Lin Zhao offered no words of dissuasion; others' suffering was not something he could necessarily comprehend.
"Then have a few more drinks. Live for today, for tomorrow we may die," he said with a smile.
Li Xiucai joined him in laughter, finding this young swordsman exceptionally gentle and refined, unlike the typical swordsmen of the martial world.
Before long, the two had eaten their fill. Li Xiucai's home had only a single wooden bed. He wished to offer it to Lin Zhao, but feared this immortal-like young master from the mountains might find it distasteful. He became quite flustered. Lin Zhao, however, simply shook his head, telling him his own cultivation was already quite high and he didn't require sleep, urging Li Xiucai to rest.
...
The next day, mist swirled through the mountains.
Li Xiucai rose early and scooped out the last grains of rice from the storage jar, not leaving a single one behind. He then cooked two bowls of rice porridge for himself and Lin Zhao to stave off hunger. Fortunately, they had eaten sufficiently the night before, so two bowls of porridge were adequate. Lin Zhao ate without reservation. After they finished their porridge, Li Xiucai tidied his humble scholarly box, placing his only change of clothes inside.
"Leaving?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Yes."
Shame was evident on Li Xiucai's face. "I must depart today, or I fear I'll miss the grand examination in the neighboring prefecture city. Young Master Lin Zhao, you came to seek immortality in the mountains, searching for our Li family's ancient sages. Alas... you have witnessed a farce. The descendants of the Li family are indeed unworthy. I truly..."
"It's alright."
Lin Zhao's smile was placid. "I have said it before, studying and pursuing knowledge is never a source of shame."
Li Xiucai’s face flushed with embarrassment. He took out a small notebook from his scholarly box, held it in his hands, and shamefacedly approached Lin Zhao. "I have made you travel all this way for naught, and I have nothing to give you. Please, take this notebook."
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao accepted the notebook and asked with a smile, "What is this?"
As he was about to open it, Li Xiucai quickly covered it, his face etched with shame. "It's nothing, really. It records how I borrowed rice and grain from my neighbors over the years to prepare for the examinations, each transaction meticulously noted. My life... though I have read many sage texts, I have achieved no tangible result. My parents passed away when I was very young, and I grew up eating the village's communal meals. Everyone in the village is like my elder. Originally, I only hoped to achieve the top rank in the examinations and return to repay the villagers. But I fear my own incompetence has led to this bleak outcome. This notebook has thus become useless. Please, take it. Every line and item in this notebook is etched in my heart. If I do succeed, I will still be able to repay my debts even without it."
His eyes reddened as he spoke. "If I can pass the examination in the prefecture city, I will repay the villagers' kindness manifold, and thus not disappoint the elders of the village. But if I fail, I will have no face to continue living. There are many sturdy branches along the road; any one of them would suffice to end my life."
"It is unnecessary."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Although the Sages have said that 'to learn is to aspire to officialdom,' fame and fortune are not necessarily the ultimate destination for scholars. Many Confucian sages had no official titles, yet their works endure for eternity."
"I am enlightened!"
Li Xiucai smiled and nodded.
Lin Zhao put away the notebook, then opened his palm and smiled. "As a parting gift, I have nothing to give you, except this... If you truly cannot bear it and feel your life is meaningless, smash this object. There will be an answer within, and it will at least save your life."
In his palm lay a round stone.
In truth, it was a Flying Fish Coin, wrapped in mud and refined by Lin Zhao's spiritual energy and true fire, so it resembled a small, round brick. But once broken, the Flying Fish Coin within would be revealed. Regardless of anything else, this single Flying Fish Coin would be enough for Li Xiucai to live comfortably for the rest of his life, perhaps even to marry. He did not give a Golden Carp Coin because he feared it would bring Li Xiucai a fatal disaster. The value of a Golden Carp Coin was far too great for a destitute scholar to handle. He might lose his life at the money changer's.
"Thank you."
Li Xiucai took the Flying Fish Coin, placed it with utmost care at the very bottom of his scholarly box, and bowed again. "Lin Zhao, I'll be going now."
"Mmm, safe travels."
"Alright, you too."
Li Xiucai bowed repeatedly before finally departing. Lin Zhao stood at the village entrance, watching Li Xiucai until he disappeared from sight. Only then did Lin Zhao take out the notebook and begin to leaf through it. The amounts owed were not large, but there were many. Some were for two eggs, others for two catties of rice, three catties of flour, or a pound of cornmeal, sweet potatoes, and so on. Anything that could sustain life, Li Xiucai would borrow. Naturally, it was likely that some villagers had also sent these things willingly, all of which Li Xiucai had meticulously recorded.
To study, to pursue officialdom, to live in such a manner – was it right or wrong?
Lin Zhao frowned, a knot of uncertainty in his heart. He felt he was in no position to judge another's path.
After flipping through the notebook for a while, Lin Zhao took a deep breath. These villagers truly cared for Li Xiucai. That Li Xiucai left this notebook for him as a memento might truly mean he had nothing else to give, or perhaps there was another hidden meaning. It was impossible to know. But Lin Zhao felt he should do something. He then took his sword and flew to the small town below Lingze Mountain. He bought a considerable amount of rice, flour, eggs, and also exchanged a good sum of copper coins.
Upon returning to Li Family Village, he followed the quantities recorded in the notebook, repaying the neighbors for their help to Li Xiucai with three to five times, or even more, the amount. He knocked on door after door, telling them he was a friend of Li Xiucai, who had gone to the city to take the imperial examination, and that he had come to repay what Li Xiucai owed the villagers. In the span of an afternoon, Lin Zhao emptied his satchel of all the provisions. The debts listed in the notebook were crossed out, line by line. After completing all this, his heart felt surprisingly light.
...
It was time to depart. Tomorrow was the day of the Ascending Immortal Platform Grand Competition!
In the small town below the mountain.
Lin Zhao, clad in a green robe and wearing a bamboo hat, with twin swords on his back and leading a donkey, cut a standard figure of a wandering swordsman. As he led the donkey down the street, a voice called out from behind him, "Lin Zhao?"
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao turned around. Standing before him was a woman wearing a fiery red short shirt, a ninth-realm female martial artist. It was Yu Wanning, the female martial god of the ancient Shu Kingdom, now in civilian attire. The grand competition was tomorrow, and she had already arrived.
"Miss Yu!"
Lin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't expect to run into you here."
"It was bound to happen sooner or later."
Yu Wanning walked up familiarly and said softly, "I heard about what happened in Ning'an City. I'm sorry I couldn't help with Liu Liying being taken away. Even if I had been there, I might not have been able to do much."
"It's alright."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly. "Liying has the favor of the heavens. I believe she will overcome any danger. And I believe that in the future, I will be able to rescue her from this predicament."
"Mm."
Yu Wanning nodded and chuckled lightly.
"Shall we go? My treat for hot pot?"
"Okay!"
The two again found themselves at the Drunken World Hot Pot restaurant. The shopkeeper recognized Lin Zhao at a glance and immediately said respectfully, "My young master said that any meal for Young Master Lin Zhao is on the house. Order whatever you wish."
"Then I won't be polite,"
Lin Zhao smiled. He couldn't be stingy when entertaining the female martial god of ancient Shu. So, he ordered all the expensive dishes, thinking the Lingnan Sword Sect had money, and this small amount wouldn't matter.
As they began to cook their hot pot, a lean man outside called out with a laugh, "Young Master, Young Lady, would you like a freshly printed copy of the 'Mountain and River Gazette'? The Grand Tutor Zhao Qian is gone, and the rankings of the Ten Heavenly Figures have been reordered!"
"Oh?"
Yu Wanning took out a few copper coins and tossed them over, smiling. "Two copies, please."
"Coming right up!"
Two copies of the Mountain and River Gazette appeared before Lin Zhao and Yu Wanning. The most prominent headline displayed the current rankings of the Ten Heavenly Figures in the world of a hundred flowers.
Ranked first was Xu Beilin, the foremost Nascent Soul sword cultivator in the world.
Second was Yu Wanning, the female martial god of the ancient Shu Kingdom, a legendary figure who, single-handedly, held the ancient Shu Kingdom against the Xu Dynasty without defeat. Her foundation as a martial artist in the Cloud Roaming realm was exceptionally solid, and her second-place ranking was perfectly justified.
Third was Chi Zhongyu, the young master of the Lingnan Sword Sect. Despite his flawed sword heart, his strength remained formidable.
Fourth was Chu Xiantong, the Sect Master of the Cheng Huang Sect. This also made sense; Chu Xiantong was indeed strong enough to contend for a top-three spot. It seemed acceptable whether she or Chi Zhongyu ranked third.
Fifth was Qin Fei, the elder ancestor of the Feiyun Sect. Though aged, his combat power was still respectable.
As for the remaining ranks, sixth to tenth, they were occupied by Zhou Jin, Han Qian, Lin Chong, Wang Yan, and Luo Wanqiu. Yu Wanning was familiar with them, all being prominent figures in the realm. Lin Zhao, however, recognized none of them, finding them all unfamiliar. Furthermore, besides these ten, the newspaper also listed an eleventh person: the green-robed swordsman Lin Zhao, an outsider.
The writer of the Mountain and River Gazette clearly lacked sufficient cultivation and access to information. Otherwise, given Lin Zhao's accomplishments, he would likely be ranked at least in the top three. Perhaps Yu Wanning and Chi Zhongyu would even willingly concede their rankings to allow Lin Zhao to contend for first place with Xu Beilin. Naturally, Lin Zhao cared little for such rankings; they were utterly meaningless.
...
"Lin Zhao."
As they were eating, a figure drifted in. It was Chi Zhongyu. After a day of rest and healing, Chi Zhongyu was in much better condition, but competing for a spot on the Ascending Immortal Platform would still be too difficult given the severity of his previous injuries. He unceremoniously sat down and cupped his fists towards Yu Wanning with a smile. "The arrival of the Martial God graces this humble establishment!"
Yu Wanning smiled slightly. She knew Chi Zhongyu; he was a decent person, albeit somewhat lacking in the realm of romantic entanglement.
Lin Zhao placed a piece of freshly cooked tripe into his mouth and chuckled, "Don't tell me we're going to make it a table for four?"
"You guessed it."
A figure, accompanied by a strong sword intent, ascended the stairs. It was Chu Xiantong. She smiled, "Forgive my intrusion..."
Lin Zhao smiled. "Waiter, bring another chair!"