After putting some of their belongings into a storage room, the pair went to check the announcement board, clad in their new white robes with a blue stripe on their collar.
They skimmed through a lot of irrelevant information until they finally found the dormitory assignments.
"Huh, at least our rooms are close by. I'll come visit, maybe we'll study together," Lei said.
"I'll study in the library. And you will, too" - Xin could already anticipate what Lei was about to pull, so he was very firm with him.
"Sure, sounds cool. Let's go meet our roommates."
Xin knocked on the door of his room.
"Newbie, is that you? Come in."
Xin entered a clean, relatively spacious room. There were four beds there, three were already taken. There was barely any furniture, just four tables and small chests near every bed.
A tall man in his early twenties approached him and greeted him with a fist and palm gesture. Xin performed a martial version of this same gesture, with his palm stretched and not hugging the fist.
"Heh, you are alright, newbie. Been watching you fight. Name's Xu Haojie, what about you?"
"Xin. Just Xin."
"Got it. So, I suppose I'll be your older brother here. I'll show you around and introduce you to the others when they come back."
"Would be nice. Can you tell me about them? Oh, and how old are you?"
"Twenty-three. Been here for six years now. Four as an outer disciple, progressed pretty fast, but the breakthrough is harder. The sect wants me to study more before attempting a third try."
Xin tried to conceal his reaction. What a loser. Four years to become an internal disciple, such a joke. Even failed twice.
"I understand, following the sect's structure is probably hard" - Xin lied. "I had the advantage of being taught by my father, and I belong to a bloodline, so I don't have to lay the foundation for my breakthrough."
"Heh, and now you are a breakthrough seed. Look, others will envy you, but I don't really mind. It's my growth that matters to me, not what others achieve. Comparison can fuck you up pretty badly."
"But in the right doses, it can also push you towards growth. Can be healthy for you, even if it's not what the scriptures teach. Still, what about the others?"
"Right, my bad! So, one guy is Rui Ming, you should be careful with him."
"Why?" - asked Xin with his eyebrows, not his voice.
"He is a combat maniac. And a weirdo. Got strong opinions on everything. I recommend that you don't talk to him about Wuxing. He thinks it's bullshit."
Xin laughed: "No way! I see some flaws in Wuxing myself, but the art of the elements clearly works. How can one deny it?"
"I am telling you, he is a weirdo. Argued with the teachers his first few months here, then stopped talking at all. He wields a rare wind element and loves fencing. Is also a half-breed, I don't recommend asking about it."
"Half-who?"
"Half-islander. Even dresses in some of their clothing on days off. He is probably taking extra training right now."
Sounds like a fun guy, Xin thought.
"And the second guy?"
"Oh, he is a fine lad, alright. Modest, keeps his word, will help you out. He barely cultivates, he mostly works and studies. He is probably helping out in the Administrative pavilion as we speak. Was a law student or something, be prepared, he is a rigid kind of guy, don't provoke him, I can't stand the whining. Still, he can be quite helpful."
"Right, and why aren't you doing any extra activities?"
"Man, it's optional. I am tired after today's training, and I might burn out if I study too much, to be honest. That calligraphy shit is the worst."
It was hard for Xin to conceal his disgust, but he thought he managed.
"Right, I get it. Don't overstress yourself, then." - By the end of this conversation, this man ceased existing to him, and he didn't remember his name.
Xin packed his modest belongings into the chest and lay on the bed. It was an okay bed, actually, a bit better than the one he had at home. After his mom left, the house fell into disarray as time went by. And with father gone, Xin lived an even simpler, if sloppy life.
Some time later, Xin and Lei ate in the dining hall, discussing their new neighbors. Lei called his peers "some fuckwit losers, looking for an opportunity to bully him" and promised to "make them regret their attitude." Xin found it humorous.
They ate their dinner as they exchanged their impressions. A bit of chicken meat, a bowl of rice, two boiled eggs, and some cabbages. Humble, but not that bad.
Afterwards, they went back to their rooms. Xin spent a bit of time meeting his new peers, but they were all too tired to strike a proper discussion. They wished each other good night and fell asleep.
The next morning, Xin and Lei went to their introductory class. There were around sixty people in this spacious room: all of the new students, some less experienced internal disciples, and some struggling internal disciples.
A man entered, his aura instantly shutting all the chatter down. He was very tall, and had sharp facial features: thick eyebrows like curved swords, a thin long goatee, and long black hair, reaching his waist, waving as he entered. He looked to be in his early thirties.
"Am I late? I don't think so, as the lesson begins when I arrive! Name's Huang Lingbo, Condensation stage, senior master. That's an intriguing crop of people that I see here! Usually, by the time you step foot in this class, I've already observed you from a distance for several years, and made my conclusion in advance. This year, you have a chance to surprise me. And you guys..." - He pointed to the struggling students, who all gathered into one group. They had to take this course again, Xin assumed. "You guys have a chance to prove me wrong.
For most of you, it's your first lecture. And it's always a tough choice, what do I open with? Let's start with something fun. I ask all of you a question, and you can gain a contribution point! Second years, shut up! You had your chance last year."
Xin was elated. A contribution point? Equal to one spirit stone, sounds cool!
"So, the question is simple - what is true Dao?" - He grinned, looking like a cat playing with its prey.
The young noble, the one who was previously wearing lots of jewelry but looked much more modest now, instantly proclaimed: "Dao is a path of connecting with the true essence of things!"
"Am I talking to you or your private tutor? Painfully mediocre, this answer."
The youngster frowned.
"It's something that is everything but also nothing. It can't be explained, by design." - a young master in the front row, clad in a white robe with a blue stripe, had his own idea.
"Right, take a middle position, be a smartass, a thin thread away from nihilism. Are you trying to pass your inability to make conclusions as some sort of virtue? Such impotence, kid."
Most of the students were intimidated, what kind of teacher opens his course by bashing the students? Xin had no such reaction, he could almost feel where this guy was leading, he needed one more clue.
"It's bullshit, this Dao thing." - Lei suddenly blurted out. Huh? The students were dumbfounded at his audacity. Again.
"Hahaha. I get one such guy every year or two. My favorite kind of loser, never goes far. Final warning about swearing, by the way. Still, elaborate."
"So, that Dao thing you speak about, it doesn't exist, that's why I called it bull's... you know. The Dao, whatever it is, is not the Dao you asked about. The 'Dao' you are speaking about is just a pretense to tease us. To probe us. To understand our way of thinking. But you also wanted to show off how good you are at putting words together compared to us. So, in this case, the Dao is nothing but a sense of superiority!"
The people looked at the master, who had a cold expression on his face. Will he punish Wu Lei? Or is he excited to play this game?
"Ha, kid. It's not a stupid answer, but there is something you are missing. A secret component. Can anyone tell me what that is?"
Xin raised his hand:
"May I?"
"Oh, you are that Xin 'prodigy.' Careful, guys, this one is a scholar, I've read his profile." - everyone laughed, Xin felt uneasy at this "joking," which he felt was actually bullying.
"I... agree with most people here. Dao is many things, and it is hard to define. And it was meant this way. Dao is subjective, but it is also a concrete thing you can touch with your mind, not an endless multitude of things. Dao is a connection between things, and thus ever-present.
Defining Dao is easy, but grasping it is what takes an eternity. The secret component missing in this discussion, though? Detachment."
Most of the students were impressed and were trying to digest what Xin said. Others were looking at him with distrust or contempt, hoping their teacher would crush the upstart.
"I see. We should consider letting you try teaching, you have a mind for it. When it comes to your answer, I accept it. So, the contribution point…"
Wait, he won't ask me to elaborate on detachment? I have such a cool explanation!
Xin was elated, anyway, it seems like this answer was enough. Not just Xie Xiaodan, but also Huang Lingbo, they both are about to recognize him early on!
"Young man who spoke first, what's your name?"
"Murong Zhan, master."
"Murong Zhan, you get a contribution point, I changed my mind."
Lei was astonished, but Xin even more so. He ground his nails on his desk, trying to keep calm. This fucker!
"So, this was a lesson I wanted to teach you. The lesson, though? You'll figure it out."
There is no lesson, you dick-waving fuckwit. "Fuck you" is not a lesson. You won't
get a reaction out of me!
"In this course, I'll introduce the basics of alchemy. Three classes on Wu Xing, two on Feng Shui, then a painful month of studying basic alchemical connections. This is when you'll have to memorize a lot. The exam is after the sixth month, both practice and theory. Then the main curriculum begins.
With this new edict thing, we don't have much time to integrate true depth into your studies, and you can take any exam prematurely, but you have to get my permission first. Then I'll send you to the supervisor. Some of you already have a solid background, we get it and want to elevate you as fast as possible.
The copy of my lecture materials is openly available in the library, by the way, so you can also read in advance. I recommend against it, you need to preserve the sense of novelty and give yourself time to truly digest what you are studying. Otherwise, your internal landscape will be limited, and on top of living a subpar life, you also risk failing your breakthroughs later on. So, Wuxing...