After crossing the river was a rugged mountain forest path. Ming Li used the stars to determine direction, and since she needed to rest and recover her stellar power, she stayed in the forest for seven or eight days.

Leaving the mountains, she reached Zhu Que State, which bordered closely with the Nan Que Seven Sects.

Ming Li entered the city during daylight. Although she had lived in the wilderness for over ten days, she paid great attention to her appearance and demeanor, looking clean and tidy.

Zhu Que State was the largest state in the southern region of the Great Qin Empire, encompassing thousands of cities, large and small. It was prosperous and flourishing, a necessary route for merchant caravans from various southern countries.

Although she had entered Zhu Que State, she was still far from its center, currently in a remote small city.

Upon entering the city, Ming Li immediately began looking for a Bei Dou Martial Academy, but found none. She asked a pancake vendor on the street.

The pancake vendor exclaimed in surprise: “This is the south. Martial academies are either government-run by the Great Qin or affiliated with Nan Que. How could there be a Bei Dou Martial Academy?”

Ming Li thought that this city might be too small and remote for Bei Dou Martial Academy to have established a presence, so after resting for a few days, she set off again to a slightly larger city.

Ji Dan City was built along the coast, backed by mountains.

As soon as Ming Li arrived, she saw several young men and women in martial academy uniforms hurrying past, seemingly rushing back to their academy.

After walking around, she discovered that this city was indeed much larger than the previous one.

She even found two martial academy outposts belonging to Tai Yi and Dong Yang, but none for Bei Dou.

Has Bei Dou fallen on hard times?

Ming Li stood in front of the Dong Yang Martial Academy, lost in thought.

She continued searching until evening. Although she hadn’t covered the entire Ji Dan City, she had searched half of it and still hadn’t found a single Bei Dou Martial Academy.

By now, darkness had fallen completely. Ming Li wandered back to the streets she had passed earlier. Unlike the quiet of daylight, they were now bustling with pedestrians and street vendors.

And recruitment offices for various martial academies that hadn’t been there during the day.

It was a new year for student recruitment again.

Ming Li was startled by the lively scene of various martial academies recruiting along the street, reminiscent of Bei Dou’s recruitment events, which were even more vibrant.

The largest crowds gathered around the Nan Que-affiliated martial academies, followed by the government-run Great Qin academies. These two types occupied the best locations, with the atmosphere becoming quieter the further in one went.

Not wanting to deal with the Nan Que martial academies, Ming Li walked deeper in, hoping to find a Bei Dou Martial Academy recruitment office, but reached the end without seeing one.

Usually, no one would walk to the end, so among the disciples from the martial academy positioned at the very back, one was reading a book while another slouched in his chair, gazing at the sky, absentmindedly counting stars.

When the star-counting youth glimpsed Ming Li walking to the very end, he sprang up like a carp leaping over a dragon gate and enthusiastically invited her: “Young lady, would you like to take a look at our Flying Fox Martial Academy? We’re recruiting new students—three meals a day and accommodation completely free, zero tuition for three years!”

The book-reading youth said expressionlessly, “It’s free because they force you to participate in various competitions to earn prize money.”

The star-counting youth continued: “We’re also certified as a Class A martial academy by the Great Qin Star Fate Bureau!”

The book-reading youth added: “They got the certification through backdoor connections. The person who issued the certificate has already been fired, so it’s fake.”

The star-counting youth persisted: “We have good relations with the Martial Supervisory Alliance and receive one super sect recommendation qualification every year!”

The book-reading youth had just opened his mouth when the star-counting youth pushed his head down onto the table. He smiled at Ming Li, revealing a small tiger tooth: “Joining our Flying Fox Martial Academy is all gain and no loss, young lady!”

Ming Li momentarily felt a sense of déjà vu looking at the smiling face of the youth before her, reminded of Zhou Zixi who used to smile at her the same way.

She stepped forward and asked: “Isn’t there a Bei Dou Martial Academy?”

The two youths who had been scuffling simultaneously turned to look at her with surprise.

The star-counting youth sat back down and said: “How could there be Bei Dou Martial Academies in the south nowadays? Three years ago at the Four Directions Tournament, Nan Que won the championship, dominating other sect martial academies, and forced Bei Dou, who lost, to withdraw all their outposts in the south.”

Ming Li’s first reaction was disbelief that anyone would agree to such an absurd demand.

“Just because they lost in the Four Directions Tournament, they agreed to such an unreasonable request?”

The book-reading youth straightened his clothes and said, “What can they do when Bei Dou’s young pilgrim perished five years ago? The Seven Sects suffered heavy casualties in the war at Bei Jing Gui Yuan, with some dead and others injured. Even their sect’s treasure was stolen. Bei Dou has been severely weakened, so it’s not surprising they’re being bullied by Nan Que, which is at its peak.”

Ming Li fell silent upon hearing this.

From this conversation, she caught several key points:

First, she had been dead for five years.

Second, the sect treasure she had been guarding, which she hadn’t taken to the Northern Border, had been stolen.

Third, Nan Que was bullying Bei Dou.

Five years wasn’t particularly long, but too much had happened to Bei Dou during this time.

The star-counting youth slouched back in his chair, shaking his head with a sigh: “Of the former seven supreme masters, only five remain now.”

Ming Li asked: “Who else died?”

The star-counting youth said cheerfully: “Bei Dou’s pilgrim Ming Li died in Bei Jing Gui Yuan, and Dong Yang’s pilgrim Song Tianjiu died there shortly after her. That place is now called the Pilgrim’s Tomb, meaning that even eight-meridian seventh-boundary pilgrims who go there never return.”

What was Dong Yang’s Song Tianjiu doing in Bei Jing Gui Yuan?

Ming Li felt she had missed many things. She was about to ask more questions when the star-counting youth said, “This is all common knowledge. You look like you’re hearing this for the first time.”

He stood up, leaning forward with his hands on the table, examining her with curiosity: “You want to go to a Bei Dou Martial Academy?”

Ming Li raised her eyelids slightly, and the star-counting youth suddenly slapped the table excitedly: “Then join our Flying Fox Martial Academy now to get a martial academy recommendation letter! You can choose any super sect you want! Be it Bei Dou, Nan Que, Dong Yang, or Tai Yi—all possible!”

The book-reading youth said expressionlessly: “Choose carefully.”

“Don’t listen to him! Young lady, I can see you’re not a newcomer who has just entered the Perception Realm, and since you admire the Bei Dou Seven Sects, you’re not one to idle away. Our Flying Fox Martial Academy needs talented people like you, full of motivation!”

The book-reading youth rolled his eyes, looking up and down at Ming Li standing before the table. She appeared obedient and lovely, with an elegant and dignified posture, completely like an otherworldly young lady from a wealthy family. He couldn’t see any trace of the “motivation” mentioned on her.

Ming Li lowered her head slightly, with meticulous etiquette: “Thank you.”

The star-counting youth was stunned, seeing her about to leave, and hurriedly said: “Wait! If you leave Ji Dan and go further, you’ll need an identity transit document, otherwise you can only keep taking detours. You might even be unable to leave Zhu Que State for your entire life, let alone go as far as Bei Dou.”

Ming Li, who had never worried about identity transit documents before: “…”

“Identity transit document—you don’t have one, right?” The star-counting youth spread his hands and said, “I’m pretty good at reading people. I think you don’t have one, and you probably really don’t.”

Ming Li turned back and blinked her eyes. The star-counting youth felt his heart being pierced and clutched at it, saying: “Besides, this year’s Four Directions Tournament is still in Nan Que, and Bei Dou will send people then. If you join our Flying Fox Martial Academy and participate in the academy trials, you might even be able to enter Nan Que before the Four Directions Tournament begins. Then you could dominate the tournament and announce in front of Nan Que that you want to join Bei Dou… Thinking about it, that’s quite exciting.”

It seemed like a good plan, at least faster than taking detours.

Ming Li returned to the table and said, “I’ll join.”

The star-counting youth immediately took out an enrollment form and slapped it on the table: “It’s a deal! Here, once you fill this out, you’ll be a student of our Flying Fox Martial Academy!”

He patted the book-reading youth’s shoulder and introduced: “His name is Fang Hui, I’m Qian Li. Let me tell you about the various benefits of our Flying Fox Martial Academy—”

Ming Li took the enrollment form, but was stumped by the first question.

She couldn’t write her real name, absolutely not.

She couldn’t use her father’s surname either; that would be too obvious.

Her mothers wouldn’t work either.

Lost in thought, she suddenly remembered once asking Zhou Zixi out of boredom why he was named Zixi, whether it was chosen by his father or mother.

Her junior brother, who had been setting up formation markers on paper, smiled and said, “My mother named me. ‘Zi’ means offspring, ‘Xi’ means to end. The original intention was to curse my father’s clan with having no descendants.”

As if possessed, Ming Li wrote down the character “Zhou” on the paper. By the time she realized what she had done, Qian Li had already leaned over to look: “Zhou?”

Changing it now would only raise suspicions.

She continued writing.

Qian Li applauded beside her: “Zhou Li! Great name! Welcome to Flying Fox Martial Academy. From now on, we’re good friends who share joys and… well, we’ll see about the difficulties!”

Ming Li completed the enrollment form and handed it to Qian Li, then looked up toward the north. Sorry, Father. Sorry, Sect Leader. The one joining the martial academy is Zhou Li, not me, Ming Li.

After recruiting the first and only new student, Qian Li immediately packed up and took Ming Li back to the academy.

Qian Li enthusiastically said: “Come, come! Since you don’t have an identity transit document, you probably don’t have a place to stay either. Now that you’re a martial academy student, from today on, the academy is your home!”

So Ming Li followed him to the most remote location in Ji Dan City, where she saw a modest, ordinary martial academy.

The lights were still on at the academy gate, and a man reeking of alcohol staggered out carrying a wine jar.

Qian Li waved to the man and called out, “Teacher Wu! Where are you going so late at night?”

Teacher Wu wiped his mouth and said lazily, “To find a new martial academy.”

The three of them stopped in their tracks, watching him. Fang Hui showed no expression, nor did Ming Li. Only Qian Li asked curiously: “What do you need a new martial academy for?”

Teacher Wu walked over and flicked Qian Li’s forehead with his finger: “Kid, Flying Fox’s principal committed fraud, colluding with the Star Fate Bureau and the Martial Supervisory Alliance through backdoor connections. He’s been arrested by the Martial Supervisory Alliance, and they’ve revoked the academy’s certification. People will come tomorrow to demolish the place. While other academies are recruiting, I suggest you try your luck directly with Nan Que. You might get in.”

“What?” Qian Li exclaimed in shock. “The principal has been arrested—what about the recommendation quota?”

Teacher Wu shrugged: “Without a martial academy, where would the quota come from?”

He raised his head, took another sip of wine, and walked past the three of them, waving his hand without looking back: “I’ve said what needed to be said. Do as you see fit, and remember to act within your abilities.”

“Hey! Teacher Wu, wait!” Qian Li chased after him.

Fang Hui’s world-weary face was written all over with “I knew this would happen.” From the corner of his eye, he noticed the beautiful girl he had just met walking toward the academy and asked: “Aren’t you leaving?”

Ming Li replied: “He said they won’t demolish the academy until tomorrow, so we can still stay tonight.”

She hadn’t expected that the martial academy she had just joined would be demolished the next day.

There was no martial academy in the world that could teach her about cultivation anyway, so Ming Li had no particular thoughts about this matter. She just felt it was fine to have a place to rest for the night.

For some unknown reason, whenever she closed her eyes to rest in an open-air location, she would dream of Zhou Zixi, each time waking up to his resigned yet gentle reminder.

Fang Hui led her to the student dormitory, which was small and dilapidated, barely providing shelter from wind and rain. A few sparse lights were still lit.

Fang Hui said, “There weren’t many people in the academy to begin with, so there are many empty rooms. Pick whichever you like.”

Ming Li thanked him and entered an empty room.

Fang Hui watched as the previously dark room lit up, pondered for a moment, and then left.

Having received much new information today, Ming Li didn’t immediately rest. Instead, she first ran through Bei Dou’s mental cultivation method, then practiced the eight-meridian integration cultivation technique until the burning pain from the pilgrimage fire became unbearable. Only then did she stop, lie down on the bed, and close her eyes to sleep.

Tonight she also dreamed of her junior brother, but unlike the usual daily life in Bei Dou.

First, she heard a low laugh in a void, a familiar voice with an unfamiliar tone.

Whimpering wind rattled lonely chains, dispersing the darkness of the void and bringing a thick smell of blood.

Someone was half-kneeling in the center of a circular altar filled with dismembered corpses, his hands suspended by iron chains. His bare upper body was covered in wounds, his long black hair falling to the ground, soaked in blood.

As the wind grew sharper, breaking the flower trees around the altar, the man slowly raised his head. Blood water slid down his long neck, flowing with the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

Unknown what he had eaten, but the blood flowing down his neck became increasingly abundant.

The wind howled like a roar of anger.

His concealing black hair dispersed, revealing a face smeared with blood.

The eyes that Ming Li remembered as always clean and bright now gleamed with bewitching light. Though in the posture of a prisoner, he looked down with contempt. His low laughter and slightly trembling eyelashes as he looked up exuded an intense, oppressive aura:

“Is this all the strength you have? You trash.”