C11 Rules
The mood turned peculiar as everyone's eyes flitted between the woman and Huajun, all waiting to see how Huajun would handle the situation.
"The team is set, and while changes are not out of the question, it's not up to me. You need to ask them," Huajun said with a slight smile, directing her gaze towards Yu Yin and his companions.
Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to Yu Yin and his group.
Caught between the choice of a beautiful instructor and a sleazy man, the eight companions were at a loss for words. The choice was obvious, and none of them spoke up.
The woman noticed the hesitation in their eyes, causing her brow to furrow in concern.
"Who will switch with me? I'll give them ten gold coins."
The mention of "ten gold coins" sent a wave of astonishment through the students, and even Long Yang and his peers couldn't hide their surprise.
Considering that the average family's yearly income was a mere two gold coins, the woman's offer was extraordinarily generous.
"Is that for real?" someone asked, incredulous.
"I never lie," the woman replied with serenity.
With one gold coin equaling five thousand copper coins, the offer of ten meant a staggering fifty thousand copper coins. Even Yu Yin found himself tempted.
"Sister, I'll switch with you, and I don't need the money," spoke up a young girl with a delicate appearance, dressed in simple linen, from among Yu Yin's group.
"Okay," the woman agreed, nodding and without questioning the girl's motives, she produced ten gold coins and extended them towards her.
The girl, however, refused the glittering coins, shaking her head, "I don't want the money."
"You've earned it," insisted the woman.
"My mother always said that anyone willing to pay a great price deserves assistance," the girl murmured.
The crowd was taken aback, and even those who had silently scorned the girl's naivety fell silent.
"Well then, it's time for us to go," said Zhang Wei, somewhat relieved to see another capable girl join the group. He gestured for her and the remaining students to turn and depart.
In an instant, all the mentors had led their students away, leaving only Huajun with Yu Yin and his group. Huajun smiled faintly and surveyed the group.
"We have a long five years ahead of us. Let's use this chance to get to know one another. Follow me," she said, turning on her heel and heading towards the pine forest. The students quickly fell in step behind her.
Strolling through the forest, Huajun gestured to the surroundings without looking back. "This is the Giant Pine Garden. Straight ahead is the location of the toilets, and beyond that lies the Fish Pavilion." The pines were tall, but not quite giant, leaving Yu Yin and the others puzzled about the garden's name. Their confusion cleared when they reached a massive circular flowerbed, dominated by an ancient pine as thick as a house and towering over twenty feet high, its branches sprawling across the sky.
The grand flowerbed was constructed from green stone bricks, encircled by expansive, fertile red soil, with two narrow paths branching off around it. At the end of the path, Yu Yin's group could clearly see two houses with distinctive upturned eaves made of green bricks, while the path behind them led back to the main entrance they'd used.
Huajun sat leisurely on the flowerbed, appraising the eight newcomers with a discerning eye. In contrast, Yu Yin and the rest stood rigidly, too constrained to speak.
"This is a fine spot for introductions," Huajun declared. "I am your mentor, Wei Huajun, but you can simply call me Mentor Huajun from now on."
"Now, let's start with you, the little chubby one," Huajun said with a smile, nodding at Dongmen Ai. With all eyes on him, Dongmen Ai gave an embarrassed grin.
"And don't forget to mention a bit about your family," Huajun prompted.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Dongmen Ai. I'm an only child, and my parents are antique traders. We hail from Xiao Xiao Town."
"Your age?" Huajun interjected.
"I'm 17 years old," Dongmen Ai replied.
The others took mental note of this information, knowing that understanding each other's backgrounds would be crucial for the five years they would spend together.
Yu Yin, still trembling slightly, quickly assessed the six individuals besides Dongmen Ai, mentally tagging them: an ice-cold beauty, a radiant stunner, a girl with an honest face, a short and stocky figure, a young man with an exceptional air, and a slender, delicate scholar.
"Hehe! My name is Ou Lu, both my parents are blacksmiths, and I'm 16 years old," said Yu Yin, the short and stocky young man before them.
Next to speak was a man of remarkable presence, "My name is Xia Chen, I'm 19 years old. My father is a blacksmith, and my mother comes from nobility. We reside in Xuanlong City."
The radiant young woman giggled, "I'm Huixiao, 16 years old, an orphan with the whole world as my home."
The girl added shyly, "Hello, everyone. My name is Zhang Ziyue, I'm seventeen. My parents... they're laborers in Luoxing Town."
The delicate man spoke up, "Greetings to all. My name is Zhao Cai, I'm eighteen. My father is one of the six major law officers in the City Lord's Palace, and my mother is a noble, living in Xuanlong City."
Yu Yin, upon hearing the term 'noble' twice, subtly furrowed his brow and scrutinized the two individuals discreetly.
It's common knowledge that in the Heavenly Country, 'noble' refers to the direct descendants within three generations of government officials. They are protected by law and enjoy special privileges.
They have the authority to buy and sell slaves, and their families can maintain private soldiers, no more than thirty. They receive a substantial annual stipend and have the power to punish and even execute commoners who offend them.
This law has led to many nobles abusing their power to oppress the commoners, who now react with fear and loathing at the mere mention of nobility.
Yu Yin, having suffered at the hands of town aristocrats in his youth due to his family's poverty, harbored a deep-seated hatred for the nobility. Now, he found himself feeling a growing aversion to Xia Chen and Zhao Cai.
"Apart from the City Lord, the six major law officers hold the highest authority in any city. You've got quite the impressive background, young man," Huajun said with a teasing smile to Zhao Cai.
Zhao Cai responded with a polite smile but remained silent.
Huajun then turned to Yu Yin and the woman, "Now, who among you would like to go next?"
The woman replied, "Zhuang Jiujing, seventeen years old."
"What about your parents?" Huajun inquired with a smile.
"It's not convenient to disclose that information."
Huajun paused, momentarily taken aback.
Zhuang Jiujing remained expressionless, her demeanor icy.
"Heh, in that case, I'll refrain from prying further." Huajun withdrew her gaze and nodded towards Yu Yin.
"Yu Yin, sixteen years old, orphaned," Yu Yin stated, his mood soured by their shared noble heritage.
Huixiao, who was also an orphan, glanced at him sympathetically.
Huajun hadn't anticipated having two students with such heart-wrenching pasts. She let out a quiet sigh before swiftly steering the conversation elsewhere.
"Do you recall the two courtyards we passed earlier? That's where you'll be living from now on."
"Each of the adjoining courtyards has fourteen rooms, with four rooms assigned to each instructor."
"Each room contains five beds. Shortly, Yu Yin, you and four others will share a room. Huixiao, Zhang Ziyue, Zhuang Jiujing, and I will share another."
"Regarding classes, the academy holds only one hour of lessons daily, from dawn until just past sunrise. Make sure you're never late."
"As for meals, there are two per day: one at midday and one in the evening, each lasting half an hour. Remember this well; if you miss out, you'll go hungry."
"Alright, that covers the essentials. Now, let's discuss my rules. Please listen attentively." Huajun's smile faded, her face taking on a stern expression.
The sudden shift in her tone caused a ripple of surprise among the eight students.
"I have just three rules or expectations."
"First, feel free to joke and play with me outside of class, but once lessons begin, anyone who dares to fool around will face my stern side. Keep this in mind."
"Second, the academy has twenty-eight mentors. At the end of each month, they compile class rankings and hand out rewards. I expect none of you to rank outside the top ten; otherwise, prepare for my displeasure."
"Lastly, once classes officially start, the suspension bridge will be sealed off, and mentors will be assigned on a rotating basis to supervise the students on duty. During this time, I expect no slip-ups from any of you."
