Is it really necessary to be like this? Senior Sullivan secretly complained to herself, watching this junior count out silver dollars from his satchel one by one. She even felt the urge to help him pay the tuition in advance. However... this was their first meeting, and if she did that, it would be far too forward.

William Thompson was actually doing it on purpose. With a face that everyone found charming and a strong, upright build, he had attracted plenty of unwanted attention since childhood. He needed to put an end to some girls’ fantasies.

—I came to the Xuanqing Plane to look for Yvonne.

After paying the tuition, he went to the dormitory office to pay the accommodation fee. The accommodation here was also quite expensive—five hundred coins a month, which added up to another five silver dollars a year.

Here, attending the main academy was truly costly. Many students really couldn’t afford it because the fees were so high.

William Thompson received his dormitory number plate, and Senior Sullivan led him to the dormitory for external students. After thinking for a moment, she ultimately didn’t go in. “Mm, you go in and get settled first. If you don’t know where the cafeteria is, I’ll wait for you here.”

Is she inviting me to a meal? William Thompson thought about it, but in the end, he just smiled and shook his head. “You’ve already helped me enough, senior.”

“Well... see you later, then.” Senior Sullivan hesitated for a moment, then turned and left. After walking about seven or eight zhang, she looked back once.

Seeing that sturdy figure already entering the dormitory area, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and she quickly walked away.

William Thompson’s place was in Gengzi Building, a three-story building with rooms on one side and a corridor on the other.

He arrived at room 303 and found that two other students had already moved in. One of them had even brought a servant, who was helping to make the bed and arrange the furniture.

The room was actually not small. Four beds for four students, with plenty of open space left. The furniture this classmate brought was actually a three-door wardrobe.

This student had arrived early and already claimed the bed by the window, but he also wanted to place the wardrobe next to it, which would inevitably block part of the window.

Chapter Two: The Legendary Tuition Waiver

William Thompson wasn’t a meddlesome person, but seeing this, he couldn’t help but say, “Hey, this wardrobe is too wide—it’s blocking everyone’s light.”

That classmate was quite tall, with delicate skin, a hooked nose, and thin lips—his face gave off a mean impression. Hearing this, he turned to look and saw that the speaker was a rather disheveled student, so a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes. “My bed is here.”

He only said those five words, offering no further explanation. But not explaining was, in itself, a kind of arrogance.

William Thompson intended to stay here for at least three years, so he was willing to get along with his roommates. But since the other party had this attitude, he couldn’t be bothered to say more.

The other classmate, however, greeted him with a friendly smile. “Hello, I’m Gavin Howard, from Jingjiang Prefecture.”

“Gavin Howard, I know you,” William Thompson nodded. He was also from Jingjiang Prefecture. “From the Prefecture City’s High Cultivation First Academy. I’m William Thompson, from the Tong High Cultivation Academy.”

“So it’s you!” Gavin Howard nodded. William Thompson had ranked first in Jingjiang Prefecture in this year’s entrance exam, but since the capital’s main academy was already full, he came to the Boling Main Academy. Everyone said he was an orphan; otherwise, his spot wouldn’t have been taken by someone else.

As they were talking, four more people entered from outside. Leading them was a burly woman, and behind her was someone even more burly—in fact, downright fat.

This guy was nearly six chi tall, and his waist seemed just as wide—extremely large, a body type rarely seen among cultivators.

“Fellow students,” he cupped his hands and spoke gently, “I am Ethan Shaw.”

Ethan Shaw was quite an interesting character—not only unusually fat, but also the only one among the roommates who was brought by family. The burly woman was his mother.

For students at the main academy, getting in was a big deal, but since there was no one-child policy here, almost every family had more than one child, so few parents came to see them off.

Ethan Shaw arrived late, so naturally, like William Thompson, he chose the bed by the door—actually, there was no other choice left. He glanced at the wardrobe being installed by the window, paused for a moment, then looked away.

Ethan Shaw’s mother was the only parent among the four students, and she showed the bearing of a parent. Smiling, she said, “You’ll be roommates for at least three years. Let’s have dinner together tonight—my treat, you outstanding young men.”

Everyone politely declined, except for the guy installing the wardrobe, who arrogantly said, “No need. My family’s from Qihuan City—I’ll eat at home.”

The seat of Boling County was in Qihuan City, and the Boling Main Academy was also located in the suburbs of Qihuan City. So this guy was a local.

Since it was local arrogance, Ethan Shaw’s mother didn’t invite him again, but instead invited the other two students from Jingjiang Prefecture.

Just then, two security guards in uniform appeared at the door. “Which one of you is William Thompson?”

The others in the room exchanged glances, all with a strange look.

So this new student, not only disheveled, but just after entering the academy, already had security looking for him.

Of course, they were here to investigate the jumping incident. For a new student to jump from a building right as the term began was a very serious matter.