The torrential rain gradually slowed down. The occasional stubborn droplets fell from the clouds and struck the wet ground.

Zhao Wuji returned with a dripping, mutilated corpse.

He did not speak much to Fang Lang. Instead, he inquired about Old Fang's state and reassured him.

Zhao Wuji swore to Old Fang, as long as they lived in Luojiang City, no harm would come to them.

The reassurance settled Old Fang's agitated heart.

Zhao Wuji collected Lin Yun's mangled corpse and gave Fang Lang an intense stare.

"Young one, keep training. The Jiang family can protect you but not forever. Get stronger, then Old Fang won't have to worry about you, the lady too."

The words put a bitter taste in Zhao Wuji's mouth. The lady was a fine specimen and

Leaning on the Blooming Lotus Sword, Fang Lang nodded respectfully.

With a complex expression, Zhao Wuji sighed and reaffirmed his grip on the corpses. He leapt into the night sky and disappeared at the speed of light.

The falling rain washed away the blood on the floor. The redness flowed into the drains and vanished from sight.

Mentor Wen yawned again and waved them goodbye. He left, umbrella in hand.

Outside the courtyard, the two Jade Pavilion martial arts masters who had no business there left swiftly. Manager Yu gave them permission to assist wherever they could but they knew better than to get involved in a fight with fourth-class sword masters. Hence, they laid low and observed.

Noises started to fill the quiet night.

Old Fang held the umbrella and guided the shaky Fang Lang away from the lively entertainment house.

The last traces of the boy who died in Chunmei Courtyard was washed away by the flowing rainwater, never to be seen again.

The father and son returned to the Fang Manor.

Old Fang went to the kitchen to personally prepare a bowl of hot porridge for Fang Lang.

The night's event had shaken Old Fang to his core. However, he maintained his composure for his son's sake.

Old Fang knew what happened would have a larger impact on Fang Lang.

Fang Lang had killed someoneit was ridiculous to expect him to be calm.

Outside, the rain continued. Water droplets struck the roof tiles, eliciting smattering sounds.

Inside the house, Fang Lang ate the porridge with a porcelain spoon. He blew over the spoon of porridge before ingesting it.

No one spoke.

The oil lamp flickered. Moments later, Old Fang met Fang Lang's eyes and said, "Are the spirit crystals sufficient?"

Fang Lang nodded.

"You and I are total opposites. I have a white core so cultivation was never the path for me. Who knew, my son would show promise The show is not over for you!" Old Fang said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't blame you if you failed but since there's some hope, you should strive for the best! If you run out of spirit crystals, let me know. I will sell the properties and farmlands to gather the required resource for your cultivation. It won't be a problem! Your mother passed away young but I made her a promise to take care of you. I will do my very best!" Old Fang said solemnly. Words he had held close to his heart were uttered to his son that night.

Old Fang knew his son was growing up.

As his son grew, Old Fang aged.

Fang Lang ate his porridge in silence but he nodded.

Under the illumination of the oil lamp, Old Fang saw Fang Lang smile. His son stood and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry about my safety. I've spoken to Old Zhao, he has reassured me there won't be a repeat of tonight's incident. With him around, I feel much safer. Old Zhao is nothing like your dad. He's incredibly strong, a fifth-class martial arts master I believe. He asks for seven to eight ladies at one go whenever he visits the entertainment house." Old Fang carried on and the conversation took a detour.

Fang Lang had a subdued smile.

Seeing that, Old Fang grinned and said, "Like what Master Wen said, the Imperial Examination is two weeks away, don't hide your talents. Go and conquer the exams! You're like the mountain peak, and father will support you from the base and be proud of you," Old Fang said with a smile.

Then, he collected Fang Lang's bowl and quietly left the room. The door closed behind him.

Fang Lang walked to the window. In the haze of the rain, he saw Old Fang leave with an umbrella in hand. Fang Lang exhaled.

"Like what Mentor Wen said, to ensure no problem arises, I have to become the top scorer in the Imperial Examination."

A flash of excitement gleamed in Fang Lang's eyes.

He knew achieving the highest achievement in the Imperial Examination was no easy feat even with the System's aid.

Previously, the System had given him an achievement mission that involved getting his name on the honor roll.

There was a stark difference between achieving the honor roll and the highest distinction.

He only had to get his name into the honor roll.

Obviously, the System was aware of the difficulty of achieving the highest distinction.

Fang Lang got into bed.

According to Old Zhao, there were other factors in play with regards to Lin Yun's appearance in Luojiang City. Beyond his personal vendetta, there were forces in the background supporting his visitsomething about the third prince from the imperial palace in Changan.

The third prince, the Jiang family, Donglu's God of Blades and the Sword Guild

Fang Lang let out a breath. He was not a person of worth yet he was accidentally pulled into this frightening whirlpool.

His danger senses tingled.

However, he did not regret his actions.

There were reasons for what had happened. Ever since he decided to bind Old Jiang, he already had one foot in the whirlpool. Then, he beat every genius sword disciple in the Sword Guild's tunnel test and obtained the Blooming Lotus Swordthat cemented his involvement in whatever plot the elites had going.

Fang Lang sat cross-legged and expunged all the complicated thoughts from his mind.

As what Mentor Wen had suggested, he had to focus on the Imperial Examination. His aim was to outshine everyone and reach the highest rank.

No one would trouble him then. The haze that blocked his vision would be lifted.

He had to work hard!

"System, switch to binding partner's cultivation state!"

Fang Lang's pupils constricted as he concentrated.

'Ding! Switching successful!'

Suddenly, a thought crossed Fang Lang's mind.

He had just leveled up the System. There was an empty binding slot.

If Fang Lang wanted to achieve the highest rank, he had to utilize every resource he had.

He could not wait for another exceptional genius to come into his life.

It would be a waste of time.

Moreover, as long as he leveled up the System, more slots would open up. Therefore, for the sake of efficiency, Fang Lang decided he should fill up the slot as soon as possible.

As the saying went, 'The earlier the better'

"I'll bind to another genius and enter the Triple Binding Mode for cultivation. It will boost my cultivation speed significantly. Who should I choose as my third binding partner?"

Lu Ze? Wen Ting? Or Chao Xiaojian?

Fang Lang's brows furrowed.

The last two were not an option. By the time the binding was complete, the Imperial Examination would have already ended.

Lu Ze's core was dubious at best and triggering the passive ability to gain rewards was nigh impossible.

Frankly, the subsequent bindings did not require cultivators with good cores as he had Old Jiang in his collection who remained as his main partner.

For the next binding, the person had to fulfill certain criteria: it must be someone Fang Lang knew, someone who required a short binding time and someone who Fang Lang could easily interact with to trigger the passive ability

Huh?

There was a suitable candidate.

A lightbulb lit up in Fang Lang's mind.

"Hmm? Old Liu?"

Light danced in Fang Lang's eyes.

Liu Bubai, 7th on the Luojiang Academy honor roll, ninth-grade sword disciple.

The boy who had wanted to carry him to victory but was slapped in the face by reality.

Although Liu Bubai had contributed next to nothing in the competition, he had innate talent.

The boy had a better family background than Ni Wen but he poured his heart into the flight sword instead of cultivation.

Something occurred to Fang Lang, Old Liu's penchant for flying might work to his favor.

With Fang Lang's Specialized Flight Sword Maneuver Skill, he could take Old Liu flying after the binding process. That would count as a meaningful interaction?

Riding the flight sword required one to hone their spiritual sense, and thus was a form of cultivation.

If so, Fang Lang would not need to rack his brain for cultivation topics.

Truly, men appreciated the simple pleasures in life as compared to women.

The light in Fang Lang's eyes grew brighter, rivalling Venus that hung in eastern sky.

No need for hesitation, let the binding begin!

"System, bind to Liu Bubai!"

Fang Lang said with determination.

'Ding! Partner-binding in progress'

'Ding! Target partner is a ninth-grade sword disciple whose skill level is on par with the host. Estimated binding time, 15 minutes.'

Fang Lang was speechless. The only thought in his mind was, 'Old Liu, you're so short.'

In the 15-minute waiting time, Fang Lang used the Dual Binding Mode to absorb two low-grade spirit crystals.

The System notification popped up. 'Ding! Partner-binding successfully completed.'

It was a chilly night in the Liu Manor.

Liu Bubai jolted awake as cold sweat rolled down his forehead. In his bed, his flight sword kept him company.

He turned to look out the window and saw that it was drizzling.

'What was that?'

Why did he feel a sudden emptiness in his chest?

Was this the after-effect of letting others carry him for too long?