To clarify, a magnum corpus is more than just a container of the soul of the undead sage. It also contains the written records of the sage's history, memories, scrolls and spellbooks and possibly even treasures and artifacts of power that most could only dream of. It was a world unto itself, kept safe and locked in a room that may vary in size.

Should anyone encounter, and possibly even defeat the lich sage, any attempts on unlocking the secrets would be extremely difficult, and near impossible. There are safeguards and wards, mental defenses, soul entrapments and more tricks and magical defenses than you could shake a stick at. Even with resources backed by a kingdom, it might take years to unravel such a mysterious, and miraculous object. A simple mistake, even a carelessness of luck or fate, the magnum corpus would destroy itself. And the soul with it, possibly along with the fools that tampered with it.

Of course, you would first have to defeat the lich first, then find the hidden magnum corpus. A near impossible act without an army of a few hundred thousands at your back, and a few or dozens of battalions of martial cultivators and sages by your side.

In the last few thousands of years, few ever encountered the undead sages. But their actions and conducts have been accounted for and well detailed in history books with a thorough examination. Meeting a lich was dreamt of by the scholars and sages everywhere.

What a wonder it would be, they say.

Yes, a wonder, and a horror beyond reckoning. Liches are rare, yes, but their might are equal to those of the famed immortals and the exalted prince and his knights. Legendarily rarer still, are their containers. What treasures might be hiding? What spells of power, or wisdom, might they hold? A sage might give up one's own first born for a chance at rediscovering its secrets.

And in their entire history of meeting the liches, only one has ever attained the container after the lich's defeat. That woman, Zhi Ruo, a famous sage of the Dragon clan of the Song empire, somehow managed to unlock its secrets. A happy news for the house of the Dragon, no doubt.

Then she disappeared without a trace, and the magnum corpus with it. The House of the Dragon's political and influential powers were shattered overnight, and an immortal himself declared the house persona non grata. This was two hundred years ago, and since then, no one has heard of them since.

As for Zhi Ruo, the rumour was, she had taken the secrets of undeath to become one herself. Just rumours, of course, but perhaps also a hint of truth. Cifer didn't know, but anything was possible.

Hells, aside from the secrets of undeath, a magnum corpus may contain so much more. With that thought, Cifer wouldn't be surprised if a sage murdered an entire department of his own colleagues to get his hands on such a priceless treasure.

The young man eyed the magnum corpus crystal within the box. A clear cut glass, so perfectly spherical he cannot even spot an imperfection anywhere. Its light within was dull, but still resonating with a faint heartbeat. The interstellar cloud of magic within the crystal was weak, almost hungry in its desire to feed.

It was dying, barely held together by the magic that once sustained it.

"You think this is a good idea, just handing over our treasure after all we went through?!" Fei's hissed words whispered into his ears. "The lich would give us away in an instant! We're screwed if they found out we're screwing them!"

Just before Lu-long Hartmann left, barking orders to the rest of his men to make sure they stayed put, he brought the siblings coffee, and whatever biscuits he could scrounge up before departing in a hurry. He could hear dozens, perhaps all them, moving in tandem to guard the doors, while the man left to get the dean's attention. No doubt to ensure they don't leave. Cifer thought the man was too paranoid. They won't leave.

Cifer sighed. "No, I don't think it's a good idea. But we've already looted everything inside, and the soul is dying anyway. Even if they managed to get past its defenses, it would take a year at best to succeed. Fail, and... well," Cifer made a wooshing sound, as if to mimic an explosion. "Its magic is falling apart. The soul would be half mad and incoherent even if, by some terrible luck, they managed to get past its defenses. By the time they get through, everything within would be destroyed due to the decay of magic,"

Fei grumbled, and kept fussing with her clothes. She was nervous, and had every right to be. If they found out, execution would be the most welcoming option. At worst... Cifer didn't dare to think about.

It was another two hours before he heard voices shouting outside the guard halls. The door slammed open, and in walked the dean himself. There was an educated air about him, despite his rotund apperance. The robes he wore were a rich blue, over white and gold trimmings. His hair was cropped short, and the glasses that hung from the nose made him look less like a sage, and more of a librarian.

"You-...," The dean said at last, and stepped forward. "You are the one... may I see it?"

Cifer bowed deeply. Fei didn't bother, rather, she crossed her arms with a scowl.

"Yes, I am the one with the treasure, milord," Cifer straightened his back, and held his box close to his chest. "This is a gift for your honourable self, milord,"

The man, the dean, snorted. "There are no lords here, boy, not in this country. I'm guessing you're from that barbaric country of Song, yes? It doesn't matter. They're fools, all the same," The dean walked up until the man stood only a foot away from Cifer. He gave but a curious glance at his sister, but dismissed her. Good. "My captain here says you brought me something. Specifically for a favour, yes?"

There was greed in his eyes, yes, but also anticipation. He couldn't blame the dean. Even he himself had salivated at the thought of such secrets hidden within the container.

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"Sir... ah, yes sir," Cifer bowed, and held out his gift toward the dean. "My gift, sir, in the hope that you would give us a chance to prove ourselves before you. We hope... sir, that we may attend the Academy of Everlasting, with your full blessing, along with certifications and proper documents as a listed citizen of the Jade Empire,"

The dean carefully took the box, and opened it. His seemed to squeal, squeak, and cough at the same time. Cifer thought the man was having a stroke for a moment, but that passed. The man's eyes seemed permanently stuck wide open as he stared into the content of the box, frozen as a statue.

"Do you... boy, do you have any idea how much this is worth?" The dean breathed out, his hands quivering ever so slightly. He seemed to have trouble breathing. "Boy, this thing alone would cost you hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars in cash, boy! You could have bought your own bloody keep if you sold it. Instead, you're both here, gifting it to me, as if it was some trinket!"

The dean nearly screamed near the end of his tirade. With a calming of several breaths, the dean forced himself to calm down when he noticed the agitated expressions of his captain, and the children standing before him.

"My apologies, young sir, lady!" His eyes glanced at the treasure within the box one more time, before closing the lid with a gentle akin to holding a newborn babe. "You must understand, boy. This treasure you gifted me, it is a treasure worthy of emperors and god-kings! I cannot, in good conscience, keep this!"

Cifer wore an alarmed expression, because the dean calmed them down with his next words. "Do not worry, boy! You've earned whatever it was you asked for, and so much more! All your wishes will be granted, provided that you have some talent in your ability for cultivation."

It wasn't a question. Not yet.

The young man bowed again, this time with much deeper gratitude and a wide smile stretched across his face. "My thanks, my most honourable sir. I'm afraid we did not have much in terms of money, and you've given us a most precious gift,"

The dean waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes. The captain tells me you are both trained in the cultivation of qi, yes?"

"My grandfather once served in the military of the Song dynasty as a levied soldier, a long time ago," Cifer's lies were like fine wine when he spoke. "Eventually, he settled in a farm to raise his family. He had some small talent in the sage arts, but did not teach cultivation until I and my sister were born, sir,"

"A sage, you say? If your grandfather is as determined as you two young warriors, then I'm very glad the foolish Song dynasty did not elevate his position higher in their military," The dean eyed the box with an expression of contentment. The man was barely listening at this point, though the captain Lu-long certainly was, "Just how was it, that you've come across such a great find?"

"That was quite the adventure, honourable sir," Cifer bowed again. "I'm afraid, it's another great tragedy that befell us. It was only luck, and the trick of fate, that we encountered this great find within a tower hidden deep in the Summer woods," The young man bowed, then gestured toward the box in the dean's hands."And I'm sure you're far too busy to listen to us children when you have much bigger concerns to examine,"

"Yes, absolutely you're right, my boy! Your foresight shall lead you far in the academy!" The dean replied spiritedly. "My name is Liu Hui, the dean of the honourable Academy of Everlasting, appointed by the minister of education himself! And you, my young children, have quite the adventure to begin. Yes, yes!"

--

They escaped any speculation quite splendidly, and the dean had sent an aide to gather their full name, age, and birth. Eventually, they were led to an expensive tailor shop that catered to the rich and the powerful. Once their measurements were taken, their uniforms would be ready in a few weeks. The aide then led them to a dormitory a mile away from the academy, located in the Cloud district where they will be staying for the rest of their terms.

The dorms were gender segregated, so they will be separated into different sleeping quarters. They would, of course, share a room with another student. The buildings were spacious and roomy, and quite lavish. Their backyards and courtyards were filled with gardens and koi ponds and beautiful fishes. The gardens and maintenance were well kept and maintained all year around.

While they hadn't seen anyone within the vicinity, the aide explained that it was the summer holidays. The students had left to visit their homes and families in other cities. Once the first term starts, the dorm would be quite crowded, filled with challanges and duels.

Their dorm rooms will be provided for them within the academy, free of charge for the first four years. Their scholarships would be paid for in full, and a monthly stipend would be sent to their personal accounts to the city bank. It was quite a lot of money, and Cifer wondered if it was possible to use them for business ventures within the city.

A warning was also given; Cifer and Fei were expected to do well in all of their coursework. If they were found to be unfit for the academy, they will be removed, and possibly placed into one of the lesser schools of thought in another city. Or a town, if they showed little appetite.

As such, they will have to be tested before they could actually join the Everlasting academy. Their strengths in both the sage arts and the martial arts, respectively within their specialty, as well as their ability to cultivate. Their education in both numbers and letters, ancient history, calligraphy, and the laws of this country. They would be tested by the examiners and placed appropriately depending on their testing results.

They were given a month's time to study before they would take the test, and the textbooks would be given to them the following day. Cifer didn't think he or his sister needed that long to study it, so they opted to explore the city.

Still, Cifer was glad everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Fei couldn't help but sigh in relief as she munched into her second cake, at the local cafe. It wasn't a ritzy area, but held a comfortable atmosphere. The cafe was located within the middle of the government district, and it was where many of the civil servants, businessmen, barristers, and the middle-class families often tend to visit when they thirst for caffeine in the working hours.

"I can't believe that worked," Fei was happily munching on her third cake. Cifer couldn't help but stare at his little sister's enormous appetite. The tension and the waiting must have gotten to her. She grinned. "Holy shit, I can't believe that worked!"

"It's only the first step," Cifer looked out the window, and smiled. "We will find our parents, and we will bring about our plans to fruition,"

Fei choked on her cake, then glared balefully at her brother. "Just concentrate on your studies and passing the school, brother. The last thing we want is attention,"

Cifer snorted. "Far too late for that, I'm afraid. No one just brings a magnum corpus without consequences. They'll be investigations, and spies in place. They'll be watching us for a long time before they relent."

"I hope so, brother," Fei went back to eating her cake. "I hope so."