It was evening, dinnertime.
A simple home-cooked meal was laid out on the table: braised pork, greens and tofu soup, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a plate of sweet-and-sour ribs that his mother, Wang Xiulan, had made especially for him.
Lin Ye picked up a rib and put it in his mouth. A rich aroma of vinegar and sugar filled his mouth.
Mmm, that was delicious.
He ate with his mind elsewhere.
The television was on in the living room, playing the news at low volume. Every so often, the background broadcast mentioned, "Great Xia's military is guarding the Astral Rifts along the border."
Lin Ye swallowed a mouthful of rice with his sweet-and-sour ribs.
A moment later, he put down his chopsticks and looked at his parents. After a few seconds of deliberation, he spoke.
"Dad, Mom, a teacher from Fenglei Martial University called me today."
Lin Jianguo paused with his chopsticks in hand. Wang Xiulan's hand also stiffened slightly as she lifted the soup. They both looked up at their son.
Having graduated from an ordinary high school, they didn't know much about the differences between Martial Universities. But they knew that if a teacher from one was calling, it had to be something important.
"They said they wanted to recruit me through a special admission program."
"Recruit you specially?"
Wang Xiulan froze for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Really? Oh, I knew our Xiao Ye would make something of himself! Where is Fenglei Martial University?"
Her first instinct was to think that her son being specially recruited had to be a good thing.
Beside her, Lin Jianguo smiled too, though his eyes held more questions. "Fenglei Martial University? What are the specific conditions? How does this special admission work?"
Lin Ye told his parents about the