She just happened to be in the reflection room as well! This situation, for him, was a bit too dreamlike. However, her silhouette, the beautiful hair that cascaded down her back, the moving side profile, all of this told him that this was real.

“Why did you end up here too?” The female student turned around, seeing Lin Xi who walked in, asking in a rather curious and lovable manner.

“I dozed off and secretly read a letter from home during Toxicology class.” Lin Xi shook his head, returning to a normal state. He looked at Gao Yanan in a rather embarrassed manner. “What about you? Why are you here?”

Gao Yanan’s brows furrowed in a rather vexed manner. “Mine was more serious than yours, my movements too fast and careless… during Compounding class, before Teacher Sun even finished explaining the preparation process, before he even said to begin, I already threw three types of medicinal herbs into the medicinal cauldron, starting to refine them.”

“Are you always careless like this?” Lin Xi couldn’t help but laugh. Gao Yanan’s behavior immediately made him forget about his previous nervousness. He sat down on a bamboo mat next to Gao Yanan in an extremely natural manner.

Gao Yanan nodded in a serious manner. She didn’t see through the other concealed emotions Lin Xi was feeling, only feeling like this Deerwood Town youngster who entered as heaven’s choice with her was extremely amiable, not bossy or domineering at all, which was why she also had a favorable impression of him. Only, she really was rather sloppy, which was why even she herself overlooked a problem… with her nature, normally, she definitely wouldn’t speak this naturally with someone who she only interacted with a few times.

However, she didn’t exactly tell him everything either. The reason why her movements were so fast, was because she already knew how to prepare the medicine.

“There’s no need to be scared of being wrong, what one should be scared of is not having the chance to correct the wrong.”

The now seated Lin Xi saw a line of words on the calligraphy before him. These words that were written in large black characters weren’t particularly beautiful, but the meaning they contained made him tremble slightly, the smile hanging from the corners of his lips also slowly restrained.

“Rumor has it that it was written personally by Principal Zhang.” Gao Yanan noticed the change in Lin Xi’s expression. As her gaze shifted to the calligraphy, an expression of utmost respect also filled her eyes.

“Uncle Zhang… seems like this is also a result of your experience as a teacher. You’ve really poured quite a bit of your heart into this academy.” Lin Xi stared at these words, becoming quiet.

Another gray-robed Medicine Department female student entered this reflection room. This was a dainty and delicate female student, her face full of tears. She was crying, looking extremely pitiful.

“Jiang Y’uer, why were you also sent to this reflection room?” Gao Yanan turned around, looking at this delicate and pitiful female student with a rather surprised expression, clearly confused. Jiang Yu’er was always the most obedient student in Medicine Department, extremely respectful towards the lecturers, also one of the students who studied the most earnestly in class. How did she end up angering a teacher as well?

When this dainty and delicate girl was asked this, it seemed to have the opposite effect. This female student who gave off quite a bit of an innocent girl-next-door feeling began to cry even harder, extremely broken-hearted. “I didn’t watch the fire close enough, and so the burned ingredients released a puff of thick smoke… in the end, the teacher just also happened to be right next to me… I ended up making the teacher’s face become completely black…”

Pfft

Lin Xi and Gao Yanan both immediately couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

This Medicine Department female student immediately felt as if the world had become completely dark, feeling more and more like the teacher might forever bear a grudge against her, so broken-hearted that her two shoulders continuously shook.

After trying to console Jiang Yu’er a bit, trying to erase the negative feelings she felt, Gao Yanan looked at Lin Xi in a bit of a fretful manner, quietly whispering by his ear, “What should we do?” When Jiang Yu’er first came in here, she didn’t even feel that bad, but in the end, because of her own laughter, this delicate girl ended up like this. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of indescribable guilt.

As Lin Xi felt Gao Yanan’s breath that was like the fragrance of orchids by his ear, his heart rate couldn’t help but speed up. When he recalled how he would fool his old sis back home in Deerwood Town, while his body was in a state so stiff he didn’t dare turn around to look at Gao Yanan, he said, “How about I tell you two a joke.”

“In the past, there was a mentally ill person with something wrong with his head. He would always squat in front of a store while holding up an umbrella. There were many housewives who wanted to help him, but he didn’t pay anyone any attention. Later on, a rather well-known doctor thought, if I want to treat him, then I have to start by understanding him. As such, that doctor also propped up an umbrella, squatting right beside him just like that. A month later… this mentally ill person finally spoke. With some hesitation, he looked at the doctor and asked… you… you’re also a mushroom?”

Jiang Yu’er was still sobbing, feeling terrible, but Lin Xi was quite good at telling stories, so both her and Gao Yanan couldn’t help but listen. When they heard the last line, ‘you’re also a mushroom’, her sobbing stopped, also unable to help but laugh with a pfft noise.

Perhaps because she felt like crying and laughing was rather shameful, this delicate and dainty female student became incredibly shy, not daring to even raise her head. Gao Yanan also laughed out loud. When she saw how Jiang Yu’er’s tears turned to laughter, she felt much better. While looking at Lin Xi’s clean face, she also couldn’t help but think, this Self Defense Department heaven’s choice really was rather special.

Lin Xi brought out his letter from home he had only seen a few lines of, now carefully reading it.

Perhaps right now, in that Toxicology class, there were quite a few people who were taking joy in his misfortune. However, what was there in this world that could make him feel more blessed than having the girl he admired right next to him, moreover able to calmly read a letter from home?

The contents of the letter were extremely trivial things, regardless of whether it was the warnings to be careful when he was outside alone, the reassurance that everyone was doing well back home… or if it was just trifling information like which auntie just gave birth to another fatty, which family built a new house, it was precisely this trivialness that made him feel even more warmth.

The seven sheets of paper had three types of handwriting, he naturally knew that this came from three different hands. He read everything slowly and carefully. When he reached the last page, seeing the writing that was still a bit thin because of a lack of strength, the corners of his lips even more so couldn’t help but curl up.

“Old bro, I just knew that you were great, that you’d definitely enter the academy… however, this isn’t a very happy thing for me, I don’t know how long it will be before I can see you again. Big Lin and Little Lin are both growing very well… but mom said that we still have to let them leave after a while, that keeping them inside of cages isn’t good for them. Old bro, I dreamed of you again last night… when will you be able to come back?”

“I received a letter from home today… even met her… I might as well change the four five emblem achievement into a five five emblem achievement, exchange for a course point, right? Braveslayer… didn’t Xu Shengmo say that it’s impossible for me to become a Braveslayer? If I end up doing it better than anyone else, wouldn’t he be so angry his nose becomes crooked?”

Lin Xi felt extremely fulfilled, thinking all of this extremely happily. His thoughts were extremely simple, he wanted to become stronger as fast as he could… also, if anyone made him feel bad, then he would make them feel bad too.

…

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Compared to before he entered Green Luan Academy, Lin Xi already learned about many things he didn’t know about before. He knew that the middle-aged uncle was a tourist just like himself, knowing that Yunqin Empire wasn’t as calm as it seemed on the surface, also knowing that if he obtained another course point of reward, he should have the qualifications to break into the initial stage Soul Knight level. At that time, he would be able to easily raise a stone sphere weighing a hundred jin, the black stone power bow also no longer that taxing for him to use.

However, he still had no idea who that high official who recommended him to Green Luan Academy, the one whose carriage passed by Deerwood Town that day, was.

There was even less of a chance of him knowing that during this radiant morning, in the southern parts of Yunqin Empire, dark clouds loomed over Rudong City, a place two thousand four hundred or so li away from Deerwood Town, rain continuously drizzling down in this city.

The delicate and pretty young lady who had interrogated him seriously in Deerwood Town was currently earnestly driving a carriage that already had its wheels replaced, advancing through a bumpy and muddy path, heading eastward towards Rudong City.

There was still half a day of travel left before they would reach Rudong City’s gates. Under this overcast and drizzling weather, Rudong City’s outline couldn’t even be made out.

In this young lady who was seated at the front of the carriage’s line of sight, the only sign of activity was an herbal tea shop with a pergola built in front of the entrance. In this type of chilly weather where a double-layered coat was essential, there was naturally not much business to do, which was why this shabby shop that didn’t have a signboard was also closed.

However, there was an extravagant carriage stopped under this shop’s pergola.

A round-faced, slightly chubby official dressed in a prune-colored uniform and a private assistant-like, green-clothed scholar were sitting on the slightly damp wooden stools, waiting. When they saw the carriage driven by the delicate and pretty young lady appear in their line of sight, the official immediately stood up in an extremely respectful and sincere manner. He sorted out the official uniform he wore, and then without any regard for the wind, rain and mud outside the pergola, began to welcome this carriage. The private assistant-like green-clothed scholar immediately followed as well, opening an oil paper umbrella, holding it above their heads.

While seeing his own white bottomed imperial shoes and official uniform become stained a vile color by the mud, a bit of revulsion couldn’t help but appear between the official’s brows. However, when he thought to himself, realizing that he didn’t necessarily have to ever walk through this type of place again, didn’t have to wear these things, his mind immediately felt relieved, the corners of his lips even producing a calm smile.

The carriage didn’t stop, almost as if this official and green-clothed assistant didn’t even exist in that young lady’s eyes. The official and green clad assistant didn’t stop either, only when there were less than fifty steps away from the carriage did the official bow deeply, greeting the carriage. “This humble Li Qilong has come to respectfully welcome your majesty. This humble one never expected to have the honor of being in her majesty the princess’ beautiful presence in this life.”

The carriage stopped, the two low footed old horses kicked the dirt restless. A voice full of mockery and icy arrogance said, “Li Qilong, you actually planned to welcome me with just this amount of people?”

Li Qilong straightened his body, looking at the carriage stopped in the middle of the muddy path through the curtain of rain. The respectful expression on his face was meticulous, only a hint of excitement hidden within his eyes. “Yunqin Empire’s officials, high or low in status, all know that her majesty the princess is a powerful cultivator. However, as for just how strong your majesty is, no one has personally witnessed it. Today, I actually wish to test things out a bit.”

Under the heavy dark clouds, rain began to pour down even harder. From the forest behind him, a famous swordsman holding a border army long blade and a black cloth-masked swordsman silently walked out. As countless raindrops splattered across the long blades and blacksteel armor, the finer water droplets were like smoke and mist.