The atmosphere grew odd between them as they sank into silence and walked slowly on the lawn.
Le Xaan was thrown into a daze for moment.
Over the past half year, as he let his wounds mend, ghost's type of entities, Youny Geey, and Deumu Wann all vanished around him. He felt as if his previous thrilling and dangerous experiences were nothing but daydreams as his life settled into a peaceful and serene routine.
If not for the facts that he could still sense the two currents of inner body Qi constantly circulating around his body and thickening and he could still summon the cheat tool's virtual interface out, he might well believe that he was living in a tranquil world without those supernatural entities wreaking havoc.
"Brother Le..." Chin Wensy suddenly called him in a low voice, drawing Le Xaan back from his thoughts.
"What's up?" Le Xaan paused in his steps.
Chin Wensy lowered her head with a blush face and murmured, "My Dad... wants to invite you to our home for dinner."
Le Xaan was dumbfounded. So, now he had to meet her parents? But they were still not even a loving couple. That felt like putting the cart before the horse.
"Brother Le, are you unwilling?" Getting no approval from Le Xaan, a disappointed look flashed across Chin Wensy's face, "Just to have a regular dinner. My Dad wants to see what kind of man you are."
Le Xaan was rendered speechless for a moment. To be honest, he had some feelings for Chin Wensy, yet it was too hasty for them to go this far. He was currently unsure how to respond.
After pondering for a while, he said, "I would also like to see how someone as rich as Lord Chin looks like."
Upon hearing this, Chin Wensy's face was lit up with a blossoming smile. "You will definitely be disappointed! My Dad is an old-fashioned, stone-faced geezer who behaves disorderly in private!"
Le Xaan laughed. He found all that he was experiencing now surreal and out of place.
From the looks of it, if Chin Wensy's parents were satisfied with him, Le Xaan would have to take her to see his father and Second Mother. Before long, the engagement would be finalized, and the two families would prepare for the wedding ceremony and select a day for it. If everything went smoothly, they would soon tie the knot with each other.
But, to tell the truth, Le Xaan had no plans to marry someone so soon.
"It'll soon be the Annual National Examination. Brother Le, you have just started learning at our school not long ago, so you're not expected to obtain a Distinction this time. But you should have a try and test what you have learned.
I asked several teachers to analyze the exam questions last year. If you need, I will send the analysis to you so you can have an outline of how to try your hand at answering those questions." Chin Wensy said seriously. "Doing more practice problems and trying to understand what the examiners are looking for wouldn't hurt! "
"Well... Thank you, Wensy."Le Xaan nodded in agreement after moments of hesitation. But, he felt somewhat bewildered now.
Obtaining a Distinction, securing a position in the government, and then climbing the ranks of the government or military. If everything went smoothly, he could indeed become a big figure who held some power.
But.
So what?
If what Deumu Wann told him was true, what's the point of becoming a high-ranking official?
"If one was able to obtain a Distinction, he will be allowed many privileges, including tax exemption. Then, he can have other people's land under his name and thereby make these lands tax-free, for which the lands' actual owners would pay to him every year. That way, even if he idles around every day, it would not be a problem for him to have a carefree life. What's more, a Distinction would allow for a higher starting point whether in the government or military. Brother Le, I bet you must have set your sights on it, right?" Chin Wensy asked softly.
"Maybe..." Le said with a smile and then fell silent.
No one here knew that he was a martial arts expert proficient in both outer body martial arts and inner body Qi cultivation methods who had stood up to Ghost Spirits more than once.
Even a Strength Flow expert could not hold his ground against Le Xaan within ten exchanges of blows. And once Le Xaan went ahead with all he had, the damages he could cause would not fall short of a T-Rex.
As time passed, Le Xaan's strength grew with the accumulation of Dark Shadow Qi.
Dark Shadow and Jade Crane Skill worked well in coordination. The former would temper his body while causing minor injuries, but the latter would heal these wounds. This made for a perfect sustainable cycle, going a long way in increasing his strength.
Currently, Le Xaan was deemed as a scion of an ordinary wealthy family from a small city by Chin Wensy and Soan Jingor's group.
Different from other students from remote cities, Le Xaan was more sophisticated and had an exceptional poise. But that's all there was to it.
"However, in such a precarious world, what's the meaning even if I become a high-ranking official? If I bump into Rollerson Prefecture or other demonic powers once again, all I could rely on is my own strength. My authority will be useless... So, should I really do as my father said? Obtain a Distinction in the Examination?" Le Xaan found himself unfitting among the people around him.
The laughter that wafted over from the pavilion made Le Xaan feel a strange sense of solitude.
"Brother Le, I heard that the Licorice Plum on West Town Street is very delicious, and along that street are many dried fruit stores. How about we go there together tomorrow night?" Chin Wensy asked in a low voice and then added, "Tomorrow is Dragon Dancing Festival. Many people will go there to watch the shows."
"Why not..." Le Xaan answered. These few days, he did not have much businesses to attend to. He had dispatched a servant to gather information about Scarlet Whale Sect and was now waiting for the results. Moreover, after all these months, as he consumed tonics in huge amounts, he nearly ran out of money.
Without sufficient money, his progress in improving his constitution and practicing martial arts would be slowed down. Therefore, he had to find a way to make money as soon as possible.
Le Xaan strolled with Chin Wensy for some more time as the cheerful girl told him many anecdotes on campus and talked about some of their companions here.
After bidding farewell to Chin Wensy and Soan Jingor's group, Le Xaan was currently walking on the street in the direction of his residence.
As he crossed the bridge over the moat surrounding Mountainside City, Le Xaan heard a few men chat leisurely.
"The Pine River's fishing ban will soon be lifted, right?"
"Yes, in a few more days. I have already purchased a new cast net. I'm all set for a big haul when I fish in the river." A middle-aged man said with a laugh.
"If there's no high tides, our catch will not be bad. The fishing ban has lasted for such an extended period, after all."
"You're right."
These men carried baskets filled with various items, including small wild animals and vegetables, on the ends of the poles over their shoulders as they walked past Le Xaan.
Le Xaan smiled as he listened to their chitchat.
"Compared to Gourian City, this city is a lot more peaceful..." Le Xaan sighed.
Soon, he made his way back to his dwelling, a three-storey house near the city gate. The first floor housed a winery, while the two floors above were owned by the Le family.
Le Xaan usually had dinner in a nearby restaurant on schedule every day. Cooking by himself was such a chore, after all.
After his meal, he went back to his place and had some tonics to improve the constitution. Then, he didn't bother to cultivate inner body Qi and went directly to bed.
On the next morning, he waved down a horse-drawn carriage and headed to West Town Street.
While seated in the carriage, Le Xaan felt a little sleepy, figuring that perhaps it was due to the lack of vital energy. So, he reached into his waist pouch.
After rummaging through it, he found a red pill in place and was about to take it. Yet, he suddenly had an itchy sensation in his right forearm.
As he examined his arm, he abruptly spotted a small yellowish note in his sleeve and then pulled it out.
The note was rolled into a small cylindrical tube and was stuck to the lining of his sleeve. When he reached for the pouch, it was pressed against his forearm, allowing him to feel it.
"Eh?"
Le Xaan carefully examined it and then unfolded it.
On the paper, clearly and neatly written, were a few sentences: 'Young Master Xaan, you can be worry-free now. Rollerson Prefecture have tried to manipulate a formidable demon yet failed. They incurred a sweeping disaster and were eliminated. The bad blood between you and them is the least of their concerns now. ----- Wann.'
Le Xaan showed no expressions on his face and rolled the note back into a cylinder, putting it into his waist pouch.
"So, Deumu has been keeping an eye on me..."
"Rollerson Prefecture has always been a major threat to me, a force which orders around Ghost Spirits. I am currently too powerless to stand up to them. Who would have thought that they would be eradicated without any warning..." Le Xaan fully believed in the treacherous nature of the world once more now.
After Le Xaan put away the note, the carriage trundled along some more before pulling over in front of Seeksun Restaurant, his agreed-upon location with Chin Wensy and Soan Jingor's group.
Le Xaan got out of the carriage and immediately blended into the crowd coming and going through the restaurant's entrance.
Seeksun Restaurant, a twelve-floored vermillion red building, bore a semblance to a Buddhist tower. By then, every floor below the tenth was packed with people who came here to watch the dragon dancing.
The hawking noises from some vendors sounded out incessantly.
Le Xaan elbowed his way through the crowd and entered the gate. As he ascended the stairs all the way to the tenth floor, the people around him became fewer and fewer.
"Are you Mister Le Xaan?" The moment Le Xaan made his way to this floor, a female attendant inquired him.
"Here, we're here, Brother Le!" Soan Jingor waved at him.
Chin Wensy was also over there. She wore a green dress now, bringing out her curvaceous figure as a teenage girl. Her smooth hair draped over her shoulder and was tied with a green silk band at the end.
Le Xaan let out a laugh and walked over.
"Thank you for reserving a table at the tenth floor!"
Soan Jingor waved his hand and said, ''No, we should be the ones thanking you. Miss Wensy made a reservation for a table here specifically for your comfort, Brother Le."
"Yes. If Miss Wensy hadn't pulled some strings, we wouldn't be having dinner here; at most we'd be dinning on the ninth floor." Another one among them said with a smile. He was named Wein Zikua, a student from Zewa City. He was no less handsome than Soan Jingor and on as friendly terms with Le Xaan.
"What are you talking about? Just by chance... I know someone at the restaurant..." Chin Wensy was embarrassed by their words and stole a glance at Le Xaan; her face blushed.
Le Xaan sighed inwardly and smiled at her before taking a seat at the table.
The group of them began to drink and chat. Occasionally, someone would recite a few self-composed verses. The atmosphere was currently lively.