The ordinary knight had no desire to show off further, merely remarking that he had long grown accustomed to foreign nations treating martial artists from Red Pine with preferential favor.
Even if Jin suppressed martial artists who pursued advanced studies in Liang, Great Liang was entirely indifferent and would not be angered by it.
As the saying went: Utter disregard from an enemy is the greatest insult!
The ordinary knight explained that they were simply five martial artists from Jin and should not reveal their identities as hostages—that would be best for everyone.
If anyone was unwilling, then Red Pine Martial Academy naturally had corresponding treatment for hostages who openly declared themselves.
He did not specify what that treatment entailed, but it was clear enough that it would not be much better than Hostage Manor.
The five hostages nodded repeatedly. None of them asked why Red Pine chose to handle things this way.
Was the academy playing with fire? Probably not. Thirty hostages from Hostage Manor were being distributed among six intermediate martial academies; presumably, all followed a similar procedure.
As for Great Liang's intentions, even if one could not deduce them immediately, they were easy enough to guess.
Cooped up in Hostage Manor, these thirty hostages could only ever be hostages, walking corpses. They did possess utility, yes, but... very little!
In that case, why shouldn't Liang find new uses for them? After all, keeping them idle served no purpose anyway.
Only Wu Youren's mind was somewhat more active. "Once we enter the academy, will we be living together with the other foreign martial artists?"
He thought of international student dormitories.
"You can choose to do so, but I wouldn't recommend it," the ordinary knight replied with a smile. "Haven't you always wanted to defeat Great Liang?"
"If you don't live alongside ordinary martial artists, you'll miss your chance to engage with Liang's society."
His words were exceedingly frank, yet could not conceal their inherent arrogance... We can give you the opportunity, but do you have what it takes?
Feng Qianjun was considering something else. "Among the Jin martial artists here, how many hail from powerful noble families?"
"You're the leader of this bunch, aren't you?" The ordinary knight possessed a piercingly sharp eye.
He smiled faintly, a glint of cruelty in his eyes. "Plenty of noble scions. None of them are hostages—all came voluntarily!"
Baring a set of gleaming white teeth, he added, "Jin needs Great Liang; we do not need Jin."
The next moment, his expression shifted back, replaced by an amiable smile.
"All right, that's enough of that. Once you enter the academy, you are simply martial artists from Jin pursuing your studies."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master," He Wenhao was the first to react this time.
Cupping his hands in a solemn salute, he spoke in all seriousness, "We shall keep it firmly in mind... ensuring generational friendship between Jin and Liang."
"Generational friendship... heheh," the ordinary knight chuckled dryly. "Let's hope so."
Regardless, the five hostages arrived at Red Pine Martial Academy that very day.
When they arrived, rain was falling over the academy as well, and they were over a month later than this year's official admission period!
However, recruitment at a martial academy was not governed by college entrance examinations; aside from the main intake period, plenty of people were admitted at other times.
In particular, as "foreign martial artists," the rules were considerably more relaxed for the five of them.
During registration, the other four people from the academy vanished, leaving only the ordinary knight to help introduce things and coordinate.
Wu Youren possessed neither high status nor noble standing, making him the last to be settled in.
Yet after watching how the first four were arranged, he had a rough idea of what treatment awaited him.
He was assigned to a four-person dormitory room that already housed two Liang youths; he was the third.
Upon learning he was from Jin, the two were distinctly aloof and dismissive.
He did not mind, however. Toadying to the prominent and snubbing the lowly was human nature, not to mention that this was Liang soil.
What really mattered was whether these two had hidden identities or carried some kind of mission—that was hard to say.
As a newcomer, Wu Youren had no desire to stir up trouble; keeping a low profile early on was the best approach.
He was certain that those in the academy who knew their identities would not cease monitoring the hostages anytime soon.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Wu Youren stepped outside to get a sense of the academy's layout and circumstances.
The entire martial academy spanned roughly two square kilometers, housing seven to eight thousand martial artists—ninety percent being apprentice knights, and ten percent being knights pursuing advanced training.
There were over two thousand instructors, more than half above the rank of knight, along with three to four thousand service and maintenance workers.
This was easily enough to qualify as a ten-thousand-person martial academy. In all of Liang, it was said there were only eight institutions of this caliber.
A single academy possessed two thousand knights; wouldn't eight academies mean over ten thousand knights?
The good news was that the academy featured a Technique Pavilion where one could exchange for cultivation methods as well as combat arts and tactics.
Wu Youren found it somewhat incredible: Could Liang truly allow foreign students to learn such things and take them away?
He was tempted to investigate further, but on second thought, having just arrived, there was no need to draw attention to himself right from the start.
Asking for directions along the way, he headed to the Academy Affairs Hall to finish the paperwork left incomplete from the previous night.
These were basic items like an identification token, and, notably, a communication wristwatch.
The vast majority of Liang citizens possessed one, though the hostages in Hostage Manor had never dared dream of it.
The person handing him the wristwatch glanced at him and remarked with profound meaning, "Best not damage it."
A Liang citizen's basic wristwatch was purchased from the authorities.
Only foreign martial artists received one as an extra grant from Red Pine Martial Academy—factored into the exorbitant tuition fees, of course.
Yet that meaningful look left Wu Youren highly suspicious that this watch might have been tampered with.
At least it was better than something as conspicuous as an electronic ankle monitor.
Over the rest of the day, Wu Youren spent roughly the entire time exploring, gaining a general understanding of the academy's basic functions.
The structure here was more akin to a martial hall: there were no set classes or cohorts, only martial artists seeking masters on their own initiative.
As for how many years a martial artist had been at the academy, one could only infer roughly from dormitory assignments, though even that was imprecise.
Only the academy administration held exact records; regular students were kept completely in the dark.
The area where Wu Youren currently resided was one of the "New Martial Artist Quarters."
How did an enrolled martial artist cultivate if they did not take an apprentice master? The academy offered public lectures that students could attend as auditors.
Some public lectures were free, while others required a fee.
A student's most fundamental requirement was participating in the academy's periodic combat assignments; as long as they passed, they could remain at the academy to continue their studies.
In short, studying at the academy relied entirely on self-discipline; no one pushed or coerced anyone, and loafing through each day was an option.
Then why did the martial academy attract so many martial artists? Primarily because its cultivation facilities were comprehensive, and more importantly—there was never any shortage of sparring partners!
Cultivating martial arts was not cultivating immortality, yet it still demanded the four essentials: method, companion, wealth, and land.
To find a suitable sparring partner, or a diverse variety of opponents to train against, the martial academy was the prime choice.
Furthermore, the academy served as an ideal setting for socializing and finding dependable combat comrades.
Thus, in essence, it was not an academic institution; it truly resembled a martial arts hall, or rather, a miniature society.
If anyone lacked the drive to strive, nobody would monitor or force them.
In that sense, it was somewhat like paying for a gym membership—whether one actually trained was entirely up to the individual.
Speaking of expenses, this place also drained money like running water.
When the hostages departed, the Protocol Office officials had made it clear that Liang would cover the basic room and board fees for their time at the academy.
Beyond providing a basic degree of decency, it reaffirmed administrative jurisdiction without needing further explanation.
Yet that bare-minimum sum merely met the basic requirement for admission; even wanting a decent cut of meat here required paying out of pocket.
Blood food, apprenticing under masters, hiring sparring partners—those were the true money sinks.
Wu Youren went to the cafeteria for dinner and found it... scarcely different from Hostage Manor.
Unable to afford the paid dishes, he could only gorge himself on the free fare—there were quite a few martial artists doing the same, so he did not stand out too much.
Not long after exiting the cafeteria, two figures stepped forward to block his path. It was Feng Qianjun and He Wenhao. "Youren, a moment."
Wu Youren glanced left and right, somewhat helpless. "I say, we only just arrived. Shouldn't we theoretically be keeping a low profile?"
Back in Hostage Manor, what Liang guarded against most was the hostages forming clandestine networks. Wasn't pulling this stunt going a bit too far?
Feng Qianjun smiled nonchalantly. "This is human nature. You don't honestly think that being low-key will put them at ease, do you?"
One's identity could not be washed clean. As far as he was concerned, do what needed doing, so long as one did not cross any hard lines.
He Wenhao chimed in as well. "Aside from the academy authorities, others won't likely pay much attention to us... there's a heavy flow of people in and out of the academy."
To put it bluntly: don't take yourself too seriously; this isn't Hostage Manor, apprentice knights are a dime a dozen here.
Wu Youren was well aware of this reality, so he nodded slightly. "Fine, let's not dwell on that... What did you two need from me?"
"In the future, we really should reduce overt contact," Feng Qianjun said in all seriousness. "However, among ourselves, we must maintain order and rules!"
He felt that once the five hostages entered the martial academy, they could not just scatter like sheep and go their separate ways.
They needed to establish a secret contact network and never forget their true identities, so if trouble arose, they could act and advance together.
Yet forming a faction meant there had to be a leader, and Feng Qianjun clearly thought: Who else but me?
"I have no objection," Wu Youren said—nor did he dare have one. "Though I believe that in the short term, our priority should be blending into the academy."
"Other initiatives can be put on hold for now."
"What about the activity funds, then..." He Wenhao hesitated. How could anyone accomplish anything in the academy without money?
Even having entered the martial academy, the fee for the Hidden Dragon Plan still had to be handed over, and the Protocol Office's ten percent cut could not be shortchanged either.
The only expense shed was the kickback paid to the guards—since they were no longer in Hostage Manor and out of the guards' reach, why should those men receive a cut?
For Wu Youren, he now only had to surrender seventy percent of his family allowance. With thirty percent left of twenty... that came out to six silver dollars each month!
Yet even this meager bit of money had drawn Feng Qianjun's greedy attention, which was frankly a bit much.
Wu Youren nodded slightly. "Indeed, it's best not to collect any, lest we draw unwanted attention."
Is that what the hell I meant? He Wenhao was at a loss for words.
Yet he was not the one collecting the money anyway; Feng Qianjun was keeping quiet and letting him play the bad guy.
So he chose not to say more—You're the one taking the money; your turn to step up.
"In any case, let's keep in touch," Feng Qianjun said without any anger. He truly did not care about a few silver dollars.
Back in Great Jin, that was not even enough to tip an errand boy for running a single chore.
Chapter 13