A Corner of the Curtain Rises

The date of the higher academy examinations drew ever closer.

The next day, when Su Yu arrived at the academy, he could feel the tension in the air.

The pre-exam class students even walked faster than the others, rushing back and forth. The fever for one-on-one challenges had passed in an instant; now, the students had no mind left for fighting.

Su Yu had originally intended to find Liu Wenyan, but halfway there, he ran into someone he had never expected to see.

Xia Bing!

The squad leader of the Dragon Martial Guard, the head of the Dragon Martial Guard stationed in Nanyuan.

Other than during periods when the Ten Thousand Races Cult attacked, the Dragon Martial Guard was stationed at Nanyuan Academy. At other times, they were not at Nanyuan Academy, and few people in Nanyuan knew exactly where they were.

A powerhouse at the Soaring Second Stage, on the same level as City Lord Wu Wenhai.

Naturally, Su Yu knew how powerful the Dragon Martial Guard was. He had always wanted to join them; in fact, even now, he still harbored that thought.

But the Dragon Martial Guard was difficult to enter. His father had longed for it for years without succeeding.

Su Yu saw Xia Bing, and Xia Bing naturally saw him as well.

Xia Bing had originally been hurrying along, but when he passed Su Yu, he suddenly stopped.

He turned his head and glanced at Su Yu. Feeling his gaze, Su Yu hurriedly halted and bowed. "Lord Xia."

Xia Bing nodded slightly. After looking at him for a while, a trace of surprise appeared on his face. "Kaiyuan Eighth Stage?"

Su Yu was slightly startled and quickly answered, "I only broke through yesterday."

"You progressed quickly."

After saying that, Xia Bing continued, "I originally thought you would swiftly reach the seventh stage. Reaching Kaiyuan Eighth Stage was somewhat beyond my expectations."

Su Yu did not know how to respond. Xia Bing had been paying attention to him?

He had no dealings with Xia Bing.

Xia Bing was not one for idle chatter. After speaking, he continued, "Bai Feng's 'Kaiyuan Jue' is only half-baked. The fact that you entered the eighth stage so quickly means you have decent talent on the path of a warrior."

"I know your father. Over the past few years, he came to our station quite often, but he did not meet the qualifications to join the Dragon Martial Guard."

Su Yu felt somewhat awkward. This was not easy to answer either.

Xia Bing did not care about his reaction and continued, "I am also from the Demon Suppression Army, though I enlisted later than your father. When your father retired, I had only just joined the army. Six years ago, I was transferred back to the Dragon Martial Guard and became the squad leader of the Dragon Martial Guard stationed in Nanyuan."

Su Yu still did not respond. He did not know why Xia Bing was telling him all this.

"The Civilization Academy is not as good as you imagine. There is intrigue, mutual scheming; until one manifests, one cannot hold one's head high."

"I do not like people from the Civilization Academy. I prefer the War Academy, and I prefer the Dragon Martial Guard... Of course, that has nothing to do with you."

As Xia Bing spoke, his expression was solemn. "Your father said that he could not join the Dragon Martial Guard, so he hoped that one day his son would enter the Dragon Martial Guard and continue following the commander into battle!"

"You may consider Dragon Martial War College. That place... is cleaner than the Civilization Academy!"

"Sir..."

Su Yu was somewhat surprised. Was Xia Bing recruiting students?

Xia Bing calmly said, "The Dragon Martial Guard is stationed in every city and is also responsible for selecting reservists! Previously, you did not have the qualifications. Now you do. Of course, this is only a suggestion, nothing more."

"Originally, I should not have said this much. But your father is, after all, an old veteran of the Demon Suppression Army, so I will say a few extra words. Nowadays... the Civilization Academy is much more complicated than it was in the past. Things within are not peaceful. Factions stand in great numbers, and a group of people who originally only did research now have more schemes and more ideas, making a complete mess of things."

"Your teacher Liu Wenyan, Bai Feng, who wants to take you as his student, and Bai Feng's teacher, Researcher Hong... they are considered part of the same faction. The inner details are even more complicated than what I have said. In short, getting tangled up in this now will not benefit you in the slightest."

Su Yu was bewildered and at a loss. He softly said, "I do not quite understand what you mean, sir. I am only a student from a middle academy who has not even taken the examinations."

"You will understand sooner or later!"

Xia Bing said sonorously, "Remember this: Great Xia Prefecture is still Great Xia Prefecture!"

After saying that, Xia Bing turned and left.

Su Yu sank into thought. A moment later, he gave a bitter smile and strode away.

He truly did not understand what Xia Bing meant.

Of course, Xia Bing's words also carried a warning. Going to the Civilization Academy might not be a good thing; Dragon Martial War College might be more straightforward.

If this had been before, Su Yu would definitely have been delighted.

But now, he had already resolved to attend Daxia Civilization Academy. Just in terms of cultivating willpower, the War Academy was certainly inferior to the Civilization Academy.

Besides, Liu Wenyan had taught him for so long. He had originally wanted to attend the Civilization Academy; he had merely worried that it would not help him improve his combat strength.

Inside the office.

This time, Liu Wenyan was not reading. He was writing instead. Liu Wenyan's handwriting was beautiful—at least, Su Yu thought so. It was a hundred times better than his own.

"Something on your mind?"

Liu Wenyan continued writing without looking up, yet he sensed Su Yu's hesitation.

"No. I just ran into Squad Leader Xia..."

"He told you to go to Dragon Martial Academy?"

"Yes."

"No need to pay him any mind."

Liu Wenyan was not furious. He merely sighed with some emotion. "Did he say the Civilization Academy does not suit you, or that the Civilization Academy has changed for the worse?"

"Well..."

"It is fine. This is not the first time he has said such things. In fact, quite a few people in the Dragon Martial Guard say the same."

Liu Wenyan calmly said, "What he said is also true. The Civilization Academy is indeed somewhat different from what it was in the past. The Fifth Generation Academy Head fell, and the Sixth Generation Academy Head took office. After that, the Civilization Academy entered a period of rapid development. During that time, it also brought some undesirable effects."

"Fifty years ago, the Civilization Academy was not as strong as it is now, but neither was it as chaotic."

"This was inevitable. When people became powerful, they naturally developed other thoughts."

"Intrigue, deception, struggles for profit... these were things that had to be experienced, and they were also a form of tempering. Whoever could rise in such an environment was the true powerhouse."

Su Yu frowned. "Teacher, is the Civilization Academy very chaotic?"

"Not terribly chaotic. Broadly speaking, it is still under control. Of course, there are some conflicts in the shadows."

Liu Wenyan looked up at him, at this student with whom he was fairly satisfied, and said evenly, "The Dragon Martial Guard's dissatisfaction with the Civilization Academy originates with Prefect Xia."

"Huh?"

Su Yu asked in surprise, "Prefect Xia... is dissatisfied with Daxia Civilization Academy?"

"You could say that."

Liu Wenyan sighed softly. "This was originally still far removed from you, and there was no need for you to care too much. But since Xia Bing has opened the subject, I will briefly explain. Prefect Xia... is not someone I can easily evaluate, but everyone has three impressions of him: iron-blooded, powerful, and stubborn!"

"Those three words summarize Prefect Xia."

"Stubborn?"

Su Yu seized on the key point and quickly asked, "What does stubborn mean?"

"The literal meaning."

Liu Wenyan put down his brush. "It is not exactly a derogatory term, but some of Prefect Xia's political views have clashed with those of many others. Back on the Battlefields of the Heavens, they also met with resistance from many people."

"Why?"

"Too stubborn. On the Battlefields of the Heavens, the myriad races contend for supremacy. Some races are great enemies and must be killed without exception! Yet some races can be won over and divided; at the very least, they can be kept neutral."

Liu Wenyan shook his head and sighed. "However, while Prefect Xia commanded the Demon Suppression Army, he led his troops in ambushes against the armies of several races. This caused several races that had originally been neutral to become hostile toward humanity, so he was removed from his post. The Demon Suppression Army was no longer under his command."

Su Yu seemed to want to say something but held himself back. Soon, he made up his mind and said, "Teacher, those so-called neutral races are merely sitting atop the mountain and watching tigers fight! Once humanity weakens, those fellows will quickly swarm in and devour humanity's territory! My father has told me about the major victorious campaigns of the Demon Suppression Army. I think those races deserved to be killed!"

"You are not the only one who thinks so." Liu Wenyan chuckled. "Many people support Xia Longwu, including many from the frontline legions. I did not say Xia Longwu was necessarily wrong. It is simply that... disagreements within humanity are normal. Do you not think so?"

Liu Wenyan looked at his student and smiled. Having one's own opinions was a good thing. Blindly echoing others without thinking for oneself—that was the bad thing.

"The human heart has countless faces. You cannot make everyone share one will. No one says Prefect Xia's methods are definitely wrong, but one must admit that humanity has seen more wars erupt because of them. In certain regions, war has broken out faster and more fiercely than before."

Su Yu disagreed. "At least it also intimidated a group of neutral races!"

"I suppose so."

Liu Wenyan nodded. "Let us not discuss that for now. It is a matter for the frontlines. The reason Prefect Xia is somewhat dissatisfied with the Civilization Academy is that some people here proposed certain ideas... Know yourself and know your enemy, and the Civilization Academy is willing to open its doors to the myriad races!"

"What?"

Su Yu was shaken!

"Recruit Myriad Races Students!"

Liu Wenyan said in a deep voice, "The current Academy Head of the Civilization Academy is also a capable man! Back then, he suggested that rather than having humanity painstakingly explore and decipher the civilizations of the myriad races, it would be better to let the civilizations of the myriad races enter the Civilization Academy. Who could understand their own civilization better than the myriad races themselves?"

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles! Let them decipher it themselves, let them contribute the foundations of their own civilizations..."

Su Yu blurted out, "Then would that not also mean opening human civilization to them?"

"Yes!"

Liu Wenyan said gravely, "The myriad races are not fools. Would they provide humanity with methods against themselves for nothing? Humanity wants their things, and they also want a deeper understanding of humanity."

"So this is a double-edged sword, and that is why it has never succeeded all these years. Many oppose it, and some support it."

"Prefect Xia does not agree, which led to certain disagreements."

"Prefect Xia even... forget it. There is no need to mention this matter."

But Su Yu grew anxious. He had stopped halfway through; that was far too tantalizing.

"Teacher, what did Prefect Xia do?"

Seeing how impatient he was, Liu Wenyan said with amusement, "This matter... is difficult to speak of. It counts as a dark chapter of history. Once you reach Daxia Civilization Academy, do not bring it up."

"Mm-hm, definitely."

Liu Wenyan smiled, then shook his head. "Twelve years ago, Daxia Civilization Academy brought up this proposal again. At the time, Prefect Xia did not appear, and Great Xia Prefecture remained silent."

"The current Academy Head felt that since he had not objected, it counted as tacit approval."

"So they contacted several small races and wanted to conduct an experiment, recruiting several students from those small races into Daxia Civilization Academy..."

"The result... not long after they arrived, fighting erupted on the Battlefields of the Heavens. Prefect Xia led the Dragon Martial Guard in a surprise attack against those small races, directly wiping out their nests and seizing a great number of cultivation methods, secret manuals, and other resources."

"Prefect Xia did not come to the Civilization Academy. Instead, he had the Dragon Martial Guard deliver those tens of thousands of books... The meaning was perfectly clear: I am willing to take directly from the battlefield what you desperately seek!"

Liu Wenyan said with feeling, "That single move completely shattered the plan to admit the myriad races into the academy! They sent people over, and you wiped out their nests. Would anyone else dare come? Could they still come?"

"The current Academy Head had contacted all sides and worked on this matter for many years, only for it to be utterly crushed in one stroke."

As Su Yu listened, he did not know why, but his blood suddenly began to surge. He said in a muffled voice, "Isn't... that good?"

What I want, I will take myself! Better to take it straight from the center than seek it by crooked paths!

"I did not say it was bad, but it did indeed make people wary." Liu Wenyan softly said, "Humanity cannot resist the myriad races alone, Su Yu. You must understand this."

"Small races and weak races can all be won over."

"Those small races contacted back then represented races that could be brought to our side, yet they were wiped out. That would make the other small races feel the chill of lips gone and teeth exposed!"

"Once they are pushed to the enemy's side, one family may not be humanity's match, but what if ten or a hundred join hands?"

"You cannot kill them all!"

Su Yu nodded slightly. He understood that as well, but Xia Longwu's actions truly were stirring.

"And so, the disagreement arose!"

Liu Wenyan sighed. "Prefect Xia is very stubborn. He believes heads falling to the ground are a greater deterrent to the myriad races! But many people believe that would make humanity's situation even more difficult. Fortunately, Prefect Xia was later ordered not to appear on the Battlefields of the Heavens again, which calmed the anger of many small races."

Su Yu said unwillingly, "So Prefect Xia can no longer go to the Battlefields of the Heavens? Is that not binding one's own hands and feet?"

"Not exactly."

Liu Wenyan chuckled. "It was merely a compromise by the frontline powerhouses, mainly to pacify the small races among the myriad races. In truth... if Prefect Xia truly wanted to go, as long as he did not make a huge commotion, who would care?"

"Who would let a top-tier powerhouse retire in the rear?"

"Besides... it may not be a bad thing. It gave him time to temper his realm. Back then, he had advanced too quickly. Only by alternating tension and relaxation could he better step into that realm."

Liu Wenyan explained, "This is not a bad thing. Prefect Xia himself knows that too. Otherwise, with his temperament, do you think he would be so obedient? If he were told to stay in Great Xia Prefecture, would he truly be willing to stay here?"

Liu Wenyan laughed. "Then you are underestimating our Prefect far too much. Do not be fooled by the fact that he has rarely gone to the Battlefields of the Heavens these past years—he has not truly stayed away. The Battlefields of the Heavens are too vast; who could keep watching him? The Dragon Martial Guard often appears there as well, and the prefectural army is frequently sent there for training. That is why Great Xia Prefecture's combat strength ranks among the very best of all prefectures!"

Su Yu silently nodded. At that moment, he somewhat understood what Xia Bing had meant earlier.

Liu Wenyan exhaled softly and continued, "Just listen to these matters. Forget whether you have the qualifications to get involved—even Bai Feng, even his teacher, lack the qualifications to interfere. This is a matter on another level. It actually has little to do with us."

"Xia Bing believes you have some talent and would be affected if you went to the Civilization Academy. In truth... I hope you will be affected."

Liu Wenyan slowly said, "Life has countless forms, and everywhere is a trial! A pure environment suits soldiers; the military needs purity. But... powerhouses need broad experience and knowledge! If you do not witness the wickedness of the human heart, if you do not experience conspiracies and calculations, if you do not go through intrigue, then once you reach the battlefield, a single small scheme may lead you into a trap."

"Xia Bing does not understand. If Prefect Xia truly disliked the Civilization Academy, why would he not restrict it? Why would he instead allow it to keep growing stronger?"

"He is stubborn, but he is not foolish. Great Xia Prefecture also needs different voices and needs to cultivate powerhouses in different directions. Otherwise, powerhouses from the Civilization Academy would not appear in the various legions. Many powerhouses lead troops into battle."

Su Yu nodded again. He vaguely understood.

Of course, he was still very weak and ordinary. For now, he could only listen to these deeper conflicts as an observer. When he truly experienced them himself, perhaps his feelings and thoughts would be different.

"Teacher, my father is in the Demon Suppression Army. Nothing will happen to him, right?"

"No. There are still several Invincible powerhouses stationed at the frontlines. Who would dare target the Demon Suppression Army on the frontlines?"

Liu Wenyan shook his head. "Contention only exists in the rear. The frontlines are the lifeline! No one dares to fight there, and things are far purer there. War is war. Even if the rear fights until dog brains are beaten out, the frontlines must still obey orders without fail!"

"Even Prefect Xia, upon reaching the frontlines, must report the movements of large legions to several Invincible powerhouses and obtain permission before marching, unless he is acting privately on his own."

Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly. "Then when the Dragon Martial Guard and Demon Suppression Army ambushed the legions of those races, they had received permission?"

"Of course."

Liu Wenyan smiled as well. "Did you think Prefect Xia would dare start conflict on his own without anyone's approval? Among the Invincible powerhouses, quite a few support him too."

"So that is how it is!"

Su Yu let out a breath of relief. He had suddenly worried that Xia Longwu might be targeted, but now that he thought about it... he truly had too much free time!

He was only a tiny Kaiyuan cultivator, yet he had worried about a powerhouse at the level of a Prefect. Water had clearly gotten into his brain.

"Let us not mention this anymore."

Liu Wenyan smiled. "What you should know, you will know in the future. What you should not know will serve no purpose even if you learn it. Other than disturbing your heart, it will bring no benefit."

"You are at Kaiyuan Eighth Stage now. I sensed the fluctuations of origin qi around you, so it seems your progress is not slow."

Liu Wenyan was quite satisfied. He said, "Prepare yourself. This afternoon, I will write a Willpower Script for you—the Thousand Jun chapter of 'Thunder Origin Blade'! Read the translated version this morning and familiarize yourself with the content."

Su Yu was overjoyed. "Teacher, is it a martial skill?"

"It is a martial skill."

Seeing his delight, Liu Wenyan said blandly, "But you may not gain anything from it. Even if you do, it likely will not be much. After all, you have only opened eight apertures—far too few. Even if you learn it, you may not be able to use it. Thunder Origin Blade requires many apertures."

"Mm-hm, I understand."

Su Yu hurriedly nodded, yet he could not suppress his delight. He knew the benefits of a Willpower Script. Instruction that made one feel as though they were personally there was an entirely different experience.

Of course, that also required the writer to possess an extremely deep mastery of the martial skill. Otherwise, even if it was written down, it would merely contain the writer's own insights. If the other party had not mastered it deeply, then no matter how much you comprehended, it would be comprehension in vain.