Zhao Menghua could not help speaking up. "Daoist Priest, have you mistaken him for someone else? We all know him well. His grades have been at the bottom for years—he could lower our class average by an entire tier all by himself."
Though Lu Mingfei was fuming inside, he had no way to argue. It was indeed the truth.
Pingyangzi stroked his beard and chuckled. "How could I be mistaken? Though I do not know this student's name, his brow is noble and prominent, his bones are extraordinary. He is precisely the sort of fine talent our academy longs for."
"Why does the Daoist Priest think so?" Lu Mingfei muttered. The scene was practically like a street swindler saying, "Kid, I can tell from your exceptional bones that you're destined for greatness. I'll sell you this secret manual cheap."
Pingyangzi's eyes held a smile. "I have some small skill in observing one's aura."
He paused, as if suddenly recalling something. "Right, I still do not know this student's name."
"Lu Mingfei. My name is Lu Mingfei."
"All graduates of our academy are assigned jobs, most with official positions." Pingyangzi coaxed him patiently.
Zhao Menghua still found it unbelievable.
"Daoist Priest, what kind of talents does your academy even need? Lu Mingfei has neither grades nor physical ability. I really can't see what merits he has."
Pingyangzi's gaze swept over Zhao Menghua, and he shook his head slightly.
"All beings have their own fate. Young friend, when you see what others have gained, it is like watching flowers bloom on the far shore—you always feel they look especially radiant across the water. Yet you do not know that the orchids on your own shore are quietly envied by those across the water.
"Life turns like the four seasons. Peach blossoms in