Yama Rising

“Li Tao’s rise to prominence is even more well known.” Zhao Hailong was evidently pleased to be establishing a relationship with an S-class cultivator who was ostensibly younger than twenty years old.

He was a B-class cultivator, and he had struggled hard in order to break through the bottleneck and become a Hunter-class expert. There was no one to succeed him in his family. His interactions today with Qin Ye would pave the way for their future conversations. In turn, that might possibly lead to a deepening of their relationship in future.

Unless he’s plagued by poor, dumb luck, there’s no doubt Qin Ye would become a Hellguard-class expert in the time to come.

Hellguard-class! Even if he encountered a provincial governor, they would practically carry the same level of authority!

Therefore, he explained the situation carefully, “In the 90’s, when the country first gained access to the internet, the flow of information was still incredibly difficult. That triggered Old Man Li’s founding of this website.”

“Even the present day ‘Slay’ app that everyone uses borrows the structure and ideas of the Auspicious Omens website. It may not sound like much to you, but… in all honesty, had you lived through that era, you would appreciate how amazing and famous the Auspicious Omens website was among the cultivation world back then.”

“You might even describe it as the promised land in the hearts of all cultivators! The fact that they were able to invite such an esteemed person to serve as the vice president speaks volumes about the effort that the academy has put into its management.”

Qin Ye nodded thoughtfully.

Back at the front of the lecture hall, Xu Anguo and Li Tao had finally completed their brief introductions and acknowledgments, and their expressions grew stern. Xu Anguo took a step forward and spoke, “Today’s faculty meeting, and the upcoming instructors’ training serves to tackle a crucial issue.”

He swept his gaze around the entire hall, “All of us here are Hunter-class experts. As soon as we step out of this lecture hall, 70% of all cultivators in the world would have to pay their respects to us and acknowledge us as seniors. We even hold the authority to speak on a level playing field with the mayors, bookkeepers and other governors or leaders across the lands. But… let me ask everyone here - do you have any experience in teaching at all?”

He looked around, and his gaze landed on Qin Ye. Eh? This kid looks familiar.

“You, Instructor Teemo, why don’t you let us have your response.”

“Ah-hahahaha!!!” Lin Han burst out in unbridled laughter from the back of the lecture hall. At the front of the lecture hall, Zhou Xianlong exploded with rage. These were his subordinates… What insolence!

Then, with a snort and a quick flick of his finger, Lin Han suddenly grew taciturn.

Qin Ye stood up in frustration and embarrassment. Fine… alright! I’m Teemo! I only know how to grow mushrooms! Are you guys happy now?!

He was seated in the middle of the hall, and he could see some of the thirty or forty year old instructors seated in the rows in front of him fervently suppressing their trembling shoulders as they fought to stifle their laughter.

“No!” Qin Ye took a deep breath and supplemented with gusto, “I only know how to grow mushrooms!”

He had practically given up.

“Hahahaha!!” Several instructors seated in the front row immediately exploded in laughter. Even though Lin Han had been muted, he continued to hammer the table in front of him as he fought back the urge to join in the fray.

“Silence!!” Zhou Xianlong couldn’t hold back any longer. With a loud bellow, the entire hall was silenced once more.

Li Tao continued in dismay, “Everyone, we’re going to be colleagues in future. The names of cultivators aren’t important at all. Please mind your manners.”

“Pfft…” A second wave of stifled sounds swept throughout the lecture hall like a gentle Yin breeze.

Having detected the telling signs of a huge misunderstanding, Xu Anguo signalled to Qin Ye, “Take a seat.”

Qin Ye sat down angrily and cast a sinister look at the people who were laughing. If I’m put in a spot, I’m not going to let you guys have it easy either! Old man Zhou has already displayed his authority! How dare you still laugh like that?

Xu Anguo continued, “That’s right. None of us have any experience in teaching. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the first batch of students number in the region of 1,500, all of whom have been hand picked or selected by famous clans, sects, alliances across the various provinces, cities and counties.”

“Whether the First Academy of Cultivators can produce results and carve out a name for itself depends entirely on all of you instructors seated right here. Yes, the ones who are enrolling in the academy may not be elites, because their clans, sects and alliances may have their reservations as well. Therefore, we absolutely have to do our best! Even if they’re not elites, we will make elites out of them! That’s the only way to ensure that the next batch of students will be the true geniuses of every cultivation organization out there. But we don’t even meet the most basic of qualifications right now!”

“You there - the one who’s been laughing the loudest.” Li Tao pointed at Lin Han, “Let me ask you something. What would you do if one of the cultivators under your charge is disobedient?”

“Beat him up!” Lin Han’s response was as straightforward as ever. Yet before he could finish speaking, his entire body flew up, slammed back into the wall behind, and he collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll.

Zhou Xianlong’s face was pale from his seething rage.

However, Li Tao was hardly afraid of Zhou Xianlong. His seniority and reputation gave him sufficient security to speak his mind, “See, even Deputy Chief Investigator Zhou, who concurrently holds the position of Head of Faculty Zhou, isn’t setting a good example for all of us. Don’t forget that we’re a school. The thing that is of the utmost importance in every school is the relationship between students and teachers. Cultivation is secondary to that.”

“Teaching requires specific pedagogies. As everyone can tell, the atmosphere today is undisciplined and disorganized. Sure, as cultivators, you take responsibility for your lack of discipline and lack of organization. But this is completely unacceptable in a school!”

Xu Anguo abruptly slammed the lectern in front of him and bellowed, “What we’re going to face in future might well be legions of Yin spirits! We’re talking about a war against the netherworld! This isn’t some private dispute or competition between individual cultivators anymore! What we need is discipline! What we need is a system! Professionalism! This is why each and every major sect and alliance out there is willing to openly share their treasured, hidden arts with us!”

“Old Man Li and I have been planning the establishment of the Academy of Cultivators for decades now. We’ve discussed matters until our saliva has even run dry! We, in our capacity as principals, urge all who lack discipline and refuse to treat this academy as a school to leave of your own volition, regardless of what department you’re in! Remember, no matter how amazing you have been or what kind of reputation you have out there, you would do wise to humble yourselves in this academy!”

Pin-drop silence.

Nobody had expected Xu Anguo to speak to them in such a harsh manner.

Zhou Xianlong’s lips parted slightly. He suddenly understood why he hadn’t been made the principal of the Academy of Cultivators despite his outstanding level of cultivation.

“I’ve been rude.” He stood up and made a sincere fist-and-palm salute to Xu Anguo and Li Tao, and then the rest of the audience, before taking his seat once more.

Everyone looked incomparably serious right now. Qin Ye was the same. He stared at the two men standing in the front of the hall with a flickering gaze.

These two old men…

Please die soon… No, don’t… Please wait until I restore Hell before dying…

I’m staking my claim on the souls of these two old men!

Xu Anguo returned the gesture to Zhou Xianlong, before addressing the audience with a softened voice once more, “So, this instructors’ training is of the utmost importance. I don’t want to see any new students being involved in an accident or a situation that should otherwise have been avoided. Therefore, Old Man Li and I have come up with some rules and regulations. There’s still two months’ time before the end of the winter break. Everyone will have some time to go through these rules.”

Li Tao opened a dossier and began to read, “Number one. All students, instructors, and professors are free to accept and take on assignments of their own. The academy’s External Affairs Department shall handle all matters pertaining to assignments and missions, including combing through all that are available and carefully hand picking the most suitable ones. Each completed assignment will earn students ten credits and their instructor five qualification points.”

“Don’t underestimate the allocation of points. Let me put it this way - those who are able to make a name for themselves in the First Academy of Cultivators would definitely be a coveted existence as soon as they leave this place. Each student will be given one hundred credits. As soon as the number of credits fall below sixty, the student will be expelled at the end of the corresponding semester. And if the number of students expelled under the charge of any instructor exceeds two, that instructor will be cordially asked to resign as well.”

“It would mean that you’re not suitable to be an instructor.” Xu Anguo added placidly.

Li Tao continued reading, “Number Two. Given the unique nature of the First Academy of Cultivators, we shall be teaching our students in accordance with their individual aptitudes. The five major faculties are the Faculty of Underworldly Craftsmen, the Faculty of Science and Research, the Faculty of Manufacturing, the Faculty of Theory, and the Faculty of Combat.”

He raised his head and continued, “I’ve gone through each and every one of your resumes, and each of you have your strengths and weaknesses. Some are adept in combat, while some are good in theorizing, and so on. We’ll allocate our resources in accordance with your areas of specialization as well. Please comply with our arrangements.”

“Additionally…” He paused for a moment, “There will be a friendly competition among the instructors of the Faculty of Underworldly Craftsmen, the Faculty of Science and Research, and the Faculty of Combat on New Year’s Day. The disciplines taught by each of these three faculties are built on a foundation of combat experience. The number of students allocated to each instructor will depend on the ranking of their representatives during this friendly competition. As for the affairs of each individual faculty, I’ll arrange for the student union of Insignia University to distribute the relevant information packages to each of you separately later on.”

There’s still a need for a sparring match?

Qin Ye furrowed his brows. He had never sparred with a human being before, but he didn’t think it was going to be much of an issue.

How could they possibly be a match for me? Just look at how much they struggled against those Hunter-class ghosts earlier… To think that they’re even considered S-class agents. I wonder what rank they’ll be able to attain in the upcoming competition.

They were considered one of the younger few around. There were approximately forty to fifty Hunter-class experts in the lecture hall today. There was no doubt that each of them naturally possessed a wealth of combat experience under their belts.

“Number three. Unlike other universities, it will take students two years to graduate from the First Academy of Cultivators, rather than the usual four.”

“Every six-month semester is split into two parts. The first two and a half months will be dedicated to theoretical studies, and the latter three and a half months will be dedicated towards practical experience and contact theory. We’ll have to trouble the instructors of the Faculty of Combat to work harder in this regard. After all… even if one specializes in the Faculty of Manufacturing or the Faculty of Theory, we don’t need students who are completely incapable of self-preservation either.”

“Ghosts possess a thousand and one ways of killing human beings. If these students don’t have a single means of self-preservation, and instead need to rely on others for protection, they would become a deadweight that greatly reduces the fighting ability of the mortal realm. But, that said, we will still lower the assessment standards for students of the Faculty of Manufacturing and the Faculty of Theory accordingly.”

“Number four…” “Number five…”

One by one, he continued to read out the rules and regulations. There were eight in all. Qin Ye listened with great interest, until… the last one made him scrunch up his face with a bitter expression.

“Number eight. Once the ranking has been determined on New Year’s Day, we will make arrangements for all instructors to enter Insignia University’s main campus located at Mount Tai City for one and a half months. During this period of time, you will be preparing at least two and a half months’ worth of lesson plans to be checked by the relevant faculty heads.”

We still need a lesson plan?!

Qin Ye’s heart was incredibly bitter.

Nobody was smiling by the end of the recitation of the rules and regulations. Everyone had finally realized that the First Academy of Cultivators was completely different from what they had expected.

Quit?

Are you kidding? Even Zhou Xianlong, who had earlier admitted his fault, is still here. Wouldn’t resigning here and now be tantamount to giving a Judge-class expert a tight slap across the face?

“Alright, that’s all for now. You’re dismissed. Ah, that’s right. Please remember to select your apartments. There are currently a lot of rooms available across all of Insignia University. You’ll just need to take your pick and inform us. There’s no need to specially register it.”

With that, everyone began to leave the lecture hall, wondering in their minds how they were going to go about preparing the first ever lesson plan in their lives.

Qin Ye took a stroll through the picturesque campus with a heavy heart and a multitude of things on his mind, not realizing that he was subconsciously making his way towards the building he once lodged at.

“Are you feeling unhappy?” Arthis muttered.

“How could I be happy? I don’t even know how to teach despite having lived for such a long time. I’d even gone through college five or six times now.” Qin Ye shook his head.

Just as he arrived at the front of the building, a voice suddenly interrupted his train of thought.

“Godfather, you’ve finally arrived.”

Bloody hell… Startled, Qin Ye shot an angry glare at the source of the voice, only to see Zhang Linhua smiling back at him. He was even pushing a small cart of items.

“I knew that things might be a little bit inconvenient for Godfather, so I’ve taken the liberty to purchase some things for you. Look, these are Ordos cashmere comforters. The weather’s getting cold. You wouldn’t want to catch a chill.” It was almost as though Zhang Linhua had lost his memory. His smile was bright and cheery as he gestured towards the comforter in the cart.

Qin Ye felt somewhat threatened. Such a philosophical tone of voice… Could it be… that my charm has already grown to such an extent…

“There’s a blanket - also cashmere, a television, computer, wireless devices, and so on. I’ve got everything taken care of. You can move into any of the apartments here right now, if you like. Which apartment would you prefer, Godfather? Shall I help you move in?”

“No… you…” Qin Ye pointed at the pile of things in front of Zhang Linhua in surprise, and it was only then that he recalled one of the principals mentioning that a part of Insignia University’s student union had remained behind to hold down the fort for the moment.

Zhang Linhua blinked his eyes, and then suddenly smiled, “That’s right, Godfather must be unfamiliar with the Insignia University… no, the First Academy of Cultivators, right? But that’s fine. I’m familiar with this place. Shall I show you around the dorms? I guarantee that I’ll be able to pick out the best south-facing apartment in the best location with all the necessary amenities around!”