Chapter 233: Joint Evening Gathering of the Five Courts!

As the day dwindled...

After a day of training, everyone returned to their respective residences, carrying their weary bodies.

Upon returning to the Tianshu East Court, a group of young men indulged in a refreshing bath, and then sat side by side in the courtyard, relishing the rare leisure time.

"Brother Feng, Ouyang, what was your training like for the second phase today? It must have been exciting!"

Feng Mo, one of the roommates who didn't make the cut, asked with curiosity.

He Yiming and Yang Jun also perked up, clearly interested in this mysterious second phase training.

"Exciting? Oh, it was beyond exciting!"

Ouyang Jing stretched his arms, recounting how he spent a solid two hours in an area with double gravity, swinging a sword weighing over a thousand pounds and nearly dislocating his arm in the process.

It was hard to imagine how extreme Ling Feng and Li Bufan’s training was.

For a full two hours, these two didn't make a sound, but they were still practicing basic swordsmanship!

"Wow! I envy you guys so much!" He Yiming exclaimed excitedly.

"Envy..." Ouyang Jing rolled his eyes. "Forget it. Once you experience it yourself, you'll realize how fortunate you are to be doing weight training."

Speaking of which, Ouyang Jing seemed to remember something and his expression turned suggestive as he grinned at Zhou Kai, licking his lips. "Hey, Brother Kai, about what I mentioned last time, wanting to pursue your sister..."

Zhou Kai quickly pushed Ouyang Jing away. "Ouyang, if you're serious about it, just go after Little Yun yourself. As long as she likes you, I won't have any objections!"

"But you gotta help me!" Ouyang Jing scratched the back of his head. Despite being a flirt, he turned tongue-tied whenever Zhou Yun was mentioned, as if she were his kryptonite.

"What help do you need from me?" Zhou Kai shook his head. "I'm good at fighting, but this, I can't help you with!"

Feng Mo suddenly jumped up with a sly grin. "

Hmph,

for matters like this, you definitely need my opinion. Do you think I spend all my time in the library just reading? I've learned a thing or two!"

As Feng Mo spoke, he even smugly raised his eyebrows at Ling Feng, hinting at a little secret known only to the two of them.

Ling Feng's mouth twitched slightly.

If this guy is giving advice, it is likely about getting into bed with someone...

That book,

The Emperor's Concubine: A History of Romance

, was still fresh in his memory!

Ling Feng didn't quite understand Feng Mo's method of flirting...

"To pursue a woman, firstly, you must cater to her tastes. Secondly, you must display personal charm..."

Once Feng Mo took the reins, he was spot on, leaving the other dudes beside him dumbfounded and secretly impressed.

Feng Mo is indeed the master!

Incredible!

Zhou Kai felt his head spinning with what he heard, so he gathered his chair and returned to his room, muttering on his way out, "Damn it, I'm not going to help you deceive my sister!"

Ouyang Jing, on the other hand, listened with relish, excitedly rubbing his hands together.

"What an expert!"

"What a master!"

Seeing these guys practically drooling, Ling Feng shook his head. Things were still too easy for them during the day!

"Oh, by the way, during imperial history class yesterday, Mentor Su mentioned that there's a joint evening gathering for the five courts tonight. It seems that students from the East, South, West, North, and Central courts can all participate. At the event, you can even meet those sky-tier and earth-tier students. Ouyang, this is your chance! I bet your Zhou Yun will definitely be there!"

Feng Mo suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

Because today marked one month since the new batch of yellow-tier students joined Tianwei Academy, this joint evening gathering of the five courts aimed to enhance interaction among all students of Tianwei Academy.

For students of Tianwei Academy, socializing was an important skill.

After all, the elites groomed by Tianwei Academy had a high chance of becoming high-ranking officials in the empire. They could even possibly become one of the Three Lords and Nine Ministers[1] in the future.

Therefore, social events like the parties of prominent families were also regularly hosted by Tianwei Academy.

"Really?" Ouyang Jing gritted his teeth, clearly skeptical!

"You have a fifty-fifty chance if you go, zero if you don't. Ouyang, you are at least from a prominent family. Don't you have a bit of courage?" Feng Mo used provocation to goad Ouyang Jing on while chuckling.

"Fine, I'll go!" Ouyang Jing clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. "Feng Mo, then let's all go together! Big Brother, are you coming too?"

"Go if you want to." Ling Feng smirked. "I am not interested!"

"Big Brother, you can't be so heartless! Our lifelong happiness depends on you!" Ouyang Jing pleaded with a pitiful expression, almost clinging to Ling Feng's leg.

Ling Feng's mouth twitched slightly. When he had first met Ouyang Jing, he seemed like a straightforward gentleman. Who would have known that he had such a hidden side!

"What does your lifelong happiness have to do with me?"

"Big Brother! We're brothers in this life! There are no second chances!"

Ling Feng fell silent.

"Big Brother! You're my pillar of strength. I can't do anything without you!" Ouyang Jing persisted.

"Fine, fine! I'll go, okay?"

Ling Feng sighed inwardly, feeling like he was cursed to have such a brother who was all bark and no bite!

"I'll go too if Big Brother goes!"

Jiang Xiaofan initially wanted to stay and spar with Ling Feng. However, upon seeing Ling Feng's decision to attend the joint evening gathering of the five courts, he also wanted to see what a luxurious city party was like.

Thus, the seven-member group from Tianshu East Court, including Zhou Kai who was dragged along in the end, mobilized, with their destination being the Central Square of Tianwei Academy!

...

The Central Square, where all the students gathered for various tests, was spacious enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people simultaneously.

However, tonight's main focus was the eight hundred newly enrolled yellow-tier students at Tianwei Academy.

Because the joint evening gathering of the five courts provided an opportunity to meet the accomplished sky-tier students, the attendance rate of these newcomers was almost eighty percent or higher.

Around eighty percent of those admitted to Tianwei Academy hailed from prestigious families and clans from various regions. Therefore, friendships among students often symbolized alliances between families or clans.

Moreover, these relationships could extend beyond Tianwei Academy, forming beneficial alliances between families or clans and consolidating their positions.

However, such friendships were typically intertwined with interests. Generally, it was rare for help to be offered without some benefit in return; this was inevitable.

On the Central Square, the crowd thronged around, and blazing bonfires illuminated the night sky, making it almost as bright as day!

In the center of the square, a platform was erected, where beautiful songstresses performed various dance routines.

For Yang Jun, Feng Mo, and the others who hailed from wealthy families in different counties, such banquets and parties were nothing new. But for Jiang Xiaofan, it was a completely new experience!

He looked around, feeling everything was so fresh and exciting.

Ling Feng watched everything around him with great boredom. He had no interest in these social events of the imperial aristocracy. He thought he could spend his time better by practicing swordsmanship, alchemy, or studying the

Classic Formula of the Medicine King

!

On the other hand, Feng Mo's eyes darted around the crowd, presumably searching for beauties from other courts.

Ouyang Jing, amidst the crowd, searched for Zhou Yun's figure, his eyes filled with longing. He almost resembled the Amah Rock[2]...

1. The Three Lords and Nine Ministers system was a central administrative system adopted in ancient China that was officially instituted in the Qin dynasty ☜

2. According to a legend, the faithful wife of a fisherman climbed the hills every day, carrying her son, to watch for the return of her husband, not knowing he had been drowned at sea. In reward for her faithfulness she was turned into a rock by the Goddess of the Sea so that her spirit could unite with that of her husband. This rock is known as the Amah Rock, located in Hong Kong. It is used here to describe how Ouyang Jing was looking for Zhou Yun, like how the faithful wife of the fisherman waited for his return. ☜