People will inevitably have their moments of arrogance, their stretches of dominance, their flashes of brilliance, their periods of bloodlust, and their times of wild abandon. But none of it can last a lifetime. — Memoirs of Yang Yi

Completely unaware of the arrangements made by Nangong San and his two companions, Yang Yi was instead savoring the rare luxury of being back on campus after months away. He had no inkling that the curtain on a looming shadow had already been drawn, pointed directly at him.

"Stand up!" A sharp female voice suddenly pierced the classroom.

The students in the room promptly rose in unison, shouting back in chorus, "Good afternoon, Teacher!"

"Good afternoon, everyone!" A beautiful teacher entered, adjusted her glasses, placed her books down, and surveyed the entire class with a warm smile. She raised her hand slightly. "You may all sit down."

The students seemed remarkably obedient—a sight Yang Yi and his friends seldom witnessed back at No. 1 High School. Seeing it now, Yang Yi merely offered a faint smile and let it pass.

"Before we begin the lesson, I have something important to announce, and I sincerely hope every student will participate enthusiastically." This teacher was clearly the class advisor; only an advisor would be concerned with such prominent matters.

Hearing this, the students looked at the beautiful teacher with expressions of deep curiosity.

"Heh heh. You have all spent a semester here at Fudan University. At the start of the term, for reasons related to our school, the university military training couldn't proceed as scheduled. In fact, that delay was precisely for this very purpose," the beautiful teacher chuckled.

"Teacher, are we starting military training now?" A male student asked, looking quite puzzled.

It wasn't just him; the entire class, perhaps the entire student body, was confused. After all, every university conducted its military training at the beginning of the semester, yet Fudan University had somehow skipped it until now.

"Now, please let me finish," the beautiful teacher maintained her professional smile before continuing, "Due to arrangements from the Education Bureau and the strict requirements of the decennial military training exercise, your freshman year training has been significantly postponed. Furthermore, your cohort happens to coincide with this rigorous, once-in-a-decade military training date."

"Ah!!!" .....

A wave of repressed energy broke free, and students began to murmur and discuss amongst themselves.

"Quiet, quiet." The beautiful teacher called out twice. Satisfied that the students had calmed down, she nodded approvingly. "This military training will commence tomorrow. Officials from the Education Bureau and high-ranking military personnel from the Ministry of National Defense will be present to inspect. The inspection period is two days. Within those two days, the inspectors will select a group of high-achieving students from among us to undergo a month-long training program at our Huaxia National Defense Military Department."

"What?" This time, mere discussion was insufficient; every student present let out a collective roar upon hearing the teacher’s words.

Simultaneously, Fatty Lin and Yang Yi, standing nearby, both frowned, sensing that this matter was far from straightforward.

"Quiet, quiet."

The beautiful teacher’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing the students fall silent once more, she immediately stated, "This means that over the next two days, students who perform exceptionally well will receive training within the army and simultaneously be awarded an honorary title by the state. Of course, only those who persist until the very end will earn it. A training period spanning over a month and two extra days—I trust the students in our class won't be willing to fall behind the others, will you?"

"............" The students were struck dumb, clearly showing some measure of resistance toward this sudden military training mandate.

Yet, it couldn't be denied that some students reacted with fervor, standing up to shout, "Teacher, rest assured, we will not disappoint you! For the honor of our class, we will persevere to the end..."

Idiots. Fools. The only response Yang Yi and Fatty Lin had for the reactions of this group was this fleeting thought.

Fatty Lin shifted his seat, moving closer to Yang Yi, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yi, what do you make of this?"

"What else can I make of it? It's definitely not simple." Yang Yi narrowed his eyes, a look of unknowable significance filling them. In short, this guy was certainly not taking it at face value.

Indeed, considering all angles, the only possibility Yang Yi could entertain was that the shadowy figure who operated just beneath the surface, 'below one man, above ten thousand,' was pulling the strings. It was also possible that the Dragon Group had tipped someone off, and this 'someone' might have ties to the Nangong trio. It could even be people from the North, given their backgrounds as military district scions, using this training period as an opportunity to eliminate him, Yang Yi.

With this in mind, Yang Yi began to consider matters on a broader scale. It was hard to say. Ever since he unified the Southern underworld, one incident followed another: first, the issue with the Eight Great Families, followed by complications with the Huaxia government. These events were all converging while his Black God Gang had yet to fully consolidate control over the underworld forces outside the North.

The entire afternoon passed amidst the ongoing discussions of the student body throughout the school.

Meanwhile, atop the student dormitory building, Nangong San, Tang Shen, and Ximen Ling had gathered.

"Brother Nangong, you’ve heard about tomorrow’s military training, haven't you?" Ximen Ling inquired.

"I have," Nangong San mused. "This matter feels strange; it seems aimed directly at us."

"Yes, I find the timing particularly odd. Why choose precisely the moment he returns?" Tang Shen’s suspicion deepened.

"Brother Tang, are you suggesting this matter is related to him?" Nangong San asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"Isn't it obvious? How could such a coincidence exist in the world?"

"Mmm, I agree with Brother Tang. However, I am a bit confused. Isn't he a figure in the underworld? How could he possibly be connected to the government? That seems unlikely," Ximen Ling still felt something was amiss with the situation.

Nangong San walked to the railing and glanced down at the students milling about below. "Regardless of whether it's related to him or not, we must test things out with what's coming next. Brother Ximen, are you prepared?"

"Ready. Look, those ten people by the entrance—they are all A-rank killers. To cultivate such fighters in just a few months proves that method is indeed effective," Ximen Ling pointed towards ten cold-faced youths dressed in student attire guarding the door.

"Whether it’s effective or not remains to be seen. If we can’t even scratch him, then no matter how good the method is, it’s useless."

"Mmm..." Hearing Nangong San’s words, Tang Shen and Ximen Ling nodded in complete agreement.

It was evident that both Tang Shen and Ximen Ling were now wholeheartedly following Nangong San’s lead. The combined power of the three families was indeed a force not to be underestimated.

"They're coming out," Tang Shen spotted the target figures and immediately exclaimed.

The other two immediately looked over, saw Yang Yi, Fatty Lin, and Ye Xiaohou congregating, and their faces grew heavy. This initial probe was crucial for them.

"Boss, I just picked up some news from someone else," Ye Xiaohou said immediately after joining Yang Yi and Fatty Lin.

"Damn it, Fourth Brother, if you’re about to mention that military training thing, save it. Brother Yi and I still can’t figure out who orchestrated this mess," Fatty Lin cut in, sounding thoroughly displeased before Yang Yi could speak.

It was clear that the military training had agitated him—no, more accurately, extremely annoyed him. Furthermore, the situation was undeniably bizarre; whoever was behind it, they all desperately wanted to know if this training involved some underlying scheme.

"Hmph, can't you wait until someone finishes speaking before jumping in, Second Brother?" Ye Xiaohou shot back irritably. "Boss, those three guys are already making moves, though I don't know exactly when. I only managed to learn this much by using a few tricks."

"Heh heh. All of this was anticipated," Yang Yi replied, seemingly unconcerned by the matter. If anything, his worry was focused more keenly on the impending military training. "Since they are resorting to such extreme measures for my sake—trading their status as heirs for leadership of their clans, and gathering widespread influence within this school—it's obvious to anyone what’s happening. There’s nothing to hesitate about. Let's go!"

Meanwhile, in a car parked discreetly in a certain corner.

"Gene... " A middle-aged man started to say 'General,' but noticing the dissatisfaction on the 'General's' face, he immediately corrected himself, "Young Master, everything is arranged as per your order. I have notified the principal of Fudan University about the military training inspection starting tomorrow morning."

"Good. Make sure it's set up," the 'General'? No, more accurately, the young man in question—his gaze was fixed on the school grounds as soon as his aide confirmed the arrangements. A smile played on his lips, the kind that felt faintly ambiguous.

.........