Chapter 79

The sun rose as usual from the east, marking the start of another day.

The second day in the examination hall.

Y Qing, who was sitting cross-legged in his cell, was woken up by some noise and slowly opened his eyes after finishing his meditation.

It was still early, with the sun just beginning to shine on the roof, but the candidates were already busy with various activities.

Some were using the toilet, some were washing up, some were walking around, some were cooking, and some were sighing because they hadn't rested well. Since they came from all over the country, their living habits varied, so all kinds of sounds and smells could be heard and smelled.

The candidate next to Y Qing was eating a baked pancake with a particularly fragrant sauce, the smell of which was seeping through.

The rule in the cell was no communication, and if there were any issues, one could directly seek the exam supervisor, who was stationed outside.

Feeling the atmosphere, Y Qing shook his head and sighed, wondering how he, the grandmaster of Linglong Temple, ended up in such a place, which was truly a form of suffering!

He got up, washed up briefly, and then started to cook the spirit rice he had brought.

This time, he had a legitimate excuse to get some benefits from the Zhong family, ten pounds of spirit rice, and he had already had a hearty meal last night, meditating to absorb the spiritual energy.

Outside, there were large water barrels filled with clear water and prepared charcoal fires.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, it was already past the third hour, and the exam papers were finally distributed.

Although the exam was said to have started yesterday, yesterday was just for entry, as there were too many people to check.

The exam hall was sealed last night, cutting off all contact with the outside world. The exam questions were set that night, and the carpenters worked through the night to print the questions, ensuring that everyone saw the same questions.

Along with the exam papers, test papers were also distributed.

After receiving the exam papers, candidates were not allowed to take any paper out of the cell, and communication between candidates was strictly prohibited.

Y Qing, who had been anxious all along, became completely still when he saw the questions, his gaze fixed on the paper.

The insect had not lied; the questions delivered to the Zhong family were indeed the questions for this exam.

He didn't know how he felt at that moment. He thought he would be happy to confirm that he had the questions in advance, but after confirming, he couldn't feel any joy. He seemed to truly understand what Ah Jie Zhang had fought to change before his death.

He was just a person from the martial world, and it seemed not to be his business... Y Qing thought to himself, then moved his body and began to take out his writing tools.

Everything was ready, and he followed the steps Mr. Ming had instructed, starting with a rough draft.

He wrote for half a day, afraid of forgetting, first jotting down the content he had memorized, then continuing to meditate, not knowing how to pass the time otherwise.

The exam supervisors who occasionally passed by didn't react, thinking he was deep in thought.

On the third day, after cooking and eating a meal of spirit rice, he began to copy the questions word by word, striving for beautiful handwriting.

After finishing one question, he checked it, then meditated again to absorb the spiritual energy he had consumed that day.

On the fourth day, he continued as usual.

People outside the exam hall couldn't see what was happening inside, but many were concerned.

The sun set and rose again, marking the fifth day, the last day of the exam.

The sky changed, with dark clouds covering the sun, and a drizzle began to fall.

Zhong Ruochen stood by the window, gazing at the raindrops falling from the eaves.

Wen Ruowei, behind her, had rolled up her pants, revealing bruises on her white calves from a fall while secretly climbing the stairs. She was rolling a boiled egg over the bruises, wincing and gasping, then called out, "Sister, help me."

Zhong Ruochen was lost in thought and didn't hear her sister's calls.

Wen Ruowei, after observing for a while, gave up and continued rolling the egg, muttering, "Brother-in-law, I hope you can make a difference!"

She wasn't stupid and had noticed her mother's intention to break the engagement, knowing that her mother was trying to encourage her sister to speak up. However, she also knew that her sister was pretending to be ignorant, refusing to speak up for a person she had never met, even if it meant going against her mother...

In the cell, Y Qing, looking at the drizzle outside, was considering whether to cause an accident and let the rain ruin the exam papers.

When he was on his way to the examination hall, Mr. Ming had instructed him to be careful with the papers if it rained, as papers damaged by rain or dirt would not be accepted. Mr. Ming hadn't told him about these tricks, and he hadn't expected it to rain.

When Mr. Ming mentioned it, he had thought it would be convenient, but later decided against it. If he could get through, there was no need to resort to such tactics. A damaged paper would directly disqualify him, but the exam supervisors would still verify the situation, and he might be singled out, causing more trouble.

The idea of causing an accident was tempting, but he ultimately decided against it, choosing instead to protect the papers from the rain.

He carefully copied another question, then copied a short poem, checked for errors, and sealed the name. He then organized the exam papers and stored them.

All that was left was to wait for the submission.

After noon, the exam drum sounded, and the candidates, protecting their papers, rushed out in the rain...

The exam hall gates were unlocked at the ninth hour, and candidates began to leave, some looking elated, some looking serious, some letting the rain soak them, and some running with their heads down. Y Qing was among them, looking for Xu Fei but not seeing him, so he followed the crowd and left.

By the time he emerged from the crowd, he was half-soaked. Not far away, Du Fei held out an umbrella to him.

"Uncle Du," Y Qing smiled, taking the umbrella.

Du Fei didn't give him the umbrella but helped him take off his backpack, standing in the rain to shield him, and asked, "How did it go?"

He was observing Y Qing's expression, hoping to see something.

Y Qing shrugged and spread his hands, acting indifferent.

Du Fei thought he was trying to appear relaxed and didn't ask more, not knowing that Y Qing truly didn't care.

They walked to the carriage, and when Y Qing got in, he found Zhong Yuwai waiting inside, personally coming to pick him up. He was surprised and quickly bowed, "Uncle."

Zhong Yuwai threw him a towel, telling him to dry off, "I heard the conditions in the exam hall were not good, and I was worried you wouldn't rest well and would get sick from the rain. But Du Fei said you have internal cultivation and that a little rain wouldn't harm you."

Y Qing nodded, "It's fine."

Zhong Yuwai then asked, "How did it go?"

Despite knowing that asking now wouldn't necessarily reveal the true result, he couldn't help but ask.

Y Qing smiled, "I did my best."

Zhong Yuwai nodded slightly and didn't say more, looking out the window, his mood heavy.

As they approached the Zhong family residence, Zhong Yuwai spoke again, "If you pass, that's great. If not, stay in the capital to study. After the results are posted, I will arrange for someone to go to the Lianzhou Guild to handle the paperwork for you to stay in the capital."

"Yes," Y Qing agreed.

This was exactly what he wanted. He really didn't want to return to Lianzhou with the escort, as it would be restrictive and uncomfortable to always wear a mask.

Additionally, because he had been under house arrest at the Zhong family residence while preparing for the exam, he hadn't found a suitable buyer for the fire cricket and hadn't sold it yet. He might need to stay in the capital for a while to get a good price, as it would be difficult to sell it for a high price in the countryside.

However, staying in the capital required handling the paperwork at the Lianzhou Guild, otherwise, the escort would have to return to Lianzhou and couldn't leave a candidate behind. If he didn't handle the paperwork, he would have to return with the escort.

Therefore, Y Qing, who had intended to reveal the truth today, decided to wait, as the wedding arrangements would be made after the exam results were announced. He could get more spirit rice and avoid a conflict that would prevent him from taking advantage of the situation.

The exam results would be announced before the wedding to prevent Ah Jie Zhang's son's identity from being exposed too early, avoiding any interference with the exam results.

When the carriage returned to the Zhong family residence, the butler, Li, asked again how the exam went.

The mistress of the Zhong family, Wen Jianhui, did not appear...

The next day, the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Y Qing, finally free, immediately wanted to go sightseeing in the capital, but Du Fei didn't give him complete freedom, insisting on sending two people with him, saying it was Zhong Yuwai's order to prevent him from getting into trouble in the capital.

This made Y Qing, who intended to find a buyer, feel constrained. Facing Du Fei's refusal to budge, he had no choice but to wait until he revealed the truth.

However, he still asked for a carriage and went straight to the Cao family residence.

The gatekeeper, seeing the fine carriage, immediately went to inform the family.

Soon, Chong'er ran out, delighted, "Master Shiheng."

Y Qing had the Zhong family's attendants wait outside and followed Chong'er inside.

Chong'er, leading the way, wanted to ask how the exam went but felt it wasn't appropriate, so he didn't say anything. However, he did remind Y Qing, "Master Shiheng, our master has guests, the four people and Master Zhan Mochun are here."

"Which four people?" Y Qing asked, then realized who they could be, "The four Sus?"

Chong'er nodded.

Y Qing was puzzled, wondering how he could run into these persistent fellows again, and asked, "What are they doing here?"

Chong'er replied, "Revisiting old times."

Y Qing was speechless, acknowledging that the four inseparable friends and Zhan Mochun indeed got along well with Xu Fei, always finding ways to stick together, becoming closer as they traveled to the capital. He suspected they were about to form a brotherhood.

Well, Y Qing thought, it was time to give these fellows a reading, saving him the trouble of finding them one by one. He asked, "Do they know I'm here?"

Chong'er nodded, "When the gatekeeper informed them, they were with the master and heard it."

Y Qing hesitated, "What was their reaction?"

Chong'er lowered his head, having seen someone sneer but not wanting to say anything behind their back.

Y Qing understood and changed the topic, "Is Daxiong okay?"

Chong'er immediately smiled, "He gets bones every day and is very well-behaved."