Students of the Thunder Academy

The terrain of Lin Hou consisted of low hills, and upon ascending a higher mound, Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue were able to discern the two parties embroiled in a heated dispute. 

Initially, Lin Xi was quite concerned that his friends might be among those arguing, given that they were all likely within a radius of several miles. However, upon clearly seeing the disputants, both Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue were instantly filled with profound surprise and suspicion.

In the low ground between two mounds stood one faction, comprised of three disciples clad in gray robes from the Medicine Master division. Among them was a tall figure, one of the individuals who had previously mocked Lin Xi outside the Poison Valley. 

The opposing side featured a young man dressed in a golden, form-fitting outfit. 

It was evident that he was not a student from the Qingluan Academy. 

Although the young man, who bore a striking resemblance to Lin Xi and his companions in age, possessed a chilling demeanor that belied his years. 

His golden attire, crafted from the hide of some beast, appeared soft and lightweight, yet it evidently provided excellent insulation, as his complexion was rosy, devoid of any signs of cold. 

The collar, cuffs, and back of his golden outfit were adorned with patterns reminiscent of lightning, and at his waist hung a straight sword carved from hard wood, exceeding the length of a typical longsword by over a foot. 

Between him and the three Medicine Master students draped in black cloaks lay a fallen wolverine, its dirty, yellow-black fur stained with blood, impaled by a wooden spear and pinned to the ground. 

"I shall reiterate," the young man in golden attire stated, his gaze lowered to the wolverine, which could yield at least twenty to thirty pounds of meat. "I was the one who tracked this wolverine first, and I have already wounded its hind leg. It came here exhausted; what you are doing is akin to thrusting a spear into prey I have already captured and claiming it as your own. This is utterly unreasonable." 

His hands and body trembled slightly, a clear indication of the exhaustion caused by prolonged hunger, yet his expression remained calm and indifferent. 

"You seem to be quite confused," White Zihou, the tall Medicine Master student who had previously mocked Lin Xi outside the Poison Valley, sneered at the young man in golden attire. "Although we are unaware of how students from the Thunder Academy came to be here, we have no intention of questioning your identity. However, you must understand... this mountain range belongs to the Qingluan Academy. We are cultivating here, and naturally, all game that appears is ours. Your presence here is merely a disruption to our training." 

The young man's expression darkened further as he glanced at White Zihou and coldly replied, "From the West at Biluo Ridge to the East at Longshe Mountain, from the South at Qianxia Mountain to the North at this Tianzheng Mountain Range, all of it falls within the borders of Yunqin. When did this mountain range become the Qingluan Academy's private garden? Has the current Sovereign issued an edict forbidding anyone other than Qingluan Academy students from entering the Tianzheng Mountain Range?" 

After a brief pause, the young man added coldly, "Moreover, I believe the Qingluan Academy must have taught you the principle of first come, first served, and not to resort to underhanded tactics." 

"You still fail to comprehend," White Zihou's expression darkened completely. "If a Qingluan Academy student were hunting this wolverine, we might have yielded, but as a student of the Thunder Academy appearing here to contest our claim on this wolverine, you are our enemy. If you believe you can defeat the three of us, then come and take the wolverine. If not, please refrain from further wasted words." 

The young man in golden attire clenched his teeth and replied coldly, "It seems you are merely bullying the weak in numbers, unwilling to engage in reasoned discourse." 

"Brother Bai, why waste so many words with him? We do not possess your level of patience." The two other Medicine Master students beside White Zihou scoffed, ignoring the Thunder Academy student entirely as they stepped forward to retrieve the wolverine. 

"Very well, it seems you were the ones unwilling to engage in reasoned discourse first." The Thunder Academy student said nothing further and turned to leave. 

Though unable to hear the specifics of the conversation, Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue could deduce the cause of the dispute from the standoffish demeanor of both parties and the wolverine, which could easily provide two days' worth of sustenance for one person. 

Not far from where the argument occurred, a fire pit lay with some partially burned bamboo, the popping sounds that startled the two gray foxes had evidently originated from the burning bamboo. 

"Who are those people?" 

Observing the back of the young man in golden attire, Lin Xi furrowed his brow and quietly inquired of Qin Xiyue. He could tell that the individual was also a practitioner, but how could a young cultivator not affiliated with any academy be present in the depths of the Tianzheng Mountain Range? 

Moreover, given the tense standoff with the three Medicine Master students, it seemed the young man harbored no fear of the Qingluan Academy, which puzzled him even further. 

"I do not know," Qin Xiyue replied, shaking her head thoughtfully. "Should we go and ask White Zihou and the others?" 

"It appears we have attracted quite a crowd; we can go see who they are." Lin Xi nodded in agreement. 

In the distance, among the overgrown hills, several dark figures began to emerge, making their way toward the site of the altercation. Although Lin Xi could not discern the features and expressions of the young man in golden attire, his cold and defiant silhouette gave Lin Xi the impression that he would not simply let the matter rest. 

...

Due to the desolate expanse of the wilderness, which was usually particularly quiet, the sounds of the bamboo bursting and the argument traveled a considerable distance, clearly disturbing several students from the Qingluan Academy, who were now approaching the source of the commotion. 

However, shortly after descending the slope, Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue encountered three students who had just emerged from a nearby gully, their black cloaks revealing glimpses of red robes underneath, indicating they were students from the Tinkering Division. 

"Lin Xi?" 

Before Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue could speak, the foremost of the three Tinkering Division students, a fair-skinned and bookish young man, paused in surprise and then exclaimed with delight. 

"You?" Lin Xi was taken aback. He was one of the three chosen students of this year's new intake, so it was not unusual for students from other divisions to recognize him. However, he had never spoken with these three Tinkering Division students before, making their recognition of him quite puzzling. 

"What's wrong? Don't you remember me?" The fair-skinned young man, seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, quickly winked at Lin Xi. "I'm from the Tinkering Division... Also, recently, we discussed the techniques of the Direct Strike Spear Formation." 

Lin Xi suddenly realized that this was the "Black Rose" from the Trial Valley. 

Although they had become quite familiar during their time in the Trial Valley, they had never inquired about each other's names, and Lin Xi had never suspected that the other had completely deduced his identity. 

"So you are the Black Rose?" A smile appeared on Lin Xi's lips as he regarded the young man whose true face he had never seen before, feigning an apologetic expression. "I remember now... but you never told me your name last time?" 

Jiang Xiaoyi, upon seeing Lin Xi's acknowledgment, felt a rush of excitement and stepped forward, extending his hand with an indescribable sense of admiration. "My name is Jiang Xiaoyi." 

"Hello." Lin Xi, looking at this friend he had grown familiar with in the Trial Valley yet was seeing for the first time in person, earnestly shook Jiang Xiaoyi's hand. 

This feeling was akin to meeting a long-time online acquaintance for the first time in reality. 

Recalling Lin Xi's astonishing performances in the Direct Strike Spear Formation and the Blade and Gun Formation, Jiang Xiaoyi, typically unreserved, found himself suddenly shy and at a loss for words, smiling awkwardly without knowing what to say. 

The other Tinkering Division students accompanying Jiang Xiaoyi frowned, bewildered as to why he was so close to the "Ninety-Jin Chosen" who had garnered a poor reputation in recent times. 

The rustling sound of footsteps on dry grass echoed nearby, and two more students from the academy emerged from different directions. 

One of them, short and plump, looked at Lin Xi with a pouty expression, almost on the verge of tears; it was Lin Xi's friend, the chubby Meng Bai. 

The other, upon seeing Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue together, displayed an expression of utter astonishment; he was one of the few people Lin Xi disliked, the handsome Liu Ziyu. 

Suddenly, Lin Xi appeared to recall something, and in a voice only audible to himself and Qin Xiyue, he quietly asked, "Xiyue, how did you end up with this Ninety-Jin Chosen?" 

"What?" Qin Xiyue was momentarily taken aback, still processing the question, when Liu Ziyu, who had approached, remarked, "Xiyue, how did you end up with this Ninety-Jin Chosen?" 

Liu Ziyu's words and tone mirrored Lin Xi's previous inquiry perfectly, causing Qin Xiyue to stifle a laugh. 

"I couldn't be bothered to explain anything to him; if you're interested, you can take your time explaining. I'm going to check out who that person was." Lin Xi chuckled, saying this to Qin Xiyue before ignoring Liu Ziyu entirely, giving Jiang Xiaoyi a pat on the shoulder and waving to Meng Bai as he made his way toward White Zihou and the three Medicine Master students. 

"Did you see a young man dressed in golden attire?" Qin Xiyue's smile faded slightly as she inquired, glancing at the approaching Liu Ziyu. 

Lin Xi's disregard for Liu Ziyu filled him with a sense of simmering anger, and Qin Xiyue's light laugh, coupled with her refusal to respond to him, only deepened his gloom. He was perplexed as to what had transpired between Lin Xi and Qin Xiyue that had led to such a dramatic shift in her attitude, fueling a cold flame of resentment within him, which made his expression stiff and unnatural. 

"Golden attire? No?" His mind was preoccupied with the entanglement between Lin Xi, Qin Xiyue, and himself, so he didn't give much thought to the mention of the golden-attired person, nor did he express any particular surprise.

"Is it really the chosen one at ninety pounds?"

Having returned to the campfire to begin skinning the wolverine, Bai Zihou and the others heard the sound of footsteps crunching on the dry grass. Turning around, they spotted Lin Xi emerging from the valley. The tall young man from the Apothecary Department immediately wore a mocking expression and gestured towards the wolverine before him, saying, "So, what do you think? The wolverine we hunted isn't too shabby, is it?"

Lin Xi smiled faintly and replied, "It is indeed commendable, though I can't help but wonder whether it was seized from someone else or if it was genuinely hunted by you."

The expressions of Bai Zihou and his companions darkened instantly. Bai Zihou fixed a cold gaze on Lin Xi and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Lin Xi responded, "I merely wish to inquire about the origins of that individual clad in golden attire from earlier."

"Why should I divulge that to you?" Bai Zihou retorted with a sneer. "What makes you think you are worthy of knowing, you who are merely the chosen one at ninety pounds?"

Upon hearing Bai Zihou's derisive remarks, Qin Xiyue furrowed her brows, ready to speak. However, Liu Ziyu, who stood beside her, interjected, "Xiyue, earlier you had a falling out with this person over Yan An. Why does it seem today that your attitude towards him has shifted significantly? Is there a reason behind it?"

Faced with Liu Ziyu's probing question, Qin Xiyue could no longer pretend she hadn't heard. She pondered for a moment before saying, "My previous judgment of him might have been a bit extreme. He mentioned he would demonstrate to me that he is not as I had presumed."

"Demonstrate? How would he do that? With the discerning judgment of the Zhi Ge Department's instructor, such tests cannot be faked," Liu Ziyu inhaled deeply, restraining his agitation, and scoffed, "This person is nothing but a charlatan, a pretender. Xiyue, how can you still believe him?"

Qin Xiyue felt a flicker of annoyance and replied softly, "Whether to believe or not will be evident once he proves his worth."

While she felt slightly displeased, Liu Ziyu's simmering anger and frustration could no longer be contained. He couldn't fathom how this country bumpkin could possess any charm that would lead both Gao Yan'an and Qin Xiyue to alter their attitudes towards him so drastically.

He was merely a lowly cultivator!

"Demonstrate? Then let him prove it!" 

Liu Ziyu's face paled slightly as he took a deep breath and strode towards Lin Xi, his voice sharp with intensity, "Lin Xi, I am eager to know how you intend to prove yourself to Xiyue!"