Chapter Twenty-One: The Freshmen Assembly

Time passed as swiftly as a white horse leaping across a chasm. Before long, it was time for the group to set off, once again led by Master Men Zijian, bound for the city of Yuanzhou.

Among the thirty travelers, Ma Yuan recognized most of them only by sight, but beyond Wang Xian and Hou Xinjie, he was surprised to spot Cheng Yunfeng. He had never expected that Cheng Yunfeng would occupy one of the quotas allotted to Quhe Academy.

"Wang Xian, why is Cheng Yunfeng here? I thought he didn't study at Quhe Academy?" Hou Xinjie, whose eyes were sharp, had spotted him immediately.

At this moment, Cheng Yunfeng had regained his air of arrogance, head held high. He was flanked by several sycophants—clearly children from impoverished backgrounds.

Wang Xian nodded. He had learned of this two days prior after returning home; his father had told him that the Cheng family had paid a hefty price to buy a spot from the academy. The specific motive remained unclear, but one thing was certain: they were up to no good.

"It doesn't matter. We’ll deal with it once we reach the military academy," Wang Xian said to Hou Xinjie. There was no point in trading barbs now.

With a wave of Men Zijian’s hand, the group from Quhe Academy began their journey toward the distant city of Yuanzhou. Against the backdrop of the massive Gao City gatehouse, the group appeared minuscule, gradually fading into the distance.

...

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed, and Men Zijian’s group finally arrived at Yuanzhou.

Before their eyes, the ancient and imposing gatehouse of Yuanzhou soared into the clouds. Atop the walls, soldiers armed with rifles stood as motionless as statues.

"Master Men, why are there so many soldiers in Yuanzhou? Is there going to be a war?" one of the students asked.

Men Zijian looked up at the ramparts and shook his head slightly. "It is not a war, merely a precaution. If war were to truly reach Yuanzhou one day, I fear the entire world would descend into chaos."

The group nodded, half-understanding. Little did they know that in a few years, the world would indeed fall into the very chaos Men Zijian had described.

Upon reaching Huali Military Academy, Mr. Li Zhongmin, who had visited Gao City previously, was already waiting at the gate to receive them.

"Mr. Li."
"Master Men."

After exchanging greetings, the group from Quhe Academy followed Li Zhongmin into Huali Military Academy.

Huali Military Academy had been established twenty-five years ago. With a new class admitted every four years, this was the sixth intake. Thus, Ma Yuan and his cohort were the sixth-term cadets.

Just like their entry into Quhe Academy, they were assigned dormitories based on their places of origin. Consequently, Ma Yuan, Hou Xinjie, and Wang Xian were placed together.

Besides the three of them, there were three others in their dormitory: Tian Su, Li Bingtao, and Li Xiangyuan. Li Bingtao and Li Xiangyuan were from Gao City, while Tian Su was a transfer student—a local from Yuanzhou.

Aside from Li Xiangyuan, who was extremely introverted, the other two were easy to get along with, and they quickly became well-acquainted with Ma Yuan’s group.

Once the Quhe Academy group had settled in, Men Zijian offered a few final words of advice before returning to Gao City alone.

To welcome the newcomers from all corners of the land, the Dean’s Office announced on the fifth day after their arrival that a freshman assembly would be held that evening at Limin Square, where the Principal would explain the academy's rules and regulations.

That evening, Ma Yuan and his friends arrived at Limin Square early. Since the seats were assigned, they quickly found their places.

Ma Yuan estimated there were only about five hundred seats in total. This meant the academy was admitting only five hundred students—a very small number compared to the national population; even their hometown of Huixiang had more people than that.

Soon, people began to arrive in succession, and the once-quiet Limin Square grew lively.

"Hey, Wang Xian, Ma Yuan, since you’re from Gao City, you surely haven't heard how this Limin Square got its name, have you?" Tian Su, who was sitting next to them, suddenly spoke up.

Wang Xian and Ma Yuan shook their heads. Indeed, they knew very little about Huali Military Academy.

"Heh, let me enlighten you. This square has been named Limin Square since the academy was founded. Rumor has it that the person who founded this school was a major figure in the current government. The purpose of establishing this military academy was to 'establish destiny for the people, continue the lost teachings for past sages, create peace for all generations, and ensure the prosperity and security of the nation.'

"Furthermore, Huali Military Academy has a motto that all students must uphold. If anyone is found to have betrayed this motto after graduation, they are expelled from the alumni records and their names are carved onto the Academy's Wall of Shame as a warning to future students.

"The motto is: 'Apply knowledge to practice, and bring blessings to the citizenry.' The core mission of the academy is to ensure that the knowledge learned here is ultimately used for the benefit of the people."

Tian Su was quite knowledgeable about the academy and spoke with endless enthusiasm.

While they chatted, the school leadership took their seats on the stage, and the teacher presiding over the event began maintaining order.

"Students, first of all, we warmly welcome you to Huali Military Academy. As you know, our purpose is to cultivate talent for the nation, and our requirements for students are extremely strict. Next, I invite our Principal, Xiao Qingguo, to explain the relevant rules and regulations. Let us welcome him with applause," the teacher announced.

An elderly man, well past his sixties, stood up and walked steadily toward the microphone. Though he looked old, his gait was firm, possessing the demeanor of a veteran general—at least, that was the impression Ma Yuan had.

The old man stood still, adjusted the microphone, and smiled slightly. "Students, I am very happy to meet you all here. I am Xiao Qingguo, Principal of Huali Military Academy. On behalf of the academy, I welcome you.

"The school motto, 'Apply knowledge to practice, and bring blessings to the citizenry,' is something I trust you all know. I will not dwell on its meaning here. What I want to talk about is something you are all very concerned about: your lives after entering this school.

"As the teacher just mentioned, our requirements are very strict. Therefore, in one month, you five hundred students will undergo an entrance examination. Only those who pass will be granted official enrollment. Those who fail will be sent back to where they came from."

...

As for what Principal Xiao said afterward, Ma Yuan and the others paid little mind, as the group below had begun whispering among themselves about all sorts of trivial, new things.