An invitation

The Great General's Residence.

Physician Hu clutched his medicine chest and pleaded, "Great General, oh, Great General, please let me go."

Feng Shuhu lay in bed, turned toward Feng Mo, and asked, "What time is it?"

"The hour of the rooster, Father."

"The hour of the rooster already." Feng Shuhu closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Physician Hu, are you clear on what to say and do next?"

"Yes, yes." Physician Hu spoke hurriedly. "Your injuries are severe. I've been treating you since this morning, right up until now, and you'll need at least half a month of rest at home to recover completely!"

Feng Shuhu nodded. "Go."

"Ah? Yes! Yes!"

Physician Hu scurried away at a trot.

Only after he was far away did Feng Mo ask, "Father, is it necessary to go this far? Aren't we... helping him make a name for himself?"

"Losing to a Six-Star Kaiyang expert is nothing to be ashamed of," Feng Shuhu said gravely. "If it makes him lower his guard, sacrificing a little of my reputation is worth it!"

"But Father, according to Ding Hai's report, he coughed up blood after leaving the scene. He seemed to be injured..." Feng Mo said hesitantly.

"He's still Six-Star Kaiyang!" Feng Shuhu barked. "What's more, Song Qu's attitude toward him is somewhat ambiguous. I need to stoop to putting on this act so that, after killing him... I can get away clean!"

An overwhelming killing intent surged forth. Feng Mo had wanted to ask how Feng Shuhu planned to kill Xia Yi, but now he fell utterly silent, lowering his head without daring to make a sound.

What had happened today had chipped away a small piece of his father's invincible image in his heart. At this moment!

It was made whole again!

"All right, students. Now that we've covered the representative Saint Souls from one to seven stars, I'll explain the circumstances under which a Saint Soul's star rating can change."

Hu Jun stood at the lectern, addressing the eighty new students in the Holy Academy's Beginner Class.

"Yes, a Saint Soul's star rating isn't always fixed. Under certain circumstances, they can gain or lose stars. Let me tell you a little story everyone knows."

"Before Martial Sage Guan Yu was made a king, he was once trapped in Demon Race territory, gravely wounded and barely surviving. Fortunately, the Demon Fox Clan Princess of that time fell in love with him, allowing him a brief respite."

"She saved his life! But the Martial Sage knew full well that humans and demons could not coexist. After recovering, he resolutely bade farewell to the Demon Fox Clan Princess, passed through five clans and slew six great demons, and fought his way back to the Human Race. He comprehended the six-star Saint Soul, Martial Sage, and was granted the title of Loyal and Brave King!"

"That's right. At the time, the Martial Sage Saint Soul was only six stars. It was over the following centuries, as the Human Race honored the Martial Sage's loyalty and righteousness and worshipped his sacred image everywhere, that the starry heavens were stirred, raising the six-star Martial Sage Saint Soul to seven stars!"

Shi Lai sat with his chin propped in both hands, listening in bewilderment. What the hell kind of little story everyone knows is this? I don't know a damn thing about it!

No wonder yesterday's common-knowledge test...

Recalling yesterday's admission examination, he silently grumbled a little more. The Saint Soul Continent's common knowledge was far too destructive to his own common knowledge. If he hadn't had two uses of Reloading a Save left, he really wouldn't have gotten into the Holy Academy yesterday!

"What the hell is this nonsense!"

Meanwhile, Xia Yi sat atop a giant tree outside the classroom and voiced a similar complaint, silently deciding to find a bookshop and buy some books in a few days.

"Senior, I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Luo Ti's voice suddenly came from behind him. Unsurprised, he turned and said, "That's not what really happened, is it?"

"Oh, you didn't know, Senior?" Today, Luo Ti wore a patterned fur coat and looked nothing like the Holy Academy's Deputy Dean, resembling a plump wealthy gentleman instead. Surprised, he said, "Back then, the Martial Sage had actually already been bewitched by the Demon Fox Clan Princess and imprinted with the five-star Fox King's Son-in-Law, an Inferior Rat Saint Soul. Yet through sheer willpower, he forcibly shattered Fox Maiden’s Son-in-Law. He was the only loyal and brave man of our Human Race to overcome a five-star Inferior Rat Saint Soul on his own, which is why later generations honored him as Loyalty and Righteousness."

"So that's how it was."

Still pretty ridiculous.

"The elders of the Main Academy instructed us to wait until the Advanced Class to teach them about Inferior Rat Saint Souls. Hu Jun has no choice but to explain it that way."

"Oh, no wonder. I never attended the Holy Academy's Advanced Class." Xia Yi gave an offhand reply, then turned back to continue listening to Hu Jun's lecture inside.

"Here's another example, this time of a star rating dropping. Under the First Emperor, the King of Wu'an, God of War Bai Qi, comprehended the six-star Saint Soul, God of Slaughter! This God of Slaughter Saint Soul was only six stars in Lord Bai Qi's hands. No matter how later generations imitated him or how hard they tried, the best they could comprehend was a five-star God of Slaughter Saint Soul. The difference in power between the two was beyond measure!"

Xia Yi listened with great interest. Standing behind him, Luo Ti paused, forced an awkward expression onto his plump face, and called again, "Senior?"

"Hmm? What is it? Go ahead."

"Ahem, this... is the Holy Academy."

"I know."

"You're here... listening to a lesson?"

Xia Yi turned again, as if only just realizing something. "Oh, that's inappropriate, is it? Sorry, sorry. I'll leave right away."

"Oh, there's no need..."

"All right, then." Xia Yi settled his half-raised backside back onto Zhiya.

How could you... The politeness Luo Ti had just forced onto his face abruptly froze. His plump face twitched, and finally he gritted his teeth and said, "I'm sorry, Senior, but the Holy Academy is a restricted place. It really isn't appropriate for outsiders to enter as they please!"

He's actually throwing me out? Xia Yi had thought that if he shamelessly blocked Luo Ti's objection, Luo Ti would simply leave to keep up his cordial appearance. After all, there was nothing harmful about him sitting in on a Beginner Class lesson for a while.

After a moment's thought, Xia Yi sprang to his feet and said apologetically, "I was too presumptuous. I won't put you in a difficult position. I'll leave now."

This time, Luo Ti did not dare offer polite protests. "In a week, the Beginner Class will hold its selection of the Four Little Talented Scholars and Four Little Talented Women. We'll send you an invitation to watch. When the time comes, I'll personally show you around the Holy Academy!"

"Then it's a promise. I'm off." Xia Yi waved, leaped down from the tree, and strode away.

Luo Ti stood in the tree, watching his figure gradually disappear, and snorted inwardly. You'll have to live another week before I can show you around the Holy Academy!

Shortly after Xia Yi left the Holy Academy, a panting young man dressed as a blue-robed servant suddenly stopped him. "Senior, I've finally caught you! My lord urgently requests your presence!"

"Your lord? Who?"

"The Xiyuan Marquis, Lord Song Qu!"

"Oh? Song Qu? Something urgent?"

The servant stood ramrod straight as he answered, "Yes!"

Xia Yi glanced back at the Holy Academy, his smile creasing his face with two wrinkles. "Is your lord waiting for me at his residence?"

"No. My lord learned from Miss Xiao Xian that you'd come to the Holy Academy and has already hurried over. He's at a nearby tea garden!" the servant answered.

"Oh, a tea garden?"

"Yes, a tea garden!"

"You've got quite a booming voice, young man. Every answer comes with an exclamation mark. You're rattling this old man's ears. Were you in the military?"

The servant stiffened slightly and answered in a calmer tone, "I'm sorry, Senior. I did serve in the military."

"Oh, haha, it's fine, it's fine. So you served in the military. That's good." Xia Yi waved a hand, turned, and walked away.

The servant froze for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Senior, the tea garden is this way!"

"Oh... is it?" Xia Yi turned back to look at him and smiled. "I'm not going!"