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"Why are you wearing long boots? Aren't you hot?" Lu Sheng asked casually, glancing at her legs. "Actually, your legs are the most beautiful part."
Chen Yunxi froze for a second. She lowered her head slightly, a faint blush blooming across her cheeks.
"You don’t like boots… Then I’ll show my legs next time… Only for you to see…"
Lu Sheng had spoken without much thought, but the air between them suddenly shifted. The atmosphere grew quiet and ambiguous. Neither of them said another word—they simply walked slowly across the grassy path.
Lu Sheng felt a little dazed. Half a year had passed.
In the six months of his recovery, he hadn’t encountered anything strange—no demons, no ghosts. There hadn’t even been a whisper of news about Duanmu Wan or Yan Kai. It was as if all the chaos he’d experienced had been nothing but a dream, fading away into the routine calm of daily life.
If not for the internal energy quietly circulating and strengthening in his body, or the deep-blue modifier interface he could summon at will, he might have truly believed he lived in a world untouched by the supernatural.
"Brother Lu…" Chen Yunxi’s soft voice broke through his thoughts.
"What is it?" Lu Sheng stopped walking.
Her head was bowed, cheeks flushed pink as she murmured, "My father… wants to invite you over for a simple meal."
Lu Sheng blinked in surprise. Was this… meeting the parents? But he and Chen Yunxi weren’t even officially together yet. Wasn’t this progressing a bit too quickly?
"Brother Lu doesn’t want to?" she asked when he didn’t respond right away, a trace of disappointment showing on her face. "It’s just a simple meal. Dad only wants to know what kind of person you are."
Lu Sheng didn’t know what to say. He did have some feelings for Chen Yunxi—but things were moving faster than he’d expected, and he wasn’t sure he was ready.
After a brief silence, Lu Sheng chuckled and said,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS3QcjWIng
"Students like me are also curious about what kind of man the wealthy old Master Chen really is."
Chen Yunxi laughed softly, her eyes crinkling with amusement.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8qn4Lp60v
"Then you’ll be disappointed. My father always keeps a stern face in public, but in private, he’s just a messy old man who never bothers to tidy up!"
Lu Sheng smiled at her words, but an odd sense of disconnect lingered in his chest—something faint, like a thread out of place. A quiet unease.
If her family was pleased with him, then the next step would be to bring Chen Yunxi to meet his own father and stepmother. After that, the two families would discuss an engagement, arrange the betrothal gifts, choose an auspicious date… and get married.
Assuming everything went smoothly.
But to be honest, Lu Sheng had never planned on getting married so soon.
Chen Yunxi turned her gaze to him and asked softly,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCduRtqnFu
"The annual exam is coming up. If Brother Lu passes, have you thought about which academy you’d like to enter? That choice will shape your career path, and how far you’ll go in the future."
She hesitated briefly, then added,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWycCBO5uKe
"I’ve had someone work through last year’s test questions. There are five different solution sets. If Brother Lu wants them, I can have someone deliver them to you later, alright?"
"You can’t go wrong with doing more questions and figuring out the examiner’s mindset this year."
Lu Sheng hesitated.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjbVVymtDd
"I… then thank you, Yunxi."
He accepted, though a trace of confusion stirred in his heart.
If everything went according to plan, once he passed the annual exam, he’d move on to the prefectural level, then the imperial exam, and finally, the palace examination. If he succeeded all the way through, he’d become an official—possibly even one of high rank. A future of influence and prestige.
But… so what?
He suddenly recalled the things Duanmu Wan had once told him. If all of that was true—if the world behind the curtain was as corrupt and empty as she claimed—then what meaning would any official title hold?
"If you pass the annual exam, you’ll gain a scholar’s status in the city. You won’t need to pay taxes, and even if you never take office, you can live comfortably by having your land registered under your name. It’s the dream of many," Chen Yunxi whispered.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZzp1wuIjr
"Brother Lu must already have it all planned out."
"Maybe…" Lu Sheng replied with a faint smile, but said nothing more.
No one knew his true identity.
No one knew that behind the calm façade of a wealthy young master, Lu Sheng was actually a formidable cultivator—one who trained both internally and externally, whose swordsmanship was sharp enough to cut through demons and ghosts.
Even martial arts experts at the Tongli level couldn't last more than ten moves against him. When he unleashed his full power, he was like a human-shaped Tyrannosaurus Rex.
And now, his strength was still growing.
The Black Fiend Art surged through him day and night, constantly refining his body. Paired with the Jade Crane Art, which healed and replenished his physical form, the two techniques created a seamless cycle—one pushed his body to the limit, the other restored it. A perfect harmony of destruction and renewal.
But to outsiders—Chen Yunxi, Song Zhenguo, and the rest—he was still just a young heir from Jiulian City. Compared to the rougher boys from rural backgrounds, Lu Sheng had a more refined temperament. But in their eyes, that was all he had going for him.
"But in a world like this, what’s the point of becoming an official?" Lu Sheng muttered to himself. "If demons come hunting, I’ll still have to fend for myself... Is taking the martial arts exam really the right path, just because my father said so?"
He felt disconnected, out of sync with those around him.
From afar, he could hear laughter and the clinking of wine cups from the pavilion. Yet somehow, the sounds only made his isolation more tangible.
"Brother Lu," Chen Yunxi spoke softly, pulling him from his thoughts, "I heard the candied plums on Xixiang Street are really good. There are also lots of dried fruit shops there. Why don’t we go take a look tomorrow night?"8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4FYucOFJ8
"Tomorrow’s the Dragon Dance Festival. It’s always been so lively in past years."
"Alright..." Lu Sheng replied with a nod. He had time to spare—he was just waiting for information to come in.
He’d already instructed his servants to investigate the Red Whale Gang. He’d also spent a considerable amount of money on rare medicinal herbs. Now, his funds were running low.
And without money, his progress in cultivating martial arts—especially those that nourished and tempered the body—would slow to a crawl. He needed to find a new source of income. Fast.
As they walked, Chen Yunxi continued chatting, her voice light and cheerful. She talked about amusing stories from the academy and the antics of a few mutual friends. Her mood was clearly good.
Lu Sheng stayed by her side, quietly listening, and they gradually made their way back.
Back at the pavilion, the group had another round of drinks before finally saying their goodbyes.
After parting ways with Chen Yunxi, Song Zhenguo, and the others, Lu Sheng turned and walked alone down the quiet city street.
As Lu Sheng crossed the moat, a few mountain folk carrying baskets of goods chatted while entering the city.
"Is the Songbai River about to be unblocked?"
"It should be around this time. My family’s nets are already prepared. Once the fishing ban is lifted, I’ll go out and haul in a big catch," an old farmer said with a smile.
"If the tides stay steady, it should be a good harvest this year. That ban lasted a long time."
"That’s true."
The mountain people, laden with wild produce and fresh vegetables, ambled cheerfully into the city.
Lu Sheng listened quietly and smiled to himself.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2XUoe0c3y
"Compared to Jiulian City, this place feels so much more peaceful..." he murmured with a sigh.
Before long, he arrived back at his residence—a modest house located near the city gate. Below the two-story building was a small wine shop, while the second floor above belonged to the Lu family. The property comprised three adjoining units that had been joined into one.
For convenience, Lu Sheng didn’t cook at home. Instead, he had arranged to dine daily at a restaurant next to the wine shop, always at the same time.
After dinner, he returned to rest. He didn’t practice his internal energy that night. Instead, he applied some blood-replenishing ointment and went to bed early.
The next morning, as dawn broke, he called for a carriage and headed straight to Xixiang Street.
Inside the gently rocking carriage, Lu Sheng felt unusually tired. He rubbed his temples and assumed it was just weakness from his recent exertions. Reaching toward the cloth pouch tied at his waist, he fumbled around to find a medicinal pill.
His fingers brushed against a familiar red pill, which he was about to consume—when suddenly, a strange sensation ran through him.
Something was off.
He paused, carefully scanning his body. His instincts, honed from countless encounters with the unnatural, picked up on something subtle. He reached into the wide sleeve of his robe—and there, hidden against the inner lining, was a tightly rolled piece of yellowed paper.
The scroll had been skillfully tucked into the seam, nearly invisible and easy to miss. Lu Sheng only discovered it while absentmindedly groping for his pouch.
"Huh?"
He pulled the paper free and slowly unrolled it.
Written inside, in clear and concise brushstrokes, were a few short lines:
“Young Master, you can rest assured. The Juanren Mansion attempted to control a terrifying ghost and suffered a catastrophic failure. Its power has been shattered. It no longer has the capacity to concern itself with a petty grudge against you. — Wan.”
Lu Sheng stared at the message, face unreadable. After a few moments, he silently rolled it back up and slipped it into his pouch.
"So Duanmu Wan has been keeping an eye on me..."
"The Juanren Mansion was always a threat I dreaded. They could command demons—something far beyond my current strength. I never imagined they’d fall so suddenly..."
Once again, he was reminded of how unpredictable—and dangerous—this world could be.
After tucking the note away, he waited quietly.
Soon, the carriage rolled to a gentle stop in front of Xunyang Tower—the meeting place he’d agreed on with Song Zhenguo, Chen Yunxi, and the others.
Lu Sheng stepped down from the carriage and was immediately greeted by a bustling crowd outside Xunyang Tower.
The bright red tower, twelve stories tall and shaped like a grand stupa, stood proudly in the evening light. Every floor below the tenth was packed with people who had come to watch the Dragon Dance.
Hawkers weaved through the crowd, their voices overlapping in a chaotic chorus as they loudly peddled snacks, trinkets, and souvenirs.
Lu Sheng squeezed his way through the mass of bodies and made his way inside. As he ascended, the crowd gradually thinned, and by the time he reached the tenth floor, the space was much quieter and easier to breathe in.
“Are you Mr. Lu?” a maid asked as she approached politely.
“This way, Brother Lu!” Song Zhenguo’s voice called out warmly from across the room.
He and his companions were already waiting. Chen Yunxi stood among them, dressed in a form-fitting green gown that accentuated her graceful figure. Her long, smooth hair was simply tied at the end with a green ribbon, swaying lightly as she turned to look at Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng approached with a friendly smile.
“Thanks for reserving such a good floor for me!”
“We're the ones taking advantage of you!” Song Zhenguo said with a chuckle. “Yunxi pulled some strings and arranged this banquet just for you, Mr. Lu.”
“Yes, yes! Without Miss Yunxi’s help, we’d have been stuck on the ninth floor at best. No way we’d make it up here,” another student added with a laugh.
The speaker was Wang Ziquan from Zihua City—a striking young man whose looks rivaled Song Zhenguo’s. He had always gotten along well with Lu Sheng.
“It’s nothing, really… I just happened to run into an acquaintance,” Chen Yunxi replied shyly. Her face flushed, and she glanced at Lu Sheng with a mix of pride and embarrassment.
Lu Sheng smiled gently at her and took the initiative to sit down beside her.
Laughter and conversation soon filled the air. The group exchanged cups of wine, shared jokes, and even recited a few crude rhymes they considered poetic. The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed.
Lu Sheng was seated next to Chen Yunxi. Two other girls had come along—one sat beside Song Zhenguo, the other beside a cold-faced student. Their closeness made it clear they were all paired off like couples.
Bang!
Suddenly, a brilliant golden firework exploded outside Xunyang Tower, bursting into a massive peony that lit up the night sky.
“It’s starting! It’s starting!!” someone shouted with excitement as the entire group leapt up and rushed toward the edge of the balcony to get a better view.
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