Meng Chunqiu

Chen Shu and Ning Qing stood by the roadside with their suitcases, waiting for a ride.

They were about a kilometer or two from the edge of University City, four or five kilometers from Ling'an Academy, and six or seven from Yujing University. There weren't many cars on the road. University City lay on the western outskirts of Jade Capital, while the city had been expanding southeast in recent years.

Whoosh...

A motorcycle sped past.

Chen Shu turned to Ning Qing. "Aren't motorcycles banned in Jade Capital?"

"They are."

Ning Qing had clearly checked beforehand. "But we're already at the edge of the city. Nobody really enforces it here. I'm planning to have Xiaoxiao ship my little motorcycle over in a few days."

"Oh..."

Their ride arrived soon after.

There was a dedicated bus route, but registration was at its peak these days and the buses were crowded, so they had called a car.

They stopped first at Ning Qing's Ling'an Academy. The car could only take them as far as the school gate.

"I'll get out here too. I can walk the rest of the way."

"Mm."

Chen Shu took out his luggage and looked toward the school entrance.

The main gate was impressive, with a huge signboard bearing characters in an old-fashioned hand. Cars came and went, and the crowds at the entrance made it a lively scene.

"You're sure you don't need me to come with you?"

"You can follow me if you want."

"Then I'll pass. I'll see you off here. Go in and register yourself." Chen Shu paused. "Remember, don't be so cold at school. Be a little gentler with your friends. Buy yourself some fruit now and then, and remember to eat on time."

"I know."

"Get along with your roommates."

"Anything else?"

"One more thing." Chen Shu smacked his lips. "Remember to keep your distance from the guys in your class. I'll get jealous."

"And you?"

"I'll keep my distance from the guys in my class too."

"??"

"I'll keep my distance from the girls too," Chen Shu said again, pretending to be serious. "You should trust me as much as I trust you."

"I don't watch male influencers dance." Ning Qing's face was expressionless.

"Neither do I!"

"??"

"All right, all right." Chen Shu surrendered, spreading his hands. "I only look. Just look. They're nice to look at..."

"Go on."

"Say goodbye to me."

"Goodbye."

"Good girl."

Chen Shu turned and walked away with his suitcase, but Ning Qing's voice came from behind him, still as detached as ever. "Aren't you going to say it to me?"

"Goodbye."

Chen Shu didn't turn around. He just raised his voice.

Behind him came the voice of a volunteer welcoming new students:

"Which college are you in, junior?"

"Astronomy and Cosmos."

"..."

It was nearly half an hour's walk from the main gate of Ling'an Academy to the main gate of Yujing University. Chen Shu looked around as he went, taking even longer.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, with a rich variety of greenery.

These schools had originally been converted from imperial gardens, and traditional garden aesthetics showed everywhere.

Subtle and serene.

As most people knew, the four best universities in Yi Nation were:

Ling'an Academy;

Yujing University;

National Comprehensive University;

National Defense University.

Ling'an Academy and Yujing University had the longest histories. Without reaching absurdly far back for an earlier origin, both had been founded over six hundred years ago, when the times had just begun to change in earnest. The royal family and court of Yi Nation had shown remarkable foresight then, setting aside two imperial gardens to build the universities.

That much was common knowledge.

What most people didn't know was this—

Behind both universities stood the shadows of sects and religious orders that had once wielded enormous power among the people.

Ling'an Academy, for instance, received teaching support from at least the Spirit Sect and the Sword Sect.

Yujing University had backing from at least the Bright Sect, which had helped Martial Cultivation flourish, along with teachers from the Imperial Sect, the Lotus Flower Teaching, and other sects and religious orders.

Times had changed. Most sects and religious orders no longer had secrets, and the government had placed restrictions on them. But they still had many mid- and high-level cultivators, people with deep expertise in their fields—especially cultivation, Runes, and spells. Not putting them to work as teachers to train talent for the nation would be a terrible waste.

Many universities had ties to ancient sects and religious orders.

The teachers were already there for the taking.

Some universities even belonged directly to particular orders. The Five Daoist Colleges of Shangqing, run by the Daoist Order, and the Six Bright Buddha Colleges of Rongsheng, run by the Buddhist Order, were open only to believers.

Yujing University and Ling'an Academy ranked first and second in overall strength.

As for National Comprehensive University, it used to be called the Royal Academy. Its predecessor had been a school for the children of Yi Nation's nobility and royal family. It now admitted students like any other university, but it was still full of children of the powerful and well-connected, as well as royals and nobles from abroad who came to study and make connections.

National Defense University was a military academy backed by the national military and the Sword King Court. Its screening was strict, and enrollment came with the assumption that students would join the military. After graduation, the armed forces were their only option.

Before long, he reached the school gate.

"Yujing University."

Chen Shu read the plaque over the main gate aloud. The gate was a little narrower than Ling'an Academy's, and the lettering on its plaque had sharper strokes.

He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to Qingqing.

After a moment's thought, he forwarded it to Teacher Shi Qian too.

Chen Shu: Teacher, I've arrived at school!

He pocketed his phone and walked through the gate, where the volunteers welcoming new students were just as enthusiastic. Chen Shu spotted the name "Mu Ning" on one volunteer's badge.

"Which college are you in, junior?"

"Traditional Cultivation College."

"Ancient Cultivation, huh? Come with me, come with me. The admission score for Ancient Cultivation is really high. What's your major?"

"Spell Principles Studies."

"Oh! I've sat in on some classes in your major!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't understand much, though, and I missed a few classes. I'll probably sit in again this year. Look after me when I do, junior."

"You're joking, senior."

Chen Shu followed him along a stretch of road past the gate. Tents lined both sides, bearing the names of the colleges, sponsors' logos, and promotional slogans.

They soon reached the Traditional Cultivation College's tent. The senior said goodbye and went back to meet other new students.

Only a few people were in line outside the tent.

It was soon Chen Shu's turn. He showed his ID, passed verification, and registered. Then a female senior led him through the rest of the process: signing his loan agreement, collecting his campus card and the supplies issued by the university, and going to his dormitory.

As they walked, she explained, "Our school has four gates. The main gate is the west gate. The east gate is big too. The North Gate and South Gate are small, but they're usually open.

"There's a dormitory area beside each gate. They're called Pine, Cypress, Locust, and Willow Courts, though we usually call them the east, west, south, and north dorms.

"The east and west dorms are for men, and the north and south dorms are for women.

"There's a large dining hall between each pair of dormitory areas, named by number. We also have three smaller dining halls and some specialty restaurants, each with its own name. Some of the names are quite nice.

"The teaching buildings are farther in.

"You're in the east dorms, Building Six of Locust Court, Room 504. Turn right when you leave your dorm and you'll reach Dining Hall One; turn left and you'll reach Dining Hall Four. Dining Hall Four usually has better food. I live in the north dorms, and I eat there sometimes when my classes are nearby. It's close to the Martial Cultivation Hall too, so you can watch people fight.

"The administration building is over here...

"Our Ancient Cultivation teaching area is that way...

"The campus is huge. There are shared bikes, but they're often all taken...

"The shopping street is by the west gate...

"There are lots of snack stalls outside the north and south gates..."

Chen Shu listened closely and committed it all to memory as he followed her into a dormitory area.

Good grief. Had they built these buildings deep in the mountains?

Ancient trees spread their roots everywhere.

Was the place built on a spiritual vein?

The spiritual energy was so dense.

Chen Shu followed the senior into the apartment building. Even in the summer heat, it felt cool inside. Then they started up the stairs.

University dorms in Yi Nation generally weren't shared rooms—at least, he'd never heard of any. They were usually apartments, with private rooms much like those offered by companies that provided accommodation after graduation. This country had far more land than his previous world but a population of only a billion, so land wasn't as valuable. Together with differences in policy and public attitudes, that made housing much cheaper.

Chen Shu had looked up Yujing University's dorms before coming. They all had three bedrooms and two living areas, with one person to a bedroom. Each room had air conditioning and a desk, while the bathroom, kitchen, and standard appliances were shared.

They were practically on par with an elite private school in his previous world.

It made sense. They were all in their twenties and cultivators besides. Cramming them into shared rooms really wouldn't be suitable.

"Junior, I'll leave you here."

At the door, the senior set down the washbasin she'd been carrying for him and said in a practiced tone, "I still have other students to meet. Go on in yourself. Get along with your roommates. If you have conflicts over daily habits or religious beliefs that you can't resolve, you can apply to change dorms within the first month of term."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Chen Shu swiped his campus card to unlock the apartment door. As he walked in, he looked over the layout.

It was just as he'd seen online.

A hallway ran in from the entrance, with the door to Bedroom One on the right. Beyond it, a small dining area lay to the left and the living room to the right. Farther in, the dining area connected to a fairly large kitchen and a shared bathroom, while Bedroom Two's door stood on the right. Bedroom Three's door was at the very back.

"Anyone here?"

Chen Shu called out first.

Creak!

Bedroom Three's door opened, and a head poked out.

Chen Shu froze for a moment—

A girl?

Nothing online had said men and women lived together at Yujing University. Weren't the men's and women's dorms in separate areas?

"You are...?" Chen Shu asked cautiously.

The newcomer smiled, showing his teeth. In a warm male voice, he introduced himself. "I'm your roommate. My name's Meng Chunqiu."

So he was a guy after all.

"I'm Chen Shu."

"So you're Brother Chen. I've heard so much about you!" Meng Chunqiu hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Um..."

Chen Shu hesitated and took a closer look at him.

Meng Chunqiu had slightly fluffy hair that reached his shoulders. Plenty of men in Yi Nation wore their hair long—an old-style fashion, nothing unusual. But his face was small and delicate. He didn't just look like a girl; he had the air of a quiet, graceful young lady.

Looking closely, Chen Shu could see his Adam's apple.

"I look like a woman, right?"

"A little..."

"Don't worry about the details."

"When did you get here?" Chen Shu asked.

"Early this morning."

"Is it just the two of us?"

"For now," Meng Chunqiu replied. "There are three bedrooms. Number Three is the best, so I picked it already. Numbers One and Two are left, and both have balconies. Number One's balcony connects to the living room balcony. Numbers Two and Three are next to each other, and their balconies connect too. Take your pick."

He paused, glanced at Chen Shu, and urged, "Pick Number Two. Then we'll be next door!"

"Sure."

Chen Shu wasn't fussy.

So he opened Bedroom Two's door.

He swiped his card, linked it to the lock, and set a password.

Then he dropped his luggage. He could unpack later.

Chen Shu sat down in the living room and glanced at his roommate, who looked remarkably like a girl. Meng Chunqiu had even put on makeup, a striking echo of the previous dynasty's fashions. That dynasty's upper ranks had grown so effeminate that Yi Nation's Founding Emperor had joined forces with the royal court that had split from the Sword Sect and overthrown it in one fell swoop.

"Where are you from?"

"Jade Capital. I'm a local."

"A local, huh? I'll be counting on you."

"No problem. If anything happens, just tell me. As long as you're in the right, there's nothing I can't handle!" Meng Chunqiu swept his hair back with an impressive flourish.

"A real big shot, huh." Chen Shu smiled, happy to offer a little flattery. It cost him nothing.

"Not at all, not at all! Where are you from?"

"Yuanzhou."

"That's pretty far."

"Yeah. I left home behind to come study here."

"Which department?"

"Ancient Cultivation Department."

"Nice, nice. You've got a bright future ahead of you."

"What about you?"

"I'm in the Literature College, specializing in ancient literature. There are lots of girls there, so I'll find you a girlfriend." Meng Chunqiu brushed back his hair again. It seemed to have grown too long and was tickling his neck. When he was done, he glanced at Chen Shu. "Don't I have the air of an ancient scholar?"

"Umm..."

Chen Shu figured he could lie, but he didn't see much reason to.