"Do you have any instructions, First Madam?" Huang Ye asked nervously.

"Ye'er, you're not young anymore. You'll be an adult next year."

"The news of your recovery has spread. It's likely someone will come to propose marriage soon. What are your thoughts on this?"

Is this seductive woman trying to test my intentions?

Just as Huang Ye was about to respond, a servant reported that the Second Madam had arrived.

The First Madam hesitated for a moment but then signaled the servant to invite the Second Madam in.

Huang Ye finally felt relieved. With an observer present, the First Madam should calm down a bit.

After the Second Madam entered, the two women exchanged insincere greetings.

Huang Ye looked at the Second Madam, who appeared to be in her forties. She was past her prime, her looks not as good as the First Madam's, and she seemed much older.

"Are you Ye'er?" the Second Madam asked, sizing up Huang Ye.

"Second Madam, yes, I am."

"You're quite handsome. There will surely be many suitors in the future."

"First Madam, Second Madam, I have no plans for marriage and children at the moment."

"I've just woken up and will be reporting to the academy tomorrow. I want to take advantage of my youth to learn as much useful knowledge as possible, so I can help my foster father in the future."

"Alright, since you've decided, I'll turn down those marriage proposals."

"That's all I have to say. Just visit here when you're free. Second Madam, do you have any advice?"

Visit? Visit my foot. If I come again, you might just eat me alive.

"I have nothing to advise. Ye'er, your Second Brother is usually arrogant and unambitious."

"If he does anything wrong, be more forgiving. Although you're not blood brothers, you live under the same roof. When he becomes the family head, he'll need your support."

Huang Ye looked speechlessly at this old woman. Damn, are you some kind of old fairy, even more shameless than the First Madam?

"Don't worry, Second Madam. I'll be at the academy tomorrow, so it will be hard to run into Second Brother. Just advise him not to be arrogant towards my two maids."

The Second Madam was stunned. This kid has grown bold, just waking up and already speaking so boldly.

Does he really think he can take away the Huang family's assets? This guy doesn't know his limits. Sooner or later, he'll have a day to cry.

"I understand what you said. Alright, you can leave now," the Second Madam said irritably.

Huang Ye bowed and took his leave of the two madams.

"Sister, what do you think of this kid?"

"What I think doesn't matter. His awakening seems to threaten your son."

The Second Madam smiled bitterly, "Sister, your position as the mistress of the City Lord's mansion is unshakable. No one dares to touch you, but I'm not so lucky."

"Seeing how ambitious this kid is, Xiao Jiang's position might be threatened in the future."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"And if he ever decides to establish his own household and really takes away the Huang family's assets, our Wu family can't bear it."

"You're right. I wonder how sincere he was with his words just now."

"I think he's just pretending to be indifferent about the assets, but he's already made plans."

"Going to the academy is just to avoid the spotlight. He'll probably come back unexpectedly during the coming-of-age ceremony and catch us off guard."

"You don't need to sow discord. We have no feelings for him. His father was my husband's brother, not mine. Let's each find our own way."

The Second Madam glanced at the First Madam, thinking, you witch, don't think I don't know about your dirty deeds.

In the worst case, we'll part ways in the future. If my lineage doesn't benefit, you won't have peace either.

"I understand, Sister. I'll head back now."

"Yes, I'm tired too. I need to go back and rest."

The Second Madam stood up, gave a slight bow, and took her leave of the First Madam.

As soon as she turned around, her face, which had been full of smiles, immediately turned gloomy. Tired, my foot. You're probably off to find some man to enjoy yourself with.

Despite her anger, she still envied the First Madam. Although she was seven years older, she looked ten years younger.

Now, the City Lord doesn't even share a room with her, but he still often shares a room with the First Madam. It must be because she frequently seeks out young men for nourishment.

The First Madam dares to do it, but she doesn't. The First Madam has a son who's a chosen one, which only turns her resentment inward.

Her own son, on the other hand, is disappointing, causing trouble every day. She thought there was no competition, so she didn't discipline him strictly.

Now, Huang Ye's awakening has shattered her plans.

All her resentment naturally fell on Huang Ye. He wasn't exactly an innocent bystander, but he was certainly upgraded by the Second Madam.

Early the next morning, Huang Ye left the City Lord's mansion for the first time during the day. His two maids accompanied him to the gates of the Martial Arts Academy before returning.

Looking at the majestic gates of the Martial Arts Academy, he couldn't help but reflect on his past life at that mediocre university.

He never expected to enter an academy again. Even if this academy isn't Ivy League, it could at least be considered a top-tier institution.

He must acquire cultivation techniques here.

Two tall and strong men stood guard at the academy gates, swords at their waists, glaring at every student entering and exiting.

If there had been guards like these at the gates of his previous life’s university, no one would have dared to skip class.

There weren't many people entering or exiting. Huang Ye swaggered inside.

"Stop, what are you doing here? This isn't a place where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter," one of the men shouted, his voice loud enough to startle Huang Ye.

"Why are you shouting? Trying to show off your loud voice? I'm a student here too, it's my first day."

The two men exchanged glances. If he was really a student starting midway, he might have some connections, and they couldn't afford to offend him.

But this guy's outfit didn't look the part.

"A student? Dressed like that, you dare to pretend to be a student? I think you're trying to sneak in and steal skills."

It wasn't the man's fault for misunderstanding. Huang Ye was wearing a simple coarse robe today.

The two maids had prepared a brocade robe and jade belt for him, but he refused.

It wasn't that he disliked flashy attire, but he felt he shouldn't be too ostentatious. People in the mansion would surely be watching him.

If he was too showy, it would make people think he valued wealth too much and liked to flaunt himself.

He had seen many such examples in his past life, even some famous people who were heavily in debt but still lived in luxury.

After hearing Huang Ye's explanation, the two maids agreed it made sense. The young master even paid attention to such details, which made them admire him even more.

"Heh, who said you have to wear silk and satin to school? I prefer coarse clothes. Is that against school rules?"

The two men were taken aback by Huang Ye's retort. This kid's outfit was plain, but his tone was extraordinary.

Moreover, his aura wasn't weak. The two exchanged another glance and decided to lower their stance.

"Do you have an admission letter?" one of the men asked.

Huang Ye took out the notice he received yesterday and handed it over.

Huang Ye? None of the major families had the surname Huang. He might be a relative of some family.

The two checked the notice and found it to be genuine.

"Alright, you can go in," the man returned the notice to Huang Ye.

"Brother, where do I report once I'm inside?"

"Normally, it's the Academic Affairs Office," he said, pointing to a three-story wooden building not far away.

"That's the Academic Affairs Office."

"Thank you!" Huang Ye cupped his hands in gratitude.

Just as he was about to enter the academy, he heard a voice calling from afar, "Young Master Huang, Young Master Huang!"

In a few leaps, the person arrived at the school gate.

Seeing the newcomer, the two men immediately bowed in respect.

The newcomer waved his hand.

"Young Master Huang, forgive me for being late in welcoming you."

The two men were startled, cold sweat breaking out on their backs.

Damn, who is this guy really, that even the head of the Academic Affairs Office calls himself a humble servant? Good thing we didn't make things difficult for him earlier.

At the same time, they worried for the students in the academy. This one is clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing.

With this outfit, he was bound to be bullied in school. Those school bullies would surely get a taste of their own medicine.

Huang Ye looked blankly at the middle-aged man. He couldn't discern his cultivation level.

The man's speed just now was impressive, not inferior to his own.

"May I ask, who are you?" Huang Ye scratched his head and asked.

"I am Zhou, the head of the Academic Affairs Office at the Silver Moon City Martial Arts Academy. The notice in your hand was issued by me."

"Greetings, Head Zhou!"

"Young Master Huang, please follow me inside. I'll explain the academy's situation to you, and then you can decide where to start your studies."

"That sounds good. I really don't know where to begin."

As they walked through the campus, Huang Ye learned about the various disciplines offered by the academy.

The academy primarily trained martial arts talents, but it also had some non-martial disciplines.

For example, mystical arts, mechanics and arithmetic, medical healing, military tactics, logistics, and supply.

Martial arts were divided into several sub-disciplines, such as internal skills, external skills, martial techniques, and hidden weapons.

Once inside, students could choose different disciplines or study multiple disciplines simultaneously.

After completing each discipline, they could participate in academy-organized assessments. Passing these assessments would earn them certificates.

With an academy certificate, they could hold positions in some public departments.

Of course, the final decision on positions still depended on one's cultivation level. These certificates mainly helped with non-martial disciplines.

Huang Ye also learned about the academy's accommodation and dining regulations.

It was a world driven by money; everything required silver taels.

His wallet was currently thin, so he needed to be frugal.

He finally settled on a four-person dormitory, decisively giving up on a two-person room.