"Pardon my directness." Yue Yu scratched his ear, looking incredulous: "The Royal Academy is a place where someone like me can be a teacher?"
Yue Yu's words were not out of self-pity or inferiority, but rather a realistic assessment—after all, Yanjing's Royal Academy is the most prestigious institution, and those who can teach there must at least be academic giants, pillars of the state, holding up half of its foundation.
Just like the professors at Tsinghua and Peking University, could they be ordinary people?
Qin Leyin, although Yue Yu's best supercar for now, is still a twenty-year-old young man, not a graduate of the Royal Academy, equivalent to a 'substandard bachelor's degree'; he hasn't reached the Peak of Perfection in Combat Technique, and the Blood Drinking Eight Sheath Flow cannot be taught at the Academy, equivalent to 'no academic achievements'; his social status is that of a refugee from Dongyang, equivalent to 'social idler'.
Could a social idler with a substandard bachelor's degree and no academic achievements be allowed to teach at Tsinghua or Peking University? Yue Yu thought not.
Bai Yu also agreed with Yue Yu's assessment: "Indeed, if based on the standard of a formal teacher, Hongle, you would need to strive for at least a decade to possibly be hired by the Royal Academy."
"So, the identity that the Ritual Guard prepared for me isn't that of a formal teacher?" Yue Yu asked, "Assistant teacher? Tutor? Hair dye teacher?"
"Speaking of which, is your red hair necessary?" Bai Yu asked: "I don't mean to criticize, but if you could switch between black and red, it would be a highly effective disguise—friends accustomed to your red hair might not recognize you with black hair makeup."
Yue Yu rubbed his slightly long crimson hair and nodded: "It's necessary, I suppose."
Qin Leyin knows a tiny bit of Hidden Sword Technique, truly just a tiny bit, not even at the beginner level, unrecognized by the system.
But this tiny bit, along with the luminous red dye he applied to his hair, gave him the power to deliver a fatal blow to Jing Zhengwei amidst the darkness woven by the Veil of Strife.
Is it really necessary to go to such lengths just to guard against Hidden Sword Assassins? But Yue Yu, thinking of Lan Yan who lost a kidney for this, decided to continue Qin Leyin's caution—and besides, red hair does look really cool.
Bai Yu didn't say more, pulling out two sheets of paper from the drawer.
"These are the elective course schedules from three years ago and this year."
Yue Yu first looked at the one from three years ago, noting that there were dozens of courses in total, ranging from academically practical ones like 'Combat Technique Practice in Walks, Seats, Moves, and Stills' and 'How to Cross the Tribulation Faster and Better', to rather absurd ones like 'Study of Light Clone Technique' and 'Study of New Combat Technique: Chamber Music Fun'—to be honest, Yue Yu had a friend who wanted to attend that last elective.
Really, Shi Huaifeng would definitely want to attend that course.
This year's elective courses, Yue Yu blinked, noticing there were less than twenty in total, and the Chamber Music Fun Combat Technique study class was gone.
"In addition to formal teachers, the academy invites people from all walks of life to give interest courses." Bai Yu said: "Every four years, military generals, governors, and officials are promoted or transferred, staying in Yanjing for at least half a year during this period. The academy uses this time to invite them to teach, and they are also happy to mingle with the future pillars of the nation."
"Until the emperor's passing, the imperial court issued an edict, preventing regional officials from reassignment under the pretense of suppressing Backlight Particles, leading to mutual encroachment, and eventually becoming warlords." Yue Yu laughed: "Speaking of which, I've always been curious, why did the court issue that edict? Did the Horizon Rebellion really exhaust Yanjing's vital forces?"
Although Yue Yu's question was quite forbidden, one that could lead to a physical 404 on the streets, as underground espionage agents, they obviously had fewer scruples. Bai Yu thought for a moment and said:
"It had nothing to do with Yanjing's military strength, but with the former emperor's passing, and the court officials."
"Do you think, without others' assistance, an assassin could really approach the emperor of a nation?"
He sighed: "The Horizon Rebellion and the rise of the Backlight Organization brought national contradictions to an unsolvable point, and the former emperor had been working on political reform."
In a society without additional resources, reform means taking from the upper class to feed the lower, or from one lower class to feed another—apparently, the Emperor of Huiyao did not choose the path the bureaucrats desired.
Yue Yu blinked: "So the current chaos is exactly what the court..."
"Our Huiyao Four Guards exist to restore order." Bai Yu said calmly: "That's enough for history lessons. The identity we prepared for you is that of an elective course teacher."
"Although you are merely a merchant, you witnessed the last madness of the Silver Blood Association and are familiar with two key figures in the Dongyang turmoil: Jing Zhengwei and Lan Yan. With such historical capital, you are qualified to hold an elective course at the Royal Academy."
"Your elective course needs to be related to this, but how closely is up to you—whether it's one hundred percent or one percent, it's fine as long as you feel comfortable teaching it."
Yue Yu frowned: "I've never been a teacher before, nor have I any experience in teaching others..."
"You can practice well before the semester starts, and even if the lecture is poor, it doesn't matter," Bai Yu said: "This identity merely facilitates your actions within the academy."
"So, can you tell me now?" Yue Yu sat up straight and seriously asked, "What exactly does the Ritual Guard need me to accomplish at the academy?"
"The former emperor passed very suddenly." Bai Yu suddenly changed the topic: "The chief medical officer continuously used forbidden secret techniques like 'Heavenly Gift' and 'Unyielding Even in Death', yet they couldn't preserve His Majesty's life."
"The Holy Sword Huiyao hence faces a break in its succession, and renewing the legacy requires a gap of twenty years."
"The former emperor had no offspring, and with two years of Xie Chenyuan, the throne remains vacant to this day. Court officials have been arguing over the choice of the next emperor for two years, with all possible schemes and plots from the various successors, yet no decisive advantage has been secured."
"After all, this situation is quite rare: with the former emperor assassinated, succession broken, and having no offspring, in the past only one of these conditions would arise at most, but now all three special conditions are fulfilled simultaneously, no heir has a definitive advantage, and two royal family members have already died because of this contest, with countless court officials imprisoned as well."
Yue Yu raised an eyebrow: "And then they came up with a plan to reduce casualties?"
"To be precise, this plan was proposed by the Empress Dowager."
Bai Yu said, "Due to the constant strife over the throne, the Empress Dowager has chosen to appoint a Sword Holder. This Sword Holder will bury the Holy Sword Glimmer, and the first heir to find the Holy Sword Glimmer will become the next Glimmer Emperor."
"???" Le Yin was full of questions, "A Sword Holder? A treasure hunt game? Isn't this a bit too childish?"
"No, it's not childish at all." Bai Yu shook his head, "In fact, 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne' already has precedents. Historically, it has happened at least three times, but none of these are recorded in the history books, so ordinary people have no way of knowing."
"Every emperor who ascended through the 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne' without exception ushered in a golden age—though, of course, this also relates to the fact that the empire was already in chaos when they ascended."
"Moreover, although the four guardians of Glimmer have not recorded it, 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne' seems to be the trump card left behind by the Imperial Family, and it might even be another way to use the Holy Sword Glimmer."
"Although the officials do not approve of it, the Empress Dowager has already handed the Holy Sword Glimmer to the Sword Holder, so they can only accept this outcome."
"So, do you know where the 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne' takes place?"
Le Yin pointed downward without hesitation, "At the Royal Academy!"
"Exactly." Bai Yu smiled and said, "Because the emperor can only wield the Holy Sword Glimmer twenty years from now, he should not be older than thirty, and royal family members under fifteen, unless a will from the emperor appoints them as the heir, generally have no right to inherit."
"Royal family members over twenty-five, due to their age and connections, mostly perished in the past two years."
"Among the current seven surviving heirs, they are all between seventeen and twenty-three, which coincidentally aligns with the age suitable for entering the Royal Academy."
"According to the rules of the 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne,' a Sword Seeker can use all resources at hand, but if they engage in direct combat with other Sword Seekers, they must act solely with their chosen 'Scabbard.'
"The Scabbard must not surpass the Integration and Mastery stage in strength."
"The Sword Holder will monitor all Sword Seekers' activities. If a Sword Seeker engages in battle with another and non-Scabbard personnel participate, the Sword Holder will annihilate those involved. If the Sword Holder does not take action, it is regarded as a legitimate tactic."
Bai Yu gestured with seven fingers, "Seven Sword Seekers, seven Scabbards, one Holy Sword, and one Academy."
"A game." Le Yin said.
"Yes, although it is a game, it truly is a game of throne struggles with minimized casualties," Bai Yu said. "Furthermore, the Royal Academy is a natural arena—outsiders cannot easily enter the academy. Except for the curious existence of the Sword Holder, there are at least two experts of Peak of Perfection level guarding the academy, and they will not interfere in any matters involving the Sword-Seeking Competition."
Le Yin blinked: "So, the Sword Holder monitors the Sword Seekers while being watched by two experts at the Peak of Perfection level, intervenes in the Sword Seeker's battles, and still ensures his own secrecy?"
"If the Sword Holder is not exposed... indeed, that's the case."
"I suspect the Sword Holder is a sentient form of the Holy Sword Glimmer."
"I've had that suspicion too," Bai Yu admitted, "if it is true, then this game is unavoidable—it is personally selecting its next master."
Le Yin sorted out his thoughts and said, "So, my task is to become the 'Scabbard' of a Sword Seeker in the guise of an elective course teacher, participating in this 'Sword-Seeking Competition for the Throne' game?"
"Additionally, the Ritual Guard needs you to recruit new members within the academy," Bai Yu said. "Since your role as a Scabbard is bound to be uncovered eventually, you'll be responsible for tasks that require exposure."
"If you could develop the students in the academy into disciples of the Ritual Guard, it would greatly benefit your mission. In an academy that outsiders cannot infiltrate, ordinary students make the best scouts."
Le Yin quickly deferred: "I'm terrible at speaking, not good at persuading others."
"Just do your best. Even if you fail, you'll only miss out on a potential help," Bai Yu said, "The Ritual Guard doesn't mind."
Le Yin clicked his tongue, "Is there a candidate? And isn't the method of adding new members to the Four Guards always by having the old guide the new? Why is there now a method of enticing new members?"
"This spot is specially allocated to you," Bai Yu said indifferently. "To help you better complete your mission, an extra member slot has been allocated by the orders from the top, allowing you to develop a student into a disciple."
"As for the candidate, there is currently only one, but she is somewhat related to you."
"Related to me?" Le Yin was taken aback.
"A few days ago, you asked us to investigate someone. We sent people to follow up on the investigation and found that the individual is a student under the protection of White Night. However, according to feedback from disciples, she possesses excellent aptitude, ambition, character, and talent, and her academic performance is also top-notch, making her an ideal candidate for a Ritual Guard spy."
"Although she may have already joined White Night, if you can successfully recruit her, we will gain an immensely promising double agent: both White Night and Ritual Guard."
The more Le Yin listened, the more something felt amiss. An odd premonition was almost bursting out of his mind, and he hurriedly stood up and said, "I'm so hungry, let's go eat first..."
"Please finish reading this document first."
Bai Yu took a piece of paper from the drawer and pushed it in front of Le Yin.
Despite his reluctance, with his outstanding eyesight, Le Yin saw the most crucial information on the paper at a glance—
"Qian Yuya, female, Class of 2085, Close-Guard Department"