The Entrance Ceremony is a special event to commemorate the first day of the Lan Lecture. It is the day where teachers and students will have a chance to get to know each other, and offer gifts to their head teacher who will be with them for the next three months of their stay.
Inside the study hall were the fifteen students, Lan Qiren one of the elders of the Lan Clan and the head teacher. Lan Xichen, the current leader of the Lan Sect. Lan Wangji, the current Chief Cultivator and his wife Wei Wuxian was there as a special guest and also two other Senior Cultivators Laoshi Rayu and Laoshi Kin.
Lan Qiren gave the students a special message to finally start the day. In his speech, he welcomed the students to Cloud Recesses and he's expecting that on their stay they must obey all the rules that Lan has. He also explained that for the lessons, he will be assisted by his two senior disciples Laoshi Rayu and Laoshi Kin. Both have teaching experience of almost ten years.
Laoshi Rayu continued the message explaining what the students can expect after they finish the lecture after three months.
"So many things have happened in the past years regarding the Cultivation World. The system has changed so many times in order to adapt to the never ending, uncontrollable and unexpected events. In the past, Cultivators were very limited and were not restricted by bylaws but as time passes by, change is inevitable." Laoshi Rayu said, making the students wonder where this topic is going.
"Upon completion of these three month lectures, all of you will be officially members of the Cultivator's Alliance or the well known Treaty of Blood and Sword and will have certification to do higher level cultivation and can officially work with any Dynasty."
All students inside the room were shocked to hear the news. When they were sent to Cloud Recessess, it was never mentioned to them by their Sect Leaders and they all thought they were just there to improve their skills and nothing else. Is this the reason why Xiandu was here? Some of them thought because they were all wondering why the Chief Cultivator needed to be present in the opening ceremony.
The Cultivator's Alliance or the Treaty of Blood and Sword was created ten years ago to regulate the number of cultivators and to avoid future problems with regards to overpowered clans and fairness in doing cultivation activities. In this Treaty, the four major Sect with the most influence in each location can lead smaller clans within their assigned territory. The four major Sect are the well known four great clans, Gusu's Lan Clan, Yunmeng Jiang Clan, Lanling Jin Clan and Qinghe Nie Clan. Each of this Clan has a smaller cultivator clan under their lead and these four major clans were led by the Chief Cultivator.
This change was also triggered by the change in the politics. When the Kio Dynasty took over, they wanted all activities inside the country to be reported to them and each organisation needed to have a representative for easy communication in the future.
Having a certification was a big thing because this means that the Certified Cultivators can work with the government officials of the Kio Dynasty which is something cultivators were hesitant to touch in the past because politics is a big red flag. Certified Cultivators have more freedom to do what they want, still binding by the cultivator's bylaws, but they can be treated as professionals and fairly accepted in the public eye.
Nowadays, in order to do higher level cultivators tasks, one needs to have a certification. Certification can be provided if cultivators pass a national exam provided by the Cultivator's Alliance annually or if you are just too powerful and specially talented. If this kind of system were present in the past, Lan Wangji will be the sample of the exempted one.
"This mean that if we finish this three month lecture, we don't need to take the horrendous exam and still get the certification?" Chao Xing mumbled. "That... that's so great Ling-gongzi."
"What's so great about that?" Jin Ling asked. "This is so sly."
"Huh? Why are you so pissed off Ling-gongzi?" the young girl asked again.
"A'Xing, it's true that if we finish this we have certification but this also means that this lesson is not something that we should take for granted, honestly this is even scarier." Jin Hei replied.
After the introduction, it's time for each student to introduce themselves to everyone and present some token of appreciation to the Head Teacher. First in line was of course the Lanling Jin Clan, led by Jin Ling.
"Jin Ling, Jin Hei and Chao Xing of the Lanling Jin Sect are here to give respect." he vowed. Besides him are Chao Xing on the left side and Jin Hei on the right side. Chao Xing handed the gift to Jin Ling to give to Lan Qiren. "Please accept our token of appreciation," he added. "Lanling Jin wanted to give you this book of poems that was written by Haika, a famous poet who uses her own blood as a medium of writing and topics about her own sentiment and grave. We hope this can be part of your collection in your Book's Pavilion." He explained politely.
Wei Wuxian was amazed, Jin Ling was always like a frowny boy who knew nothing but to complain and had a very short temper but this time he really looked mature and decent.
As an antique and book lover, Lan Qiren smiled in delight to see the token. Chao Xing gave the book to the Lan servants after showing it to Lan Qiren. It is placed in a wooden box with intricate designs and golden corner, the look of it already expressed and showcased the luxury that Jin Clan possessed. "Did you know that your father also gifted me a book when he studied here?" Lan Qiren commented. "You have the same taste in giving gifts, you are really Jin Zixuan's son."
It was the first time that Jin Ling heard about it. He's aware that both Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli also attended the Lan Lecture but no one ever told him stories about their experiences thus he has zero knowledge about it.
The twin of the Nie Clan, Nie Zuan and Nie Zixin, came after Jin Ling. They are Nei Huaisang sons and are both 14 years old, the youngest students in the batch. The two are very identical which makes it hard for people to identify who is who. The only visible identification that they have was the mole near their eyes. Nie Zuan has a mole in his right eye while Nie Zixin has his mole on the left part. It is also entertaining that they move and talk in sync. They give Lan Qiren an elixir for meditation and relaxation.
Before they went back to their seats, they asked a question to Lan Qiren "Head Teacher Lan Qiren, can't we really take care of that bird?" they said at the same time.
Lan Qiren sighed "Rule No. 798 Pets are not allowed inside Cloud Recesses." The Nie twins went back to their seats disappointed.
Ouyang Zizhen came forward with Huifen, a young, beautiful lady in a ponytail, also one of the official students.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Head Teacher Lan Qiren, Laoshi Rayu, Laoshi Kin, Zewu-jun, Xiandu and Senior Wei." He greeted one at a time. Ouyang Zizhen is one of the cultivators who joined Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi before so he act with familiarity towards them. He is the only son of Ouyang Tong, the head of Bailing Ouyang Clan which is a small cultivator clan under the Yunmeng Sect territory, thus Zizhen and Huifen were able to join the lecture under Jiang Cheng's recommendation.
The young juniors knew that Zizhen has a great admiration for Wei Wuxian and he has a bright personality like Jingyi has. He gifted Lan Qiren, Animon, a famous rice cake pastries made of special ingredients that can only be found in Bailing. Everyone knew how good it was when Huifen opened the jar and the smell it emits made everyone in a salivating state.
Finally, the representative of Yunmeng Jiang was called in front. Jiang Guiren was about to stand up from his place when he heard a commotion at the back. Everyone in the front looked back to see what happened and saw Wang Siyu of Yingchuan Wang Clan also stood up from his place even though it was not yet their turn to give respect.
"Young Master, it's not our turn yet." Wang Tengfei told him.
"I... I apologised. I thought it was my turn already. I'm sorry... I'm really sorry." Wang Siyu bowed his head so many times like he's going to break his neck.
"It's alright Wang Siyu." Lan Xichen told him. "And since you're already standing up, why don't you come forward and do your introduction? I hope you don't mind Jiang Guiren." Zewu-jun asked the young master from the Jiang Clan.
"I don't mind." He replied softly and went back to his sitting position. Lang Wanji noticed Wei Wuxian smiling from the corner. He remembered a memory of the past when it was Jiang Cheng's turn to offer his gift; he was also interrupted by the Wen Clan. Why is it that when it is the Jiang clan's turn, it is always interrupted by someone?
Wang Siyu was obviously nervous because of the way he walks, he's unstable and seems to be having a hard time to balance himself. It's worse that they are seated at the very end thus he needs to walk longer than anyone else. Wang Tengfei followed him at the back and he keep whispering to him that he should calm down and have a deep breath but it seemed like the young master of Wang can't hear him clearly as he just continued walking until he trip his own self and falls down in the row where the Lan juniors are sitting. The lid of the container that he is holding opened and the powder inside it spread all over the floor. Sizhui, who is the nearest person to the fallen Wang Siyu, stood up and helped him stand up.
"Are you alright Siyu-gongzi?" Sizhui asked as he supports Siyu's arm. "Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Master, I told you to be careful." Wang Tengfei said. He holds on the other side of Siyu's arm and helps him stand up together with Sizhui.
"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry." Wang Siyu bowed so many times accompanied by endless apology. Sizhui saw the scattered white powder on the floor and without hesitation he used his hand to gather them and put it back in the container. Jingyi stood from his seat and helped Sizhui clean the mess. Wang Tengfei also helped in the middle and apologised for the inconvenience and also thanked the two for the help.
When they were done, Jingyi and Sizhui both stood up but all of a sudden Sizhui lost his balance but fortunately Jin Ling caught him. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji got worried in their seats. "Sizhui, are you alright?" Jingyi asked.
"I... I'm fine... I just lost my balance, that's all." Sizhui replied. He paused for a moment, looking straight in one direction. There was a pungent smell and his vision turned wobbly for a second and he felt a throb inside his chest. After a few seconds, he was able to stand up on his own like nothing happened. What happened just now?
Lan Xichen interrupted and told everyone to go back to their seats which left the Wang student standing up.
Wang Tengfei explained that his young master has severe anxiety when surrounded by lots of people. He also said that they will prepare another gift for Lan Qiren as the medication powder that they have spilled in the ground and it is disrespectful to give it to the Head Teacher. Lan Qiren said that it is unnecessary to give him another gift, he understands what happened and it's not really a big thing.
Jiang Guiren and Yu Tao were the last students who gave their gifts. Everyone inside the hall can't really deny how good looking both gentlemen are. Jiang Guiren has the same aura as Lan Wangji, it's hard to take one's eyes out of him while Yu Tao has this pretty face like a dazzling woman. "Jiang Guiren and Yu Tao are here to give respect." he said with a deep voice that complements so well with his looks.
"Thank you for inviting us to join this lecture. We are here as the representative of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect and as a token of our appreciation, we give you these pure polish jade stones."
Lan Xichen gave the last words for that day. He wanted the students to learn things from the teacher of Gusu but at the same enjoy their stay in Cloud Recesses. If students have troubles and problems he allows everyone to consult him freely, he will accommodate them if he has spare time.
After five hours, the opening ceremony is finally over and the students have free time to do whatever they want until the first lesson starts the next day. Jin Ling stretched his hand up high, sitting for a long time is not really his thing. Chao Xing and Jin Hei decided to go back to their room while Jin Ling wanted to go to the Animal Sanctuary to see his pet dog "Fairy".
Pets are not allowed inside Cloud Recesses but there is a certain location near the Cloud Recesses where animals can be taken care of. It is where the horses used for travelling were being sheltered. Jin Ling's spiritual pet dog "Fairy" and Wei Wuxian's Donkey, Little Apple was also in there.
"Yo, Jin Ling, where are you going?" Jingyi approached him and asked. He looked around and noticed that the two ladies who were with Jin Ling were not around. Actuall, Jingyi is not good at dealing with ladies. The female Lan disciples were always separated from the male thus he didn't need to deal with them most of the time so when there were females around, he didn't know how to act.
"I'm going to the Animal Sanctuary." Jin Ling replied.
"Oh, we're also going there to bring the Nie twins to see their pet birds." Jingyi said. "I am just waiting for Sizhui to get Little Apple and the rabbit's food. Let's go together."
"No, why do I need to wait for you when I can go there by myself." Jin Ling instantly declined.
"Come on Jin Ling, why are you so unfriendly?" Jingyi pouted. Finally Sizhui arrived with a basket full of food. The Nie twin was following behind him, he looked like a duck being followed by his ducklings.
The five of them went to the Animal Sanctuary which is about 2 kilometres walk away from Cloud Recesses. Jin Ling walks as fast as he can since he didn't want to walk side by side with the Lan and Nie juniors. He was used to doing things alone, he didn't need companions.
"Is it true that you do handstands while reading the Gusu Rules?" the twin asked at the same time. "Do you also bathe in iced cold water and meditate in a falls in just undergarments?"
"It's true... very true." Jingyi replied back. "If only you will see the muscles in our arms just doing those handstands then you can tell how much we endure it every day."
"What if the master let us do that? Do you think we can do it?" Nie Zuan asked his twin brother.
"I don't think I can." Nie Zixin replied, shaking his head so many times. "I... I can't even do a push up." He continued.
"Whoa... so weak." Jingyi commented and Sizhui elbowed him. Sometimes, Jingyi can't really control the words that come out of his mouth. He doesn't mind what's the position or the status of the person he is talking to.
They finally reached the Animal Sanctuary and they saw Jin Ling reprimanding Little Apple. "You, don't ever scare Fairy like that. Just because you are Wei Wuxian's beloved Donkey doesn't mean you can pick a fight with my Fairy. Geez, like a pet like an owner, no decency at all."
"Ling-gongzi, what happened?" Sizhui interrupted.
"That Little Donkey was chewing on Fairy's ears when I arrived here." Jin Ling replied. "How can he do that to my dog." he added while pointing at Fairy who was busy licking its paws. Nothing seems wrong to his dog at all.
"Apologise Ling-gongzi, but Little Apple just loves to give love bites. It's not like he is trying to hurt Fairy at all." Sizhui explained. "It became his habit, he gave love bites to individuals he is close to."
"Love bite?" Jin Ling repeated.
"Yeah, Little Apple is very kind." Jingyi added while he patted the Donkey but it pushed Jingyi's hand away. The donkey approached Sizhui, smelled the basket that he was holding and immediately took one of the apples inside. Jin Ling ignored it and just went near a tree far away from the Lan to feed Fairy on his own. Fairy is a spiritual dog who looks like a shiba inu with goldish coloured fur. The people who took care of him since he was a child said that it is a dog gifted to him by his parents when he was born. Its responsibility is to protect and guard him and since it is a spiritual dog, it will live as long as Jin Ling lives.
The Nie twins feed their pet birds and Jingyi and Sizhui do the same with Little Apple and the white rabbits. There were lots of rabbits in the area, Jin Ling was amazed by the numbers of them like there are about thirty of them. He didn't know that the Lan was so fond of white rabbits.
"Sizhui-gongzi knew all the rabbits' names?" the twin asked again at the same time. "They are all white, they look all the same."
"They are not, it is easy to identify them." Sizhui replied. "That fat one is Mun, that one on his left eating fast is Hak and the one sleeping near the tree is Soup. The couple at the side is Flin and Flan." he continued to introduce the rabbit's name to the twin which they are so amazed by. They clap their hands when Sizhui finishes naming all of the rabbits but he notices that one is missing.
"Jingyi, is Korp in there?" Sizhui asked. Jingyi was inside the horse stable and feeding the horse.
"No, I don't see him here." Jingyi replied. "Oh sh*t, don't spit on me you stupid horse!"
"Language Jingyi." Sizhui said before he left Jingyi alone. One of the old rabbits is not in the group. It was injured and couldn't hop properly anymore so Sizhui got worried and look for it.
On the other hand, Jin Ling watched as Fairy played on its own but suddenly he heard it barking and so he approached his dog and saw that it was barking at a white rabbit. "Fairy, stop barking on it." Jin Ling ordered which the dog immediately did. "Hey rabbit, aren't you supposed to be there? If you will not go then you have no food to eat anymore. Do you want to starve?"
Jin Ling squatted down and noticed that the rabbit's left leg had a bandage on it.
"Korp." he heard a voice from his back. He turned around and saw Sizhui approaching in his direction. "I got worried, I thought some fox got you." he sighed in relief. "Ling-gongzi, thank you for finding Korp."
"Huh?! I didn't look for him, it was Fairy who..."
"Then... thank you Fairy for finding Korp." Sizhui smiled and patted Fairy's head. Fairy purred when Sizhui patted it making Jin Ling frowned. Usually, Fairy didn't want to be touched by anyone else except him, so why is he letting Sizhui touch him?