The villagers of Li Village had begun avoiding Ji Huai and Aunt Li’s family like the plague, even spitting when they saw them from afar. Ji Huai paid no mind to this, but he remained deeply troubled by Li Si pushing Aunt Li.

That night, he discussed the matter with Lin Heyu. Li Si was the village’s notorious ruffian, with unreasonable parents whom none dared provoke, let alone Li Yuanyuan.

Ji Huai pondered various ways to teach the bully a lesson, but before he could devise a proper plan, Li Yuanyuan came running into the yard, face alight with excitement.

Since the schoolhouse had been vandalized, the door hadn’t been replaced yet, making it easy for outsiders to enter though aside from Li Yuanyuan, no one else would visit.

“Teacher, Teacher ”

Yuan Yuan called out loudly. Ji Huai quickly threw on his clothes and hurried out, worried something might have happened to Aunt Li.

“What’s wrong? Why so rushed? Catch your breath first.”

Yuan Yuan leaned forward, hands on knees, panting heavily. His large, round eyes sparkled as he covered his mouth with a giggle, then whispered mysteriously, “Teacher, I heard Li Si got beaten up by mountain bandits! He’s so badly hurt he can’t even crawl.”

“Mountain bandits?” Ji Huai frowned in confusion. “There are mountain bandits around here?”

Lin Heyu had emerged at some point, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The dark night blurred his features, but his bright eyes gleamed sharply in the darkness like a alpha wolf, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

A Hua also came out upon hearing the commotion. She blinked at the tall, unmoving figure, then crept closer and murmured, “Little Bird, do you think there really are mountain bandits here?”

The corners of the young girl’s lips curled slightly, seeing through the situation without spelling it out.

Lin Heyu spread his hands, raised an eyebrow, and replied flatly, “Who knows…”

Ji Huai wasn’t familiar with Li Village and had no idea whether mountain bandits existed here. He simply assumed Li Si had been unlucky a case of bad people meeting their deserved fate after pushing Aunt Li.

Li Yuanyuan continued chattering excitedly about Li Si’s miserable condition.

“Oh my! His face was swollen like a pig’s head, one of his arms was broken, and he’s limping around without a single uninjured spot on his body. The whole village is terrified, afraid the mountain bandits will come for them next. Teacher, Teacher, isn’t this what you call ‘evil begets evil’?”

Ji Huai took Li Yuanyuan’s hand and slowly walked him back next door, responding, “Of course. Yuan Yuan is a good child, so you mustn’t do bad things. But we shouldn’t be afraid either if anyone bullies you, tell your teacher, and I’ll definitely teach them a lesson.”

After seeing Yuan Yuan home, Ji Huai returned to his room. He looked at Lin Heyu sprawled across the bed in his bold sleeping posture and felt uncertain. “Lin Heyu, do you know if there are mountain bandits near Li Village?”

Lin Heyu pulled the quilt over his head, his voice muffled. “Probably. Times are chaotic these days.”

“Then when you went to water the flowers at A Hua’s house tonight, you didn’t encounter any mountain bandits, right?”

“Of course not. Even the boldest bandits wouldn’t dare barge into the village directly. Don’t worry even if mountain bandits showed up, I could protect you.”

Lin Heyu’s voice was stifled beneath the covers, his heart racing wildly.

Though Ji Huai still had doubts, he didn’t ponder further. He nodded, murmured agreement, blew out the candle, and went to bed.

Lin Heyu lay under the covers, mentally reviewing the process of how he had carried Li Si away earlier that day. He was certain that with Qing Shu’s assistance, they had ensured Li Si would be bedridden for at least ten to fifteen days. Moreover, he had vigilantly scanned the surroundings and confirmed no one had witnessed the act.

The thought brought Lin Heyu peace of mind. He couldn’t tell Ji Huai about it, as explaining Qing Shu’s identity would be too complicated.

Soon, soft snores filled the room. The two beds one tall, one short were placed close together in the cramped space. Lin Heyu peeked out from under the quilt, gazing at Ji Huai’s serene sleeping face before slowly drifting into dreams himself.

Days passed one after another. Ji Huai remained composed every day, showing no anxiety about whether he would pass the exam, nor any signs of hesitation.

Finally, the day of the Posting list arrived.

That morning, A Hua and Lin Heyu were far more agitated and nervous than Ji Huai. Before dawn, they had already woken him, clamoring to go to town to see the Posting list.

Ji Huai remained unmoved. He even leisurely cooked himself a simple vegetarian noodle soup and, ignoring their anxious expressions, invited them to join him.

Lin Heyu, with his impatient nature, couldn’t stand it for a moment. Yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of Ji Huai going hungry. He didn’t touch a single bite of the noodles Ji Huai had personally prepared, instead pacing around in agitation.

“Stop pacing, you’re making me dizzy.”

Lin Heyu halted, frustrated. “Ji Huai, how can you be so calm?”

Of course Ji Huai was calm. Why should he worry about becoming a Recommended Man? He still aimed to be the Number one scholar. He had personally studied and analyzed Zhao Bingzhong’s Number one scholar’s examination paper, thinking it might come in handy.

That paper was a national treasure of immense historical value. Its main text revolved around “Inquiring about Imperial Governance and the Imperial Mind,” proposing a governance philosophy of “establishing sincere intentions and implementing practical policies.” It advocated combining rule of law with virtuous governance and elaborated on bureaucratic reforms and people-centered ideologies. The writing style was rigorous, earning Emperor Wanli’s endorsement as “First Rank, First Place.”

The topics discussed in that Number one scholar’s examination paper precisely aligned with the current dynasty’s situation.

Ji Huai was fully confident about the exam. After all, he possessed knowledge and experience centuries ahead of this era how could he possibly fail?

From childhood, Ji Huai had never encountered difficulties in his studies. His educational journey had always been smooth, with top rankings in every exam and never failing to get into the schools he desired.

Ji Huai was brimming with self-assurance.

But then…

The setback came swiftly.

“How is this possible?”

“Why isn’t it there? It can’t be! It just can’t!”

A Hua squeezed into the crowd, her eyes scanning every name on the Golden list from the first to the last, but she never found the characters for “Ji Huai.”

Lin Heyu refused to believe it. With a grim expression, he pushed aside those blocking his way and forced himself to the front, scrutinizing name after name.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

How could it not be there?

Lin Heyu neurotically walked from the beginning to the end of the list, examining every character carefully. Yet, the two characters “Ji Huai” seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Lin Heyu’s mind went blank. He stood dumbfounded in the bustling, noisy crowd. The golden list before him resembled the golden sunset he had seen that day at Lingye Temple, swirling as if ready to devour him.

Dizzy and bewildered, the black names on the list twisted like thorny vines, piercing his panicked heart.

What was going on?

Where was Ji Huai’s name?

How could Ji Huai not be on the list?

For an unknown length of time, the cheering, joyful, remorseful, despondent, and wailing crowds gradually dispersed, and the surroundings grew quiet. Ji Huai remained standing outside the throng, his washed-out green robe fluttering stiffly in the wind. His gaze trembled, his upright posture rigid as if about to snap. He stood silently, expressionless, on the fringes of the thinning crowd.

Through the varied expressions of passersby, Lin Heyu’s sorrowful eyes met Ji Huai’s unfathomable gaze.

The lingering glow of the setting sun shimmered with unexpected, desolate golden light, gradually settling into an abyssal darkness within those bewildered, grieving eyes.

“Ji Huai…”

Lin Heyu slowly approached Ji Huai, taking his stiff, cold hand, his voice choked with emotion.

A Hua secretly wiped away tears, swallowing all her shock, confusion, and helplessness.

She forced a smile and said to the dazed Ji Huai, “Teacher, it’s alright. Next time…”

“There won’t be a next time,” Ji Huai’s voice was faint and weak. “There won’t be a next time. How could there be?”

“There will be!” Lin Heyu interrupted Ji Huai’s self-deprecating words, racking his brains for ways to comfort him.

He didn’t care whether Ji Huai had passed the exam. In his eyes, Ji Huai was no longer the pedantic Cultivated Talent of the past. The current Ji Huai was vibrant and interesting, erudite, always sharing stories and profound truths he had never heard before. Even if he didn’t fully understand, he inwardly agreed with Ji Huai’s words.

Failing the exam must have been a devastating blow to Ji Huai, and Lin Heyu’s heart ached just as much. But he didn’t know how to comfort Ji Huai. He was clumsy with words and slow-witted, possessing only martial prowess, yet unable to offer Ji Huai any real help.

The shock of failing again felt to Ji Huai like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting apart a thunderbolt from a clear sky that left him reeling.

When he had waited outside the crowd for Lin Heyu and A Hua without seeing them, he had sensed something amiss. Only when the crowd dispersed and his eyes met Lin Heyu’s helpless gaze did he realize the truth was exactly as he had feared.

For him, this was undoubtedly a crushing blow.

His confidence, his pride, his grand ambitions all now seemed like a cruel joke, hammering away at his self-assurance.

Bewilderment, panic, helplessness, and self-reproach spread like weeds in Ji Huai’s heart. He blinked, but the Golden List remained unchanged, devoid of his name, as if mocking his incompetence and arrogance.

Ji Huai dragged his feet and turned to leave.

Every muscle in his body moved mechanically as he walked. Lin Heyu and A Hua followed at a distance, both worried and protective.

Ji Huai knew the two little shadows trailed behind him, but he felt too ashamed to face A Hua and Lin Heyu. He had sworn he would surely pass the exam, only to fail again. He dared not imagine what they must think of him now.

The three of them trudged along the road home under the fragmented evening light, a path they had traversed many times before, yet now it felt strangely unfamiliar and endlessly long.

At dusk, a group of idle villagers gathered at the village entrance after their evening meal. The moment they spotted Ji Huai, their tongues began to wag.

Some busybodies had already gone to town to check the Posting List and confirmed that Ji Huai’s name was absent.

“Oh dear, failed again! I heard last time Master Ji was so angry he tried to jump into the river. What’s he going to jump off this time? A cliff?”

“Hahahaha, isn’t that the truth.”

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you lack the ability, just focus on teaching children properly. Always dreaming of becoming a Recommended Man without having what it takes what a joke.”

“Hahaha, look at that face! Is he furious?”

On both sides of the narrow bridgehead, villagers sat crowded together, sneering and mocking. Ji Huai walked past quietly, not glancing sideways.

Lin Heyu and A Hua, however, lacked such patience. They immediately flared up and began shouting back at the villagers.

Ji Huai left the clamor behind, paying no attention to it, neither caring nor asking.

He simply walked his own path, slowly and steadily.