"Alas~ Bai Zhou wins again."
"This is the third match now; it seems his Bamboo Sound Swordsmanship has reached a new height."
Inside the arena, a young man in white stands with a sword in hand, which appears to be made of bamboo, light and slender, faintly glowing with a weak white light under the sunshine, exuding an exceptionally steady and prolonged aura.
His attire is rather interesting as well: underneath, he wears a light-colored T-shirt matched with black board shorts, while a loose, East-style robe is draped over, casual yet not as rigid and conventional as the ancients.
Flattered by his companions' praises, the youth slings the bamboo sword edge over his shoulder, rubs his head and smiles, ready to show off in front of his mentor before going out for barbecue to celebrate that evening.
"It's only right that I pick up the tab, haha," they laughed together.
When Tilan saw that the match was over, she touched the large White Kite in her embrace, released it, and then walked onto the field.
"Hello, may I ask if Master Gu Fangzhong is here?" She was inquiring, but she had already guessed that the bearded man in his thirties amidst the crowd was the person she was looking for.
"Oh, someone is looking for old Gu."
"Never seen her before, might be from another district's school."
"That girl has a really nice figure, especially the legs—so uniformly proportioned and healthy. If she were to dance ballet or something, it would simply be perfect," someone remarked.
Although they didn't speak loudly, Tilan still heard them clearly, and as a response, she could only subtly press down on her cap brim to hide the slight embarrassment in her eyes.
As a public persona, she should have been accustomed to such comments, but as she seldom actively checked online reviews and due to her personality, she still carried some innate shyness.
Fortunately, now even when hearing them, Tilan would pretend not to and not respond.
She walked straight to the man leaning on the railing drinking cola, who, upon Tilan's approach, finished his conversation with the people beside him and turned around.
"Hey, are you the girl who applied for the swordsmanship assessment today? Didn't expect you to find me right away. I hadn't even heard your name before; seems the super AI that assigns tasks has high hopes for you," he said.
He flicked the can with his finger, producing a crisp sound, the reverberations inside creating a special rhythm.
"Is it rare to come across you on a first application?" Tilan was curious as well.
"Quite rare, indeed, because in Academy City, there are only three swordsmanship masters. The other two are highly esteemed and no longer young; nowadays, they rarely handle such assessments, usually leaving them to me," he explained.
"If you had any notable achievements in swordsmanship, I should have at least heard your name."
The girl shook her head, then spoke.
"This is also my first application; I'm not familiar with Academy City. Since I'm here, I ask for your guidance, elder," she said.
"Guidance, such a retro word. Even I, an Easterner, rarely use it anymore."
He stroked his rather scruffy beard, giving Tilan an up-and-down glance, then downed the cola in the can.
"Ah, this breeze is so refreshing, and the fizz and sweetness of cola are equally exhilarating. I'm in a good mood today; let me be the one to meet you," he said, tossing his open jacket to a companion nearby and throwing the drink can into the air.
The red can smoothly split in midair, transforming into a spiraling metal longstrip. As it landed back in the man's hand, it straightened out instantly.
The longsword made of metal slivers, without any guard and what one would call an edge, was just like an iron rod firmly held by him, exuding a loftiness as imposing as a mountain, hard to shake.
Tilan likewise converged her gaze, spread her palm in the air, and grasped at nothingness, while a silver Sword Edge swiftly appeared, settling in her hand.
Seeing this, the others quickly dispersed, clearing space for the two of them.
On one side, the towering figure stood immovable, his metal rod Sword as heavy as a mountain; on the other side, the black-haired girl with a high ponytail swayed gently in the wind, her aura elusive and unfathomable, as though she were a willow fluff ready to vanish at any moment.