Headless Immortal

Chapter 61 Tempted yet Resilient

Xiao Cheng honed his basic skills in the hospital.

He wielded a thick iron sword with great skill, hot sweat seeping from under his skin, his muscles trembling as he shook off the sweat. The senior student from the academy only slowly stopped when he reached the door.

"Good job!"

The senior students at the academy clapped and cheered, exclaiming, "Junior brother, you have such martial arts skills at such a young age! You have a bright future ahead of you!"

Cheng Yan grabbed a gourd ladle, washed his face, and wiped it with a towel, saying, "Senior brother, you flatter me."

Senior Brother Zheng said with a smile, "Junior Brother, you came with that person, right?"

"Which one?"

Cheng Yan was somewhat surprised.

“The purple-bearded old man who is familiar with the headmaster.” Seeing Cheng Yan’s expression, Senior Brother Zheng realized that the other party seemed unaware, so he explained, “Yesterday evening, the five deans jointly issued a notice to recruit talents. If you find it difficult to continue studying, or if you want to obtain an official position in the southeast, you can apply to participate.”

Cheng Yan realized that the announcement had to be made at this particular time of year, and no one would believe it had nothing to do with the old man with the purple beard.

Senior Brother Zheng asked mysteriously, "Do you know who that person is?"

"I would appreciate your guidance, senior brother."

"I heard the dean refer to the other party as Dutang."

Senior Brother Zheng lowered his voice: "Junior Brother and his group arrived together with the Chief Minister, didn't you hear any news?"

Cheng Yan shook his head and explained how they met.

This group of people really has no connection with the Dutang.

"I see."

Zheng's previously eager expression immediately turned to disappointment. He had thought he could find a connection to rely on, but it turned out to be just a matter of fate.

He didn't neglect Cheng Yan, though. He saw that Cheng Yan's martial arts skills were not simple. If he practiced diligently, he might soon be able to cultivate true qi or even read magic power.

Once a person cultivates magical powers, they have the option to make choices.

Whether they take the imperial examinations or stay at the academy to teach, they will not become just another face in the crowd.

"Get up, let's go for a run!"

Senior Brother Zheng was quite polite to everyone.

Even though it was obvious that Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui had gone to the back mountain last night, they didn't say anything.

Go when you need to go, and never be absent.

Otherwise, if the teacher blames him, he'll be in deep trouble.

That's how they dragged Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui out of bed.

morning.

Master Cheng also shared this news with everyone.

The Master paced around the school and said, “Now is the time to make a name for yourself. If you do not want to wait any longer and feel that you can make military achievements first, you can sign up. Those who can read magic and refine true qi are the best. Those who are proficient in divination and archery are second best. If you feel that your martial arts are outstanding, you can also join the army after the test.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the faces of the crowd: "In my opinion, you are the worst class I have ever taught. You should not go and waste your lives."

A commotion erupted below.

Lu Xun, who was looking at the black cat beside the table, suddenly realized why Sun Shen had said he wouldn't stay long.

It turns out they were recruiting soldiers from the academy.

Of course, they were definitely not ordinary soldiers. Being able to read magic power and refine true qi meant they were at least at the rank of entry-level.

School ends at noon.

Master Cheng asked Cheng Yan a question privately: "The headmaster asked me to ask you a question: are you willing to go to the southeast?"

"Ah I?"

Cheng Yan was flattered and overwhelmed with disbelief.

“Not bad.” A hint of doubt flashed in Master Cheng’s eyes.

He was equally surprised that this student, who had just entered the academy, had attracted the attention of the headmaster.

It may seem like a casual remark, but it's actually a direct reference to the idiom, which raises doubts about its origin and prompts people to elaborate.

"You know that recruitment notice, right?"

"know."

"The bandits in the southeast are rampant and are showing signs of growing stronger. The governor himself came to the academy to recruit talents..." Master Cheng stopped there and did not continue, but the implication was clear: someone like Cheng Yan, who was being given special attention, would not be given the status of a clerk or a common soldier.

Cheng Yan was indeed somewhat tempted.

Turning my head, I saw the round-faced black cat shaking its head with a serious expression.

"Master, I'll think about it." "Good, this is a serious matter, so you should consider it carefully." Master Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, paused in his steps as he was about to leave, and advised, "No matter what your relationship is, or whose relative you are, he may be able to give you a good starting point, but everything still depends on your own strength."

"Without magic power, one is ultimately just an ordinary mortal."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Cheng Yan bowed deeply.

Master Cheng nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Standing in the empty schoolroom, Cheng Yan was somewhat lost in thought.

The three people waiting for him outside the door had different expressions. Zhou Changcai said enviously, "Wow, Brother Cheng, there's more to this than meets the eye. Tell me, what's your relationship with the headmaster?"

Wu Agui, in a similarly gentle manner, pressed for further details.

Cheng Yan chuckled and shook his head, saying helplessly, "Don't you all know my background? How could I possibly be related to the headmaster? If I were related, I wouldn't be ranked last."

“That’s true.” Wu Agui stroked his chin, puzzled.

Lu He remained relatively calm. Cheng Yan's status was already quite high for him, and he was thinking of him even though there was wine and meat available. He only sighed but felt no jealousy. He just vaguely felt that something was wrong, as if he had grasped the clue but had no idea about it, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

It wasn't easy for his family to scrape together the money to send him to the academy, so he had to study hard enough to develop magical powers and cultivate true energy.

The three were unaware of the details, but Cheng Yan likely knew what was going on.

If there's anything strange about him, it's all related to Uncle Cat.

Take a nap.

In the afternoon, we learned archery, taught by another instructor known as Master Wei.

……

We've had dinner.

Dusk has passed and night has arrived.

library.

Cheng Yanzhang had no interest in copying books or studying; his mind was already wandering somewhere else. He muttered to himself, "To go, or not to go?"

He already knew the purple-bearded old man was a high-ranking official, and he understood the principle that one must be strong oneself to succeed. But once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever. The attention of a powerful person might be temporary, and who knows how long it would take to wait for such an opportunity again? If he missed it, he might regret it for the rest of his life.

"Uncle Cat, what do you think, should I go or not?" Cheng Yan hesitated to ask Lü He and the others for their opinions.

No one can say for sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Going to the battlefield like Grandpa, earning military merit, and then returning to the small county town to become a squad leader or constable is already the best outcome for a common soldier.

He still wants to go further.

Even if not for themselves, they should start families for others.

The black cat pointed to the characters written with its paws on the rice paper.

Don't go.

"Don't go."

Cheng Yan kept repeating himself.

The black cat Lu Xun uttered a sentence, realizing that it would be better to write with its paws.

Cat language is more concise than monster language, conveying at most a meaning.

He believes that one must be strong oneself to succeed.

Becoming an apprentice might be a promising career path, but who should I hire?
If Lu Xun were to beg, perhaps Sun Shen would accept Cheng Yan's offer.

How can I repay such a huge favor?

The rich can repay with money, but the poor have to repay with their lives.

Lu Xun didn't want Xiao Cheng to go to the southeast and lose his life.

"Alive."

Cheng Yan saw the new characters written by Uncle Cat.

He didn't quite understand what it meant.

Studying at an academy is the most moderate and peaceful choice; one should not be exposed to fame and fortune too early and let it cloud one's judgment.

Even if a child who has just come of age has some talent, it won't be valued. If someone is truly promising, they should know that improving their skills is more important than anything else.

The academy is a good place, and the learning environment is also good.

Lu Xun decided to talk to the other party.

He didn't bring Grey Treasure; he walked out of the library alone, just the cat.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, I climbed up the wall and stepped onto the tiles, and in a few leaps, I had already run out of the library's area.

"A head transplant!"

(End of this chapter)