Reincarnated as a bamboo rat, it begins its extreme survival struggle.

"sharp."

With a sigh, Bell and Edu simultaneously applauded, waking the girl who had finished playing the piece but was still immersed in the performance.

She stared in astonishment at Edu in front of the academy gate, her face instantly turning bright red. Her eyes darted back and forth a few times, and after bowing in this direction while holding her violin, she quickly ran away.

This scene made Edu scratch his head, and from the two-story building in front of him, an elderly man with white hair and beard slowly walked out, a smile on his face, and called out in the direction the girl had run off to:

"A bard shouldn't be shy; he should have the ability to play spontaneously and freely, and enjoy the attention he receives from others."

After shouting this, the old man turned his attention to Edu, knowing that the shy girl wouldn't respond loudly.

"Hello, sir. I am Edu Wine, a new student here to register."

"Oh, so you're the little guy the Long River Adventurer Group introduced. I've already heard from the guild that you're very capable despite your young age. There are quite a few guys who have been bards for many years, but none of them are as good as you."

The registration process went surprisingly smoothly. The senior adventurers of the Long River Adventure Team had been staying in Cangxing City recently because they were unable to go to the Bamboo Sea to participate in the development of the [White Bone City].

Jasmine has already visited the music academy and completed the necessary procedures.

Meanwhile, the Bards' Guild, which was part of the music academy, also spread information about Edu to a few old guys in the academy.

After all, only a handful of people join the Bards' Guild each year, so any news of a particularly talented individual would attract significant attention from industry professionals.

Although, Edu didn't have a very clear understanding of this.

“Our academy isn’t very big. After all, land in the city is very expensive, and it’s not worth spending money on buying land. Our bard is Ding Buwang, and this quiet little courtyard is enough for us.”

Leading Edu into the small building, the old man, as the mentor, knew very well that the bards who came here to study wouldn't care.

The instructors here know exactly what kind of things will truly attract bards to study, and for that reason, they have carefully decorated the classrooms on the first floor.

This cunning, however, proved to be a fatal flaw for Edu, a fellow who aspired to be a bard.

“Edu, I heard you haven’t chosen a major instrument yet. You’ve come to the right place.”

Upon entering the classroom on the first floor, Edu was immediately drawn to the dazzling array of musical instruments.

From pianos to castanets, from wind instruments to string instruments, and then to percussion instruments... the music academy has collected almost every musical instrument on the market, and the instruments here are in excellent condition, all of which have been carefully maintained.

Eighty percent of the musical instruments are magical instruments; only a few particularly obscure instruments, almost never used by anyone, do not exhibit any magical fluctuations.

Seeing Edu's surprised expression, the white-bearded old man was quite pleased. He stroked his beard and said:

"Most of the musical instruments here are from the collections of various high-ranking bards. Some instruments were left by bards who died unexpectedly without heirs. You can use these instruments as teaching materials during your studies, but you must take care to protect them. You know how important musical instruments are to bards."

Chapter 105 Gathering of Demi-humans

In addition to the musical instruments found on Earth, Bell also saw many instruments with unique characteristics of another world.

For example, there was a musical instrument similar to a pipa, with its back covered in sheet metal. When a bard played this instrument, he could turn it around at any time and use it as a hammer.

After all, many bards travel to various dangerous places, and if they only sang, they wouldn't be able to survive in dangerous environments.

If given the chance, Bell would also like to try the instruments here. Although Bell is just a mouse, his bard level is not to be underestimated.

For Bell, getting himself a suitable musical instrument was also quite necessary.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get familiar with these instruments."

The white-bearded old man smiled and led Edu forward, arriving at the second floor in just a few steps.

There were no musical instruments on the second floor, only a row of neatly arranged bookshelves. The collection here was nothing like the meager holdings of the Bards' Guild.

The music academy contains notes left by various high-ranking bards over the years, witty anecdotes from adventurers, introductions to famous and dangerous places around the world, and secret manuals recording various songs and performance techniques...

It's no exaggeration to say that if Edu could thoroughly understand all the books here, he would become a high-ranking bard.

For Bell, this is a place he can spend all day in, where he can obtain information, and at a speed far exceeding that of the outside world.

"You'll fall in love with this place in the future. Sometimes, standing on the shoulders of giants can make you progress very quickly."

The white-bearded old man chuckled as he recounted how he had gone through the same process, drawing wisdom and experience from books to grow rapidly.

This step is also the process of distinguishing geniuses from mediocre people; those who can't get into reading will be eliminated at an alarming rate.

Of course, the teachers here don't just leave the students to their own devices. They teach regularly, but the main course content is to answer questions. When students raise questions, the teachers answer them with their own understanding and experience, providing insightful guidance.

Eighty percent of the explanations focus on the use of musical instruments; as for music theory and other aspects, it mainly depends on the individual.

"There are ten classes a week, each lasting about three hours. The courses are mainly taught by us intermediate bards, but if the instructors on that day are those advanced bards, you must seize the opportunity, especially to learn how to create your own learning opportunities."

After familiarizing himself with the process, Edu didn't rush to leave but stayed in the library instead.

Edu cherished the opportunity to learn, even though he didn't have any classes on his first day.

"This is 'The Complete Guide to Basic Singing Techniques.' If you thoroughly understand this book, your understanding of the bard profession will be greatly enhanced."

After the white-bearded old man left, Bell got to work, moving back and forth between the bookshelves and quickly selecting several books suitable for Edu to consult.

These are all very basic books, but they are very suitable for Edu's current stage of growth.

Edu wasn't a fast reader; when he got to a crucial part, he would stop, frown, and think for a long time.

Bell, however, was different.

Similarly, with the blessing of "Fire-loving Wisdom," Bell, although he cannot guarantee that he can perfectly understand the meaning of the book, is like a mouse-shaped hard drive, able to memorize all the information he sees directly into his mind.

While Edu was still slowly turning the pages, Bell had already memorized the information about half the bookshelf.

In order to record this information as quickly as possible, Bell didn't even think about the meaning of each book; he memorized it first and then tried to understand it in detail when he had time.

"First look at information about the bard profession, then look at adventurer's experiences, and books like world history."

Bell's reading plan was that simple and straightforward, since he couldn't possibly come to school here every day with Edu.

Time flew by amidst the rustling of pages, and by the time Edu closed the book, it was already dark outside the window.

If he had nothing to do tonight, Edu would be happy to continue watching, since the music academy had magic lamps that could be used for nighttime lighting.

This thing isn't cheap; it's specially processed solid glass that can emit adjustable light under the influence of magic. It belongs to the Mage Association's business.

"Unfortunately, I am invited by Mr. Sabir tonight and will not be able to stay here and read all night."

Shaking his head, Edu put the book he had read for thirty pages back on the shelf and left the music academy with Bell.

There are very few students here. Today, Edu, who came here, only saw a girl playing the violin.

Edu spent the entire afternoon alone in the library, which made Bell realize even more clearly how unpopular the profession of bard was.

"Speaking of which, the buildings in the north of Cangxing City are clearly much better than those in the west of the city where you live."

"Yes, the north and east of the city are more prosperous than XC District. Many high-level professionals live in the east of the city, while the north of the city mainly has buildings such as the courthouse, and the south of the city is the territory of the church."

Having been in Cangxing City for so long, Bell has been wandering around the east side of the city without exploring other areas, since Edu's activity area is limited to the east side.

Bell himself was very interested in seeing that new market that only sold high-end items.

Since it's a place that requires an entrance fee, I believe you should be able to find a lot of good stuff in the new market during this period, as well as many items sent out from the [City of Bones].

“Mr. Sabir, you’ve arrived very early.”

"You're quite fast too, no wonder you're a young man."

Upon reaching the outskirts of the agricultural fair, Edu met Sabir, who had just arrived; both of them were earlier than scheduled.

Sabir did not carry his own basket and had changed into a rather decent set of clothes.

"Come with me, I've brought some fine wine tonight."

Raising the wine bottle in his hand, the old man Sabir led Edu from the agricultural fair to the south of the city, through a series of alleys, and arrived at a secluded courtyard.

To be honest, if someone unfamiliar with the area were to travel this route, they would most likely be completely disoriented.

But once inside the courtyard, Edu immediately understood why Sabirjo's dinner party was being held in such a secluded place.

Sabir entered the courtyard and wiped his face. His upper jaw suddenly protruded, revealing four sharp teeth.

The other people in the courtyard also had obvious signs of wild animals on them; they were all demi-humans.

"Although people in Cangxing City won't do anything to demi-humans, it's always easier to get things done if you change into a human face when you go out."

Chapter 106 The Society of Demi-humans

Once Sabir removed his disguise, his appearance changed rapidly. First, his fangs protruded, then his skin and flesh rolled up, and soon he transformed from a kind old man into a large, white-haired dog that looked like a human.

The other people in his yard also looked very different from normal humans.

A burly man with large horns on his head and dark skin, resembling a water buffalo; a leopard-like woman with fur on her face and small tiger teeth; a cute-looking porcupine lady with long quills on her back...

"Old Sa, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

The man, who looked like a water buffalo, shouted.

Sabir, who had just entered, waved the bottle of wine in his hand and said with a smile:

"I know what you gluttons are waiting for, but the reason I'm late is because of this young man."

Sabir stepped aside from Edu behind him, drawing everyone's attention to him.

In fact, when Edu entered, his new face attracted the attention of most people here, and several guys didn't even try to hide the malice they were projecting.

"Don't be nervous, everyone, he's just like us."

Seeing the atmosphere in the courtyard become tense, Sabir waved his hand, then whispered a few words to Edu, indicating that Edu didn't need to be nervous.