Chapter 469 478: An Already Unfamiliar Back

Ye Tian had always assumed that the student body at the Imperial City Academy would be mostly male. After all, Luo Chen had made it clear that the academy's students were all meticulously groomed to become important figures in the Empire.

It stood to reason that waging war for the Empire or advising at the imperial court was a man's world. Such matters were hardly a woman's domain.

But when Ye Tian actually set foot in the Imperial City Academy, he discovered he was wrong. Dead wrong.

The so-called Military Cultivation Institute encompassed specializations that went far beyond what Luo Chen had described.

All the personnel for the Empire's administration, legal system, commerce, financial institutions, intelligence networks, assassination squads, and even its more covert forces were sourced from the Imperial City Academy!

Moreover, everyone who could study at the Imperial City Academy was either rich or noble. They either had ties to the Royal Family and Relatives or came from the Four Great Clans. At the very least, they were prodigies renowned throughout the Imperial City.

There were plenty of men among these talented students, but even more women!

This was especially true for the classes specializing in intelligence and assassination; women far outnumbered men, and stunning beauties were everywhere.

"Ye Tian, what are you looking at? Where are your eyes wandering? Do you have any idea how focused your expression is right now? Hmph! You're in the siege warfare and cavalry division. We're just passing through today, so staring won't do you any good!"

Zhang Xinlan shot Ye Tian a fierce glare. 'That womanizer! He's already surrounded by so many beautiful women, yet the moment he sees another pretty face, he gets all dazed. He's infuriating!'

At that moment, guided by Luo Chen and Lu Lingchen, Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan were walking past several classrooms on their way to the Military Cultivation Institute's renowned siege warfare division. But just halfway there, Zhang Xinlan's mood soured.

Seeing that Zhang Xinlan was jealous, Ye Tian couldn't help but cry foul. "What are you talking about? I'm not some fickle, indecisive playboy! I only glanced at those classrooms because I saw the back of someone very familiar flash past. I was just curious, that's all!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhang Xinlan said, her voice dripping with skepticism. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

'Just a quick glance and that many beauties were already batting their eyes at you,' she thought. 'If you walked by slowly, wouldn't they eat you alive?'

"Sigh... but it's the truth," Ye Tian tried to explain.

As Ye Tian explained, he was still wondering to himself, 'Did I see that correctly?' When they passed the intelligence division's classroom, he was sure he had seen Ye Shixue from behind!

Ye Tian wouldn't have been surprised to see Ye Shixue anywhere else, but her appearing at the Imperial City Academy baffled him.

He was certain he wasn't mistaken. Even though it was just her back, it was unmistakably Ye Shixue!

While Zhang Xinlan and Ye Tian were bickering, Lu Lingchen patiently continued explaining the basics. "The Imperial City Academy covers a vast area, roughly divided into three zones: the Military Cultivation Institute, the Civilian Cultivation Institute, and the Dining and Accommodation Area. The Dining and Accommodation Area is shared by all students, and you can freely choose your living arrangements. As long as you pay the academy enough Spirit Stones, you can pick any available pavilion or courtyard."

Ye Tian heard this and thought, 'They can do that? The Imperial City Academy actually charges for housing?'

Seeing Ye Tian's confusion, Lu Lingchen continued, "It's not just housing that costs money; meals do too. And the prices are several times higher than the top-tier restaurants in the outside world!"

"Why is that?"

Although Ye Tian was by no means short on cash, he found it very strange. 'Weren't they supposed to be meticulously grooming pillars of the state for the Empire's future? Why are they charging students instead of subsidizing them?'

Hearing Ye Tian's question, Lu Lingchen explained, "Nearly all the students at the Imperial City Academy are either rich or noble. If the academy were to collect even just utility fees from everyone, it would amount to a substantial annual income. Of course, while the food and lodging are expensive, the price is justified!"

After Lu Lingchen's further explanation, Ye Tian gradually began to understand.

It turned out the residences in the academy were no ordinary dwellings. Depending on the tier of the pavilion, courtyard, or estate, the Spirit Gathering Array set up within varied in strength. The more powerful the Spirit Gathering Array, the more beneficial it was for closed-door cultivation.

Likewise, the food was far from ordinary. The various dishes, from vegetables to meat, were all special. The ingredients included Spirit Medicines that were at least a hundred years old, and the meat came from the choicest cuts of Tier Four or higher Demon Beasts. How could such accommodations be cheap? If the Empire had to foot the bill, the academy would likely go bankrupt in two years.

In any case, the various Royal Family and Relatives and Noble Disciples weren't short on money. Since that was the case, they might as well pay for it themselves!

However, there was one rather excellent imperial policy: exceptionally talented students could have all their fees waived and would enjoy the highest level of treatment. There was only one such slot for each new class of students!

Typically, each new class would fight tooth and nail for this single slot. The competition included not only elites transferring from other Advanced Level academies but also the Noble Disciples of the Imperial City.

Of course, what they were after wasn't the waiver of some paltry fees, but the glory!

It went without saying that whoever won this slot was the strongest among the new students and the prospect the Empire valued most for the future. Upon graduation, they might even get to skip many of the tedious trials and be granted a title and an official position directly!

"I heard from Princess Yaqi that you two are the strongest contenders among this year's new students," Lu Lingchen said. "But I'm not so sure. Although you've both been hiding your strength and seem quite powerful, I've heard that the transfer students from the other academies are equally terrifying. And they have the same kind of aura as you..."

Lu Lingchen's words put Ye Tian on high alert. 'New students transferred from other academies? Terrifyingly strong? An aura like mine?'

"Instructor Lu, what exactly do you mean by that 'aura'?" Ye Tian asked tentatively.

"I'm referring to a mysterious and unfathomable air, an immeasurable strength. And in your eyes, there's an arrogant, kingly bearing. Whether you're looking at princes and nobles or the Royal Family and Relatives, you see them as no different from household servants and guards. Yes, just like the way this young lady here looks at me is no different from how she looks at everyone else in the academy. To put it in a word: contempt!"

Lu Lingchen said this matter-of-factly, a smile in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Xinlan.

Luo Chen, who was standing to the side, had the exact same expression, though he let out a soft sigh when Lu Lingchen said the word "contempt."

Zhang Xinlan wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what Lu Lingchen meant. 'He's saying I'm arrogant, that I look down on everyone with indifference.' In other words, her birth was so noble, far more distinguished than the so-called Royal Family and Relatives, that she subconsciously looked at people that way.

And now...

...a sudden realization struck Zhang Xinlan. She immediately sent a mental message to Ye Tian: "I didn't expect the people from the other Holy Lands to move so fast. I anticipated they would come, but we were still a step too slow. Ye Tian, you need to be careful. You should understand the meaning behind Lu Lingchen's words!"