On an early summer afternoon, the weather was warm and pleasant. The sun peeked in and out from behind a layer of clouds as thin as a cicada's wing, like an egg yolk, bringing a comforting warmth.
In the junior martial arts class, a chubby old instructor was teaching the students the Sacred Orchid Academy's basic Soul Force cultivation technique—the Seven Star Divine Curse.
"When the sun rises in the east, the yang energy between heaven and earth awakens. The sun's essence shines upon the land, all things grow, and our Soul Force grows with them. The sun's essence is purest at sunrise, so cultivating then is more effective..."
The old instructor lectured away, spittle flying. The students below listened intently. Most of them didn't want to become martial artists. They wanted to become Spirit Masters, admired by thousands.
Being a Spirit Master was an extremely prestigious profession. A family with a Gold Spirit Master was known as a noble family; one with a Black Gold Spirit Master was known as a Prominent Family; and one with three Black Gold Spirit Masters or a single Legendary Spirit Master was known as a Peak Family.
Spirit Masters were tied to the power structure of the City of Brilliance. Becoming one was practically the same as entering government service. Even if you couldn't become a high-ranking official, you could still land a minor post. Since time immemorial, no one had ever been indifferent to the prospect of becoming an official.
Xian Wu was especially eager to do so. One day, when he became the City Lord of the City of Brilliance, he would marry thirteen concubines, live in a palatial mansion, and ride in a carriage pulled by nine dragon-blooded demon beasts. And...he'd eat the most delicious food every day!
Just as Xian Wu was taking notes and indulging in his fantasies, two people entered the classroom: an old man and a girl.
The old man looked vigorous and alert. He gave a light cough to let the instructor, who was focused on his lesson, know that someone was outside.
Hearing the cough, the instructor turned around angrily.
Who was that? Couldn't they see he was teaching the students? They had no sense at all!
When he saw who it was, the instructor's eyes widened.
He rubbed his eyes, adjusted the reading glasses on his nose, and opened them again. The two people were still standing at the door.
The instructor, who had just been scowling, demonstrated to the students just how quickly someone could change their tune.
"Dean? What brings you here, Dean?" The instructor hurried excitedly to the door. Dean Gao Yuan was rarely seen, spending most of his time conducting research in the Trial Grounds. Vice Dean Ye Sheng usually handled the academy's affairs. So why had he come today...?
Gao Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, then gestured to introduce the girl beside him. "This is Ye Ziyun. Please find her a seat."
"Of course, no problem! Leave it to me, Dean!" The instructor readily agreed. He wouldn't dare neglect someone Dean Gao Yuan had brought along. She was probably the direct descendant of some Peak Family.
Actually, there was no need to guess. Her surname was Ye, so she was clearly a direct descendant of the Wind Snow Family. Word was that Lord Ye Zong, the City Lord, had a single daughter. This was probably her.
The instructor smiled warmly at Ye Ziyun. "Ziyun, come with me."
"Make sure she's well taken care of." Gao Yuan patted the instructor on the shoulder. He didn't enter the classroom, but stayed outside the door to watch.
The classroom had five columns of eight seats: one column by the window, one by the wall, and three in the middle.
There were only thirty-six students in the junior martial arts class, so four seats remained empty.
The instructor pointed at the noble student sitting to the left of Xiao Ning'er. "You, move to the very back for now. I'll find you a different seat another day."
With the dean watching from outside, the boy had no choice but to obey, even though he was reluctant.
"Thank you!" Ye Ziyun bowed to him, her voice like heavenly music.
At the sight of Ye Ziyun's flawless beauty and the glimpse of pale skin at her neckline, the boy's face turned a strange shade of red.
"N-no problem. It's only right."
Ye Ziyun had a beautiful, flawless face. Though she looked only thirteen or fourteen, she had already blossomed into an elegant young woman.
Her flowing purple hair fell to her waist like a waterfall. Her brows were gently arched, and her bright eyes sparkled with intelligence. When she smiled, deep dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
She wore a pure white silk dress that gave her an indescribably quiet and graceful air. Many boys fell for her at first sight and could never pull themselves away.
But not Xian Wu. He admitted Ye Ziyun was beautiful and had silky hair.
He just didn't like girls with dimples, because they always made him think of Teacher Guo Donglin.
After Ye Ziyun had been shown to her seat, Dean Gao Yuan didn't linger. He hurried off to return to his research in the Trial Grounds.
"Ning'er..." Ye Ziyun sat beside Xiao Ning'er and called to her softly. They had known each other in the past.
Xiao Ning'er replied coldly, "Ye Ziyun, please don't talk to me. Class is in session, and you're distracting me."
Xian Wu had thought she only acted that way toward boys. He hadn't expected her to treat pretty girls the same way, and couldn't help feeling better about himself.
Ye Ziyun froze in place, at a loss for what to do.
When they were little, she and Xiao Ning'er had been close friends. Later, as Xiao Ning'er's family fell into decline, the two stopped seeing each other because of their families.
After that, Ye Ziyun never made another genuine friend. The only people around her were schemers who coveted her family's status.
The dull, monotonous routine of cultivation nearly drove her to despair. She missed the days when she and Xiao Ning'er played together more and more.
Back then, they had been carefree, innocent, and happy, like two lively little deer.
When she heard that Xiao Ning'er had enrolled at Sacred Orchid Academy, she immediately begged her father to arrange for her to enroll as well.
What she hadn't expected was to be met with such a cold shoulder.
What Ye Ziyun didn't know was that a boy in the back row had been through the same thing.
Xian Wu wanted to take Ye Ziyun's little hand and say loudly, "Comrade, I've finally found my people!"
"Quiet down. Let's continue the lesson." The instructor cut off the students' whispers. Since Ye Ziyun had just joined the class, he decided to start explaining the Seven Star Divine Curse from the beginning.
Xian Wu was so angry he wanted to stand up and curse. The instructor had almost finished, and now the old geezer was starting over. Was he deliberately padding out the lesson? He'd complain to the Vice Dean!
But...what kind of background did that purple-haired girl have? Even the academy's highest authority had arranged her enrollment personally.
She had to be a direct descendant of a Peak Family. The Sacred Family's surname was Shen, the Sacred Nether Family's surname was Chen, and the Wind Snow Family's surname was Ye. That girl was most likely from the Wind Snow Family.
If he could get on her good side, maybe he could even get her to help him convince the City Lord to become his godfather.
Just imagine having a godfather who was the City Lord. It didn't get much better than that.
During class, Ye Ziyun kept sneaking glances at Xiao Ning'er, hoping to talk to her. But every time, Xiao Ning'er's stern expression scared her off.
Xiao Ning'er folded her arms and stared intently at the blackboard, her whole bearing declaring that strangers—and even familiar faces—should stay away.
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