Chapter 39

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Chapter 39: Setting Authority

Lou Yun was genuinely stunned by the grand structure before him. Its thousands of acres of land, the massive ceremonial archway, and its towering roofs reaching into the clouds made him feel like a country bumpkin stepping into a big city for the first time.

"No wonder everyone fights tooth and nail to get here. Just looking at the scale of this place, even the imperial palace probably doesn’t measure up!"

Lou Yun secretly clicked his tongue. He wasn’t entirely without experience, but the Ancient Weapon Academy before him was so magnificent it delivered a profound shock to his spirit. What he didn’t know was that during the academy’s initial planning, its scale had been deliberately designed this way. The purpose was to evoke a sense of awe in anyone arriving, just like Lou Yun felt now. This awe would then foster reverence, achieving a kind of mental conditioning.

Having developed this respectful awe for the Ancient Weapon Academy, when people entered its grounds, whether in personal conduct or actions, they would unconsciously restrain themselves, avoiding any disruption to the building’s solemnity. Consequently, graduates of the Ancient Weapon Academy carried an unmatched pride and dignity. This very pride and dignity often played crucial roles in their future lives.

The main gate of the Ancient Weapon Academy was several times wider than the gorge entrance outside. A massive plaque hung atop the high gatehouse, bearing the four large, boldly calligraphed characters: "Ancient Weapon Academy." Flanking the entrance itself were two imposing statues of demon beasts, each at least three meters tall. Their fierce faces and eyes the size of bronze bells radiated an arrogant pride as they gazed down at those beneath them.

Next to the statues stood two stern-faced men. When Lou Yun appeared, neither even raised an eyelid, acting as if they hadn’t seen him at all.

Lou Yun swallowed surreptitiously. Is this an academy or the imperial palace? Why does it feel so imposing and solemn?

Steadying himself, Lou Yun prepared to announce his arrival to the two men. Just then, however, his eyes brightened as he spotted a familiar figure standing inside the open gate.

"Qian sis!"

"Brother!"

Lou Qian darted out the gate, reaching Lou Yun in a flash. Excitedly, she threw her arms around him. "You finally made it!"

Lou Qian had arrived half a year earlier. Knowing Lou Yun would appear during this enrollment period, she had scarcely slept the night before yesterday. Yesterday, she deliberately asked her teacher for leave and stood by the gate from early morning, gazing longingly towards the gorge entrance, hoping to spot Lou Yun.

She waited until dark, but Lou Yun never came. Her heart felt anxious, constantly wondering what had happened to her brother. Today, unable to concentrate on her studies, she asked for leave again, determined to wait for him. Fortunately, her persistence paid off, and she finally saw Lou Yun arrive.

Right at that moment, the sound of hooves echoed again. Xia Zhilan and Qin Wufeng had caught up. Seeing Lou Qian hugging Lou Yun so warmly from her horse, Xia Zhilan froze for an instant. Then, she suddenly kicked the horse’s flanks, urging it directly up the steps in front of the gate and right into the schoolyard without a word.

Qin Wufeng merely shot a disdainful glance at the brother and sister before also galloping inside.

Lou Yun did notice Xia Zhilan, but he was too absorbed in the excitement of seeing his sister. He didn’t greet her and was completely unaware that her mood had just sunk to rock bottom.

Lou Qian naturally didn’t notice either. Letting go of Lou Yun, she stretched out a finger without ceremony and poked him hard on the forehead. "Brat, you’ve got guts! Enrollment was yesterday, and you only show up today? Made me wait in vain for a whole day! Spill it, what were you doing?"

Savouring this long-missed feeling of family closeness, Lou Yun chuckled, "Spare me, sis! Fine, I’ll tell you. Did you see that Miss Xia who just went in? I was delayed because I was rescuing her."

Lou Qian immediately withdrew her finger, turning to look inside the gate where Xia Zhilan and Qin Wufeng had already vanished from sight.

"Miss Xia? You rescued that girl?"

"Yeah!" Lou Yun offered a brief explanation. "She was unconscious for two days. I didn’t dare leave, I just waited until she woke up before starting off."

A strange smile suddenly appeared on Lou Qian’s face. She reached out and poked Lou Yun’s chest again. "Brat, you truly are my brother! You’ve got good taste, hehe! Do you know just who this ‘Miss Xia’ of yours is?"

Lou Yun was taken aback by the question and shook his head. "She should be a student at the Ancient Weapon Academy too, right?"

"That’s only half the story. Not only is she a student here, she’s the granddaughter of the current Dean of the Ancient Weapon Academy! You saved her, meaning Dean Xia now owes you a huge favour! Looks like your days at the academy just got a whole lot easier, huh!"

Lou Yun hadn’t expected Xia Zhilan to be the Dean’s granddaughter. But then he immediately recalled what his second uncle had said. Lowering his voice, he quickly asked, "Sis! Is the Dean of this Ancient Weapon Academy an earth-level magical weapons master?"

"Yes!"

Lou Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Second Uncle Lou Tianzhi had mentioned that the Dean here was earth-level, and coupled with the special medicinal ingredients that could save his father, that was precisely why he had come.

Lou Qian was no fool. Hearing Lou Yun ask this, she instantly understood he was thinking about his father’s injury. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Kid, don’t rush it. Dean Xia isn’t exactly easy to talk to, and he pops in and out mysteriously. In my half year here, I’ve only seen him once. First, get settled in properly. Then, find a chance to beg him to help treat Uncle. Or…" she winked slyly, "…you could work on building a good relationship with Xia Zhilan. Hehe!"

Lou Yun wouldn’t dream of doing something like that. He took Lou Qian’s words as a joke and smiled without responding.

Lou Qian suddenly clapped a hand to her forehead as if remembering something important. "Ah! I was too glad to see you, forgetting the important stuff! Go report in quickly! That Teacher Qian Ruming who was handling enrollment yesterday flew into a rage! She said she’d never seen a student like you! Hah, you’ve already got a bit of a reputation around the Ancient Weapon Academy before even starting!"

Hearing this, Lou Yun felt both embarrassed and amused. Becoming famous for being late – this was definitely not what he wanted!

However, he found Qian Ruming’s name quite amusing; how could someone go by that? Lou Qian, though, glared at him sideways and said, "Don’t laugh. This Qian Ruming is famously dreadful at our academy. You’d better stay far away from her."

Next, Lou Qian picked up Lou Yun’s belongings and headed inward. Passing by the two burly men, she beamed and said, "Uncles, he’s my younger brother and a student at the academy too. He arrived a day late, so I’m taking him in now."

Only then did the two burly men glance at Lou Yun. They nodded silently. Lou Qian pulled Lou Yun and walked through the main gate.

Lou Yun couldn’t resist turning back to look at the men and said, "This Ancient Weapon Academy doesn’t seem very strict! I got in so easily just because of what you said."

Lou Qian hurriedly reached to cover his mouth and shot him a sharp look in the eye, saying, "What do you know? Keep quiet! I’ll tell you later!"

Due to Lou Qian’s frantic personality, she practically dragged Lou Yun along as they ran, so he had no time to properly appreciate the surroundings. He could only manage a quick, cursory glance around.

It was probably class time then, and few people were visible in the academy. Occasionally, some middle-aged men appeared, and whenever she saw them, Lou Qian lowered her head to greet each one in turn. Clearly, they were teachers here.

After a flurry of running, Lou Qian finally halted before a two-story building. Standing at the doorway, she straightened her clothes before knocking lightly and saying, "Teacher, I am Lou Qian, a C-level student from Class Two of the New Talent Division. I’m here with my younger brother, Lou Yun, to report!"

Upon hearing her class designation, Lou Yun’s heart stirred. It seemed students were likely ranked here based on their magical weapon level.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but secretly sense Lou Qian with his spiritual awareness. He discovered that in just half a year, her magical weapon had advanced another level. She was now a primary three-star magical weapons master.

Primary three-star meant C-level; then four-star should be B-level, and five-star A-level!

His guess was correct. Whenever the Ancient Weapon Academy admitted students, they were classified based on their magical weapon level and actual age. Those under eighteen went to the New Talent Division, with beginner five-star as A-level, four-star as B-level, and two-star as D-level, the lowest rank. That was because the academy required all entrants to be no older than eighteen and to have at least beginner two-star magical weapons.

Those over eighteen entered the Elite Division, also ranked by A, B, C, and D levels.

For exceptional cases, like those under eighteen who could attain intermediate one-star magical weapons, they would be directly placed in the Special level of the New Talent Division and promoted to the Elite Division after turning eighteen.

The purpose of the ranking wasn’t to separate students for teaching; in fact, they still attended classes together. However, based on the level, the academy’s attention naturally varied. Also, what they learned and the cultivation techniques they practiced differed. Simply put, the higher the level assigned upon entry, the greater your perceived potential.

Of course, the ranking wasn’t fixed. If you could raise your magical weapon level within a suitable age, you could advance from your original level to a higher one. For example, when Lou Qian first entered, she had only beginner two-star magical weapons and was placed in D-level. After advancing one star in half a year, she was now in C-level.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing a small, thin old man. At the sight of the man’s appearance, Lou Yun’s heart lurched with dread. Just from looking at his face, one could guess he would be difficult to get along with.

His most striking feature was his skinniness; there was almost no flesh on his face, his high cheekbones protruded prominently, his small eyes were narrowed to slits, and he had a small goatee on his chin.

After appearing, he didn’t even look at Lou Qian but instead fixed his gaze directly on Lou Yun. He spoke coldly: "So you’re Lou Yun? Reporting was yesterday—why did you only come today?"

Before Lou Yun could respond, Lou Qian cut in to answer for him: "Teacher Qian, my younger brother was delayed because he rescued martial sister Xia Zhilan on the way."

Upon hearing her address, Lou Yun instantly understood. The person before him was the dreadful Qian Ruming teacher that Lou Qian had mentioned, advising him to avoid her. Unexpectedly, he’d run into her right then.

This Teacher Qian Ruming glared at Lou Qian and said, "I’m asking him, not you. Why aren’t you in class yet!"

Lou Qian stuck her tongue out and said, "Teacher Qian, he’s my younger brother, and I’m bringing him to report. I’ll head to class now."

With that, she immediately turned, winked at Lou Yun, and then ran off.

Once Lou Qian left, Lou Yun distinctly felt an immense pressure in Qian Ruming’s gaze directed at him. Yet, he wasn’t afraid and met it calmly and openly.

After a long while, Qian Ruming finally continued: "The Spirit Weapon Sect specially sent someone to make arrangements; you don’t need an extra test. The admission test can be skipped, but the level assessment is absolutely non-negotiable. The students are in class now—wait until after class!"

After saying this, he closed the door directly, leaving Lou Yun alone outside.

Lou Yun was forced to submit since he was in their domain. He had no choice but to wait obediently. However, he knew the academy clearly had a poor impression of students who got in through recommendations like him. Despite saying he wouldn’t be tested, they still intended to do it. If he’d known it would be like this, he would have preferred not to have Liu Chi sponsor him at all. On his own merit, he could have easily gained entry to the Ancient Weapon Academy. Now, instead, he owed a huge favor to the Spirit Weapon Sect and was looked down on everywhere here.

Worse, this was clearly aimed at humbling him, to blunt his edge!

The more Lou Yun thought about it, the more humiliated and angry he felt. He was tempted to just turn and leave, abandoning this ridiculous Ancient Weapon Academy—it wasn’t worth attending. But then he remembered his ailing father waiting for treatment and the clan’s silent hopes before he departed, and he steeled himself.

About half an hour later, a melodious bell toll suddenly echoed throughout the Ancient Weapon Academy, clearly the signal for class dismissal.

Sure enough, the main door opened again, and Teacher Qian appeared at the entrance: "Let’s go now!"

Annoyed, Lou Yun couldn’t be bothered to chat. Hoisting his bag, he spun around and walked off. Behind him, Teacher Qian’s narrowed, beady eyes suddenly flashed with intensity, staring fixedly at the ground before him.

On the bluestone ground where Lou Yun had stood moments ago, two clear footprints were now deeply imprinted.