The Tianyang Sect disciples had grown increasingly practiced at teaching. There were professional teachers to handle instruction, so Zhang Qingyuan would not get involved.
He had always believed in leaving professional matters to professionals. As a leader, he absolutely could not point fingers and give orders over their shoulders.
At most, he would occasionally visit the academy to show some concern for the impoverished children.
Though he did not teach, he kept an eye on the academy's students at all times, making sure they could feel their dean's warmth every moment.
Eldest Senior Brother had done a fine job with logistics. In just over ten days, the students' uniforms were ready.
They were all the same loose, blue-green outfits made of coarse hemp.
There was no helping it. The material might not have been good, but it was sturdy and hard-wearing.
The main concern was keeping costs down.
They were all children, growing fast and changing by the day. With poorer material, replacements were affordable. If everything used fine materials, they really could not bear the expense.
Besides, most of the students came from poor families. Having new clothes to wear was already an excellent thing.
Though the wealthy children thought little of the fabric, they said nothing.
Second Senior Brother had nothing to do each day and wandered around the sect. The Security Department had yet to encounter any problems, so it carried out all sorts of patrols.
Third Senior Brother had successfully paid off the debt to the Bian Family, and the first share of advertising profits had finally come in: eight thousand taels.
The newspaper was immensely popular. It had now spread throughout all eight cities and four major towns in Yu Province, with plans to expand into Song Province and Ming Province next month.
Advertising fees would rise further!
The Havoc in Heaven arc of Journey to the West had concluded, and a publishing house approached Zhang Qingyuan about publishing a book. Given Journey to the West's immense popularity, Zhang Qingyuan proposed a seventy-thirty split in his favor for the complete book, and the publisher agreed.
The newspaper's new serialized story was called Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
As before, Zhang Qingyuan provided the outlines, and the editors made up the stories themselves.
With the newspaper's immense popularity, the reporters had also made their mark, traveling around to conduct interviews. Celebrities and distinguished figures, officials and wealthy merchants, martial arts masters-all scrambled to get into the newspaper.
This thing was far too good at making stars. Zheng Jianxin and the Bright Moon Sect's sect master-who had not heard of them?
Everyone wanted to show their face in the newspaper. Some courtesans in particular were willing to pay for the privilege.
Fourth Senior Brother had gone out to handle diplomacy. Now surrounded by women, he suffered and enjoyed himself in equal measure.
Zhang Qingyuan summoned Fifth Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Brother, and the two sat together to listen to their leader's instructions.
They were currently the two most idle people in the entire sect. Looking at the pair of idlers, Zhang Qingyuan said, "At this stage, teaching is already on track. Three months will pass in the blink of an eye, so we need to recruit teachers for the higher years."
"Recruit for the second and third years together?" Old Sixth kept his words brief.
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head, looking every bit the leader. All he needed now was a porcelain cup and a pack of Chunghwa cigarettes, and the picture would be complete!
"Recruit the second-year teachers first, then the third-year teachers in three months. If we hire them early, we'll have to pay several months' wages for nothing."
"All right."
Zhang Qingyuan tapped the table. Knowing Junior Brother Qingyuan was about to speak, Old Sixth took up his pen to make notes.
"The requirements: unique insights into cultivating internal power, whether in theoretical knowledge or practical application, and cultivation above the seventh rank."
"Understood."
Having finished listing the recruitment requirements, Zhang Qingyuan looked at Old Fifth. "The newspaper will go out tomorrow. You'll serve as the examiner and assess these people. From now on, everyone who applies must pass your assessment."
Old Fifth looked troubled and stammered, "Well, you know me. I don't have much experience with this. How am I supposed to assess them?"
His cultivation was not high, and his understanding of martial arts was not deep either. He worried that applicants would come and reel off a heap of theoretical knowledge, and he would have no idea whether they were right.
Zhang Qingyuan sighed. The sect lacked talent.
"How about this? Once they arrive, I'll handle recruitment with you."
Old Fifth smiled. "Now that works. Show me a few times, and I'll get the hang of it."
Alas, Zhang Qingyuan sighed inwardly. Only Old Eldest, Old Second, and Old Third spared him any worry.
There was no helping it. Some jobs were still too difficult for Old Fifth and the others.
Their ways of thinking were different, after all.
He would have to wait a few more years before he could become a hands-off boss.
At that thought, he suddenly remembered Old Sixth and told him, "In a little while, you can arrange for reporters to come conduct interviews. Since you're the Publicity Department, you need to get some publicity going."
"All right."
"Mm, we need outsiders to know how good our academy is, especially those parents and the parents who are still waiting and watching."
"Understood."
The students now trained, trained, and trained some more. After more than ten days of physical conditioning, along with so much good food and so many supplements, their constitutions had basically all improved.
Next, the teachers began teaching martial arts techniques and all sorts of complicated moves.
From this point onward, comprehension would matter.
Some learned after watching once.
Some learned after practicing a few more times.
For some, after watching, their brains said, "I've got it," while their bodies said, "Bullshit."
For some, after watching, their brains said, "I didn't remember that," while their bodies said, "Brain, you're so stupid..."
In short, some were fast and some slow, some strong and some weak. Here, the teachers could tell whose talent was better.
Everyone received the same instruction. Those who grasped it learned new moves. Those a little slower could only practice repeatedly-diligence could make up for a lack of talent.
Perhaps it was the effect of the Creation Pills, but there were very few who could not understand no matter how they were taught.
After nearly half a month together, the students had become familiar with one another and formed their own little groups.
In Class One, it was still Yin Tianqi and Liu Sidao.
Yin Tianqi's family had money, and he had gathered a crowd of underlings.
Liu Sidao had a little less of a following, with three or four close buddies and a dozen or so good friends around him.
One relied on resources; the other simply had a wide social circle.
On Liu Sidao's side, the core group consisted of just four people.
Him, Xiao Yan, Li Goudan'er, and Yang Bin.
The two groups frequently exchanged friendly greetings with their fists and feet.
Previously, they could only throw wild punches. Now that they had each learned a move or two, their fights looked considerably better.
Class Two was led by Ma Shou. He learned the fastest and had already become class monitor.
Class Three was the best behaved, while Class Four had even more cliques than Class One.
Class Five was the most united, and Class Six the most lively.
Class Seven had little presence, Classes Eight and Nine were aggressive and belligerent, and Class Ten wanted to be the boss.
This class-based system, this modern management, was simply a little better than the way other sects educated their outer disciples.
Because there was competition, and every class faced competition, they all worked fairly hard.
Moreover, though each class had its own little cliques, they were reasonably united against outsiders.
For instance, that afternoon, Liu Che from Class Ten had brought his Eight Vajra underlings to Class One and beaten up Yin Tianqi.
His reason was that he could not stand Yin Tianqi showing off everywhere, swaggering around just because he had a little money.
While Yin Tianqi was being beaten, Liu Sidao and the others arrived in time and fought the students from Class Ten.
After the fight ended, Yin Tianqi and Liu Sidao shared a dorm room, even sleeping in the same bunk bed.
That night, as they went to sleep, Yin Tianqi could not help asking, "I've picked on you so much. Why did you still help me?"
Liu Sidao replied nonchalantly, "I can beat you up. Let someone from another class try it!"
Far from displeasing Yin Tianqi, those words made him feel an inexplicable warmth.
Liu Sidao added, "In our class, you can't stand me, and I beat you up. Those are internal conflicts. Internal conflicts have to be settled internally. Outsiders don't get a say!"
The next day, seeing Yin Tianqi and Liu Sidao with their arms around each other's shoulders, even Lu Guying was puzzled. When had the two become so close?
Of course, Lu Guying also lectured them about fighting between classes.
But after finishing his criticism, he added, "You can fight, just don't lose!"
When Zhang Qingyuan learned of this, an idea suddenly came to him.
He summoned the ten teachers and told them, "In three months, the ten classes will hold a grand martial competition to test the results of these three months!
"The winning class will receive ten Creation Pills. The losing class will clean the toilets from then on."
After hearing this, the ten teachers brimmed with fighting spirit.
Watching their retreating backs, Zhang Qingyuan nodded.
Now that was right. They needed a sense of competition to cultivate faster.