Volume Two: Capital City Storms — Registration

"Second Brother, Second Brother! It's already light out—get up, quick! We're going to register! Hurry!"

Heavens, I wasn't even awake yet. Who was shouting outside my door so early in the morning? I slowly crawled out of bed, put on my silver cotton-padded coat, and went to open the door helplessly.

I had just pulled back the bolt, before I could even open the door, a figure violently shoved it open and rushed inside, nearly knocking my still-dazed self over.

"Who's making such a racket outside this early in the morning? Shout again, and I'll throw you into the artificial lake outside!" I roared furiously at the fellow before me. Whoever he was, if he dared disturb my sleep, he must not value his life.

"Second Brother, didn't you tell me to get up early? I was afraid you'd leave me behind and go by yourself, so I didn't sleep all night. The moment I saw it getting light, I came over. I'm not late."

I opened my bleary eyes wide and realized that the person before me was none other than my eldest brother, Lang Feng. Hearing what he said, I remembered that I really had said something to scare him yesterday. I never expected him to take it seriously. But how was it daylight already?

I grabbed Lang Feng and ran out the door, charging straight toward the artificial lake in front of the house.

"Big Brother, where exactly is it light out? Go on, tell me! If you don't explain yourself today, don't even dream of me taking you to school! Tell me—why can't I see any daylight?" I looked at the manor, still pitch-black all around. Aside from the lights in the servants' quarters where the kitchen staff had gotten up to make breakfast, where was it bright?

"Second Brother, come with me." Big Brother Lang Feng pulled me toward the osmanthus tree on the western side of the lake.

I wanted to see exactly how he had spotted daylight. It was obviously still dark!

Big Brother Lang Feng pulled me beside the osmanthus tree, turned around, and said with a solemn face, "Second Brother, climb this tree with me, and you'll be able to see that it's light out." Seeing how serious he looked, I could only channel my qi into the Yongquan points and leap onto the crown of the osmanthus tree.

Oh, so this was the daylight Big Brother Lang Feng had been talking about. Standing atop the osmanthus tree and looking at the faint glimmer on the distant horizon, I had nothing to say. It was light, but only over a tiny area. Looking around at the darkness, I decided I would never joke around with Big Brother Lang Feng again. Whenever I joked, I was the one who ended up suffering!

I floated down, and Big Brother Lang Feng immediately ran to my side and said proudly, "Second Brother, I wasn't lying, right? It really is light out, isn't it?" Looking at him, I could only nod helplessly.

After all that fuss, I found that I no longer had any desire to sleep. I suggested to the still-happy Big Brother Lang Feng, "Big Brother, it's still early. Why don't you watch the sunrise with me?"

"Sure! I haven't watched a sunrise in a long time. Back when I was on the mountain, I watched the sunrise every morning!" Big Brother Lang Feng seemed delighted. Before I could say anything more, he rushed into my room, carried my reclining chair over to the artificial lake, then brought over another one for himself and placed it beside mine. Together, we looked east and waited for the sun to rise.

After a long while, the sky turned pale blue, so very pale; then, in the blink of an eye, a gleam of light appeared on the horizon. It slowly spread, growing brighter and brighter. I knew the sun was about to rise from the edge of the sky, so I stared there without blinking. Beside me, Lang Feng was also fixedly watching the place where the lake met the blue sky.

The sky turned a deep azure. At the meeting point of water and sky, it seemed as though several strokes of red paint had been brushed across it. The fish-belly white along the horizon gradually spread, its brightness increasing. The lake under the backlight was like green jade, crystal-clear and translucent. Thin layers of cloud appeared at the horizon, and in an instant were dyed red, orange, purple, yellow, silver-gray, and countless other colors. Mist curled and wound about; the colored clouds appeared and vanished amid the lake's haze. Suddenly, a red dot leaped out from where water met sky, then became an arcing red line before slowly rising higher. Little by little, the entire sun emerged. Then a wondrous sight appeared: a red sun burst through the veil of water mist in the distant east, instantly scattering ten thousand rays of light. Rosy clouds and auspicious vapors illuminated the heavens. Before us, Star Peak Manor draped itself in colorful dawn clouds and shimmered with radiant hues, dazzling the eye. The entire world was bathed in the sun's boundless splendor.

At that moment, Big Brother Lang Feng and I were both immersed in nature's marvels...

I looked at Big Brother Lang Feng, who still wore an expression of bliss, and shouted, "I'm leaving! I'm not waiting for you!"

Big Brother Lang Feng immediately snapped out of his reverie, sprang up, and shouted, "Second Brother, wait for me!" He suddenly realized I was right beside him and had not left at all. Knowing that I had fooled him, he was not angry in the least. Instead, he said, "Good thing you haven't left. Come on, let's go together now."

I laughed. "Big Brother, have you eaten? Are you going to register on an empty stomach? Do you think you've reached my level of cultivation and can go without food?"

Big Brother Lang Feng looked at me and indeed felt his stomach protesting. He had not slept the entire night; that consumed far more energy than sleeping! How could he possibly not be hungry?

Seeing his pitiful expression—wanting breakfast, but also wanting to go register at the National Martial Academy with me—I softened.

"All right, all right. I'll go eat breakfast with you now, and then we'll go register together. How about that?"

"Thank you so much, Second Brother! Let's go!" Lang Feng happily grabbed me and rushed toward the rear hall of Star Peak Manor, where we ate our meals.

"Second Brother, so this is the National Martial Academy! What an imposing gate! And there are so many yamen runners." Lang Feng looked like a country bumpkin entering the city, making me feel utterly embarrassed as well.

I immediately walked forward. I couldn't let anyone think I was a country bumpkin too!

"Second Brother! Second Brother! Wait for me, I haven't finished looking yet!" My eldest brother's voice behind me only made me walk faster.

"Hey there, young master. If you want to register, it's here. Where are your parents? Have them pay your registration fee first, then you can become a student here and learn martial arts." Watching the old man spout one piece of nonsense after another nearly irritated me to death. Couldn't I see the explanatory sign myself?

How could he know that a seven- or eight-year-old child before him could read? And how could he know that a child of seven or eight possessed fifty thousand taels of silver himself?

I tossed a banknote for one hundred thousand taels onto his desk and said, "The registration fees for me and that fellow behind me."

The old man froze. He could never have imagined that a child of seven or eight would carry a one-hundred-thousand-tael banknote—and even register another child as well.

"Second Brother, you've already registered! Great! I can study here now!" Big Brother Lang Feng ran over from the side, shouting.

I had no interest in listening to his pointless chatter. Taking the two registration documents the old man handed me, I turned and walked into the National Martial Academy. Classes would not officially begin until the tenth day of the first lunar month, but there was no harm in taking a look inside now.

I had only taken a few steps when shouts erupted behind me.

"You old man, you're robbing us! Fifty thousand taels of silver per person per year? That's far too expensive! Father said three people would only cost fifty thousand taels a year. Won't we have less money left for food and drink afterward? Tell me, why is it so expensive? Isn't it just going to school?"

"Third Brother, forget it. Just pay the money. Don't let people laugh at us."

Hearing that, I knew more country bumpkins had arrived. Turning around, I saw three boys who looked almost exactly alike standing before the old man collecting the money. One of the boys unwillingly tossed a banknote toward him.

Big Brother Lang Feng was probably just too happy today. He ran over to the three fellows registering and said, "You're studying here too? So am I! I came with my Second Brother. It's your first time here, right? I could tell just by looking at you. Actually, it's my first time too. My name is Lang Feng, and that over there is my Second Brother, Zhang Xingfeng. What are your names?"

Chiyou saw that a boy about his own age was rambling on endlessly and had even noticed that the three of them were visiting this place for the first time. He felt deeply embarrassed, but judging by the other boy's manner, he did not seem to be doing it on purpose, so Chiyou did not want to say anything.

But even if he did not want to say anything, that did not mean others would let Lang Feng off.

Chiyou's younger brothers, Chiyi and Chitong, were both furious. This fellow dared say they were ignorant, that this was their first time in such a place.

"You brat, you're pretty arrogant. Dare you trade a few moves with your grandpa here?" Chitong immediately stepped before Lang Feng and said viciously.

Lang Feng had been living far too comfortably these past days. Back then, he could fight fierce mountain beasts almost every day. The moment he heard that someone wanted to test themselves against him, he was delighted despite not knowing why. He laughed loudly. "Come on, then! You think I, Lang Feng, am afraid of you? But if you lose, don't go crying!"

Hearing this and seeing how much the other party looked down on him, Chitong grew furious. Without another word, he charged straight ahead, determined to let Lang Feng see his strength and understand that underestimating him was an irreparable mistake.

Seeing the fellow charge at him so quickly without even a word of warning, Lang Feng was somewhat annoyed. But in an instant, he threw all his focus into the contest.

Seeing Big Brother Lang Feng actually start fighting those children, I felt helpless. My eldest brother really could stir up trouble! But I was not worried at all. Big Brother had already become an Innate Realm expert. These three children seemed to have some skill as well, but they could not possibly be his match!

I was right. After only two moves, that boy fell to the ground. Then another boy rushed in—two against one! Unfortunately, the gap was too great. They did not even last ten moves, and it seemed Big Brother had even held back.

Lang Feng looked at the two children in disappointment. He had already gone easy on them, yet these two children still could not take a beating. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he spotted the third child standing to one side. An idea came to him, and he immediately said, "You, come over too. All three brothers, attack together! These two really can't take a beating!"

Chiyou was astonished when he saw the boy before him beat his second and third brothers until they had no strength to fight back. Yet he had not wanted to join forces with his brothers—wouldn't that be bullying the few with the many? But then he heard how arrogant this boy was, how he looked down on all three brothers. It was simply too much.

The pride in Chiyou's heart drove him forward. Chiyi and Chitong immediately stood beside their eldest brother, glaring furiously at the boy who had toyed with them.

"You're called Lang Feng, right? Fine. Today, we Chiyou Brothers will have a match with you! Second Brother, Third Brother, attack together!" Chiyou said to his brothers as he stood before Lang Feng.

Three figures pounced swiftly toward Lang Feng. Lang Feng was equally excited, clenching his fists as he glared at the three of them.

I watched them. There was going to be a good show now. Those three had quite a bit of power when they joined forces—Brother Lang Feng was going to suffer a little!