CH 65

Teaching Someone a Lessons (3)

“I’m really sorry, classmate Jiang, I’m the one who got you in trouble.”

A moment later, when the two were enjoying lunch in a restaurant, Bei Man’er showed a guilty expression.

“Brandon is an old-fashioned noble, and his family is a villain who seeks revenge for the smallest grievance. I’m afraid he will treat you……”

Jiang Jianming put down the knife and fork, shook his head and said, “Don’t worry about me, actually…..I don’t know if Tang Zhen has told you something about me, in fact I still have some connections in the empire.”

Bei Man’er only thought that Jiang Jianming was comforting her, and still heaved a great sigh. She took a bite of the steak on the plate, “Oh right, classmate Jiang, are you free tomorrow night?”

Jiang Jianming: “Tomorrow night? I’ll be idle during this period of time.”

There was more than half a month before Her Majesty’s birthday, and this period was his vacation. After the vacation was over, it was time for him to face Old Marshal Chen. At that time, he would face an ordeal——an ordeal on how to persuade the old marshal to agree to his continued stay in Silver Big Dipper.

Bei Man’er said, “There will be a banquet tomorrow night, although it’s just boring socializing…..but people from our family, Brandon’s family, and the Tang family should all be present.”

Jiang Jianming nodded to express his understanding, “Gathering of nobles.”

“Yes,” Bei Man’er’s knife and fork in her hand bumped for a moment, “Come along if it’s convenient for you, I will convince Dad. In this way, when Brandon sees you with us at the banquet, he will become somewhat apprehensive.”

Jiang Jianming smiled. He actually didn’t like this kind of boring and money-consuming social occasions, but he also knew that she had good intentions, thus he only said, “Thank you, please let me think about it.”

“Come on, classmate Jiang!”

Bei Maner’s eyes sparkled, and she insisted, “The dinner and snacks at the banquet can be eaten for free!”

Jiang Jianming’s ears felt hot. “Cough……Thank, thank you.”

****

After lunch, the two of them walked towards the Kaios Military Academy.

Walking through the streets, freshly trimmed artificial flower beds came into sight. It was a golden rose that symbolized the glory of the royal family, sprinkles of water droplets hung on their soft petals, and one could smell the faint fragrance without even getting close.

In the distance, the Non Crystal Race Protection Association were distributing their brochures; on the street corner, young people gathered in groups, seemingly arguing passionately about something; on the bench, a pair of elderly people were looking up at the high sky……

Jiang Jianming suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the empire seemed to be subtly different.

Is it because the emperor’s birthday is approaching? (TL: emperor is what is written, but the current emperor is a woman)

Or perhaps………………….

A distant bell sounded in his ears. A group of white pigeons took off with fluttering wings, departing from the cathedral’s steeple.

Jiang Jianming and Bei Man’er paused. Looking back, they saw what they had just passed – the Glorious Cathedral.

Tolling the bell, such an ancient way of telling the time, was no longer needed in this era, thus what remained with the ringing of the bell was more of a symbolic significance.

Bei Man’er let out a “huh” sound. “Today is the Ritual Education day, there are so many people over there.” (TL: Ritual education, that is, etiquette education, refers to the ritual and music culture in traditional Chinese culture . Because it attaches great importance to fame and status.)

Jiang Jianming: “Someone is preaching.”

There were crowds outside the church. The bishop standing in the middle preaching turned out to be a girl with unparalleled beauty, wearing a snow-white long skirt, with snow-white long hair, snow-white skin, and feet that were without shoes and socks stepping on the ground. Her expression was pure and sincere, like an angel in the mortal world.

“The Radiance of Crystal Particles will grace you, I and all sentient beings……”

The girl put her hands on her chest piously, “In the name of the Radiance of Crystal Particles, I bring the ultimate gospel from the depths of the universe, the interpretation of the truth……”

“Bishop Excellency!”

A young man squeezed out of the crowd excitedly, knelt down on his knees and raised his hands to the sky, “Your Excellency, Bishop Margaret! Please endow me with the wisdom of truth, please dispel the confusion of fools like me…”

There were tears in his eyes, and there were no condensed crystals on his raised wrist, “Why, why didn’t the Sacred Crystal Particles not allow His grace of rain and dew evenly distributed. Should we, the remnant crystal humans, be born as inferior species?” (TL: Sacred Crystal Particles here was treated as a being that’s why it was followed by “His” and also with the Radiance of Crystal Particles)

Bishop Margaret turned her head to look at him slowly, and said in a singing tone, “The Radiance of Crystal Particles has graced thousands of living beings. We feel deeply injustice because we are walking in the midst of sin in the dust.”

“It is humans who create various grades and ranks, it is humans who create oppression and injustice…It is the human’s seven emotions and six desires that rejected the divine grace, rejecting the Ultimate’s arrival…”

The white-haired girl looked up and closed her eyes, the sun fell on her delicate nose bridge, she made a praying gesture, and whispered as she paced, “Strengthen your faith and wash away your sins. Whoever believes in the Ultimate from the bottom of your heart, when your body is freed from the shackles of this dirty world, the Ultimate will surely allow your soul to be truly free……..”

After the young bishop spoke, the crowd knelt on the ground with tears streaming down their faces, raised their hands and sobbed, or kowtowed and murmured, as if they were really a group of sincerely repentant sinners.

“My god.” Bei Man’er got goosebumps. “This group of people are even crazier than before.” Jiang Jianming shook his head.

…Since the end of the Old Blue Mother Planet Era, all kinds of ancient religious beliefs have also disappeared in history.

However, the more one suffered, the more human beings were eager to seek support from nothingness. The Crystal Religion, which believed in crystal particles, flourished greatly during the old empire, and now it was the only remaining religion in the New Human Interstellar Empire.

Jiang Jianming did not have a good impression of this religion that spoke very well and eloquently.

Not mentioning anything else, now even in front of the royal family, there was no need to perform the great prostate, and seeing Her Majesty the Emperor was just a kneel on one knee, with a hand on the chest and bowing the head. A person like His Royal Highness who acted recklessly and didn’t put on airs was even willing to let him rub his hair and even peel apples for him…..

Only when the Crystal Religion preached, a group of people kowtowed and begged. This atmosphere always made him dream back to the feudal period of the Old Blue Mother Planet in the history books.

But he wouldn’t speak out to refute on the spot.

Saying “your beliefs are unscientific” to someone with a religious belief was something that a guy with a negative EQ would do.

The two left the Glorious Cathedral, followed the route they remembered, and went straight back to the Kaios Military Academy.

At this time, the military academy was having its second period in the afternoon, and the two wandered around the campus casually, saying hello to several faculty members who had no classes. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Bei Man’er to receive a communication from home, said she was  sorry and left first.

Jiang Jianming knew that the commotion on the West Galaxy Street had probably reached the Bei’s house, and the family members were anxious to ask about the situation. He had the impression that Miss Bei’s family atmosphere was pretty good, probably because worry outweighed the blame, thus he didn’t try to keep her.

He spent the time alone until the period was over, and just walked to the First College. He unexpectedly ran into a dark-faced officer who was walking out of the gate of the college.

Jiang Jianming stepped forward, “Teacher Luo Hai.”

For some reason, Luo Hai was frowning, and he seemed to be pondering about something when he walked out, therefore he was even more shocked when he saw the former student. “Jiang Jianming? You’re still in Aslan?”

Jiang Jianming smiled lightly. “I just returned to Aslan. Excuse me, can I take up a little of your time?”

Soon, the two sat together in the reception room of the First College, they sat on the sofa facing each other.

-Instructor Luo Hai, a new human officer who was born as a civilian, served as a colonel in the Golden Sun Wheel Imperial Guard Army, and had taught courses related to strategy and tactics at the Kaios Military Academy for more than 20 years. He was a well-known special instructor.

“So you still went and joined the army.”

After chatting for a while, Luo Hai looked at Jiang Jianming, the student he was very proud of, with a complicated expression.

“I have known for a long time that you are not willing to be an ordinary person. When you said that you wanted to teach after graduation, I didn’t believe you kid. Just didn’t expect…”

Speaking of this, Luo Hai frowned and the corners of his mouth twitched in unison.

………Just didn’t expect for this kid’s guts to be so fat! (TL: bold, daring)

The old marshal dared to trick him, he even dared to send him to the front line of the Silver Big Dipper. The hell. It was actually amazing how he tricked him, and even succeeded!

“I remember when you were in school,” Luo Hai took a sip of tea and suppressed his boiling emotions, “there were rumors that you and a member from the royal family….”

At this point, Jiang Jianming also confessed, “Yes. It is indeed a bit of a complicated relationship.”

The corners of Luo Hai’s mouth twitched again, thinking of the days when he thought this child was a very poor student and bought him meals and coffee frequently. He felt that his conscience and coins were wrongly paid.

Forget it, the student is after all still a good student……

Luo Hai shook his head and sighed, then asked again, “Tell me, what’s the matter with you coming to school this time.”

Jiang Jianming: “Two things. One is……I want to speak to Diana, she should still be in the Third College.”

Luo Hai: “Lance’s younger sister? Unfortunately, she hasn’t been here for the past two days. Tomorrow night, there will be a big noble banquet at her house, and the young lady needs to show her face.”

Jiang Jianming was slightly taken aback, and thought to himself: Is the banquet that Bei Man’er mentioned actually hosted by Lance’s family?

Then it seems like he really needs to go there.

Luo Hai: “The second thing?”

“Ah,” Jiang Jianming returned to his senses, then lowered his eyebrows and smiled.

He leaned forward, seemed a little embarrassed, but said sincerely, “Teacher Luo, can I take a room in the staff dormitory?”

Luo Hai: “?”

Jiang Jianming: “It won’t be long, I will only stay for more than half a month. I don’t have the money to book a hotel.”

****

On the same day, at five o’clock in the afternoon.

A boy with brown hair and black eyes, dressed in old clothes that had been washed white, turned his back to the door with a fierce expression, and sat in the tactical confrontation simulation classroom at Kaios Military Academy.

Jiang Kiven, seventeen years old, a poor man, was currently a second-year student in the First College of Kaios Military Academy.

However, the word “student” now also needed to be marked with a question mark. Just because three days ago, he called on a group of people who were born as civilians, that had excellent performance, classmates that were bullied by noble students recently, and held a vigorous strike movement.

There was only one petition: They hope that Kaios, as the number one military academy in the empire, to be more equal in terms of enrollment, and expel those noble children who have poor performance and conduct and only rely on family background to enter.

If the military academy disagreed, they would not come to class for a day.

In the early winter evening, it was already dusk at this point. The glowing red sunset hung among the buildings in the distance, and only a little afterglow was still warming the windows.

The classroom door opened.

Kevin didn’t turn around, he knew who was coming in, it was the person who called him here.

“Teacher Luo?” Kevin said coldly, “I know what you want to say, thank you for your kindness. But you don’t have to persuade me, and you can’t persuade me either, because I have already made up my mind……….”

The boy’s voice suddenly stopped.

Because he suddenly heard that the footsteps behind him not only belonged to one person.

Kevin couldn’t help turning his head to look.

Sure enough, there were two people coming in from the door.

The first person to come in was indeed Teacher Luo Hai, but behind him was a strange young man.

He didn’t know why, although the young man just followed behind the teacher in a low-key manner, Kevin’s gaze still fell on this man’s face first. 

This stranger with a unique temperament was thin and pale, seemingly fragile, but with a pair of calm and profound black eyes, which reminded of the universe and starry sky he had looked up to in his childhood.

Now, those black eyes were silently focused on the young man’s face.

Kevin’s chest felt hot, and his heart beat faster.

In the next second, he saw the young man tilt his head slightly, and said something to Teacher Luo, and the teacher answered immediately.

……….Later, Jiang Kiven would recall this early winter evening countless times in his life.

When the sunset was about to sink at the window, the still too young imperial commander of the empire casted his eyes on him, and in a unique way, he got to know such an ordinary existence like himself.

Yes. Although the voice of Jiang Jianming and Luo Hai was really low, Kevin was always sure that he heard it correctly.

These two people asked and answered in a low voice, and what they said was clearly——

“Who is this?”

“Your accommodation fee.”