Sangsang inserted the glittering channel back into the sheath and walked to the head of the bed. Staring at Ning Que's face, she said seriously, "This is what you taught me when I was a child. No matter how well you hide yourself, the government will surely find out why you were killed through the identities of those who died.

"The General's Mansion has been wiped out. Villages in the territory of the Yan Kingdom were slaughtered. Neither of these situations survived. Ning Que replied with a smile, "Even if the imperial court determines that these two cases triggered the murders, how can it be proved that I was involved?"

"Maybe they can't. But the imperial court may predict the type of person to be killed next, have them take precautions to protect the intended target, or even use them as bait. If this happens, will you give up killing them now that they are under the protection of the imperial court?

Ning Que looked into her eyes silently. Suddenly, he burst out laughing and said, "You rarely think about so many things.

"I'm just too tired to think about it so much, and I'm not stupid." Sang Sang muttered to himself. Maybe even she couldn't figure out why she thought about these things that she usually found troublesome.

But Ning Que understood, his eyes became gentle, he looked at her with a smile, and then said, "I promise, after killing two or three more, I will take a break for a while and start studying hard in the academy."

Sang Sang smiled, and his dark face finally showed a relaxed look. Then she replied, "You're right." The college is a great place where you can meet many other talented young people of the same age. So, young master, you should cherish this opportunity.

Ning Que felt that it was strange that Sang Sang suddenly became sentimental, and couldn't help but roll his eyes at the ceiling. Stretching, he played with the quilt, feeling that the so-called same age was actually wrong. In fact, he was seven or eight years older than his classmates.

...

...

The next day school started, Ning Que and Sang Sang got up early again, and after washing up and eating breakfast, Sang Sang stood at the door of the store and watched Ning Que get into the carriage alone. These two men were now wealthy, with a fortune of more than two thousand silver. Although, they were still thrifty, and despite the luxury of it, they still rented a carriage for a year.

At dawn, the south gate of Chang'an opened. More than a dozen horse-drawn carriages bearing the college's logo drove out of the city. The low number of carriages indicates that the majority of students at the college choose to board at the school rather than travel back and forth.

Along the official road, Ning Que walked south in the shade of the willow trees, enjoying the beautiful scenery. There are flowers, vast farmland, and tranquil creeks along the way. When he lifted the curtains, the steep peaks, along with the meadows, and the flowering trees that covered the base of the mountain, came into view again. Although this is not the first time he has seen it, he is still grateful in his heart: in the world, especially in the bustling suburbs of Chang'an City, it is really a godsend to have such a bewitching scene.

A dozen black carriages passed through the green grass and soon reached the main entrance of the academy. The students got out of the carriage one after another, bowing to each other with their hands crossed in front of them. Yesterday, many of the college's boarders joined them for their entrance exams, huddled around the inconspicuous simple stone gate to greet them. The quiet gate was suddenly shaken by the sound of chatter.

All of these young students wore the college's indigo robes, which were their uniforms. The boys wore black scarves, and the girls wore ebony scarves to tie their hair into buns. The costumes contrast with the green meadows and simple stone gates, making them look particularly refreshing. This makes the young people glow with vitality under the newly rising sun in the East, forming a youthful atmosphere.

Ning Que fastened his indigo college uniform and took out a small bronze mirror that Sang Sang had put in his baggage last night to see if he had put on his black scarf. After all, these things had to be done before he could get out of the carriage.

In yesterday's college entrance exam, in addition to Xie Chengyun and two other students from the Southern Jin Kingdom, it was him, the unexpected winner, who tamed the big dark horse, which was the most impressive. When the students who greeted each other at the gate of the college saw him, they all came over to greet him warmly, without the slightest jealousy. Then another round of self-introductions and descriptions of recent developments began.

When the bell rang melodiously in the depths of the academy, the students stopped talking and walked up the stairs in the morning light. Along the way, their indigo robes, scarves, and buns drifted with the morning breeze, revealing a sense of immortality.

Ning Que slowed down and deliberately fell behind the others. In the early morning sun, he raised his head and looked at the scene in front of him, his heart beating slightly. But, instead of quickening his pace, he looked more closely at the humble gate of the Academy, which was adorned with three pillars, and he observed the ordinary decoration around the lawn on those stairs.

Yesterday, the emperor visited the Academy. Therefore, the guard had been tightened, not to mention, in addition to the assessment, he also had to check the results, so he didn't take any time to carefully inspect the academy - the atmosphere here exuded a strong sense of fairyland, and the mountain that was partially hidden in the clouds gave people a strong sense of oppression. However, as of yesterday, until now, he has not found anything special.

Before, Ning Que didn't know what he wanted to study in the academy. He is good at how to identify animals from the smell of urine and how to find out the trajectory of arrows. He began to learn about the glorious history of the academy and its many saints, until General Ma of Wei City helped him apply for the entrance exam.

For some reason, he believed that the academy was not as ordinary as it seemed, and that it should take on a more important responsibility than just an academy that trained workers for the Tang Empire. Perhaps what he saw and heard during his travels on the steppes made him think so.

"An abandoned academy disciple turned out to be a great sword saint, and the old man Lu Qingchen, as well as the princess, also showed great respect for the academy. But why do people here feel the same way as me, but think it's nothing special?

He gently picked up the black scarf and stood up again, muttering to himself as he spoke.

He walked alone through the gates of the academy, across the lawn, and out of the main building, where he was now walking down an alley where he did not see the morning light. A few steps ahead is the noisy study room, where he can hear the buzz of exciting discussions and greetings. In contrast, the alleyway is extremely quiet.

Unexpectedly, a voice came from the silent alley.

"There's really nothing special about this world. The Royal Palace, the Haotian Temple, and the Nameless Land are no exception. So, why do you expect the academy to be special?

Hearing the voice, Ning Que quickly became alert, and the right hand in his sleeve tightened. He was ready to pick up that big black umbrella in case of any danger. The harsh living circumstances he experienced growing up led him to believe that any event was dangerous.

Just then, he noticed a scholar standing in front of him.

The scholar frowned, his eyes widened, and he looked simple and amiable. He wore an old cotton robe that seemed too thick in the spring, and he wore a pair of worn-out straw sandals, both of which were covered with mud and looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in years. Oddly enough, even then, the scholar did not appear to be messy.

He is very clean from the outside to the inside.

The scholar held a book in his right hand and tied a wooden spoon around his waist. Ning Que glanced at the scroll and the wooden spoon alternately, and finally, his gaze fell on the scholar's face, and then his left hand in his sleeve gradually relaxed.

This is the Academy, no one in this world dares to do anything illegal, and besides, despite the dirt all over his clothes, the scholar looks as clean as a newborn baby. Whoever sees him wants to be close to him and feel that what he says or does is trustworthy.

Although Ning Que looked relaxed, he was still nervous, because he felt that he could completely trust this scholar who suddenly appeared. As a child who struggled to the death, he ended up trusting no one. This immediate sense of trust is a terrible thing.

He couldn't muster any hostility in his heart, and what was even more terrifying was that he felt that if he took his big black umbrella out of his back, he still couldn't wave it at the scholars.

The scholar in the cotton robe smiled slightly, and finally, his gaze stayed on the fabric on Ning Que's back, as if his eyes could penetrate the fabric. Then he gently patted the wooden spoon and asked, "Your umbrella is good, do you want to trade?"

How could he tell it was an umbrella? Ning Que felt that his mouth was dry, and he suddenly became thirsty. Unable to speak, he was silent for a few moments before shaking his head.

The scholar sighed pityingly, then passed by him with the book without looking at Ning Que again. Finally, he stopped at a desolate side door of the academy.

A lonely bullock cart was parked outside the side door.