Lin Zhusheng was finally woken up by the steward who was collecting the scrolls. When he opened his eyes, everyone in the classroom had completely left. Fortunately, his fellow disciples still had a bit of camaraderie left and were waiting for him outside.

Song Ming looked the same as usual, his expression unreadable, while the others seemed a bit tense, their brows furrowed as if they were still savoring the recent test. After a comfortable nap, Lin Zhusheng stretched his muscles with a few punches and kicks and said, “Let’s go.”

He exuded a carefree vibe, and the others admired his calmness in the face of adversity, especially the brother sitting next to him who had watched him sleep through the entire test. Time couldn’t be wasted after the test, so after leaving the academy, he waved his hand and went to deliver gifts as per routine.

The sect was always quick to act; even the suffering disciples had to suffer the teachers. Just like the test when they were still miscellaneous disciples, the results were announced the day after the test, posted on the academy’s bulletin board.

The good news was that after studying for so many days, at least three out of the six had passed. The bad news was that the two who passed were Lin Zhusheng and Song Ming, who had hardly studied at all, once again topping the list.

“How could this be!”

As they all gathered to check the results, Gao Yu searched the list several times but couldn’t find his name. In despair, he pounded the wall, looking like he was about to bang his head against the ground, utterly miserable.

Seeing the familiar names at the top only deepened his sorrow. “You clearly didn’t study! Tell me, did you bribe the teacher? Let me buy one too!”

Lin Zhusheng, who was quietly observing, was caught by his two brothers who were crying and rambling. He raised his hands in a gesture of innocence and said, “I never said I didn’t read the books.”

Then he added, “By the way, I did say before that I thought I could pass the test.” Just because he hadn’t studied in the past few days didn’t mean he hadn’t read before, and he had mentioned that he thought they could pass even before they started studying together.

Song Ming was in the same boat.

“……”

At that moment, Gao Yu finally remembered that the person next to him had been sleeping during the test. He had indeed felt the book being flipped and noticed it was thicker than theirs. He also remembered that Song Ming’s family had always had a close relationship with the Medicine Sect. Growing up in that environment, it would be hard not to understand pharmacology.

In the end, it turned out that the ones who were unprepared were actually themselves!

Among the three brothers, two had failed, and thinking about the miserable future of having to go to the Quiet Reflection Hall for a retest made them all hug their heads and cry together.

Another one who failed was Zhang Jing. Surprisingly, Lin Zhusheng looked twice before confirming that this person had indeed failed. He patted Zhang Jing on the shoulder and asked, “What happened? Did you draw talismans on the test paper?”

Zhang Jing hadn’t drawn talismans; it wasn’t that he couldn’t, but he had simply stayed up all night drawing talismans with others and had fallen asleep during the test.

Great, he also had to go to the Quiet Reflection Hall. Comforting him with a pat on the shoulder, Lin Zhusheng quietly moved toward the door and said, “It’s okay, you can go to the Grand Elder for a retest; you’ll definitely pass this time.”

His clothes were firmly grabbed, and his attempt to sneak away was successfully intercepted. Grabbing his clothes, Zhang Jing succinctly said, “Come with me.”

The others quickly joined in, and even Song Ming was caught. They had all studied together, so they had to go for the retest together.

“……”

In the end, Lin Zhusheng, who had already passed, was a step too slow and had to follow them to the Quiet Reflection Hall.

It had been a while since he last met the Grand Elder. When he saw him again, the Grand Elder still looked spirited and fierce. The Quiet Reflection Hall was tall and solemn, built from ancient brown wood, giving off a dark and cold atmosphere that matched the Grand Elder’s face sitting in the center.

While the others were busy flipping through books to prepare for the test, Lin Zhusheng didn’t need to. He took out some snacks and headed toward the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder’s expression didn’t change at all, but when he saw Lin Zhusheng, a hint of surprise finally appeared on his face. “You didn’t pass the test?”

“I did, I’m just here to accompany my friends,” Lin Zhusheng replied, handing over the small snacks he had in his backpack. “We’ll go out to play together after they finish the test.”

He had looked like a clever person when discussing whether to stay or leave, so it was no surprise that he could pass even this test. The Grand Elder’s surprise faded, and he pushed the snacks back, saying, “Just eat them yourself.”

“Really?” Lin Zhusheng tilted his head, resting his hands on the table and said, “The peach blossoms are gone; this is the last time I’ll make these snacks this year, and after this, there won’t be any left.”

Then, he offered a gentle suggestion, smiling, “They’re delicious; you should try them, Grand Elder.”

“……”

The Grand Elder’s brow twitched slightly, but in the end, he didn’t refuse again and said thank you.
【Grand Elder’s Favorability +5 (65/100)】

This little old man. He looked tough and had always maintained a cold image, but in reality, he loved sweet snacks yet was too concerned about his image to indulge, which was amusingly conflicted.

Accepting the snacks with a cold face, his inner favorability skyrocketed, just like the last time he received snacks. Lin Zhusheng pretended to cough lightly, covering his mouth with a fist.

He sat there as naturally as if he were at home, showing no signs of restraint. The Grand Elder asked, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

It was almost a pointless question since this person had never shown fear even when meeting the Sect Master last time.

Lin Zhusheng smiled, “I haven’t done anything wrong, so why should I be afraid?”

The Grand Elder asked, “What are you going to do for fun?”

“We’re going to the lantern festival in the nearby town,” Lin Zhusheng said. “I heard the lanterns there are beautiful. If you like, I’ll bring one back for you.”

The Grand Elder paused while drinking tea, looking down at the tea leaves floating in the water, and said it wasn’t necessary.

They spent the afternoon in the Quiet Reflection Hall, and as evening approached, a group of people who had passed the retest finally got to leave.

For the first time, Lin Zhusheng sat on the big sword leaving the sect, still the driver with zero passengers, feeling the wind was free, albeit a bit chilly.

Although the sect was located deep in the mountains, there were actually a few bustling towns nearby. This time, they only had enough time to go to the nearest Lishui Town, where the lantern festival was being held.

The lantern festival was an annual event, attracting people from ten miles around, and it was said to be very lively.

Not convenient to disembark on the main street, they saw the shadow of the town from a distance and got off the sword before entering.

The rumors were true; there were indeed a lot of people. Walking from the outskirts of the town onto the wide street, they could see a sea of heads apart from the buildings.

The sky began to darken.

Crimson clouds spread across the horizon, and Lin Zhusheng, with a cat tucked in his clothes, walked through the crowd, watching the lights on both sides of the street light up.

The dim yellow light hung from the eaves, lining both sides of the street, spreading throughout the entire road. People had already started setting up stalls by the roadside, selling various lanterns that looked quite novel.

Having spent all his time on tasks while playing games, he had never been to a place like this before, and he was quite curious, looking around.

His curiosity was unmasked, and Song Ming, walking beside him, asked, “You’ve never been to a lantern festival?”

With so many people around, Lin Zhusheng didn’t hear clearly and looked up, “Huh?”

Song Ming bent down a bit closer and repeated the question verbatim. Now that he understood, Lin Zhusheng nodded, “I’ve never been.”

They were close enough that he could see the shadows of his eyelashes cast by the light. Song Ming paused for a moment, wanting to say something, but the people around had already turned their heads, reaching out to tap Zhang Jing on the other side, pointing at something.

Lin Zhusheng was pointing toward a small stall that seemed quite popular, surrounded by many onlookers. It wasn’t selling lanterns but talismans, laid out in a rather spectacular manner. With one hand resting on Zhang Jing’s shoulder, he suggested, “Why don’t you expand your business too? You might make a little fortune.”

The talismans looked unexpectedly popular; if they could use the Tianzong disciples’ brand, many people would definitely buy them. He could act as an agent and also step onto the path of prosperity.

Zhang Jing, who had a national teacher for a father, didn’t lack money and brushed Lin Zhusheng’s hand off his shoulder.

What a heartless person! After failing to step onto the path of prosperity, Lin Zhusheng turned to talk to the others.

The crowd was too dense; it took over a minute to walk a short street. Finally, they turned a corner, and their vision suddenly opened up, revealing a river flowing along one side of the street and a bustling stone bridge.

And many familiar faces from their sect. It was rare to leave the sect, and it seemed everyone had the same idea; they all came out to have fun, easily recognizable by their disciple robes.

But none of that mattered. What was important was that Lin Zhusheng finally noticed something odd in the arrangement of the crowd. Standing in the throng, he voiced his confusion, “By the way, why does it feel like there are so many couples?”

It wasn’t just a feeling; it was a fact. Surprised by his reaction, Zhang Jing turned and said, “You just noticed?”

Clearly, he didn’t understand the lantern festival at all. Gao Yu, who was leading the way, succinctly explained, “The lantern festival is more for young men and women to seek partners; it’s a chance to find someone to enjoy the evening with.”

No wonder. The next moment, Lin Zhusheng realized something and turned to the few people around him, including himself, saying, “Then doesn’t it seem quite sad for us to be walking together like this?”

A group of six, all single, while others were happily paired up, made them look like elementary school students on a field trip.

Someone looked at him and said, “Aren’t you on good terms with many female disciples?”

Before he could answer, the person continued, “Oh, you get along well with everyone.”

Lin Zhusheng, the player who raised everyone’s favorability equally, smiled.

The sky had completely darkened, and the lights along the river became the main source of illumination. The crowd began to move purposefully, and before they could react, the six “elementary school students” were swept away by the flow of people.

“Whoosh—”

Shoulder to shoulder, figures around him disappeared into the darkness, and the noisy sounds mixed with the flowing water filled all senses.

Struggling to walk through the crowd, Lin Zhusheng caught a glimpse of Song Ming looking toward him just before he was bumped into by someone nearby.

After stumbling from the collision, he raised his head, and within his line of sight, there were no familiar faces left.

Wow, that was fast.

He tiptoed in a futile attempt to increase his height but still couldn’t see any familiar disciples. After thinking for just two seconds, he quickly gave up on searching in the vast sea of people and randomly picked a direction to leave.

The town wasn’t very big; they would meet again if fate allowed. It was more important to seize the time to have fun.

Having never been to this place, he couldn’t recognize the direction and wandered randomly with the crowd, eventually arriving at a rather beautiful spot.

A street along the river, with willow branches already sprouting, and the buildings on the other side were brilliantly lit, illuminating half the river, with ripples reflecting the colors of the lights.

It was a beautiful place, and he could vaguely hear the sound of silk and bamboo. Lin Zhusheng wanted to wake the little cat tucked in his clothes to see the lights, but before he could shift his gaze from the buildings, he saw a disheveled person leaning over the railing on the second floor, rolling around with another person, a wine jug falling to the ground.

And they were both men.

“……”

His hand that was about to pat the little cat quickly stopped. His eyes widened as he finally realized where he was, and his brain executed a quick reboot.

The Tianzong disciple uniforms were uniquely eye-catching in the crowd. The person who had been soliciting customers in front of the shop crossed through the crowd toward him, raising a hand to grab his shoulder, saying, “Immortal, would you like to come in and sit for a while…”

It was his first time facing such a scene. Although Lin Zhusheng was curious about many things he hadn’t done, this kind of situation was not one of them. He was slightly shocked, and his brain froze for a few seconds until he noticed the smell of alcohol wafting closer, prompting him to step back slowly.

“He doesn’t drink.”

Suddenly pulled aside by a gentle force, he narrowly avoided the hand that brushed past his shoulder. Hearing a familiar voice, Lin Zhusheng turned his head, and his eyes lit up as he shouted, “Senior Brother!”

It wasn’t just a voice that sounded like him; it was indeed his Senior Brother. He didn’t know why he was here, not wearing his usual inner sect attire but casual clothes, a moon-white robe flowing loosely. His eyes weren’t on Lin Zhusheng but on the hand that was still raised in the air, not yet lowered.

His voice was a bit cold, sending a shiver down Lin Zhusheng’s spine. The person who had been soliciting customers quickly averted his gaze after making eye contact with this sudden arrival and said it was a disturbance.

Before anyone from the other shop could come over, Lin Zhusheng was taken away by his Senior Brother. As they passed through the street, finally, no one came to solicit him.

When he was alone, he was cautious, but with his Senior Brother by his side, he felt completely at ease, not afraid of anyone calling out to him. His eyes were busy looking at people, buildings, and the water.

Having safely passed through a strangely appearing yet beautiful flower street and willow alley, Lin Zhusheng finally had the chance to ask the person beside him, “Senior Brother, how did you get here?”

The surroundings were noisy, and voices were easily drowned out. Wen Bozhou bent down and said, “Xu Rong is coming here, so he asked me to come along.”

Xu Rong was the name of the boss. Lin Zhusheng nodded, looking around but not seeing him, so he asked, “Where is he?”

Wen Bozhou replied, “He had something to do and left first.”

So he had been left behind. Lin Zhusheng raised his hand to pat his shoulder, “How pitiful.”

Wen Bozhou replied, “Yeah.”

He asked, “What about your friends? Shouldn’t they be coming along too?”

Lin Zhusheng honestly said, “We got separated.”

One was seemingly left behind, and the other truly got lost; it was just right for them to stick together and continue exploring.

Having someone to play with felt completely different from wandering alone. Lin Zhusheng let go and started to run around, waving at anything fun, signaling his Senior Brother to come over quickly.

By evening, the streets were noticeably more crowded.

Walking over the bluestone road, seeing the increasingly dense crowd around him, Lin Zhusheng felt it wasn’t good. He held a newly acquired specialty snack from Lishui Town in one hand and reached out with the other, tightly gripping his Senior Brother’s sleeve.

Noticing his little movement, his Senior Brother turned to look at him.

Taking a bite of the snack, Lin Zhusheng looked up and explained, “I’m afraid we’ll get separated again.”

He had no intention of watching the fireworks alone tonight.

“……”

Wen Bozhou lowered his eyes and slowly pulled his sleeve from Lin Zhusheng’s grip.

Then, he turned his hand and gently grasped Lin Zhusheng’s wrist, saying, “This way, you won’t get lost.”

“……Huh?”

Thinking he had been rejected, Lin Zhusheng was about to voice his complaints, but the words got stuck in his throat. He mumbled, “Oh, okay.”

After feeling the warmth of his hand, he honestly added, “Senior Brother, your hand is so warm.”

Wen Bozhou asked, “Is it uncomfortable?”

“Not at all,” Lin Zhusheng objectively stated, “It’s quite comfortable.”

Like a portable warm pack, it was just right for the slightly chilly outdoor evening.

Wen Bozhou smiled slightly.

Holding hands meant he wouldn’t get lost, but the downside was that one hand was rendered useless for carrying things.

The prices in the town were incredibly reasonable, more than half lower than in the sect, and the variety was more complete, perfectly hitting the sweet spot for a frugal player like Lin who had a collecting habit.

With one hand busy holding snacks and pointing things out, he couldn’t free up the other, and his backpack was already stuffed full, but he still wanted to buy more. In the end, everything ended up in his Senior Brother’s hands.

His Senior Brother was very easygoing and good-natured; no matter how many things he carried, he never complained, and the hand gripping his wrist remained tight.

As the fireworks were about to start, the crowd began to move in one direction.

With so many heads, Lin Zhusheng didn’t want to join the commotion and went against the flow of people to a less crowded area, finding a stone bridge pavilion to take a break, mainly to let his Senior Brother’s tired hand rest for a bit.

After resting, his Senior Brother put down the things he was holding, but the hand gripping Lin Zhusheng’s wrist seemed to have no intention of letting go.

Thinking he had forgotten, Lin Zhusheng kindly reminded him, “There aren’t many people here anymore; we won’t get separated. Senior Brother, you can loosen your grip.”

No response.

Thinking his Senior Brother was lost in thought and hadn’t heard, he quietly waited for a while, planning to repeat himself when he suddenly felt the fingers gripping his wrist move slightly, and then he heard a question out of nowhere: “If I let go, will you leave?”

The light on the bridge wasn’t as dense and bright as on the street, casting a dim glow that barely illuminated the contours of their faces, making it hard to see expressions.

“Leave?” Not understanding what that meant, Lin Zhusheng scratched his head, “I’m not going anywhere. Besides, I don’t have anywhere to go.”

Wen Bozhou lowered his eyes, taking one last look at the slender wrist hanging by his side, and finally, bit by bit, slowly loosened his grip.

The night breeze blew over the river, lifting his hair and the hem of his clothes, taking away the last remnants of warmth from his skin. Lin Zhusheng shivered and added just before the hand left his wrist, “If Senior Brother likes it, it’s fine if you don’t let go.”

The slowly retreating hand quickly tightened again, bringing back the warmth.

His whole body began to warm up slowly, and Lin Zhusheng politely said thank you.

He expressed his gratitude so earnestly that Wen Bozhou was slightly taken aback, then chuckled, his fist pressed against his lips, saying, “You’re welcome.”