"No problem, of course there's no problem." The academy staff member who had cried out earlier was now beaming, his eyes shining as he stared at Chu Yun, brimming with excitement.
"Chu Yun, are you the young island master Chu Yun of Shu Family Island?" someone asked urgently, seeking confirmation.
"That's me."
"Heavens! I finally get to meet the True Person!"
"We've waited so long for you. At last, we've finally met!"
"I only chose this jade pendant distribution assignment so I could see this year's Newcomer King. It wore me out!"
The academy staff members fell into a flurry of discussion. From the way they spoke, they weren't the academy's teachers, but students from the senior classes.
The boys were filled with questions, each casting curious, appraising, suspicious, and scrutinizing looks at Chu Yun. They were puzzled, and Chu Yun was even more so.
"To save his foster father, he sailed through a storm and slew the pirates of Remnant Wolf. The famed Young Tiger—I never imagined I'd meet the True Person!"
"Do you know you've already made the List of Talents? You've even earned the Spirit Beast Master's honorary title—'Young Tiger'! The academy's been talking about you these past few days."
"You're only thirteen, yet you can command a Great Demon Weapon, and you've earned an honorary title that countless Spirit Beast Masters have Longed for. Tsk, tsk. So many people at the academy are jealous enough to go mad."
"Earning a title at thirteen—that's unprecedented in the academy's history. Do you know everyone already considers you the 'strongest newcomer'?"
"But you've got quite a bit of trouble ahead, too. I hear you publicly rejected the Ning Family's marriage proposal. What about the dignity of our academy's flower? Heh, Ning Yiyi has quite a temper, and she has a whole host of admirers. They're all rubbing their fists together."
The academy staff members seemed to have been injected with chicken blood, growing more and more excited. Their eyes burned with the blazing flames of gossip as they stared at Chu Yun.
The boys around them also looked his way, their gazes varied. Some were jealous, some surprised, some enlightened, and some disdainful...
In short, in the blink of an eye, Chu Yun had become the center of attention. He was thrust onto the crest of a wave, the heart of the whirlpool.
Chu Yun hadn't seen this coming.
Young Tiger?
He hadn't expected to receive a title like that. He could well understand the others' jealousy. An honorary title affirmed a Spirit Beast Master's achievements and strength. Only Spirit Beast Masters with titles could be considered famous experts. Wherever they went, a single mention of their title would immediately draw countless admiring gazes.
In fact, titles often completely overshadowed their owners' real names. People loved to talk about them, remembering only their titles and forgetting the names they'd been born with.
Remnant Wolf was a title, White Prowler was a title, and White-Browed Alchemist was a title, too. In his previous life, Chu Yun had also earned a title in his thirties—Fire Fox Young Master. It was a name he'd carved out through hundreds of battles, large and small, relying on an imperfect Heavenly Fox. Later, the Heavenly Fox had fallen, and the title was revoked and faded into obscurity.
It was hard for a Spirit Beast Master to earn a title. When they were young, it was harder still. Spirit Beast Masters who earned titles were all renowned figures in their own regions, each with their own strengths.
"I really didn't expect to earn a title by accident so early. Is Young Tiger connected to the title of my father, All-Star Fierce Tiger? It doesn't sound bad."
Chu Yun smiled, his heart calm as a still pool.
Young people loved fame and chased wealth and status, so they pursued honorary titles tirelessly, never forgetting them. But Chu Yun was past that age. The memories of his previous life had taught him one truth—
Titles were all empty. True strength was what mattered. It didn't even matter whether one had a title or not. It was just a name other people used to acknowledge you.
"Earning this title was truly an accident. But all of you are talented people nurtured by Heavenly Song Academy. One day, you'll earn titles of your own, too. Could I have my jade pendant now?" Chu Yun complimented the academy staff members. If he wasn't mistaken, they were students from the previous class or the one before that—in other words, his upperclassmen.
"Heh heh heh, Young Tiger, you're much too modest. A title isn't something you can get just because you want one." The academy staff member in front shook his head with a sigh, then took the jade pendant he'd drawn earlier from his robes and handed it to Chu Yun.
"Keep it safe. Don't lose it. Your identity jade pendant counts as a juvenile-level Demon Weapon, with a faint spirit of its own, and it can record your academic credits. Replacing it is a real hassle—especially since you'd lose all your credits. You'd be crying your eyes out then." The academy staff member gave him a warm warning. He was a completely different person from before.
"Academic credits?" Chu Yun asked, surprised.
"I can't say much more. Just know they're very important. You'll learn all about them once you enter the academy." The academy staff member glanced at White-Browed Alchemist in the distance and lowered his voice through gritted teeth.
"Understood." Chu Yun nodded and took the jade pendant. Just before walking away, he slowed his steps. "Oh, and don't call me Young Tiger. Call me Chu Yun. I still prefer the name Chu Yun."
The academy staff member froze.
He didn't want the title that represented honor—he wanted to be called by his given name instead?
The academy staff member scratched his head. For a moment, he couldn't make sense of what this "Newcomer King" was thinking.
"Whether I'm Young Tiger in this life or Fire Fox Young Master in my previous one, they're only titles. The one thing that never changes is Chu Yun!"
I am who I am. How could I forget my own name just because others gave me a different one?
I've always been myself, no matter what outsiders say.
After walking through the gate tower, Chu Yun suddenly felt a surge of emotion. He turned back to look.
The gate tower stood tall, its vermilion lacquer and golden patterns gleaming. Various Demon Beast designs covered its pillars and lintel. Its base was built of blue-gray bricks, weathered and scarred by the passing years. The whole gate tower was exquisitely ornate, yet it bore the weight of time.
O gate tower, gate tower.
Through how many years of wind and rain have you stood here, unbowed?
You watched the winds rise and clouds gather, quietly waiting as the world changed.
How many young talents, graceful scholars, and mighty heroes have passed beneath you?
In days gone by, these people, too, had been chattering boys like these. They'd lined up beneath your gaze, one by one entering Green Mountain and making their way into the academy.
How many joys and sorrows, bitter trials and heartaches have you witnessed?
Then, with their wings fully grown, they'd set sail from here once more, soaring into the vast sky.
How many legends of returning home in glory, how many stories of coming back clad in fine silks, have added to your splendor and made you more magnificent still?
And now, it's my turn, Chu Yun!
(P.S. All I can say is, brothers, you're fierce! We knocked down three rivals in one day. We're really not far from our goal now. Send all your recommendation tickets our way—we need them. Let's strike together and capture the chrysanthemum stronghold!)
);.