In the cool morning breeze, Lecturer Mu Qing, who had escorted all the Warfare Department freshmen out of the Freshman Hall, gave a faint smile.
"Starting today, I won't be escorting you anymore. You'll have to come and go from this Freshman Hall on your own."
Behind her, through the open doors, one could vaguely see a bronze stairway and a sharp-walled, blue-colored turreted building that resembled a slumbering beast.
Like that middle-aged uncle before, Lin Xi again found himself shocked. Holding onto the mindset of "since I'm here, might as well settle in and explore this wondrous world," he was instantly awe-struck once more.
A few black-and-white cranes flew past the blue tower, forming a breathtaking scene alongside the black-robed woman standing below—something unimaginable in his former world.
"Is that our first instructor?"
Unlike Lin Xi, Li Kaiyun—who had walked up beside him—was not in the mood to admire the scenery. The moment a figure appeared from behind a gray-tiled building without any warning, he and many other Warfare freshmen froze in place.
The figure walking toward them was that same cold and stern one-eyed lecturer.
But Lin Xi didn't find the one-eyed lecturer particularly terrifying. His appearance, at most, reminded him of a blind-in-one-eye version of Professor Snape from the movies—aged another ten or so years.
In contrast, what caught Lin Xi's attention were a few pale-faced freshmen who looked like they could barely stay on their feet.
"What's up with them?" Lin Xi asked Li Kaiyun in a low, curious voice.
"They got trapped in one of the corridors last night and only got rescued by Lecturer Mu Qing this morning."
It was Hua Jiyue, a tall girl from the Northern Miao Province, who answered instead. She looked at Lin Xi with interest.
"A lot of people got stuck inside the hall last night, but those guys were just unlucky and couldn't find the way out. What, didn't you wander around last night?"
Lin Xi smiled. "Do I really look like the kind of guy who loves running around aimlessly?"
"Don't forget—you were the first to barge into my room," Hua Jiyue said without even realizing the ambiguity of her words. She glanced sideways at Lin Xi.
"You seem curious about everything. Is that why you managed to solve that weird Medicine Department professor's test during the entrance trial?"
Lin Xi smiled even more brightly. "I guess you could say that. But I'm not in a rush. I wait for others to tell me what's worth checking out. So, yeah, I didn't go wandering last night."
Hua Jiyue gave him another sideways glance and said softly,
"Two people discovered last night that this Freshman Hall is far bigger than we thought. There are passages leading into the mountains and an unknown area beneath the turret."
"Well, once you figure it out, be sure to let me know."
"You—!" Hua Jiyue was almost choked speechless by his words.
"Just kidding. No need to take it seriously." Lin Xi chuckled. "If there's ever a class where we get stuck overnight without consequence, we can go explore. Didn't Lecturer Mu Qing say that except for places requiring credits, we can go anywhere in Qingluan Academy? There must be plenty of places to explore."
Boom!
Just then, the freshmen around Lin Xi burst into an uproar.
Surprised, Lin Xi turned to see that most of the Golden Spoon freshmen were staring wide-eyed at the chest of the approaching one-eyed lecturer.
There were two badges on his chest—one was gold, shaped like a shield, and covered in thorny patterns. The other was silver, with a falling star design.
"The Thorn Badge and the Falling Star Badge!"
Li Kaiyun, like Lin Xi, was initially confused. But upon recognizing the patterns, his expression shifted dramatically from awe to reverence and shock.
Those two badges gleamed especially brightly against the black robe—reflecting not just sunlight, but a glory that could not be erased.
"The Thorn Badge is only awarded to those who have carried out at least two highly dangerous assassinations or rescue missions. The Falling Star Badge is for displaying extraordinary bravery in major battles. Both are supreme honors of the Empire. It's said only about twenty such badges are awarded each year."
Seeing Lin Xi's puzzled look, Li Kaiyun explained with a trembling voice.
Half the shine came from the eastern morning sun—half from the glory those badges carried. The one-eyed black-robed lecturer walking in from the east was dazzling to behold.
"Follow me."
The black-robed lecturer uttered just two words and led all the freshmen to a broken bridge above a cliff.
Beside the bridge ran a silver zipline and a silver chain—both thumb-thick—stretching toward a distant valley. Each zipline had a loop and a pull-bar, just big enough for someone to hang on with both hands.
"If you're not too stupid, you should already know from Lecturer Mu Qing what this is—Qingluan Academy's Silver Thread Zipline. Zhao Ke'an, step forward."
A short, skinny boy from Northern Tide Ridge stumbled out of the crowd, clearly panicking.
"Hold on tight and slide down," the lecturer said after glancing at his roll and memorizing the boy's features.
Zhao Ke'an's face turned deathly pale. He looked at the hundreds-of-meters-deep cliff and froze.
"Ah!" A shriek rang out.
The lecturer gave Zhao Ke'an a hard kick in the rear, sending him flying down the zipline.
"Just like that? What if someone can't hold on and falls?"
Another freshman stepped back with trembling legs, his voice shaking in fear.
"Then they die," the lecturer said coldly, shooting him a disdainful look.
"If you can't even hold on here, then dying early saves the Academy from embarrassment. What's your name?"
"Tu Xiaomeng."
"Good. You're next."
"…."
Whump!
Another kick, another scream, another pale face sliding down. Lin Xi couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"What's your name?" The one-eyed lecturer's gaze landed on Lin Xi.
"Lin Xi."
Amused, Mu Shan Zi and Qiu Lu watched gleefully, expecting Lin Xi to be humiliated.
But before the lecturer could do anything, Lin Xi had already calmly grabbed the zipline and glided off on his own.
Lin Xi's heart soared with excitement. The natural grandeur of the mountains and scattered buildings made this ride even more thrilling than any rollercoaster.
He flew through the wind, mist rising between the peaks, and the scent of the forest—before slamming into a wooden wall padded with thick cushions.
The two pale-faced freshmen who arrived before him looked at Lin Xi like he was a lunatic, while Lin Xi gave them a friendly smile and began inspecting the valley.
It was small, with a gentle slope planted full of purple orchids. A clear stream flowed at its base, and a breezy grass hut stood beside the creek.
The water was so clear you could see fish swimming—fish the size of a finger that actually swam closer when they heard voices.
More freshmen slammed into the cushioned wall behind him, and finally, the one-eyed lecturer descended like a black eagle—landing lightly before he even hit the padding.
Saying nothing, he gestured for the group to follow him into the grass hut.
Inside, a square table sat at one end, with a black longbow placed atop. Opposite the table were bamboo mats for seating.
With the stream murmuring nearby and the wind flowing freely through the open structure, the one-eyed lecturer began his first lesson.
"Do you think I'm flaunting my achievements, wearing these two badges while teaching you?" he asked coolly, scanning the class.
No one replied. Even if they had such thoughts, who would dare accuse a lecturer of showboating?
"This is the Academy Head's directive. Every instructor must wear their badges for the first lesson."
"Why?"
A bold student finally spoke—handsome, straight-backed, bright-eyed. He had the presence of an aristocrat, proud by nature—Du Gu Xueting from the Imperial Capital in Central Province.
"Without something to measure against, how will you strive to surpass it?"
"These badges are the foundation of this Academy's pride. You sit here today because of them."
He looked sternly at each freshman in their fresh blue Academy robes.
"The black robe I wear—and the robes you wear—are the greatest badges of honor.
You haven't done anything yet, but you've already been granted glory.
That means in the future, you must accomplish even more to live up to it."
"Does every instructor have badges like yours?" another student asked in awe.
The one-eyed lecturer didn't even look up. "You think Academy lecturers come cheap?
Only those who hold at least two badges of this grade are eligible to teach here."
Gasps filled the hut.
Having heard from Li Kaiyun that even one such badge was enough to earn military prestige on par with a Province Overseer, Lin Xi couldn't help but recall Xia Yanbing and Mu Qing…
Did that mean those seemingly young and serene instructors had already lived through countless harrowing events?