Reality

To take first place in the academy examination, one had to at least be in the Spirit Source Realm.

Four years ago, when Lin Xiaoting had taken first place in the academy examination, he had already reached the third layer of the Spirit Source Realm. This year's competitors were likely all at that level.

In comparison, when Li Tianming had taken the academy examination four years ago, he had only been at the Seventh Layer of Beast Pulse Realm. He had barely qualified to enter Yanhuang Academy; Heavenly Court had been entirely beyond consideration.

Of course, he had made tremendous progress recently, and he still hoped to charge higher during the academy examination.

If he could enter Heavenly Court directly, there might finally be hope for his mother's illness.

Then, those people who had once treated him as a joke should be able to witness his return!

At that moment, they arrived at Xuechen Pavilion.

Inside Xuechen Pavilion, a beautiful lady in a golden-yellow gown stood by the entrance.

She should have been forty years old today, yet time had not left the slightest mark upon her. Her skin was as white as jade, delicate enough to break beneath a breath, making her look like a teenage girl.

Her tall, slender figure was exquisite and full of vitality, impeccably maintained. Combined with her noble bearing, she possessed boundless charm.

Even if such a woman walked down the street, anyone could tell at a glance that her family was rolling in wealth.

"Jing'er, it really is you!" The moment their eyes met, the beautiful woman hurried to Wei Jing's side. Her eyes had already reddened as she spoke.

"Xiao Lan." Twenty years had passed. Meeting again, Wei Jing gently took her hand.

Her own fingers trembled slightly as well. As for her eyes, they had long since turned red.

"Come in and talk. Come in first." Madam Xue Lan pulled her into Xuechen Pavilion, and they took their seats.

She looked at Wei Jing with heartache and said, "Has your Little Life Tribulation finally acted up? You're only forty, yet you've already aged so much. Jing'er, I never imagined you had suffered so bitterly. Had I known, I would have gone to Lihuo City to see you."

"I'm used to it." Wei Jing smiled faintly. She was still as composed as ever. Gently pulling Li Tianming closer, she said, "Xiao Lan, this is my child, Li Tianming. Tianming, greet Aunt Lan."

"Greetings, Aunt Lan." Li Tianming bowed respectfully. His mother had found an old friend in Flame Capital, and he was sincerely happy for her.

"The child is already this grown. My Hao'er should be about the same age as him. How wonderful," Madam Xue Lan said.

Li Tianming stood to one side, listening to their conversation.

"Jing'er, you haven't returned for twenty years. This time, coming back to Flame Capital..."

"Li Yanfeng and I are finished. I won't be returning to Lihuo City. From now on, I'll live in Flame Capital. I missed this place. I missed all of you," Wei Jing said.

"Ah, if only you hadn't been so willful back then..." Xue Lan sighed.

"Xiao Lan, let's not talk about what happened back then." Wei Jing shook her head.

Madam Xue Lan pursed her lips and said, "All right. So you came back this time because you want to return to Heavenly Court and have the Palace Lord remove your Little Life Tribulation? I doubt that will be possible. The Palace Lord was the one who expelled you from Heavenly Court back then. With his temperament, even after twenty years, he will never forgive you..."

"No, I didn't return because of the Little Life Tribulation." Wei Jing still did not wish to discuss the past. There seemed to be some friction in their conversation, so she went straight to the point. "I only want to live quietly in Flame Capital and accompany my child through my final stretch of days. I also wanted to see all of you. You're all living so well, and I'm happy for you. Truly happy for you."

"I see..." Madam Xue Lan nodded. "In any case, I respect your choice."

"Xiao Lan, I have one more favor to ask of you." Wei Jing looked at her earnestly.

"Don't say that. We're sisters. Since you've returned, I'll definitely help you to the very end," Madam Xue Lan said.

"If possible, find me a place to live near Yanhuang Academy. It needn't be good; it only needs to be livable. My son and I have only just returned, and we have nowhere to stay," Wei Jing said.

"How could that do? You can stay at Chen Palace. Chen Palace is close to Yanhuang Academy, and I can look after you there," Madam Xue Lan said.

"That wouldn't be appropriate. It would trouble you too much. I am already a dying woman; it would be better to have some peace and quiet." Wei Jing shook her head.

"Jing'er..." Madam Xue Lan gritted her teeth, her face full of sorrow. "Don't worry. I'll arrange it for you at once."

"Thank you, Xiao Lan."

"Speaking of which, you need a residence close to Yanhuang Academy because your child has received a Yanhuang Order and needs to take the academy examination?" Xue Lan asked.

"Yes."

Madam Xue Lan examined Li Tianming and asked, "Child, what realm have you cultivated to now?"

"In reply to Aunt Lan, the Seventh Layer of Beast Pulse Realm."

"Not bad, but the competition for Yanhuang Academy is especially fierce this time. At your realm, you'll need to risk your life a little to pass the academy examination and not disappoint your mother's hopes," Madam Xue Lan instructed.

"I will certainly work hard." Li Tianming nodded.

No matter what, she had helped resolve his mother's worries, so naturally he was grateful to her.

But at that moment, a discordant voice drifted in—

"The Seventh Layer of Beast Pulse Realm, and from some remote backwater too, yet he wants to secure a spot in Yanhuang Academy? That sounds a little like dreaming."

As he spoke, a youth walked in from outside. Several maidservants immediately helped him remove his training clothes and dressed him in a luxurious robe, then brought water to serve him as he washed his face and hands.

"Mother, we have guests today?" The youth was Chen Yao, who had just returned from martial practice.

"Yes, she is one of Mother's old sisters." Xue Lan looked at her youngest son with eyes full of tenderness and affection.

"Sisters?" Chen Yao raised his head, glanced over, then could not help laughing. "You're really interesting. When you were young, you became sisters with an old hag? At her age, she could be your grandmother."

Though he said it as a joke, it was unpleasant to hear. Li Tianming felt somewhat displeased.

"Yao'er, don't talk nonsense. That's rude." Xue Lan cast him a reproachful glance, though there was not much blame in it.

"I can't be bothered with you." Chen Yao had already finished washing up. "Hurry up and send them away. More poor relatives trying to climb connections and ask for favors. Just looking at them annoys me and affects my mood for the academy examination."

"All right, I'll be quick. I won't delay your Golden Strength Soup." When Madam Xue Lan spoke to Chen Yao, her face was full of tender affection.

After speaking, she turned back to Wei Jing with a coquettish smile. "Jing'er, there's nothing I can do. This child simply refuses to grow up. Even now, he needs me to personally brew his Golden Strength Soup. That stuff is expensive and difficult to obtain, and it has wrinkled my hands. Look."

As she spoke, she extended her hand before Wei Jing. Those skillful hands were crystal-clear and translucent; clearly, they had never done any housework. They were far better than Wei Jing's hands.

In that instant, Li Tianming saw many things clearly.

He had originally been grateful to Madam Xue Lan, but by now, how could he fail to understand? From beginning to end, this woman had been putting on a false show.

Especially with that gesture now—placing her gleaming, beautiful fingers before Wei Jing and claiming they were wrinkled.

Such an obvious taunt and provocation—between women, these seemingly casual words were sharper than swords and blades.

"No, Xiao Lan's hands are still as delicate and lovely as they were twenty years ago."

Li Tianming had thought the swords and blades hidden within Xue Lan's words would leave his mother so hurt that she could not speak.

Yet he had not expected her to smile as though nothing had happened and say those words.

After speaking, Wei Jing rose to her feet. "Xiao Lan, we have only just returned to Flame Capital and still have many trivial matters to arrange, so we won't trouble you any longer."

"Won't you stay a little longer? I'll have the servants arrange a feast," Madam Xue Lan said reluctantly.

"No." Wei Jing shook her head.

"All right, then. Now that you've returned, there will be plenty of chances for us to meet later. I'll have servants arrange a house for you."

"For tonight, go stay at Chen Yao Inn first. Later, someone will guide you to your residence."

Madam Xue Lan's arrangement sounded extremely thoughtful.

"Many thanks."

"Someone, escort these two distinguished guests."

After Li Tianming and Wei Jing had left, Madam Xue Lan stood beside Chen Yao with a smile on her face. Her smile was brilliantly radiant.

"Why do you look so pleased?" Chen Yao asked strangely.

"Do I? Don't say that. My sister has endured twenty years of hardship, and she still has to die alone afterward. I pity her more than you could imagine."

Madam Xue Lan smiled as she spoke.

"Do you? It looks like you're so happy you're about to dance." Chen Yao curled his lip.

"Don't talk nonsense, child. Still, the twists and turns of life can sometimes be truly marvelous. Hehe." She could not help laughing aloud.

"How boring." Chen Yao thought about Li Tianming's appearance, then suddenly said, "Why do I feel like that man looks a little familiar? What was his name?"

"Something like Li Tianming? Li Yanfeng's spawn from Lihuo City. Back then, a toad actually ate swan meat." Madam Xue Lan shook her head with a smile.

"Li Tianming? I remember now! Four years ago, he entered Yanhuang Academy too. That man was the laughingstock of Yanhuang Academy!" Chen Yao laughed as well.

"How so?"

Chen Yao then told her about the incident that had occurred at Yanhuang Academy three years ago. Even now, people still talked about that joke.

"A miserable woman and a lowly child—what a perfect match." Xue Lan suddenly wanted a drink. This feeling was simply too satisfying.

"His lifebound beast died, and he's still only at the Seventh Layer of Beast Pulse Realm? He must have casually used a Blood God Contract to find another lifebound beast, then thought he could enter Yanhuang Academy again? That's looking down on the academy examination far too much." Chen Yao could not help shaking his head.

He could not understand why someone whose reputation had been utterly ruined still wanted to come and disgrace himself.

After Xue Lan had enjoyed herself enough, she was preparing to brew the Golden Strength Soup when a servant reported that Chen Sheng had returned.

She hurriedly tidied her appearance and went out under the attendance of the maidservants to greet him.

This influential figure of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom looked very young, like a young man, more like Chen Yao's elder brother.

Only by looking into his eyes could one see his experience and powerful presence.

Whenever he entered Chen Palace, the entire palace fell into deathly silence. Guards along the way knelt and paid homage, as if he were an emperor.

If Chen Yao's eyes held stars, then Chen Sheng's eyes held an entire sea of stars. The radiance in his eyes was enough to make all of Chen Palace shine alongside him.

After he returned, Xue Lan personally changed his clothes, then nestled in his arms like a blissful little woman.

"Who were those two people who just left? They looked a little familiar," Chen Sheng asked, stroking Xue Lan's long hair.

"You saw her?" Xue Lan pursed her lips.

"Who was it?"

"The woman you couldn't obtain back then." Xue Lan laughed coquettishly.

Hah!

Chen Sheng abruptly rose to his feet and stared deeply at Xue Lan. His expression was grave and shocked as he asked, "You mean... it was her!"

"Yes. Did you get a good look? Old and ugly, enough to make anyone vomit. I vomited today. Did you?"

Xue Lan lifted her head, laughter in her eyes as she watched him mockingly.

He did not answer.

"She's forty, and ugly to this extent. Do you still love her?" Xue Lan licked her red lips and smiled with dazzling allure.

Chen Sheng took a deep breath and, without another word, walked out the door.

"You'd better take another good look at how ugly she is now! If you haven't vomited enough, don't come back through this door!"

After he left, Xue Lan's excited voice continued to ring out, growing louder and louder.

There would be another update at 8 p.m. The public account's chapter notifications had also been changed to 8 p.m.