The old gentleman was somewhat thin and slightly hunched, which made him look even more stooped when sitting. His hair was already gray and white, and a tuft of goatee hung from his chin. He squinted his eyes to size up William Carter, and spoke in a rather sharp voice: “The morning bell has been ringing for so long—why are you only now arriving at the lecture hall entrance? And judging by your attire, you don’t seem to be a student of the academy. What are you doing here?”

“This old man doesn’t look easy to deal with,” William Carter thought to himself. He glanced at Emily Bennett, who was sitting in the very front row, her face full of schadenfreude, but she quickly wiped the smile from her face. Bowing respectfully to the hunchbacked gentleman, William Carter performed the disciple’s salute and said, “This is my first day attending class, and I did not know where the Autumn Hall was, so I was late. I hope you will forgive me, sir. From today onward, I will officially be studying at the academy, and this has already been approved by Dean Bennett.”

“So you are the William Carter the dean mentioned?” the hunchbacked gentleman asked, his expression growing even darker.

“Yes, sir,” William Carter nodded, his heart sinking slightly. Judging by the old man’s expression, it was clear he didn’t think much of him. But he had never met this old man before, so it couldn’t be that he had offended him personally. The problem most likely lay with Charles Bennett; it seemed he was suffering misfortune for no reason.

Sure enough, after seeing William Carter nod, the hunchbacked old man sneered and said, “Even if you were recommended by the dean, your untidy dress shows disrespect for your teachers and a lack of proper manners. You cannot enter the lecture hall, much less attend my class.”

As soon as the hunchbacked old man said this, a small commotion broke out in the lecture hall. This was essentially an order for William Carter to leave, and also a veiled rejection of the dean’s decision.

Some students looked at William Carter’s half-worn Daoist robe with disdain, and one even said, “You don’t even have the academy uniform. You’re not a real student here.”

Of course, most students, not knowing the full story, simply watched curiously, as it was rare to see such a scene in the hunchbacked gentleman’s class. After all, Dean Bennett held a lofty position in the hearts of the academy’s students, and anyone he recommended shouldn’t be so unworthy. However, the incident of William Carter teasing Emily Bennett that morning had already spread, so naturally, people’s impression of William Carter wasn’t very good.

Originally, Emily Bennett should have been happy to see William Carter embarrassed, but at this moment, she put away her smile and gently shook her head at him.

William Carter glanced at the student who had spoken—a burly, rough-looking fellow who didn’t seem too bright—and simply ignored him. He also noticed Emily Bennett shaking her head at him, which confirmed that there was indeed some friction between the hunchbacked old man and Mr. Bennett.

Since he had come to the academy today, he couldn’t just let himself be driven out like this. He himself didn’t mind, as he had a thick skin, but it was clear the hunchbacked old man was using him to provoke Mr. Bennett. He couldn’t just leave in disgrace, as that would be a loss of face for Mr. Bennett.

“It’s not that I’m looking for trouble; trouble has found me. The teacher can’t blame me for this,” William Carter thought, already having made up his mind.

William Carter straightened up and said with a smile, “Sir, I must respectfully disagree. Though my clothes are old, I wash them often, and they are clean and tidy. How can you say I am sloppily dressed?”

All the students in the hall looked at William Carter’s clothes. His half-worn Daoist robe was faded from washing, and aside from a few patches, it was hardly even wrinkled. They couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Before the hunchbacked gentleman could reply, William Carter continued, “Furthermore, I greeted you respectfully when I saw you, and though I was late, I explained the reason. How can you say I am disrespectful to my teacher?”

“The ancients said: ‘Loyalty and trustworthiness are the foundation of propriety; righteousness and principle are its form.’ Only with righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness can one truly understand propriety. If you judge whether someone knows propriety based on a single garment, aren’t you confusing the essence and the form of propriety? Is this the propriety you teach, sir?”

“May I ask, sir, is there a rule in the academy that those without the academy uniform may not enter the lecture hall? If there is, I will leave the academy myself and would not dare trouble you further.”

This string of questions from William Carter immediately quieted the previously noisy lecture hall. The students who had been waiting to see William Carter flee in disgrace were stunned, unable to process what had just happened. The burly student who had spoken earlier blushed, opened his mouth, but couldn’t say a word, and sat down in defeat.

Meanwhile, the chubby student who had secretly given William Carter a thumbs-up at the academy gate was now sitting at the very back of the lecture hall, his eyes shining with admiration for William Carter.

Emily Bennett saw William Carter’s serious expression, but the corners of his mouth were curled in a smug, mischievous smile. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Watching the hunchbacked old man’s hand tremble with anger, her delicate brows arched as she struggled to suppress her laughter.

Chapter Four: The Cold-Faced Scholar and the Smiling Tiger

Who was this hunchbacked gentleman? He was none other than the academy’s chief instructor of propriety, David Harris, who had taught at the academy for decades and had countless students, many of whom now held official positions in the court.

Even the officials of Shuzhou City would treat him with respect when they saw him. Yet today, he had been so questioned and ridiculed by William Carter in front of all the students, and naturally, he was furious.

Originally, he had wanted to humiliate William Carter to annoy Charles Bennett, but he hadn’t expected to be outwitted by this shabby-looking young Daoist who had never spent a day at the academy.