The morning lesson had ended. Lin Hao was preparing to excuse himself when Master Yuan raised a hand, stopping him.
"Lin Hao," the old man said calmly, "there's something else we should discuss."
Lin Hao turned, sensing a shift in tone. "Yes, Master?"
"You're currently enrolled in a standard education track, correct? Primary school, government curriculum."
He nodded.
Master Yuan folded his arms behind his back and looked out the wide window toward the distant skyline. "Most children take the same path. School until eighteen. Then they test into either the First Civil University or the National Military Academy—if they're lucky. That path… is stable, respectable. But it is slow."
Lin Hao listened, attentive.
"The real talents," Yuan continued, "the ones from strong lineages, don't waste time in public schools. They cultivate from an early age. Their education is handled privately—tutors, scholars, focused study. By the time they reach university, they're already years ahead in strength and knowledge. They don't follow the system. They dominate it."
He turned his gaze back to Lin Hao.
"You have awakened a dual-gold potential. Your path should not mimic that of a common student."
Lin Hao was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "Are you suggesting I stop going to school?"
"I'm suggesting you stop following a path designed for the average," Yuan replied. "My family follows the military route. Qingyue's father is a senior commander. If you commit, we can provide private academic instruction tailored for cultivators. Your focus would shift to strength, strategy, and advanced knowledge. No wasted time."
Lin Hao looked down, thinking.
It made sense.
In his past life, most of the elites he encountered had backgrounds like this. Those who followed the standard path never caught up. And the cost of being weak was something he understood better than anyone.
"I'll speak with my family," he said.
Master Yuan nodded. "Do that."
—
That evening, after training and his medicine bath, Lin Hao sat down at the dinner table with his parents.
His mother served soup. His father was drying sweat from his forehead, having just finished his own bath.
"I want to change how I study," Lin Hao said.
They both looked at him.
"I spoke with Master Yuan today. He said that for someone like me, following the normal education track will only hold me back. He offered to arrange private instruction focused on cultivation, and academic tutoring as well."
His father leaned back slightly. "You're talking about leaving school?"
Lin Hao nodded. "Yes."
His mother hesitated. "Is that really what you want?"
He looked them both in the eyes. "It's not about what I want. It's what I need. I'm not like the other kids anymore. And if I'm going to stand at the top someday… I can't afford to waste time."
His father set down his bowl and looked at his wife. Then he turned to Lin Hao.
"If Master Yuan believes this is right for you, then we trust him. He's done more for you than we ever imagined. And we've already seen what this world is like, Hao'er."
His voice tightened.
"If you're strong, you survive. If you're not, you get left behind."
His mother wiped her hands on her apron and nodded. "Then we'll support this path. We'll do whatever we can."
Lin Hao bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."
As they continued dinner, the house remained quiet for a while. But something in the air had shifted.
This was no longer just a change in schedule.
It was a shift in direction—one that would change everything that followed.