The newcomer was Li Qingzi. The Li family had its own fair share of gossip; her mother had passed away, and within six months, her father had remarried and brought a stepdaughter into the house.
It was said that a stepmother brings a "step-father" along with her. Fortunately, Li Qingzi was "awake" and held onto the inheritance her mother had left her, never expecting any warmth or affection from her father.
The younger generation in their circle admired her for being cool-headed and independent. Almost everyone knew who she was.
Hearing her speak, Jiang Su and the other boys pulled out their phones. "Is there news online?"
"The Taoist College was exposed?"
Earlier that day, netizens were still frantically asking about the school, but no one had any answers. It had driven everyone crazy.
In such a formal setting, they shouldn't have been looking at their phones, but since they were young, they didn't care much for the rules.
They did a quick search, and their eyes widened in unison.
Netizens had followed the trail of the original poster of the "Enrollment Six-Piece Set," a user named "One Cloud-Piercing Talisman." While they couldn't find much at first, they started cross-referencing friends and followers. Eventually, they found a student suspected of attending Haishi Taoist College, which led them to several other classmates.
By piecing together the scattered bits of information shared by these students, they had finally summarized what this mysterious and eccentric college truly was.
First: This school, which sounded like it was rooted in "feudal superstition," was no "diploma mill." It was a Tier 1 university with a special national certification as a Taoist institution.
Second: Just as the recruiter had mentioned, the tuition was incredibly cheap. Housing and books were essentially free, and the school even provided students with a monthly allowance of talisman paper and cinnabar.
Third: It was one of only three colleges in the country that did not accept applications. They only took students who were personally invited, and the annual intake was limited to no more than thirty people.
Fourth: Based on photos of mountain-top clouds and accompanying captions shared by an alumnus, the school was located deep in the mountains. It was highly likely that the campus occupied an entire mountain.
Fifth: The school did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Education Bureau. The curriculum was focused entirely on metaphysics and Feng Shui. Daily lessons included drawing talismans and divination, with absolutely no mention of Socialism or Marxist-Leninist thought...
As Jiang Su and the other teenagers read through the summary, they were stunned.
What kind of... "cultivation" school was this?!
A glance at the comments section showed it had completely exploded.
[Peking Uni Cutie: Is this the legendary cultivation school?! My immortal sword soul is stirring!]
[South of the South: Just one questionis it too late for me to repeat a year and take the exams again?]
[Don't Fall for Me: Look at rule number three, buddy. They don't accept applications. You have to be invited.]
[My Apollo Milk Tea: Isn't this exactly the kind of school that only "The Chosen Ones" can attend? Metaphysics really does exist in this world!]
[Rhino Niu Niu: This is literally my dream school! If I cling to Top Scorer Jiang's leg, can she take me with her? I'll pay my own way!]
[Don't Touch Me: Take me too! Does Big Boss Jiang need any leg ornaments? I'm fat and I can eat a lot.]
[Whatever: I used to think people must be crazy to choose a school like that. Now that I've looked closer, oh, it's not that they're crazyit's that I'm not worthy.]
Perhaps because Jiang Su and the boys were reacting so excitedly, other young guests couldn't help but peek at their phones.
Soon, everyone's eyes widened. Various looks of envy and complex emotions were cast toward Jiang Xuxu.
They weren't necessarily envious of the environment or the low costs, but the idea of a place that "normal people" couldn't enterone that only "The Chosen Ones" were selected forreally struck a chord with them.
In their social circle, everything was about being distinct and exclusive. Otherwise, why would there be high-end clubs that required millions in membership fees just to enter?
Was it because those clubs were truly that special? No, it was because the average person couldn't get in.
Furthermore, while most people claimed not to believe in Feng Shui and metaphysics, they secretly hoped it was real. Not to mention, the moguls present were quite certain such things existed; they instinctively looked up to those with real ability.
And now, Jiang Xuxu was clearly someone worth looking up to.
Old Master Jiang never expected that a child of the Jiang family would one day be held in such high regard for something like this. Not because she was a Jiang, but because of her own unique talents.
The Old Master felt very conflicted.
Seeing the guests focus all their attention on Jiang Xuxu, the intended leadsLu Xuexi, Jiang Han, and An Xingwere relegated to the background.
Lu Xuexi's hand, resting on her knee, tightened into a fist. She didn't understand. How did a Taoist College that everyone used to look down on suddenly become a rare treasure? Even the way people looked at Xuxu had changed.
It's just metaphysics. Is it really that big of a deal?
Nobody expressed envy for her, even though she had been fast-tracked for admission. No one cared about Jiang Han or An Xing either, even though they had gotten into top-tier universities on their own merit.
If one didn't know better, they'd think Jiang Xuxu was the only star of today's Teacher Appreciation Banquet.
What she didn't realize was that people had been dismissive at first because they thought it was a fraudulent school built on superstition. But once the internet confirmed it was a state-certified institution involved in the specialized field of metaphysics, everyone naturally saw it in a new light.
After all, no one could be sure they wouldn't need such skills in the future. No one would refuse a chance to get close to a future master of metaphysics.
Lu Xuexi suppressed the frustration in her heart and looked at Jiang Han with forced casualness. "We used to think Xuxu was being impulsive with that Taoist College, but now it looks like it might actually be better than the schools we chose."
Jiang Han had been unhappy ever since the scores came out and Jiang Xuxu surpassed him. Even though he was one of the leads today, he felt like he was being publicly executed.
After all, he was a legitimate Jiang, the one everyone had high hopes for. To think he had lost to someone who rambled about fate and sold paper talismans.
On top of selling talismans, she had chosen that kind of school. It was like she was trampling on the faces of people like them, who had aimed for the nation's top universities from the start.
So, even though the Taoist College wasn't the low-class place they had imagined, Jiang Han still refused to believe it was anything great.
"How can a school that promotes metaphysics and superstition compare to a prestigious national university? This current buzz is nothing more than a gimmick."
The higher they build her up now, the harder she'll fall later.
He would simply wait for the day she crashed down.
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