"Brother Yi, what's your current cultivation level?" Fatty Lin asked Yang Yi, completely unfazed by Liu Qingqing's look of utter disbelief hanging beside him after he had learned everything from Yang Yi.

"Me?" Yang Yi took a sip of tea, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'm about the same as this girl right now!"

"Holy crap." Fatty Lin suddenly yelped, a strange mix of jealousy swirling within him, as he looked gloomily at Yang Yi. He declared, "Brother Yi, you're too lucky; you just gained sixty years of power out of nowhere!"

"Seriously," Ye Xiaohou chimed in with unconcealed envy, "but Boss certainly survived a great disaster to earn great fortune this time."

"Heh!" Yang Yi didn't say much, merely pursing his lips in a slight smile, letting it go. After all, some things were better left unsaid. Regardless, Yang Yi certainly wouldn't become complacent over the sixty years of power imparted by that cheap master of his.

It was then that Xu Ming turned to Yang Yi and asked, "Boss, which university are you planning to apply to?" This seemed to be the more pressing matter for him at the moment. He subconsciously glanced at Liu Qingqing, saw the flicker of panic in her eyes, and immediately averted his gaze.

It seemed everyone present could sense the unspoken connection between Xu Ming and Liu Qingqing. Yang Yi simply maintained that roguish smile, which had become his trademark. Perhaps he had learned from the great thief he admired, using his smile to mask all his true intentions, rendering himself inscrutable to everyone.

However, Ye Xiaohou seemed to want to break the sudden, slightly subdued atmosphere. He chuckled and said, "Yeah, Boss, hurry up and tell us! We haven't filled out our applications yet; we're waiting for your decision before we go back!"

"Heh, so if I don't come back, you guys plan on skipping university altogether?" Yang Yi shot him a look, half-exasperated.

"Uh, no, it's just... well, Boss, you are literally right here," Ye Xiaohou scratched his head sheepishly, laughing it off.

Seeing this, the others couldn't help but smile faintly, and the atmosphere eased somewhat. Only Murong Lianxue then poked her small, adorable head forward and asked Yang Yi, "Brother Yi, what is a university?"

"Uh!" Yang Yi was genuinely stumped by her question. He stroked her lovely hair with indulgent fondness. Everyone watching was utterly astonished, as this was the first time they had ever seen such a tender expression on Yang Yi's face.

"A university is a place for those who are already capable of living independently and wish to study; it's essentially the same as an academy."

"Oh, then, Brother Yi, can Lianxue also go to university?" Murong Lianxue was, after all, just a little girl. Having spent years by the side of that unscrupulous old man, she didn't quite grasp the concept of formal schooling. However, if the topic involved modern matters, she'd understand the word 'academy' perfectly. If she hadn't known, and the scoundrel was present, he'd surely be slamming his head against a wall.

Recalling the chaos of his own library and study, the fact that all he got from Murong Lianxue was "I don't know what an academy is," meant the old man would nearly self-destruct. That was precisely why, within the Xuanmen sect, everyone knew this little girl was a prodigy, privately nicknamed 'Ghost Genius' for her astonishing learning capacity.

"Yes, you can. In the future, Lianxue will go to school with Brother Yi!" Yang Yi smiled calmly. He already knew a great deal about her from the unscrupulous old man, so he stated it without reservation.

"Yay—!" Murong Lianxue leaped up excitedly, cheering aloud.

However, the others looked somewhat puzzled. Sending an eight-year-old girl to university sounded like a joke. Yang Yi glanced at them, knowing exactly what they were thinking. "Aren't you all curious about which university I plan to attend?"

"Yes!"

"The university I plan to apply to is Fudan University in Shanghai!"

"Shanghai Fudan?" Ye Xiaohou and Xu Ming exclaimed simultaneously!

"What? Is there a problem?" Yang Yi looked genuinely confused, wondering why their reactions were so intense. And it wasn't just Yang Yi who was puzzled; Feng Shi, Han Zhong, Li Qian, and Liu Qingqing beside them were also quite surprised.

"Boss, you’ve really decided on Fudan in Shanghai?" Xu Ming asked with seemingly serious intent.

"Yeah..." Yang Yi felt a mix of amusement and frustration. What was wrong with these two?

"Boss, be honest, your purpose for going to Fudan isn't just to attend university, is it?" Ye Xiaohou probed.

"Indeed, I have other objectives," Yang Yi replied with a faint smile. He continued, "Putting my motives aside for a moment, you two reacted so strongly when I mentioned going to the capital—what exactly are you hiding?"

"Well... actually, Boss, Third Brother's hometown is in Shanghai," Ye Xiaohou said, glancing at a slightly uneasy Xu Ming.

"Oh, isn't that perfect? Third Brother can go home for a visit then," Yang Yi said, his suspicion lingering.

"Yeah, Boss is right, haha," Xu Ming forced a smile, as if intentionally trying to appear relaxed.

Yang Yi frowned for a brief moment before the expression vanished. He didn't press the issue, as Xu Ming clearly didn't intend to explain why his reaction to Yang Yi attending Fudan was so extreme. For now, Yang Yi didn't want to push him.

And truly, Yang Yi’s move to Shanghai Fudan was driven by other goals. Shanghai wasn't just a bustling metropolis; it was the very origin point that drove Yang Yi mad with ambition. He knew that if he wanted to establish a firm foothold in the Huaxia underworld, he first had to conquer that territory, as it was geographically positioned advantageously close to both South and North China.

Yet, that wasn't his sole reason. He had heard that Fudan University in Shanghai consistently produced beauties generation after generation. Furthermore, it was considered the third most potentially significant university in Huaxia, after Tsinghua and Zhejiang University. Not only was it frequented by all sorts of enigmatic figures, but it was also a fascinating place because it happened to be the base of one of the Eight Great Families of Huaxia.

Sometimes, certain things simply couldn't be forced. Just like with a beautiful woman—if you wanted her to sleep with you, you first had to conquer her heart; otherwise, nothing doing. If you resorted to force, you would ultimately harm her and yourself, resulting in a potential charge of rape, wouldn't you?

He offered a faint smile to the group. "Alright, let's keep eating; the food is getting cold."

"Come on, let's have a toast! We're celebrating Brother Boss's return today!" Xu Ming raised his glass and shouted.

"Yeah, come on, cheers! Let's drink our fill today!" Fatty Lin stood up, raising his glass.

"Right, cheers!"

"Cheers!" The group enjoyed their meal, their faces full of smiles. However... at that very moment, an arrogant young man, dressed in designer clothes with a trendy hairstyle, strode into the hotel entrance, flanked by two subordinates. The moment he entered, he visibly froze, his eyes locking onto Yang Yi's table. His face instantly soured with displeasure, especially upon seeing Liu Qingqing laughing intimately with a certain man.

"Hey! Boss, isn't that Liu Qingqing?" a subordinate suddenly said to the arrogant youth.

"Yeah, Boss, didn't she say she was busy with studies and rejected your invitation? Why is she here with others now?" another subordinate asked the youth.

"Damn it, this slut dared to play me for a fool." The youth, named Wang Xiao'er, was a notorious young wastrel in the A City area, having long admired Liu Qingqing. Earlier that day, he had invited her to lunch, only to be turned down due to her supposed lack of time. Seeing her now, enjoying herself with others, a surge of anger immediately flashed through his mind.

"Boss, that slut clearly doesn't respect you. Should we teach her a lesson?" a nearby subordinate suggested, his expression gloomy.

"Hmph, call Qiang Zi and have him bring a few people over. Damn it, I won't be happy unless I teach that slut a lesson," Wang Xiao'er declared, a chilling glint in his eyes, his face full of resentment.

"Yes, Boss, I'll call Brother Qiang right now."

"Good. Let's go sit over there for a bit. Heh heh, let's enjoy the show later!" Wang Xiao'er finished with a sinister grin and led one subordinate toward an empty table. The other seemed to have stepped out to make the call.

"Hoo hoo!"

Murong Lianxue patted her small belly, looking thoroughly full, and announced, "I'm done eating."

"Heh heh, Lianxue, you aren't eating more?" Yang Yi seemed particularly fond of Murong Lianxue, which, as usual, made everyone at the table look on with surprise. Although they knew she was a master, they never realized Yang Yi treated her so much like his own sister.

"I'm not eating anymore, Brother Yi, you eat. I'm so full," Murong Lianxue replied.

It had to be said that, apart from Yang Yi, no one present could truly understand or fathom Murong Lianxue. From the first moment they saw her, she was formidable, even as a little girl daring to tell three Grandmaster-level experts that 'a single finger could wipe them out!' Yet, when nothing was happening, she exhibited the innocent charm expected of a normal little girl.

It was truly unbelievable!