Chapter 772: National Academy's Eighth Senior Sister

Her thighs were rounded, her calves long and slender, forming perfect curves. Combined with her fair and delicate skin, it created a powerful visual impact.

Zu An, however, was in no mood to appreciate it. He looked with surprise at the mature woman sitting on the windowsill. "Principal Jiang, why are you here?"

"I heard you were ambushed, so I came to check on you. The Xie siblings originally planned to come as well, but Xie Daoyun was held back by her teacher to draw runes, and Xie Xiu was tied up playing chess with his teacher. They simply couldn't get away, so they asked me to come and see you on their behalf." Jiang Luofu's dark hair was coiled into a bun with a jade hairpin, making her neck appear even more long and graceful like a swan. Today, she also wore a pair of exquisite flat-rimmed glasses. If Zu An usually saw her like this, his mind would likely conjure images of teachers, female secretaries, and office settings.

Seeing her familiar attire, Zu An felt a jolt, as if he had been transported back to Earth.

"You didn't hit your head, did you? Your expression looks a bit silly." Jiang Luofu's lips curved slightly into a beautiful arc.

Zu An looked dejected. "You don't seem like you're here to visit an injured person; you seem like you're here to mock me."

"Well, you don't seem to have any serious injuries." Jiang Luofu hopped down from the windowsill and gracefully walked toward him, her long, white, and slender legs moving elegantly. It had to be said that even her casual stroll was a delightful sight.

In Zu An's memory, perhaps only Miss World Zhang Zilin or Victoria's Secret supermodels from his previous life possessed such grace.

"There's quite a bit of dust on your windows; you should clean them properly." Jiang Luofu said, patting dust from her bottom, a slight frown on her face.

Zu An replied apologetically, "I haven't been in this house for long, and I haven't really taken care of it. I only hired a few servants recently."

This thought brought Chu Chuyan to mind, and he couldn't help but reflect on how, despite her usual aloofness, she was so considerate at heart.

"Why didn't you use the main entrance? Why climb in through the window?" Although the mansion had some basic defensive arrays, they clearly wouldn't deter a true master.

Jiang Luofu also looked exasperated. "I did try the main entrance at first, but your servants said you were in a bad mood today and not seeing visitors, so I had no choice but to climb in."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Zu An chuckled awkwardly, suddenly remembering that he had been disheartened upon his return and had indeed given those instructions to his servants.

"It seems you're really not in a good mood today. Normally, with your personality, you would have been flirting with me by now. What happened?" Jiang Luofu asked, a little surprised.

"Nonsense, am I that kind of person?" Zu An immediately straightened up, but quickly deflated. "Chuyan went back to Brightmoon City."

"Oh?" Jiang Luofu raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were such a romantic."

Zu An was speechless.

"Big sister, you're clearly praising me, but the more I listen, the more it sounds like you're making fun of me."

Jiang Luofu smiled. Coming closer, her expression grew serious. "I heard you were likely struck by a siege crossbow bolt. How are your injuries now?"

"It's nothing seri—" Zu An was cut off before he could finish.

Jiang Luofu spoke directly. "Take off your clothes and let me see."

Zu An was speechless.

Are all mature older sisters this forward? It feels like our roles have been swapped.

As he hesitated, Jiang Luofu was already by his side and, without a word, pulled his clothes open.

Zu An looked utterly speechless. "Principal Jiang, are you acting like a rogue now?"

"Little brat, are you talking back to me?" Jiang Luofu scoffed. "Besides, I'm no longer the principal, so you don't need to call me that."

"You're not the principal anymore?" Zu An was taken aback.

"Did you forget I told you I've been transferred back to the Imperial National Academy? Chancellor Chen is the current principal." Jiang Luofu explained, examining his injuries. "Hmm, it really did pierce your chest, but how did it heal so quickly?"

Even with Zu An's rapid recovery, a wound that large on his chest should have been much paler by now, and there should have been visible signs of scabbing.

"You know I'm exceptionally gifted," Zu An chuckled. After all, she hadn't seen anyone else with super-grade aptitude and couldn't verify his claim.

Jiang Luofu folded one arm across her chest and rested her other hand on her chin, murmuring to herself, "Super-grade aptitude with such powerful regenerative ability? That's truly defying the heavens. No wonder there have been so few such individuals throughout history, and those who did exist eventually became legendary figures."

Zu An, standing nearby, secretly felt overwhelmed. This woman's mature office-lady style was one thing, but her current pose was particularly alluring. "Alas," he thought, "these women are constantly trying to tempt me into making mistakes."

A moment later, she snapped back to attention. "Oh, right. Besides coming to see you, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

"What is it?" Seeing her serious demeanor, Zu An dropped his nonchalant smile.

"From what I've learned these past few days," Jiang Luofu said, her elegant eyes showing a hint of concern, "it seems you've faced several assassination attempts since arriving in the capital, and various factions have openly and secretly targeted you on multiple occasions."

"What can I do?" Zu An sighed. "I'm always so eye-catching. No matter where I go, I attract the envy of my peers. Of course they wish me dead."

"Your mouth is just as it always was," Jiang Luofu said with a smile. "Do you still remember your status as a teacher at Brightmoon Academy?"

"Yeah, a temporary employee," Zu An mumbled.

Jiang Luofu was speechless.

"Now that I'm back at the Imperial Academy, I'm trying to see if I can get you a teaching position there. With the Imperial Academy teacher's badge, I believe any faction looking to target you will think twice."

Zu An couldn't help but feel a little surprised. "Principal Jiang, why are you so good to me?"

"Perhaps we're simply destined," Jiang Luofu chuckled. "Don't misunderstand; I simply find you agreeable, and your super-grade aptitude genuinely interests me. I want to see how far you can develop."

"Not even a tiny bit of romance involved?" Zu An asked, a little disappointed.

Jiang Luofu's expression darkened. "Get lost!"

"Let's go. Come with me to the academy to meet Chancellor Ji. To become a teacher there, you'll need his approval." Jiang Luofu rose from the stool, her long legs truly gleaming white.

"Alright." Zu An had long wanted to meet Chancellor Ji and resolve the confusion in his mind.

"Let's go then." Jiang Luofu snapped her fingers with a flourish, then turned and walked away.

The servants in the manor, seeing Zu An and her walk out one after another, all stared wide-eyed. A group of maids and servants began to whisper among themselves:

"Those long legs are absolutely incredible, aren't they?"

"Hmph, dressed so provocatively. She's nowhere near as good as our young mistress."

"How long has our young mistress been gone? And the young master is already flirting with other women. Bah, what a scumbag!"

"What do you know? This only proves how charming the young master truly is."

The Imperial Academy was located at the foot of Yuquan Mountain, on the west side of the capital.

There weren't many mountains within the capital city. The most majestic and magnificent were undoubtedly Zijin Mountain and Yuquan Mountain.

The Imperial Palace stood at the foot of Zijin Mountain, while the Imperial Academy was nestled at the foot of Yuquan Mountain, clearly illustrating the academy's esteemed position.

Zu An followed Jiang Luofu to the foot of Yuquan Mountain, where they saw a magnificent archway. It had vermillion columns and a blue base, with three large, gilded characters, "Guozijian," written in an elegant, soaring style.

Seeing the confusion in Zu An's eyes, Jiang Luofu explained, "The Imperial Academy was originally called Guozijian. It was later renamed the Royal Imperial Academy. However, because this plaque was inscribed by the first Chancellor and is linked to the academy's mountain-guarding array, it has been kept ever since."

"Why was it renamed Imperial Academy?" Zu An's expression was peculiar. The name sounded so modern; could a transmigrator have been responsible for the change?

Jiang Luofu paused. "You've really stumped me. I'm not sure when it was changed either; it seems everyone just started calling it that without realizing."

"Oh?" Zu An fell into contemplation.

Beyond the archway lay a straight, tree-lined avenue. The ancient, towering trees on either side were clearly very old, further testament to the academy's profound heritage.

Next, they reached a grand, rectangular main gate with a plaque above it bearing the characters "Royal Imperial Academy." The calligraphy clearly indicated it was not from the same hand as the archway outside.

Perhaps recognizing Jiang Luofu, the guards at the gate did not stop them.

Zu An followed Jiang Luofu inside, finding that the overall atmosphere felt entirely different from Brightmoon Academy.

Brightmoon Academy was clearly newer, from its trees to its buildings, giving it a bright and polished appearance.

The Imperial Academy, by contrast, had a generally darker ambiance. This was partly due to the towering trees within, and partly because many buildings appeared aged, with climbing plants like ivy covering the walls, exuding a pervasive sense of history.

Zu An suddenly felt something amiss, as students passing by occasionally glanced in their direction.

This time, he didn't narcissistically assume they were looking at him. It was primarily because Jiang Luofu's long legs were so captivating. Moreover, while the Great Zhou Dynasty was more open than any ancient Chinese dynasty, very few people dressed as she did.

Many of the bolder students even whistled and winked in their direction.

"Look, look, those long legs! Tsk, tsk, tsk... if she squeezed me with those, I probably wouldn't last three seconds."

"Pfft, as if you usually last three seconds anyway!"

"You haven't seen her on a normal day, wearing all sorts of stockings—black, white, nude—never wearing the same pair twice. Oh, just thinking about it is unbearable!"

"Are you insane? She seems to be the new Teacher Jiang at the academy. I heard she used to be the principal of a provincial academy."

"Tsk, tsk, a principal? That just makes it even more exciting!"

A group of boys huddled in the distance, whispering. They had lowered their voices as much as possible, but given Zu An's and Jiang Luofu's advanced cultivation, they could hear almost every word clearly.

Zu An's expression was peculiar. "I thought the students at the Imperial Academy would have a higher moral standard. I didn't expect them to be so... fond of women."

Jiang Luofu had a faint smile on her lips. "At their age, full of vigor, it would be abnormal if they didn't have such thoughts."

Zu An was a little surprised. "Aren't you angry?"

"Why would I be angry?" Jiang Luofu looked at him strangely. "I dress like this to be seen. The more they like it, the more it proves my outfit looks good. I'm too pleased for anger, so why would I be?"

Zu An was speechless.

What you said makes so much sense, I'm at a loss for how to argue against it.

Alas, mature older sisters truly are different from ordinary young girls. If it were innocent young girls, being stared at and flirted with like this would surely leave them mortified.

Is this the allure of a sophisticated woman?

Come to think of it, if he'd known this, Wei Suo wouldn't have had to sneak glances at her back then; he could have simply stared openly.

Jiang Luofu clearly paid no mind to the brief interlude and continued walking, explaining, "The academy is divided into the front and back mountains. The front mountain, which you see now, is similar to Brightmoon Academy, where teachers from various subjects teach general courses to all students."

"The back mountain is primarily where the Chancellor's direct disciples cultivate and study. Meanwhile, outstanding students from the front mountain, once they distinguish themselves, can apprentice themselves to these direct disciples, who then provide personalized, one-on-one instruction."

Zu An mused, *Isn't this just like undergraduates and postgraduates from my previous life? Or, in a xianxia setting, outer and inner disciples?*

"Gaining admission to the back mountain is the second most sought-after goal for many students at the Imperial Academy," Jiang Luofu continued.

Zu An paused. "What's the primary goal?"

"Of course, it's to become a personal disciple of Chancellor Ji," Jiang Luofu replied. "However, over the years, he has only taken twelve disciples, so that goal is clearly very difficult to achieve."

"Twelve, huh." This wasn't the first time Zu An had heard that Chancellor Ji had twelve disciples. "By the way, does the academy have alchemy cauldrons?"

He had long been considering acquiring an alchemy cauldron, as ordinary medicine furnaces couldn't be used for alchemy. Many people he asked had told him that only the academy could provide one.

"An alchemy cauldron?" Jiang Luofu was surprised. "What do you need one for?"

"Just to experiment with alchemy," Zu An replied.

Jiang Luofu's eyes widened, and her voice unconsciously rose. "You know alchemy?"

Zu An felt annoyed. "What's with that look? Can't I know alchemy?"

"It's quite rare, as it has a high barrier to entry. You, young man, certainly give me many surprises," Jiang Luofu said with a smile. "Alright, after we visit Chancellor Ji, I'll go to Master Shenxu to find you an alchemy cauldron. In the entire capital, his alchemy is unrivaled."

"Master Kidney Deficiency?" Zu An was startled. "Is there really someone with such a Daoist name?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Jiang Luofu's face; she clearly guessed what he was thinking. "It's 'Shen' as in 'even' or 'very.' He greatly admires the powerful alchemist masters of history, like Chongxuzi, Xuanxuzi, Qingxuzi, and so on. So he also wanted to give himself a similar name. Unfortunately, most alchemists throughout history had the same idea and had used up almost all available 'xu' characters. In desperation, he decided to forge a new path and named himself 'Master Shenxu.' This way, even if he achieves nothing in alchemy in the future, he can still make a name for himself in history with this name."

"He's quite a character," Zu An said, trying to suppress a laugh. *Is he sure he'll be remembered for that? He might just become a historical laughingstock*, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, a luxurious carriage ascended the mountain path, reaching Yu An Peak, the highest point of Yuquan Mountain's back side.

"Stop the carriage," a pleasant female voice called from within. "This princess will walk the rest of the way, so as not to appear disrespectful to Chancellor Ji."

A palace maid quickly opened the carriage door and assisted her mistress in alighting.

A magnificent palace gown was revealed, and with the crisp jingling of jade ornaments, a peerlessly beautiful woman slowly stepped down from the carriage.

"Crown Princess, please be careful," a nearby maid reminded her. It turned out this group was none other than the Crown Princess and her retinue.

Bi Linglong smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I'm not that delicate."

She looked up, surveying the pond not far away. The water was clear, and emerald lotus leaves covered the surface, subtly adorned with lotus flowers of various colors: pink, pale yellow, snowy white...

Together, they formed an exquisite scene that uplifted the heart and mind with just a single glance.

The Crown Princess couldn't help but exclaim, "The climate on this mountaintop is quite cold, originally unsuitable for lotus growth, yet this pond of lotuses thrives so beautifully. Chancellor Ji truly possesses extraordinary skill."

"So the Crown Princess is also a lover of flowers." A deep, unreadable voice slowly drifted from the distant pine forest, showing neither joy nor sorrow, making it impossible to discern the speaker's mood.

The Crown Princess bowed. "Linglong has come to pay respects to Chancellor Ji."

There was no answering voice on the wind, only a soft creak, clearly the sound of a door opening.

The Crown Princess's face lit up. Knowing that Chancellor Ji rarely received visitors, his willingness to see her signaled a promising start. She quickly gestured for her attendants to wait there, then walked alone into the pine forest.

Meanwhile, as Zu An and Jiang Luofu passed a lawn, they saw a group of young students arguing heatedly in the distance.

"Nonsense! How can fire not be hot?"

"Fire certainly can be not hot, because 'fire' is a name, and 'hot' is a reality. 'Fire' is not 'hot.' If 'fire' were 'hot,' saying the word 'fire' would burn your mouth; since saying 'fire' doesn't burn your mouth, it's clear that fire is not hot."

"That's just twisting logic!"

"Do you think what I'm saying is incorrect? If it is, then point out where I'm wrong. But you can't point it out, and you only say I'm incorrect. That is not the way of our School of Names! Teacher, don't you agree?"

The student bowed to a short, stout man sitting nearby. Although the man was plump, he wore a green robe and a hat, with two long, handlebar mustaches, giving him an inexplicable comedic charm.

The stout man heard this and said, "Park Guochang's words are sound and capture the true essence of our School of Names."

Pleased with the praise, the student who had been speaking so eloquently looked smug, even casting a provocative glance at his classmate.

The other student, however, looked crestfallen, having lost face in front of the teacher and served as someone else's stepping stone.

Zu An couldn't help but look at Jiang Luofu beside him. "This is acceptable?"

Jiang Luofu offered a wry smile. "This is the way of the School of Names. That's how their lineage operates. That short, stout man is Yin Shi, Chancellor Ji's direct disciple, ranked eleventh."

Zu An thought, *Aren't these just a bunch of contrarians? Jiao Sigun would certainly be in his element here.*

*Wait, this guy is also ranked eleventh... How the hell am I so fated to encounter contrarians?*

Just then, the short, stout man named Yin Shi seemed to sense something and instinctively looked back in their direction.

Jiang Luofu's expression changed, and she quickly grabbed Zu An's hand. "Quick, let's go!"

Zu An was bewildered. Why leave? Could there be danger even in the esteemed Imperial Academy?

But the immense force in her grip showed that Jiang Luofu was not joking at all. He stumbled as she pulled him.

Zu An immediately became alert, ready for combat at any moment.

Just then, his vision blurred, and something resembling a ball rolled in front of them. When it straightened its limbs and stood up, he realized it was the very same Yin Shi.

"Oh, it's Eighth Senior Sister," Yin Shi said with a smile, stroking the handlebar mustache at the corners of his mouth. "Why did you run when you saw me?"

Zu An stared at Jiang Luofu in surprise. "Eighth Senior Sister?"