The next day, at the Tianyang Sect.
Early the following morning, the enrollment ceremony began.
Bright and early, two thousand disciples arrived at Training Ground No. 1, led by their class teachers, their hearts filled with nervous excitement.
The students from farming families in particular had felt the warmth of the Tianyang Sect. They had shoes to wear and food to eat.
Last night, they had eaten rice, three dishes, and a soup. After drinking the soup simmered with Creation Pills in particular, they had felt indescribably refreshed all over, their bones cracking and popping. Not knowing why, they had marveled that eating a good meal really could make you taller and stronger.
Breakfast had been plain congee and steamed buns, along with pickled vegetables.
Most of the disciples thought, Just for this food alone, I have to stay!
Zhang Qingyuan stood on the platform, surrounded by his six fellow disciples, with twenty members of the Security Department standing to either side.
These were the backbone of the Tianyang Sect!
Ten classes filled the entire training ground.
Sixth Elder Sun Xiaotian, who served as secretary, shouted, "The enrollment ceremony of the Tianyang Sect's Tianyang Martial Dao Academy officially begins!"
The class teachers led the applause. The disciples did not understand, but found it impressive, and clapped along.
"Now, allow me to introduce the leadership of the Tianyang Sect and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy.
"The Tianyang Sect's First Elder and head of the Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's Logistics Department, Zhao Guangqi!"
Eldest Senior Brother smiled and raised a hand to greet the disciples. Applause rang out across the training ground again.
The Tianyang Sect and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy.
Theirs was a superior-subordinate relationship.
The Tianyang Sect was a sect, while Tianyang Martial Dao Academy was a subordinate unit of the sect, a place for cultivating talent.
This was Zhang Qingyuan's reform!
Tianyang Martial Dao Academy was an internal subordinate unit of the Tianyang Sect. The Tianyang Editorial Department and Tianyang Newspaper Industry were on the same level as it.
Those were the only ones for now. More subordinate units would follow.
"The Tianyang Sect's Second Elder, head of the Tianyang Sect Martial Dao Academy's Security Department, and honorary vice principal, Zheng Jianxin!"
Second Senior Brother held his sword, his third-rank show-off king domain fully unleashed. An invisible force instantly filled the entire square.
The disciples gazed at him as though looking at an idol they admired.
So cool!
"The Tianyang Sect's Third Elder, the Tianyang Sect's deputy elder, and head of the Finance Department for both the Tianyang Sect and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, Bian Zhenxuan!"
Third Senior Brother smiled and waved. He held the most positions: deputy sect master of the Tianyang Sect, and chief financial administrator of both the sect and the academy. Anyone with eyes could tell that he wielded immense power.
"The Tianyang Sect's Fourth Elder and head of the Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bai Shuyan!"
Old Fourth was the best-looking. The instant he stood, he enchanted countless girls.
Wow, this elder was far too handsome!
"The Tianyang Sect's Fifth Elder and head of the Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's Ministry of Personnel, Li Moran!"
Fifth Senior Brother nodded, looking every bit a leader.
"The Tianyang Sect's Sixth Elder and head of the Publicity Department for the Tianyang Sect and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, Sun Xiaotian." Old Sixth raised a hand in greeting as he introduced himself.
Previously, he had only been a secretary. Because he was socially anxious, introverted, and an I-type through and through, Zhang Qingyuan had kept having him help out here and there.
Later, Old Third had made more use of him. Coupled with what he had absorbed from following Zhang Qingyuan, he had finally begun to show some promise.
So Zhang Qingyuan had entrusted the Publicity Department to him. He was also the director of Tianyang Newspaper Industry.
Old Sixth was not entirely an invisible nobody. Though introverted, he actually had quite a few ideas.
Tianyang Newspaper Industry worked in tandem with publicity, and after following Old Third for two or three months, he was familiar with the newspaper's operating procedures. He was a good fit for the job.
Look, he even dared to speak in front of over two thousand people now. Wasn't that progress in its own right?
"Next, I will introduce the staff of Tianyang Martial Dao Academy."
Old Sixth looked to the left, where twenty martial artists dressed in black stood. "They are all the members of the Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's Security Department. If any of you students have any safety concerns in the future, please do not worry. These seniors from the Security Department will ensure your safety!"
A wave of applause rose...
"They are Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's strongest backing, safeguarding your future studies and daily lives!"
The twenty Security Department members instantly puffed out their chests. Though they still had not figured out the meaning behind the Tianyang Sect's arrangements for them, the disciples' admiring gazes instantly made the weight on their shoulders feel much heavier. And they felt rather proud!
"On the left, those wearing blue are all the members of the Logistics Department. They will do everything they can to take care of your daily needs."
The workers and cooks were all ordinary commoners, but somehow, they felt as though they had been elevated.
Where else would anyone value them so much?
Weren't we just scraps in the corners wherever we went? How did we suddenly get such prestige?
"Standing directly before you are all the teachers of Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's first year of primary school.
"Class One's homeroom teacher, Lu Guying!
"Class Two's homeroom teacher, Zhan Hongling!
"Class Three's homeroom teacher, Chen Siwen!
"Class Four's homeroom teacher, Li Qian!
"Class Five's homeroom teacher, Liu Jinghong!
"Class Six's homeroom teacher, Li Changsheng!
"Class Seven's homeroom teacher, Liu Ying!
"Class Eight's homeroom teacher, Liu Tianming!
"Class Nine's homeroom teacher, Chu Xiong!
"Class Ten's homeroom teacher, Wei Wu!
"These teachers will be the ones who set you on your path, and they will also oversee you throughout your first year. You must respect your teachers and elders, and be united and friendly.
"Your teachers are outstanding martial artists whom our Tianyang Martial Dao Academy has hired at high salaries. They are all talented people who can fight opponents above their realms and possess an extraordinary understanding of foundational martial arts. You must study hard, and no matter how great your future achievements, never forget the teachers who first set you on your path!"
"Yes!"
The students shouted in unison.
Once the students quieted down, Old Sixth raised his voice. "Finally, let us welcome, with our warmest applause, the thirty-ninth sect master of the Tianyang Sect and first principal of Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, Zhang Qingyuan, to give his address!"
A wave of applause rose...
Not far away, Di Yunjie, who was watching the ceremony, had question marks sprouting all over his head.
I don't understand!
Wasn't this the initiation of the Tianyang Sect's disciples? What the hell was Tianyang Martial Dao Academy?
Last night, he had spent half the night talking with his old brother in the graveyard.
He had thought the newspaper was already the limit of Zhang Qingyuan's abilities. Who knew he still had more moves!
Since ancient times, sects and schools, even gangs and lineages, had all been the same.
When they accepted disciples, disciples were disciples.
What the hell was an academy?
And what did "students" mean?
Was this sect initiation ceremony serious?
What sect conducted initiations like this?
Couldn't a few elders just take them away and teach them to cultivate? What was with this assembly?
There was also the question he had had before coming: once disciples entered a sect, they belonged to that sect. You fed them and taught them martial arts; in life, they were the sect's people, and in death, its ghosts. Why did they have to pay tuition?
Di Yunjie's head was full of confusion. Let's see what tricks you can pull off.
After a round of applause, Zhang Qingyuan raised his hand and pressed it downward.
He looked around and smiled. "First, on behalf of all the elders, teachers, and staff of the Tianyang Sect and Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, I welcome all of you students!"
A wave of applause rose...
"Before coming here, you may have learned about the martial world and the jianghu from your elders, friends, storytellers, or even illustrated books.
"What is a sect like?
"In a traditional sect, disciples must begin as outer disciples. After one, two, three, several, or even more than ten years of cultivation, those with exceptional talent will be promoted to inner disciples. The rest must leave to make their own living, or stay behind to defend the sect.
"Inner disciples will then be taken under the elders' wings and taught the sect's more advanced martial arts.
"Those accepted by the sect leader or sect master become personal disciples. In life, they are the sect's people; in death, its ghosts. They must live and die with the sect.
"This is the tradition of our Five Realms, of the entire martial world of Huaxia."
Everyone, including the disciples and the other staff, listened intently.
Zhang Qingyuan paused before continuing, "But we have broken this tradition.
"Why?
"Because our Eastern Realm is already a barren land for martial arts. Compared with the other four realms, our experts are the weakest.
"I want to change this outcome, which is why I recruited you. I have decided to stop treasuring our own old broom and train a group of talented people more systematically, more professionally, and more efficiently!
"Of course, training talent is not only about enriching the martial world.
"It is also about giving more children from poor families a way forward!
"We teach without discrimination. Whether you have money or not, whether your status is high or low, I hope to train all of you into people who can contribute to our Huaxia, to the Five Realms, to Great Zhou, and to the common people.
"Even if!
"Even if some of you can only study here for free for one year and cannot afford the tuition for the second, the skills you learn and the connections you build in that year can still help your families and your futures.
"If your skills can protect your family, or earn you an extra tael of silver so your family can have a few more meals with meat, that is good too.
"Of course, I still hope that all of you can become pillars of the martial world in the future.
"As I said, the first year at our academy is free, but you must pay tuition afterward.
"However, we also have tuition waivers and even a scholarship system.
"Don't be afraid of eating me out of house and home. If possible, I hope that next year, every one of you can meet the requirements for a tuition waiver, or even a scholarship!"
A wave of applause rose...
Everyone looked at Zhang Qingyuan with stars in their eyes.
The sect master was far too kind. He really... I'm crying my eyes out!
Such words were enough to warm people's hearts in this world.
A warrior would die for one who understood his worth. Those words of Zhang Qingyuan's had already branded themselves deep into their hearts.
With a sect master like this, even dying for him would be worth it!
Young people were always the most hot-blooded, and always so easily moved to empathy.
Zhang Qingyuan pressed a hand downward and continued, "Everything was already written in yesterday's enrollment contract, but I know most of you surely did not read it carefully, or did not understand it. Now, I will explain the difference between Tianyang Martial Dao Academy and the Tianyang Sect in detail.
"The Tianyang Sect is a martial sect, a jianghu force.
"But Tianyang Martial Dao Academy is only a place that teaches you. You are merely students of Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, not members of the jianghu force known as the Tianyang Sect. Do you understand?
"In other words, your only task is to work hard at learning martial arts. Whatever problems the Tianyang Sect encounters have nothing to do with you.
"You do not need to live and die with the sect. You only need to complete your studies here."
"Huh?"
The disciples were stunned.
Discussion broke out at once.
"What does that mean? Aren't we disciples of the Tianyang Sect?"
"Are you stupid? The principal made it very clear. We're students of the martial dao academy, not members of the Tianyang Sect."
"But doesn't Tianyang Martial Dao Academy belong to the Tianyang Sect?"
"That's true, but from what I'm hearing, it seems the Tianyang Sect is a martial sect, while the martial dao academy is a place for teaching."
"Then what are we?"
"Students, obviously."
The Tianyang Sect's leadership had understood long ago. Even Di Yunjie understood now.
Put plainly, the Tianyang Sect was a company, and the martial dao academy was a school established by that company.
They were merely attending school here; they had not joined the company.