White Crane Academy was vast, encompassing much of White Crane Mountain.
The number of teachers and students at White Crane Academy was extremely small, their total not even matching one department of the Imperial First Military Academy.
Yet, the academy was equipped with everything one could need, boasting high-tech training and recuperation equipment rarely seen outside, which was truly breathtaking.
Moreover, during the visit, Tang Fei paid special attention to whether the academy had a parking lot for Flying Cars and a helipad for Star Discs...
There really were some.
No matter how tough things got, the leaders and the Royal Family couldn’t be inconvenienced.
Amid the proud explanations of the senior students, the newcomers were all swept up in excitement, believing that such an environment would undeniably lead to rapid advancement in Martial Arts; a grandmaster’s summit was not just a distant dream.
Tang Fei, however, remained clear-headed. He had suffered in life’s harshest ways, so he was cautious of any kindness the world had to offer.
If attaining grandmaster status was so easy, why were there only a few at White Crane Academy tasked with mentorship?
Great Grandmasters were almost mythical; there were but a few in the whole Empire...
His way of thinking was different from the rest.
Others saw opportunity and thought "If others can’t, I definitely can"...
Tang Fei thought: If others can’t, what makes me think I can?
So young, he had grasped the essence of contentment without ambition, the blithe spirit of "lying flat."
Chen Tianqi came over and said, "I heard from a senior just now that two students can share a small courtyard. You can choose freely, and if you don’t know anyone, the academy will assign one for you... Shall we share a courtyard?"
"No problem," Tang Fei readily agreed.
He didn’t know anyone else and was slightly familiar with Chen Tianqi, whom he had met on the road. Chen Tianqi talked a lot, but he was enthusiastic and seemed to be a good guy, probably much kinder than himself.
So far, he hadn’t seen any fatal flaws, so living together with him shouldn’t be an issue.
Seeing Tang Fei’s agreement, Chen Tianqi was delighted and said, "Then it’s settled. I’ll talk to the housing instructor later, and we’ll stay in the same courtyard... White Crane Academy really lives up to its name, even the students can live in small villas. Our Maritime College may be rich, but only certain leaders can live in villas, and ordinary teachers can only stay in small western-style buildings..."
"There’s plenty of land in the mountains, houses can be built freely. Phoenix City is a different story with its precious land," Tang Fei said with a smile.
Chen Tianqi shook his head and said, "You can’t just say that, how many people can build villas on White Crane Mountain? I heard the Royal Family wanted to build a tourist resort here; the project was initiated but then got shut down..."
"Really? Someone dared to defy the Royal Family?"
"It was our Dean Xuanyuan Mingjing... He was able to, and the Royal Family didn’t even let out a peep," Chen Tianqi said with admiration.
Tang Fei also nodded proudly and said, "See, the mentor I chose for myself isn’t bad, right? I’ve got a good eye for people."
Worried that Tang Fei might not be able to get out of this hole he dug, Chen Tianqi said, "I’ve told you, in such matters, trying hard once is enough, the rest is up to fate..."
"It’s my fortune if I get it, my fate if I don’t. Even if our mentor isn’t Dean Xuanyuan, we might still get another famous teacher... Just think, if a Grandmaster became our mentor... How prestigious would that be when we tell others?"
"I understand," Tang Fei said, knowing that Chen Tianqi meant well, after all, he was undertaking something unprecedented.
Hadn’t Si Yinchuan made it very clear? Such a thing never happened before, and he was the first to step forward and choose his own mentor...
Indeed, he was a man off the beaten path, a gallant fellow.
"I was just speaking off the cuff, a bit of striving might win the day, a little trial could go a long way. What if it works out, right? Besides, even if I fail, I won’t have lost anything... It’s not like I have to drop out if my mentor isn’t Xuanyuan Mingjing, right?"
"I’m glad you understand. I was worried you would go down a rabbit hole from which there’s no return. As practitioners and seekers of enlightenment, the last thing we need is to become stuck in our ways..." Chen Tianqi nodded, thinking to himself that maybe not all from Old Land were completely unapproachable.
Tang Fei was actually quite nice, friendly, and approachable...
Wait, why was he thinking of praising him?
At that moment, a senior student came over, looked around, and then asked, "Which one of you is Tang Fei?"
Tang Fei stepped forward and replied, "I am Tang Fei."
"Follow me." said the senior in a white robe.
Tang Fei looked at the senior, asking, "What’s the matter?"
"The Dean wants to see you."
"Which Dean?" Tang Fei thought it was Si Yinchuan who wanted to see him.
Si Yinchuan was the Vice Dean of the Academy, and perhaps he felt that Tang Fei had issued him an impossible request, so he wanted to talk and see if Tang Fei could retract his ambition...
"There is only one Dean at White Crane Academy," the senior in white said dissatisfiedly, "and that is Dean Xuanyuan."
All eyes around them suddenly focused on Tang Fei.
One by one, they stared wide-eyed and astonished, the shock of this statement hitting them even harder than when Tang Fei stood up and declared his wish for Dean Xuanyuan to be his mentor.
Dean Xuanyuan wanted to see Tang Fei?
Could it be that Dean Xuanyuan really intended to become Tang Fei’s mentor?
Is that even possible? Then, could we... perhaps do the same?
"Dean Xuanyuan?" Tang Fei was also very surprised inside.
Was he really about to accept him as a disciple?
Or was he just curious to see what the braggart looked like?
If it was the latter... was such a legendary figure really that idle?
Regardless, Tang Fei knew his opportunity had arrived.
He waved his hand to his fellow students, saying, "Continue your tour, everyone. I’m going to have a chat with Dean Xuanyuan..."
He then patted Chen Tianqi on the shoulder, "See what I told you? Dean Xuanyuan appreciates talent..."
After Tang Fei left, the freshmen who had entered the school with him couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Could Dean Xuanyuan seriously be considering taking him as a disciple? Why him?"
"Exactly, he just stood up and shouted, and now it’s happening? Does this mean we could try too?"
"I also want the Dean to be my mentor... The Dean is a Great Grandmaster... Even a fool could be enlightened to mastery by him..."
"Let’s not get too excited, everyone. It’s probably just a talk... Do you think just anyone can become a student of the Dean?"
-They thought Tang Fei was foolish before; now they realized how naive they themselves were.
-It’s all about competitive struggle in this world.
Chen Tianqi, however, quietly approached a senior and asked softly, "If I also wanted to ask the Dean to be my mentor... do you think there’s a chance?"
The senior’s handsome face turned cold, and he said icily, "I’ve thought the same. How could that be possible?"
"I was just asking nonchalantly..."
Guided by the senior in white, Tang Fei arrived at the grape courtyard.
The white-robed senior gestured an invitation and then silently withdrew.
Tang Fei walked into the courtyard by himself, and saw Si Yinchuan drinking tea under the grapevine and Shen Xinglan crouched in the corner catching grape worms.
He recognized both of them; then, convincing himself that the middle-aged uncle lounging on the bamboo chair and eating grapes was Xuanyuan Mingjing, he kneeled before him with a ’plop’ and said loudly, "Honorable mentor, please accept your disciple’s bow."