Chapter 2

However, Yu Qing did not think that Shi Heng could agree to the postponement.

He had seen A Jie Zhang's strict education of his son, forcing him to aspire for an official career from a young age, hoping that his son could return to the imperial court to turn the tide and fulfill his unfulfilled aspirations, pleading for the people of the nation.

To put it bluntly, he had witnessed firsthand the toll of labor and resources while serving in the Yu Department and did not want the emperor to waste energy on the elusive pursuit of immortality. He hoped the emperor would focus on state affairs and show mercy to the suffering people of Jin State.

A Jie Zhang fell out of favor for this reason and met a bad end, yet he still insisted that his son continue, despite knowing the futility. Yu Qing could not understand this, but he knew that Shi Heng's aspirations were already formed, and he would not easily change his mind.

Shi Heng only gave a faint "oh" in response, showing little reaction on the surface, and countered, "Of the three candidates from our county, have the other two also postponed?"

He was the only one from this county to pass the local examination this year. The other two were from previous sessions, who had failed the imperial examination and were unwilling to give up, repeatedly retaking it.

Mr. Pu seemed to understand his meaning and earnestly advised, "Young Master, there is no comparison. To avoid panic, the authorities have deliberately kept the news under wraps. The other two are completely unaware. Besides, how can your safety be compared to theirs?"

"You misunderstand my meaning," Shi Heng turned and walked away, his expression heavy with thought. He climbed a small hill, hands behind his back, gazing at the mountain scenery. "Father was dismissed from the capital and encountered a group of mysterious assassins on the way. My mother, elder brother, sister, and a group of servants and attendants all perished. Fortunately, Father shielded me with his life, and I survived. Mr. Pu, who are the assassins?"

At this, Mr. Pu's face flashed with hatred, "Most likely, it has something to do with that昏君 (tyrannical emperor)!"

Shi Heng's gaze was deep, "Naturally, it is related to the emperor, but it wasn't the emperor who did it. Since the emperor has already taken the blame, there's no need to act secretly. Given the timing of the departure from the capital and the location of the attack, the assassins pursued even the servants and attendants, clearly trying to cover up the ambush. So it wasn't personal revenge; the mastermind must be someone in the court."

Yu Qing and Mr. Pu both seemed thoughtful. The latter muttered, "Then who could it be?"

"I also want to know who it is. I was only four at the time, too young to understand. The information I have is limited, and I don't know who Father had dealings with or who he had conflicts with. I have no way to determine who the mastermind is." Shi Heng turned back, his tone shifting to the previous topic, "Mr. Pu, in each session, are there more candidates who take the exam or more who are delayed by accidents?"

Mr. Pu hesitated, "Naturally, there are more who take the exam. For most people, years of hard study are not easy. Even if they know they will fail the imperial examination, as long as they have the means, they can't resist trying their luck. Very few people on the candidate list skip the exam. Are you concerned about your reputation, Young Master?"

"Ha!" Yu Qing suddenly laughed, sarcastically, "You've already said it clearly, it's too conspicuous!"

Shi Heng gave him a look, clearly blaming him for speaking out of turn.

Yu Qing received the message, lightly hummed, and closed his mouth with a smirk. Shi Heng then explained, "Mr. Pu, tens of thousands of people go to the capital for the examination each session. No one would look at all the candidates' names, let alone after fifteen years since the ambush.

Mixed among the candidates, no one would notice the name 'Shi Heng,' even if my father's name were on the list, it wouldn't draw attention.

If my name appears on the list of those who missed the exam, it would be easily noticed and could attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. At that time, my situation might be more dangerous than encountering a monster. We don't know the current state of the mastermind, so it's better to prepare for the worst."

Hearing this, Mr. Pu finally understood and sighed bitterly, "Your reasoning leaves me speechless. I just don't understand why you insist on taking the exam with your real name, knowing the danger."

Shi Heng avoided answering and smiled, "Don't worry, the Sinao Office also values its reputation. If a group of monsters disrupts the imperial examination, what would be the reputation of the Sinao Office? They won't let this go on. They will definitely get involved in the protection of the candidates, so there's nothing to worry about."

Realizing the situation was beyond his control and that Shi Heng's reasoning made sense, Mr. Pu sighed in melancholy, "You are a person with your own mind, and I fear you won't listen to advice or be stopped. That's why I even brought the carriage."

He looked back at the carriage.

Afterward, Shi Heng and Yu Qing naturally got into the carriage and understood its purpose, which was to pick them up.

Fearing that Shi Heng's appearance as a candidate would attract the attention of the monsters, the carriage had curtains to conceal them.

Mr. Pu, with his hat brim lowered, personally drove the carriage onto the main road, heading toward the county town.

In the swaying carriage, Yu Qing leaned close to Shi Heng's ear and asked, "Who is this person?"

Shi Heng was silent for a moment but eventually told him, "The clerk in charge of the rites office at the county yamen."

The clerk in charge of the rites office? Yu Qing pondered for a moment and then laughed. It seemed that even the clerk in charge of the imperial examination in the county was one of Shi Heng's people. He suspected that Shi Heng might have cheated to pass the county examination.

He realized that this was clearly not Shi Heng's arrangement but the work of the former Yu Department official, who had laid the groundwork for his son in advance.

Yu Qing pondered what other preparations the former Yu Department official might have made to advance his son's career.

With the carriage, they arrived at the county town by mid-afternoon.

The carriage did not go to the bustling city center but turned into a secluded area, stopping at the entrance of an inconspicuous small courtyard. The nearby houses seemed unoccupied, and the surroundings were rather desolate.

The two passengers did not linger outside but quickly entered the courtyard.

The lodging was prepared in advance by Mr. Pu to ensure Shi Heng's safety and to avoid drawing attention to his arrival, fearing any accidents.

Mr. Pu could not stay there for long, as he was in charge of organizing the candidates' journey to the capital, which was a major task. He had already squeezed out the time to pick up Shi Heng, so after a brief explanation, he left.

With a place to stay, the courtyard was well-equipped with living supplies. Mr. Pu would arrange for someone unaware to deliver food and drink to the door, and Shi Heng did not need to show himself. Yu Qing would receive the deliveries.

The afternoon passed quickly.

After dinner, night fell.

After bathing, Shi Heng was clean and fresh, sitting alone on the steps of the main hall, silently gazing at the starry sky.

While lost in thought, he faintly detected a very light, almost imperceptible fragrance, neither strong nor constant, and he couldn't identify the source.

Shi Heng looked around and saw a light in the kitchen and some movement. He guessed that Yu Qing was up to something.

He got up and went to the kitchen. As soon as he entered, he saw Yu Qing tending the fire, and the pot was bubbling. Curious, he asked, "What are you doing?"

Yu Qing replied dismissively, "Just making something to eat."

Just making something? Shi Heng didn't believe it. They had just had dinner, and there was definitely something in the pot. He went straight to the pot and lifted the lid.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Yu Qing shouted, rising from the fire, but it was too late.

The lid was off, and steam rose. Shi Heng identified the source of the fragrance. Strangely, the aroma was not strong but subtle and restrained. Blowing away the steam, he saw the contents of the pot, which looked like grains of rice, but they were half the size of normal rice grains, slightly translucent, and each grain had a faint purple glow, very lively.

Yu Qing came over and slammed the lid back on, "Don't get in the way, go back to your studies."

Shi Heng showed a rare look of surprise, "Is this the so-called 'spirit rice,' the one that costs ten taels of silver for one liang?"

Yu Qing crossed his arms, "Yes, impressed, aren't you?"

Confirmed, Shi Heng lifted the lid again and examined it closely, truly eager to broaden his horizons.

Previously living in a secluded village, he had limited knowledge. He had only heard about this rice and seen pictures in books, but this was the first time he had seen the real thing.

It was said that this rice originally grew in the blessed lands of immortals. Later, someone accidentally entered the immortal's domain, collected the seeds, and after repeated attempts, managed to cultivate it.

The effects of eating this rice were truly extraordinary. A single bite could satisfy a person for a full meal, and if one ate a full meal of spirit rice, they could go a month without eating and still feel fine.

For ordinary people, it was just a food to stave off hunger, but for martial practitioners, it was even more beneficial. It contained a large amount of directly absorbable spiritual energy, which could greatly enhance their cultivation.

Unfortunately, it was extremely expensive, and ordinary people could not afford it. Even many martial practitioners could not afford to eat it regularly.

Initially, it was even more expensive, but as more people started cultivating it, it became a significant industry, and the price dropped.

This spiritual substance was not something anyone could cultivate; it required the absorption of natural spiritual energy, leading to the emergence of a new profession: spiritual cultivators.

Shi Heng clicked his tongue, "You can casually cook this, and you still complain about being poor?"

Yu Qing pointed at the lid, frowning and glaring, "It's only three liang, not enough for a full meal. It was left by my master after he passed away, and I've been too reluctant to eat it. I was carrying it as a precaution, but since you mentioned that the Sinao Office might get involved in the protection, if they search and find it, it would be hard to explain my identity. Now I'm cooking it to avoid any trouble."

Seeing that there wasn't much spirit rice, Shi Heng smiled and didn't say more, turning to leave but leaving a parting remark, "I've never tasted spirit rice. Call me when it's ready."

Yu Qing waved him off, looking indifferent, and returned to tending the fire.

As the bubbling in the pot gradually subsided and the three liang of spirit rice was almost cooked, Yu Qing, sitting idly by the fire, suddenly tensed, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the rising steam.