Chapter Forty-Four: Senior Year?

The people in front were dumbfounded; their minds were full of questions, but before they could say anything, the person had already vanished. Only one person seemed unaffected, for as soon as Instructor Zhang Jiangang left, he fell back asleep.

Behind the slumbering Cao Xiaosen, a pair of lively, spirited eyes blinked rapidly, the lashes like two small banana fans fluttering up and down as if trying to dispel the haze before them. At the corner of one eye, a beauty mark, drawn as though with an eyebrow pencil, lent a touch of sadness to her otherwise unscathed face.

The girl wore her hair in a ponytail and idly tapped her slightly upturned, delicate nose with her slender fingers. Suddenly, she stood up, dragged her stool over, and sat beside Cao Xiaosen. Only then did it become clear she was dressed in a pale yellow sports outfit, her attire giving off a fresh, capable air.

“My name is Yao Ling. I grew up in the main city of Green Forest. I’m pleased to meet all of you. Since we’ll be teammates from now on, I hope we can support each other.”

Yao Ling called Ye Bai over, then tugged at the ears on the hood of Cao Xiaosen’s yellow pajamas. Somehow, the two looked oddly well-matched.

Ye Bai glanced at the slumbering Cao Xiaosen and felt a headache coming on. This was only the second time he’d met him; the first was in Snow City. One was a sleeping god; the other, a stoic whose expressionless face had made Ye Bai question his own existence. Looking at the sleeping figure before him, Ye Bai even wondered if he’d stumbled into some tragic romance between the living and the dead.

As for Yao Ling, Ye Bai was surprised—he hadn’t seen her name among the top three hundred of Green Forest’s main city. Her nose was delicate, her lips thin, but there was nothing particularly striking about her—save for those luminous, spirited eyes.

“Ye Bai,” he introduced himself.

“You’re Ye Bai, ranked seventh in the Three Cities Unified Examination?” Yao Ling exclaimed. New students nearby, still getting to know their groupmates, glanced over at Ye Bai. Then, as if satisfied, they returned to their discussions. After all, anyone admitted to Purple Star Academy was of strong resolve; a single ranking didn’t define one’s future.

For Yao Ling, life in her hometown revolved around recognizing medicinal herbs and following her elders in treating illnesses. She had rarely witnessed any real fighting. Members of the Yao family, upon reaching a certain age, could freely choose among the Four Great Academies without taking part in the entrance exams—a privilege that outsiders envied. Yet Yao Ling sometimes envied those who fought outside.

In Green Forest’s main city, aside from the Xiao family, the Yao family held special esteem—not for terrifying combat prowess or intimidation, but rather for their lack of overwhelming martial strength. Since their emergence, the Yaos had been healers, earning respect generation after generation through medical virtue.

The eldest son of the Yao family had entered Tianmu Academy four years ago, and now the youngest, Yao Ling, began her journey at Purple Star Academy.

The Yao family’s legacy stretched back a thousand years. Before the Dark Era, Western medicine prevailed, and the fast pace of life left no room for traditional healing; people sought quick results in Western hospitals for every ailment, big or small.

But when the Dark Era arrived, most medical facilities were destroyed. Without those resources, Western medicine was crippled—unable to heal others or even themselves.

It was then that the Yao family emerged, healing and saving lives. With mutated plants growing wildly in the Dark Era, the Yaos adapted, rescuing countless people in Green Forest’s main city. At that time, the Three Kings were mere soldiers battling mutant beasts on the front lines, while the Yao family head, blessed with wood affinity, led his family out of the chaos.

Yao Ling’s exclamation managed to rouse Cao Xiaosen from his stupor for once.

This was the first time Ye Bai had looked at Cao Xiaosen closely—a buzz cut, bright black eyes, and a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth.

After wiping his mouth, Cao Xiaosen said, “Cao Xiaosen, Green Forest main city, an outsider.”

His voice was magnetic, but paired with his outfit, the effect was unintentionally comical.

“Cao Xiaosen?!” Another top ten from the Three Cities Exam—Yao Ling wondered if today was an auspicious day or if the magpies were singing, to have such luck meeting two top ten scorers. This time, though, she didn’t shout.

“My brother told me that for the four, maybe five years at university, our three-person group will always be together—unless someone dies.”

Yao Ling extended her arm, and her smart assistant, Little Wood, appeared to gather information and bind the three of them as a team. She even sent a smiling face emoji.

“Five years?” Ye Bai asked, puzzled. He could only recall universities having four years, not five.

Yao Ling glanced around and, seeing no one paying attention, said softly, “That’s what my brother said, but I don’t know much either.”

“My brother also said that there are no real instructors at the Four Great Academies. The ones we met today are actually fourth-year students. Every year, they draw lots to guide the freshmen, but apparently, no one really wants the job.”

Ye Bai was stunned. His worldview had been shattered several times today—a cold, expressionless ‘instructor,’ the existence of a mysterious fifth year, and now learning that instructors were actually just senior students.

Yao Ling moistened her dry lips with a flick of her delicate tongue and continued, “Actually, we’ll only ever see second- and third-year seniors. Fourth-years rarely appear, and the rumored fifth-years are even more mysterious. Some graduates don’t even know if the fifth year exists.”

Ye Bai could believe a monk being unaffected by worldly matters, but what about this guy beside him? Did he have an even higher level of detachment? Ye Bai would never believe it—even with that calm, impassive face, it couldn’t be all an act.

He nodded for Yao Ling to continue, completely ignoring the nearly-asleep Cao Xiaosen.

“No one knows what the fourth-years or the rumored fifth-years actually do. But anyone who survives to graduate, whether or not they know about the fifth year, is able to keep their territory safe after leaving. My brother told us we have to cooperate closely—otherwise, we might not even survive our first year.”

Ye Bai organized the information in his mind. The fourth and fifth years were far removed from him for now, so there was no use worrying about them. The truth of Yao Ling’s words was uncertain, but her demeanor seemed sincere.

“What does your brother do now? How does he know all this?”

“My brother is at Tianmu Academy, now a fourth-year student. Ever since he started his fourth year, I’ve only seen him once a year.” Yao Ling answered swiftly, as if expecting Ye Bai’s question.

“Did your brother ever mention what he did during the first half of his fourth year?” Ye Bai asked, propping up Cao Xiaosen’s chin so he wouldn’t fall asleep again.

Yao Ling shook her head, indicating she didn’t know. Ye Bai began to feel his thoughts jumble. With the sleeping god beside him, he figured he wouldn’t get any more answers today, so the three parted ways.

Back in his dorm bed, Ye Bai cycled through the elemental powers in his hand, inspired by Instructor Zhang Jian’s demonstration earlier that day.

He pondered how to release his elemental power more swiftly while minimizing loss, even as Yao Ling’s words echoed in his mind.

A fifth year? The dwindling number of fourth-years? And upon his return, Ye Bai had noticed the academy was almost deserted, feeling more like a ghost school.

Based on Yao Ling’s revelations, perhaps there were special requirements to advance to the fifth year—or perhaps it didn’t exist at all, since graduation was after the fourth year.

Lines of wood affinity extended to his index finger, then earth, then water and fire, circling around without Ye Bai noticing.

But there are no secrets that can’t be discovered; if rumors exist, there must be some truth to them.

Ye Bai’s biggest headache, though, was his three-person team. From their newly linked information, he realized that while Yao Ling had reached the entry level, she confessed she couldn’t even defeat a body-forging novice.

As for Cao Xiaosen, he’d barely spoken since the start and was probably already snoring in bed. He knew nothing about him, but perhaps Yao Ling’s medical skills would be their saving grace.

Born into a family of healers, Yao Ling had been taught since childhood about medicine and saving lives—so at least injuries wouldn’t be a major concern.

Suddenly, Ye Bai inhaled sharply—his ring finger throbbed with pain.

Lost in thought, he looked down to find the skin at his fingertip already scorched. He had never heard of elemental power backfiring on its user.

Summoning his smart assistant, Mo’er, he pulled out a box from the dorm’s doorway, treated his wound, and buried himself in sleep.

Enough for today—he was exhausted. Whatever problems awaited could be dealt with tomorrow. He flipped his blanket over himself and soon drifted off, even as his freshly bandaged ring finger pulsed with pain.