"Mr. Cole, you’re here too!"
As they were talking, the two heard a voice from behind them.
As they turned around, Peter saw a burly man standing there.
"It’s Chief Gibson! You’re here too?"
The two exchanged greetings.
Levi West said to Peter Brown, "Landowner Brown, this is our neighboring village chief, Chief Gibson."
"Nice to meet you, Chief Gibson."
Peter hurriedly greeted him.
Chief Gibson looked at Peter and smiled, "Hayley Smith, you must be the new Peter Brown that just arrived in Clear Water Village. I’ve heard about you."
Peter didn’t expect his fame to have spread so far and responded with a slight smile, "Yep, it’s Peter Brown."
"Our village doesn’t have a village doctor, so please help us if we need it in the future." This man was straightforward and directly asked Peter for help.
As Peter glanced at Levi, Levi laughed and said, "Look at you, Hayley Smith, trying to take advantage of our village doctor! However, Peter might not stay in our village in the next step; he will be entering the academy to study."
"Oh, congratulations then!"
At this point, he looked at Levi and sighed, "I didn’t expect you to have a candidate already. Unfortunately, I still don’t have anyone!"
"Let’s go sit down and talk."
The three of them entered a tea house, ordered a pot of Spiritual Tea, and started drinking.
This was Peter’s first time drinking the Spiritual Tea from the Cultivation World, and it was clearly better than what he had at Levi’s house.
The tea wasn’t a great quality; Peter looked at the price tag, which read 50 cultivation coins, paid for by Hayley Smith.
"I say, Old Gibson, what are you sighing for?"
"Old Cole, with Landowner Brown’s talent, of course you’re not in a hurry. My mouth is full of blisters from worrying! You know the situation in our village; all these years, we’ve never had someone with Spiritual Roots. If we don’t send someone with Spiritual Roots, we have to pay 1,000 cultivation coins, or else I’ll be replaced and go crazy!"
Peter looked at Levi West, and now he understood some of the situation. No wonder Levi West kept urging him to go study in the Academy. It turned out there was such an assessment for them.
Seeing Peter’s gaze, Levi West gave an awkward smile, "Landowner Brown, I owe you a favor this time. You must help me no matter what."
"What’s the situation?" Hayley Smith asked.
Peter replied, "Mr. Cole here keeps persuading me to enter the academy."
"Goodness, Mr. Cole, you must have deceived Landowner Brown by not telling him the situation. Your poor village hasn’t produced any talents for many years. I think if you don’t send someone in this time, your position as village chief will be gone!"
"Landowner Brown, I won’t say anything more about the situation; As a village chief, if we can’t send someone with Spiritual Roots to the Academy every year, we have to pay 1,000 cultivation coins; otherwise, the village chief will be dismissed. I’ve been paying this fee every year, and the pressure is quite considerable!"
Hayley Smith sighed, "Actually, if the person sent to the Academy performs well, the fee can be waived. It’s just that our youngsters aren’t all that great."
After inquiring for a while, Peter understood that if someone from the village performs well in the Academy, the village wouldn’t need to pay cultivation coins. Levi West had set his sights on Peter.
No wonder Mr. Cole was so enthusiastic when he found out Peter was a cultivator - issuing his identification, providing him with land, and even accompanying him to the County Town. It turned out his purpose was for Peter to enter the Academy.
Peter wasn’t averse to this idea, but he didn’t know whether the academy would be harmful to him. He asked, "If I enter the Academy, will there be any harm to me personally?"
Hearing Peter’s question, both village chiefs fell silent.
Levi hesitated for a while before looking sincerely at Peter, "Landowner Brown, I haven’t told you everything. Admittedly, it was selfish of me to want you to enter the Academy; In fact, there are some dangerous tasks for academy students. They have various tasks every once in a while, competitions with other counties, eradication of bandits, and other potentially deadly situations. So now, it’s up to you to decide. After all, you’re not born and raised in our village; if you don’t want to do this, you’re free to leave."
Hayley Smith looked at Peter and said, "Actually, besides these dangers, there are a lot of benefits for Academy students. The main benefit is that they become part of the Vast Sky Order and public sector employees of the nation. If you succeed in Foundation Establishment, you’ll naturally become an official, with power and benefits."
Seeing Mr. Cole’s apprehensive appearance, Peter smiled, "When I came down from the mountain, the first village I came across was Clear Water Village. I’ve already considered myself a part of Clear Water Village. To be honest, after hearing your introduction, I understand that entering the Academy is also an opportunity for me. Why shouldn’t I give it a try? So, I’ve decided to go to the Academy for development."
Levi’s eyes lit up, "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of all the fees and expenses."
Peter smiled, "That’s great, since I really don’t have any cultivation coins."
Smith sighed enviously, "I’m jealous, Mr. Cole! I can tell that Landowner Brown isn’t just an ordinary person. I believe he’ll make significant progress in the Academy. If your village has a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you wouldn’t need to pay cultivation coins for ten years, and if he reaches the Golden Core, you won’t need to pay for a hundred years!"
At this time, Mr. Cole also laughed, "I’ll borrow your auspicious words. I believe Landowner Brown will have significant development."
Peter listened to their chatting while thinking about his own situation and goals. To obtain more resources, joining the Academy was also a legitimate path for him. Considering the many secrets he held, Peter wasn’t worried about finding opportunities in the Academy.