5 Chapter 4: (2/2)
”Yes, Teacher Jiao,” the class chorused. I also joined in, not wanting to be left out.
”Good. For now, we'll be heading to Wu Ling Academy proper. Get aboard the boat.”
”The boat?” a male student asked, puzzled. Teacher Jiao smiled and nodded.
”You'll see what I mean.”
Indeed, outside the station were rows and rows of hollowed-out boats. There were some arcane-looking machinery at the back of each of the boats, but the wooden seats had cushions. Teacher Jiao led us to one of the boats and got us to board it.
”This is quite the fancy transport they're ferrying us in,” I muttered. Tong Xue chuckled.
”Ferry is right. But this is nowhere near fancy.”
”But why a boat?” Zhu Jiao asked as he came alongside us with a confused expression. ”Couldn't they have chartered a normal bus?”
”It's a Wu Ling Academy tradition,” the stern, lanky-looking guy I saw earlier explained. The three of us stared at him, and he shrugged. ”You'll see what I mean later, but for centuries the students of Wu Ling Academy always cross into its ground on boats.”
”…I see.”
The four of us took seats adjacent to each other, and Tong Xue broke the ice by introducing himself. Zhu Jiao followed suit and I joined in.
”I'm Ban Zhang,” the fourth guy gave his name somewhat stiffly.
”Nice to meet you,” I said. Ban Zhang's shoulders loosened somewhat and he nodded.
”Same.”
”But say, Zhu Jiao, you were really cutting it close, weren't you?” Tong Xue asked him with a chuckle. ”That was a cool motorbike.”
”Yeah, Teacher Jiao told me the school staff will bring it and keep it for me, though.” he sighed. ”They had better. The motorbike isn't mine. I've to return it to my older cousin when we're allowed to leave school.”
I frowned at that. When we were allowed to leave school? What did that mean? Somehow it carried the implication that there would be a period of time when we wouldn't be allowed to leave the campus grounds.
”Huh? Is it my imagination, or is Bai Ning Xue staring at you?”
Tong Xue's sudden question broke me out of my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat, but then I realized that Tong Xue was addressing Zhu Jiao. Not me.
Stupid. Yeah, I shouldn't be so self-conscious. Why would Bai Ning Xue be staring at me? She didn't even know who I was.
In contrast, Zhu Jiao grinned as if that was normal. He turned toward Bai Ning Xue, waved at her and called out in a loud voice.
”Oh, Ning Xue! You've made it to Wu Ling Academy as well!”
From a distance, Bai Ning Xue nodded. She met Zhu Jiao's warm, honey-brown gaze with her glacial sapphire eyes.
”It's good to see you here as well, Jiao.”
Even though she wasn't speaking as loudly as Zhu Jiao, her voice rang clearly across the boat as if she was sitting next to us.
”Of course. Who do you think I am? There's no way I would fail the exam.”
Zhu Jiao puffed his chest out proudly. Then he blinked and whirled around when he caught sight of me, Tong Xue and Ban Zhang gaping at him with our mouths wide open.
”What?”
”You know Bai Ning Xue?” Tong Xue spluttered. Zhu Jiao shrugged and snorted as if it was obvious.
”Of course I know Ning Xue. She's my childhood friend. We've known each other since young. I used to play with her often.”
”You traitor…!” Tong Xue howled as he grasped his face in both his hands. As for me, I didn't know whether to laugh at this somewhat predictable development. With a name of Zhu Jiao, of course he would be the typical protagonist of a story. Of course he would be childhood friends with the most unattainable, beautiful, talented genius girl in our generation. Of course she would be in love with him because he was the protagonist.
Ban Zhang, on the other hand, had other concerns.
”Why is that guy looking at Zhu Jiao like that?”
The three of us followed his gaze and caught the massive guy with his two almost equally gigantic sidekicks sitting at the back of the boat, glaring at Zhu Jiao in sheer hostility. Zhu Jiao blinked, puzzled.
”Did you do something to piss them off?” Ban Zhang asked cautiously. Zhu Jiao snorted dismissively.
”Of course not! I don't even know who the hell that fella is!”
”He's Qi Fu Ren.” As always, Tong Xue was on hand to supply useful information. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he cast glances about warily. ”I've heard many bad things about him. He's from one of the lesser clans, but still has quite the influence. Because of that, he uses his position to bully others. The other two who follow him around are his cronies Hu Shuo and Ba Dao. They're not very bright, but they listen to everything Qi Fu Ren tell them to do.”
”So he's targeting Zhu Jiao now because he plans on bullying him?” Ban Zhang asked somewhat skeptically.
”No,” I replied as I restrained myself from adding ”you idiot.” ”He's glaring at Zhu Jiao right now because he's jealous.”
”Jealous? Why? Of what?”
As expected of the typical dense light novel protagonist, Zhu Jiao couldn't conceive of any reason why Qi Fu Ren would be jealous of him. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and clobber him.
”Because of your relationship with Bai Ning Xue.”
”Huh? What does Ning Xue have to do with anything…?”
I was saved from either insulting him or replying when Teacher Jiao spoke up.
”We're almost there!”
At his words, the students began to peer over the boat's edges. A gigantic, pearly white academy loomed ahead, stretching across miles. For some reason, Wu Ling Academy resembled a castle, or a luxurious palace more than a school, but I kept that to myself. Furthermore, Wu Ling Academy even had a moat surrounding it.
So that's what the boats are for.
Evidently, Wu Ling Academy had a long history that stretched back to ancient times, and the moat that protected its perimeters was one that remained unchanged. Past students must have taken boats to cross the moat to enter the campus grounds, and the academy had preserved that tradition for ages.
That said, the countless boats ferrying dozens of classes and hundreds of students soared over the dark waters that circled the campus, rather than sail across the rippling surface of the moat. Thus defeating any point of preserving the tradition in the first place. Other than the shape of our transports, there was nothing in common between the flying contraptions that relied on qi and ancient wooden boats that braved rivers and seas.
I also noticed that there was no gate for us to enter. Instead, the flying boats soared over the towering white walls that served as barriers to separate the interior of the academy from the outside world. There was a shimmering blue screen of pure, defensive qi that served as a mystical barrier to keep intruders out, but Teacher Jiao raised something and the boat we were on passed through the gleaming barrier as if it didn't exist.
”If you plan to leave campus grounds to take missions or explore Martial City, you must attain the skills to jump over the walls and walk on water,” Teacher Jiao informed us coolly.
In other words, we had to master qigong or something similar to that if we ever wanted to leave the academy. No wonder there was no gate. There was no need for a gate, not when any competent martial artist could jump over it. The barriers not only served as a defensive measure to keep invaders out, but also a barricade to ensure we reached a certain level of skill before venturing out into the dangerous martial world outside.
The boat dipped after it crested the gate and dove at a slight angle toward a courtyard with neatly mown grass. All around us, the boats settled on the vast field, and teachers had their students disembarked. Teacher Jiao was no different, hopping off the boat and then gesturing for us to follow him.
”Let's go.”
”Teacher Jiao!” Ban Zhang called out as he took his place at the front of the class. ”Where are we going?”
”Oh, right.” Teacher Jiao nodded as he turned back to us. ”I know you've all already passed the entrance exams and successfully enrolled in the academy, but before you begin to officially take classes, you'll have to take one last test?”
”Test?!” Zhu Jiao spluttered, alarmed. He was not the only one. The entire class was exchanging panicked glances, murmuring in low, concerned tones. None of us had prepared or studied for any test.
”What sort of test?” Ban Zhang asked, the only student calm in a rolling sea of frantic chaos.
Teacher Jiao smiled enigmatically as he swept his gaze across the pale, flustered faces of his new charges.
”A test…to gauge your talent.”