Preparing for the Exam

At five in the afternoon, the lingering glow of the setting sun still lit the city brightly as Zhao Han said goodbye to several classmates she had only recently gotten to know.

After going downstairs, just as she was about to take the bus home from the roadside, she saw Li Shuangyue drive up.

"Huh? Didn't Teacher Wenren get off work at two?" she asked in surprise as she got into the car.

"Oh, Young Master said that President Zhao's only son has gone in now, so he must be upset and probably won't have the attention to spare for you. Since the matter has only just ended, he was worried there might be another twist, so he told me to stay and pick you up," Li Shuangyue said sincerely.

Zhao Han was immediately moved by his words, but then a narration suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Li Shuangyue looked honest and simple on the surface, but who could know that when this man lied, he did not even blink? Wenren Sheng had never said any of that. It was entirely his own idea."

"Uh, th-thank you, Brother Li." Zhao Han felt a little awkward, though another wave of warmth rose in her heart.

She had only met Brother Li a few times, yet he had already gone out of his way to think so much for her.

Halfway through the drive, Li Shuangyue casually said, "Tomorrow is Saturday. As usual, it's time for a thorough cleaning. The hourly workers we hired the last few times were all unreliable..."

"Mm, I'll definitely help Brother Li clean everything up tomorrow." Zhao Han turned to look out the window.

I should have understood long ago. There could be hatred without reason, but never love without reason—unless that person was your parent...

When the car returned to Wenren Sheng Villa and the automatic courtyard gate opened, they saw a silver-white sedan parked in the courtyard lot. After getting out, they heard a low argument coming from inside.

"Wenren De, you've really got some nerve. You're not even forty, yet you stay cooped up at home every day, eating your son's food, drinking your son's drinks, living under your son's roof... Anyone who saw this would think you were the son, while my son was working himself to the bone being your father!"

A somewhat cool female voice was berating someone.

Zhao Han was startled and felt a little awkward. She stopped walking. From the sound of it, were Teacher Wenren's parents arguing?

Of course, she knew Wenren Sheng had parents and that they were living separately. She had certainly done that much homework.

But Li Shuangyue looked delighted. He quickly stepped forward and pushed open the door to the villa's main hall.

Zhao Han could only follow.

"Madam, you've returned?" Li Shuangyue greeted her as soon as he entered.

This world was ultimately different from Wenren Sheng's previous life. Since Divine Land had never experienced any great upheavals, many old forms of address had continued to be used.

Zhao Han entered as well and saw a woman who looked very young from the side. She was pointing one finger at a middle-aged man lying on the sofa and drinking, scolding him.

Only when she saw people enter did the woman stop.

"Oh, Xiao Li. You've worked hard these years." The woman turned toward them.

Zhao Han looked at her. Her features were delicate and beautiful; Zhao Han could hardly believe she was Wenren Sheng's mother. No one would doubt it if she called her Sister instead.

Wenren De reluctantly climbed up from the sofa, his drunken eyes hazy. "Enough, enough, Ouyang Ling. There are outsiders here. Give me some face."

"Hmph. Then where is my son?" Ouyang Ling stopped arguing, lowering her voice.

"When Young Master returned this afternoon, he said he needed to prepare for the next Judge Qualification Exam—the Otherworldly Species Host Qualification Review held once every three years. He should be studying in the study right now," Li Shuangyue answered seriously, standing respectfully at the side.

"Good, good! My son is incredible. He's only twenty, yet at such a young age he can stand on equal footing with those old men in their forties and fifties. This is wonderful!" Ouyang Ling's face immediately shone with pride, as if her whole body were glowing.

She completely forgot about Wenren De sprawled on the sofa and began pacing excitedly back and forth through the hall.

"Sure enough, I was right to come back this time." Ouyang Ling soon stopped, took an old thread-bound book from the handbag she carried, and said, "Xiao Li, give this to Young Master later. I'll be leaving now."

"Madam, won't you stay for dinner?" Li Shuangyue stepped forward to accept the book with both hands, asking one extra question.

"Forget it. Since my son needs to prepare for his exam, I won't disturb him this time. I'll come back after this is over." A trace of hesitation appeared on Ouyang Ling's face, but she still refused.

"Very well, Madam. I'll give the book to Young Master." Li Shuangyue said no more and stepped aside with the book.

After delivering the book, Ouyang Ling glared at Wenren De again. She suddenly walked over, opened an unopened can of beer, poured it directly over his head, then turned and marched away.

"Haha, well poured!" Wenren De opened his mouth and drank. "Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade are not worth cherishing; I only wish to stay drunk forever and never wake. Since ancient times, sages and wise men have all been lonely; only drinkers leave their names behind."

Ouyang Ling staggered, her steps pausing as she murmured, "Laughing toward the heavens as I go out the door, how could people like us be mere weeds?"

After saying that, she noticed Zhao Han but paid her no mind. Without greeting her, she headed straight for her car.

Li Shuangyue had already set down the old thread-bound book. He took a towel and wiped Wenren De's face, while Zhao Han stepped forward to help clean up the beer cans scattered all over the floor.

As she cleaned, she asked, "That lady just now was Teacher Wenren's mother, right?"

"Mm." Li Shuangyue answered directly. "Are you wondering why Madam obviously cares so much about Young Master and is so proud of him, yet refuses to stay and see him?"

"Uh, Brother Li, did I ask too much again?" Zhao Han said awkwardly.

"It's nothing. Since you'll be living here for a long time, there are some things you should know, so they don't cause trouble later." Li Shuangyue did not avoid the subject. "Madam is very competitive, and she is also an Otherworldly Species holder. However, she has been stuck at the Skilled Level Evaluation for many years, just one step short of becoming an expert."

Zhao Han asked in confusion, "I remember that Temporary Hosts of Otherworldly Species have a time limit. If they have not become experts by around age thirty-five, then regardless of their progress, their Otherworldly Species will be forcibly taken away."

"That's right. Master lost his Otherworldly Species two years ago, on his thirty-fifth birthday," Li Shuangyue said evenly. "Madam is the same age as Master, so she should have lost hers then as well. But at that time, it had been exactly one year since Young Master activated his Otherworldly Species, and he happened to receive an Expert Level Evaluation."

He had earned an Expert Level Evaluation after activating his Otherworldly Species for just one year? What kind of inhuman creature was that? Zhao Han was utterly shocked. She had thought her Seed of Narration was already miraculous enough. Although it liked to spout nonsense at times, it never backed down when things mattered. But now, it seemed she was not even worthy of carrying someone else's shoes.

After the shock passed, she suddenly understood. "Oh, I remember. According to a supplementary regulation of the Supreme Patrol Division, an expert can provide Shelter for one person and allow them to keep their Otherworldly Species permanently."

"That's right. Young Master gave that spot to Madam at the time. Madam feels guilty and believes she has wronged Master. She also wanted to transfer her Otherworldly Species to him. After all, they had lived together for more than ten years, their feelings ran deep, and their circumstances were nearly identical. But Master pretended to be mad and drunk his days away, completely ruining Madam's plans... Madam starts arguing whenever she sees Master, so she did not want her mood to affect Young Master's exam preparations during dinner."

"Others laugh at me for being too mad; I laugh at others for failing to see through. The graves of Wuling's heroes are nowhere to be found; without flowers or wine, they have been tilled into fields." Wenren De reached for another beer as he recited.

Seeing this, Zhao Han suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. The scene seemed familiar somehow, but she could not recall why.

"I never thought a mere Otherworldly Species could bring so much joy and sorrow," Zhao Han sighed softly as she helped.

"Mere?" Li Shuangyue froze slightly, then shook his head. "People never cherish what they have while they possess it. They only suffer after losing it. When you lose your Otherworldly Species, then you'll understand what it is you've truly lost."

"I think I was happy before I activated it too. I went to school normally with everyone, played happily with everyone, worked hard preparing for exams with everyone..." Zhao Han said, somewhat confused.

Of course, she understood the immense value of an Otherworldly Species, but she also felt that even if she truly lost hers, it would not be that terrible.

But clearly, others did not think so.

Because of it, Liu Bo, who should have written happiness for others, had set foot on a path of slaughtering innocents for his son. Zhao Xu, once innocent and pure, had taken the road of trampling people's hearts. And now, because of it, a couple who had once been happy had separated from one another.

"Sigh, no wonder Young Master said you were naive." After cleaning up Wenren De, Li Shuangyue laid him flat on the sofa. "Young Master once told me that if Otherworldly Species did not exist, then more than half the history of Divine Land, if you opened it up and read it, would be a history of people eating people. You and I would not be standing here, chatting so easily."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Han felt a chill run down her spine.

"I asked too, but Young Master did not answer me." Li Shuangyue stood and headed for the kitchen.

Zhao Han set aside her thoughts and hurried after him. "I'll make dinner tonight."

"All right. Young Master can eat anything anyway, so there's no harm in leaving it to you." Li Shuangyue nodded.