The Xiang River flowed on, and the plum grove looked like a painting. Xu Yi lay beside a bamboo hut, turning the Ruyi Pearl over in his hand as two white cranes danced through the sky above the grove.
Huang Mei lay slumped beside Xu Yi, eyeing him askance. "Not bad. You really put on a fine act this time. I underestimated you. I thought those five pieces of Profound Yellow Essence would crush you, but you actually held out. Still, don't tell me you've gotten so hooked on pretending to be a stubborn fool that you've forgotten what really matters."
Xu Yi said coldly, "Everything sounds worse coming out of your mouth. I don't have time to shoot the breeze with you. I'm going to sleep." As he spoke, he closed his eyes, though whether he was asleep or merely pretending was anyone's guess.
His face was calm, but his heart was churning.
After months of pretending, it had finally paid off.
Ever since the Loose Immortal Academy's inquiry that day, he had understood the path Director Yu had pointed him toward: the Path of the Esteemed Scholar.
He had risen to the post of Merit Officer and reached the ceiling for advancement. There was little point in continuing to grind away at the Loose Immortal Academy.
After all, Xu Yi's aims were unlike those of ordinary officials. They wanted power in their hands and to cling to lucrative posts, where they could easily rake in benefits for years on end.
Xu Yi had only one goal: resources. Resources for cultivation. His purpose in acquiring an official post was still to obtain resources.
He had already reached the great perfection of the Yang Fish Realm. To advance further, all he lacked was resources—vast quantities of Profound Yellow Essence.
If