To Fang Jie's surprise, the student dormitories at the Martial Arts Academy weren't clustered together. Instead, they were scattered throughout the academy, some in the garden, some by the lake—chosen for the most scenic spots, rather than just a row of bare buildings. Fang Jie greatly appreciated this layout; the only inconvenience was that the cafeteria didn't deliver meals to the dorms.
No matter where you lived, you could only eat in the cafeteria.
Fang Jie first went back to his room to change. When Qilin saw Fang Jie, exhausted to the point of almost collapsing to the floor, he rushed to help, but Fang Jie declined Qilin's offer to carry him the last stretch, insisting on walking into his room. Without even bothering to look at the furnishings of his room, which had been his for the past three years, the first thing Fang Jie did upon entering was to throw himself onto the bed.
After lying there for ten minutes, Fang Jie caught his breath, stripped off his wet clothes, changed into his academy uniform, lay down for a while longer, and then got up and left his room. The moment he stepped out, he made himself appear energetic, concealing his physical fatigue and pain, and walked out of the courtyard as if it were any other day. It was already quite an achievement to be able to walk as if nothing was wrong.
Just as he stepped out of his courtyard, Fang Jie saw two people walking side by side towards him in the distance. They were talking as they walked, and when they saw Fang Jie, they greeted him from afar.
It was Pei Chuxing and Yu Xiao.
Fang Jie's eyebrows twitched inexplicably when he saw the two of them.
He forced an apologetic smile and quickened his pace to meet them.
"I'm truly sorry. I promised to visit you two brothers, but some circumstances prevented me from doing so. I hope you will forgive me," Fang Jie said, bowing slightly.
Pei Chuxing and Yu Xiao quickly reached out to help Fang Jie up. Pei Chuxing smiled and said, "We know what happened to you, how could we blame you? My father specifically instructed me to visit you after he found out. It's really bad luck that you encountered bandits on the way; you know the capital's security is always excellent. It's just that you're staying at the Sanjin Marquis's residence, and I know the Sanjin Marquis recently left Chang'an, so I didn't go. I wanted to apologize to you."
Yu Xiao added, "You were already exhausted during the competition that day, so encountering bandits and fighting them naturally put you at a disadvantage. Fortunately, your cultivation is considerable; if it were an ordinary person, they would probably have met with disaster."
Fang Jie knew these two were trying to win him over, so he was extremely polite. But it was precisely this politeness that created distance between them. Yu Xiao and Pei Chuxing, being intelligent people, naturally saw through Fang Jie's deliberate humility and politeness.
The three of them walked and chatted idly, exchanging casual remarks. Neither Pei Chuxing nor Yu Xiao mentioned the planned visit again, nor did they bring up their families' invitation to Fang Jie. Fang Jie was happy to relax as well. Near the canteen, they ran into Xie Fuyao and Mo Xidao, and the group ate together.
It must be said that the food at the Martial Arts Academy was indeed excellent.
Moreover, the academy didn't prohibit drinking, though of course, the food and drinks weren't free. Since Yu Xiao had agreed to pay, the others naturally wouldn't rush to pay. Fang Jie was stingy, Zhang Kuang and Mo Xidao were short of money, and as for Xie Fuyao and Pei Chuxing, they certainly wouldn't do what they considered petty—rushing to pay. This was the difference between scions of noble families and ordinary people. Ordinary people, when drinking with friends, would often insist on paying, because they saw it as a sign of respect and to show their hospitality.
But in the eyes of scions of noble families, if someone else paid after agreeing to pay, it wasn't a sign of respect, but an insult. Even if a meal cost a fortune, what did they care? They valued face far more than money.
After sitting down and exchanging introductions, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Zhang Kuang and Mo Xidao kept their heads down, eating and drinking, neither offering any courtesy nor speaking. Clearly, they were still wary of these young masters from prominent families. If Fang Jie hadn't been there, they might have already gotten up and left.
Xie Fuyao was a special case. He already had a good relationship with Fang Jie, Zhang Kuang, and Mo Xidao. And as a scion of a prominent family, he had things to talk about with Yu Xiao and Pei Chuxing. Therefore, he had to act as a bridge, occasionally weaving between the two seemingly friendly but actually estranged groups.
After drinking for a while, Pei Chuxing seemed unwilling to waste any more time in this awkward atmosphere. After a moment of silence, the other explained, "Now that I know you've recovered, how about we travel together to Chang'an when the Martial Arts Academy allows us to go out in a few days? I know you haven't had much time to explore the capital yet. Chang'an has so many beautiful sights to see."
"Brother, I can't refuse your kind invitation," Fang Jie replied, offering a toast to Pei Chuxing.
Having been preempted by Pei Chuxing, Yu Xiao didn't say anything more, but stood up and said, "Since we've made a promise, don't forget me. A few friends are calling me over there; I'll go check on them. I've already told the staff here that this meal is on me."
"Brother, please go ahead if you have business to attend to; don't worry about us," Fang Jie said, standing up to see them off. Yu Xiao and Pei Chuxing then departed. After the two men left, Mo Xidao picked up his wine cup and downed it in one gulp, saying, "With those two around, drinking was so much more comfortable."
"Now that they're gone, let's relax."
Zhang Kuang laughed and raised his wine cup to Xie Fuyao, saying, "You're different from them; we consider you a brother!"
Xie Fuyao seemed extremely pleased with Zhang Kuang's words and quickly raised his cup to drink with him.
Fang Jie said somewhat displeased, "How could you say that? They treated us to this meal, and you're already saying such things after they've just left. That's outrageous! People should be reasonable and polite. They invited us, how can we not even say thank you? Even if we don't say thank you, shouldn't we at least say something?"
Zhang Kuang, thinking he was genuinely complaining, subconsciously asked, "Then what should we say?"
Fang Jie raised his hand and called out, "Waiter, bring the menu, and add a few more dishes!"
...
...
Sitting on a stone bench in the garden at sunset, watching the beautiful scenery illuminated by the setting sun, and having already eaten and drunk his fill, he felt quite content. Xie Fuyao glanced at Fang Jie, who was sprawled on the grass, completely unconcerned about his appearance, and couldn't help but chuckle. "I've never seen anyone as stingy as you. Even if you weren't spending your own money, you shouldn't be so full you can't even walk."
Fang Jie chuckled sheepishly, patting his slightly protruding belly, and sighed, "They're hospitable, so you naturally have to play along. What could make the host happier than good food and drink?"
He sighed softly, "It's just a pity. I really wanted to order some more to take away for a late-night snack, but… I was too embarrassed."
"You're embarrassed?" "Si, is it that you truly can't eat anything more today?"
Xie Fuyao smiled and teased, "You're a person of status now, you should at least consider your manners and etiquette."
"Saying all that is useless, filling my stomach is the most important thing."
Fang Jie shook his head and said, "Time is better spent cultivating oneself, nothing is more difficult than eating. Every meal should be savored and enjoyed, otherwise how can one be worthy of what one eats? How can one be worthy of the solemnity that eating prolongs life? As for manners and etiquette, who cares about those superficial things when one is only concerned with eating?"
"Time..." "Nothing is more difficult than cultivating oneself; nothing in the world is harder than eating."
Xie Fuyao murmured, repeating the phrase, then praised, "That's a brilliant saying!"
"There are many brilliant sayings, but I only want to ask you one thing now."
Fang Jie sat up with some difficulty, looking at Xie Fuyao earnestly and asking, "That day at the Martial Arts Academy, when we fought, why did you hold back?"
Xie Fuyao was taken aback, then smiled and shook her head, saying, "I didn't hold back."
"You think I believe you?"
Fang Jie said, "Logically, everyone thought you truly intended to kill me that day, and I even thought you did." "So we should be quite distant. Do you know why the first thing I did after the competition was to invite you for drinks?"
"Why?"
"To thank you for sparing my life, my classmate."
Fang Jie sighed and then said, "Others only saw me knock you down with one punch, but no one saw you deliberately withdraw your finger strike when I got close. Since you dared to challenge the professors of the Martial Arts Academy, how could you have only mastered the Xia method of the Four Symbols Finger Technique? Everyone was puzzled at the time, but they must have understood it afterward."
"And you were no different. Can you say you gave it your all that day?"
Xie Fuyao countered.
Fang Jie smiled, neither confirming nor denying. "Fang Jie…"
"Hmm?"
"You…really can't cultivate?"
"Really, everyone knows that, don't you?"
"I know, I just wanted to hear it from you personally."
"You're rubbing salt into someone's wounds, you know that?"
Fang Jie rolled his eyes at him, looking at the sun that was no longer glaring, and sighed, "Most of you who can cultivate, after learning that I can't, will probably think, 'Oh, that guy is actually a useless person who can't cultivate. How could someone like that win first place in the Martial Arts Academy exam?'"
Xie Fu shook his head and said, "I didn't think that way."
"Many people think that way."
Fang Jie said, "From the morning when the cultivation power was tested…" Many people's gazes towards me changed. I knew it was contempt, a contempt that remained even after I won first place. Firstly, my birth was not noble; secondly, I lacked the potential for cultivation. With these two things, no one would think I could achieve anything. In fact, most ordinary people are like me, so they are all mediocre, destined to be mere foils in any era."
"Anyone who thinks like that is an idiot."
Xie Fuyao said, "The most important thing in the world is the people. No matter how powerful an empire is, or how wealthy a noble family is, can it continue without the people?"
Fang Jie smiled, "I'm glad you have this Marxist-Leninist ideology."
"What is it?"
Xie Fuyao asked.
"It's… a philosopher who advocated equality for all and a world of great harmony."
"A very bold idea, but impractical. And this philosopher's name is also strange, Marx, Engels, and Lenin. I wonder what it means."
Fang Jie didn't know how to continue the story, so he changed the subject.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't enter the Martial Arts Academy if there was a major war? Why did you still choose to come in, knowing the court was about to wage war in the Northwest?"
Xie Fuyao was silent for a moment, then said solemnly, "I don't know what you're thinking, but I feel... this war will definitely not be easy. Those who enter the Martial Arts Academy may not be able to stay here for three years."
Fang Jie's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but say, "If someone hears you saying this, you'll probably suffer."
Xie Fuyao shook her head: "You won't tell outsiders, so what am I afraid of? How about we make a bet? We'll bet whether we can study peacefully at the Martial Arts Academy for three years. If we can, you win, and I'll teach you the Wudang Mountain Two-Element Sword Technique. If not, I win, how about it?"
"See... I told you you were holding back. That day at the training ground, you only used the Four Symbols Finger, not the Two-Element Sword... What did I lose to you?"
Fang Jie asked pettily. "Stand by my side."
Xie Fuyao said calmly but earnestly, "If we both have to go to the battlefield, then I hope it is you who stands by my side."
"Why?"
"In the entire Martial Arts Academy, few people understand war better than you. And few people understand better than you how to survive in war. As long as the Xie family is not restored, I cannot die."
Fang Jie remained silent. As the sun disappeared below the horizon, he slowly rose and walked towards his courtyard.
"It's a deal."