"On behalf of all the senior brothers and sisters of the Luodu Squad, I welcome you aboard, Junior Brother!" Zhang Yangchu looked at Zhang Jing with a smile, his tone solemn.
"Sorry for the trouble I'll be causing you in the days ahead, Senior Brother Yangchu."
A smile likewise rose on Zhang Jing's face as he spoke politely.
"Oh, Junior Brother," Zhang Yangchu seemed to remember something suddenly and hurriedly asked, "you've been away from home for over a month now, haven't you? Counting the days, Nanli's Chang'an Festival isn't far off."
"If you want to go home for a visit, you can travel with those who failed the assessment when the Dao Academy sends them back."
Home?
The scene of his parents repeatedly reminding him of things before his departure immediately surfaced before Zhang Jing's eyes.
"Yes, I should go home for a visit. Thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother Yangchu."
He spoke gratefully.
"No need to stand on ceremony, Junior Brother."
With that said,
Zhang Yangchu took out a yellow talisman and a small white jade bottle, handed them to Zhang Jing, and explained:
"Junior Brother, I'll wait until you return before taking you to Luodu Island. You'll receive your cultivation cave abode and the opportunity to redeem a middle-grade inheritance then. These are the Purple Spirit Pills I promised you. You can take them while cultivating back home."
"After all, the spiritual qi outside cannot compare to the Dao Academy's."
"This is a Communication Talisman. Once you return, simply activate it with spiritual power to contact me."
Elsewhere.
A lovely figure passed through the crowd and walked straight up to Ji Bochang, smiling sweetly.
"Thank you for your efforts today, Junior Brother."
Hearing this, Ji Bochang's face fell. Looking at the woman's beautiful face, he said in a subdued voice:
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister! I only placed fifteenth this time."
"There, Junior Brother." The woman gently took Ji Bochang's hand and comforted him softly. "It's all right. I understand. After all, who could have imagined at the outset that the competition in your intake would be so fierce? Especially those three-the strength they displayed really was somewhat beyond the norm."
At this point, a trace of puzzlement appeared on her face.
"Those two First Grade monsters are understandable, but where on earth did that freak of a junior brother in third place come from?"
"Never mind. However strong he is, it has nothing to do with us. By the way, where's that junior brother you mentioned before? Given this assessment's unusual rules, if he ranked in the top thirty, the terms I promised you still stand."
After hearing his senior sister's words,
a trace of embarrassment immediately appeared on Ji Bochang's face.
He pointed at the Third Demonstration Platform.
"...Senior Sister, that friend of mine is the freakish junior brother you just mentioned."
"Huh? He's the junior brother you were talking about!"
Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Ji Bochang and complained indignantly:
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
"I didn't know before either..." Embarrassment flashed through Ji Bochang's eyes. "After all, as you know, I spent most of my time with you-"
Before he could finish, his blushing senior sister clapped a hand over Ji Bochang’s mouth.
A voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz immediately sounded.
"Junior Brother, stop talking."
Only after Ji Bochang nodded frantically did the delicate hand pressed tightly over his mouth slowly move away.
"Senior Sister, how about I take you over now, and you see whether you can persuade him to join our Five-Colored Squad?" Ji Bochang asked tentatively.
"Perhaps... we'd better not."
She forced a smile, then pointed at Zhang Yangchu on the Third Demonstration Platform and said softly:
"Junior Brother, do you know who that is?"
"Who?"
"That's Senior Brother Zhang Yangchu. He represents the Luodu Squad, ranked third in the Outer Court. Barring any surprises, your friend will be joining the Luodu Squad. What would we still go over there for?"
Then she solemnly reminded him:
"Junior Brother, having a friend like this is a chance opportunity you can encounter but never seek out. You must treasure it."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I understand."
Ji Bochang smiled slightly.
Then he hurriedly took out a Communication Talisman and poured spiritual power straight into it.
The next moment, the Communication Talisman glowed faintly, followed by a ripple of Spiritual Sense from within.
A long while later,
the Communication Talisman gradually dimmed, and Ji Bochang put it away with a pained expression.
"Junior Brother, what are you doing?"
Seeing this, his senior sister asked in some confusion.
"You don't know, Senior Sister. Brother Zhang and I come from the same place, but he comes from a mortal family. I was just telling my elders about Brother Zhang's performance in the Dao Academy assessment. They should already be on their way to his home by now."
Ji Bochang understood the current situation better than anyone.
Brother Zhang's ascent was astonishing.
Now that he had joined the third-ranked Luodu Squad, Zhang Jing might not think much of even the resources the entire Ji Clan could offer, let alone Ji Bochang himself.
In other words, they could hardly offer Zhang Jing any further help with his cultivation.
But-
the Ji Clan could still befriend his parents and help them resolve worldly problems. That way, Zhang Jing could cultivate with peace of mind, and their Ji Clan would naturally have another favor to its credit.
"A mortal family?"
A strange expression immediately appeared on his senior sister's face.
Sure enough, all the newcomers this time are monsters!
Just then,
"This Dao Academy assessment has concluded successfully. Tomorrow morning, all Dao Academy newcomers are to collect their robes and Identity Jade Pendants at the Inheritance Pavilion."
Senior Brother Liu's booming voice abruptly rang out.
Above the gigantic stone pillars,
bright streaks of escaping light scattered in every direction.
Zhangji Pharmacy, Yong'an City.
"Physician Zhang, it's always tomorrow and tomorrow again. When exactly will your son return? I'm only an errand runner. Why must you make things difficult for me?"
A middle-aged man sighed and said helplessly:
"I'll tell you the truth."
"Our owner has already consulted an expert diviner. We must open on the day of the Chang'an Festival. But there's only half a month left, and you still haven't moved out! You should know that knocking through these shops of yours and fitting out the new store will take quite some time."
"So our owner has issued a final ultimatum this time. You must move out within the next two days."
Hearing this, the smile on Father Zhang's face slowly froze.
He cupped his hands and said very politely:
"Young fellow, even if we move, we can't finish within two or three days. Look at all these medicinal herbs. I've spent nearly half a month clearing them out, and there are still so many left."
"That's not my concern."
The man spread his hands and said:
"After all, I told you long ago that our owner is in a hurry."
"In any case, I've conveyed our owner's demands. Whether you move is your own business, Physician Zhang."
With that, the man strode out.
Only Father Zhang and Mother Zhang remained, staring at one another.
A deathly silence fell over the pharmacy.
At last,
"Husband, what should we do?" Mother Zhang's voice broke the silence.
"Alas-" Father Zhang heaved a long sigh and said bleakly, "Things have come to this. We have no choice but to move."
"But what happens when Jing'er returns?"
"Wife, let's do this. You sort out the medicinal herbs in the pharmacy, along with the tables, chairs, stools, and other furniture. I'll ask Manager Dou to come give us a valuation. We'll sell all these things together. Whatever silver we can get is better than nothing."
"Then we'll wait at the entrance and leave Yong'an City as soon as Jing'er comes back."
"Is there really... no other way?"
Mother Zhang asked fearfully.
As a girl, she had fled disaster in Yun Province alone and been extremely fortunate to meet Father Zhang, finally gaining a home again after much hardship.
But now, this one home she had was about to be lost as well.
"There's no other way. We don't have enough silver to buy another home in Yong'an City," Father Zhang answered with a bitter smile.
Yet when he looked up and saw the frightened expression on Mother Zhang's face, his heart inexplicably clenched in pain.
Meanwhile,
at Yong’an Academy,
Master Liu was pacing anxiously around the courtyard, his usual calm nowhere to be seen.
Clutched tightly in his hand was a Jade Slip.
"By my reckoning, the results of this year's Dao Academy assessment should be out already. Why is there still no news? Could something have happened?"
Although he had long anticipated the results in his heart, Master Liu was still unbearably nervous.
Time slowly passed.
Suddenly, the Jade Slip in his hand trembled slightly, and a white light shone upon it.
"They're here!"
Master Liu took a deep breath, then eagerly looked at the Jade Slip.
[Yong’an Academy students who passed the assessment] [Zhang Jing (third)] [Ji Bochang (fifteenth)]
The instant he saw the results, Master Liu thought he had misread them. He hurriedly rubbed his eyes, then looked at the Jade Slip again.
He had not misread them!
It was just... somewhat hard to believe!
That young fellow Zhang Jing had actually placed among the top three in the assessment's overall rankings?
If he remembered correctly, this seemed to have broken the record for the three hundred years since Yong’an Academy’s founding!
Excitement! Unparalleled excitement!
"Hahaha! Good, wonderful! Our Yong’an Academy has finally produced a qilin!"
Master Liu could not help laughing heartily.
Then he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone! Hurry to Zhangji Pharmacy in Yanping Alley and tell Zhang Jing's parents... No, I'll go myself! Hahahaha!"
As he spoke,
Master Liu was already striding outside as though the wind carried his feet, utterly disregarding the darkening sky.
Yet the moment he stepped outside, he saw a middle-aged man in brocade robes walking toward him. Master Liu recognized him at a glance: it was Ji Xianming, the current head of the Ji Clan and Ji Bochang's father.
Seeing Master Liu, Ji Xianming paused in surprise, then asked:
"Where are you heading, Daoist Brother Liu?"
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Ji. Have you come to ask about Bochang... No, he should have told you himself that he passed the assessment."
"Have you come because of Zhang Jing, Fellow Daoist Ji?" Master Liu asked tentatively.
"Haha, nothing escapes your eyes, Daoist Brother Liu. Linshan Commandery has produced a top-tier genius. Naturally, our Ji Clan must pay a visit and offer a token of goodwill."
"The Ji Clan's keen nose is truly extraordinary."
Master Liu said meaningfully:
"I happen to be going to Zhang Jing's home to deliver the good news. Why not come along, Fellow Daoist Ji?"
"Excellent!"
With that, the two flickered away toward Zhangji Pharmacy, one behind the other.
Before long,
Master Liu and Ji Xianming stood across from Zhangji Pharmacy.
Watching the busy scene of shop assistants coming and going as they carried things out, they involuntarily froze for a moment.
"What exactly... has happened to Zhangji Pharmacy?"
Master Liu murmured.
"Could they be moving? But why would they move for no reason? And who moves at night?"
Ji Xianming's heart jolted, and he vaguely felt his scalp tingling.
Please don't let it be... that something happened to them!
"Daoist Brother Liu, I'll go ask what happened first," Ji Xianming said heavily.
With that, he walked straight toward the surrounding shops.
Before long,
Ji Xianming returned, his expression much more relaxed.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, did you find out what happened?"
"Fortunately, no one was harmed! A merchant association called the Hundred Herbs Pavilion took a fancy to this stretch of property and employed some methods. Hmph, supposedly there's even a rogue cultivator backing the Hundred Herbs Pavilion owner. What audacity."
"Then this matter must be handled carefully."
Master Liu breathed a sigh of relief and said.
Ji Xianming's expression was icy.
Of course he understood that.
Although they were unharmed, they had suffered an injustice, after all. If this was handled poorly, there might well be a thunderous reckoning when that person returned.
And the Ji Clan's plan to befriend him might become difficult to pursue.
After a little thought.
The two walked into Zhangji Pharmacy together.
"If you gentlemen are here to have prescriptions filled, please try elsewhere. Zhangji Pharmacy has already moved."
Seeing the two men walk slowly inside, Father Zhang hurried forward and spoke apologetically.
"Physician Zhang, my surname is Liu. I am from Yong’an Academy."
At the sight of Father Zhang, Master Liu stepped forward before Ji Xianming could and spoke courteously.
"Master Liu?"
Father Zhang froze at his words and asked tentatively.
Master Liu nodded.
At once, Father Zhang's expression changed. Panic flashed in his eyes, and he said hurriedly, "Master Liu, forgive my lack of courtesy in failing to come out to welcome you. May I ask, Master, has something happened with our Jing'er?"
Behind him, worry likewise filled Mother Zhang's eyes.
"Haha, quite the contrary. I came today to congratulate you both. Zhang Jing has passed the Dao Academy's assessment. From now on, he holds the esteemed status of an Immortal Elder of the Dao Academy."
Rumble-
At that very moment.
It was as though a world-shaking thunderbolt had flashed through Father Zhang's and Mother Zhang's minds. Both instantly fell into a stupor, unable to recover for a long time.
Ji Xianming and Master Liu simply stood quietly where they were, waiting.
Half a quarter of an hour later.
Only then did Father Zhang barely come to his senses and ask for confirmation, trembling, "Master, you... you mean... our Jing'er passed... the assessment of the legendary Dragon Lake Dao Academy?"
"Indeed!"
"He has become an Immortal Elder?"
"Indeed!"
That night.
Father Zhang and Mother Zhang gazed at the dozen-odd chests of gold, silver, and silk on the floor, the deeds to five thousand mu of fertile farmland stored separately in a sandalwood chest, and the deed to a courtyard residence in eastern Yong'an. It all felt like a dream.
Yet the things before their eyes could not be false.
Phew-
"My dear, I think we should lock away these gifts from the Ji Clan's patriarch for now and wait until Jing'er returns. I'm afraid accepting them might affect Jing'er. What do you think?"
Father Zhang asked cautiously.
"You're right, husband. If only we'd had time to refuse earlier... wait, husband, we're about to move. Where should we put all these things?"
"That's right. What will we do if these valuables aren't stored properly?"
The two worried over this so much that they did not sleep all night.
Until the next day-
A middle-aged man respectfully delivered the deed to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
P.S. An 8,000-word update tomorrow. Let's stride into volume two~