Chapter 13: Arrival

"I pay my respects to Father and the Clan Elder," Wang Chang said, bowing respectfully to the two men before him.

Though he was the head of the clan, these two were his superiors: one was his father, and the other was the living foundation of the clan's strength. Even as patriarch, he was required to show them utmost deference.

"Chang'er, you are now the head of the clan. You should make your own decisions; why must you continue to disturb us two old men?" one of the elders said, a trace of annoyance in his voice.

The man was dressed in white robes. Despite his shock of white hair, he possessed a vigorous spirit. The only flaw was his left sleeve, which hung empty. That injury, sustained in a great battle many years ago, had forced him to retire while still in his prime, passing the mantle of power to his son.

"Father, a letter has arrived from Wang Tong," Wang Chang said, respectfully presenting the missive.

"A Celestial?" Even though the letter was long, the old man eventually finished reading it.

At the mention of the word "Celestial," the second elder, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A terrifying aura flickered briefly, as if it had never been there at all. Glancing through the letter with lightning speed, his eyes were filled with confusion and astonishment.

"The letter claims that this Celestial has been by Yu'er's side ever since he saved his life five years ago. What do you make of this, Chang'er?" the first elder asked, his thoughts unreadable.

"Father, do you recall when Yu'er stole the Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong five years ago?"

Upon hearing the name of the herb, both elders felt a twinge of pain. It was a clan treasure, a miraculous medicine capable of bringing the dead back to life and regrowing flesh on bones. Possessing it was like having an extra life, and there were no more than five such plants in the entire world. The one Wang Yu had stolen was the only one their clan possessed.

Suddenly, the second elder realized something, a flash of insight in his eyes. "Does the Patriarch mean that Yu'er stole the Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong to save this Celestial expert?"

"Indeed, that is my conclusion," Wang Chang replied slowly. "The man mentioned in Wang Tong's letter is the same one who arrived at my estate five years ago, after which Yu'er took him under his wing. It all adds up."

"If that is the case, if only Yu'er had explained himself back then, we would not have punished him so severely!" The old man's face was filled with joy. Precious as the Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong was, it was nothing compared to a Celestial-level expert. Moreover, according to the letter, this person seemed even stronger than he was. Since he himself was at the early stage of the Celestial realm, what, then, was this man's cultivation?

In the memories implanted by the system, it was because Wang Yu had stolen the clan's treasure that he was sent to the military camp at the age of ten. Later, only after Wang Yu demonstrated his talent, and Huangfu Yuwei sought a treasure from the royal family as compensation, did he regain the clan's favor and achieve his current status.

"However, even if Yu'er saved his life, a dignified Celestial expert has no reason to willingly debase himself as a subordinate," the first elder said with concern. According to the letter, this Celestial seemed to treat Wang Yu as his master. A Celestial, even out of gratitude for his life, would rarely go so far.

"It matters not. If a Celestial harbored ill intentions, there would be no reason to hide for five years. At the very least, this is a good thing for now," the second elder said, taking a broader view. Furthermore, with the power of the Eastern Commander's Mansion, they had no reason to fear a single Celestial. If the man truly had ulterior motives, the three hundred thousand troops of the Eastern Command were not to be trifled with.

"By the way, has the assassination attempt been investigated?" the first elder asked.

"Not yet. However, Father, this is news that has just arrived from the capital," Wang Chang said, producing another letter from his robe and handing it over.

"This matter is far from as simple as it appears. The waters here are likely very deep," the first elder said. As a former patriarch, he immediately sensed something amiss, sniffing out the scent of a conspiracy.

"Does Father mean that someone intends to use our Eastern Command as a tool..." Wang Chang grasped his father's implication immediately; he had harbored the same suspicion himself.

"Precisely!" the elder nodded. "But you need not worry about this now. Inform Yu'er of the news and let him handle the rest. A young man must experience some storms."

In the elder's mind, since Wang Yu had a Celestial-level expert protecting him, his life was not in danger. If he suffered some setbacks in the turbulence of the capital, it would not be a major issue; it might even be a good thing.

"Very well," Wang Chang agreed. As long as his son's safety was assured, he did not mind him gaining more experience. He sighed inwardly, regretting that for certain reasons, the truth of the past had never been made public—only those few involved knew. Otherwise, perhaps these current troubles would not exist.

...

Mid-August every year is the liveliest time in the capital of the Great Cang Dynasty. During this period, talented youths from all over the country arrive in the capital to participate in the entrance examinations for the Great Cang Academy.

Consequently, the capital becomes a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers gather, bustling with life. You might pass someone on the street who will one day become a pillar of the nation.

Although the academy officially opens on the first of September, students wishing to register must arrive by mid-August to undergo the subsequent testing process. As the sacred land that every young person in the Great Cang Dynasty—especially commoners and those from minor clans—dreams of entering, the entrance exams draw massive crowds every year. With so many talents, a selection process is inevitable.

Of course, given that eight or nine out of every ten candidates are commoners, the Great Cang Academy provides travel subsidies to those who fail the tests. This policy makes the academy even more attractive to young scholars, especially those from humble backgrounds. The more people who apply, the better the chance the academy has of selecting excellent talents and grooming them into pillars of the state.

Following the mid-August registration, the formal examinations for the applicants take place in late August. Admission depends entirely on passing these tests.

The tests of the Great Cang Academy are both difficult and simple. There are two tracks: literary and martial. Candidates choose one, and the top one thousand from each are admitted. Excluding special admissions, two thousand students are selected through this process each year.

Students who graduate from the Great Cang Academy after three years are granted significant advantages: those from the literary track bypass the local and provincial examination stages and enter the imperial examinations directly, while those from the martial track are commissioned immediately as junior officers in the military, avoiding the need to start as common soldiers. Those with exceptional results often start at even higher ranks.