"Dong, dong~"
The bell rang again.
Song Ziyun rubbed his hands together and smiled at Li Ping'an.
Li Ping'an wore a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Brother Li... er, no! Mr. Li... thank you for what happened earlier.
If you get the chance, you must visit my home."
"Of course, of course."
"...About, about pulling some strings..." Song Ziyun hesitated.
Li Ping'an said, "Brother Song, don't take the wrong path. You won't necessarily lose if you compete with others openly and honestly. Why do things that can't bear the light of day?"
"I know." Song Ziyun smiled awkwardly. "I'm just preparing on both fronts."
Li Ping'an patted his shoulder. "Believe in yourself."
Since Li Ping'an had already said that, Song Ziyun could hardly say anything more.
He pulled a stack of banknotes from inside his robes.
"Thank you for what happened earlier, Mr. Li. These banknotes aren't much, but they're a small token of my gratitude."
"There's really no need." Li Ping'an refused again. "It was only a small effort at the time."
"Your innate aptitude is the first hurdle on the path of cultivation.
The first assessment will test your aptitude.
Everyone, come forward in turn..."
The chief examiner's voice had already sounded up ahead.
Song Ziyun glanced over, still somewhat unwilling to give up on using connections.
A disciple came over and spotted the two figures outside the line.
"Hey, what are you doing over there? Get in line..."
Halfway through speaking, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his expression shifting slightly.
He cupped his hands and bowed. "This disciple failed to recognize you, Grand... Grandmaster Shiye."
Song Ziyun froze and pointed at himself.
"Me?"
For one instant, he even thought that he was somehow this Grandmaster Ancestor.
Then he turned to look at Li Ping'an.
Li Ping'an's tone remained