11 - The Heroine Insists on Being My Master

Because Wen Jiayin didn't recognize all the characters, Xinyun used this as an excuse to delay sending her to the academy for several days. It wasn't until the sect leader repeatedly urged him that he had to hand her over to her senior brother. The first time Wen Jiayin climbed onto the back of the white crane, she was filled with curiosity, touching everything around her. Xinyun secured the spiritual belt around her to prevent her from falling off midway. "Don't worry, Master. Mantou will take me to the academy, so you don't have to worry." Mantou was the name Wen Jiayin gave to the celestial crane she was riding. Her nickname was Rice Cake, and the crane was called Mantou—didn't that sound harmonious? "Don't play around on the way and be careful not to fall mid-air. Return home early after class," Xinyun advised her repeatedly, even though he knew Wen Jiayin was obedient and unlike those mischievous children. "Got it, Master. Goodbye!" Wen Jiayin waved her hand, and with a cry, the celestial crane spread its wings and soared into the azure sky. Due to the influence of her past life's schooling, Wen Jiayin held a certain reverence for the idea of an academy. So even though Xinyun told her she could go a bit later, she still arrived an hour early. The academy of the Jingdao Sect was mainly prepared for disciples who hadn't yet found a master. Here, disciples above the Golden Core stage were sent from various peaks, except Lingjian Peak, to guide new children. Otherwise, the path of cultivation, already profound and mysterious, would be even harder to embark upon without a guiding elder, especially for those with slightly weaker talents. The reason why disciples like Wen Jiayin, who already had a master, were also required to attend for a time was because of the order of the current sect leader. After assuming the position, he noticed the growing tension between the inner and outer disciples. Many of the gifted ones placed themselves on a high pedestal, creating a huge gap between personal disciples and ordinary ones. Over time, this was detrimental to the sect’s harmony and unity. Thus, he devised a plan to foster camaraderie among all children during their formative years. Simultaneously, this allowed the personal disciples to systematically learn the basics about the cultivation world, as their masters often couldn't cover everything in detail. Without this knowledge, when they ventured outside for experience, they were often seen as rich lambs waiting to be slaughtered—lacking awareness but rich in resources. This method indeed had some impact in the following days—both positive and negative. On the positive side, personal disciples did mingle more with ordinary ones, but negatively, some kids were starting to become as cunning as seasoned professionals at such a young age. And this wasn’t just an isolated case; if left unchecked, it would cause significant trouble in the long run. Right now, though, that big trouble hadn't manifested yet. However, a new issue was already flying towards the academy on a celestial crane, and the sect leader's real headache was about to begin. The crane landed steadily at the academy's entrance. A few children were already there, their eyes full of curiosity and envy as they watched the crane descend from the sky. Clearly, this was another elder's disciple. Otherwise, how could they arrive on a celestial crane? Yet, this face seemed unfamiliar; it was the first time they had seen it despite classes having been ongoing for several days. Wen Jiayin untied the spirit belt and jumped off Mantou. "Thank you, here's your reward." Wen Jiayin took out two small silver fish from her storage pouch and fed them to Mantou. These small fish were the crane's favorite treats. After receiving the reward, Mantou let out two satisfied cries. "You can go play now. Come back to pick me up when it's time," Wen Jiayin said, patting Mantou's wing. Mantou nuzzled against Wen Jiayin's face, almost messing up the hair that Xinyun meticulously styled for her that morning. "Alright, alright, be good now." Wen Jiayin, tickled by Mantou's affection, laughed and pushed its head away. With a chirp, Mantou then flew away from the academy. Wen Jiayin tidied her hair and turned to walk into her designated classroom. The children inside stared wide-eyed at the new classmate, making Wen Jiayin feel slightly embarrassed. The classroom had many desks, none marked with any indication of ownership, nor were there any books. But from her previous life's experience, Wen Jiayin knew that students usually fixed their seats in the first few days of school, and accidentally sitting in someone else's spot could cause quite a scene. "Hi, excuse me. May I know which seats are unoccupied?" Wen Jiayin approached a group of three children, trying to be as polite and friendly as possible. But the children still looked nervous. "I'm not sure... I haven't noticed, sorry..." said one girl, almost on the verge of tears. "Sorry, I don't know either. The seats at the front are all taken. I didn't look back during class..." The second girl, though not as tearful as the first, also seemed uneasy. Am I some sort of villain? Wen Jiayin was baffled by the reaction of the two girls. "But there's definitely one that's empty! It's over there." A chubby little boy pointed directly at a seat in the third-to-last row. "Thank you!" Wen Jiayin expressed her gratitude and headed to the indicated seat. "Oh no, Little Fat, why would you mention that seat?" the first girl said, her eyes starting to well up. "Zhi Chang'an is already so pitiful..." "Stop it." The second girl tugged at the first girl's sleeve. "I just knew that seat was empty... I didn’t know..." Little Fat, seemingly a bit dimwitted, realizing he might have messed up, stood there biting his finger in distress. Wen Jiayin sat down, propping her chin as she scanned the room. Ever since her arrival, the three children's silence was almost exaggerated. She was new here; was there really a reason to be so fearful? Strange... As time passed, more people entered the classroom. Sitting in the back row, Wen Jiayin went mostly unnoticed by the newcomers, and the classroom atmosphere grew lively. After a while, Wen Jiayin heard a sudden rush of noise outside, and a large group of children came in, surrounding a familiar face in the center—it was the most boisterous one from the celestial boat, the little princess Chu Mingqi. As a direct disciple of a peak master, it was no surprise she became a sought-after figure for others to cling to. Just when Wen Jiayin thought the seat next to her might remain empty as class was about to start, a somewhat disheveled figure quickly slipped into it. Before Wen Jiayin could react, the person beside her was startled enough to fall to the ground. A loud "thud" resonated, though it went largely unnoticed amid the classroom noise. "It's you!" Wen Jiayin’s eyes brightened. Wasn't this the little half-demon girl she’d found in the bushes before? "You ran so fast that time, I called my master over but couldn’t find you. Did those troublemakers catch you? I brought fasting pills today, do you want some?" The half-demon girl helped up her chair with her head down, completely ignoring Wen Jiayin's words. However, Wen Jiayin noticed her face now bore many wounds that hadn’t been there the last time. Well, without needing an answer, it was clear those troublemakers had indeed gotten to her. Those kids were truly annoying, she thought. To encounter school bullying even in the cultivation world—Wen Jiayin frowned, about to speak when she suddenly heard a loud "bang." Her desk shook from the impact. A shadow loomed over her, and Wen Jiayin looked up to see a face yet to lose its childishness. "Who allowed you to sit here?" It was a familiar face—wasn't this the troublemaker who had thrown a talisman at her on the celestial boat? "Is someone sitting here?" Wen Jiayin glanced at the trembling half-demon beside her. She remained silent, so Wen Jiayin turned to the defiant child. "No one, but I won’t allow you to sit here!" Great, truly a troublesome child's response. "Why can't I sit if no one's here?" Wen Jiayin pondered and then added, "Who are you, anyway? Why should I listen to you?" Her question was genuinely curious about the child's identity, but to the child, it sounded completely like a challenge, causing her expression to radiate fury. The entire classroom fell silent; some children with a strong survival instinct were already by the windows, preparing to escape. If two Qi Condensation cultivators started to fight, they ordinary folks wouldn’t stand a chance. Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who cast a power stone or drenched the work with nutrient solutions between January 28, 2022, 23:44:37 and January 29, 23:29:53! Thanks to the angel who cast a landmine: Kan with 1 mine. Thanks to the angels who provided nutrient solutions: Zichu Yunqi, 48296533, a spying monarch with 10 bottles; Passionate Kai's chef with 5 bottles; Pikachu who loves sweets, 54715980 with 2 bottles; xyh, Mo Mian with 1 bottle each. Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site.