Lumen Academy was a rather quaint and elegant place.
Its entrance was nothing like the overbearing gates of major academies. There were no gimmicks like a "one-hundred-and-seventy-meter-wide grand entrance"; instead, it was a simple, ancient-looking gatehouse.
Beyond the gatehouse lay a mountain path, shaded by bamboo groves, its stone steps winding upward with a richly antique charm.
A group of new students followed the steps uphill. Amid birdsong and fragrant flowers, they could hear the clear, resonant sound of distant recitation, steeped in literary refinement and soothing to the spirit.
The stone steps were not particularly long, and before long, they reached the end. The view suddenly opened up before them.
This was a place steeped in the flavor of the ages.
As far as the eye could see, the buildings were not tall, only three or four stories at most. Crimson bricks and green tiles were accented by lush climbing ivy. Massive old trees with broad canopies stood everywhere, their shade covering every visible path. Red flowers, green grass, orchids, and slender bamboo made every corner a scene unto itself.
Farther away, pavilions and towers rose and fell in scattered layers. Those were all study halls. Each building bore an antique plaque, its name written in either vigorous or graceful brushwork, with the master of the hall's name signed beneath.
Flocks of birds flew overhead, flowers bloomed in great swathes, and amid that flourishing ancient beauty, countless students moved to and fro.
Some recited with books never leaving their hands; some gathered in groups of three or five to discuss the Dao; some practiced qi and martial arts, stretching their limbs; some kicked the Kui, trod the Dipper, and counted on their fingers. Every one of them was spirited and striving upwards.
"What a wonderful place!" Shi Tiexin's eyes