My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 263 - 215: Names Girls Like (Two in One)

Chapter 263: Chapter 215: Names Girls Like (Two in One)

The hour was still early, so Zhao Rong decided to first make his way to the Academy.

As he walked, he suddenly felt a bit lost.

Today, Zhao Rong had followed Teacher Yan and others, entering the Academy through the unfamiliar North Gate.

It was not the South Gate through which he had initially entered the Academy.

Linlu Academy was vast, Zhao Rong had heard from his senior brother, and was almost as large as the Taiching Four Mansions.

The Academy’s architecture was strict in plan and simple in style, adhering to the philosophy of "harmony in rites and music" and the rigorous order of Confucian norms and rituals. Except for some special areas, to the newcomer, it all seemed monotonously the same.

Initially, Zhao Rong had only been in the Academy less than a day, then the next morning he had followed Fan Yushu and others to Taiching Four Mansions, hardly familiar with the Academy.

At this moment, he gradually stopped, scratched his nose, and surveyed the unfamiliar buildings around him. He sought a familiar structure to ascertain his direction, but unfortunately, the Academy was full of greenery, not yet fully withered or leaf-fallen, obstructing his view and making his search futile.

Originally, Fan Yushu, familiar with the Academy, would have been there to guide Zhao Rong as both were specialized students arranged by Teacher Yan to study together in the same classroom at Mochi Academy.

However, it seemed he might have become addicted to being outdoors, for since the last time Zhao Rong went to the Nuanyi Gathering alone, he had not seen Fan Yushu for several days.

Apart from one day when he rushed back, greeted Zhao Rong briefly, and then went to ask their senior brother for a few more days off before heading out again.

Zhao Rong had originally planned to visit Du You City as well, but had been inseparable from Qing Jun in the past few days. Thinking of soon leaving Taiching Four Mansions, he chose to spend more time with Qing Jun, abandoning the idea of going out.

Today, as they returned to Linlu Academy, Fan Yushu had not come back with the main group, probably planning to go directly back to class at the Academy.

Thus, after separating from his brothers, Zhao Rong was left to find his way to the lodging alone.

Zhao Rong stood in place, looking around, caught in indecision, when he spotted a slender figure stepping out of a building ahead, turning away and walking forward.

Zhao Rong raised an eyebrow and quickened his pace, "Excuse me, sir, could you please hold on for a moment..."

The person ahead, hearing him, stopped and turned around.

Zhao Rong paused mid-sentence, took a closer look at the person, and realized it was a woman.

She appeared very young, with an ordinary face and a reserved expression, her skin slightly fair.

Tidily wearing a male scholar’s headdress, short in stature, dressed in a common scholar’s robe which, due to her slender figure, appeared excessively large on her and hung loose, offering a plain overall appearance.

Zhao Rong cleared his throat without staring further, took a step forward, and corrected himself, "I apologize for the disturbance, miss. Could you please tell me how to get to the scholars’ lodging."

He hesitated for a moment, remembering that there was more than one lodging in the Academy, "Um, the lodging I’m looking for should be near a pavilion called Jiquan Pavilion."

"Miss," a term of respect for a knowledgeable and cultivated woman, akin to a male scholar.

As far as Zhao Rong knew, in the Xuanhuang Realm, the Confucian doctrine was universal, including many female scholars, like the somewhat troublesome Teacher Zhu.

There were also some female scholars in Linlu Academy. Encountering them now, Zhao Rong was no longer surprised.

At that moment, the female scholar did not immediately respond but first stepped back, maintaining a three-step distance from Zhao Rong, then performed a Confucian scholar’s bow.

Zhao Rong, seeing this, solemnly returned the bow, inwardly musing if all students of the Academy were this courteous...

The female scholar slightly lifted her head, her face stern. She lowered her eyelids, held her hands properly, and looked straight at Zhao Rong without glancing away, pondering for a moment before speaking earnestly.

"To reach the scholars’ lodging from here, walk straight ahead to the end where the Lanting Pavilion by the lake is. Stop and turn left, head west for about a quarter of an hour until you reach the Book Collection Pavilion. Turn right and after one hundred and twenty steps, you will find the Jiquan Pavilion, with a lodging nearby."

Zhao Rong noticed the female scholar was methodical yet articulate, her words organized. He nodded slightly, "Thank you, miss."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ordinarily-looking female scholar bowed again, looking directly at Zhao Rong.

Zhao Rong’s mouth twitched slightly, and he helplessly bowed as well.

But as he straightened up, the female scholar immediately turned around and left without a word.

Zhao Rong didn’t mind and turned to walk in the direction she had indicated.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Rong finally found the Jiquan Pavilion.

A month ago, when Li Jinsu took him to settle in this lodging at Linlu Academy, it was very dark, and he only remembered this elegant pavilion by the mountain spring at the foot of the hill.

Zhao Rong looked around at the somewhat familiar scenery and headed toward the lodging on the right side of the pavilion.

It was noon, a crisp autumn day.

Not far away, the sound of a bell was heard, signaling it was time for the scholars to attend afternoon classes. Zhao Rong encountered some scholars in blue coming out of the lodging.

Presumably seeing him as a stranger, dressed differently, many glanced at Zhao Rong.

He smiled gently at these fellow students from the previous year, heading toward his residence inside the lodging.

The area had a row of courtyards lined side by side, with each courtyard housing two living quarters.

In the lodging, every two scholars shared one courtyard.