Not a Place for Humans to Reside

It's the practitioners of Imperial Medicine and the Celestial Craft; their regular coursework tends to be rather tedious, hence their eagerness to venture into these valleys." 

Instructor Mu Qing stood by the window, a subtle smile gracing her lips. 

Her features were quite ordinary, yet all the black-robed instructors in the academy seemed to possess an air of untamed elegance. As she spoke, a gentle breeze stirred her robe, giving her the appearance of a black rose blooming on the edge of a precipice. 

"Alright, all the boys may leave now. Once you're in your own rooms, you'll have ample time to explore." 

After Lin Xi and the other boys exited the room, she cast a glance at the tallest among the five girls from the Zhi Ge Department, Hua Jiyue. "You seem to have the most straightforward temperament; this room shall be yours. I trust you won't mind?" 

Hua Jiyue shrugged nonchalantly. 

"Here is the key to your room." Mu Qing produced a metallic ring from her sleeve, adorned with numerous bronze keys, each a slender piece of bronze about three inches long, yet each uniquely engraved. The key she handed to Hua Jiyue bore an owl motif, while the others featured designs of a falcon, vines, a lark, and thorns. 

"To be fair, you may now either return to your rooms or accompany me to view the boys' quarters." 

"Why not? We must seize the opportunity!" 

…

After pulling a copper ring along the corridor, a bronze ladder appeared, connecting to a corner of the third floor. 

All the rooms on the third floor were unlocked. Mu Qing casually pushed open one door, and the new students who had previously hesitated rushed into the room. 

These rooms, similarly perched on the cliff's edge, offered a view almost identical to that seen from the window, yet the interiors were starkly different, with floors, walls, and even the beds crafted from solid, heavy green stone. 

The green stones were etched with intricate crisscrossing patterns, while only the mattresses and bedding were made from thickly tanned animal hides, appearing somewhat softer. 

"You rushed in the most eagerly, showing the least patience. Since each of you will receive a room in due time, there was no need for such haste. Hence, this room is yours." 

Qiu Lu's excited expression instantly froze, for he had been the first to dash into the room. The frenzy of competition had naturally made the space more disheveled. 

"The true significance of each room lies not in the rooms themselves, but in those who have walked out of them." 

Mu Qing handed a key engraved with an owl design to the somewhat disheartened Qiu Lu, stating matter-of-factly, "For instance, from this very room, a high-ranking general and two provincial governors have emerged." 

"Boom!" 

A wave of astonishment swept through the room. 

Qiu Lu's eyes brightened, and he exclaimed, "Perhaps another high-ranking general will emerge in the future!" 

"Fool!" someone muttered disdainfully. 

"Who said that? Step forward!" Qiu Lu's face flushed with anger, but he failed to discern the speaker. 

"Alright, each of you will receive a key, and then find your respective rooms. The door will bear a design corresponding to your key." 

"Teacher Xia, what shall we do next?" 

"If you haven't learned to stash some food on your way here and find yourselves hungry, feel free to explore this Zhi Ge New Student Hall. There is a room where you might find some provisions… Otherwise, you may remain in your rooms until tomorrow's classes, when I will naturally guide you there. However, do remember the first rule of Qing Luan Academy," Mu Qing stated calmly. "Otherwise, as first-time offenders, I will deduct one credit from you." 

"This rule seems rather peculiar. Why is that?" a boy known as the Golden Spoon remarked with a dismissive tone. 

"You may pose that question to Teacher Situ, who will be lecturing you tomorrow; his answer will surely leave a more lasting impression than mine. Ladies, you may leave now… And from this moment on, anyone entering another's room will incur a deduction of one credit." Mu Qing adjusted her hair with a smile, allowing all the new students except Qiu Lu to exit the room, then she turned to lead the five girls from the Zhi Ge Department away. 

Lin Xi glanced at the key he had received, preparing to seek out his designated room. The pattern on his key resembled a black flag, akin to a dark cloud swirling ominously, but as he looked up, he noticed Li Kaiyun's face was ashen, his legs trembling. 

"What's wrong?" Lin Xi inquired, puzzled. 

Li Kaiyun pressed his hands to his chest, appearing greatly startled, and whispered in Lin Xi's ear, "Did you notice? Teacher Mu walks without making a sound; it's as if her feet barely touch the ground…" 

Lin Xi paused, then turned to see the tall, slender Mu Qing gliding along the suspended bronze staircase. Her voluminous black robe concealed her feet, yet indeed, she seemed to make not a whisper of sound. 

Furrowing his brow, he turned back to Li Kaiyun, aware that his friend surely had more to say; otherwise, such a trivial matter would not have rendered Li Kaiyun—so filled with youthful fervor and loyalty—so perturbed. 

Finally catching his breath, Li Kaiyun's face remained pale. "Her robe is quite terrifying… I just saw something resembling a snake's head protruding from it." 

Lin Xi was taken aback. "A snake's head?" 

"Yes, it was quite large, and I'm certain it was alive, as it quickly retracted," Li Kaiyun said, clenching his fist to illustrate that the "snake's head" he had seen was at least the size of his fist. 

Suddenly, words failed Li Kaiyun, and his complexion turned even paler. 

At that moment, Mu Qing on the suspended staircase abruptly turned her head and cast a glance at him, seemingly smiling at both him and Lin Xi with an unsettling intent. 

"Creak." 

After escorting the five girls from the Zhi Ge Department to the fifth floor, she casually pushed open a wall and stepped inside, vanishing into the labyrinthine halls beyond. 

"Lin Xi, do you think she heard us talking? Aren't you afraid?" Li Kaiyun looked at Lin Xi quizzically, who showed no sign of fear. 

Lin Xi chuckled and patted Li Kaiyun's shoulder. "What is there to fear? She is an instructor at the academy and the guardian of our New Student Hall; the more fearsome she appears, the less likely anyone can harm us." 

Li Kaiyun paused, contemplating. "You make a compelling point… Should we explore this New Student Hall?" 

Without hesitation, Lin Xi shook his head. "There will be plenty of time for that; who knows what sort of mischief awaits us in tomorrow's first class at Qing Luan Academy?" 

"Chosen by destiny, yet possessing only second-tier qualifications, Professor Qin, you must compete to have him enter the Zhi Ge Department, and ultimately, he indeed joined… One wonders whether this is fortunate or unfortunate for him," stood Mu Qing, clad in black, motionless at the far end of the recently shifted wall, her ears subtly twitching as she muttered to herself. 

…

Unaware that the black-robed instructor behind the wall was contemplating matters concerning his future, Lin Xi began searching for his own room with the key in hand. 

As he traversed the corridor on the third floor, he noticed others pushing open doors to enter, so he did not need to exert effort deciphering the patterns on each door. 

It was not until he reached the second-to-last door in the corridor that he spotted one that had not been opened, adorned with a design resembling a black flag billowing in a fierce wind. 

At that moment, a tall, slender youth, armed with a long knife and a bow, approached him. 

Among the four originally bearing long knives from the Zhi Ge Department, only this one had entered Qing Luan Academy, making it easy for Lin Xi to remember this silent yet resolute young man's name: Tang Ke. 

"Tang Ke, do you live next door to me?" 

Lin Xi curiously examined the pattern on the door beside him, which depicted a heavy suit of armor. 

Tang Ke paused slightly, taken aback. The Golden Spoon, the Border Tribe members, and the rustic folk often felt out of place, so he hadn't expected Lin Xi, the one chosen by destiny, to initiate a conversation. "Yes." After glancing at the armor pattern on Lin Xi's door, he nodded awkwardly. 

Lin Xi smiled at him. "Tang Ke, may we chat for a moment? Now, or after you've set down your belongings." 

Tang Ke was momentarily stunned, lowering his head to notice his dusty, worn-out cloth shoes. "Chatting with me… Why?" 

"Why?" Lin Xi regarded the reticent and awkward young man, momentarily taken aback before breaking into a light laugh. "Because I admire you." 

Lin Xi's smile was utterly sincere, his tone relaxed, yet Tang Ke inexplicably stiffened. "I… I'm not interested in that sort of thing." 

"Not interested in what sort of thing?" Lin Xi asked, intrigued by Tang Ke's odd expression. 

Tang Ke's face flushed with embarrassment. "It's… it's about indulging in… I'm not fond of such things." 

Lin Xi was utterly bewildered, bursting into laughter, bending over in mirth. However, once he straightened up, he regarded Tang Ke with earnest sympathy, gesturing toward the long knife and bow on his back. "When I said I admired you, it was simply for the fact that you've carried these burdens here, even when it must have been difficult. I wish to converse with you to learn about the Border Army; I, too, do not appreciate that sort of thing." 

Tang Ke's dark, thin face turned beet red. Lin Xi rubbed his belly, which ached from laughter, and then grew serious. "I come from Lulin Town; the coachman who brought me here, Uncle Liu, was also an old Border Army soldier. He didn't share much about the Border Army, but it seems everyone speaks of it as if it were a fearsome beast. Even my earlier remark has led you to such thoughts… What kind of place is the Border Army, really?" 

"The Border Army…" Tang Ke took a deep breath. Though he could see Lin Xi's sincerity, he instinctively touched the hilt of his knife. "The Border Army… is not a place for humans to reside."