Chapter 51: IS THAT NOT LI YAN?

Li Yan finished the food Xiaoxiao had prepared and found himself surprisingly satisfied, especially since he had been expecting to eat whatever simple meals the sect provided now that Hu Biyan was no longer around to cook for him.

"This is really good."

Xiaoxiao looked pleased by the compliment, and after seeing how quickly he had finished his meal, she made a decision.

"I will handle the cooking from now on."

Li Yan looked at her.

"Then I will take care of the chores."

"That is acceptable."

The arrangement was quickly settled, and Li Yan found himself feeling much more comfortable with the thought of having someone prepare his meals while he handled the less complicated tasks around the residence.

After they finished eating, Xiaoxiao brought out a set of clothes suitable for going outside, and Li Yan changed before standing in front of the desk beneath the tree.

He had another matter to deal with.

He needed to find Gu Jun.

Li Yan had already memorized the basic layout Chen Yu had shown him during their journey to Purple Mountain, and after thinking about Gu Jun’s ranking, he realized that finding him should not be too difficult.

Gu Jun had ranked within the top twenty overall, so there was no possibility of him being assigned to the lower accommodation areas reserved for disciples with poorer results.

Chen Yu had mentioned four main accommodation areas for the new outer disciples.

Purple Mountain was reserved for the highest-ranking disciples, with the top three receiving the best available residences there.

Lotus Mountain and Wind Valley accommodated the other high-ranking male disciples, with the exact quarters determined by their examination results.

Royal Hibiscus was different because it was where the female disciples lived, and it also had its own equivalent of Purple Mountain for the highest-ranking female disciples.

With that in mind, Li Yan only needed to search Lotus Mountain and Wind Valley.

He left his residence and followed the path down Purple Mountain, and the difference between the various areas of the sect became clearer as he moved farther away from his own quarters.

The roads were filled with new outer disciples who were either exploring their surroundings or heading toward the places they had been assigned to visit, while the older disciples continued moving through the sect without paying much attention to the new arrivals.

Li Yan followed the signs pointing toward Lotus Mountain and soon reached the first accommodation area.

The spiritual energy here was still considerably richer than what he had felt in the lower parts of the sect, although it was not as dense as the spiritual energy surrounding Purple Mountain.

He walked through the area while checking the numbers of the residences, but after searching for some time, he found no sign of Gu Jun.

Li Yan stopped and considered the situation.

If Gu Jun was not on Lotus Mountain, he had to be in Wind Valley.

He turned around and left the mountain, following another path that led toward the next accommodation area.

Wind Valley was considerably different from Lotus Mountain, with several long stretches of open land between the residences and strong winds constantly passing through the area.

Li Yan walked through the valley while checking the residences one after another, and after asking several disciples for directions, he eventually received the information he needed.

"Gu Jun? He should be further ahead."

Li Yan thanked the disciple and continued along the path.

He eventually found a courtyard with three names registered on the token attached beside the entrance.

Gu Jun was one of them.

Li Yan pushed open the gate and stepped inside.

The courtyard was not as secluded as his own residence on Purple Mountain, but it was still spacious enough for several people, and the spiritual energy was considerably better than what most ordinary outer disciples could access.

Gu Jun was sitting beneath a tree with his two roommates when he noticed Li Yan entering.

His expression immediately brightened.

"Li Yan?"

The two young men beside him also turned toward the entrance, and both of them looked surprised when they recognized the person who had walked into their courtyard.

Li Yan approached them. "I was looking for you."

Gu Jun stood up. "I was wondering when you would come looking for me."

Li Yan glanced around the courtyard before looking at him.

"Your place is not bad."

Gu Jun laughed. "It is nothing compared to yours, but I cannot complain. I ranked within the top twenty, so getting a place here was already better than what most people received."

Li Yan nodded before getting straight to the point.

"Let’s go register for our departments."

Gu Jun immediately understood what he meant.

"Already?"

"We have time today, so there is no reason to delay it."

Gu Jun thought about it for a moment before standing up.

"Fair enough. Which department are you joining?"

"Pill formation and apothecary."

Gu Jun looked at him with some surprise.

"Both?"

Li Yan nodded. "I want to learn both."

Gu Jun scratched his chin as he considered his own choice.

"I was thinking about joining one of the combat departments."

Li Yan looked at him.

"Which one?"

"I have not decided between the battle arts department and the amarment department. I will see what they offer before choosing."

Li Yan nodded.

"That works. We can look at both when we get there."

Gu Jun turned toward his two roommates.

"I will be back later."

The two men nodded, and Li Yan waited for Gu Jun to leave the courtyard before they began making their way toward the registration office.

The journey took them through several busy sections of the sect, and the further they went, the more attention they began to attract.

Li Yan noticed the looks first. Several new outer disciples turned their heads when he passed, while some of the older disciples merely glanced at him before continuing on their way.

Gu Jun noticed it as well.

"You are getting quite a bit of attention."

Li Yan looked around. "I noticed."

He had expected some attention after ranking first, but he had not considered that the examination results would make people recognize him so quickly.

The entrance examination had attracted thousands of applicants, and among the five hundred who had successfully entered the sect, he was the one who had taken first place.

His appearance only made him more noticeable.

Li Yan continued walking without paying much attention to the gazes around him, and Gu Jun followed beside him as they eventually arrived at the registration office.

The building was considerably busier than the places they had visited earlier, with groups of new outer disciples waiting to register for their chosen departments.

Li Yan and Gu Jun joined the line, and the attention around them increased as more people recognized Li Yan.

A young man standing several places away leaned toward his companion and lowered his voice.

"Is that not Li Yan?"

His companion glanced over before looking at Li Yan again.

"The one who ranked first?"

"That’s him."

The two exchanged another look, and the first young man lowered his voice even further.

"I heard something about him during the examination..."

The words caught the attention of another disciple standing nearby.

"What did you hear?"