Time flew by, and another half month passed in the blink of an eye.
On that day, the villagers of Feiyun Village warmly welcomed Gao Guiyong and Zhou Quan, and sold them over four hundred pounds of Feiyun Fire Copper for seven hundred silver coins.
Gao Guiyong also delivered a letter to Lin Xun from Xue Liang. The letter was short and concise. It mainly notified Lin Xun that there was only one month until the district examination in Donglin City and that he should set off as soon as possible if he wanted to participate.
Lin Xun knew that the district examination was generally held in December and the prefectural examination was set for March of the following year and the provincial examination was three months after that, which would be in June.
The national examination was held in September.
Violet glory flowers were said to bloom in the Forbidden City every September and wrapped around every part of the city like a sea of flowers. Such a stunning spectacle was known as the Violet Glory Flower Festival.
Cultivators who successfully passed the national examination were hailed as the talent of Ziyao and the pride of the empire. They would be arranged to walk down the most famous imperial street in the Forbidden City in the midst of a sea of flowers and receive cheers and praises from million citizens.
This tradition was also called the Walk of Heaven Prides.
Lin Xun held the letter in his hand and stared at it for a long time. It was only when twilight descended that he came to a decision.
……Three days later.
Before dawn, Lin Xun had already packed his bags. Holding Xia Zhi’s little hand, he pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard.
“Have you really decided not to tell the others?” Xia Zhi asked a rare question.
“Yes, we are not parting forever. It’s better not to disturb them.” Lin Xun shook his head. In truth, he couldn’t bear to see the villagers send him off.
However, their footsteps halted at the village entrance.
The sky was still dark and all mountains were shrouded in darkness but the village entrance was strangely lit up in firelight.
All the villagers including Xiao Tianren, the elderly and children, were quietly standing there and lifting a flame torch.
Every face was filled with reluctance to part with Lin Xun, and some people were forcing back their tears.
No one spoke and the atmosphere was still and silent; only the sound of the wind sighing could be heard.
Lin Xun was completely stunned. His emotions roiled uncontrollably and he was unable to calm down.
“Let’s go!”
Xiao Tianren took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, “You don’t need to say anything. We just want to see you off.”
Lin Xun nodded and somersaulted onto the scale horse with Xia Zhi in his arms. The horse hooves clattering against the ground was particularly evident in that quiet atmosphere.
Many children couldn’t help but rush forward, but were stopped by the adults near them. Some women had their heads bowed and were weeping from indescribable sadness.
Under the firelight, Lin Xun took furtive glances at everyone. He realized that he had lived in Feiyun Village for over half a year already.
Half a year!
Not only did Feiyun Village change during that time, but he also had changed a lot. Now, he had to leave and he didn’t know when he would return to see everyone again.
“Lin Xun!”
Suddenly, a loud voice rang in Lin Xun’s ears, snapping him out of his rambling thoughts. He turned his head around to see Village Chief Xiao Tianren wearing a solemn expression. “Remember, Feiyun Village will always be your home. If it’s too tiring in the outside world, don’t force yourself to stay there. Feiyun Village will always welcome you back!”
“We will wait for your return!”
The villagers could no longer contain their emotions. They simultaneously wailed, their voices filled with hope as they echoed endlessly in the darkness.
Lin Xun drew several deep breaths, smiled broadly and waved his hand. Then, he immediately turned his scale horse around and galloped into the distance.
Dawn broke, and the first ray of light pierced through the darkness, illuminating the mountains and rivers as it spread across the world. It bathed the young man on horseback with a dazzling glow.
The villagers would never forget that scene.
The villagers didn’t leave until Lin Xun disappeared into the boundless horizon. Countless memories and past events with Lin Xun uncontrollably flashed to their minds as they watched him.
When Lin Xun first arrived at Feiyun Village, who would have imagined that he would be the one to help them resolve one crisis after another?
Who would have thought that Feiyun Village would undergo earth-shaking changes as a result of his arrival?
The villagers knew that Lin Xun truly regarded Feiyun Village as his home. They also regarded Lin Xun as one of them.
However, they all understood that Lin Xun couldn’t stay in Feiyun Village his entire life. The outside world was his stage!
……
“Lin Xun, will we come back in the future?”
“Definitely.”
“Those people are nice.”
“Of course, from now on, it may be difficult for us to meet people who treat us as nice as they did.”
“Yes.”
“Xia Zhi, the outside world is huge with many unexpected dangers. I will do my best to not let you suffer.”
“As long as you don’t abandon me, I won’t suffer.”
“Haha, how would I abandon you?”
In the vast endless mountains, Lin Xun spurred his horse into a gallop. The biting cold morning wind brushing against his face made his handsome and sharp face appear extraordinarily resolute.
Xia Zhi sat in Lin Xun's arms with a faint smile on her beautiful and tranquil face. Her world was very small, so small that it could only fit Lin Xun.
……
Three days later.
Lin Xun came to the Qingyang Tribe, paid Xue Liang a visit, and received a map with a route to Donglin City drawn out. He left the Qingyang Tribe that afternoon and headed north.
Just as Lin Xun left, Yan Zhen, the manager of Stone Cauldron Alms in the Qingyang Tribe sent a letter to Donglin City, which was thousands of miles away.
The letter was written to Mu Wansu, who was in charge of Stone Cauldron Alms in Donglin City. Only one sentence was on the letter: “Lin Xun has left for Donglin City and is expected to arrive in two days.”
This letter was delivered by an azure feather falcon and reached Mu Wansu’s hands in just three hours.
Mu Wansu was taking a bath when the letter came to her. She immediately shredded it apart. “Come if you want. I have the final say in Stone Cauldron Alms in Donglin City so don’t even think about coming to Donglin City and have anything to do with our Stone Cauldron Alms!”
As she got up from the bathtub, her graceful and enviable body glistened with water droplets, a seductive sheen that could make one lost in wild thoughts.
Mu Wansu put on a loose bathrobe, stood in front of a huge bronze mirror, and dabbed her wet hair with a clean towel. There was an indescribable sense of beauty in her lazy manner.
Suddenly, as though she thought of something, her dark eyebrows were raised, and were as sharp and fierce as a blade.
“No, the Stone Cauldron Alms shouldn’t even purchase items from that little bastard. We must cut off all contact with him. Didn’t First Young Master say that he will achieve greatness in the future? Let’s see how he will establish himself in Donglin City without the help of the Stone Cauldron Alms!”
Thinking of this, Mu Wansu’s red and plump lips broke into a smile. Her eyes suddenly dimmed as she murmured, “Lin Xun, Lin Xun, don’t blame your older sister for being merciless. It’s your fault for making your older sister so angry. From now on, remember that if a woman is thinking about you, the consequences will be terrifying…”
……
Meanwhile at the Wu Corporation in the Qingyang Tribe.
“Manager, I have sent someone to investigate Feiyun Village. Chief Steward Wu Henshui and his subordinates, including Lian Rufeng, have all disappeared. They likely had met with a fatal accident like you suspected.
“In addition, this evening, a scout came to report that Lin Xun had set off for Donglin City with a little girl,” a subordinate reported to Wu Deyong.
Wu Deyong’s expression changed indefinitely as he listened, and he suddenly gritted his teeth. “He could have gone anywhere but he came to Donglin City. He walked right into our snare. Donglin City is our Wu Clan’s base! Although the Stone Cauldron Alms also has a property in Donglin City, if we grasp this chance well, we can get rid of that kid!”
For a whole month, Wu Deyong couldn’t sleep or eat every time he thought of Wu Henshui, Mad Dog Wu Jie and the others. He felt a thorn pricking his heart.
This was especially true after the Stone Cauldron Alms interfered in the matter. The Wu Corporation’s reputation within the Qingyang Tribe had fallen to rock bottom and they had become laughingstocks.
That only deepened Wu Deyong’s hatred towards the boy. Wu Deyong immediately smelled an opportunity when he heard that Lin Xun had left home and was heading to Donglin City.
As he said, Donglin City was the base of their Wu Clan and they had a complex network of forces working for them in Donglin City. Although the Stone Cauldron Alms was powerful and was one of the most formidable forces in the empire, it was still regarded as an outsider in Donglin City.
Even the mighty dragon couldn’t crush a snake in its territory. Wu Deyong was well aware of the thousand ways to kill and he knew that they didn’t have to deal with Lin Xun in the open. If they planned a little and acted cautiously, they could silently get rid of Lin Xun!
At that time, even if the Stone Cauldron Alms learned about what the Wu Clan had done, the consequences would be less severe as long as they refused to admit to it.
The more that Wu Deyong thought about that, the more that he couldn’t hold himself back. He left the Qingyang Tribe in a hurry with several guards that night and headed for Donglin City.
In Stone Cauldron Alms, Xue Liang frantically searched for Yan Zhen and said worriedly, “Manager, it’s not good. Wu Deyong is rushing to Donglin City with a group of people. He must have heard about Lin Xun and wants to do something to him!”
“No problem, I’ve already delivered a message to Miss Wansu.”
Yan Zhen said calmly, “With Miss Wansu around, how would the Wu Clan dare anger the Stone Cauldron Alms because of Lin Xun?”
Xue Liang felt relieved when he heard that.
However, neither Yan Zhen nor Xue Liang knew that Mu Wansu had already decided to draw a clear line with Lin Xun.
On the other hand, Lin Xun likely didn’t expect so many things to have secretly happened after he went to Donglin City.