Sitting on the rooftop of the inn, Ye Wen glanced at his junior sister beside him, wanting to say something, but deciding against it, he retracted his thought.

"What was Senior Brother thinking of saying?"

Ye Wen rubbed his nose with his finger. This signature move of Xiang Shuai, used at a moment like this, "proved to be a great weapon for easing awkwardness": "Nothing much, just curious..."

Ning Ruxue tilted her head, glancing at her senior brother. "Curious why I agreed to let Miss Hua stay at Mount Shu?" A smile played on Ning Ruxue's lips, though her eyes narrowed slightly—that expression was always dangerous. "Do you think your junior sister is the sort of person to be willful to the point of being unreasonable?"

"Certainly not!" Ye Wen decisively chose the correct answer. Regardless of the actual facts, "Only answering this way will prevent things from worsening: Junior Sister is very sensible, it’s just that you disliked Miss Hua before, didn’t you?"

Hearing this, Ning Ruxue's complexion flushed slightly, and she mumbled softly, "It's because she was always pestering Senior Brother! It annoyed me to see it."

"Now you're keeping her at Mount Shu, won't she appear before your eyes every day? Won't that still annoy you?"

"She was previously loyal to the Tianle Gang," she did it for the sake of her own sect. But now..." Ning Ruxue recalled Hua Yi's ordeal and felt immense sympathy. "Besides, this feeling of having nowhere to belong under heaven—Senior Brother must have experienced that too, right..."

Both she and Ye Wen had been abandoned at the foot of Mount Shu as infants and raised by their Master. Once they were old enough to understand, they both went through a period of wondering why they were abandoned, why their parents didn't want them, and if they were simply not meant to exist in the world.

She owed it to her Master and Senior Brother's care that she managed to overcome that hurdle. She guessed that for Ye Wen, who only had the Master to look after him, crossing that threshold must have been much harder.

Ye Wen scratched his face, laughing awkwardly, unsure how to respond to that question.

"Joking aside," he thought, "I woke up here—how would I know how that old soul got through those times?" Although his own previous existence in that world wasn't exactly happy, it didn't involve that feeling of abandonment. Thus, he had no comprehension of Ning Ruxue's "the world is vast, yet there is no place for me" sentiment.

Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Ruxue took it to mean that those times were difficult and Ye Wen didn't wish to discuss them, so she let the topic drop. Then, she suddenly asked, "Senior Brother must be very happy that Miss Hua is staying at Mount Shu, right?"

"Ah?"

Ye Wen was greatly surprised by this abrupt question. He thought, Has this old aunt started testing me again? His heart panicked, unsure how to answer, but his mouth immediately retorted, "How could that be?" He then pretended to look around. It was pitch black; all the surrounding rooms had extinguished their lights, and the area was silent. A cool autumn breeze swept by, feeling quite refreshing.

A normal person might feel a bit cold, but Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue were martial artists of profound skill; this slight chill couldn't harm them. However, Ye Wen suddenly said, "The weather is getting colder. Junior Sister is dressed so thinly; you must be feeling a bit chilly!" Saying this, he opened his arms, making a gesture as if to embrace Ning Ruxue.

Ning Ruxue saw him trying to change the subject and rolled her eyes. Moreover, with her cultivation, she wasn't afraid of this minor cold. Not to mention this slight chill, even the frigid air in the depths of winter couldn't harm her in the least. After stepping into the Xiantian realm, ordinary weather changes could no longer affect these martial arts masters.

Still, she shifted her position slightly and leaned against Ye Wen's shoulder, feeling his warm, strong arms encircle her.

The two nestled together like that, gazing up at the starlight. Ye Wen held the warm, fragrant jade in his embrace, feeling a great sense of satisfaction, wishing they could just stay like this forever.

"Senior Brother, do you remember the time you fell ill?"

Ye Wen tilted his head and smiled. "You don't mean that time you caught a serious illness, and I had to carry you to the county town to find a doctor?"

He spoke casually, because usually when a girl brought up a memory in this manner, it was likely about such an incident.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, Ning Ruxue delivered a gentle punch to his chest, complaining, "Senior Brother is spouting nonsense again! It was Senior Brother who was so sick he was practically dying, forcing me to run far to find a doctor to treat you!"

"Hmph," Ye Wen was speechless, cursing his predecessor internally, Damn it, why was this guy such a wuss before? Now that he’s dead and gone, all this embarrassing stuff falls on me!

Ning Ruxue had no idea what Ye Wen was thinking and continued, "Back then, Senior Brother’s body was so weak, just practicing a set of sword forms would exhaust him. If it weren't for later success in practicing the breathing technique, his strength would probably be less than mine!"

Ye Wen finally understood. So, this guy’s foundational physical condition back then was terrible, no wonder his martial arts were mediocre and frustrating. However, he did possess some talent in the art of Qi circulation, which allowed him to use internal energy to nourish and regulate his body. This bit of talent was inherited by Ye Wen. As his inner power grew stronger later, his body gradually recovered.

"I used to think my weakness back then was entirely due to being injured by Zhang Gui. Now it seems there was this other reason mixed in!"

Ning Ruxue leaned closer into Ye Wen's embrace. "Senior Brother is much stronger now!" After saying this, Ning Ruxue's face immediately flushed crimson. Ye Wen, looking from behind, noticed a faint blush spreading across her neck, which stirred a sudden impulse in him. He lightly kissed her neck.

"Ah!" Ning Ruxue was startled by Ye Wen’s action; she had absolutely not expected her senior brother to suddenly behave so wantonly. But after the initial shock, she quieted down. Although her face was red, she did not pull away, instead quietly savoring the tickling sensation on her neck.

Ye Wen acted on impulse and stopped after one kiss. He was genuinely afraid that if he continued, he wouldn't be able to control himself. However, he held her tighter. In the night, the two seemed to melt into one another.

The next day...

"Huh? Senior Brother, did you not rest well yesterday?" Xu Xian ran into him early in the morning. Ye Wen greeted him listlessly and gave a casual excuse: "Ah! Perhaps it's because we've been roughing it day and night recently; suddenly having a proper bed to sleep in has made me unaccustomed, so my sleep was restless!" Xu Xian chuckled at this, teasing, "Senior Brother is truly not suited for comfort. Having a bed and a warm quilt actually makes you sleep poorly! Junior Brother slept soundly—finally washing away the fatigue of the past few days!" Xu Xian came from a wealthy family and had never suffered hardship in his life. After arriving at Mount Shu, he experienced a little difficulty, but his living standard was still similar to when he was home.

Every day he ate well, drank well, and slept well! Furthermore, the Xu family sent many servants and maids to Mount Shu, and Xu Xian even had a maid specifically to help him dress and wash.

So, on the mountain, apart from the arduous practice, there was little else. It was only after descending the mountain that he experienced true Jianghu life.

Sleeping rough and eating meagerly was commonplace for martial artists, causing this Young Master Xu considerable hardship. In the first few days, Xu Xian would rather stay awake all night on guard than casually lie down just anywhere. Only when he couldn't bear it any longer did he gradually adapt.

At the time, he hadn't complained: "The heroes in the storybooks aren't like this! They eat huge portions of meat and drink vast amounts of wine, unafraid of where they’ll sleep, and pay for meals with silver without waiting for change! Senior Brother, I think we should try acting like that."

Ye Wen just dismissed him with a single line: "Wasteful fool!" He knew the boy’s madness would pass after a brief spell.

Having suffered a little hardship, Xu Xian was now in the capital and finally able to indulge himself. Yesterday, he ran around with Huang Rongrong. If it weren't for Huang Rongrong, a girl with a bandit's background who was somewhat frugal with money, this boy might have actually enacted a scene of drinking heavily, eating heartily, and settling the bill with silver.

Of course, Ye Wen didn't know any of this then. He rubbed his brow. "Right, the ginseng you bought yesterday was used to stew chicken soup for me. If you plan to give a gift, you'll have to buy a better one!"

Xu Xian waved his hand casually. "Let it be stewed then! That ginseng wasn't fit for a gift anyway. I only realized yesterday after buying it—any apothecary sells ginseng like that. Bringing it as a gift would be too embarrassing. I’ll go today to see if there’s some superior aged ginseng to buy!"

"Oh!" Hearing him say that, Ye Wen didn't press the issue. He hadn't rested well due to sleeping rough these past few days. Yesterday, he stayed on the rooftop watching the stars all night with his junior sister. In the end, Ning Ruxue nestled sweetly in his arms and slept soundly, while he sat there enduring the cold wind all night.

Just before dawn, his junior sister opened her eyes and shot back to her room in a whoosh, completely unconcerned that Ye Wen had been holding her all night, unable to move, his limbs entirely numb. He sat there for a long time before regaining sensation. He had either just climbed down from the roof or was yelled down when a waiter discovered him.

"When is your examination?" Xu Xian calculated the days and finally replied, "The Imperial Examination is in five days, but we need to report to the Examination Court the day before, and then the officials there will lead us into the Imperial City! So, we have to leave the day after tomorrow!"

"Oh! And the results are posted immediately?"

"The results are posted the same day. Future official posts are arranged on the platform, and the top three—Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua—will parade through the city on horseback. Afterward, there will be banquets, and once the banquet disperses, it’s all over. After that, one must struggle through the officialdom." Xu Xian sighed, explaining all this, while his mind was focused on how to evade this entire affair.

Ye Wen patted his junior brother's shoulder. "Hmm, study hard for the exam. It would be best if you came back as the Zhuangyuan!"

Xu Xian’s face darkened at this. "Senior Brother, have you forgotten I’m here just to go through the motions? If I really score the Zhuangyuan, how can I escape?"

Ye Wen didn't mind and just laughed. "Escaping is simple! Just find two plausible excuses. Say your lung ailment is severe, preventing you from handling stress, so you can’t be an official and must retire!"

Although his lung illness had greatly improved, it wasn't completely cured; a few occasional coughs were enough for even a blind person to tell something was wrong with his health.

"With your current symptoms, ordinary doctors can't cure it. The current Emperor will naturally grant your request to resign!" Ye Wen stroked his chin and then struck a pose like a master detective.

Xu Xian's face was a mess of dark lines. He felt his senior brother was usually fine in every way, except for occasionally having moments of instability, and his suggestions were often unreliable.

"Will it work?"

"It will work. Trust me!"

A few days later...

The current Emperor’s surname was Wei and his given name was Hong, though that name couldn't be spoken casually, even if known. Wei Hong was only in his early twenties, not yet thirty. Looking at the two hundred tribute scholars in the hall, he felt greatly excited.

He had only been on the throne for five years. For the first two, he had been constrained by several powerful, high-ranking ministers, making it difficult for him to do as he wished. In the last few years, those ministers had successively left the court, making things much easier for Wei Hong. However, with those ministers gone, he felt he lacked capable personnel at hand.

Therefore, starting a few years ago, he had eagerly awaited this Imperial Examination.

Each Imperial Examination represented a golden opportunity for the Emperor to discover trusted confidants and cultivate a faction loyal only to him. Wei Hong glanced below and found these tribute scholars so endearing; his future depended on how many useful talents among them he could find.

Among the more than two hundred scholars, the most eye-catching was naturally the renowned talent from Pingzhou, Xu Xian. Wei Hong was startled when he first saw Xu Xian and said to the young eunuch beside him, "Is there such a handsome person in the world!" Fortunately, being an emperor, Wei Hong had seen all manner of beautiful women and didn't go so far as to imitate a former dynasty’s monarch and drag him into the harem.

However, while everyone else was quietly filling out their papers, only Xu Xian would occasionally let out a light cough, which caught Wei Hong's attention.

When the examination concluded, the ministers first reviewed the papers, then handed them over for the Emperor's perusal. Wei Hong saw that all the ministers had unanimously recommended the same paper for the Zhuangyuan position and became slightly curious.

After reading it, he was greatly impressed but wondered, "Although this paper is excellent, it shouldn't be enough for all of you to recommend it together?"

He knew this group of officials would never be unified, yet his question was met by a minister saying, "Your Majesty, this minister is deeply ashamed. The quality of the answers from the tribute scholars in this examination is truly disappointing. Please forgive this old servant for his failure in selecting talent..."

Wei Hong understood immediately. He then read through all the remaining papers and realized why they had all recommended the same paper for the top spot. Because the answers this time were so mediocre, only this one stood head and shoulders above the rest. If they didn't recommend it as the best, the Emperor might suspect their judgment, leading to this situation.

"Since that is the case, then rank the remaining papers! Also, single out those who are unqualified!" Wei Hong was also greatly displeased. This Imperial Examination, which he had anticipated so highly, turned out to have no truly great material.

Fortunately, the Zhuangyuan was considered well-deserved, so it wasn't entirely disappointing. "Find out who wrote this paper!" During the exam, the papers only had numbers, no names. Only after the rankings were set would they retrieve the wax-sealed canisters, which contained the candidates' information.

The eunuch retrieved the canister corresponding to the number and opened it, taking out the slip of paper, and loudly announced, "Xu Xian from Shushan County, Pingzhou!"

"Xu Xian?" Upon hearing this, Wei Hong was momentarily taken aback, but the expressions of the many ministers shifted immediately. A minister spoke up right away, "Your Majesty, this Xu Xian shows no respect for the monarch and disrupted the examination hall; he is unfit to be the Zhuangyuan. If Your Majesty cherishes his talent, perhaps award him the Bangyan or Tanhua positions instead!" They recalled that during the silence in the hall, only Xu Xian’s occasional cough was audible, and some of the ministers had already grown dissatisfied with him. More importantly, Xu Xian had come to take the Imperial Examination, yet he arrived the latest, and unlike other candidates who paid frequent visits, he rested in an inn for a few days, then paid a brief visit to the official who supervised his preliminary examination, and then went about his own business.

Which of these ministers didn't hold themselves in high esteem? Now, being ignored by a young man in his twenties, they couldn't help but feel annoyed. They concluded this young man was arrogant due to his talent—a great, reckless scholar. This incident provided the perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson.

Wei Hong was surprised by the unanimous outcry, not understanding why these old men were picking a fight with a young man. He merely deflected their suggestion with, "I have my own judgment!" This single sentence silenced the ministers. He then returned to his study and said to the young eunuch beside him, "Summon Huangfu Zhe!"

The eunuch obeyed and soon led a valiant man into the hall—it was none other than Huangfu Zhe.

Wei Hong called Huangfu Zhe closer and quietly inquired about something. After Huangfu Zhe replied, "Since arriving in the capital, Xu Xian has only visited the official who examined him in the preliminary round!" Wei Hong immediately looked enlightened. He waved his hand, dismissing Huangfu Zhe, and smiled, "These old fossils really think I’m easy to fool?" Then he picked up that paper and returned to the main hall where the tribute scholars waited. The scholars were not allowed to leave after submitting their papers; they had to wait in place for the results. In this setting, no one dared to speak, even if they were nearly driven mad by anxiety; only Xu Xian's occasional cough was clearly audible.

The others couldn't help but glance at Xu Xian. Some who held grudges muttered curses like, "Where did this consumptive ghost come from? Why didn't he die on the road?"

Some kinder souls sighed inwardly, "Even with his physique, he’s unlikely to win the title of Zhuangyuan!"

The Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua were not only a great honor for scholars but also represented the prestige of the Imperial Family. Those who ranked in the top three in any era were always paragons among men, exceptional in spirit, demeanor, and appearance. There had been unfortunate cases in the past where exceptionally talented men were demoted outside the top three due to ugly appearances.

In terms of looks, Xu Xian was undoubtedly the handsomest in the hall, but his frail body, punctuated by those frequent coughs, certainly wouldn't be favored by everyone. The Emperor also didn't want to select a sickly ghost after all his efforts.

As they were pondering this, the Emperor and the ministers filed back in, and finally, the young eunuch who always served the Emperor unfolded a list and began to read...

The list was read from back to front, first announcing the names of those who were unqualified. When their names were called, the faces of these individuals turned ashen. If they weren't mindful of being within the Imperial City, they would have collapsed instantly.

Then, the names of the Second and Third Layers were read out one by one. Xu Xian sat among the crowd, thinking that his casually answered paper should be enough to secure a place in the Second Layer of Jinshi, which would make it easier to resign afterward. He expected to hear his name soon, but he listened until the very end before the eunuch loudly proclaimed: "First Layer, First Place: Xu Xian from Shushan County, Pingzhou!"