Part 21

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The Headmaster's words did not disagree with deeds, so Yui's move to the new barracks went quickly. The crumpled farewell to her classmates, who felt that their comrade had been punished in some way, lasted no more than a few seconds. Only Wen Chou stopped his friend at the very exit to ask him more about what had happened in Principal Fang's office.

-Seriously? Maybe I should start breaking limbs too.

Not to be taken in by the defiant joke, Yu placed his hand, free of his belongings, on his friend's shoulder. Making a serious face and lowering his voice so the other students wouldn't hear, he recounted the gist of his conversation with the intimidating head of the school.

-Probably so. I was chosen for my academic excellence and martial skills. If you do well, you'll be promoted to a higher level.

Shaking his head understandingly at his classmate's advice, Chou hugged the boy tightly. Wishing each other good luck, they went their separate ways without saying much. Guan Yu left for his new residence, and Chou hurriedly went to Uncle Pad, insisting on an increased workload.

The new barracks was much smaller, but many times more solid and rich. The eye-pleasing red interior was not irritating, and warm colours enveloped the building inside and out. Yu, who had never been to this part of the school before, scrutinised the fenced compound, where two guards stood at the entrance. Without asking questions, they parted before the boy, allowing him inside.

The luxurious living space, by Yuu's standards, looked more like an aristocrat's estate. There were carpets and statues on every corner, carved lamps hanging from the ceiling, and real glass in the windows. He'd seen them before, of course, but certainly not in such quantities. Running his hand over the transparent window, Yu looked excitedly at the street where the two guards continued their duty. A polite cough behind him scared the child away. In a leap, Yuu managed to twist and stretch into a string, pretending he hadn't touched anything.

Standing in front of him with a lean face was a teenager a few years older. His red clothes with green flecks hung off his shoulders as if they were off someone else's shoulder. Only a tight belt and a thin waistcoat held the whole structure in place.

Taking a couple of steps forward, the young man looked at Yui with interest until he realised and slapped himself on the forehead.

-That's right, you're the new guy Mr Fang was talking about. Guan Yu, right?

-That's right.

With his chin up and a silly face, the boy was following one of his guardian's advice that he often repeated.

'If you don't know who your commanders are, look dashing and foolish, so that your wit and audacity don't embarrass your superiors.'

-Ehm. All right, follow me. I'll show you around.

Looking back at the strange child, the teenager led him deep into the building, which was divided into many corridors and rooms. Along the way, the young man introduced himself as Yan Liang. He was unlucky today and was ordered by the principal to babysit the new kid for his appearance. As the story went on, Yu's face stretched out more and more. The barracks had a separate dining hall, a room of its own, and an always open training room. Such riches were new to the orphan, so when Liang noticed his confusion, he paused to mull over a few questions.

-I'm about to ask a silly question, but... Ah, alright. You're not one of the noble ones, right?

Nodding his head frequently, Yu threatened to break his neck. The boy's happy face was met with a sigh full of pain and despair.

-Shit, this is bad, really bad-.

-Why?

Because you'll undermine discipline,' Liang slid down with his forehead against the wall, playing the role of the sufferer to the end, 'everyone else in the squad is from noble families. Having you as a neighbour would be like an eyesore to them.

-Oh.

Realising the full extent of the problem, the boy bit his lower lip, contemplating the situation. Yu didn't fancy spending the rest of his studies bowing and doing the bidding of power-hungry children. If his guide's words were to be believed, the complex was closed to all but the headmaster and his trusted men. So all the students are boiling in their own cauldron. The white crow in the person of yesterday's peasant will be the main target for ridicule and humiliation of all those living in the barracks.

-Okay, we'll think of something.

-No need to think of anything,' Principal Fang's chilling voice froze both boys in place, 'I'll handle this matter myself. Right now I'm worried about something else, why are you still here?

-Review tour, Mr Fang,' Yan Liang got up from the floor, took on a dignified appearance and spoke with the face of a revived stool, 'I'm showing the new recruit our accommodation.

-Look around later, now follow me, both of you.

Liang, who had not escaped before the end of the sentence, followed the headmaster with his head down. Not knowing what was going on, Yu hurriedly stomped along, trying to keep up. Corridors flashed before his eyes, and with the corner of his eye, he noticed many rooms. From the inside, the entire building appeared much larger than the outside.

'Though I only saw the entrance.'

Stepping into the spacious hall, more like a shrew dojo, the company caught sight of the other cadets in an elongated formation. The young men stood in a warrior pose, holding clay jars in their hands. As the headmaster stood in front of the formation, the gazes of every student present travelled over him and Yu, but all inevitably stopped on Yan Liang. The embarrassed teen hid his head in his shoulders, trying not to look into his classmates' eyes blazing with rage.

-Finished. You know who to thank for that.

At Fang's command, the children smoothly lowered the jars to the ground, standing in straight rows. Their shaking arms and legs did not prevent them from standing still as they listened to their superiors.

-From this day on, a new student will be studying with you,' the headmaster pointed at the child standing next to him with an open palm, drawing his attention to him, 'Guan Yu. I'm sure you'll probably realise soon enough, but I'd rather tell you. He's not from high society. Yu is the son of common people, but he will still be enrolled in your squad.

Standing next to Fang, the boy expected outrage or any reaction, but the frozen children did not react to the news.

-He's the youngest of you, so I hope you'll keep an eye on him. That'll be all.

Turning on the heels of his high boots, the headmaster folded his hands behind his back and quickly walked away. For a few more seconds, the measured footsteps on the wooden floor could be heard. When the sound finally died down, the heads of everyone present turned towards Yan Liang. Giving in to the herd instinct, the captain's son himself turned his head to see the fleeing teenager. Without causing any noise, he quickly rushed down the corridor after the headmaster.

After giving him a glance before turning around, Yuu took in more air and prepared himself for something scary. In his head, he was already drawing horrible pictures of the evil aristocrat kids taking out their grudges on him. Closing his eyes and tensing his body, he turned back, but instead of arrogant questions or blows, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

-Relax,' Yu slowly opened his eyes and saw the crowd of teenagers and younger children surrounding him, 'I can imagine what you're thinking right now, but you can forget all the rules you had in the barracks or on the streets.

-That's right,' the largest and most mature of the group came forward, 'there's only one rule: obey the headmaster. And right now he has clearly shown that you are under his protection.

With the last word, the grip on his shoulder visibly tightened. Turning his frightened gaze to the guy leaning close to him, Yu was ready to kick him in the groin out of fear and run.

-As long as you don't take advantage of your position, we won't touch you. Do you understand?

Feeling surrounded by a pack of predators, Ping's pupil raised his head and shouted loudly.

-That's right!

Closing his eyes at the cry, the teenager let go of his aching shoulder and took a few steps back. The cadets around them laughed and made jokes about the boy, calling him a scarecrow and other nicknames. While everyone was laughing at the situation, the eldest of the children led Yu away, putting his arm around her shoulder.

-Good girl, you'll go far. -You'll go far. But seriously, I hope the headmaster didn't bring you here for nothing. We have the best of the best here and I believe you can match us. Come on, I'll show you your room since the jerk ran away.

-What jerk?

-Yan Liang. I'll forgive you for the first time, but in the future... I'm the senior in rank and position, and you're the youngest and weakest here, so try to keep a low profile and don't ask questions that aren't relevant. Anything that has to do with personal development will be answered and helped, but for the rest, keep your temper in check, or I won't guarantee you a peaceful life.

Silently walking along, Yuu didn't know what to do. Silly thoughts were swarming in his head, how to show the huge classmate his agreement with the local politics. Ahead of the boy, the young man answered him, stopping his pointless tossing.

-Good, you're a quick learner, maybe we'll work together.

Their silent walk didn't last long, behind one of the unremarkable doors with the number forty-six, the room where he would be studying for the last three years was waiting for him. At first Yu thought it was just a continuation of the programme like everyone else's, but the next words of the guide put everything in its place.

-So we've settled on a place to live. Ah, yes. My name is Sun Tse, and for the next three years, you will report only to me or the headmaster. All squad members will study for the same amount of time, so I suggest you get into the rhythm quickly. If you fail to pass the standards, you will be kicked out of here with a wolf ticket and you will not rise above sergeant.

After slamming the door shut, the eldest son of the Viceroy went about his business, leaving the confused child alone. The overwhelming amount of emotions needed an outlet, so without thinking of anything else, Yu scattered his few belongings on the shelves and went to explore the manor.

It took an entire hour to walk around along the entire building. Walking on the left side the entire time, the boy checked out the large rooms and the non-digitised rooms. The number of training rooms was astounding, there was also a large library in the manor, which the little soldier ignored completely.

Ending his journey in the hall where he was introduced to the others, he found the weapon racks standing along the walls. Not finding any inscriptions or explanations of the owners, Yu boldly picked up a small halberd.

Warming up and fighting with shadows helped to get the blood flowing and ward off unnerving thoughts. Concentrating on the battle, the kid didn't notice when another visitor appeared in the room. Taller than him by a head, the sturdy teenager watched the commoner's training intently, recognising that the headmaster had found another uncut diamond. The fast and sturdy Guan Yu could become a great warrior if trained properly. His unusual technique was also worthy of special attention. Of course, there were many mistakes in the boy's movements, and the child's hands could not fully realise the capabilities of the halberd, but Sun Ce was sure that the kid would be good.