The other student handbook records the rules and regulations of Sanctum Martial Academy, with a campus map at the end.
After registering, Ian Song and the other six were each assigned to different courtyards, each of which already had two older low-level students.
Each courtyard has three rooms.
The three rooms vary in size: large, medium, and small.
The large room is spacious, furnished with high-grade furniture, comfortable bedding, and even a private training room.
The medium room is much smaller, with lower-grade furniture and no private training room.
As for the smallest room, aside from a shabby wooden bed, there’s nothing else.
Since Ian is a new student, both the large and medium rooms are already occupied by the seniors, so he can only stay in the small room.
The room is completely bare—he’ll need to buy some furnishings before moving in.
In the courtyard’s pavilion, a small red clay stove burns, steam rising and bubbling softly.
Two students sit around the stove, leisurely drinking tea.
“Hello, Senior Wang. Hello, Senior Zhang.”
Ian walked up to the pavilion and greeted the two with a smile.
Both seniors are at the peak of the ninth layer of Qi-Refining and have been enrolled for several years.
Senior Wang’s name is Tim Wang; Senior Zhang’s is Mason Zhang. One is as thin as a bamboo stick, the other as fat as a pig.
Faced with Ian’s greeting, both only nod, not bothering to stand up.
Ian doesn’t mind and smiles, saying, “Seniors, I still need to go buy some things, so I won’t disturb you. Goodbye.”
“Wait a moment,” Tim Wang suddenly called out to Ian.
“Is there something you need, Senior Wang?” Ian looked at him.
“I’ve got a used set of bedding in my room. How about I sell it to you for a hundred taels of silver?”
Tim Wang smiled, "Everyone who gets into Sanctum Martial Academy is a top disciple from their sect. But Holy Spirit Island is an isolated place overseas, so trade with the mainland isn’t convenient. That’s why the students who’ve been here for years, especially the lazy ones, are usually short on cash."
Hearing this, Ian frowned slightly. "No need, I’ll just buy a new set."
"What, Junior Huang doesn’t want to use my old things? Or are you looking down on me?" Tim Wang’s face darkened, his tone turning unfriendly.
"I’m a bit of a neat freak, Senior. Hope you don’t mind." Ian replied coolly, his smile vanishing.
Mason Zhang suddenly chimed in, sounding earnest: "Junior Huang, you’re new here so you don’t know yet—expenses at Sanctum Martial Academy are huge. If you spend money carelessly now, you’ll be broke in a year or two. Senior Wang selling you his old bedding is for your own good, to help you save money."
"I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be going now." Ian said, turning to leave.
Ian didn’t believe Mason Zhang’s nonsense for a second. A new bedding set only costs a few taels, but he wanted two hundred for his old one. Ian had plenty of silver but wasn’t about to be extorted.
"Ungrateful brat!" Mason Zhang cursed.
With a loud smack, Tim Wang slapped the stone table, his face turning blue with anger.
"No need to get mad, Tim. It’s easy to teach a newcomer a lesson," Mason Zhang said, trying to calm him.
Tim Wang nodded to himself, already plotting how to deal with the newbie.
There’s a shop inside the academy that sells bedding.
Ian spent a few taels on a new blanket and quilt, then went to the sundry shop for a kettle, cups, and other basics.
When he got back to the courtyard, Tim Wang and Mason Zhang were nowhere to be seen.
But as soon as he pushed open the door, a foul stench hit him. Looking up, he saw a pile of filth on the wooden bed.
"What the hell!" Ian cursed, instantly furious.
He didn’t need to think twice to know who did it. This kind of trick was just disgusting.
Ian had never been one to swallow humiliation. With a cold smile, he thought, If you want to play games, I’ll play along—properly.
He used his strength to wrap up the filth, carried it to the courtyard, dug a hole, and buried it. Then he fetched water to wash the place and opened the windows to air it out. Only then did the room smell fresh again.
He sat down in the pavilion and waited quietly.
Even after cleaning up, just thinking about what happened made Ian feel sick.
Just as he was about to make his bed, he suddenly paused, remembering that the handbook said the strongest student could choose any room.
With that in mind, Ian walked straight out of the room, not bothering to make his bed.
He’d planned to keep a low profile as a new student, but since Tim Wang and Mason Zhang started trouble, he wasn’t going to be polite.
They wanted to disgust him?
Then let them live in the small room themselves and taste their own medicine.
He sat down in the pavilion and waited quietly.
Less than half an hour later, Tim Wang and Mason Zhang returned together.
“Hey, isn’t that Junior Huang? Why aren’t you resting in your room?”
Tim Wang said playfully.
“Heh, maybe he thinks the room is too small and doesn’t want to stay there,” Mason Zhang sneered.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Ian appeared before them, looking at them calmly. “The handbook says the strongest in the dorm can choose any room. The largest room is yours, Senior Wang. I’m here to challenge you for it.”
Tim Wang was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “You want to challenge me? Ha! You’re just at the Innate Eighth Layer and you want to challenge me?”
“Done laughing?”
Ian looked at him, expression unchanged.
“If you’re done, get ready to accept my challenge!”
Tim Wang’s laughter stopped, his eyes turning cold as he glared at Ian. “You clueless brat. You really think I spent years in this academy for nothing? If you back down now and slap yourself twice as an apology, I’ll let you off. Otherwise, I’ll break your legs!”
“No need! Go ahead!”
Tim Wang’s face grew even colder. “Looks like you won’t cry until you see the coffin. If you want to die, I’ll oblige!”
"Hold it right there!"
Mason Zhang suddenly spoke up.
"How does a newbie like him have the right to challenge Senior Wang? Why not let me handle it instead?"
Tim Wang nodded, "Fine. Junior Zhang, just go easy on him. Break his legs so he learns his lesson!"
"Don't worry, Senior. I know what I'm doing!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mason Zhang stepped forward and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ian Song casually raised his hand to meet the attack. With a burst of force, Mason's fat body was blasted backwards, tumbling several meters away.
"Bastard!"
Mason scrambled up, shouting angrily as he charged at Ian again.
Swish!
Ian’s figure flickered, appearing behind Mason and slamming a palm into his back.
Spurt!
Mason spat blood and crashed to the ground, looking utterly miserable.
In a flash, Ian had dealt with Mason, leaving Tim Wang genuinely surprised. His face grew much more serious.
"Now it’s your turn!"
Ian fixed Tim with a cold stare and spoke slowly.