The shock of elders Qian and Bai: offering to take a disciple before the Library Pavilion, An Yi calmly declines

"Ahem." Hu Gan rose, breaking the awkward silence. "All right, since everyone is here, let's go."

With that, he turned and walked slowly toward the bookshelf behind him.

Amid a faint clicking of mechanisms, the smooth wall slowly slid apart, revealing a deep, pitch-black underground passage.

"Follow me." Hu Gan led the way inside.

The passage was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the Moonlight Stone embedded in the walls on either side.

As he led them onward, Hu Gan warned without looking back, "You're about to enter the Inner Academy. As fellow new students entering together, I hope you can get along a little better."

"The Inner Academy is different from the Outer Academy. The environment there is harsher, and the competition is fiercer. Every year, new students who don't know to huddle together for warmth end up in a miserable state."

"The rules of the Inner Academy are simple: strength reigns supreme. No connections count for anything there, including your connection to me, the Vice Dean."

Walking behind him, Hu Jia curled her lips dismissively.

Of course she knew her grandfather's words were largely meant for her. After all, she had grown up wearing the title of the Vice Dean's granddaughter and had run rampant through the Outer Academy.

Hu Gan ignored his granddaughter's reaction and turned his head slightly toward An Yi, who was walking in the middle. "Nangong Yi, if possible, I hope you'll look after them once you enter the Inner Academy."

An Yi nodded casually, his tone relaxed. "Of course. No trouble at all."

Only after An Yi agreed did Hu Gan breathe a sigh of relief. He turned and glared at Hu Jia, his tone stern. "Did you hear that? Once you enter the Inner Academy, put away that spoiled young