Chapter 324: Chapter 279 Pan An
"Why isn’t Le Ling here today?"
In the spectator seats of the Martial Arts Arena, Chai Chai, who had come to watch the competition again, reached out to take the shaved ice Li Ang passed to her and casually asked.
"She said she’s been busy lately helping her future sister-in-law with wedding preparations."
Li Ang replied casually, somewhat puzzled. Recently, Li Leqing had been acting a bit strange. She would sneak glances during class, and when they spoke face to face, she would suddenly blush and become incoherent.
Could it be... that she was taking Royal etiquette classes?
To ensure the princes and princesses of the Yu Country’s Royal Family carried themselves with dignity and didn’t tarnish the Heavenly Family’s reputation, specialized instructors were hired to train them in complex etiquette. This included specialized instruction on smiles, laughter, gait, and even the tone and intonation used when speaking to different people.
The more prestigious the noble house, the stricter the requirements for their scions’ ’temperament’ and ’demeanor.’ This was even truer for the Heavenly Family.
In private, the Crown Prince, Li Hui, and Li Shan were all very kind to Li Ang. However, Li Ang observed that these same princes adopted a different demeanor with their subordinate servants. They were approachable yet dignified and solemn, never directly answering a servant’s questions but instead replying with questions of their own, forcing the servants to deduce their intentions.
I don’t get it.
Li Ang shook his head, not wanting to think about Royal Family matters, and looked towards the ring.
The tournament had been underway for some time, and the Rain Listening Realm matches were nearing their end. Consequently, for the next few days, matches for both the Rain Listening and Cloud Patrol Realms would be held alternately until all Rain Listening Realm competitions were concluded.
BOOM!
With a heavy sound, a senior brother dressed in the Academic Palace’s uniform was knocked out of the ring. Landing outside, he sighed in disappointment but comported himself well, offering his opponent a respectful bow. His opponent, a young man from Lu Li Academy, also returned the gesture with an equally graceful bow.
"Why does it feel like our Academic Palace’s win rate has dropped now that we’re at the Cloud Patrol Realm level?" Chai Chai asked, puzzled. "Isn’t that a bit abnormal?"
"No," Li Ang shook his head, saying, "In any country, the number of Cloud Patrol Realm Cultivators is scarce. Even Taihao Mountain is no exception. The delegations from other countries consist of the elite among their younger generation, so naturally, their average combat strength appears higher. Meanwhile, many of our Academic Palace’s accomplished senior brothers and sisters who’ve reached the Cloud Patrol Realm are assisting Doctors elsewhere and haven’t returned. This interplay of factors has led to the current situation."
"That’s right," Yang Yu nodded, saying, "If we gathered the recently graduated seniors, or those about to graduate, along with some Inspectors like Senior Brother Cheng, we’d naturally have the advantage."
Zhang Yuyan curiously asked, "Senior Brother Cheng... is that Cheng Juxiu?"
Li Ang nodded. Cheng Juxiu hadn’t sent any letters since the Water Poison Gu incident concluded. His shipbuilding venture had probably reached a critical juncture. Two years ago in Yizhou, he was at the Cloud Patrol Early Stage, dual-cultivating Magic and Sword. Who knows if he’s progressed in the last two years.
It was a rather cruel fact that most Academic Palace Disciples, after completing their seven years of study and leaving, would only advance one or two minor realms for the rest of their lives. For instance, advancing from the Middle Level of Rain Listening to High-level Rain Listening, or from Cloud Patrol Early Stage to High-level Cloud Patrol. This was partly because, after leaving the Academic Palace, they became preoccupied with various matters, leaving no free time to focus on cultivation. It was also due to limited talent and opportunities.
Even geniuses who had once served as Academic Palace Inspectors often got stuck at the High-level Cloud Patrol, unable to ascend to the Candle Cloud Realm. Breaking through required extremely special opportunities and fortuitous encounters.
"Up next, the contestant from Taihao Mountain, Shangguan Yangyao!"
A slight stir went through the circular stands. The most eye-catching disciples were always a select few, such as Pei Jing from the Academic Palace and Shangguan Yangyao of Taihao Mountain.
His face was like polished jade, his eyes like bright stars. Dressed in the pure white Haoyang Robe of Taihao Mountain’s Holy Ceremony Institute, his every move naturally exuded an otherworldly grace, as if he had stepped directly out of light itself.
"TSK TSK. Even Pan An and Song Yu would pale in comparison," Yang Yu pursed his lips, a hint of envy in his voice. Catching Zhang Yuyan and other female classmates gazing at Shangguan Yangyao with sparkling eyes, he felt even more bitter, grinding his teeth.
"He is indeed handsome," Li Wei stated frankly, nodding sincerely. "And he probably has a good physique too. You can’t carry off that robe without a good build. Some Martial Arts enthusiasts among commoners only train their upper bodies, neglecting their legs. Consequently, their upper limbs become well-developed while their legs appear weak, making them look odd no matter what they wear. As the saying goes, ’Train your body but neglect your legs, and you’ll regret it eventually.’"
"HEH HEH HEH... I really want to loop a ribbon around his neck, poke his cheeks with my fingers, and see the flustered, reluctant-yet-yielding look on his face as he sits on the edge of his chair..."
Suddenly, a peculiar and somewhat lewd voice chimed in from behind. Li Ang and the others turned in unison. Standing behind them was their Sword Study Instructor, Senior Sister Sui Yi. Her eyes gleamed as she muttered to herself, letting out a cackle like a night owl, enough to make children cry.
"Calm down. The junior disciples are watching." Beside Sui Yi, Ren Xin, the Body Study Instructor, wordlessly smacked his forehead. He then lightly chopped his colleague on the head, snapping Sui Yi out of her fantasy.
"Hm? Who hit me? Who dared to hit me?" Sui Yi clutched her head, looking around. Seeing the stunned faces of Yang Yu and the others, she rubbed her hands together awkwardly. "What did I just say? You didn’t hear anything, did you?"
"Uh..." Yang Yu and the others gaped, unsure how to reply.
It was Ren Xin who smoothed things over. "Don’t mind her. She injured her head once while suppressing demons for the Supervision Department. As a result, she spouts nonsense from time to time."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Sui Yi quickly seized the excuse and nodded.
Amidst the awkward atmosphere, Qiu Feng coughed gently and asked softly, "Senior Sister Sui, are you also here to watch the matches? Didn’t you have a class today?"
"Classes are over for the day," Sui Yi waved her hand, saying, "Our Academic Palace has been losing quite badly in the Cloud Patrol Realm matches these past few days. The Sacrificial Officers found it rather humiliating, so they’re having a few of us instructors participate as well. After all, on paper, we’re still students who haven’t officially graduated. If the Zhou Kingdom can shamelessly bring in a High-level Cloud Patrol cultivator who graduated four years ago, then we can’t afford to be too concerned with appearances."
Everyone exchanged glances. Ren Xin and Sui Yi, these two senior instructors, were often whimsical. They’d sometimes do things like letting students ’self-study meditation’ while they themselves slacked off, only to have their pay docked by the Doctors. Yet, subtle details hinted that there was something special about them. For example, they held the highest status among the young instructors, possessing the authority to approve loans of high-level Forbidden Books and access the restricted floors of Dongjun Tower. Furthermore, both were members of the Supervision Department. Sui Yi’s case was particularly rare: she had once served as an Inspector and then resigned from the post.
When I wrote to Senior Brother Cheng before, he mentioned that the Supervision Department is divided into overt and covert branches. The overt branch, led by Sword Study Master Cui Yixian, specifically monitors whether students violate the laws of Yu Country or Academic Palace regulations. The covert branch is managed by the Mountain Master and the Sacrificial Officer, dealing with Alien-related matters. Our teacher, Pu Liuxuan, was once a member of the Supervision Department. Xi Yangyu, and that Jun Qianzi too...
As Li Ang was pondering this, an announcement came from the arena below, signaling that the next match was about to begin.