Free Web NovelThousands of young cultivators wearing colorful silk robes filled the grand entrance plaza of the Verdant Sky Academy. The scale of the institution was breathtaking as towering white stone spires reached toward the clouds and sweeping archways framed the bustling courtyards. Li Yu rested his dark metal glaive over his right shoulder and watched the vibrant crowd mill about the gates. Since they were entering the city now, he stored the glaive away as they approached.
Li Yu pushed his divine sense outward to blanket the sprawling stone plaza. He tuned out the loud shouting of the local merchants selling roasted spirit meats and focused his attention on the quiet whispers shared behind raised hands and decorative paper fans. His love for gossip returned in full force now that he was traveling again. He couldn’t help but listen in and see what everyone was discussing.
Li Yu heard a pair of junior disciples giggling about a strict elder who accidentally dyed his beard bright pink during a botched alchemy refinement the night before. He listened to a group of intense swordsmen debating the secret romance between the head disciple of the morning peak and the rebellious saintess of a rival faction. He even caught snippets of a scandal involving a stolen jade slip containing embarrassing poetry written by a prominent sword instructor of the academy.
Li Yu found the volume of petty drama highly entertaining while the veteran butler paid the required entrance fees for their entourage. He realized the academy was a dense web of fragile egos and hidden grudges waiting to ignite. People from all walks of life attended this academy and while it was a place that granted opportunities, it was also a place that could cause your death as well.
The academy had strict rules with students fighting against one another outside of the arena. However, it didn’t have enough staff to ensure that everyone was safe at all times either. Many waited for students to leave the academy or planned from the shadows to destroy entire families.
The Bai Clan group moved through the grand archways and navigated the sweeping stone paths leading into the heart of the academy. The institution provided a private courtyard for Bai Yun due to his noble status and the heavy pouch of spirit stones his father had spent to secure his comfort. The residence featured a tranquil central garden filled with glowing lotus flowers alongside a small clear pond and several detached living quarters built from dark mahogany wood.
The veteran butler called the hired guards together near the edge of the pond as the six family guards began unloading the luxurious carriage.
"We are here for three weeks," the butler explained with a stern tone while adjusting his formal grey robes. "Our singular priority is the safety of Young Master Bai Yun until the envoys arrive to take him back to their sect. I will handle the internal scheduling with the family guards and coordinate the daily routines alongside the head maid. Li Yu will act as my second in command and oversee the external perimeter of this courtyard. The rest of you will take turns following the young master during his public excursions to the lecture halls and the training fields to keep him safe."
Rogan crossed his thick arms and nodded his scarred head in agreement. Lin Xiao kept her hand resting firmly on the hilt of her rapier while scanning the tall walls surrounding their new home. Vane simply bowed his head and accepted the structured arrangement.
Night fell over the Verdant Sky Academy and brought a cool mountain breeze through the central garden. The hired guards sat around a circular stone table drinking hot jasmine tea while the family guards patrolled the inner halls. The quiet evening provided a good opportunity for the four mercenaries to learn about the people watching their backs for the next few weeks.
"I spent ten years fighting in the blood pits of the southern rim," Rogan shared while taking a long sip of the fragrant tea. He set his cup down and traced a deep jagged scar running along his jawline. "The pay for this escort job is much better and the food is certainly cleaner. I usually take bounties on rogue beasts so guarding a noble in a fancy school is a nice change of pace. I just hope the young master keeps his head down and doesn’t cause too much trouble for us."
Lin Xiao sighed softly and stared at the glowing lotus flowers floating in the calm pond. "The Bai Clan is the strongest ally my family possesses in this realm. My patriarch sent me here to ensure their heir survives this crucial term. If Bai Yun falls to an assassin, my family will suffer the political fallout right alongside them. The pressure is quite heavy but I will see it done. We cannot afford to lose the favor of his father."
Vane adjusted the pristine sleeves of his white robes and sat with rigid orthodox posture. "My sect values duty and contractual honor above all else. We gave our word to provide security so I will stand as a steadfast shield. However, I must admit, I find the young master to be quite reckless. Finding that rare orchid on the road was fortunate but flaunting it in front of armed strangers was a foolish decision that invited unnecessary conflict."
The three guards turned their attention toward the young man that was their leader for this mission, decided based on strength alone.
"What about you Li Yu?" Rogan asked with genuine curiosity shining in his eyes. "You carry that glaive like a seasoned veteran but you possess the calm aura of a secluded scholar. Where did the Bai Clan find you?"
Li Yu offered a warm smile and poured himself another cup of tea. "I manage a quiet estate with several large lakes back in my home territory. I took this job for the life experience and to see how things are at a formal academy. I have spent most of my time recently training alone so observing the world gives me fresh inspiration for my own cultivation."
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The guards accepted his vague but truthful answer. He left out key details but they could see his Zhan Clan emblem and those from this realm all knew about the Zhan Clan. The three of them mainly assumed he was bored of training or simply trying to get away from the grueling training the Zhan Clan was known for and taking this mission as a way to dodge it. The four of them continued trading stories about their past bounties and clan politics deep into the night. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
The following morning, Bai Yun strutted out of his quarters wearing pristine blue silk robes. He led the escort team across the bustling campus toward a grand lecture hall dedicated to array formations. Rogan and Lin Xiao walked closely on his left and right while Vane took the vanguard position to clear the path. Li Yu walked at the rear and acted as the trailing overwatch.
They arrived at the lecture hall and took up positions near the heavy wooden doors while Bai Yun found a prime seat near the front of the classroom. Li Yu leaned against the cool stone wall and let his divine sense drift through the rows of seated students to catch the morning gossip before the instructor arrived. He listened closely as the whispers focused heavily on Bai Yun and a girl named Su Yin.
"Did you hear he found a Starfire Orchid sitting on the dirt road yesterday?" A female student whispered to her friend behind a textbook. "He is just a lucky fool who trips over rare treasures while the rest of us have to work for our resources."
"He will need all that luck when the senior disciples of the Iron Gale faction find him," a male student replied with a quiet scoff. "They have been trying to court Su Yin for months and they view this academy as their personal territory. Now that her childhood sweetheart is here taking up space, they will definitely try to cripple him to remove the competition."
Li Yu stored that useful information away in his mind. The young nobles fought over fragile pride and youthful romance while ignoring things that really matter. Li Yu began to think that it was probably for the best that he never entered a formal academy, that he learned much more valuable lessons traveling as he had done.
The instructor finally arrived and began a lengthy lecture on the stabilization of volatile Qi nodes within defensive arrays. Bai Yun spent the entire time staring out the window and ignoring the lesson while Li Yu actually listened closely from the doorway. Li Yu found the basic theory surprisingly applicable to his own domain and took mental notes on how to better regulate the chaotic energy flowing through his localized temporal fields.
The lecture concluded two hours later and Bai Yun proudly walked out into the bright sunlight of the courtyard. His arrogant stride was abruptly halted when a group of older students blocked the main path leading back to his residence. The leader of the group possessed a sharp narrow face and wore the dark green robes of the Iron Gale faction.
"You must be the lucky country bumpkin everyone is talking about," the senior student sneered while crossing his arms and blocking the stone walkway. "I hear you picked up a nice orchid yesterday afternoon. Hand it over as a tribute to your seniors and we might let you walk out of this courtyard with your legs intact."
Bai Yun scoffed at the blatant extortion and puffed out his chest to project his Soul Transformation aura. "I suggest you move out of my way before my guards toss you into the nearest fountain. You are not worthy of seeing my treasures and you are certainly not worthy of speaking to Su Yin."
The senior student narrowed his eyes as his face flushed red with anger. He lunged forward without warning and launched a fast palm strike aimed directly at Bai Yun's chest.
Rogan stepped in smoothly and swung the flat side of his heavy axe upward. The solid metal intercepted the palm strike with a loud crack that sent the senior student stumbling backward while clutching his bruised wrist. Vane immediately stepped forward and released his Law Integration aura as the oppressive spiritual pressure washed over the courtyard and forced the hostile group to fall to their knees under the heavy weight.
While Vane and Rogan handled the direct physical threat, the senior student glared at Bai Yun with venomous hatred. He subtly flicked his uninjured wrist and launched a poisoned hidden needle straight toward the blind spot on the young noble's neck.
Li Yu noticed the lethal projectile the instant it left the green sleeve. He channeled a microscopic fraction of his Qi and formed an invisible barrier an inch away from Bai Yun's skin. The poisoned needle struck the dense Qi and lost all its momentum before dropping harmlessly into the tall grass without making a single sound. No one in the bustling courtyard noticed the quiet intervention, only the result.
The hostile students scrambled to their feet and retreated down the path after facing the overwhelming pressure of Vane's aura. They shouted angry curses over their shoulders and promised they would return with their faction elders to settle the dispute. While guards were allowed in the school, guards could not bully the students.
They could stop a fight but not continue it. The clan leader of the Bai Clan had to request special permission for Bai Yun to have guards directly with him like this due to special circumstances and it was granted. However, they had to be careful as well not to break any rules.
Why didn’t Bai Yun just stay in the clan? This three week period was also a test from the sect. If he couldn’t survive within the academy for three weeks then he wasn’t worthy to join them and his fate with them was cut short.
Bai Yun laughed loudly and adjusted his silk robes with a smug expression. "Did you see how fast they ran? My presence alone was enough to break their meager courage. They know they cannot compete with a true genius."
Inside the intricate silver bracelet the spiritual Grandpa remained silent. The ancient soul had sensed the subtle fluctuation of Qi intercept the lethal needle but he could not track the origin point. He only knew the grey robed guard standing near the back of the formation possessed a terrifying level of control and situational awareness. The old man prayed his foolish host would never give the quiet monster a reason to turn his glaive against them.
Li Yu smiled and followed the group back to their private residence. He enjoyed playing the role of the hidden ace while the others handled the loud work. With his incredibly strong soul, Li Yu has also noticed how unusual that bracelet was on Bai Yun’s arm but didn’t make any kind of play for it.
Li Yu spent the rest of the evening walking the perimeter of the courtyard while listening to the academy rumor mill twist the brief altercation into a grand and exaggerated tale of bravery. The first week of the escort mission was proving to be a bit interesting.
