Registration at the County Academy

Before the gates of the Lin Residence.

Wang Mochuan had brought a calling card, intending to present it.

Yet he could not find a single person to receive it.

The entire entrance was in chaos. Servants ran about in every direction, visiting guests received no proper guidance, the Taoists brought in to perform the rites did not know where to set up the mourning tent, and some servants even seemed to be shoving a young Taoist acolyte.

As they spoke, they actually began quarreling in the street.

Friends and old family acquaintances who had come to offer condolences were mostly blocked outside the gates as well.

Just as Wang Mochuan was about to send his driver to inquire, a student he knew came over and said, "Brother Wang, you may not know this, but Brother Lin Yuan has vanished at some point.

There was some strange thing hiding inside the coffin in the mourning hall. Whenever anyone stepped forward to pay respects, it would ask, 'Was it you who killed Lin Qi?'

Whew, it scared everyone half to death.

Then, from who knew where, a little Taoist leading a donkey came in and said there was a demon inside. Without heeding anyone's attempts to stop him, he went to lift the coffin lid.

Sure enough, a red fox leaped out of the coffin. In a flash, it darted before Uncle Lin and frightened him into fainting on the spot. Then the demon vanished without a trace.

The little Taoist leading the donkey slapped a talisman onto the donkey, hugged it, and in a flash, he vanished too.

Ah, nothing but strange happenings since early this morning. How could this residence not have fallen into complete disorder?"

Wang Mochuan was dumbfounded. They had only arrived a little later than the others, yet they had already missed one major upheaval after another at the residence.

Of course, Wang Mochuan had no intention of enjoying another family's misfortune or watching their troubles for entertainment.

Lin Qi had only just died, and the Lin Family was already shrouded in gloom. Then one incident after another had erupted, while Lin Yuan had vanished for no apparent reason. Wang Mochuan was beginning to worry for the two elders of the Lin Residence.

"How is Uncle Lin now?" Wang Mochuan sighed and asked first.

The warmhearted student was named Meng Hui. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "People from the Lin Family's rural clan have arrived, saying they want to help the Lin Family take charge of the situation.

The Lin Family's two elder sons are dead and missing respectively, though there is still a seven- or eight-year-old concubine-born son at their side.

They are arguing over it now. If Uncle Lin does not wake up, it will depend on Aunt's methods."

In other words, Father Lin still had not awakened.

Xu Wenyuan, listening beside them, grew both worried and anxious. He hurriedly said, "Then what should we do now? Should we still go and send Brother Lin Qi... on his final journey?

Shouldn't we go inside and help Uncle Lin?"

"Help with what?" A somewhat hoarse yet imposing voice rang out.

Everyone hurriedly turned around and saw a middle-aged scholar in casual green robes descending the steps of the Lin Residence. It was Wu Zhengze, the County School Instructor whom they all knew well.

Everyone promptly bowed in greeting, some calling him Master, others Teacher.

Even the few Taoist acolytes in the street who had been arguing with the Lin Residence's servants quieted down.

Wu Zhengze approached at an unhurried pace. His gaze swept over the crowd as he said blandly, "What status do you possess, and on what grounds should you interfere in the internal affairs of their kin?"

The students all lowered their heads, muttering wordlessly.

"Trouble arises from forcing one's way into matters. You are young and inexperienced. Are you not afraid that what you believe to be good intentions may instead result in bad deeds?"

After reprimanding them for a few sentences, Wu Zhengze finally said, "Go. Enter and offer condolences for Lin Qi. See him off on his final journey, then return to your dormitories.

If I remember correctly, today is not a rest day."

With just a few words, he had arranged everything clearly. Though the front of the Lin Residence remained chaotic, that chaos now seemed to have been separated from the County Academy's students.

The students who had not yet paid their respects to Lin Qi hurried up the steps and entered the Lin Residence. Without waiting for anyone to announce them, they went straight to the mourning hall to offer incense and condolences.

The mourning hall was also a complete mess. At a glance, several groups appeared to be confronting one another.

The students could not concern themselves with any of that. They merely lowered their heads and finished what they had come to do, then hurriedly took their leave of Madam You.

Chen Xu blended into the crowd, following everyone through the process as though rushing between appointments, then withdrawing from the Lin Residence along with the others.

Everyone remained silent along the way. Only after they emerged from the Lin Residence gates again did someone suddenly let out a long breath and say, "In merely two or three days, the changes in a single family and clan can be so great. The affairs of this world truly are unpredictable."

Yes, the affairs of this world truly were unpredictable.

Everyone sighed with emotion, their hearts heavy with shared unease.

Chen Xu also found it rather unpredictable. He had come to the Lin Residence today to offer condolences, thinking he would have to go through another round of twists and turns. There had indeed been twists and turns, yet they somehow had nothing to do with him at all.

He had become a bystander. The Fox Demon had fled before he arrived, and Lin Yuan had "disappeared." In an instant, the grievances between the Lin brothers and him seemed to have become nothing more than a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a shadow.

Chen Xu felt as though he had awakened from a dream, seeing everything with sudden clarity.

At that moment, he felt that he probably understood the four words "the affairs of this world are unpredictable" more deeply than any of his classmates.

The affairs of the Lin Family came to a temporary close. As expected, the County Academy's students all returned to the County Academy in groups, but Chen Xu alone was stopped by Wu Zhengze.

Chen Xu boarded Wu Zhengze's carriage. Inside it, the usually stern instructor's expression softened somewhat, and he did his best to temper his tone as he asked Chen Xu, "How is your leg injury? Will it heal before the prefectural examination?"

"Reporting to Master, my leg has recovered by more than half. It will certainly heal before the prefectural examination," Chen Xu hurriedly answered.

Wu Zhengze nodded. "This year, after discussing it with the other instructors, we decided it would be best to leave for the Prefectural City half a month early. There is one month until the prefectural examination begins. In another five days, we will gather everyone and depart.

"If you have decided to take this year's prefectural examination, you may go with me to the County Academy now to register your name.

"You need not worry about the matter of five candidates standing surety for one another. After registration, the academy will arrange it for you."

Wu Zhengze was meticulous and thorough. Chen Xu's spirits rose as he listened, and he quickly said, "Thank you, Master."

After saying this, Chen Xu felt the atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat too heavy and solemn, so he added, "This student will hitch a ride in Master's carriage to the County Academy today. Recently, this student made some coarse tea himself. I will send a packet to Master later in return, and I hope Master will not disdain it."

Wu Zhengze heard this and gave Chen Xu a bland glance.

The meaning in that glance was rather complicated. It expressed his disdain with exceptional clarity.

Well, that was simply Instructor Wu's personality.

He disdained ordinary things, including the County Academy students with their differing temperaments and all manner of faults. He disdained every last one of them.

But disdain was disdain; it did not hinder Wu Zhengze's serious and responsible manner of handling matters.

Thus, Chen Xu had never feared him. When he saw his master glance at him, Chen Xu instead smiled and said, "Master, this tea tastes exceptionally good. I am giving it to no one else, only to Master."

Wu Zhengze sighed. "Fine. You still have the leisure to make tea. It seems that these successive years of setbacks have not damaged your spirit.

"That is very good. With such a disposition, regardless of whether you succeed in the Imperial Examination in the future, your prospects will certainly not be poor.

"Since you intend to give me that tea, send it over later."

Chen Xu's eyes immediately lit up, and joy appeared on his face.

The one receiving it had merely expressed his willingness to "accept the gift" with reluctance, yet the one giving it was particularly delighted.

Chen Xu had a small scheme in mind. He intended to give Master Wu some Worry-Dispelling Tea and hear this instructor say, "This really smells good."

While he was at it, he would test what Wu Zhengze's daily upper limit for likes was.

Chen Xu planned ahead. Though he was still in Jichuan, his mind was already on the Prefectural City and the sources of likes he could find there.