Chapter 148: Welcoming New Students

After finishing everything, Qin Ye drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, his alarm went off promptly at five-thirty. He washed up, changed into his school uniform, and headed downstairs.

Downstairs by the instructors' residence, five other instructors were already gathered. They were all dressed in matching camouflage, the official uniform of the institution, with the emblem of the Special Investigation Bureau pinned to their chests. Seeing Qin Ye come down, a middle-aged man twirling two steel balls in his hand, which clinked together rhythmically, smiled and said, "Instructor Qin is up early. Too excited to sleep?"

Before Qin Ye could reply, an elderly man with gray hair chuckled and said, "Probably so. At Instructor Qin's age, one should just be starting college, yet here you are already educating the youth. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be able to sleep either."

"A little bit," Qin Ye said with a smile, rubbing the insulated thermos in his hands. It was only the end of February, and the morning air still carried a biting chill. "To be honest, I've never taught anyone before. Even after studying for so long and preparing my lessons, I'm still quite nervous."

Amidst the light banter, five SUVs pulled up, each carrying the instructors for their respective departments, and headed toward the school gates.

Before the sky had even grown bright, the street food stalls outside the gates of the First Immortal University were already set up. Steaming steamed buns, fried dough sticks, soy milk, and congee heralded the city gradually waking from its slumber. The air was filled with the aroma of food, and the gentle sound of street sweeping made Qin Ye take a deep breath of the fresh... exhaust fumes.

The entrance had already been decorated. A banner reading "Welcome the First Cohort of Freshmen to the First Immortal University" looked rather eye-catching on a day that should not have been the start of a semester. Along the wide road beside the campus, two rows of long tables and benches were neatly arranged on either side. Each table was two meters long and one meter high, covered with red cloth bearing the names of the various departments.

He took his seat at the Combat Department's booth, chatted with the others for a bit, and had some breakfast. Everyone lazily opened Momo and started messaging.

"Welcoming the freshmen today, I'm actually feeling a little nervous." (Little Muscle Puppy)

It was now seven in the morning.

Therefore, no one paid him any attention.

Qin Ye thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and sent out a ten-yuan red envelope.

In an instant, a flurry of messages popped up: "Woman Swinging on a Swing claimed your red envelope." "Rolling Ball claimed your red envelope." "Slicing the World claimed your red envelope." "Laughing at the Vast Sea claimed your red envelope." "White Dog Laughs at the West Wind claimed your red envelope..."

What the hell! Is there no justice left?!

I didn't even get to grab one myself, alright!

"Tsk tsk, ten yuan. And here I specially set a red envelope alarm, back to my beauty sleep." (Woman Swinging on a Swing)

"9527, you're not playing fair. Making me reach out a freezing arm from my warm bed early in the morning just to grab eighty cents?" (Rolling Ball)

"When I was woken up by the red envelope's special notification, seeing the name made me realize I shouldn't have gotten up." (Laughing at the Vast Sea)

Qin Ye gnashed his teeth as he typed out a message: Shouldn't you guys be comforting my helpless and flustered soul right now?

However, there was no reply.

The sudden burst of liveliness vanished as if it had never happened, and the entire group chat fell as silent as a graveyard.

Very well... The chat room that had just livened up plunged into dead silence within three seconds. Five minutes later, Qin Ye sneered and sent out another one-yuan red envelope.

The next second, just like before, dozens of messages surged forth instantly, followed immediately by an endless stream of curses.

"What the heck! Three cents! Three cents!! Come out! I'm going to duel you!!" "One cent... please comfort me." "Nothing auspicious early in the morning! Couldn't you have sent a fifty-yuan one?!"

Seconds later, the cursing gradually subsided. Qin Ye checked his phone, and ten minutes later, he gracefully pressed the button to send another red envelope.

Still one yuan.

Swish... "XX claimed your red envelope" flooded the screen for the third time, followed closely by unceasing wails. "I knew it... Why did I pick up my phone! Why didn't I set it to silent!" "It's become a conditioned reflex; hearing the red envelope alert makes it completely impossible to control my hands!" "My hand automatically reached for the phone... Am I beyond saving?"

Cries echoed across the field.

Qin Ye put down his phone with satisfaction.

This official here is braving the elements and welcoming freshmen, and not only do they not offer a word of comfort, but they even dare to provoke this official by going to sleep?

He refused to believe he couldn't keep these red-envelope spirits in check!

As for a hundred-yuan comforting red envelope... Qin Ye declared: What is that? Never heard of it.

At that moment, a few figures finally walked through the gates.

The instructors, who had been playing on their phones, all stopped in unison, raised their heads, and sat up straight. These were their students for the next two years, the very first cohort recruited from all over the country!

As they drew closer, everyone's eyes lit up.

It was a young girl.

A beautiful young girl.

Around seventeen or eighteen years old, the aura of youth about her was undeniable, much like an unopened flower bud bearing a single drop of morning dew. Her snow-white skin carried a faint blush, she wore her hair past her shoulders, and she stood about one meter sixty-seven tall. She was dragging a two-meter-long black case behind her, yet it seemed as light as a feather.

She walked in at a steady pace, and upon seeing the five welcome booths, her eyes brightened as she headed straight toward the direction of the Combat Department.

Qin Ye lightly licked his lips. Though he shouldn't have been excited, he found himself somewhat stirred up—no, to be precise, elated.

It was a completely different way of unfolding one's life.

He had never imagined that one day he would stand on a podium, and this unfamiliar lifestyle brought an inexplicable sense of anticipation. He maintained a flawless smile as he watched the beautiful girl approach.

She was wearing a down jacket printed with Cherry Maruko, very ordinary jeans, and sneakers. Stopping in front of Qin Ye, she gently set down her case, which produced a muffled thud upon hitting the ground. She cupped her fists and solemnly announced, "A disciple of the Tongtian Sect, designation A0079, greets Senior S9527."

Not my student then... The other instructors sighed regretfully and continued to look expectantly toward the entrance.

"You know me?" Qin Ye looked curiously at the beauty in front of him. Her eyes were blue, resembling an endless clear sky.

Noticing his gaze, the girl nodded gently and said shyly, "I'm of mixed heritage, but I have more Huaxia genes, so only my eye color is different... The First Immortal University sent us the qualifications, battle records, and achievements of the instructors a month ago to help us choose our department. I was the one who chose the Combat Department. Please take good care of me from now on, Instructor."

Her voice was lovely.

It sounded like slender fingers tapping on piano keys, producing wonderful notes.

Ah... I think I smell the cloying scent of romance... Qin Ye dry coughed and pushed the registration form forward. "The Combat Department doesn't have many people, just over forty. Fill out the form."

The girl picked up the pen and began to write. Her handwriting was also very pretty.

Name: Mo Qingyu. Lineage: Zhongzhou Tongtian Sect. Realm: Novice.

After finishing, she pushed the form back. Just as Qin Ye reached to take it, he felt it being held in place.

"Instructor Qin... is that it?" Mo Qingyu seemed to hesitate as if she had more to say.

"That's it. Go get in the car and wait; there are thirty minutes left, and the school bus leaves on time," Qin Ye smiled. Strangely enough, he had thought he would be somewhat nervous, but facing his very first student, the anticipated anxiety was entirely absent.

Mo Qingyu bit her lip gently and said in a soft voice, "Instructor, you're free right now anyway, and no one else is coming yet. C-can I ask a few questions?"

As Qin Ye nodded, Mo Qingyu spoke rapidly: "Instructor, is the curriculum at the First Immortal University intense? Does the Combat Department engage in a lot of actual combat? You have no idea, I've been dreaming of this day. People in the sect always said my training wasn't solid enough and only ever let me look at sealed malevolent spirits—I've never even encountered a real supernatural incident!"

"Instructor, do real supernatural incidents get people killed? My master said not to underestimate even a single mirror, is that true? Does the school teach us how to identify malevolent spirits? When do we start getting involved in these cases?"

She spoke at a brisk pace. Suddenly, the corners of Qin Ye's lips curled upward. Speaking of nervousness and anticipation, the freshman across from him was far more nervous and eager than the instructor!

And they weren't the only ones embarking on a completely different path in life.

For them, it was like dragons returning to the vast sea, while for the others, it was like hawks bursting out of their cages. Teaching what he knew and understood to these eagles preparing to soar into the blue sky—this feeling... was really quite good.

It was just like a marshmallow with a jam filling; the center was the sweetest layer, flashing past in an instant, leaving only a lingering sweetness in one's heart.

Wonderful.

"Don't worry, you'll be taught everything in due time. The Combat Department should be the one with the most opportunities for practical combat. Congratulations, you've chosen the right place," Qin Ye answered her questions concisely. "What's in the case? Do you need help with it?"

"No need, just a refined corpse. It's not heavy." Mo Qingyu's overflowing joy was completely unhideable, resembling a hawk catching sight of the sky for the very first time. She bowed deeply, "Instructor Qin! Thank you, I sincerely look forward to your lectures! I-I will definitely listen attentively!"

With that, she lightly hoisted the case and scampered onto the bus in bashful haste.

A... a corpse?

Qin Ye felt a bit disheveled in the wind. Mingled within the scent of romantic cliches... seemed to be the smell of some stinky socks... Was it just his imagination?

Pushing aside these trivial thoughts, though he had appeared calm just moments before, the elation in his heart had not completely subsided. He looked around; several more students had entered. The other instructors were just like him, handling their students with composure, but only with Qin Ye's keen perception could one sense their slightly hurried breathing.

Anticipation and excitement, fulfillment and nervousness—the novice instructors and novice students of the First Immortal University were getting along with exceptional harmony at the school gates.

Thirty minutes later, a young man stood before the Combat Department's booth.

He was wearing a red hoodie and a Gucci baseball cap. He didn't have a case, just a backpack slung over his shoulders. He stood around one meter eighty-three or eighty-four tall, and the main point was...

He was handsome...

At least... handsomer than himself...

He belonged to the type of classic handsome guy with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and very well-defined double eyelids. He carried a rebellious aura about him, yet his posture was remarkably standard.

With a standard cupped-fist salute, he spoke in a clear voice, "A0178, Ye Xingchen, greets Instructor Qin!"

His complexion was somewhat flushed, and his breathing was quite hurried. In the biting spring air, one could see the white mist of his breath. Qin Ye smiled and pushed the registration form forward. "No need to be nervous. Come, fill out the form. For the next two years, we'll be seeing each other often."

"I know!" Ye Xingchen raised his head, his gaze burning. "I really didn't expect... Instructor Qin is actually the same age as me! I couldn't believe it when I saw the instructor profiles!"

He was the type to warm up to people instantly, speaking like a machine gun: "An eighteen-year-old soul-detaining senior... When my father saw that, he immediately told me to choose the Combat Department! I didn't believe it at first, but later I specifically had my dad look into it and found out what you did that night in Bao'an City... Anyway, I'm so glad I chose your department!"

"I'm sure you have a lot of things to teach me! Instructor Qin, I'm entrusting the next two years to you!!"

With that, he bowed at a ninety-degree angle.