing a large gap.

They had only walked forward a few steps when they saw a group of people rush in hastily and shamelessly fill the gap completely.

The queue grew longer and longer. Yue Qianxun couldn’t stand it and couldn’t help saying, “Hey, you in front, don’t cut in line!”

A moment later, several mocking voices came back. “We’re cutting into your line. What are you poor wretches going to do about it? If you’re capable, come cut into ours too.”

Fierce-looking servants menacingly drew their swords. The indignant voices behind them quieted. Yue Qianxun’s face immediately darkened, and the eyes hidden behind his hair scattered silver light like mirrors in the sunlight.

The Heart-Inquiring Mirror—one of the Dragon Daughter’s companion spirit artifacts. It was indeed still hidden in the protagonist’s eyes. The Demon Lord was never one to swallow his anger. With just one look, he activated the spirit artifact in an instant. One of the thuggish servants in their group suddenly fell into an illusion, shouting and going mad, charging inside to start hitting people.

The scene, already not peaceful, instantly became chaotic as a pot of porridge.

The corners of Yue Qianxun’s mouth curved up. He planned to step forward and cut to the very front.

He Tingdong grabbed him and transmitted his voice: “This is the entrance to Azure Cloud Academy. If you want to vent, fine, I won’t stop you. But can you use your brain a little? You hex them, then immediately run up to cut in line—isn’t that the same as admitting you’re the one who did it?”

“Fighting is prohibited outside the academy. You’ve already broken the rules. Back down.”

Yue Qianxun stiffened.

Taking advantage of the chaos when no one was paying attention, after being stepped on several times, He Tingdong chose to retreat. Pulling one person with each hand, he dragged Fu Fengyan and Yue Qianxun out of the crowd.

Cloud Province was in the south. By the end of February, the weather was already warming up, not to mention that within a radius of several kilometers, possibly tens of thousands of people were crammed together, and people kept arriving in a continuous stream. A mass of darkness, like a scattered ant nest, with black shadows everywhere.

The sun blazed overhead, making people dizzy. He Tingdong felt stifled, mainly from the heat. A ring of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose. Looking to the side, Fu Fengyan, who was already afraid of heat, now had blank eyes and couldn’t find north.

“Forget it, let’s not wait in line here. We won’t get in even after three days and nights.” He Tingdong pulled Fu Fengyan, then glanced at Yue Qianxun behind them, signaling him to follow. He led the two out of the crowd, finally escaping that mixed, stifling heat.

Yue Qianxun took the opportunity to catch his breath, asking puzzledly, “But more and more people are coming. If we don’t queue, when will we be able to go up?”

He Tingdong surveyed the surroundings.

Azure Cloud Academy occupied an extremely vast area. Inside the academy were three mountains and one lake. The mountain ranges curved slightly, embracing the lake. Lake light and mountain colors reflected each other. Rainbow bridges spanned between the mountains, with carved beams and painted rafters, quite elegant.

Only now it was densely packed with people.

With so many people, the already few inns near Azure Cloud Academy were also bursting at capacity. Without lodging, quite a few people sat on the ground at street corners, leaning against walls to rest.

Outside Azure Cloud Academy couldn’t really be called prosperous. The academy was strictly managed—students needed leave to go down the mountain and had to get a pass to go out. Therefore, at the foot of the entire mountain was only a ten-some-li market street, mostly selling food.

Now those large shops with storefronts were packed full, noisy and clamorous, about to blow their roofs off. However, most people who came were just there to rest their feet; more people were still queuing to register.

He Tingdong walked all the way to the end. The further in they went, the farther from Azure Cloud Academy, and the crowd thinned out considerably, until they reached the very last shop.

The shopkeeper was making flatbread. Palm-sized dough rounds were stuffed with practically a bowl’s worth of meat, pressed into the pan, covered with a lid. One could hear the sizzling oil inside.

This shop was small with no place to sit. Buying things, one could only stand and wait.

Naturally, no one lingered here either.

Fu Fengyan’s eyes, dazed from the heat, drifted back and settled on the flatbread, staring fixedly. “What is this?”

The owner was a prosperous-looking middle-aged man. Hearing this, he laughed heartily. “Freshly made stuffed flatbread. Young master, want to try one?”

He Tingdong tossed out a spirit pearl. “Three, please.”

“Coming right up, just wait a moment.” The boss tucked the pearl into his robes. “I’ll finish making these for the people ahead first.”

The crust was crispy, the meat filling bursting with juice. The boss produced five flatbreads from one batch, loaded them into an ornate gold food box to the side, then started making theirs.

Yue Qianxun didn’t understand. “If you want to eat, just buy something anywhere. Why come this far? We’ll have to circle back and queue from the beginning again.”

He Tingdong stretched his arms, answering with a grin, “Because it’s quiet.”

Yue Qianxun: “…”

The three of them were still waiting for their flatbread. Before long, a young man in plain robes strolled over. He wore wide robes with flowing sleeves, a wooden hairpin in his hair, looking simple and harmless. He glanced at the three waiting for flatbread, then nonchalantly withdrew his gaze, picked up the food box, and greeted the owner. “Shopkeeper, I’m taking my order!”

The boss responded repeatedly, “Wonderful, enjoy your meal, young master, and come again next time!”

The youth waved his hand and was about to leave with his food.

He Tingdong hurried after him. “Senior brother, please wait!”

The youth’s steps halted. He turned to look at him, expression somewhat surprised. After sizing him up, he laughed. “You’re an interesting one. Who’s your senior brother? Don’t go randomly claiming relatives.”

He Tingdong bowed. “This junior came to participate in the Azure Cloud preliminary trial, so naturally should call you senior brother.”

The youth realized he’d been recognized and sneered. “Wait until you’ve passed first.”

He turned to leave.

“Immortal Lord, we three are looking for the path up the mountain. Could we trouble you to take us part of the way?” He Tingdong pulled out Qin Tan’s token from his robes. The youth mockingly glanced at it, about to say something harsh and tell them to go queue, when his gaze fell on the ancient sword inscription. He paused, and when he looked at them again, his expression changed slightly. “From the Sword Master of Return and Separation?”

He Tingdong nodded somewhat reservedly. “Yes. The immortal teacher returned to the sect to handle some matters and told us to come here first to wait for him.”

He Tingdong knew this was precisely why Qin Tan gave them the token before leaving. Without some connections, three helpless children would face a heap of bullying just from queuing.

However, he didn’t really want Qin Tan to owe favors, so he originally planned to use it only if absolutely necessary.

The youth held the food box, hesitating for a moment. His attitude softened considerably, and he sighed. “You’re quite clever, kid. Even when I’m just getting food, I get caught.”

“Fine, follow me.”

The shopkeeper had also finished their flatbread, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it to them to eat on the road.

The youth led the way. He was quite curious. “I even changed into new clothes. How exactly did you recognize that I’m an academy student?”

He Tingdong replied respectfully, “Naturally from your elegant bearing. You look like a jade tree, not like an ordinary person.”

Too many people came to register at Azure Cloud Academy. Sometimes when manpower was insufficient, students would help. By the time they finished a shift, mealtime had usually passed, so naturally they’d come down to buy food.

They definitely wouldn’t go where there were many people, so one just had to stake out a quiet stall.

Of course, more importantly, he had studied at the academy many times and knew which stalls Azure Cloud Academy students frequented, where everyone would hide to slack off when recruitment was busy. He Tingdong was naturally familiar with the face of the youth before him—they were once nodding acquaintances.

However, such truths definitely couldn’t be spoken. He could only reveal a shy smile and deflect.

Fortunately, the academy had recently seen quite a few clever talents. The other party simply assumed these were people Qin Tan had taken a fancy to, naturally more perceptive than others, and so quite naturally sold a favor, bringing all three of them in through the back door. He found a receptionist to take them through the process—registration, recording, arranging lodging—all in one go.

While those jeweled horses and fragrant carriages on the main road were still stuck halfway up the mountain, He Tingdong’s group of three had already navigated skillfully and been arranged to stay in Azure Cloud Academy’s Embrace Simplicity Hall.

Yue Qianxun watched the hem of the youth ahead flutter as he walked, somewhat surprised. He Tingdong’s ability to spout all sorts of things off the cuff… was quite impressive.

He felt he needed to learn some daily communication skills from him.

He didn’t realize that when he fell a step behind, his gaze focused, staring intently at someone’s back—how greedy his eyes looked. A moment later, he heard a cool, thin voice, like a knife blade drilling into his ear: “What are you looking at?”

Yue Qianxun snapped to attention. Then he saw robes flutter lightly. Fu Fengyan swept before him like a gust of wind, completely blocking He Tingdong, transmitting a warning: “Don’t look. He’s mine.”

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Translation Notes:

• Li (裏): A traditional unit of distance, approximately 500 meters