Teacher

Night fell, the moon climbed into the sky, and a sea of stars followed in its wake.

Jia Ma Holy City, however, was still brightly lit, its crowds undiminished. Yet unlike the heated bustle of the daytime, it now carried more of the homely warmth of everyday life.

At the top of Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant, worthy friends gathered like clouds, and honored guests filled every seat.

Since everyone happened to be present, Zhao Li told them that he planned to stay for several months and had opened an academy, hoping they would look after it a little.

They only took it as Zhao Li being an expert living in seclusion, amusing himself in the Mortal World, and all said they would certainly show their support.

On the other side, Susan, Yun Yun, Yun Xin'er, and the other women had gathered together.

Susan and Yun Yun had already known each other. Both were among the foremost heroines of the Jia Ma Empire, equally brilliant in their own right.

With the strength and talent Yun Xin'er had displayed, they naturally would not look down on her, and were extremely willing to form a good relationship with this little sister.

"Young friend, to have achieved so much at such a young age, your future is boundless. May I ask where you come from? We even share the same surname—this is no ordinary fate. Would you be willing to join my Misty Cloud Sect?"

Yun Yun congratulated Yun Xin'er on winning the Alchemist Competition, then extended an invitation to recruit her.

Yun Xin'er thought that since she had run all the way to the Jia Ma Empire, her clan probably would not be able to find her. After considering it, she agreed.

She was a member of the Yun Family from the Central Plains. In recent years, because of disputes and friction, her family had gradually declined. When a wall fell, everyone pushed; the once vast Yun Family had nearly been driven out of White Cloud City, so her family had betrothed her to an allied force, using marriage to maintain relations.

She pursued freedom and was unwilling to become a tool for marriage alliance, so she had fled, leaving the Central Plains alone. After a rough journey, she had hidden herself in the Jia Ma Empire.

She was wary at heart, so naturally she would not speak of these things. She merely made up an explanation about going out to temper herself.

Such was fate. If she had told the truth, Zhao Li would have discovered that Yun Xin'er was precisely a member of the Yun Family whom his teacher, Lin Lan, had asked him to visit.

During the banquet, although everyone had their own thoughts, the atmosphere was lively and harmonious, and both host and guests enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Several of them achieved their purpose of visiting and befriending Zhao Li, while Zhao Li also achieved his goal of making contact with them and understanding the situation.

The dark night was like boundless thick ink heavily smeared across the horizon, without even the faint glimmer of stars.

At Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant, everyone left one after another. Zhao Li bathed in the cold moonlight, and when he looked up, he saw the waning moon hanging alone by the window. The city that had once been brightly lit gradually dimmed as well, and the clamor slowly dispersed.

Chance acquaintances, all guests in foreign lands.

After standing there for a long while, Zhao Li thought of this line for no reason, and a sigh rose in his heart. Then he smiled.

"Zhao Li, oh Zhao Li, even the Flame Emperor a hundred years from now would not be from your homeland."

Early the next morning, Zhao Li went to the academy and looked around, finding that aside from students, everything else was ready.

After thinking it over, Zhao Li slipped into a nearby village and once again began chatting with the neighbors in the area, talking about family matters and local gossip. After going back and forth a few times, everyone became familiar with him.

Everyone also learned that Zhao Li had opened an academy. Although they did not know Zhao Li's abilities, the people who occasionally came looking for him were no simple figures. Though the common folk were honest and simple, they were not foolish; those with children at home were all willing to send them over to listen to Zhao Li's lessons.

And just like that, Zhao Li's academy opened for business. From then on, his days became busy.

After the academy had held lessons for two days, Susan brought Ao Feng over to visit. Once Zhao Li finished teaching, he began conversing with the two of them. He offered each of them guidance several times. From his commanding perspective, the problems he pointed out struck straight to the heart. Ao Feng had already been pondering the level of Fifth-Grade Alchemist for many years, and now he finally stepped across the threshold of Sixth-Rank Alchemist.

After Ao Feng returned from this visit, the name of Jade Capital Academy spread through the upper circles of the Jia Ma Empire.

Several forces who had originally thought Zhao Li had merely mentioned it casually and not taken it seriously also came to visit him, and in passing arranged for some young people to come and study. This made the academy lively.

Seeing that there were more and more students, Zhao Li thought that he would ultimately have to leave, and these students would be rather difficult to arrange for a while.

After thinking it over, Zhao Li still prepared to borrow the Zhao Clan's method. First, he would seek out some teachers, and also look for the Imperial Family and the Alchemist Guild, entrusting them to provide some care.

As each matter was resolved one by one, Zhao Li became leisurely again. He taught, learned music from the old man by the academy, and occasionally gave pointers to visiting guests. Day after day passed just like that.

Time was like the fleeting change of clouds, like a white colt flashing past a gap; in an instant, another two months had passed.

When Zhao Li finished playing a piece, he heard Old Man Fu clap his hands and laugh loudly, full of praise.

"Little Zhao, these decades of skill of mine, you learned them all in two or three months. You truly are remarkable. It's just that you've studied for too short a time and haven't truly immersed yourself in this path yet. In the future, spend some time polishing yourself, and you'll also become a Grandmaster of Music."

Old Man Fu remembered how this young teacher, after once happening to hear him play the zither, had come knocking with tuition gifts in hand, extremely formal, saying that he wished to learn music from him.

He had seen cultivators visit Zhao Li before, so at first he had thought that a cultivator like Zhao Li would never have the patience to settle down and learn from an ordinary mortal like him. Though he had given in to the pressure, he had taught with the utmost caution.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Li had no airs of a cultivator at all. In their daily interactions, he was also very respectful toward him. He was willing to put in effort and learned quickly. All told, he had studied with him for only three months, yet he had learned everything he knew.

When Zhao Li heard this, he put away the long zither. Praised by an elder, he smiled somewhat shyly.

Though Old Fu was merely a mortal, his attainments in music already possessed the bearing of a grandmaster. Zhao Li remembered that he held respect for such people. After all, he intended to become an elegant young master proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting alike.

"Old Fu, you praise me too much. I should thank you for teaching me everything without reservation. By the way, I have a little trinket here. What do you think of it?"

As Zhao Li spoke, he remembered the Bamboo Flute he had spent a long time trying to make before finally succeeding. He took it out and handed it to Old Man Fu.

At first, he had thought he could simply find a bamboo stalk and bore a few holes into it. Only after learning music did he realize he had been taking things for granted.

Old Fu took the Bamboo Flute and turned it over this way and that. Although he could not make out anything from it, it was definitely related to music. Somewhat puzzled, he asked, "Oh? What is this?"

Zhao Li took out another one and gave a demonstration. When Old Fu heard the sound coming from the Bamboo Flute, his eyes lit up. He tried it according to Zhao Li's example, and a glow rose in his eyes.

"This Bamboo Flute you made is truly not bad. It seems I still underestimated how well you've learned and applied what you know."

Zhao Li naturally knew how attractive a new musical instrument was to someone who loved music. After giving Old Fu a brief introduction to the Bamboo Flute, he took his leave.

"As long as you like it, Old Fu. I'll head back first. Take your time studying it."

Having learned another skill, Zhao Li was extremely happy that he had taken yet another step down the path toward becoming an elegant, handsome gentleman. At the same time, he felt a little regretful.

"It was good luck, too. I happened to meet Elder Fu. It's just that I haven't found any other seniors skilled in different arts here."

Shaking his head, Zhao Li vanished. When he appeared again, he was already at Jade Capital Academy.

Looking at the children studying inside the academy, Zhao Li could not help but feel expectant. The spark that would change with time might begin with them.

"Mister Jade Capital, you're back."

A voice that was dry yet clear pulled Zhao Li back from his thoughts. It belonged to the Vice Headmaster Zhao Li had sought out for the academy. He was over sixty, yet only had the cultivation level of a Dou Master. Though he was a cultivator, he loved teaching and nurturing students above all else.

Over the past several months, as Jade Capital Academy gradually got on the right track and grew better and better, Zhao Li had also come to be known as Mister Jade Capital.

Zhao Li nodded. Calculating the time, he had stayed in the Jia Ma Empire for almost half a year, making it the longest stop he had made on this journey. Zhao Li, too, now felt the desire to leave.