Mid-January.
Jiang Man arrived at the Seventh Courtyard and received a notice from Mr. Yan.
"The application for the annual grand competition has been approved."
She looked at Jiang Man and said, "The assessment will be in late August this year. You can participate in the one for the First, Second, and Third Courtyards. However, their assessment is different from the one for the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Courtyards, so you'll need to familiarize yourself with the details.
"Furthermore, if you fail this time, it will likely affect your chances of obtaining the remaining Secret Skill."
"So you need to weigh your options. If you feel it's too rushed, you have the option to back out. You have until August to change your mind."
Yan Yiqiu's words surprised Jiang Man. 'I can back out anytime before then? That's a long time.'
After a moment of thought, he asked, "What ranking do I need to get the remaining Secret Skill?"
