A woman in a black robe suddenly emerged silently from a room by the corridor, startling Lin Xi and all the new students from the Warfare Department who had just followed the one-eyed black-robed instructor up the suspended bronze staircase.
However, this tall, thin woman was very amicable. With a kindly smile on her face, she immediately helped this group of nervous new students relax a little.
"This is Lecturer Mu Qing. From now on, she'll be in charge of your daily meals and accommodations here," the one-eyed black-robed instructor said, nodding to the tall woman as an introduction.
"Come with me," Mu Qing said after giving the new students a quick once-over with a friendly smile. She then turned and led the way ahead. The one-eyed instructor said nothing more and returned to the suspended bronze staircase. With a clang, the bronze door shut behind him after he stepped out, and the suspended bronze staircase was withdrawn like a drawbridge.
The corridor the Warfare Department freshmen were walking through had over thirty rooms along it, but Lecturer Mu Qing headed straight to the end.
At the end of the corridor was a wall decorated with ornate floral patterns made of rare and vividly colored shell inlays. When she pushed on the wall, it split open like a door, revealing a wooden staircase sloping upward. The walls alongside were hung with some ink paintings. Lin Xi, curious, noticed that all the paintings were of boys and girls—some carrying longswords, others longbows, and even a few shouldering massive battle axes as large as themselves—appearing quite heroic.
"These are your senior brothers and sisters. As long as you break certain academy records, you'll not only receive extra academic credit, but your portrait will also be hung here after you leave," Mu Qing's voice explained. At the same time, she pulled a ring embedded in the stair railing.
With a whoosh, another suspended bronze staircase swept into place, connecting to the end of this wooden stair and directly leading to the fifth floor.
The fifth-floor corridor was decorated with deep crimson velvet drapes at regular intervals. The floor was covered in soft corkwood that gave off a faint pleasant scent and felt comfortable underfoot.
"These are the five rooms for you girls," Mu Qing pointed to a row of five adjoining rooms in the middle of the corridor, addressing the five female students of the Warfare Department. Then she opened one of the rooms. "Most boys are always curious about the girls' rooms. You can take a look now, because after today, you won't get another chance." Mu Qing smiled at the freshmen whose eyes were eagerly peeking inside and then declared, "Now I announce Qingluan Academy's first rule: all dorm rooms are off-limits to others. Entry is forbidden, and violators will be docked up to five credits."
"Five credits?!" the freshmen gasped in unison.
"But what about chatting and stuff?" one student couldn't help but blurt out. It was none other than Mu Shanzi, the golden spoon youth who had lost a bet to Lin Xi.
Mu Qing smiled and explained, "Except for your own rooms and mine, the rest of this new student hall is considered public space and open to all. There are plenty of large lounges you can use."
"So every other place is free to enter?" one Warfare freshman asked in surprise.
Mu Qing nodded. "Learning to adapt to and make use of complex environments is one of the core teachings of the Warfare Department. None of the rooms here are locked, except for personal rooms—you may go in and out freely."
After a brief pause and seeing the curious and shocked expressions of Lin Xi and the others, she added, "That's a rule set by Headmaster Zhang. It's not just for this new student hall. In Qingluan Academy as a whole, aside from places requiring credits to enter, everything else is open. You can explore any of the academy's peaks at will."
"We can go anywhere in Qingluan Academy?"
"Yes, but I suggest you don't get too cocky unless you have the skill and courage. Every year, a few freshmen stumble into the wrong places and get scared silly."
"Haha!" Qiu Lu laughed loudly, but soon realized he was the only one laughing.
"What? You guys don't really believe she's serious, do you?" he whispered to the others, baffled.
They looked at him like he was an idiot. "Just look at her face. Does she look like she's joking?"
Qiu Lu glanced at Mu Qing and immediately shuddered. Her face seemed to emit a ghostly chill—there wasn't the slightest hint of a joke in her expression.
Lin Xi was the first to walk into the girls' room curiously. Others had seen this world for at least ten years, but he'd only experienced it for a little over two. Everything here was still new and fascinating to him, and since the rules permitted it, he saw no reason to hold back.
"Hey, this is our room. At least let us go in first," Hua Jiyue pouted as she and the other four girls followed. Though her words were grumbling, her expression showed no displeasure.
Lin Xi just chuckled. The room was not small, but couldn't possibly fit all forty-plus students. Clearly, those slower to act would be stuck crowding outside the door.
The floor was also soft green corkwood. The room had a curtained wooden bed, a huanghuali wardrobe, and a desk. Perhaps as a quirky touch by that middle-aged uncle, there was even a small washing area with a bath pool made of green stone. In one corner, green potted plants added a fresh touch. Sunlight and breeze entered through wooden lattice windows, with distant mountains forming a picturesque view—a harmonious blend of elegance and majesty.
Right below the window was a cliff. Though it overlooked a forested valley, the several-hundred-meter drop still made Lin Xi feel slightly dizzy.
"What are those?"
Suddenly startled, Lin Xi noticed silvery flashes streaking across the air between mountain peaks. Even their own mountain had several of these silver glints zipping through the sky.
They were silver cables connecting various peaks and valleys.
"Those are the silver-thread zip lines," came Mu Qing's voice from behind him. Lin Xi hadn't even noticed when she reappeared.
"Now I announce Qingluan Academy's second rule: freshmen are not restricted from engaging in private duels—"
"Boom!" Her words were immediately drowned out by shocked exclamations.
Even Lin Xi was dumbfounded. This academy allows free fighting? And that's a rule?
"I didn't say anything wrong—you simply lacked calm and patience." Mu Qing looked over them casually. "Qingluan Academy's second rule is: private duels between new students are not restricted, but must take place in designated valleys. Duels outside those areas will result in a penalty of at least ten credits, and in serious cases, expulsion."
"Ten credits? Expulsion?"
A chorus of shocked gasps filled the room.
"Do we use the zip lines to get into those valleys?" Lin Xi asked quietly, reminded of the outdoor slides he'd seen in some foreign campuses in his past life.
Mu Qing nodded approvingly. "Indeed. It saves a lot of time. That's another innovation by Headmaster Zhang."
"We can go there to duel anytime?" Qiu Lu and Mu Shanzi both looked at Lin Xi with poorly concealed malice.
Mu Qing raised her hand to stop the crowd from pushing further into the room and clarified, "You may enter outside of scheduled class hours. And each department has a minimum participation requirement. For the Warfare Department, it's at least six bouts per month."
"Our department's students are known for their real combat ability, and it's thanks to this tradition." Mu Qing then added, seeming to read Qiu Lu and Mu Shanzi's minds: "There's no upper limit to duel frequency. You can fight every day if you like. But everyone must wear designated gear and a voice-changing mask. The terrain inside mimics real war zones and is extremely complex. You may not even find your intended opponent. In the end, it's fun and intense—but it's not a place for petty revenge."
"Really?" Mu Shanzi was disappointed and shot a resentful glance at Lin Xi. "Can't I just shout my name in there and challenge someone?"
Mu Qing smiled with meaning. "You can—if your opponent is willing. But you'd better make sure you're not annoying, or you might find yourself ambushed by a dozen people. That's happened before."
"With my looks and charm, no one would gang up on me," Mu Shanzi said smugly.
"Pfft!" Hua Jiyue and the others immediately burst out laughing.
"Teacher Mu, are we going to fight with upperclassmen in those valleys too? Wouldn't we get thrashed?" someone asked.
"Freshmen have their own valley. Upperclassmen aren't allowed in. But you can enter the senior students' valleys if you dare. And in all valleys, soul power is suppressed. If you win three matches there, you'll earn half a credit."
"Look, someone's on the line!"
Just then, a shout came from the students near the window. Lin Xi looked up to see silhouettes riding the silver zip lines from mountaintop to mountaintop, swooping like swallows back to their nests and disappearing into the valleys below.