Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The host of the gathering was Prince Changshou, but he used the name of academic exchange for the students. The truth was, however, that he was collecting the potential talented elites for his own personal use.

There was some indirect, personal relationship between Prince Changshou and the Cheng’s. Out of courtesy, Cheng Jin showed up at the gathering for the Cheng’s. Hang Yu never had to worry.

“Master had lost a game to Zi Xiao while they played chess. The bet of the game was that our master would have to take all the students to Jianshan Hot Spring to relax. They left me behind because I slept in.” Han Yu was upset that he was the only one who didn’t get to take advantage of his master. He had been abandoned ruthlessly just because he had slept in.

“Zi Xiao’s chess has improved so homogeneously that he even won a game against master.”

Master Yuanjing was not legendary like the rumor said. But indeed, he was proficient in all aspects including instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He wasn’t mastering anyone.

It wasn’t difficult for someone to be an expert in one thing, but it would be almost impossible to master all kinds of things considering everyone had only a limited amount of energy to study.

There was no other explanation than he was gifted.

Cheng Jing couldn’t help but laugh out loud after he heard this. At the same time, he felt for him for being upset.

Jishan Hot Spring was famous in Dongqing Dynasty. Many people chose it as the best place for holding gatherings, and naturally, it was a place of attraction for many students.

What was more important was that it was some sort of a big deal that their master was taking his students to go to a hot spring for punishment.

Han Yu was muttering beside him. “Zi Xiao’s chess is truly getting more superb. I had a game with him yesterday, but it felt like I was led by him all along. I’m rather bored after I was left here alone. I figured that I might as well come to join you since you have no company. It is getting tedious for you, as well.”

Cheng Jing shook his head and disagreed. “It would be better for you to spend some time in a whore house rather than being here.”

Prince Changshou was a benevolent and amiable person on the surface, but he was rather ambitious deep inside. He had targeted numbers of talented elites a long time ago.

Han Yu was really in the wrong place, but he didn’t expect that Hang Yu would give him a bitter face and complain to him. “Go to a whore house… For what? To let those girls try to tease me?”

He was not bragging, but not a single girl in the business was as good looking as he was.

Cheng Jing had nothing to argue against his point. He had seen narcissistic men, but he could not stand that some could be non-stop narcissistic like Han Yu.

“Right, this is for you.” Han Yu took a slice of bamboo out of his sleeve.

“What is this?” Cheng Jing took it, looked it over, and noticed his master’s handwriting on it, which said, “The topic of the exam is decided.”

“This is from our teacher. He said you would know when I give it to you. How would I know if you don’t even have a clue?” Han Yu answered him in a straightforward manner.

Cheng Jin groped the characters on the bamboo slice with his fingers. An idea flashed in his mind and it enlightened him, but he didn’t seem happy about it.

“It’s a bit late,” Cheng Jing said in shame.

Han Yu was certain about his meaning and asked, “So you do know what puzzle the master gave to you?”

“If I’m right… He referred to the General Evaluation Officer this year, Liu County Chief.”

The last question of the evaluation was made by the General Evaluation Officer every year, but it was still up in the air since Liu She hadn’t arrived in Shangjing yet.

“So Liu County Chief is in Shangjing now?”

“They arrived about two hours ago.” Cheng Jing gave Han Yu hints by using his eyes. “You see the two Langjuns who cried so much that the tears messed up their faces over there? They were too dumb and did their best to offend Liu County Chief, and now they end up sobbing in the corner by themselves. Fortunately, they are not too dumb to not understand their situation now.”

Han Yu continued, “I have met Liu County Chief before. He is not ruthlessly oppressive like the rumors say. He is considered a man with noble merits. He has a mild temperament and he is amiable and generous to the people around him, like you. What did those two people do to affront Liu County Chief?”

The evaluation was near at hand and they had already left a terrible impression on the General Evaluation Officer. They really should have been awarded for their courage.

It was true that the General Evaluation Officer needed to be fair and unbiased towards everyone, but it was also a piece of cake for him to screw someone over if it was his own intention.

That did explain why the two guys were wearing faces fit for a funeral; it was as though they were newly bereft of their parents.

Their family background wasn’t powerful enough to back them up in the first place––and their behavior against Liu She added to their failure. No one would have gone so far for self-destruction.

“They made fun of the citizens they saw, but it was impossible for them to guess that Liu County Chief’s Langjun, who didn’t dress in fancy clothing, passed by them on the horse. They judged him as a random person who would suck it up and do nothing about their bullying and picked on him. They nearly killed him. Liu County Chief only had this one son… How could he not be mad at them?”

Han Yu was flabbergasted for a bit and started to react. “Hold on, who did you say they nearly killed?”

I didn’t hear that wrong, right?

Cheng Jin was rather dazed by Han Yu’s overreaction. He repeated for him, “The son of Liu County Chief.”

Han Yu went quiet.

“What’s going on, Wen Bin?” Cheng Jing couldn’t help but ask.

“The son of Liu County Chief is the real fiend in this case. He is a hundred times harder to cope with than Liu County Chief.” Han Yu had some goose bumps and explained to Cheng Jing, “If Liu County Chief is the one you offend, he will give you a verbal warning, depending on the personal relationship he might have with you. His son, on the other hand, will destroy a person with some gentle tactics and you won’t even notice it…”

Cheng Jing was holding a question. He found it hard to believe. “How come? From my observation of his manner, he is not the type of person who haggles over every ounce.”

Han Yu had thought same way before until he left Hejian County and he started to hear all kinds of hearsay about the Liu County Chief’s son.

He heard about the trouble that he got himself into when he proposed the limited purchase amount––even under the pressure from the gentry clans. He was defying everyone else and he risked his life to challenge the gentry clans in Hejian County, but he kept himself alive. Han Yu refused to underestimate the Langjun of Liu County Chief.

He double checked with Feng Jin afterwards and he received a positive answer from him to confirm that Liu Xi was the one who was behind it.

It was not extraordinary to do things that crossed the line, but it would be called real talent if someone had a regular life after he crossed the line.

“Let’s wait. Those two guys will strike a bad patch sometime soon. The best scenario is that they will just break some bones.”

Han Yu licked his lips like he was expecting a good show and his eyes were glittering with joy.

Cheng Jing didn’t know if it was him who misjudged Liu Xi, or it was Han Yu.

“Right, I almost forgot something important.” Han Yu quickly adjusted his position and sat up. He just realized something critical he had to discuss with Cheng Jing.

“Liu Xi is here in Shangjing with his father to be an apprentice to our master. He is hoping that he will be enrolled by Langye Academy. As Liu County Chief’s style, they will be searching for the hint of our master once they settle down. We might still be able to catch up to see something fun if we take off now.”

Cheng Jing smiled and said, “But master has claimed that he will only have four apprentices in all his life. He has had four already and there is no spare quota for anyone else.”

It might have been possible for him to be enrolled in the school, but it was no longer possible for him to be master’s student.

Their master had his principles to give his students. He didn’t go for a person’s intelligence, but he also sought for the destined coincident he could have with his students. Destined coincidence was something abstruse.

Han Yu was eager for the ruckus and he said, “That’s why it will be fun. This gathering is truly nothing but tedious. It’s all about flattering each other and no one is being honest… Instead of wasting our time here, we might as well go ahead to see the legendary Langjun.”

“When are you going to alter your unpredictable temper?”

Cheng Jin was complaining to him, but he was tempted by the idea.

He had put up with enough of the boring gathering. He would rather have a leisured drink in the hot spring, appreciate blossoming flowers through the mist, talk about poetry, and do some paintings than wasting his life here.

“Ji Shan Hot Spring?”

Jiang Pengji was looking forward to seeing her buddy Feng Jin, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time. She was told that he had gone to Ji Shan Hot Spring for entertainment.

I really couldn’t tell that you were such a person, Feng Jin!