After landing, Professor Fang waved his sleeve and left, entrusting the newly arrived students to Zhou Li and others for handling.
Gu Yao and his three companions stayed impeccably clean, avoiding bird droppings thanks to the sword energy unleashed by Chi Changye before any could reach them. Tian Feirong and the clever Little Chubby quickly took refuge behind Gu Yao, avoiding a disaster.
Bai Xiu'er, dressed in a white gown, covered her lips and chuckled softly, her eyes forming crescent moons.
Many senior students from various academies, attracted by the commotion, gathered to watch, pointing and laughing at the disheveled appearances of some individuals.
As they overheard the comments, Gu Yao couldn't help but wipe away a bead of sweat. It turns out that every time students enter the academy, they have to endure some embarrassment, but each time is different. This year's incident was quite unique, to say the least.
Originally, entering the academy didn't have to involve passing through that particular area, as it served as the place where the academy raised flying beasts. It was evident that walking from there would lead to predictable consequences, and thus, the person controlling the flying artifacts clearly did so intentionally.
So, the question arises: who is the one controlling the artifacts?
Gu Yao instinctively thought it was unlikely to be Professor Fang, so it must be one of these senior brothers or sisters accompanying them to Ten-Fold City.
Jiang Yan stepped forward with a gentle smile, saying, "Let's go; I'll take you to your accommodations, where you can freshen up."
"Thanks, Senior Jiang!"
"Senior Jiang is truly kind!"
"Senior Jiang is the most gentle!"
Zhou Li sneaked a smirk, thinking these guys were naive.
Each person had received a small booklet on the way, specifically introducing the academy's situation.
For instance, accommodations were divided into four grades and four areas: A, B, C, and D. A-grade areas were the highest tier, requiring the most significant payment. The D-grade area didn't require any spirit stones but staying there in such an academy would undoubtedly lead to certain consequences.
Of course, paying spirit stones had its benefits. The higher the grade, the more abundant the spiritual energy. Even those unfortunate enough to end up in the D-grade area would strive to accumulate spirit stones through tasks, move to the C-grade area, and then find a way to move up.
They first went to the A-grade area, saving the D-grade area for last.
"The A-grade area consists of courtyards with ten acres of spiritual fields and a dozen houses. Although the accommodation fee is a bit steep, the value of ten acres of spiritual fields is considerable. With proper management, you can definitely earn back the spirit stones spent and even have some surplus. So my advice is not to force yourself to move into the A-grade area right after arriving unless you have ample resources. First, you can learn about planting spiritual herbs and tending spiritual fields in the academy. Once you master these skills, you can maximize the value of these ten acres of spiritual fields. There are many inspiring stories of senior brothers and sisters in the academy; you can inquire about them in your free time. They are quite famous within the academy."
Standing at the entrance of the A-grade area, one could feel the rich spiritual energy wafting towards them. Gu Yao, intoxicated, took a deep breath.
The spiritual energy in Yuan Yang Town was thin, but after going to Ten-Fold City, it astonished him. Although the spiritual energy in the A-grade area couldn't compare to the Lord's Mansion in Ten-Fold City, it was much denser than inside the city. If one could move in here, compared to Yuan Yang Town, it could be described as overnight wealth.
Not giving up, he opened the booklet again and glanced at the entry fee for this year, which was a thousand spirit stones. Gu Yao couldn't help but feel frustrated; it was like robbery. The spirit stones he and Chi Changye had were nearly depleted due to the final purchases. Now, where could they gather this amount of spirit stones? If only they had been more frugal. Gu Yao was on the verge of tears.
Chi Changye patted his storage pouch, looking a bit embarrassed. Unexpectedly, just as life seemed to improve, he couldn't afford a slightly better place to stay. The responsibility of providing for his family still weighed heavily on his shoulders, and he couldn't afford it!
Tian Feirong, too, touched his storage pouch without making a sound. His family had paid the entrance fee to send him here. It was impossible to spend large amounts of spirit stones on his daily expenses. From now on, he had to rely on himself, so he couldn't afford it either.
Little Chubby's eyes rolled a few times. He shifted uncomfortably and then quietly stood next to Tian Feirong. They had agreed to stick together; it was much more interesting to stay together.
"It's just a thousand spirit stones; I'll pay. Who wants to be my neighbor?" A big guy, twice the size of Little Chubby, swaggered out, followed by a slender servant in grey clothes, looking smugly at everyone.
"Pei Yuchun can afford it, and I, Hou Qiang, can certainly pay this fee too. Senior Jiang, where do I pay the spirit stones? It's best to keep me far away from this Pei Fatty; I really don't want to be his neighbor."
A young man in white clothes, fanning himself with a folding fan, walked out as well, appearing elegant and attracting the attention of several female students.
"I didn't expect it to be you, this monkey. Do you think I fancy being your neighbor? The farther away from me, the better; you stink!" Pei Yuchun, holding his nose, expressed his disdain.
Seeing the two about to argue, Senior Jiang's gentle voice, like a spring breeze, dispersed the forming smoke of conflict: "After entering, you'll see senior brothers in charge of collecting fees and allocating courtyards. Whatever requests you have, your senior brothers will try to accommodate."
"Thanks, Senior Jiang. Senior Jiang is my model," Hou Qiang put away his folding fan, bowed to Jiang Yan, then turned and walked toward the door. Pei Yuchun, seeing that this monkey was about to beat him to it, hurriedly rushed in with his followers.
Gu Yao had already heard the names of these two individuals on the way here, the most popular students mentioned by Tian Feirong. Each had gathered a group of followers, subtly vying against each other because they were afraid of facing Professor Fang's punishment openly.
Many people hesitated, debating whether to stay in this upscale area. Moving in represented face, and despite some finding Pei Yuchun and Hou Qiang's dispute amusing, they couldn't help but envy their carefree attitude towards these spirit stones. Yet, they were reluctant to spend all their spirit stones on accommodation, knowing there would be other places requiring expenditures.
The housing in the B-grade area was also courtyards, but with a smaller area and only five acres of spiritual fields. The spiritual energy was naturally not as good as the A-grade area, but the cost was halved—only five hundred spirit stones. Therefore, many people rushed in.
Seeing that quite a few people stayed outside, the students walking in proudly puffed up their chests. While they couldn't compete with Pei Yuchun and the others, they were much better off than those hesitant people behind them.
Gu Yao rubbed his nose; he, too, was one of those hesitant individuals.
The housing in the C-grade area couldn't be called courtyards; they were simple yards with only two acres of spiritual fields. Judging from the spiritual energy, the grade of these spiritual fields was definitely lower than the previous two. However, compared to the others, the entry fee was cheap—only a hundred spirit stones. Chi Changye silently handed a bag of spirit stones to Gu Yao, exactly one hundred.
Tian Feirong and Little Chubby immediately seized the opportunity: "Let's pick a courtyard together, and we'll give you our share of spirit stones."Calculating it this way, four people spending less than a hundred spirit stones to share a courtyard doesn't seem expensive, especially after the continuous stimulation earlier. Gu Yao unexpectedly found the entry fee for the C-grade area quite reasonable, considering the initial pain of the entrance fee. He nodded, "If you have it, give it. If it's inconvenient, we can discuss it later."
With a clatter, another half dropped out, leaving less than ten people finally heading to the D-grade area.
Coming out of the D-grade area, Zhou Li curiously asked, "I thought Junior Brother Gu and the others would be staying in the A-grade area. I saw them generously throwing spirit stones around in Ten-Fold City, but I didn't expect them to afford even the B-grade area."
Jiang Yan smiled, "They've probably spent a considerable amount. But in my opinion, they'll find it easier to get spirit stones than others. Moving into the B-grade and A-grade areas is just a matter of time. This way, the more high-profile, the easier it is to attract attention and motivation."
Zhou Li chuckled twice, thinking that just as they moved in, the old students probably already knew. Two new students moving into the A-grade area would likely be the focus of attention. Those two fellows, they would have to rely on their own luck.
Then he teasingly continued, "Today's welcome ceremony was quite unique; Senior Brother, you..."
As he started speaking, he noticed Jiang Senior Brother looking over with a seemingly amused expression. Zhou Li immediately stopped in his tracks.
Gu Yao and his three companions paid a hundred spirit stones, received three storage pouches each, and because Chi Changye didn't belong to the ranks of students, the pouches contained basic living supplies provided to each student. Of course, these items weren't valuable, so the total cost didn't even amount to one spirit stone.
The four picked a slightly secluded courtyard, aiming for peace. Each courtyard had its protective array, and only with the residence token issued by the person in charge could it be opened. As for the servants, well, Gu Yao spent an extra five spirit stones to buy an additional token. When Chi Changye took the token, his eye twitched; he had never seen a place like the Tianfu Academy, where they cunningly made a profit from the students.
Opening the protective array and entering the courtyard, they found a tree planted there, possibly left by previous residents, lush and occupying a small portion of the sky. It would be great to sit under the tree for shade during hot weather.
Under the tree, there was a stone table and a few stone stools neatly arranged, suggesting that the previous residents enjoyed a leisurely life.
Gu Yao happily said, "This courtyard is nice, better than I imagined. Let's pick our rooms."
"Hey, Gu Yao, if you say it's good, then it's good. I'll stay on the west side with Little Chubby." Recovering quickly from the blow, Tian Feirong spoke.
"Alright, then I and Big Brother Night will choose the rooms on the east side. The central hall can be used for entertaining guests and as a public activity area." Gu Yao suggested.
"Good, listen to Little Yao." Chi Changye agreed without hesitation.
Dividing into two, with four rooms on the east side, Gu Yao and Chi Changye stayed in the middle. Two rooms were used as an alchemy room and a talisman room.
After choosing the rooms, the four rolled up their sleeves to tidy up and decorate the courtyard. They didn't know how long they would stay there, but making it as good as possible was necessary for a comfortable and satisfactory living.