Su Mo, courtesy name Jing Yan

In Capital City, perhaps because February's warmth was pleasant, or because spring had stirred restless hearts, the Riverboat Pavilion moored along the Capital River was bustling at dusk. An endless stream of poets and scholars came aboard to listen to songs, compose poetry, and trade matching couplets, enjoying themselves immensely.

"Ah, it's too far away... I can't hear!"

Not far from the Riverboat Pavilion, a Painted Pleasure Boat lay moored to the bank. A youth dressed in white sat at its bow. He shook the wine flask in his hand, poured a little into his cup, and took a sip. Then he gazed toward the lively Riverboat Pavilion nearby with a touch of regret.

Little Girl boarded the Painted Pleasure Boat with a bundle of calligraphy and paintings in her arms and spotted the youth drinking.

"Young master, drink less. We're out of silver," Little Girl nagged.

The youth, who had a thoroughly scholarly air about him, turned to Little Girl and said helplessly, "Didn't I send you to sell the calligraphy and paintings?"

Little Girl pursed her lips, carried the bundle over, and tossed it to him. "Nobody wants your calligraphy and paintings, young master."

"That can't be right. How much were you asking?" The youth set the bundle Little Girl had tossed him aside and poured himself more wine.

"Half a tael... Hey, young master, you're still drinking!" Little Girl snatched his flask away. "We're out of silver. Save some for tomorrow. There's still a month until the spring examination. We have to make what silver we have last."

The youth sighed and simply drained his cup.

"Do you know how much we paid for the paper scrolls?"

Little Girl nodded. "Of course. Six-tenths of a tael per scroll."

The youth looked at her like a man despairing that iron could not become steel. "The paper cost six-tenths of a tael each, and after I added my calligraphy and paintings, you sold them for half a tael?"

"I started at one tael, but nobody wanted them. Then I lowered it to eight-tenths, then six-tenths, and still nobody wanted them, so I sold them at a loss." Little Girl wore an expression that said none of this was her fault.

"How many did you sell for half a tael?" the youth asked uncertainly.

"Two!"

At least we didn't lose much... The youth breathed a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow, sell them for five taels apiece."

Disbelief covered Little Girl's face. She felt his forehead. "No fever. Why are you talking such nonsense...?"

You wouldn't understand even if I explained... The youth swatted Little Girl's hand away. "I'm going ashore for a walk. Stay on the boat and write the journal."

Little Girl looked thoroughly unwilling. "Everyone else writes their own journal. Only you need your maid to write yours for you, young master."

"Keep arguing and I'll sell you," the youth snapped.

"You'd never sell me, young master. You can't even tie up your own hair!" Little Girl grinned cheekily.

That hit a little too close to home... The youth sighed helplessly and stepped off the boat.

After he left, Little Girl went into the cabin, dug out the journal, and began to write:

Twenty-first day of the first month, twenty-sixth year of Yuanqing. Today, young master and I arrived in Capital City for the first time. He gave most of his money to refugees, then lost all the silver he had left. Penniless, we wandered the streets together. Luckily, we met a very kind auntie. She took pity on us and gave us some food, along with some silver... though I don't know why she gave us so much!

Sixth day of the second month, twenty-sixth year of Yuanqing. We've been in the capital for ten days. Young master used the silver the auntie gave us to buy a Painted Pleasure Boat. He called it an investment, saying we could sell it for silver when we left the capital and save on inn fees in the meantime. He thinks I don't know, but really, he just wants to stay close to the Riverboat Pavilion so he can listen to songs without paying.

Seventh day of the second month, twenty-sixth year of Yuanqing. Today, young master sent me to buy paper scrolls. He said he would make calligraphy and paintings to sell for silver. Today I heard that a Painted Pleasure Boat costs only six taels, but the one he bought yesterday cost ten! There's no way we'll get ten taels back when we leave the capital. We didn't have much silver to begin with, and now we've lost more.

Today, young master thought he couldn't hear clearly enough from our Painted Pleasure Boat, so he went to listen to songs in the pavilion beside the Riverboat Pavilion.

Eighth day of the second month, twenty-sixth year of Yuanqing. Today, young master made some calligraphy and paintings and sent me to sell them. His work is lovely, but for some reason, nobody bought any... Maybe I picked the wrong spot. Next time, I'll try somewhere other than outside the gambling house.

Today, young master went to the pavilion to listen to songs again.

Ninth day of the second month, twenty-sixth year of Yuanqing. Today, I heard people saying that masters hold their maids' indentures. But young master doesn't have mine. I should write one for him, and then I'll be his maid fair and square... Today, young master went to the pavilion to listen to songs again.

With a flask of wine in hand, Su Mo ambled into a pavilion below the Riverboat Pavilion's upper decks. From here, he could hear the celebrated courtesan playing behind the curtain upstairs, see the dancing girls moving to the music in front of it, and watch the poets and scholars below reciting poems, exchanging couplets, and drinking.

If I had money, I could drink up there too... Su Mo leaned back in the pavilion, gazing enviously at the Riverboat Pavilion's world of song and dance, where paper dazzled and gold intoxicated.

"Ah, poverty clips a man's ambitions!" Su Mo raised the flask and took a swig.

An affront to decency... He felt the few scraps of silver tucked inside his robe, unable to suppress his indignation.

A zither began to play aboard the Riverboat Pavilion.

The spring breeze drifted in, stirring a riverful of memories.

Su Mo was not from this world. More precisely, the soul within this body did not belong here. It had come from an ancient nation in a civilized world, a nation with five thousand years of heritage, cultured and steeped in history.

That day, he had woken to find that the world before his eyes was no longer his own.

That day, the autumn examination was underway, and he had lifted his brush and dipped it in ink.

That day, he had passed the autumn examination.

That day, Su Mo had set foot in this world, lost and bewildered.

In this world, immortals and demons rose together, and myriad races stood in profusion.

In this world, every path could lead to immortal cultivation.

In this world, danger lurked on every side, yet immortal cultivators were everywhere.

In this world, human lives were worth no more than weeds.

"What a dogshit world..."

The body Su Mo had transmigrated into had also been named Su Mo. What a coincidence... Through its memories, he had learned about its former owner and this world.

Su Mo, courtesy name Jing Yan. He should have received his courtesy name at his coming-of-age ceremony at twenty, but the deaths of both his adoptive parents had led him to take one early. A licentiate had entered the autumn examination, but it was the newcomer who had completed it and earned the rank of provincial graduate.

Su Mo did not know why he felt compelled to finish the Autumn Examination for his predecessor and come here to take the Spring Examination.

Perhaps it was his lingering obsession. To see his name on the golden list...? Su Mo sighed.

He had no plans whatsoever for his life beyond that.

Take each day as it comes. First, fulfill my predecessor's cherished wish... As for what he would do afterward, Su Mo had no plans.

"Maybe I'll become an official while I'm at it?"

Seeing his name on the golden list had been his predecessor's cherished wish. Becoming an official was Su Mo's idea.

Though he was still lost, several months of settling in and learning had left him less frightened and helpless than when he first arrived.

Since I'm here, I might as well let loose...

What did scholars in this world study for...? A place on the golden list, and a smooth ascent into the clouds.

Yet Su Mo felt a certain longing for this world's immortal cultivation. It was simply far too distant from ordinary people.

Let's set a small goal first: take first place in the imperial examination...

After thinking it over for a long time, he still settled on... taking things one step at a time.

Months had passed since his transmigration, and he had achieved nothing... His only mark on this world was picking up Little Girl, luring her away with a single meal of steamed buns...

I'm a disgrace to my fellow transmigrators... Su Mo thought of the transmigration novels from his previous life, with protagonists who became kings and overlords within a month. They really did make him envious.

"Look at other transmigrators. They either get a system or buffs! We all transmigrated, so why do I get neither a system nor buffs...?"

Su Mo gazed at the night sky overhead. A graceful figure flashed past and floated into the nearby Riverboat Pavilion... "And there are fucking cheaters everywhere..."