Chapter Six: Zhou Ting

At this moment, Yang Fan had also come to understand—they were trying to win him over, hoping he would make a choice. He could not help but feel a surge of excitement. This morning, he had still been an orphan newly out of the welfare home, and now, before the afternoon was even over, he had become a sought-after genius whom all the great cultivator academies were eager to recruit. It was impossible for Yang Fan not to feel thrilled. Young people always have a touch of vanity, that sense of “you might not make it, but I can”—it’s universal. Besides, Yang Fan had always been the one to envy others; today’s experience gave him a sense of vindication. After all, it was the first time in his life.

“Director Liu, hello. Of course I’m very interested in the Capital Cultivator Academy. As you said, it’s the top academy in our country. But I’ve just finished my assessment and I’m still a bit overwhelmed. Could I give you my answer after I’ve calmed down a little?”

In truth, Yang Fan didn’t really know how to refuse. In his first eighteen years of life, he’d never encountered anything he could actually turn down. His introverted nature meant he seldom interacted with others, and no one ever sought his opinions or waited for him to make decisions.

Yang Fan had his own calculations. Though he seemed in high demand now, there really weren’t many academies that suited him. The ordinary cultivator academies didn’t appeal to him; his real options were only the top institutions—the Capital, the Metropolis, the Borderlands, the East, and a few others, with the Capital and the Metropolis being the best. But he’d taken Zhao Rui’s earlier words to heart. If he had to choose between the two, Yang Fan would rather pick the Metropolis. After all, staying away from the political center was always the choice of those without power or influence.

Nor was Yang Fan so naïve as to think that just because he had outstanding potential, he could sweep all obstacles aside. Before one has true strength, a certain amount of forbearance is necessary.

“Alright, Yang Fan,” Liu Jianan replied, “I understand how you feel right now, but I still hope you’ll choose our top academy! Think about your future, your cultivation.”

On the other end of the line, Liu Jianan frowned. After so many years recruiting, everyone he called had always come to the Capital, all full of excitement. But today, this fellow made Liu Jianan feel as though he’d punched into cotton—this guy’s first response was to delay. As the dignified director of admissions for the Capital Cultivator Academy, Liu Jianan couldn’t just keep pressing. Without waiting for Yang Fan’s further response, he hung up.

Hearing the busy tone from the other end, Yang Fan felt a little anxious, but it was nothing serious. As Liu Jianan said, one must consider one’s future, and for Yang Fan, the Capital just wasn’t right for someone like him.

The troubles of youth come swiftly and leave just as fast, like snowflakes drifting through a cold winter—who can say where the next one will fall?

When he woke, it was already evening. Days were always longer in the northwest; even after seven, the sky was only tinged with sunset, and the sun hadn’t yet set. As Yang Fan tidied up, preparing to go downstairs for dinner, there was a knock at the door.

Bang. Bang bang.

“Who is it?” Yang Fan asked instinctively.

“Metropolis Cultivator Academy. Zhou Ting,” came a girl’s voice from outside.

Metropolis Cultivator Academy? Yang Fan was puzzled again. This was all happening too quickly. Only this morning had he undergone the assessment, with a call from the Capital at noon. Now, just as evening fell, someone from the Metropolis had already shown up? The Metropolis was over three thousand kilometers from this small city in the northwest—there weren’t even direct flights. How had she arrived so soon?

With these questions in mind, Yang Fan opened the door.

Outside stood a young woman—she definitely wasn’t very old, but Yang Fan couldn’t pinpoint her age. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she carried a certain aura, something Yang Fan couldn’t quite define, as if she were naturally the center of gravity.

When Yang Fan opened the door, the girl walked straight into the room. He had no choice but to step aside and let her in.

“Let’s get straight to the point. I’m Zhou Ting, a sophomore at the Metropolis Cultivator Academy. I was at the Borderlands Cultivator Academy on an exchange when the academy called to tell me that a first-grade talent had appeared here in HM. They asked me to come and see if you’d be willing to join us at the Metropolis Cultivator Academy.”

Zhou Ting sat on a chair and spoke directly, without preamble, going straight to the heart of the matter.

Yang Fan was a little dazed. Did all these people from the cultivator academies speak so bluntly?

He was about to respond when Zhou Ting cut him off again.

“If you come to the Metropolis, the academy will provide all resources for grade one and two cultivation! And the first two floors of the Combat Techniques Tower will be open to you.”

“Is that all?” Yang Fan asked.

“Yes, that’s all,” Zhou Ting replied.

Yang Fan was speechless. Since you’ve come all this way, can’t you at least try to talk things through properly? Was this aggressive approach really effective?

And compared to the offer from the Borderlands Cultivator Academy, this was really lacking.

Although Yang Fan understood that the Metropolis and the Capital wouldn’t make such grand offers—they were never short of talented students—he still hadn’t expected the difference to be so stark!

“Do you know what the Borderlands Cultivator Academy offered me? They’ll provide all resources from grade one through grade three, unconditionally, and assign a grade seven expert as my mentor. Plus, all fees are waived, and there’s even a scholarship.”

Zhou Ting scoffed. “Is that all it takes to sway you? It seems you really don’t understand what our Metropolis Cultivator Academy stands for. Fine, since I’m here, let me tell you.

“Our motto at the Metropolis Cultivator Academy is: ‘A warrior must strive, a warrior must fight.’ What is a warrior? Is a cultivator a warrior? No—a cultivator is just a cultivator. To become a true warrior, the first thing you must do is strive. Fight for what? For resources, for wealth, for honor, for victory. If it’s about resources, the academy could raise you all the way from grade one to grade six without issue. But that’s not what we do. The academy only provides resources for grades one and two, because during the bone-tempering phase, we want students to progress quickly and not waste time. After grade three, once you have some combat ability, you’ll be able to enter the ruins. From then on, you’ll have to fight for your own path.

“It actually doesn’t matter which academy you choose. The real question is: do you have the courage to strive? At an ordinary academy, you’ll be competing with people whose talent and potential aren’t as great as yours. At the Metropolis Cultivator Academy, you’ll be competing with geniuses whose talent rivals your own. The strong grow stronger, the weak grow weaker—I don’t need to spell that out. Joining the Metropolis means you’re ready to fight for your own future. In this era of spiritual energy, striving is the most basic requirement for a warrior. Besides, the academy is willing to open the Combat Techniques Tower for you—that’s already a huge concession. I hope you won’t let this opportunity slip by.”

Young people can’t help but get fired up by others’ words, to picture themselves in a grand scene.

Eighteen years of ordinariness, eighteen years of loneliness—it seemed it would all end today.

“A warrior must strive? Alright, I’m willing to join the Metropolis Cultivator Academy. But I’d like to ask for something—not more resources, but could my tuition be waived, or at least deferred?”

At first, Yang Fan had spoken boldly, but his voice grew softer and his face reddened.

What could he do? Who says young people don’t know sorrow? At this moment, money was the thing that troubled him most. Altogether, he had at most three thousand yuan. The trip to the Metropolis would be expensive, and living there would also be an issue—he really couldn’t afford tuition!

“Tuition? Fine, I can make the call on that. You can delay payment for a year, and pay both years’ tuition next year.”

Zhou Ting was a bit surprised. With her privileged background, she’d never considered tuition as a problem. Seeing the embarrassed look on Yang Fan’s face, she found it a little amusing.

“Thank you,” Yang Fan muttered awkwardly. He didn’t know what else to say.

At that moment, the door was knocked again.

Bang bang bang.

The continuous knocking dispelled the bit of awkwardness in the room.

Yang Fan rose to open the door.

Outside stood the director of the HM City Cultivator Management Bureau, Zhao Rui.

“Brother Yang, I came straight over after work. You haven’t eaten yet, right? Let’s grab a bite and have a drink or two?”

As soon as the door opened, Zhao Rui grinned and spoke.

“Brother Zhao, I have a guest… Maybe you should eat first?” Yang Fan felt even more awkward. He had just agreed to the Metropolis Cultivator Academy, and now the Borderlands Cultivator Academy’s envoy, Zhao Rui, had arrived. He was using the phone Zhao Rui had given him, staying in the hotel Zhao Rui had arranged, yet he’d accepted someone else’s offer and hadn’t considered Zhao Rui’s feelings at all. He really did feel like an ingrate.

Still, for his future, Yang Fan had no other choice. After all, there was a real gap between the Borderlands and the Metropolis.

“A guest? Let me see! Let me see!” Zhao Rui seemed to have guessed something, and squeezed into the room.

Yang Fan had no choice but to step aside.

“Zhou Ting?” Zhao Rui exclaimed as soon as he entered, as if he’d seen something unbelievable.