Snowflakes continued to drift down tirelessly. The bonfire blazed, sparks leaping upward now and then before the wind and snow swallowed them. The aroma of toasted steamed buns gradually faded, replaced by the dry scent peculiar to burning wood. Xiao Yan had eaten his fill and sat hugging his knees, quietly watching the dancing flames as his thoughts wandered.
Inside the wine jar, conflicting emotions churned through Yao Chen's soul form. He realized that his earlier intentions had indeed been despicable, but asking an elder like him to admit his mistake? His old pride simply would not bend that far. Yet saying nothing would make him seem far too obstinate. The two boys outside now seemed to be waiting for his response, whether deliberately or otherwise.
After a long while, just as Xiao Yan was beginning to think the "honored guest" in the Clay Jar intended to remain silent forever, a slightly hoarse voice emerged from the wine jar, muffled and hollow, breaking the snowy night's stillness.
"Boys... what exactly did you mean by those 'Transmigrators' you mentioned earlier? From the way you spoke, you don't seem to be people of this world. What is Another World... like?"
Yao Chen tried to make his tone sound merely curious, rather than as though he were seeking an opening for reconciliation. After all, there was something strange about both youngsters, especially Xiao Yi. His way of doing things and his manner of thinking were utterly unlike those of anyone Yao Chen knew.
Xiao Yi was idly drawing something in the snow with a charred stick. Hearing Yao Chen speak first, he lifted the corners of his mouth in a knowing smile. He did not turn around, keeping his eyes on the ground as he answered in a lazy voice, as though making casual conversation.
"Oh? You're interested in that, Yao Lao? No surprise, really. Someone as worldly and knowledgeable as you is bound to be curious about the unknown. As for Another World... how should I put it? It's very different from here. Its development mainly revolves around science and technology, and people lead completely different lives."
Xiao Yan listened from the side, dumbfounded. He had never expected Xiao Yi to reveal these things so readily. He hurriedly leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"You're just going to lay all our secrets bare for him? These things... if word gets out about these things, what if..."
Although Xiao Yan was also very curious about Xiao Yi's past, he instinctively felt that secrets concerning "transmigration" were better kept buried deep.
At that, Xiao Yi finally turned around. Amused by Xiao Yan's nervous expression, he reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone as relaxed as ever. "What if what? These are all things from Another World. What could happen even if we told someone? Don't tell me you're worried somebody will hear about it, transmigrate in reverse, and go wreak havoc on Earth?"
Xiao Yan paused at Xiao Yi's words, then felt that they did make some sense. Indeed, these were all matters from Another World. Talking about them here did not seem like such a big deal.
"Speaking of which, what decade were you born in, anyway? Practicing Daoism one moment and chanting Buddhist prayers the next... you've had quite a life, haven't you?"
Hearing the term "birth decade," Xiao Yi looked puzzled, as though it were entirely unfamiliar to him and he had not understood it at all. "Birth decade? What does that mean? Are you asking where I rank among my siblings?"
Xiao Yan pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly and explained, "That's not what I mean, big brother. I'm asking roughly which decade you were born in. For example, I'm a nineties kid, meaning I was born in the 1990s."
After hearing Xiao Yan's explanation, Xiao Yi looked enlightened. He stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then said with great solemnity, "Oh, so that's what you mean. That's easy. I'm a tens kid."
Xiao Yan froze, then his eyes widened slightly as he stared at Xiao Yi in disbelief. He blurted out, "A... a tens kid? Then... doesn't that make you younger than me? You should be calling me big brother!"
Xiao Yi added at a leisurely pace, "What are you thinking? I meant the 1910s, not the 2010s, boy."
Xiao Yan was utterly stunned by Xiao Yi's outlandish "1910s." His mouth hung open for quite a while before he recovered his voice, his tone full of incredulous shock and a trace of excitement he could not suppress.
"The... the 1910s?! Big brother, you're not joking with me, are you? Doesn't that mean... you lived through World War II?"
Xiao Yi watched Xiao Yan's stunned expression while casually touching the charred stick to the snow, as though marking some important point in history.
"The Second World War... I suppose so. But I never went to any battlefield. Back then, I spent more of my time in churches."
Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, seemingly digesting this information. Then, as though remembering something, he gave a faintly wistful smile.
"I thought your life would have been dull, but now it sounds much more exciting than mine. Back then, I put my whole heart into studying. Every day, I was either solving problems or reading books, always thinking about getting good grades and making my family happy."
He picked up a small twig and scratched absently at the snow, a hint of youthful awkwardness and regret in his voice.
"There was a girl in my class. She was pretty quiet and always had this sweet smile. She often came to me with questions, and sometimes she'd even bring an extra breakfast just for me. I was such an idiot back then. I genuinely thought she was just especially kindhearted and liked helping people. It wasn't until after graduation that it occurred to me... back then... she might have... liked me a little."
As Xiao Yi listened to Xiao Yan's story, a knowing smile curled his lips. He gently stirred the bonfire with the charred stick, coaxing the flames to burn a little brighter.
Yao Chen had been listening quietly inside the wine jar. Now he finally could not resist speaking, his voice drifting out of the Clay Jar with a hint of curiosity and confusion.
"Are these 'schools' you speak of similar to our 'academies'? Places specifically devoted to teaching cultivation methods and Dou Techniques? Something like Jia Nan Academy?"
The moment Xiao Yan heard the name "Jia Nan Academy," his eyes lit up, as though he had found a shared topic.
"Jia Nan Academy? You know about it too, Yao Lao? Xiao Yu keeps going on about how she's going to study at Jia Nan Academy. I've heard it so often my ears are practically growing calluses! She says it's a sacred place every young cultivator dreams of going to!"
"Hmph, I do far more than merely know about it. Jia Nan Academy is a premier institution that has stood on the Dou Qi Continent for hundreds of years. Its renown is far beyond that of ordinary sects and factions. Never mind this backwater Wutan City-even across the entire Northwest Continent, and in the far more distant Central Plains, countless exceptionally gifted youths travel thousands of miles and nearly crush one another's heads in their struggle to enter and further their studies."
Yao Chen paused, then continued with a hint of mystery in his voice. "Moreover, I can tell you that Jia Nan Academy conceals a Heavenly Flame-the fallen heart flame. If you can obtain it, your cultivation will advance a thousand miles in a single day, far beyond what ordinary painstaking training could achieve."
Xiao Yi had been listening quietly all along. At the words "premier institution" and "fallen heart flame," he raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming to develop some interest in this world's educational system and the distribution of its resources.
"Oh? A premier institution? That does sound rather imposing. Besides Jia Nan Academy, are there any other academies on the Dou Qi Continent? Any other 'second-rate' ones?"
At this question, Yao Chen pondered for a moment, as though carefully sifting through his memories. Only after a good while did he slowly speak.
"No. Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, Jia Nan Academy is the only one with a recognized name that amounts to anything. Some powerful sects may have their own internal training systems, but in terms of scale, foundations, and overall strength, none can remotely compare with Jia Nan Academy."
Xiao Yan listened from the side, tongue-tied with astonishment. He had assumed that with the Dou Qi Continent being so vast, with experts as numerous as clouds and factions intertwined in a tangled web, there ought to be at least three to five cultivation academies, or even a dozen or more. That would have been normal. In his former world, every country had several top universities. He had never imagined that here there would be just this one establishment, without a single other branch.
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