Simple and direct—like an arrow exploding across the air and slamming into the burly middle-aged man's face.
In that instant, the seemingly weary old man erupted with terrifying sharpness, making most of the nearby youths widen their eyes in shock. In their minds, the image of the old man completely changed.
"Only an old frontier brute could fight like that—with such lethal intent. A master like this is actually driving a carriage? Check out the background of that youth."
Among the crowd of a thousand gathered carriages, a sharp-eyed, short-haired middle-aged man dressed in a green silk robe stood on the head of a black lacquered carriage. The moment the old man shot forward like an arrow, he gave this instruction to two burly men atop the neighboring carriages.
Those two men, also dressed in green silk robes, had bronzed, glossy skin as if oiled, and stood with upright posture and imposing presence. Yet upon hearing the command, they both respectfully lowered their heads. "Yes, my lord."
"Within the camp, loud noises and fighting are prohibited."
At that moment, a cold voice broke the silence—it was Xia Yanbing, who hadn't spoken until now. After saying this, he ignored both Lin Xi and the old man who had just struck, and didn't even spare a glance at the now bloody, groaning, and disfigured burly man on the ground. Holding a lantern, he turned and walked off toward the row of large tents near the lakeside, fireflies flitting around him.
An uproar spread among the youths at the lakeside.
Not saying anything before the fight, and only stepping in afterward with a perfunctory rule? Wasn't that blatant favoritism?
"Couldn't see how tough the old guy was? Even with the academy's people around, he acted so arrogant—he was just asking to be beaten." Some more observant youths glanced at the pale golden-robed boy and couldn't hide their scorn. But when they looked at Lin Xi, there was something curious in their eyes.
The main figure in the scuffle—the old man Lin Xi had called Uncle Liu—showed no emotion. Head bowed slightly, he calmly continued to drive the carriage. When he stopped at the stone monument and Lin Xi got off, he turned back and pointed toward the densely packed carriages. In a soft voice, he said to Lin Xi, "If you don't pass the entrance test, I'll wait for you over there."
"Alright, Uncle Liu." Lin Xi gave a bright smile, not even glancing at the golden-robed youth still awkwardly standing nearby. He walked toward the brilliant bonfires and lakeside tents, which to him looked like something out of a Quidditch World Cup.
Watching Lin Xi's pure smile, and thinking of his calm, non-confrontational personality, the old man found Lin Xi increasingly likable. But recalling how his actions today might cause trouble for Lin Xi, his brows furrowed slightly.
As Lin Xi walked, he took in the surroundings.
The tents were made of thick white canvas, spaced only five or six steps apart. Most of the youths gathered for the test were camped near the stone monument. Some covertly watched Lin Xi; others, more reserved, had already retreated into their tents. Meanwhile, a few bold ones stood chatting openly in front of their own tents.
"Sigh, that ended too quickly. I thought we'd see a real fight." Lin Xi heard a round-faced boy sigh as he passed the first bonfire.
"It wasn't that the guy was weak—it's just that the old man was too strong. That guy had already reached the Soul Master, and still got his nose smashed in with one punch. That old man must at least be in Great Soul Master level," a tall youth with natural brown hair said.
"Are you from the Frontier?" As Lin Xi curiously glanced at the two boys, a few others approached and asked.
"Frontier?" Lin Xi blinked. These young men were all lean but tough-looking, with short hair and a rugged, battle-hardened feel. They seemed older, and two of them had long black-bladed swords strapped to their backs.
"You from the frontier army?" asked a gaunt young man with a scar on his left eyebrow, seeing Lin Xi's confusion.
Lin Xi finally understood and shook his head. "No."
The friendliness in their expressions immediately disappeared. One of them, with a wolf-head tattoo on the back of his hand, sneered, "I thought so. You don't look like someone from the Frontier. Too soft."
"Let's go." The leader turned away without another word.
"Not a Frontier guy? Then are you a Golden Spoon or a Country Bump?" a chubby youth came over and asked cheerfully, seeing Lin Xi looking a bit embarrassed.
"What do you mean by Frontier Folk, Golden Spoons, and Country Bumps?" Lin Xi asked, looking at the freckled, half-a-head-shorter boy who seemed about his age.
The chubby boy grinned. "You really don't know? Then you're probably a Bumpkin like me. I'm Meng Bai from Yangguanling, Nanlin Province."
"I'm Lin Xi, from Ludongling, Donglin Province." Lin Xi instinctively held out his hand. Realizing too late that this wasn't the local custom, he saw Meng Bai happily wipe his hand on his green robe and shake it, assuming it was some Eastern ritual.
"I know Donglin is far east, but never heard of Ludongling," Meng Bai said honestly.
"You know more than I do. I've never heard of Nanlin Province. Is it in the south?" Lin Xi replied.
Both burst out laughing.
"So what exactly are Frontier Folk, Golden Spoons, and Country Bumps?" Lin Xi asked again, already growing fond of the cheerful Meng Bai.
"It's simple. Frontier Folk are either soldiers with enough military merit or those recommended by the frontier army. Golden Spoons are noble kids who inherit the right to take the academy exam. Country Bumps are those recommended by local officials—usually wealthy merchants or minor landlords who bought the right to recommend someone. They have no real backing," Meng Bai explained.
"So locals… Country Bumps? Sounds like Muggles," Lin Xi laughed. "Those names aren't very flattering."
"Of course not. None of the groups get along. Golden Spoons and Bumps think Frontier Folk are savages. Frontier Folk think the other two are spoiled and useless. Golden Spoons think Bumps are uncultured. Bumps think Golden Spoons are arrogant snobs. That guy you clashed with earlier is probably a Golden Spoon too… By the way, you're a Bump, right? How do you have such a powerful guard?"
Lin Xi thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I'm a Bump. My parents just own a few shops. Uncle Liu doesn't work for us—he was sent by some official, I think."
"That's a Bump Recommendation! Then your talent must be amazing!" Meng Bai gasped loudly.
Immediately, Lin Xi noticed many of the nearby youths casting curious or reevaluating glances at him.
"What's a Bump Recommendation?" Lin Xi asked in a hushed voice.
"It means a local official gave his rare recommendation to a random outsider with real talent, rather than his own allies. That's huge. Once the recommendation is used, they have to earn new merits or contributions to get another one," Meng Bai muttered. "Normally they'd keep that privilege for themselves."
"Really? A Bump Recommendation?" A cold-eyed, black-robed youth sitting by a distant fire sneered inwardly. "I don't believe your talent is greater than mine, Lin Xi."
"…What are you chewing on?" Lin Xi asked, baffled. Ever since their conversation began, Meng Bai had been chewing nonstop.
"Oh, some dried beef from Jinzhouling. It's a bit tough but tasty," Meng Bai said, pointing to a shy, square-faced youth who waved politely. "Let's go sit over there. I'll introduce you to some other Bumps—and you can try some beef too."
"I'm Xiang Lin, from Jinzhouling, Dasheng Province."
"I'm Li Kaiyun, from Jinghualing, North Province."
"I'm Zhang Ping, from Shuilongling, Xiaoxiang Province."
A minute—or sixty heartbeats—later, Lin Xi was sitting inside a tent with four other "Country Bumps," chewing on dried beef.
Li Kaiyun looked frail, with yellowish hair. Zhang Ping was the oldest and most mature-looking. According to Meng Bai, half the pharmacies in Xiaoxiang Province were owned by Zhang Ping's family.
"Lin Xi, which department do you most want to join at Qingluan Academy?" Zhang Ping asked.
Lin Xi choked on the beef. "Wait… Qingluan Academy has different departments?"