The next morning, the sunlight pierced through the bamboo curtains of their inn, dancing across Su Daji's face as she slept soundly, a small drool trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"Su Daji, wake up! First day as a scholar!" Tang Wu shouted, yanking the blanket off her like announcing a war.
Su Daji jumped half-conscious. "WHAT?! Am I late?!" she panicked, her hair resembling a bird's nest that had just been shaken by a storm.
Leon sat leisurely at the breakfast table, chewing a piece of bread. "No. But you'll be late if you keep shouting like a chicken that lost its eggs."
Su Daji sprinted to the bathroom, dragging her cosmetic box along. A loud clatter followed: water splashed, a comb fell, and... someone screamed as soap got in their eyes.
Jian Mo, who had been quietly reading an old newspaper, cleared his throat softly. "Calm down. Tianyin Academy is not a battlefield."
Tang Wu grinned. "For Daji, anything can be a battlefield."
After what seemed like a process longer than building a city wall, Su Daji finally emerged, her academy uniform perfectly neat, her face shining (literally, from too much powder), and her spirit ablaze.
"I'm ready!"
They walked together toward the gates of Tianyin Academy—a grand complex with buildings painted dark red, tiered rooftops reflecting ancient architecture, and gardens filled with exotic, fragrant flowers. Statues of legendary scholars stood tall, as if watching over the students entering.
The iron gates opened with a hiss, and as they stepped inside, Su Daji was instantly awestruck. The large courtyard was filled with students from all over the land. Some wore luxurious clothes, while others looked like they had just woken up from a long slumber.
"Look! That's a noble child from the Northeastern Region! And... that's a disciple from the Golden Ink Sect!" Su Daji pointed like a tourist at a night market.
Leon walked closer and said flatly, "If you keep pointing like that, don't be surprised if they think you just escaped from the countryside."
"Uh... I am from the countryside..." Daji whispered softly.
Tang Wu burst out laughing. "Don't worry, Daji! I'll accompany you to class today, if you're scared!"
"You're not a student here," Leon said.
"But I can sneak in! Just put on this cloak and–"
"No," Daji, Leon, and Jian Mo all replied in unison.
Meanwhile, Mo Tian had already left earlier in the morning. He needed to meet with the leader of the Murim Alliance, who resided in a pavilion on the Tianyin hills. This left just the four of them to face the chaotic and laughter-filled morning.
Upon entering the orientation hall, Su Daji sat in the back, trying to stay calm. But when an old professor began speaking in a hoarse voice like the winter wind, Tang Wu sneaked in through the back window.
"PSST. DAJI. I BROUGHT PEANUT CAKES!" he whispered too loudly.
The entire class turned to look.
The professor glared. "Who's that?!"
Su Daji covered her face, almost burying herself under the table. Leon, who had been waiting outside the class, just shook his head from behind the window.
The professor snorted, then continued talking about "the manners of young scholars," while Tang Wu sat happily on the floor, eating his cakes.
During the break, Daji left the class with a tired but radiant face. "So... being a scholar is hard, huh?"
Jian Mo patted her on the back. "But you've taken the first step. That's what matters."
Tang Wu appeared from behind some bushes, for reasons unknown. "And I'm ready to be your shadow teacher!"
"If you keep bothering her, I'll become the shadow of your anger," Leon replied with a flat expression.
Laughter erupted once more.
Su Daji's first day was indeed full of surprises, but also full of hope. Amidst the academy of knowledge, absurdity, and Wu Tang's noise, the country girl had begun a new chapter in her life— as a young scholar who would write her own fate.
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