“Waters gleam, mountains rise, a tranquil gaze on far horizons. Home again, I rest beside my window, thoughts adrift. Uncaring, the spring wind blows, oblivious to Jiangnan’s showers. I smile, observing the rain-slick lanes where wanderers explore.”
Five days have passed since Su Baiyi left Apricot Blossom Village. Now their carriage finally entered Qiantang City, into the heart of the Shili Langdang Mountains, famed as the most verdant in Jiangnan. Su Baiyi pulled open the curtain of the carriage and looked at the scenery outside the window, and couldn’t help but recite the poem his master often murmured when drunk.
“They say the south of the Yangtze is a land of wine, where travelers drown their sorrows in a cup. But I know the south of the Yangtze has no wine, I only smile and see the spring breeze carry the fragrance for ten miles.” The short and sturdy man who was driving the carriage also laughed and continued.
“Oh, you know this poem too, Li Kui.” Su Baiyi teased. After five days of traveling together, Su Baiyi had become quite familiar with the academy’s carriage driver, Li Kui. Though Li Kui initially appeared cold and stern, Su Baiyi soon discovered his kind and warm heart. The man’s outward aloofness was merely due to his somewhat wooden personality, making communication a challenge.
But Su Baiyi was good at communicating with people. He could chat for three days and nights even with a block of wood. But even so, Li Kui still felt that Su Baiyi was bragging when he said that his master was Xie Kanhua.
Li Kui took a sip of water from his waist flask. “Being a carriage driver is a rough job, you don’t need to know any poetry or literature. But I’m different, I’m a carriage driver in Shili Langdang Academy. There are three hundred scholars here, nine gentlemen, and Mr. Confucius himself. I can’t lose face for them. We’ve arrived.”
Li Kui’s carriage came to a halt, and Su Baiyi lifted the curtain and stepped out. In the distance, nestled amidst the woods, stood an elegant academy. Clouds and mist wreathed around it, birds flitted through the air. It appeared ethereal and dreamlike. Su Baiyi rubbed his eyes, but upon opening them again, the scene remained unchanged.
The mountains here were not high, how could there be clouds and mist? And this academy, why did it look so close, yet so far?
“Do you see it?” Li Kui asked.
“Something is strange.” Su Baiyi muttered.
“This is the formation set up by the gentlemen of the academy, called ‘Far in the Sky, Near in the Eye’. If ordinary people enter this formation, they will not be able to get out for three days and three nights. Close your eyes.” Li Kui grabbed Su Baiyi’s sleeve.
Su Baiyi understood that the academy’s seclusion for so many years must have a profound reason behind it. He promptly closed his eyes as instructed. Immediately, he felt the world spin around him. His feet seemed to remain still, yet he could vaguely sense the scenery before him rapidly shifting. After what felt like half an incense stick’s worth of time, Li Kui calmly announced, “We’re here.”
Su Baiyi opened his eyes to see a number of academy disciples in white robes hurrying past, books in hand. He quickly turned and found the academy’s main gate closed tight behind him. He was stunned, “We’re already inside?”
Li Kui ignored him and led him straight ahead. “Now that the Confucian Sage is traveling outside, the affairs of the academy are handled by gentleman Zhou Zheng. I’ll take you to the separate courtyard where he teaches his disciples. Let’s meet him first.”
“Li Kui, how did you do that just now?” Su Baiyi was still marveling at the wonderful experience. “I felt like I didn’t move at all. How come I opened my eyes and I was in this academy?”
“The academy has its own mysteries. This place gathers the finest minds, knowledge, and virtues under one roof. It is called by the people ‘one academy here, a mountain to revere’. It is the place that all scholars aspire to. If there are two choices in front of a scholar: one is to pass the imperial examination and become an official in the capital, and the other is to join the academy and become one of the gentlemen, then most of them will choose the latter. Serving as an official brings fleeting wealth, but becoming a gentleman is an honor that echoes through generations…” Li Kui said proudly.
Su Baiyi waved his hand and interrupted, “Li Kui, you sound like you memorized this by force…”
Li Kui blushed a bit, “I am indeed proud to be a part of the academy, but I don’t know how to express that pride to others. So I asked a young lady to write those words for me…”
Su Baiyi followed Li Kui into a separate courtyard. Li Kui saw that there was no teacher in charge of teaching in the courtyard, so he asked Su Baiyi to go in and sit down first. He went to find Gentleman Zhou Zheng. After Li Kui left, Su Baiyi looked around the courtyard and saw a group of academy disciples discussing something. But unlike the ones he had seen before, these people seemed to have four words inscribed on their backs…
Su Baiyi read them out word by word, “Un… restrained… by… evil.”
The person in front heard the voice behind him and turned around. He was very tall, a whole head taller than Su Baiyi. He wore a loose white robe, with drooping eyes, looking listless. He played with the toothpick in his mouth and looked down at Su Baiyi. “New here?”
“I’m Su Baiyi, from Apricot Blossom Village.” Su Baiyi glanced at the man and felt like he had seen him somewhere.
“Apricot Blossom Village?” The tall man frowned and said, “Never heard of it. But you, I think I’ve seen you before.”
The students who were scattered around the courtyard all gathered around and stood behind the tall man. They all wore the same loose white robes as the leader, looking nothing like academy scholars. One of them took out the bamboo sword tied to his waist and pointed at the sword at Su Baiyi’s waist, saying ominously, “Boss, this guy hasn’t unloaded his iron yet.”
“You’ve got some guts, huh? Hasn’t anyone taught you the rules?” The tall man picked his ear with a finger and said, “What’s your name again?”
“Su Baiyi.” Su Baiyi frowned. He suddenly remembered who this tall man was. He was Feng Zuojun, the academy student who fought against the four guards of the four major families in Twilight City that day!
“I’ve definitely seen you before.” Feng Zuojun said solemnly, “Turn around!”
Su Baiyi chuckled nervously, “What do you want to do?”
Feng Zuojun suddenly leaped forward, landing behind Su Baiyi. He looked at Su Baiyi’s back and realized, shouting, “I remember now, you were the one who snatched the green-robed young master from us that day! I remember your back! How dare you come to the academy!”
Su Baiyi backed away, “It’s a misunderstanding.”
“My very first task upon descending the mountain as the esteemed leader of the Extremely Evil Gang was supposed to be a great show-off in front of Xie San. But you, you ruined it! My senior sister warned me against trouble and sent me back to the academy. Yet, here you are, delivering yourself to me. Excellent, simply excellent.”
“What? Extremely Evil Gang.” Su Baiyi was very nervous at first, but he couldn’t help laughing out loud, “I’ve heard that the academy is the best in learning in the world, but this name is too low-class.”
Feng Zuojun was stunned at first, then furious. “Kid, you said our Extremely Evil Gang’s name is ugly!”
“This young master is quite honest and direct.” A voice with a hint of amusement suddenly sounded.
The tall man’s followers all drew their bamboo swords, their gazes fixed on the courtyard entrance, beyond Su Baiyi. Curious, Su Baiyi turned to see a group of men in scholar robes entering the courtyard. Unlike the ruffians he’d just encountered, these men were impeccably dressed, though their robes were a striking blood red, dotted with a few white cherry blossoms. Their leader, with a stern face and icy eyes, glanced at the tall man, then at Su Baiyi, but said nothing.
“Master Feng, the way of extreme evil is not the way of extreme cruelty, nor is it to pick up a bamboo sword and hit people every day.” The fair-skinned young master who was waving a folding fan next to the leader said with a smile. He was the one who had spoken just now.
“Lan Yuzhe, what right do you have to talk to me?” Feng Zuojun hoisted his bamboo sword onto his shoulder, seemingly ready to strike at any moment.
Su Baiyi looked closely at the folding fan in Lan Yuzhe’s hand and saw that there were also four words on it. He frowned and read, “Don’t Rebel Against Superiors?”
“That’s right, don’t rebel against superiors.” Lan Yuzhe closed his fan. “Young master, are you interested in joining our Blood Cherry Sect?”