473 The Storm of Enrolling Students I

“Of course it's okay." Tang Thirty-Six's face did not contain even a hint of defeat. "You haven'tnoticed, although no one has come forward, more and more people are coming tosee us." Xuanyuan Po, in utter suffering from the heat, panted for breath as he said,"The entire capital is coming to laugh at us. What's so good about that?" Hearing this, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but laugh. "You really are a stupid black bear." Tang Thirty-Six turned to ChenChangsheng and said, "Carefully examine the crowd. Aren't quite a few of them abit younger than the usual crowd of spectators? Aren't their eyes a bitlivelier?" Chen Changsheng looked over at the crowd and discovered that it really was thecase. Amongst the crowd coming to see the Orthodox Academy today were quite afew young people. "They didn't come here just to spectate…" Tang Thirty-Six shot a glance atXuanyuan Po, then continued, "And they didn't come to laugh either. They cameto see us." Chen Changsheng was a little taken aback. "Are you saying that they really areconsidering whether or not to apply?" "Not bad." Tang Thirty-Six glanced at the nearby tea house, and then heglanced over at those Tianhai clan experts on the perimeter with their faces ofscorn. "Everyone has forgotten one thing. The preparatory examination for nextyear's Grand Examination is going to be soon, and the Ivy Festival will followright after. Right now is when the capital is most filled with new students.Successful Purification? Even Meditation Realm wouldn't be asking for too much." Chen Changsheng recalled last year when he and Luoluo had been around thelocation of the preparatory examination for the Grand Examination, just howmany young scholars they had seen on the streets. He now understood why TangThirty-Six had been able to maintain his confidence. Those young students that had come from the other counties, and even thesouth, did not have the backing of their schools, unlike the students of theSix Ivies. As a result, their overall level was quite lacking, but that didn'tat all mean that their talent was similarly awful. In truth, every year afterthe Grand Examination's pre-examination and the Ivy Festival, the Six Ivieswould take in many students from the counties and provinces. Moreover, theseyoung students assuredly hoped to enter one of the Six Ivies, learn trulyprofound cultivation methods, follow a renowned teacher, and obtain the backingof a powerful school. The Orthodox Academy was also one of the Six Ivies. It presumably alsopossessed a sort of attractive force to these students from the counties. "But…why is it that none of them is willing to come forward and apply, or evenask?" Chen Changsheng asked in confusion as he looked at the young and rather tenseface of one of the youths in the crowd. "Please! Today…no, this entire summer, the Orthodox Academy has been the focusof the entire capital! These pitiful kids from the countryside, how could theyhave the courage to come forward? They need someone to give them a push." "Ah…last year when I came to the capital, I was also a youth from thecountryside." "The first thing you did upon coming to the capital was to go to the DivineGeneral of the East's estate to end the engagement. Do you think everyone hasskin as thick as yours, and as much nerve as you do?” It was at this time that Tang Thirty-Six noticed the young people in the crowdbegin to show struggle and apprehension in their eyes. Even more assured in hismind, he whispered, "It seems like it's done cooking." The area covered by the umbrella was not big enough, and so the ink stones onthe tables were heated to a scalding temperature. When Xuanyuan Po went to moveone, his fingers were burned to a tender and painful red. Hearing TangThirty-Six's words, he thought he was being made fun of. Thinking that thisline would soon be followed by some nonsensical line about braised bear palm,Xuanyuan Po clenched his fists and prepared to talk some sense into TangThirty-Six. Just then, he was suddenly given a scare. With a bang, Tang Thirty-Six leaped onto the table. A gust of wind lifted up the umbrella. The crowd abruptly grew quiet and all discussion ceased. The crowd looked atthe gate of the Orthodox Academy, at Tang Thirty-Six, all thinking tothemselves, just what is he up to now? As the sunlight shone upon his body,that gown of his, threaded with gold, was caught up in the breeze. The WenshuiSword at his waist sparkled with light, but even brighter were the jadeornaments tied to his belt and that gold bracelet on his wrist. Chen Changsheng looked over and felt like he was about to go blind. He finallyunderstood why Tang Thirty-Six had dressed like this in the morning, and alsounderstood what being a so-called signboard meant! "I say, everyone here is young, is there any need to be so shy? If you wantto, quickly come! Ah, friends, time waits for no one!" Tang Thirty-Six stood atop the table, looking down at the crowd from up high,calling out to the youths in the crowd with great gusto and enthusiasm. Chen Changsheng thought this was rather shameless and really wished that hecould bore his head into the table. He probably understood now why the WenshuiTangs were able to become the continent's wealthiest clan. At first, the crowd was silent, but then it burst into laughter. After a while, one of the common folk who had come to spectate yelled out fromthe crowd, "Hey, big guy! Why would someone want to apply for your OrthodoxAcademy?" Not only was Tang Thirty-Six not upset, he was actually elated. I forgotyesterday to have the Heavenly Fragrance Market place a few professional plantsin the crowd, but who would have thought that such a question would appear onits own! With a clear voice, he said, "Although the preparatory examination forthe Grand Examination has been delayed, it's already just around the corner.There's only a few more days left, or are you saying that none of you want toadvance by leaps and bounds, that none of you want to display your splendor atthe Ivy Festival?" A suntanned youth, possibly from some private school in the countryside,gathered up his courage and said, "There's a high chance that we can enter someother school." What he said was true. Besides the famed Six Ivies, the capital was home tocountless other schools. Tang Thirty-Six turned to the young student from the countryside and saidscornfully, "Just what school are you comparing to my Orthodox Academy?" At these words, no matter if they had come to spectate or if they had come tolaugh, everyone nodded their heads and thought, no matter how much the OrthodoxAcademy has declined, since it's reopened its doors, it's already incomparableto normal schools. Soon after, someone asked, "Then why can't we just enter theother five academies?" "The Ivy Academies customarily only take in students after the conclusion ofthe preparatory examination. Only…everybody pay attention now…only our OrthodoxAcademy will enroll new students before the preparatory examination." Tang Thirty-Six had extracted a folding fan from somewhere. While fanninghimself, he said, "If you guys can't even pass the preparatory examination,which school is going to take you? When all's said and done, applying for ourOrthodox Academy is the safest." "We don't want safety," a rather gloomy-looking young scholar piped up. "Sincewe've already traveled a thousand li to get here, we've naturally madepreparations to crash through the gates with a magnificent army. We wouldprefer to wait for the conclusion of the preparatory examination, and thenapply to other schools." It was obvious that this young scholar was extremely confident in hiscultivation and education. Tang Thirty-Six turned to that youth and asked, "How old are you this year?" The young scholar replied, "This year, I am twenty and four months." "Then you're still young, so why don't you have any of the edge of youth?" Tang Thirty-Six perked his eyebrows as he looked the young scholar, seeming toview him with a little contempt. The young scholar wanted to say a few words in refutation, but Tang Thirty-Sixdidn't give him the chance. Turning back to the crowd, he declared, "Just whymust you all enter the Heavenly Dao Academy? Because His Holiness came from theHeavenly Dao Academy? Why must you get into the Temple Seminary or the LiPalace Academy? Because His Holiness's elderly self is somewhat closer by? Whymust you get into the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green? Because of all thepretty senior sisters within?" These words elicited roars of laughter from the crowd. "If you guys insist on entering Star Seizer Academy, I have no objections,only well-wishes and respect. But if you originally wanted to enter thoseschools…" Tang Thirty-Six folded his fan and slapped it against his palm,proudly declaring to the crowd, "Then why don't you choose my Orthodox Academy?Ladies and gentlemen, we are all youths, fresh and clean, bright andcheerful! We don't follow the conventional pattern, don't walk the commonpath! My Orthodox Academy has many things that need to be done. A white sheetof paper is incomparably clean. For what reason do you not wish to take part inthis grand undertaking? Moreover, how can those schools measure up to myOrthodox Academy?" That young scholar felt like that fan had struck him in the heart. Heinadvertently became much more serious and completely absorbed every word, andeven felt this argument rather reasonable. Those students that had come from the counties, the countryside, and even thedistant south, had truthfully only heard rumors of the academies of the capitaland weren't clear at all on the differences between them. As a result, theydidn't think any part of Tang Thirty-Six's talk especially stood out. However,to the Tianhai clan experts in front of the awning and the many officials intheir carriages, this talk was particularly grating on the ear. The Heavenly Dao Academy, the Temple Seminary, the Li Palace Academy, theThirteen Divisions of Radiant Green…all of them were inferior to the OrthodoxAcademy? It must be known that these several dozen experts that were preparedto challenge the Orthodox Academy today were basically all from these fourschools. Even the as-of-yet missing Bie Tianxin, although his family wasextraordinary, had always considered himself a disciple of the Li PalaceAcademy. In the tea house, Mao Qiuyu and Daoist Siyuan also could not help but wrinkletheir foreheads. Daoist Siyuan had also come from the Li Palace Academy. As forMao Qiuyu, he had first been a student at the Heavenly Dao Academy, and then ateacher, all the way until he became its principal, spanning a period ofseveral centuries. It was impossible for them to accept Tang Thirty-Six's words. As expected, a furious question arose from the crowd, "And just what basis doyou have to say this?" Tang Thirty-Six didn't even look at the questioner, continuing, "His Holinesstruly did come from the Heavenly Dao Academy. The Li Palace Academy and theTemple Seminary truly are within the Li Palace. But you all have to get onething straight, the Principal of our Orthodox Academy is called ChenChangsheng…you guys can study your entire lives in the Li Palace Academy andthe Temple Seminary and never meet His Holiness, but if you enter the OrthodoxAcademy?" Here, he paused. He began to laugh and it seemed like there was some profoundmeaning in this laugh. Everyone knew what attitude the Pope had to Chen Changsheng. Many young students glanced at each other and there were whispereddiscussions. It seemed that they were gradually coming around to the idea. "Let us say it even more directly…everyone, look! This mountainous littlefriend of mine is Xuanyuan Po, an ordinary demi-human youth of the bear tribe." Tang Thirty-Six used the folding fan to point at Xuanyuan Po, saying, "Interms of talent, he has none. In terms of achievement, he has none. In terms ofbackground, he has none. You can even say that if you want it, he doesn'thaven't it. Even he's very ashamed of it, so much so that he voluntarilydropped out of Star Seizer Academy and then…was picked from the night market byChen Changsheng and Princess Luoluo! The result?" The crowd grew quiet. He was very satisfied with this outcome, continuing, "The result? He enteredthe Orthodox Academy. Without even recovering from his injury, without evenparticipating in the Grand Examination, the Pavilion of Divination ranked himin the Proclamation of Azure Sky!" These words made those students from the counties turn pensive. SeeingXuanyuan Po behind the table, they became even more willing.