Chapter 16

Sitting in a private room on the third floor of the Zhuangyuan Pavilion, which directly faced the notice board at the entrance of the examination hall, Yue Heng looked out of the window and noticed that the soldiers guarding the notice board were gradually withdrawing, and the order was gradually returning to normal. He could only secretly lament his misfortune.

Just a moment ago, it was only the soldiers coming out to maintain order. He had managed to squeeze his way to the very front, but was then dragged out by this wild girl.

Being dragged out was not bad; he was so frail that he could easily be trampled. Avoiding the risk for a while was good. However, after being dragged out, she still forced him to enter the Zhuangyuan Pavilion. Did she not know that Bai Ming, who had just mocked him, was a regular guest here?

Entering the Zhuangyuan Pavilion was fine; it was like a poor scholar entering a luxurious restaurant for a moment of splendor. But this girl insisted on sitting in a private room, and it had to be the best one!

This girl was quite generous; the small gold ingot she gave as a tip to the waiter was dazzling, as if she didn't treat money as money!

Moreover, the Zhuangyuan Pavilion was exquisitely decorated. There were probably multiple beast soul stoves for heating inside, and the air was filled with the fragrance of calming flowers. Entering the place felt like a warm spring breeze, refreshing and invigorating. The waiters were not male but female, and although they were not as beautiful as this wild girl, they were all graceful and elegant, fitting the refined taste of scholars!

In short, everything was good when you had money.

But damn it, he really didn't know this girl!

Wen Xinyue's anger had subsided by now. She stared at the scholar opposite her, her mind filled with doubts: "He is the illegitimate son of the magistrate of Qixian, but why does he look nothing like the magistrate? His appearance is ordinary, his face is yellow and his body is weak, even to the point of being ugly. His body is so frail that it can't withstand the wind, yet he has so many devious thoughts. His arm was clearly moving freely, but he still put on a fake splint, trying to gain sympathy?"

Yue Heng was also secretly observing the girl opposite him, but his face was thin, so he could only glance at her face and body for a couple of seconds through the gaps between his fingers or during a quick shake of his head, for fear of causing her to misunderstand and get angry, which would really hurt him!

He was also fantasizing: "This girl is also a beauty! She has a small face, a pointed chin, and a slender figure, but why does she look so fierce and not at all alluring? Moreover, she is strong and agile. Although she is dressed like a well-bred lady, she is actually a warrior, tall and well-endowed, with a chest that is really big and soft..."

A pot of tea had already gone cold, but neither of them had said a word.

Wen Xinyue, thinking of Yue Heng's identity, felt disdain again: "This person is empty inside, yet he feels good about himself. His father said that his strength is not even enough to make it to the top thousand, but he still insists on being stubborn and refuses to admit it! If it weren't for having a good father, how could such a useless illegitimate son become a scholar? For hundreds of years, the decline of scholars has been due to too many people like him!"

Yue Heng was inwardly complaining: "Am I destined to clash with women? She just pulled me, and I didn't even get to see the notice board! Damn, I mean, did I, Han Yu, make it to the list? I'm so anxious!"

The two of them remained silent for a long time, and another pot of tea went cold.

Yue Heng was not prepared to continue waiting. Just as he was about to speak, he heard many footsteps and loud voices coming from the stairs on the third floor.

It sounded like the top ten from Hong County!

"Brother Song, don't sigh. I've read your poetry, and it's flawless, on par with mine. The county office rated you tenth and me ninth, probably because your handwriting is slightly inferior to mine, ha ha!"

"Brother Shi, don't be so smug. You won today, but tomorrow, I'll crush you!"

"Come, come, come, everyone can place bets today. Let's bet on who will activate the Divine Palace first tomorrow, Brother Shi or Brother Song! My brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun will accept any bet, no matter how large!"

"Ha ha! Who doesn't know that the Kuang brothers are the most cunning? With Lord Ji here, who else dares to claim the top scholar position?"

"Brother Shi is right! Brother Kuang is bullying me... ha ha!"

The voices grew louder as they ascended to the third floor platform. Someone noticed that the best private room was already occupied and frowned.

"Hey, isn't that Wen Xinyue? Why is she here?"

"It's really the second miss of the Wen family. Why is she here? And who is that scholar?"

The second miss of the Wen family, Wen Xinyue, was a celebrity in Hong County. Her father, who managed the county office, had a daughter who abandoned literature for martial arts, which had long been a topic of gossip. A familiar young master quickly recognized her and noticed Yue Heng sitting opposite her, causing many people to look at them with suspicion.

The brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun's eyes lit up. They pushed through the crowd and asked in surprise, "Xiaoyue, why are you here... and why are you dressed like this?"

Wen Xinyue usually wore martial arts attire, looking heroic and spirited. But today, she was dressed in a lady's embroidered robe, with her hair styled in a ladylike manner, and her weapon, a long whip, was nowhere to be seen.

Upon closer inspection, although Wen Xinyue still had her sharp and beautiful features, her overall demeanor was particularly elegant and refined, exuding a noble lady's charm. For a moment, the brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun were captivated. No one had ever seen Wen Xinyue dressed like this, and she was truly beautiful, perfectly embodying the image of their ideal partner!

Wen Xinyue frowned. This attire was required by her father, the head of the Wen family, who said that scholars and warriors had little in common. Wearing this made it easier to approach Yue Heng without making him feel out of place. After all, as an illegitimate son, Yue Heng did not know that the magistrate of Qixian was his father, and this poor scholar still had a bit of dignity.

But I don't want to dress like this!

Wen Xinyue shouted in her heart but still glared and said coldly, "Where I sit and what I wear is none of your business. And, brothers Kuang, please show some respect. The name 'Xiaoyue' is not for you two to call!"

The brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun were momentarily speechless. They had been studying under the head of the Wen family for four years and frequently visited the Wen residence. They had secretly admired the second miss of the Wen family, who was a year younger than them, for many years. Their scholar friends knew this, and whenever they mentioned the head of the Wen family or any other lady, they would unconsciously express their admiration for the second miss of the Wen family.

The scene became awkward, and the brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun, feeling frustrated, noticed the young scholar sitting opposite Wen Xinyue.

Seeing the scholar's yellow and weak appearance and his listless, mocking look, their anger immediately flared up, and they asked aggressively, "Who are you? Why are you sitting here?"

Yue Heng was equally angry. Who had he offended? Were they all on the wrong side of the bed today? Failing to flirt and getting scolded, why were they taking it out on him?

"Where I sit and who I am is none of your business!" Yue Heng's response was equally fiery, leaving the brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun speechless.

"Hey! Kid! Do you know who we are?" A young master stepped forward, pointing at him with a threatening look, almost spitting on him.

Yue Heng was furious. He slammed his left hand on the table and stood up, facing him head-on: "I hate it when people point at me! Put down your dog paw! You're just the top ten in the spring exam! What do you want?"

What do you want? The top ten in Hong County aren't even scholars, so what are you boasting about? Pointing and threatening, who are you scaring?

Yue Heng's outburst made some people realize something was off.

Knowing that they were the top ten in the spring exam of Hong County, he still dared to confront them head-on. And he clearly knew Wen Xinyue. Could he be some important figure?

The brothers Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun shrank back, quietly retreating into the crowd, whispering, "This is a new face. Could he be a scholar from another place? A relative of the Wen family?"

"I don't know. He looks familiar, so he might be a scholar from Hong County. I don't know what level he is."

Just as everyone fell silent, a man in the crowd burst out laughing.

"Stop pretending! Yue Heng, you couldn't even make it to the top thousand, yet you dare to mock the top ten of Hong County? You have guts! You really have guts! What do you think we'll do? Do you think you can handle what we throw at you?" From the back of the crowd, Bai Ming's sinister voice echoed, his face full of mockery as he looked at Yue Heng.

"What? He is also a candidate for this year's spring exam? Brother Bai, are you sure he is from Hong County?"

"Of course! He was my classmate in the Northern City Literary Society. I just checked the ten lists, and his name is definitely not on any of them!"

"Is this guy really someone who couldn't even make it to the top thousand? Hey, what a joke! Even a stray cat or dog is so arrogant? Is there no law in Hong County? Before he even grows up, he is so arrogant. If he had any reputation, wouldn't Chen Dafu's hall only be fit to carry his shoes and pull his cart? The world of scholars has been ruined by scum like you!"

"Absurd! With such a big mouth, I thought he was some important figure, but he's just a piece of trash who can't even pass the spring exam!"

"Hey, kid! Are you tired of living? Daring to mock the scholars of Hong County? Do you think I can't just call someone to throw you off this third floor, and no one will bury your body?"

The young masters were almost furious, all staring at Yue Heng with ill intent.

Most of them had followers. Although they couldn't act themselves, their followers wouldn't hesitate. They were all aggressive, some rolling up their sleeves, some picking up vases, benches, and tea trays from the pavilion, slowly approaching, ready to grab Yue Heng, beat him up, and throw him out the window. With the backing of these young masters, no one would bury Yue Heng's body!