Chapter 94

## Chapter 94. Enrolment Ceremony

"We've received word that Cheongeom will come to escort us personally."

Gongsun Shou, who was tidying up the room, turned around in surprise. Heiying was kneeling on one knee in front of him.

"Cheongeom is coming? What about the Emperor's protection?"

Cheongeom (Heavenly Sword) was the top expert of the Jin Yi Wei and one of the Ten Heroes, considered among the ten strongest martial artists in the world.

However, he was also the shadow that always guarded the Emperor.

"The Emperor himself has sent Cheongeom."

"Hmm. What can this old man do..."

Gongsun Shou closed his eyes for a moment, moved by the Emperor's affection.

It had been a few days since the assassins' attack.

As soon as the news of Gongsun Shou, the former prime minister, being attacked spread, the imperial palace was in an uproar.

It was said that the Emperor was furious and ordered the search for the culprits, and several suspects had already been apprehended.

Additionally, many officials were reportedly afraid of Gongsun Shou's return, who was once known as the Iron-Blooded Chancellor.

"...I've received contact from many officials. What should I do?"

"Tell them all the same thing. Those who commit crimes will pay for their sins, and those who make others bleed will pay with their blood."

"Yes."

After a moment of a cold expression, Gongsun Shou turned back and began tidying up the room again.

There wasn't much to pack, so it didn't take long.

He only had a few sets of martial clothes, a few books he enjoyed reading, and a wooden sword he practiced with in the room.

Gongsun Shou smiled as he stroked the well-worn wooden sword.

"Hmm. It's been through a lot."

"...You never let it out of your sight, even when you slept."

Heiying knew better than anyone how hard Gongsun Shou had worked.

With a body that was slower and weaker than others, he had no choice but to work several times harder.

Gongsun Shou held a sword all day, swung it, and thought about it.

He was never too embarrassed to ask his teacher, no matter how small or trivial the question.

-If the students at Qinglong Academy had put in half the effort this old man did, they would have won the Tianwu Competition as easily as eating a meal...

Bai Shulong said this, shaking his head in amazement.

Gongsun Shou trained his martial arts here for over a month.

His eyes were distant as he recalled the past.

"It feels like a dream."

"...Think of it as time spent fulfilling a dream."

"Hmm. Your eloquence has improved."

"Being between you and Mr. Bai, how could it not?"

"Look at you? You'll be arguing with me soon."

"I can do that now."

"What? Hahaha!"

As Gongsun Shou laughed heartily, Heiying also smiled.

She had changed too.

She smiled more naturally these days.

All of this had happened since she came to Bai Long Hall.

Though she didn't learn martial arts directly from Bai Shulong, she learned many other things.

"We've both learned a lot here."

"...Yes. I'll miss it."

Gongsun Shou reached out and picked up the only new item in the room, a palm-sized jade token shaped like a coiled Qinglong.

The Qinglong Token (Qinglong Pai).

The student ID given only to those who passed the Qinglong Academy entrance exam.

The final results of the Qinglong Academy entrance exam were announced yesterday afternoon.

"Congratulations on your acceptance once again."

"It was close. If I had known my name was at the bottom, I would have started from the bottom."

"Actually, it was a bit surprising when you started from the top."

"This kid..."

Gongsun Shou narrowed his eyes and glared, and Heiying subtly avoided his gaze.

"Anyway, you're accepted, whether at the top or the bottom."

Although he was at the bottom, Gongsun Shou had proudly passed the Qinglong Academy entrance exam.

"Hmm. Yes. Whether first or last, you're accepted."

With the Qinglong Token in his pocket, Gongsun Shou and Heiying left the room.

"Before we leave, we should meet Mr. Bai and say goodbye. It's all thanks to the best teacher I've ever had."

"...If Mr. Bai is the best teacher, then you were the best student."

"Do one thing at a time. If you keep changing your mind, you'll end up with horns on your ass. Haven't you heard that saying?"

"Since it's the last day, please indulge me a little."

"Tsk tsk. Who would marry such a brat..."

The two left the room, chatting about trivial matters.

"Grandpa!"

"Old man. Why are you so late?"

Wei Zitian, who had been waiting in the pavilion, waved his hand, and Xian Yuanjiang, who looked pale, grumbled.

'Hmm. Is that kid even human?'

Xian Yuanjiang, who had been severely injured, surprisingly recovered enough to walk on his own in just a few days.

It was thanks to the spirit medicines Gongsun Shou generously gave him and the Lushen Eighteen Forms Bai Shulong taught him, but to the two of them, he seemed like a monster.

'Anyway, it's fortunate to see him recovered before we leave.'

Gongsun Shou, who had spent a month at the beloved Bai Long Hall, looked around and said to everyone,

"Let's go before we're late for the enrolment ceremony."

Today was the day of the Qinglong Academy enrolment ceremony.

And today, Gongsun Shou would return to the imperial palace.

* * *

The enrolment ceremony was grandly arranged.

In the center of the grand training hall, one hundred new students lined up.

Their parents and acquaintances watched them with emotional expressions.

"A while ago, we faced a challenge from vicious assassins. You will remember the incident at the sparring test venue."

The new students nodded seriously at the words of Luo Junxiang, the head of Qinglong Academy.

The assassination attempt at the sparring test venue was officially announced as a plot to disrupt the Qinglong Academy entrance exam.

Ultimately, it fostered a sense of camaraderie among this year's new students.

"Throughout history, challenges from the evil factions have continued, but as always, we will overcome them. Qinglong Academy will stand at the forefront of eradicating evil!"

Thunderous applause erupted as Luo Junxiang finished his speech.

Luo Junxiang stepped down from the podium, and Mai Jilian, who was hosting the ceremony, said,

"Next, we have the speech from the top-ranked new student. Please come up, top-ranked student."

A moment later, a boy began to ascend the podium.

Smaller in stature and more delicate in build,

he looked more like someone who would be swung by a sword rather than swing one, but no one there could ignore him.

'That kid is Wei Zitian...'

'The genius who fought on equal terms with Senior Dugu Jun.'

'To think a monster like him is my age...'

All the Qinglong Academy instructors agreed unanimously.

The top-ranked student with overwhelming scores.

The new students looked at Wei Zitian with a mix of admiration, envy, and jealousy.

"Yes. Enjoy this moment. The graduation speech will definitely be mine..."

Nangong Shi, who also secured the second place unanimously, gritted his teeth with fierce competitiveness.

But Wei Zitian paid no attention to Nangong Shi.

He was almost blinded by the overwhelming gaze of the crowd.

"Ah, hello. I'm Wei Zitian."

The shy boy's greeting made some people laugh, while others looked displeased.

Mai Jilian reassured Wei Zitian,

"Just speak your mind."

The new student speech, along with the graduation speech, was one of the most glorious moments a student could experience at Qinglong Academy.

"I... wanted to stand here as the top-ranked student."

In the place where everyone was looking at him, Wei Zitian continued, his face blushing with embarrassment.

"It's because I wanted to yield the new student speech to someone else."

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

Everyone was surprised by his words, but Gongsun Shou was the most shocked.

Wei Zitian had been looking at him all along.

"Chena. You can't be serious..."

"Mr. Gongsun Shou. Please come up."

Gongsun Shou shook his head in disbelief at Wei Zitian's request.

This was wrong.

He couldn't take the reward Wei Zitian earned through hard work just because they were close.

At that moment,

"Sir."

Bai Shulong, who had approached unnoticed, gently pushed Gongsun Shou's back.

"Go up quickly. If you don't, Chena's face might turn red and burst."

"...Did you know about this?"

Bai Shulong sighed and shrugged.

"How could I know what the kids were thinking? They must have prepared it secretly. Anyway, go up. If the ceremony gets longer, my shift will be delayed too."

Pushed from behind, Gongsun Shou found himself on the podium. Wei Zitian encouraged him and quickly descended.

"Hmm... I'm not sure if this is right. Headmaster, can I really do this?"

Gongsun Shou asked Luo Junxiang, who initially looked surprised but then smiled.

"Since it's a reward for Student Wei Zitian, how he uses it is up to him."

In the end, it was a way of telling Gongsun Shou to give the new student speech.

"Hmm... I see. I understand."

After a brief moment of surprise,

Gongsun Shou, who had been dignified even in front of the Emperor and many ministers, wouldn't be nervous in front of just a few hundred people.

After a moment to gather his thoughts, he looked calmly at the students below.

"My name is Gongsun Shou. I'm sixty-five this year. If there's a new student older than me, please come up. These days, it's hard to guess someone's age just by their face."

Gongsun Shou's joke made the audience burst into laughter, especially when he glanced at the VIP seat where Nangong Jixue was sitting.

With everyone's attention, Gongsun Shou continued.

"I'm not the top-ranked student, so I don't have grand ambitions. However, I'd like to share a few words of advice. If you think an old man's words are just nagging, feel free to ignore them."

Everyone was now focused on Gongsun Shou's voice.

He might be the weakest in martial arts among this year's new students, but the natural aura he exuded dominated the audience.

"First, don't be discouraged if you think you're not as good as others. When you feel that way, think of me. I only stood here at your age when I was sixty-five."

Gongsun Shou looked at Wei Zitian, who had returned to his place.

A boy with talent that everyone envied.

"...The world is an unfair place. Your life is almost decided by who your parents are, how much talent you have, and what you possess. Changing that is not easy."

But.

To Gongsun Shou, Nangong Shi, who was biting his lip behind Wei Zitian, and the children behind him, all had enviable talents.

All the children who entered Qinglong Academy were among the most talented in the martial world.

"I'm not telling you not to work hard. Give your best every day. Remember that today will never come again."

Gongsun Shou turned his head to look at Xian Yuanjiang.

A rough-looking but kind-hearted boy.

Despite losing to Wei Zitian every day in sparring, he still believed he would win someday and worked hard.

"If you give your best, that's enough to do well."

Xian Yuanjiang pouted and grumbled. He probably muttered, "Damn old man."

Gongsun Shou smiled and turned to look at Heiying.

"Second, make good friends. If you only look up, you'll end up with no friends and only enemies around you."

Heiying... was holding back tears.

Their relationship started as a bodyguard and the person being protected, but now they were more than friends; they were family.

'Why cry on such a good day?'

Gongsun Shou smiled at Heiying and then turned to look at Bai Shulong.

Their eyes met.

"Finally, find a good teacher."

"..."

Gongsun Shou's eyes softened, and Bai Shulong smiled warmly.

"If you meet a teacher who believes in your potential, you will realize you are much more capable than you think."

Gongsun Shou didn't believe in himself at first.

It might have been just a light-hearted game or a joke, as Dugu Jun said.

'You made it serious.'

You awakened the potential that the student didn't believe in and made him believe he could do it.

And you made it a reality.

Who else but Bai Shulong could have done this?

'You were the best teacher.'

'You were the best student.'

Without speaking or sending telepathic messages, the two understood each other's hearts through their eyes.

"That's all I wanted to say. No matter where I am in the future, I wish all the new students of Qinglong Academy success and good fortune in martial arts."

Taking a step back, Gongsun Shou bowed slightly with a salute.

Clap, clap clap.

Bai Shulong started clapping.

It wasn't a formal or obligatory applause but a heartfelt one.

Heiying, Xian Yuanjiang, and Wei Zitian also began clapping, and the applause spread like wildfire, continuing for quite a while even after Gongsun Shou descended from the podium.

After the enrolment ceremony, Gongsun Shou submitted his resignation to Qinglong Academy.