The Deduction at the Very Start

"I especially can't let the Imperial City find out."

The two sword-bearing disciples took their orders and left the side hall. One went to the mountain gate to check the registers, while the other flew down the mountain on his sword, heading for the village where Li Sanshun had grown up.

The black-robed old man stayed in the hall and returned the Mystic Bird Old Token to its wooden box.

Thirty-seven years ago, a palace coup had taken place in Shunchang's Imperial City. The Third Prince's household had fallen overnight, his family had been struck from the clan register, and only one child—who had just turned one—had gone missing.

The guard assigned to escort the child had always favored a short Gold Blade.

Many years had passed, and no one in the court had bothered to investigate the old case anymore. Yet on the very day Tai Xuan Sect was accepting disciples, the Gold Blade had appeared again.

The black-robed old man shut the wooden box and muttered, "I hope it's only a coincidence."

On the other side of the mountainside, Li Sanshun had already followed the disciple in charge of registration to Xuan Chu Academy.

Xuan Chu Academy had been built against the mountains. The front courtyard held lecture halls, the middle courtyard had training grounds and a dining hall, and the back courtyard housed the newest disciples. Dozens of small courtyards lined the mountain path, each marked by a wooden plaque bearing one of three characters: A, B, or C.

The square-faced disciple in charge of assigning courtyards was named Sun Huai. He opened the register, first assigning the upper-grade spirit roots to A-Yard, then placing the dual spirit roots in B-Yard.

When it was Li Sanshun's turn, the brush in Sun Huai's hand paused for a moment.

The test results in the register were clear.

Five-element lower-grade mixed spirit root.

Though someone had added the note, "Five Elements Synchronization, personally verified by the Sect Master," Xuan Chu Academy's old rules for assigning courtyards only considered spirit-root grade. Sun Huai had worked with Deacon Zhao for many years, and that very morning he had accepted a bottle of Qi-Gathering Pills from a steward of the Zhao Household.

Now the Zhao Household's steward had been taken to the Law Enforcement Hall, but the pills had already found their way into Sun Huai's Storage Bag.

Sun Huai turned to the last page and wrote Li Sanshun's name beside "Courtyard Bing-17."

"Courtyard Bing-17 is in the back hills, and two people share a room. Take your key and come to the lecture hall tomorrow morning. Miss three classes without good reason, and your spirit stones for the month will be deducted."

Shi Xiaohu was behind Li Sanshun in line. Hearing the assignment, he grew anxious.

"Senior Brother Sun, C-Yard is near the Cold Pool in the back hills. It has only half the spiritual energy of A-Yard. Big Brother Li ranked first among this year's new disciples. How could he be assigned to C-Yard?"

Sun Huai closed the register, impatience creeping into his voice.

"Your score on the Immortal-Asking Stairs reflects your physique and temperament. Courtyard assignments are based on spirit roots. He has a five-element lower-grade spirit root, so putting him in C-Yard follows the old rules. If you're unhappy with that, you can go live there with him."

Shi Xiaohu had only a lower-grade earth spirit root, so he should have been assigned to C-Yard anyway. He hugged his pack and nodded earnestly.

"Then I'll live there. Big Brother Li and I can share a room, and no one will be able to stab us in the back."

Sun Huai hadn't expected him to actually agree. He raised a hand and tossed them two wooden keys.

Li Sanshun caught the keys without arguing with Sun Huai.

The quality of his lodgings would only affect the spiritual energy he could absorb each day. The benefits of breathing depended on the quality of the air. C-Yard was indeed inferior to A-Yard, but since he had only just arrived at Tai Xuan Sect, learning the rules came first.

Standing among the A-Yard disciples, Zhao Yuanqing finally felt a little better.

No matter how much attention he'd attracted at the testing grounds, once they entered Xuan Chu Academy, spirit roots were what counted. A-Yard had a small Spirit-Gathering Array, and its disciples received two extra bottles of Qi Gathering Powder each month. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he left the others behind.

Zhao Yuanqing walked over to Li Sanshun and lowered his voice.

"The matter with the Immortal-Asking Stairs hasn't been settled yet, but Xuan Chu Academy isn't going to revolve around you. Five Elements Synchronization sounds rare, but cultivation takes five times the resources. You live in C-Yard, I live in A-Yard. Let's see whose cultivation is higher in three months."

Li Sanshun handed one of the keys to Shi Xiaohu.

"It's hard to say whether your second uncle is even still in the sect. Worry about yourself first. You keep dragging your family into this, and I'm starting to think the Zhao Household's cultivation methods are passed down from generation to generation."

Zhao Yuanqing had a bellyful of retorts, but with the registration disciple standing nearby, all he could do was fling his sleeves and walk off.

Watching him go, Sun Huai felt even more restless.

If Deacon Zhao managed to get out of trouble, then Sun Huai's arrangements that day would count as a favor. If Deacon Zhao received a severe punishment, Sun Huai would have to cut ties with him at once. For now, the safest thing was to place Li Sanshun according to the old rules—not give him anything extra, but not openly shortchange him either.

Courtyard Bing-17 stood at the end of the mountain path.

The paint had peeled from the courtyard gate, and dead leaves covered the roof. A low wall behind the courtyard separated it from the Cold Pool. Moisture seeped into the room, leaving even the bedboards damp.

Shi Xiaohu set down his pack, found a broom, and began cleaning the room.

"Big Brother Li, Sun Huai is definitely bullying us. Everyone in A-Yard gets a room to themselves, while B-Yard has two people per room. By the rules, C-Yard should have four. He's put us here, but at least it's not the worst possible arrangement."

"Fewer roommates means more peace and quiet."

Li Sanshun opened the back window. White mist floated above the Cold Pool, mingling with faint spiritual energy.

He took a deep breath.

[You have absorbed one breath of spiritual energy from the Cold Pool.]

[Air quality: good.]

[Life energy increased by 0.2 points.]

[Immortal Art energy recovered by 0.02 points.]

[Water-type qi meridian received slight nourishment.]

The Cold Pool's spiritual energy yielded less than the formation qi on the Immortal-Asking Stairs, but it could be absorbed over the long term. Courtyard Bing-17 was a poor place to live by most people's standards, but it suited him.

Li Sanshun tried circulating the Primordial Origin Art again.

The water spiritual energy first entered his qi meridians. His wood, fire, earth, and metal meridians followed, drawing on it and dispersing the excess water qi. After the five meridians completed one full cycle, his Immortal Art energy had grown a little stronger than it had been that morning.

After wiping down the table, Shi Xiaohu took out the introductory handbook issued by Xuan Chu Academy.

"Tomorrow we'll get our robes, spirit stones, and Qi Gathering Powder. We can also choose a basic Immortal Art. The handbook says every new disciple gets ten points of Xuanchu Merit, which we can exchange for cultivation methods at the Scripture Library."

Li Sanshun took the handbook and turned to the section on supplies.

The entry supplies for new outer disciples included two lower-grade spirit stones, three bottles of Qi Gathering Powder, a set of robes, a standard long sword, and ten points of Xuanchu Merit.

It wasn't much, but it was the foundation every new disciple needed to get started.

Early the next morning, the two of them went to the Logistics Hall.

A long line had already formed outside. The A-Yard disciples were served first. Zhao Yuanqing received three bottles of Qi Gathering Powder and four spirit stones, along with an A-Yard cultivation token.

When Shi Xiaohu gave his name, he received the same items listed in the handbook.

When it was Li Sanshun's turn, the disciple on duty checked his wooden token and took only a set of robes and a long sword from the cabinet.

"Li Sanshun, C-Yard disciple. One set of robes, one standard long sword. After you've collected them, go over there and leave your fingerprint."

Li Sanshun didn't reach for them.

"What about my spirit stones, Qi Gathering Powder, and Xuanchu Merit?"

The disciple on duty looked up at him, then checked the distribution register on the table.

"It says here that you damaged your identity token on the Immortal-Asking Stairs and used up an additional seven spirit stones from the formation during your test. Your entry supplies are being deducted as compensation, and your Xuanchu Merit is being withheld for now."

Li Sanshun picked up the register and found Sun Huai's personal seal beneath the deduction record.

At the entrance to the Logistics Hall, Sun Huai was approaching with his hands behind his back.

"Resources from the sect aren't free. You damaged public property. We can't make the other disciples pay for it. Deducting only this much for seven formation spirit stones is already doing you a favor."

Li Sanshun turned the register toward him.

"Elder Yan said in person that my identity token held a Spirit-Suppressing Rune, and that the person secretly controlling the formation would be responsible for the damage on the Immortal-Asking Stairs. Are you deducting my entry supplies to pay the debt because the Law Enforcement Hall changed its ruling, or because you've taken it upon yourself to decide for them?"

Sun Huai stopped in his tracks.

Every new disciple inside and outside the Logistics Hall turned to look.