Chu River indeed did not go to the Wudao Field, because he had been drinking heavily all night yesterday, and his head was splitting when he woke up in the morning.
He never understood why the Celestial Book did not choose him.
From a young age, he was bathed in the glory of the Kuang Family, and when he grew up, he resolutely chose the Tianshu Academy, also to avoid living in the shadow of his elder brother and to forge a path unique to himself.
The elders in his family praised his lofty ambitions and supported him in his endeavor.
But he didn't expect that as soon as he entered the academy, a private cultivator from the countryside would replace his elder brother and become his new shadow.
Last night, Ji You gathered two streaks of spiritual light.
At this speed, how could he possibly compare? Chu River began to regret choosing the Tianshu Academy.
Young Geniuses from Worldly Families were like this; accustomed to being the center of attention, accustomed to being the sole supreme one, and once this state was broken, they completely lost their direction.
At this moment, someone returned from the Wudao Field and saw this once-proud Genius looking so dejected, couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
But there were also some who were usually close to him, and at this moment, they couldn't help but want to comfort him.
However, before they could even speak, they were scared away by Chu River's terrifying gaze.
"Young Master, Young Master, someone from home is here."
"What?"
Chu River sobered up instantly, looked at his servant for a long time, and suddenly realized that the news of his defeat to a private cultivator from the countryside had probably reached his family.
He got up, washed, hurriedly dressed, and stumbled out to the Tianshu Academy gate.
However, to Chu River's surprise, the person who came was not directly sent from home, but the old Dao Protector whom his elder brother had brought to the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion previously.
The two met in a secluded alley in Shengjing City, and the hawk-nosed Dao Protector had a livid expression.
"Has Second Young Master forgotten the glory of the Kuang Family?"
"It's not that I forgot, it's that the Celestial Book is without Dao!"
Chu River gritted his teeth and said, "Hong Sisha, go and kill Ji You for me. Without his obstruction, the Inner Courtyard spot will surely be mine."
Upon hearing this, Hong Sisha's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Young Master thinks too highly of me. Let alone an old man who is only at the Integration Dao Upper Realm, even a Perfection in the Upper Five Realms wouldn't be able to kill someone under the Tianshu Academy's nose."
"But he's blocking my path!"
"Someone blocking your path has scared you out of your wits? What Big Young Master can do, why can't you?"
Hong Sisha finished speaking in a muffled and venomous voice, then took out a brocade box from his sleeve, along with a handwritten letter from Chu Xian, a Personal Disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, and handed it to him as well.
Chu River tore open the envelope and found only a short sentence inside.
Die to complete one's name, or not to disgrace the clan's glory.
Upon seeing this sentence, Chu River's pupils constricted, and his face instantly turned pale.
After a long while, he realized there was still a brocade box in his hand, so he tremblingly opened it and found ten Medicinal Pills inside.
He wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but at the moment he saw the Medicinal Pills, Chu River seemed to see ten curled-up, struggling infants, but they vanished without a trace in an instant.
"What... what is this?"
Hong Sisha stood with his hands behind his back: "Divine Pills personally refined by the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion Head Teacher. Even with the Big Young Master's status, he can only get ten per year. This is his expectation of you."
Chu River picked up a Medicinal Pill: "What is the effect of this Medicinal Pill?"
"Even if you can't sense the Celestial Book, it will activate your full potential, making your cultivation speed far surpass ordinary people."
Upon hearing this, Chu River tightly clutched the Medicinal Pill in his palm, a hint of fanaticism in his eyes.
This was exactly what he needed now!
Hong Sisha leaned over and looked at him: "Go back and refine the first one, then one every seven days. You will be able to enter the Upper Five Realms. However, this pill is too precious. To avoid others becoming jealous, you must not take it in front of others."
"I will let Ji You know what despair is!"
"Second Young Master, that Ji You you speak of is just a nobody, a private cultivator from the countryside!"
Hong Sisha reprimanded in a deep voice: "In the past, your goal was the Big Young Master. Why do you only see a private cultivator from the countryside now?!"
"You're right, he's just a stepping stone for me."
Chu River clenched the brocade box, and a raging fire burned in his eyes.
There was still more than half a year until the Inner Courtyard competition. With these Medicinal Pills, it would be enough for him to enter the Upper Five Realms, kill Ji You, and enter the Inner Courtyard.
Meanwhile, at the Bishui Lake Garden, Ji You had just gotten up when he received an invitation.
This invitation was from the Town Protector's Manor, personally written by Town Protector Divine General Ye Sheng, inviting him to visit again for a talk.
In the invitation, he said that his last return to the capital was hurried, and he only prepared simple fare, and after much thought, he felt that he had been lacking in courtesy and wanted to make it up again.
But in reality, Ji You felt that the news of his night observation of the Celestial Book had probably already spread to Shengjing City.
So, he refused.
He had visited last time because the Town Protector Divine General had helped him show his divine power in front of others, and he had also accepted the invitation publicly, so it would have been inappropriate not to go.
But this time he hadn't accepted the invitation, and besides, he had no good feelings towards the Great Xia Imperial Family.
If the Immortal Sects were the culprits of the people's suffering, Great Xia might not necessarily be an accomplice.
Instead of exchanging pleasantries with officials and politicians, it would be better to go to the Wudao Field to cultivate Dao and watch beautiful feet.
Only two days later, a message arrived. Ji You thought it was still from the Town Protector Divine General, but to his surprise, it was from Kuang Cheng.
So he left Ni Mountain, and after a roundabout journey, arrived at the Chunhua Inn in Chunhua Alley.
Ji You stared blankly at Kuang Cheng: "Zhuangyuan...?"
Kuang Cheng nodded: "Mm."
"How much is the salary? Can you share half with me?"
"Without a substantive position, how can there be a salary?"
He had originally planned to ask Cao Instructor for some investment today, but unexpectedly, he suddenly received news of the imperial examination results being posted, so he rushed here, feeling delighted that someone would support him.
What he didn't expect even more was that Kuang Cheng had actually become the Zhuangyuan. Yuyang County truly produced many Geniuses.
As a result, no salary...
Kuang Cheng pondered for a long time before speaking: "Actually, I still have to thank Brother Ji."
"Thank me for what?"
"I wrote an essay with the line 'Since ancient times, who can escape death? Let loyalty illuminate history,' and His Majesty personally selected it for Zhuangyuan..."
Upon hearing this, the playful smile on Ji You's face slowly faded.
He knew that the Great Xia Emperor had long wanted to restore imperial power, but suffered from the court being jointly controlled by Wei Xiang and Chong Wang, and had no one he could use.
So this year, he widely opened the imperial examinations and invited the Town Protector Divine General to return and take charge, precisely to rectify the corrupt officialdom.
But the Emperor didn't use just anyone; what he wanted were those who were not afraid to die, and even dared to die.
"Kuang Cheng."
"Mm?"
Ji You looked at him intently: "Don't become a martyr for the Emperor."
Kuang Cheng paused slightly, then after a moment of silence, smiled faintly: "I naturally wouldn't be so foolish..."
"You need to understand clearly, the phrase 'Since ancient times, who can escape death? Let loyalty illuminate history' is a lie. I myself can't do it, let alone you?"
"Don't worry, Brother Ji, my responsibility is to revitalize the Kuang Family, I won't easily sacrifice my life. I'm very timid, unless you become the Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher to back me up."
Ji You saw that he wasn't forcing himself, and finally felt relieved: "I will become the Head Teacher as soon as possible."
Kuang Cheng smiled and nodded, then suddenly remembered something else.
On the night before leaving Yuyang County, he suddenly saw countless stars falling in his family's courtyard, the size of fireflies, constantly dancing.
He had never seen such a strange sight before. He called his family, but they said they hadn't seen anything, as if only he could see it.
He had originally wanted to ask Ji You what it was, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
He wasn't a cultivator, so how could he see countless stars falling? He must have just been seeing things.
(First time knowing that I need to rank during the new book period. Publishing at noon caused a huge loss, so I'll change it to after 8 PM in the future. Please don't mind!)