The man's brow wrinkled, and he looked up from the paper at Jin Lu's face. Jin Lu didn't understand what was happening and looked at Long Yin. The smug smile on his face hadn't gone away, if anything, it had gotten bigger.
"Umm… are you okay?" Jin Lu asked the man behind the desk. He snapped out of his daze, snatching a long stick from the table.
"Ye… yes. Please, roll up your sleeve." Jin Lu did as she was instructed, noticing the sweat forming on the man's upper lip. Holding her arm towards the man, he ran the stick just over her forearm slowly. The stick lit up like a glow-stick, illuminating an image on her skin. Two black daggers crossed over the faint golden outline of a musical note. The man took her wrist and twisted her arm until it was flush with the table, pressing the image against the edge of the paper. The feeling was a little like getting a hickey, making her giggle before she cleared her throat to suppress it.
The man handed her the card, now stamped with her information, and pointed into the academy.
"You can go in," the man said. Jin Lu nodded in thanks before Long Yin grabbed her elbow, practically dragging her between the tables and into the academy courtyard. Gray stones spread out in a large circle, with paths leading between buildings and grassy areas. There were five buildings, two on each side and one in the middle, each with a letter over the entrance. Master Mi was standing in front of the middle building with two women and a man.
The man was tall, at least over six and a half feet, his chest, and forearms bulging with muscles under the stiff armor padding he was wearing. His face was grim as he looked over the waiting children, his eyes sharp and glaring.
The woman standing to Master Mi's left was wearing a dark purple robe, her long white hair flowing down her back. She smiled gently at those around her, her eyes looking slightly vacant.
The other woman stood impatiently next to the tall man, her features sharp and her lips pursed in a scowl. She was the first woman Jin Lu had seen wearing pants, though they were covered by a slit skirt. From her manner of dress, Jin Lu guessed that she was also a warrior type.
Just like in school, groups of children had formed; the rich separating from the poor, the intellectuals from the jocks, and so on. Jin Lu moved to the outside, finding a tree to sit under and people watch. Long Yin followed her, preferring to stand rather than sit on the ground. Though glances were thrown towards them, no one took the initiative to come over.
Jin Lu relaxed, letting the buzz of multiple voices speaking drift through her ears. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift, a melody coming to her. She started to hum lightly, her fingers tapping out the rhythm against her leg.
Long Yin, who had been listening to the conversations in a bored manner, suddenly stiffened as the feather-light touch of Jin Lu's spirit slid along his body. Long Yin sent a sharp look at Jin Lu, but since his eyes were closed, it had no effect. Growling low in his throat, Long Yin nudged Jin Lu's leg with his foot. The humming stopped, Jin Lu glaring up at Long Yin.
"What?"
"No humming."
"..."
Jin Lu turned her face away, grumbling under her breath at Long Yin's order. About half an hour later, everyone entered the courtyard and the large gate was shut. A shimmer of air, like heat, rippled from the top of where the gates met, radiating out towards the marble walls. Jin Lu recognized it as a barrier, though different from the one she had accidentally manifested on the road.
"Alright, now that you're all done registering, those with a Martial talent move to my right, those with a Spiritual affinity, move to my left," Master Mi instructed, waving his hand. Jin Lu looked down at his card, then at Master Mi, before turning to Long Yin. Long Yin seemed to still be irritated at her, so she got up, dusted herself off, and walked towards Master Mi, raising her hand to get his attention and bowing respectfully.
"Master Mi, I'm sorry, but… where should I go?" Jin Lu held her card out to Master Mi nervously.
"What's the matter, boy? Can't read?" the giant teased harshly. Before Master Mi could take her card, the man ripped it out of her hand and glanced at it. His eyes widened, and his face went a little pale, doing a double take.
"He can read better than you, Zhang Aahana," Long Yin said darkly, snatching Jin Lu's paper from his numb hand. "Master Mi, Jin Lu will need dual classes." Long Yin said with a twist of his lips.
What does he look so proud for?
Jin Lu had a feeling that her circumstances of showing both a Martial and Spiritual power were not normal. Whispers of speculation could be heard from the crowd as Master Mi lifted a brow, inspecting Jin Lu's card. She started to fidget, looking down at her feet as her face and ears turned red from the attention of the other students. Master Mi's face showed shock but was quickly replaced by thoughtfulness, his hand stroking his beard.
"Jin Lu… for now, you will go with Master Meng. Master Meng, bring Jin Lu to my study afterward." The woman in purple nodded vaguely, not really looking at anyone.
Maybe she's blind?
Jin Lu bowed to Master Mi, taking her card back, and stood next to Master Meng. As she passed, Master Meng's eyes suddenly widened and Jin Lu inhaled sharply. Master Meng's eyes were white as jade, yet Jin Lu could feel the weight of Master Meng's gaze deep in her soul.
"For now, you will follow your instructors to your dorms, dismissed!" Master Mi took one last look at Jin Lu and Long Yin before he turned and walked away. The warriors turned as well, the large man waving to the students gathered on the right to follow.
"Come along, then," Master Meng said softly, her voice like a whisper in the wind. Jin Lu followed behind Master Meng, Long Yin's presence at her back comforting. Even though Long Yin was overbearing and arrogant, Jin Lu had a feeling that things would have been much worse without him there.
The path they took curved gently towards the left, eventually straightening out to reveal a set of long buildings made of wood with a full-length walkway interrupted by stairs in front of the sliding shoji doors.
Master Meng had the students stand in front of the building. As she walked down the line, some were pointed towards the dorm while others were left standing there, Jin Lu included. Master Meng turned back down the path and started walking, Jin Lu and the other students following without being prompted. They stopped in front of another dorm building and Master Meng repeated the process, leaving Jin Lu as the only student not instructed to enter.
"Off we go," Master Meng whispered, bringing Jin Lu and Young Yin further into the academy. The sun was now high in the sky, its heat interrupted by the shadows of the trees along the path. As they walked, Jin Lu noticed other dorm buildings along the way until they came to individual dwellings. Master Meng stopped in front of one, surrounded by a fence to create the illusion of privacy. A few trees were scattered inside the fenced area and the grass was emerald green under the sunlight, the dotting of small flowers giving it a touch of color.
"This will be your dorm," Master Meng said, handing Jin Lu an old-fashioned looking black key.
"Master Mi is waiting." Master Meng turned back the way they had come, only to turn down a side path leading towards the center of the academy. Jin Lu was impressed with how large the campus was, almost like a city inside a city.
The path opened, revealing another courtyard with a large marble structure with the word, "Library" over the door. Master Meng led Jin Lu and Long Yin up the stairs, Jin Lu admiring the sculptures guarding the way. When the double-doors were closed, the image created an owl, the pull handles in its open mouth. Master Meng opened one of the doors and slipped inside, Jin Lu and Long Yin following.