Will | Huan
That is very good to hear. I am doing my best not to worry in excess, but some worry is unavoidable when you are so far out of reach. I am reassured to know that thus far you are not having too much trouble, as I am sure A-Xiang will be as well.
I would imagine that any of the local schools would make an allowance for some modification to appropriate dress for a dragon. Most of them seem less particular about the appearance of students than I am accustomed to anyway. We do not have universities as they are known here, but the annual lectures at Cloud Recesses served something like their purpose. Young people of all the cultivation sects would come to us for instruction for half the year, polishing their skills as cultivators and gentlemen or ladies. Other than that, education was all undertaken within the sects. We were all expected to achieve proficiency in the Six Arts (Philosophy, Music, Archery, Swordsmanship, Calligraphy, and Mathematics), though some sects place more emphasis on one than another. Music is a significant part of the Lan cultivation style, for instance, so we spend much more time on that study than on Mathematics, while the Jiang are well-known as the finest archers in the world.
Your feeling about the sword does not seem silly, based on what I know of magical weapons. Many spiritual tools are designed to enhance or focus the abilities of the wielder. It is possible your sword does so with physical strength. I look forward to making some study of it when you return, though not nearly so much as I look forward to seeing you. Time passes a little differently in the place you are; it has been only a few days here. Even so, I find myself lying alone and longing for you each time the sun sets. I am accustomed to solitude, but I have never enjoyed it when it is enforced from the outside. Worrying over what trouble may find you makes it no easier. A-Xiang and my family and friends are a comfort, though, so please do not worry for me in turn. Simply be prepared for me to cling to you like an octopus again when you come back.