Chapter 63

Chapter 63: New Enrollment Rules

“What if you don’t have fertility?”

Su Yan had tested before. The fertility stone hadn’t reacted at all.

“A female with no fertility?” The shopkeeper looked genuinely stunned, as if he’d heard someone claim the sun had stopped rising. “That’s… rare.”

Su Yan nodded. “Will the academy still accept me?”

The shopkeeper leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was sharing something worth money. “This year there are new rules. For females entering the Divine Beast Academy, they look at two things: fertility and talent. If you have no fertility, or your fertility is below upper-middle grade, and you still want to enter, then it depends on how strong your talent is.”

“Understood.” Su Yan’s fingers tightened around the cup. “Thank you.”

She walked away with the drinks, thoughts churning.

Looks like the Beast Emperor had even changed the rules for the Little Princess.

Behind her, the shopkeeper called cheerfully, “Come again!”

…

Bai Kai Xin spotted her from the line and waved hard. “Sister Su! Over here!”

Su Yan stepped in beside him. “Tea or juice—what do you want?”

“Tea.”

He shifted to make space, anchoring her spot in the queue like it mattered more than his own.

The moment Su Yan joined, the males around them stirred. Curious glances slid over her like warm hands. The sweet, tempting aura around her made their minds drift toward the same crude, predictable thought.

Su Yan ignored them, sipping her juice. “I have to take a fertility test first.”

At the words fertility test, the nearby males went visibly alert, ears practically pricked, as if they expected a spectacle.

Bai Kai Xin leaned closer, trying to reassure her. “Sister Su, don’t worry. Fertility or not, it’s fine. We’re relying on talent and abilities.”

“Mm.”

Su Yan nodded, then remembered the talent scroll she hadn’t used yet. She spoke to Little Mei through the system.

[I want to raise my talent—the Yellow Rank fire-type scroll.]

[Understood, Host. Upgrade complete.]

Su Yan reached into her satchel, pulled out two strips of jerky, and handed one to Bai Kai Xin to pass the time.

He took a bite, eyes lighting up. “Sister Su, you made this?”

“I wanted to practice my abilities, so I grilled some jerky.” She watched his expression. “How is it?”

“Good. We could sell this at the inn.”

The word sell made Bai Kai Xin look like he’d just found a treasure map.

Su Yan smiled faintly. “I still have plenty.”

A luxurious carriage pulled by four unicorn white-horse beasts rolled to a stop near the academy gates.

Su Yan’s eyes drifted over, drawn by the elegant curve of their necks and the way their white coats caught the light. “Those are beautiful.”

“Beautiful and absurdly expensive,” Bai Kai Xin said, clicking his tongue. “One is worth a hundred mid-grade crystal coins.”

“Find me two later,” Su Yan said casually.

Bai Kai Xin nearly choked. “Sister Su—”

“They’re pretty,” Su Yan said, as if that settled everything. “And I have crystal coins.”

A male standing ahead of them turned, eyeing Bai Kai Xin with open disdain. “As a male, your job is to satisfy a female’s every need. How can you call it expensive?”

Bai Kai Xin’s face went blank.

He wanted to shout, She’s my Boss! I’m trying to save my Boss money!

Instead, he swallowed it and endured.

Su Yan laughed softly. “Well said. What’s your name, classmate? And what’s your talent?”

The male straightened, pleased with himself. “Cui Zi Yi. Yellow Rank, wood element.”

Su Yan lifted her brows. “So we’re about the same.”

Bai Kai Xin muttered, “Yellow Rank, wind element.”

At that moment, the carriage door opened.

A young woman stepped down, face veiled, dressed in white gauze and pink cloud brocade. The crowd’s attention snapped toward her as if pulled by a hook.

Su Yan glanced at the girl’s fine fabrics, then at her own coarse dress, dust still clinging to the hem. The difference between districts suddenly felt like a wall you could touch.

“Who is she?” Su Yan asked Cui Zi Yi, judging by his eager expression that he lived for gossip.

Cui Zi Yi’s face flushed red. “A noble female leopard-fox hybrid—Sun Man Rou.”

“The Clan Chief’s cousin,” Bai Kai Xin added quietly.

Su Yan understood at once. So it was her—the one who had distracted Pei Xuan at dinner, giving Su Yan the opening to take Little Hao away.

Cui Zi Yi’s voice dropped, reverent and hungry all at once. “Super-high grade fertility. Whoever gets her can have as many children as he wants.”

Su Yan’s mouth twitched.

Bai Kai Xin jabbed Cui Zi Yi with an elbow, hard. “Watch your mouth. If someone hears you, they’ll charge you with harassing a female. Do you still want to enroll?”

Cui Zi Yi snapped his lips shut, eyes wide. “Right—right. My fault. Thanks, Brother Bai.”

Su Yan watched as Sun Man Rou didn’t bother lining up at all. She walked straight into the academy.

Su Yan frowned. “Why doesn’t she have to queue?”

“Fertility testing doesn’t require a line,” Cui Zi Yi said.

Bai Kai Xin’s ears went red. “Sister Su, I didn’t know—”

“It’s fine,” Su Yan said, amused rather than annoyed. “You’re not a female. How would you?” She stepped out of line. “I’ll go test. Hold my spot.”

“Yes! Go ahead,” Bai Kai Xin said quickly. “This line’s going to take forever anyway.”

Su Yan walked through the academy gates.

Two guards stopped her almost immediately, bodies forming a barrier by habit.

“I’m here for the entrance exam,” Su Yan said politely, showing her registration tag.

One guard looked her over. “There are more female examinees this year. Six noble females have already come, and with you—”

His gaze landed on her plain clothes. The word noble died in his throat.

“Go test fertility first,” he said, voice cooling. “The rules changed this year. We don’t recognize results from other places.”

“Understood,” Su Yan said, unbothered. “Could you point me to where I should go?”

The guard pointed at a small two-story building nearby. “In there.”

“Thank you.”

Su Yan headed over.

Before she even reached the door, an angry shout rang out from inside. “Impossible! I clearly had super-high grade fertility. How did it become high grade?!”

That voice… Sun Man Rou.

“Noble Lady Sun,” an older voice replied, patient and firm, “if you doubt it, you can test elsewhere. But the Divine Beast Academy only recognizes this result.”

“You—!”

“Man Rou.”

A clear, pleasant voice cut in. “Thank you for your trouble, Old Teacher. We’ll go to the registration desk now.”

“Of course. Princess Your Highness, please take care.”

Su Yan stepped inside just as two veiled girls descended the stairs.

Sun Man Rou came second.

The first wore an apricot-yellow gown embroidered with delicate phoenix patterns. That had to be the Little Princess—Zi Qiao Er.

Few people had ever seen the Little Princess’s true face. Those who claimed they had always swore they’d been captivated.

Su Yan couldn’t judge that now through the veil—but the girl’s figure was softly full, the kind West District tastes praised as ideal for bearing children.