She is Jianxiu

Yi Ling had just heard the news that Gong Huaxu had returned disappointed from Zhao Chun's residence. Her mind calmed down a bit, knowing that he was not swayed by others and must have made up his mind to enter the Martial Arts Examination. Therefore, she put her mind at ease and, after receiving the jade token bestowed by the Chief Priest, immediately rushed to Zhao Chun's place.

The martial arts school is suffering from a severe shortage of talent. Apart from Suotuyi, there is only one third-rank scholar in the inner dormitory. Today, the urgent recruitment of Zhao Chun is also aimed at finding a suitable candidate to fill the position of instructor. After all, Suotuyi only teaches in the upper dormitory and does not concern himself with the affairs of the inner and outer dormitories. If a new instructor could be added, the martial arts school would not have declined so quickly.

Although the academy was divided into three dormitories—Upper, Inner, and Outer—students in the Upper Dormitory were not differentiated by the three disciplines of literature, etiquette and music, and martial arts. This was because these exceptional talents had already reached a level of comprehensive understanding, and too many restrictions would be detrimental. Therefore, students in the Upper Dormitory who studied literature could also attend classes in etiquette and music and martial arts, unlike those in the Inner and Outer Dormitories who were required to study by subject.

Furthermore, if students in the inner and outer dormitories feel that their current subject is not suitable for them, or if they have shown exceptional talent in the other two subjects, they can apply to the academy to switch to a more suitable subject.

Of course, such a transfer is not arbitrary; one must pass an exam with genuine talent and obtain the consent of the corresponding subject's teacher before a smooth transfer can be made.

Yi Ling thought that there had always been examples of students transferring schools in Gu She Academy for good teachers. If Zhao Chun made a name for herself in martial arts, perhaps some people would come to her and switch to martial arts.

A slight stirring in her heart, she suppressed the urge to let her imagination run wild, and handed the sacrificial jade token to Zhao Chun, saying, "Master Zhao, this is the identification jade bestowed by the Infant Terrace Sacrificial Master in my martial arts path. All those who come from beyond the heavens must pass the test of this jade before they can enter my academy to study and teach."

Fearing that he might offend the other party, Yi Ling then earnestly explained, "This precious jade contains a trace of the Grand Master's divine consciousness, which is only used to distinguish between the real and the fake. It will never harm the Master, so please rest assured."

Zhao Chun nodded, understanding that this was a test for outsiders at the Gushe Academy. Not only did she have to do this for the Martial Arts Department, but anyone who wanted to enter the Literature and Music Departments would also have to come here.

She took the jade talisman, examined it in her palm for a moment, and then separated a wisp of her divine consciousness from her dantian and slowly sank it into it.

Yi Ling's words may be credible, but identifying the precious jade is related to the soul, so Zhao Chun cannot be completely unprepared. As soon as this wisp of divine sense was activated, she immediately isolated it outside the Purple Mansion. If anything unusual appeared in the precious jade, she could cut it off directly to prevent the methods in the jade from affecting the Purple Mansion.

After a short while, Zhao Chun relaxed slightly, confirming that the jade posed no threat. She then repeated in her mind the words she had previously used to answer Gong Huaxu.

A moment later, the jade in his palm began to heat up slightly, and its surface shone with a soft, lustrous luster. Yi Ling peeked out and breathed a sigh of relief, saying with delight, "The warm jade shines, this is the proof of the truth. Master Zhao probably doesn't know that if anyone had lied in front of this jade, it would have immediately turned to dust and never been seen again."

Having said that, he took the jade back from Zhao Chun's hands, his face showing even more of the closeness of comrades-in-arms, and said, "In that case, I can take it to report to the Infant Terrace Chancellor. As for what Master Zhao was worried about earlier, the Chancellor has already made arrangements. He can study with the students in the upper dormitory for three months first, and then go to the inner dormitory to teach. What does Master think?"

Zhao Chun thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

She initially refused to teach because of her unfinished studies. Now that she can go to the upper house to continue her studies, it will not only help her establish herself here, but also give her a chance to gain a deeper understanding of the traditions of Neo-Confucianism. Considering all the benefits, there is no reason for her to refuse.

After seeing Yiling off, Zhao Chun waited another half day. Then, a talisman inscribed with the three characters "Wu Yu Ke" (武御科) was delivered to her along with various cultivation resources. Slightly curious, Zhao Chun took them out and examined them one by one. Among them were writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones needed by scholars. It was said that after achieving profound cultivation, one could use these to make their writing come true, which was somewhat similar to the Taoist talismans she remembered. Unfortunately, she wasn't skilled at drawing talismans and couldn't discern any real secrets at the moment. These doubts would have to be resolved in the future.

There are also some external items needed for cultivation, mostly spiritual teas and precious pills, which are of little use to her.

Zhao Chun waved her hand and put the brocade pouch into her sleeve. She then asked her servant for the teaching arrangements in the upper dormitory of the academy before closing the door and meditating.

The news of the arrival of a new instructor for the Martial Arts Examination spread quickly. It was said that the new instructor came from outer space and had already achieved the third rank of cultivation upon entering the academy, which naturally aroused the curiosity of the students and gave rise to many strange and wonderful speculations.

The martial arts path has not seen any new talents for many years. It is unknown how strong the new master is, and how he compares to the renowned Master Sotu.

This rumor spread rapidly, reaching Suotuyi's ears in just one day.

He smiled upon hearing this, not caring about the new master's achievements. Only when he heard about the master's origins did a hint of surprise appear on his face. "Oh? This person actually came from beyond the heavens?"

“That’s right,” the student of the Suotu clan replied respectfully. “It’s quite a coincidence that this Master Zhao Chun was able to enroll by borrowing a spot from the Sique clan. Now that he has risen to prominence, he is returning the favor by often giving guidance to that student from the Sique clan.”

Speaking of this, Suotu's tone was filled with envy. He said that the Sique clansman was really lucky to have such a good fortune for no reason. It was truly enviable.

Si Que?
Suo Tuyi was struck dumb, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly asked, "Is it the Si Que clan from Mianzhou City?"

Seeing the student nod in agreement, he felt a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, as if all his doubts had been connected together, and suddenly everything became clear.

After his elder brother, Suotu Hong, died, the clan, in an attempt to appease him, hastily chose a scapegoat to close the case, hoping to cover up Suotu Hong's death. However, Suotu Yi knew that his brother's death was actually related to an extraterrestrial object. He left behind the small furnace because he guessed that this person would walk into the trap for the treasure, without him having to search for it himself!
Now it seems that this new master of the Martial Arts Academy not only came from beyond the heavens, but also stayed in Mianzhou City, so he is very likely the true owner of the small furnace and the mastermind behind the murder of his elder brother, Suotuhong!

They did come knocking on our door as expected...

Suo Tu Yi's eyes flashed, his killing intent surging to the heavens. (End of this chapter)