That evening, the children quickly learned what it meant to pay “one tael of silver per meal.”
Around the hour of You (5-7 PM), the table suddenly appeared laden with an abundance of dishes. From meat to vegetarian options, from fragrant rice to steamed buns, from savory soups to sweet broths – everything one could desire was present, dazzling to the eye. However, unless one placed a tael of silver on the table, those delectable dishes would remain forever out of reach.
Some children with strong willpower stubbornly refused to pay. Alas, the unpaid-for food remained on the table, its aroma wafting through the air. To be hungry for delicacies right before one’s eyes was a torment akin to hell on earth. In the end, even Ye Ye couldn’t resist and was forced to pay. The result of one tael of silver was merely three dishes, one soup, and either rice or bread – not a morsel more. It was incredibly stingy.
Everyone gathered in Bai Li Gelin’s Liying Chamber to eat, each filled with indignation. Bai Li Gelin cursed between bites, “What kind of Chu Feng Academy is this? They might as well rename it ‘Money-Grabbing Academy’! Forcing everyone to buy food on the first day, I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Li Fei reasoned, “The academy admits new disciples for free every year. They have no source of income, yet they provide us with disciple robes and food and even hire teachers. It’s normal to spend a bit on meals. Besides, we won’t have to pay for every meal. Once we learn to fly, we probably won’t need to pay anymore.”
Bai Li Gelin scoffed, “You’re too naive. Today it’s paying for meals, next time it might be buying secret manuals to learn some heart method, and then paying for elixirs. The days of spending money are yet to come!”
Surely it couldn’t be that frightening?
Li Fei unconsciously touched her money pouch. She didn’t have much either. Her master had only left her fifty taels. If learning a celestial technique cost ten taels, and buying an elixir another ten, how much could she learn with just fifty taels?
The first night at Chu Feng Academy passed with the children anxious about future enormous expenses.
The next day, everyone woke up early. Being late would cost ten taels of silver per meal for three consecutive days. Even Ji Tongzhou was unwilling to waste money on such an embarrassing fine. Before the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), all the disciples had gathered in the open area in front of the disciple quarters.
The sky hadn’t fully brightened yet. The floating island was enveloped in a thin mist, interweaving emerald green and pure white as if draped in a gauzy garment. Standing at the edge of the island and looking down, one could see an endless sea of clouds, rolling and surging, with no bottom in sight. A single glance was enough to make one’s heart quiver.
“What do you think is down there?” Bai Li Gelin, somewhat afraid of heights, hid behind her sister, not daring to look down.
Li Fei, on the other hand, showed no fear at all. She stood steadily at the edge, her clothes fluttering in the wind as if she might be blown off at any moment. She said, “It’s probably just mud and bones down there, nothing special.”
Living in Qingqiu, she had to climb Tiger’s Mouth Cliff every time she went out with her master. She was completely unfazed by these precipices and cliffs. The bottom of Tiger’s Mouth Cliff was littered with bones of animals that had fallen to their deaths, and even human bones. She had seen it all too often.
“I guess there’s an ocean below,” Ye Ye, ever the rational one, speculated. “We flew on the rainbow deer carriage for over twenty days. We’ve long since left the Central Plains. A floating island of this scale would be more suitable over the sea.”
An unfamiliar male voice chimed in from behind, “Below is a forbidden area teeming with demons and monsters. If you fall by accident, you’ll lose your life.”
Bai Li Gelin let out a shrill scream, and everyone quickly turned around. They saw a young man in red robes who had suddenly appeared in the open area. He looked to be in his early twenties, surprisingly young. Around his waist was a colorful gold-threaded belt that stood out starkly against his red robes, making him appear quite eye-catching. However, due to his handsome features, especially his eyes that seemed to be smiling even when he wasn’t speaking, the bright attire didn’t look bad on him.
An adult appearing at the disciple quarters at this time must be an instructor from the academy. The children immediately tensed up, each holding their breath, waiting for the instructor’s teachings.
The young man in red robes looked around and smiled, “Not a single one of you is late, I’m surprised… It seems you’ve all brought your swords too. This year’s new disciples are not bad.”
“This instructor seems easy to get along with,” Bai Li Gelin whispered to Li Fei. “Look at his smiling face. We’re really lucky.”
Li Fei felt both nervous and excited. She still couldn’t draw spiritual energy into her body, nor did she know how to circulate her inner energy. She wondered if she would be able to learn what the instructor was about to teach.
The young man in red continued, “Since everyone’s here, I’ll get straight to the point. First, let me tell you that Chu Feng Academy doesn’t have fixed instructors. The instructors change every year, all selected from outstanding young disciples of various celestial sects. My name is Hu Jiaping, one of the personal disciples of Guangwei Zhenren of Wuyue Palace. For now, you’ll learn sword flight from me. Let me be clear, sword flight is the most basic skill, it doesn’t even count as cultivation. If you want to properly learn from instructors in the future, you must pass this hurdle first.”
He glanced at the sky and added, “Here’s the deal: those who can fly by dinnertime can get free food from the north side. Those who can’t fly by dinnertime will have to pay twenty taels of silver for a meal. Those who still can’t learn in three days, I’ll throw you off from here myself.” He pointed at the deep abyss of clouds behind him.
His words were met with dead silence. Money again! And twenty taels this time! The children were almost numb to it by now.
Hu Jiaping lazily sighed, “Alright, let’s begin now.”
He clapped his hands, and suddenly a red book appeared in front of each person. Hu Jiaping suddenly yawned, “The methods for sword flight cultivation are all in the book. Read and practice on your own. If you don’t understand something, figure it out yourself. Don’t bother me. I’ll check your progress before dinner.”
With that, he found a big tree, lay down beneath it, and refused to get up no matter what.
This… what kind of instructor was this… The children were dumbfounded.
“…I take back what I said earlier,” Bai Li Gelin said tearfully. This instructor wasn’t just improper, he was outrageous!
On the first day of cultivation at Chu Feng Academy, the children were thoroughly crushed by the cruel reality. But the pressure of twenty taels of silver per meal was too great for anyone to waste time complaining about this irresponsible instructor. Everyone buried their heads in studying, occasionally making a few gestures, utterly serious.
Li Fei opened the red book, and her heart sank before she even finished the first page.
The book was filled with numerous heart methods for drawing spiritual energy into the body and then directing it to the sword. There were also illustrations vividly depicting the flow and movement of spiritual energy within the body, and all the key points for controlling sword flight were there.
Although this was indeed more straightforward than an instructor drily explaining a lot of things, for her, it was all useless.
She couldn’t draw spiritual energy into her body at all, let alone control its direction and send it to the sword.
Li Fei silently looked around. Lei Xiuyuan was in the distance, holding his sword and staring blankly, lost in thought. The Bai Li sisters and Ye Ye were sitting on the ground in meditation, motionless. Ji Tongzhou and Princess Lan Ya were both seriously reading the book. Other children were either standing or sitting, some concentrating, some seeming to have some insights – everyone was practicing earnestly, except for her, who could do nothing.
Soon, there was a sudden commotion among the children. Ji Tongzhou was wobbling unsteadily on his sword, flying from one end of the open area to the other. Although his flight was far from stable, he was indeed flying.
“Haha! It’s not difficult at all!” This was typical of Ji Tongzhou, unable to contain his pride. The sword beneath his feet was clumsily twisting, sometimes east, sometimes west. He persevered for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before exhaustedly descending.
He looked around triumphantly, and seeing Li Fei standing there motionless, he became even more smug. Although it felt great to outdo all these lowly commoners, the most satisfying part was still surpassing this presumptuous peasant girl.
“Hmph.” He let out a haughty cold snort towards Li Fei, then leaped onto his sword and began to fly again, this time much better than before.
Li Fei felt like an ant on a hot pan. Although she tried her best to maintain a calm exterior, she was extremely anxious inside. Ji Tongzhou indeed had superior talent, grasping the essentials of sword flight in an instant. But she had no time to envy or be jealous of him now. She never imagined that after all the hardships to come to Chu Feng Academy, she would hit a wall with the very first cultivation task.
If she couldn’t learn sword flight, she probably wouldn’t even be able to go to the other islands. She’d have to pay for meals, twenty taels of silver each time. What would she do when her silver ran out? Starve? Or be expelled for lack of aptitude?
Suddenly, she remembered the strange person, possibly a nine-tailed fox spirit, attached to her body. It was like finding a lifeline. She hurriedly called out in a low voice, “Old Sir, Old Sir? Are you awake?”
That elusive, hoarse voice gave her no response. Since the second selection, he hadn’t spoken again. Was he asleep? Unwilling to respond to her? Or had he already detached from her body? With even this last hope shattered, Li Fei was completely at a loss.
Behind her, Bai Li Changyue, who had been silently meditating, suddenly let out a long breath and stood up.
Ye Ye quickly asked, “How is it? Can you control the spiritual energy now?”
She neither nodded nor shook her head, but first closed her eyes as if savoring the experience. After a while, she suddenly opened her eyes and said calmly, “Good, I’ve got it.”
Lei Xiuyuan walked over, smiling shyly, “I… I think I’ve got some understanding too…”
Bai Li Changyue looked at him quietly, “Then let’s try together.”
He hurriedly shook his hands, “No, no… What if I fall…”
“I’ll protect you,” Bai Li Changyue said without further ado, throwing her sword forcefully. Her sword, like a shooting star, traced an arc in the air before steadily returning to hover in front of her.
“Shall we?” She stared at Lei Xiuyuan.
Lei Xiuyuan seemed to smile helplessly and finally threw out his sword as well. Under the curious, envious, or surprised gazes of the crowd, the two leaped onto their swords together, one graceful and one elegant, as if they weren’t beginners but immortals who had flown countless times before.
The sword beneath Lei Xiuyuan’s feet shot out like a beam of light, instantly carrying him high into the sky. Bai Li Changyue followed closely behind. Their red and white disciple robes fluttered and danced, like a pair of butterflies pirouetting in the air.
The children let out admiring gasps. How could someone learn sword flight so quickly? And fly so well! Their movements were beautiful and crisp, showing no signs of being novices at all. The swords gleamed in the sunlight as they weaved through the misty floating islands, a truly delightful sight.
Bai Li Gelin was so excited she couldn’t meditate at all, jumping up and clapping and shouting. Even the usually calm Ye Ye couldn’t help but applaud. The bit of limelight Ji Tongzhou had managed to grab earlier was now completely overshadowed. He was somewhat surprised and a bit unwilling, squinting as he watched for a while before letting out a cold snort. He found a shady spot under a tree to meditate, ignoring the exclamations of the crowd.
Li Fei stared at their graceful figures, not knowing whether to feel envious or happy for them. Even Lei Xiuyuan was flying so well, which was truly unexpected.
The two gradually flew farther away, returning after about the time it took to drink a cup of tea. They landed steadily on the open ground of the island. Bai Li Changyue’s arms were bulging, filled with something unknown, while Lei Xiuyuan was holding a paper bag, steaming hot, smelling like some kind of food.
“You can get free food from the northern island with your name tag,” Bai Li Changyue took out what was in her arms, also a paper bag, and tossed a bun to each person. “Eat something, so you don’t waste a tael of silver buying food.”
Li Fei broke open the bun and smelled a strong meaty odor. It was a meat bun. She quietly set it aside, not wanting to eat a single bite.
Lei Xiuyuan timidly walked over and said in a low voice, “Big Sis, I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t eat meat. I didn’t bring vegetarian buns… Should I go get some for you?”
“No need to rush,” Li Fei pulled him to sit beside her. “You flew quite well, you should have some confidence.”
Lei Xiuyuan hurriedly shook his head, “I… I’m not good enough. How can I compare to Big Sis? You’ll learn it soon, and you’ll fly better than me for sure.”
“Xiuyuan…”
She sighed, staring at his timid face. Honestly, he was a very strange child. People with superior talent usually bullied others, or at least wouldn’t be like him. He was always crying, always needing her to pull him along. She subconsciously treated him as a weakling, but he wasn’t weak.
There was something incongruous about Lei Xiuyuan.
“Big Sis, what’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” Lei Xiuyuan looked at her timidly, showing an innocent and weak expression as if he didn’t know what he had done wrong.
Li Fei disliked this expression of his. She shook her head and stood up, dusting herself off, “It’s nothing. I’m leaving.”
She had enough troubles of her own to worry about, no energy left to think about him.