The man gave him one final nod, then walked into his chambers to pack up.
“Mind explaining what’s going on?” Zi Long asked Elder Gan once the man was out of earshot.
“I’d forgotten how powerful your control over emotions was,” Elder Gan said. “Maybe it’ll come in handy in the coming days.”
Zi Long waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing much. I can’t affect very strong people since emotions aren’t my focus. I major in illusions, not charms. Now tell me, what’s going on?”
“It’s the new headmaster, Yao Lan,” Elder Gan said.
“New headmaster?” Zi Long asked, perplexed. He’d never heard of such a change.
“He was appointed three days ago with not much pomp and ceremony,” Elder Gan explained. “The holder of the Sea God Scales manages the leadership of Haijing Academy, which exists under the good graces of the Sea God Emperor. Unfortunately, Yao Lan is the leader of the Obsidian Syndicate faction. He’s enacted many aggressive policies since he took over, so we’ve been forced to evict many of our own people.”
“But why? Isn’t Haijing Academy always neutral?” Zi Long asked.
“It still is, according to them,” Elder Gan said scornfully. “But there are never enough workshops, whether high quality or lower quality, to go around. The same applies to time-essence discs and library time. While elder votes have typically decided much in the past, there’s no obligation for the headmaster to listen. He is well within his rights to use certain parameters to guide his decisions, such as meritorious contributions to the knowledge base, the potential of a member’s research objectives, and the like.
“As you can see, Yao Lan has chosen to ostracize our faction. Your master’s restrictions on the dissemination of knowledge irked the Obsidian Syndicate faction, so now they’re taking revenge. They’re arguing that everything they’re doing is for science, while we’re holding on to knowledge for political gain. They’re not wrong, certainly, which is what makes this so frustrating.
“As a result, we’ve had to cut research budgets and workshop allocations across the board. And ever since Headmaster Yao was appointed, the academy has had an influx of new members, making residences in short supply.”
“What a coincidence,” Zi Long said wryly.
“Indeed,” Elder Gan said. “Many of our newly recruited members have already left, choosing to forget what they’ve learned so they can keep studying. Meanwhile, many of us are being forced out of Haijing Academy. We can still study here, but it’s inconvenient to say the least.”
Zi Long frowned. “You say we’re being forced out of Haijing Academy?”
“That’s right,” Elder Gan said. “We can only prioritize lodgings for our strongest and most senior members. Your master’s status is high, so you’ll retain your lodging.”
Zi Long fondled his chin and thought for a moment. “I volunteer myself for eviction.”
Elder Gan looked at him in surprise. “What? Why?”
“You seem to think they’re playing the long game,” Zi Long said. “They want to choke out our stream of professionals in the North while diminishing our knowledge base. But that’s something that could easily be done by other means. For example, by banning knowledge hoarding entirely.”
“So their goal isn’t eviction…” Elder Gan said. “Since we still maintain a foothold, and Haijing is very strong on its own, our transcendents don’t dare interfere.”
“What they are doing is upsetting but still within the bounds of what’s acceptable,” Zi Long said. “But the short-term consequences are probably what they’re after: they’re dividing our forces.”
“This isn’t a battlefield,” Elder Gan protested.
“This wasn’t a battlefield,” Zi Long corrected. “Violence is still prohibited in the academy, and the same applies to Haijing City. But the peace in Haijing City is kept by the City Guard. I take it the head of the City Guard has changed as well?”
Elder Gan blanched. “Yes, it has.”
“Then it’s important I be evicted as soon as possible,” Zi Long said. “It’s also equally important for us to purchase properties in a compact location where we can look out for each other. I might not be the strongest, but with respect to protective and illusory formations, I’m top notch. We should be able to hold up against enemies even when the City Guard chooses to turn a blind eye to our persecution.”
“Shouldn’t we just leave the city?” Elder Gan said.
Zi Long shook his head. “It’s already too late for that. To leave Haijing, we’ll need to cross several continent widths through treacherous waters. Anything could happen out there.”
“I’ll meet with the elders and make preparations,” Elder Gan said gravely.
“Then I’ll go find our blood doctor,” Zi Long said. “I suspect many of us are going to need her soon.”
Yue Bing knew something was wrong well before the knock on her door. Her blood vitality twitched and writhed as it sensed the presence of an equal—no, a superior. That wasn’t surprising. She hadn’t cultivated her blood arts much, as the vitality she could absorb from medicinal herbs was limited. What was surprising was that they’d finally come to see her. It was common knowledge that she loathed blood masters, those who’d corrupted blood arts and brought them over to the Southern Alliance.
She hesitated to open the door, but before she could decide on a course of action, the door burst open. Three red-robed men walked in leisurely. None of them were large, but all of them were strong. One was a peak blood grandmaster and the others were high-grade ones.
“Blood Doctor Yue,” the man said. “My name is Xue Long. I’m pleased to finally make your acquaintance.” He gave her a deep, mocking bow. The type you’d see a jester give in a king’s court.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Yue Bing said. “How can I help you three? I take it you have a good reason to break down my door?”
“Our door,” Xue Long corrected.
Yue Bing raised an eyebrow.
“The council has decreed that it’s a waste to have a single blood artist form her own school. As such, the Blood
