The sun had already disappeared behind the University's high walls.
Only a faint light remained in the sky.
The night wind brushed across the Lake, and the ripples spread out lazily.
The fiery red large birds that were originally resting on the Lake began to stir. They pulled their necks out from under their wings, shook their heads, and slowly flapped their enormous wings.
A gentle breeze swept through the treetops, dislodging a few withered leaves.
The wind by the Lake was somewhat chilly.
Zheng Qing was still wearing a summer short-sleeved shirt under his robe.
He shivered, pulled a towel from his gray cloth bag, and covered the cardboard box in his arms.
The two teams of freshmen had not yet left the Lake.
Nicholas was meticulously checking the bodies of several freshmen. In his opinion, any freshman who got too close to the mermen would be exposed to the evil radiation emitted by them.
"This terrifying radiation will cause your own magic to become imbalanced, affecting your placement exam at the beginning of the semester," Nicholas warned confidently, then gave each examined freshman a mint hard candy: "Mint can effectively remove the mermen's evil radiation."
Although Zheng Qing was skeptical, he still honestly accepted the examination.
Because Xiao Xiao, who always liked to show off his knowledge, did not object to Nicholas's grand inspection.
Not far away, another freshman guide was still incessantly scolding Liu Feifei for being clumsy.
The girl holding the Cobra stood there pitifully, her eyes red-rimmed.
"She's not clumsy, she just doesn't understand the situation," Nicholas walked over and comforted her, "Freshmen aren't familiar with these things; explaining it clearly is enough."
The surrounding freshmen already felt that this guide was making a mountain out of a molehill, and they all agreed when they heard him.
Liu Feifei blinked, and tears began to stream down her face.
Several girls hurriedly gathered around her, pulling out tissues and handkerchiefs, comforting her repeatedly.
The other senior glared at Nicholas, then raised his eyebrows, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"So it's Senior Nicholas!" His tone stretched out the words "Senior" for a long time, his voice full of sarcasm: "It seems Senior has a deep understanding of this."
With that, he touched the black trim on his robe sleeve, raised his head, snorted coldly, and no longer paid attention to his freshmen, turning and leaving directly.
The freshmen were silent, watching Nicholas cautiously.
Nicholas spat fiercely into the Lake, rubbed his palms, and said nothing.
Several gurgling calls came from the water.
Zheng Qing looked in the direction of the sound.
A frog jumped out of the Lake and landed on a large bluestone by the Shore.
It opened its mouth, croaked twice, and then started singing a ditty in a strange voice:
Croak, croak.
A mouse crept ashore stealthily
Three old men watched foolishly, unable to see
Croak, croak.
Three old men watched foolishly, unable to see
Croak…
A black shadow suddenly sprang up, interrupting the frog's aria, and swallowed the noisy amphibian, skin and bones, in one gulp.
It was Liu Feifei's Cobra.
Zheng Qing was dumbfounded, watching this slippery pet comfortably flick its tongue and swim back to its young owner's side.
Liu Feifei blinked her red eyes and used her already damp handkerchief to wipe the greenish-black unknown liquid from the Cobra's mouth.
"Why didn't your snake go where it was supposed to go?" Zheng Qing looked at the long, lazy creature sprawled out and finally couldn't help but ask.
He was very curious about how this large snake could appear deep in the campus.
Including the little fox Poseidon and Xiao Xiao's old turtle, all the pets brought by the freshmen had left their owners in the First Hall.
Liu Feifei was the first freshman he had seen carrying a pet.
"Little Dragon was attacked by a demon, so Professor An specially allowed me to take it to see a doctor," Liu Feifei said softly, stroking her pet's head.
The Cobra, which had just swallowed a frog, gently arched its head and rubbed against the girl's warm palm.
Zheng Qing sighed and hugged the cardboard box in his arms even tighter.
Not far away, several freshmen were still squatting by the remnants of the frog, discussing animatedly.
"That frog was singing just now! Did you understand what it was singing?"
"Shouldn't what's more worth noting be why we can understand a frog singing?!"
"This is a Magic University! If the frogs here can't even sing, that would be too disappointing."
Zheng Qing listened to this reply, his mouth agape, feeling speechless.
It was getting late.
After lingering by the Lake for a few minutes, Nicholas decisively announced that all freshmen from both teams would follow him to complete the subsequent tour.
No one objected to this only solution.
Nicholas no longer rambled on to the freshmen about the history of every stone in the academy, but he still couldn't help but show off the legends he had heard from obscure corners:
"Shushan Library is a good place to study. It's convenient for self-study and consulting materials. Although it only has five floors, it's very large inside, with doors connecting and levels interlocking, like a huge maze, so you must be prepared before entering."
Nicholas sighed, looking as if he couldn't bear to recall it: "I'm not suggesting you remember the route, but rather that you bring enough food. Although the Library clears people out every day, you sometimes can't help but stumble into some more secluded small rooms, and then, tsk tsk — the longest record in the academy is a student who was trapped in the Library for eighty whole days."
The freshmen were in an uproar.
They couldn't imagine why the Library would become a huge maze.
Even more, they couldn't imagine how that student, trapped in the Library for eighty days, survived.
The stone path extending from Shushan Library took a small turn by the Lake and led straight into the deeper parts of the University.
Tall sycamore trees were planted on both sides of the road, their broad paulownia leaves densely overlapping, forming a secluded tree-lined path. Several pairs of emerald green eyes peered through the gaps in the leaves, quietly observing the freshmen passing beneath the trees.
Nicholas led the freshmen at a trot, not disturbing the residents in the trees.
After passing through the forest, a stretch of rolling hills appeared before everyone's eyes.
The sky was dim, and Zheng Qing could only vaguely see some strange peaks and rocks in the distance, as well as dense, dark forests.
"The spirit screen belongs to the entrance, the Main Teaching Building belongs to the front yard, Linzhong Lake belongs to the middle yard, and here," Nicholas said, waving his hand with great Aura, encompassing the garden behind: "This belongs to the University's backyard."
"East Peach Garden, West China Garden, and Yunfang Garden; all are within this backyard."
"Your dormitories are in West China Garden. Between the gardens, there are also plant nurseries and spirit dwellings for those rare herbs and your little companions to stay safely. You will gradually learn more detailed information in your future studies."
"It's already quite late, and everyone has worked hard today," Nicholas paused, looking at the freshmen in front of him.
Zheng Qing nodded in agreement, still feeling a bit dazed.
The names Hui Zi Market and San You Bookstore resurfaced in his mind, seeming like a very long time ago.