11 Chapter 11.

Inside the main hall of the Winged Dragon family, Ye Han sat opposite the patriarch.

A small smile graced his face, though the same couldn't be said for the others present in the hall.

"I am waiting for you to speak, Patriarch Xiao," Ye Han prompted. "And it's already evening."

After spending nearly an hour answering questions from students and having lunch with his two heiresses, Ye Han arrived at the main hall.

"We have decided to exile him from the family, Young Master Ye," Yunfeng replied, casting an apologetic glance at his brother.

"Then what are you waiting for? Just throw him out already," Ye Han said with a smile.

Yunfeng nodded in agreement and signalled for the elders to remove his brother.

"Do you all dare?" Xiao Yi stood up angrily, revealing his peak Silver rank cultivation base. "Elder brother, I didn't expect you to be such a fool. Do you think he will stop nagging you now? No, he won't."

"Just get out of here already," Yunfeng angrily ordered, not wanting to witness his brother's demise due to arrogance.

"I will take my revenge for this humiliation," Yi declared as he stormed out of the main hall.

"They were right. I should have joined them at that time," Xiao Yi lamented.

"Please don't mind his words, Young Master Ye," Yunfeng hurriedly said. "He is just angry and will soon realise his mistake."

"Don't worry, I don't mind his words at all," Ye Han reassured him with a chuckle, easing Yunfeng's concerns.

"Young Master Ye, let's leave this topic for now," Yunfeng suggested with a smile. "I wish to know about my daughter."

"I have decided to accept her as my student. She has the potential to reach the highest realm alongside me," Ye Han announced, his smile widening.

"I see..." Yunfeng was pleased to hear the news. "So it's only a master-disciple relationship at this moment."

"Do you perhaps wish for your daughter to be betrothed to me?" Ye Han asked, surprised by the suggestion.

"If she agrees to it, I am more than willing for her to marry you, Young Master Ye," Yunfeng replied honestly. "Only a fool wouldn't consider you the best partner for his daughter."

Ye Han laughed heartily at his words. "Let nature take its course, Patriarch Xiao. If she were to know that you are trying to betroth her again, she might run away from your family."

"Yeah..." Yunfeng awkwardly chuckled.

"Anyway, I will head back now," Ye Han said, standing up from his seat. "It was nice to talk and clear misunderstandings between us, Patriarch Xiao."

"I feel the same, Young Master Ye," Yunfeng replied with a smile.

As Ye Han prepared to leave, he took out various pills and handed them to Yunfeng.

"I will take care of your daughter, Patriarch Xiao. You shouldn't worry about her anymore," he assured him before exiting the main hall.

Observing the assortment of pills in his hands, Yunfeng sat back in shock, while the elders eagerly examined them.

"These pills are more effective than those in the market, Patriarch," one elder remarked, smiling.

"I think Young Master Ye agrees with your assessment," another elder added, sharing in the excitement.

"With these pills alone, we can solidify our position as a noble family and even claim the title of the strongest noble family," a third elder exclaimed enthusiastically.

Lost in thought, Yunfeng wore a smile on his face, contemplating the promising future ahead.

As Ye Han left the main hall, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation of their bright future.

Ye Han, however, chose not to return to the academy. Instead, he headed east, toward the outskirts of Glory City, where he had arranged to meet someone.

Upon reaching the eastern border, he spotted two familiar faces, although one of them appeared to be in distress.

"You're running behind schedule, Han," remarked the elder with white hair, his tone stern.

"I got caught up speaking with Patriarch Xiao, Elder Shuo," Ye Han responded with a smile as he landed nearby. "Thank you for waiting."

Elder Shuo, the fourth strongest in the Ye family, oversaw matters of assassination, intelligence gathering, and other affairs.

"It was no trouble," Ye Shuo replied, shaking his head. He then turned his attention to the injured man lying nearby, crying out in pain. "What shall we do with him? I've already rendered his dantian useless."

"Nothing," Ye Han said calmly. "Just dispose of him in the Infinite Forest. The inhabitants there will likely appreciate his company."

"They'll dispatch him in the most brutal manner imaginable," Ye Shuo murmured with pity, but he complied with the order nonetheless.

Merging with his demon beast spirit, the Wind Flamingo Eagle, he took to the sky, clutching the man in his talons. With a swift motion, he hurled the man into the forest before swiftly retreating. Flying over such a dangerous area was out of the question.

"Thank you for your assistance, Elder Shuo," Ye Han said politely.

"No need for thanks, Han," Ye Shuo replied with a chuckle. "Especially after you helped me advance in my cultivation."

Ye Han chuckled in response, watching Ye Shuo vanish into the distance with remarkable speed.

"Just a few more days..." Ye Han murmured with a smile, gazing at the Infinite Forest before him.

With that thought in mind, he soared into the sky, making his way to the Holy Orchid Institute. Since his two little sisters were going to reside there, he needed to ensure everything was in order.

Upon arrival, instead of heading to the dormitories, he made his way to the training grounds, sensing their presence there.

Under a tree, he found the pair engrossed in their cultivation, oblivious to his arrival. Familiar presences dotted the training grounds, but they kept their distance.

"It seems they're keen on avoiding my wrath," Ye Han remarked with a chuckle, recalling the reprimand he had delivered to some students earlier.

Shaking his head, he erected protective inscriptions around them, shielding them from outside interference and enhancing their cultivation environment.

Satisfied, he surveyed the area once more before taking flight toward the city lord's mansion.

"The inscriptions will deactivate once they step beyond the boundaries, preventing exploitation by others," Ye Han muttered as he flew.

With some time to spare, he decided to dine with his family before perusing the inscription book that Elder Ye Ming had brought back—a tome discovered on the corpse of a legendary expert, believed to hold invaluable knowledge.

Arriving at the dining room, he found his family already assembled.

"How was teaching today?" Ye Zong inquired.

"Decent," Ye Han replied, taking his seat. "Though some of them are a bit dense."

"They'll catch on soon. Be patient," Ye Zong advised with a chuckle. "I recall you being no different at their age."

"I beg to differ," Ye Han retorted playfully. "Don't exaggerate, father." Their banter elicited laughter from the others.

"Must you two bicker like children?" Xue Xin interjected, exasperated. "Let's enjoy dinner in peace, shall we?"

"Agreed."

The father and son ceased their playful exchange, focusing on their meal, much to the amusement of the others.

After dinner, Ye Han inquired about the inscription book, learning it was in his father's office.

"Are you planning to study it?" Ye Xiu asked curiously as they made their way to the office.

"I intend to," Ye Han affirmed.

"Even your aunt couldn't decipher a single page," Ye Zong cautioned gravely. "It just proves how complex that single inscription is."

His aunt, an Inscription master, had struggled with its contents, indicating its formidable nature.

"I'll manage," Ye Han replied confidently.

With the book in hand, he retreated to his quarters to start learning it.

"There were two main reasons why his aunt couldn't decipher even a single page of it.

The inscription book was written in a language that no one knows anymore, and the second reason was that his aunt's knowledge wasn't advanced enough.

At best, she was an advanced-level inscriptionist. However, since there weren't any other inscription masters in Glory City, and most of the knowledge was lost during the Age of Darkness, Glory City considered her a master inscriptionist.

"The same thing happened with those senior alchemist masters."

They too weren't master level, but for the same reasons, they too were appointed as Senior Alchemy Masters.

"I will need to take care of it as well..." Ye Han mumbled as he opened the first page, ready to delve into the intricacies of the inscription.

~~~~~~~~

"At precisely 8 o'clock in the morning, the students hurriedly gathered in the classroom, eager to avoid any potential reprimands.

The previous night, the principal had ordered a rearrangement of the desks, resulting in everyone sitting alongside their group members. Many childhood friends found themselves separated, a source of melancholy for them.

At the front desk, the two heiresses sat together, and beside them was Du Ze, unwittingly one of the most disliked students in the institute, solely because of his proximity to the two goddesses of the institute.

"What are you jotting down, Du Ze?" Yizun, seated beside him, inquired with curiosity.

"I'm noting down the key details from yesterday's class with Teacher Ye," Du Ze replied without lifting his head.

"Why though? Are you afraid of forgetting them?" Ning'er asked, puzzled.

"Well, yeah..." Du Ze admitted, feeling a bit sheepish. "I've never been good at remembering things since childhood."

His confession elicited laughter from the girls, adding to his embarrassment.

"If I may ask, what rank are you currently at?" Du Ze lifted his head and queried.

As they were destined to be group mates for the next three years, he wanted to gauge where he stood compared to them.

The girls exchanged glances and came to a quick decision.

"Since you'll be our group mate for the next three years, we'll tell you," Yizun said solemnly. "But promise not to tell anyone else, okay?"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," Du Ze affirmed with a serious expression. "I promise."

"We're both at Legend rank," Ning'er stated seriously, prompting Du Ze's surprise.

"I see... Legend rank... Wait, what?!" Du Ze's shock turned to realisation as he caught on to their jest.

"You trust people's words too easily," Ziyun teased, still giggling. "Anyway, I'm currently at 4-Star Silver rank."

"And I'm at 5-Star Silver rank," Ning'er added, a smile lingering on her lips.

"Wow..." Du Ze marvelled, finally understanding the concept of being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth.

He felt no envy towards them; that wasn't in his nature. Instead, he admired the two heiresses, who, despite being the same age as him, had achieved such impressive ranks.

"Don't lose heart. With us now, I'm sure my elder brother will help you too," Yizun said reassuringly.

"Yeah, he helped us as well," Ning'er affirmed, echoing her friend's sentiment.

"I hope so..." Du Ze murmured, feeling a flicker of excitement at the prospect of growing stronger and improving his family's circumstances.

The door swung open, and Ye Han entered with a smile on his lips.

"Good morning, students. How is everyone?" Ye Han greeted warmly before taking his seat.

"Good morning, Teacher Ye," the students chorused in response.

Ye Han nodded and scanned the classroom with a smile.

"It looks like everyone is here," he remarked with a smile.

Suddenly, a student raised his hand, catching everyone's attention.

"Teacher Ye, when are we going to start cultivating?" the brown-haired student asked eagerly.

His question sparked curiosity and excitement among the students, who turned their attention to Ye Han.

"It's only the second day of class, and you're already eager to start cultivating?" Ye Han looked at him in surprise. "Don't you want to learn the basics first?"

"My friend's teacher is starting cultivation lessons today," the brown-haired student explained. "I don't want to fall behind."

"I see…" Ye Han nodded thoughtfully. "I had planned to introduce cultivation after two weeks, but if you're all eager, I'll start with you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Teacher Ye!" the brown-haired student exclaimed excitedly, though not all students shared his enthusiasm.

"Anyone else interested in starting cultivation tomorrow?" Ye Han glanced around, noticing jealous expressions on some faces. "You're welcome to skip class to focus on becoming stronger."

Several hands shot up eagerly, excitement evident on their faces.

"Is there anyone else who wants to join them?" Ye Han asked, addressing the remaining students. "Du Ze, what about you? Don't you want to become stronger?"

Suddenly put in the spotlight, Du Ze stood up hastily.

"I-I'd like to learn the basics first," Du Ze replied quickly. "I believe it will be beneficial in the long run."

Ye Han nodded at him and gestured for him to sit down before addressing the standing students.

"You may leave my classroom now," Ye Han said politely. "But I hope you won't disrupt us in the future, or else I'll have to consider expelling you."

For a moment, confusion hung in the air, but as understanding dawned, panic set in among the students.

"We don't want to leave your class, Teacher Ye!"

"We just want to learn cultivation!"

"I'm sorry, Teacher Ye!"

With a firm stance, Ye Han addressed the remaining students, his tone unwavering despite the palpable tension in the air.

"I don't want students who can't maintain their composure in front of temptations and aren't willing to start from scratch," he declared before making his way to the front of the classroom.

His words hung heavy in the air, leaving the remaining students with a mixture of relief and apprehension. They exchanged glances, silently acknowledging their shared gratitude for not succumbing to the temptation of immediate advancement.

As Ye Han approached the board, a sense of anticipation filled the room. The students knew that despite the initial setback, there was much to be gained from the lessons that lay ahead.