The Legend of the Netherworld

Lin Qing led the five people along the fork in the road on the left. After passing through a long corridor, there was a steep staircase in front.

Lin Xiao and others followed him up step by step, their hearts filled with anticipation and anxiety for the upcoming new life.

Finally, at the end of the steps, a large archway appeared. On the door plaque were three powerful characters: Xuelin House. The gate was surrounded by a wall, which looked very solemn.

Looking through the gate, the first thing that catches your eye is an exquisite flower bed, the flowers in it swaying gently in the sunlight. Looking further inside, you can see three large houses, the layout of the courtyard is quite simple.

There were already some children playing in the yard, and it looked like they had been there for a few days.

Lin Qing led the five people to the large house on the left and motioned them to wait outside while he went inside and explained the situation to the steward of the Xuelin House. After a while, Lin Qing came out with five Taoist robes and five bamboo mats, and then distributed the items to Lin Xiao and the others.

"The five of you will stay inside tonight. The manager will take you to your accommodation for tonight. You will attend the initiation ceremony tomorrow. I'm leaving first. If you need help with anything, you can come to Baicao Garden to find me. You can ask anyone where Baicao Garden is." After Lin Qing finished giving his instructions, he turned and left.

The steward of Xuelin House looked at the five people and gestured for them to follow him. They were led to the main house in the middle. The steward pointed inside and said, "You will stay here tonight. You will eat in the room on the right."

After the five people entered the house, they were shocked by the scene before them.

The main room was covered in straw mats, looking unkempt, with about thirty children already living there. The air was filled with a faint smell of sweat and chaos, completely different from the Feng Shui academy they had imagined.

Seeing the reactions of the five people, the steward said coldly: "You are here to practice, not to enjoy yourself. Stay here if you can. If you can't, go find the person who brought you here now." There was impatience in his tone, and it was obvious that he was accustomed to this kind of scene.

After hearing this, Lin Xiao walked into the house first without hesitation, found an open space, and waved for the others to follow. Seeing this, Yuan Hong and Wang Yiming had no choice but to follow Lin Xiao and spread their own straw mats beside him.

However, there was not much space in the house, and after the three of them had laid out the mat, there was no room left for Wang Hao and Liu Yi.

At this time, Lin Xiao thought for a moment, and said to Wang Hao and Liu Yi with a smile: "Don't spread it out. Three straw mats are enough for the five of us tonight."

After hearing this, Wang Hao and Liu Yi had no choice but to put down the straw mats in their hands and sat down silently, looking a little depressed. At this moment, Liu Yi suddenly burst into tears.

Although she came from a small village and had suffered a lot, she had never experienced such a chaotic scene. Coupled with the fact that she was far away from the security of her hometown, she couldn't help crying.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao immediately stepped forward to comfort her. He squatted down, gently hugged Liu Yi, and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid, it's okay. It's just like this at the beginning, and it will definitely get better later."

Liu Yi asked in a tearful voice, "Really?"

Lin Xiao nodded firmly: "Really."

Liu Yi continued to sob softly in Lin Xiao's arms. Wang Hao, Yuan Hong, and Wang Yiming, seeing this, all stepped forward to comfort her, trying to reassure her. Although each of them harbored their own anxieties and confusion, at this moment, their hearts felt closer.

The children around looked at this scene without any reaction. After all, they had been here for a few days and had long been accustomed to the emotional fluctuations of every new student who had just arrived. Some villages that were close to the Feng Shui Academy came early, while some villages that were far away would not even arrive until tonight.

Lin Xiao sat with four friends. Although the room was a bit crowded with thirty people, he didn't feel it too much. After all, Lin Xiao had experienced all kinds of hardships in the real world and had long been accustomed to the complex living environment.

He had much more experience than the other children around him, but seeing that his four friends were still immersed in uneasiness and anxiety, he took the initiative to find topics to talk about and told the stories about Feng Shui Academy that Lin Jiao had told him before.

"Lin Jiao told me that she suffered a lot when she first arrived at the academy. She sweated countless times while practicing martial arts, and she even fought with a giant python and captured a wolf!" Lin Xiao described it vividly, telling the stories he knew about the Feng Shui Academy vividly.

Listening to these adventure stories, Yuan Hong, Wang Yiming, Wang Hao and Liu Yi's attention was gradually attracted, and their tense expressions relaxed a little.

Lin Xiao was halfway through his speech when he suddenly felt a shock in his heart. He thought to himself, "Lin Jiao was only six years old at that time. A little girl came to this huge room alone without knowing anyone. What a huge pressure she must have been under. It was really not easy for her to persevere."

Just as Lin Xiao was sighing, the steward suddenly came over, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, "Lin Xiao, someone is looking for you at the door."

Lin Xiao was a little surprised, but then he stood up and was about to go alone when Liu Yi grabbed his sleeve, unwilling to let him go. Helplessly, Lin Xiao asked the children nearby to look after their luggage. Then, Lin Xiao took Liu Yi, Wang Hao, Wang Yiming, and Yuan Hong to see who was looking for him.

Several people came to the door of Xue Lin's house. As soon as they went out, Lin Xiao saw a familiar figure - it was Lin Jiao.

"Sister Lin Jiao!" As soon as the four children saw her, they cheered, ran towards Lin Jiao, hugged her tightly, and rushed to complain to her about what had just happened in Xue Lin's house.

Lin Jiao patted their backs gently and soothed them softly, "Don't worry. This is the academy's first test for every new student. Tomorrow, after you complete the initiation ceremony, you can move out and move to your master's sect. It will be much more comfortable there, so you must persevere."

Hearing this, the four friends' emotions immediately eased up, and a few smiles appeared on their faces. Seeing this, Lin Jiao smiled and suggested, "Would you like to go out for a walk? I'll take you to familiarize yourself with the environment of the academy in advance."

"Yes!" the four answered in unison, their eyes full of anticipation.

So, Lin Xiao and the others followed Lin Jiao out of the schoolhouse. According to the rules, freshmen weren't allowed to leave the schoolhouse at will, but who was Lin Jiao? She was the headmaster's direct disciple, so naturally she had some privileges.

Lin Xiao and the four children's departure was seen by some children in the yard.