The sunset painted the streets in vibrant colors.

The pale-faced woman stood before the broken clay bowls.

From afar, the scene was beautiful like an oil painting but up close, one could see the faults and defects on the canvas.

Fang Lang watched the beautiful woman with suspicion.

Ni Wen entered a trance as her brain tried to process what was happening. There was distraught in her eyes and her calm was broken like an overflowing cup of tea.

"Mo-Mother"

Ni Wen made herself appear smaller. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked at the beautiful woman.

Fang Lang was shocked. 'Mother?

'This beautiful woman is Ni Wen's mother?'

The crowd around them hurried along. Horse carriages went by speedily as the sun continued to set.

Soon, the main street was left with Fang Lang, Ni Wen and the mother.

The atmosphere was awkward, to say the least.

Fang Lang wisely retracted his hand from Ni Wen's head. It seemed inappropriate to be petting Ni Wen's head in front of her mother.

'Why does it feel like I've been caught doing something wrong?'

Fang Lang glanced at the shrunken Ni Wen who was trembling in fear.

Then, he turned to face the beautiful woman who was glaring at Ni Wen. Fang Lang put on his sincerest, polite smile.

"Madam, I'm Ni Wen's classmate, Fang Lang. Fang like a square, Lang like a wave."

Fang Lang kept his smile bright. He had to remain calm and be careful with his presentationhe did nothing wrong and he should act as such.

The beautiful woman was unaffected by Fang Lang's warmth. Her expression remained frosty.

"Girl, come here!" the mother ordered in a barely restrained tone.

She had told her daughter many times and yet her advice was ignored.

Ni Wen continued to frolic with the sons of the rich.

She had done her best to dress up Ni Wen in the drabbiest outfits but it was to no avail.

The tableau of the boy stroking Ni Wen's head in the sunset stabbed at the mother's heart. It felt like a repeat of history, a repeat of her own personal nightmare.

Was the same to happen to her daughter?

Why did the gods bully them?

Immense sadness filled the woman's heart. The daily struggles and hardships never once made her cry but at that moment, the devastating blow to her heart was enough to make her shed tears.

She did not question or berate the fates. She was just frustrated at the cards she was dealt.

"Mother Mother, don't cry"

The tears falling from the beautiful woman's face startled Ni Wen from her trance. Ni Wen rushed forward and picked up the fallen items. She took the carrying pole and led the woman away. The mother and daughter disappeared into the sunset.

As the sun sank further into the West, the shadows of the interdependent mother-daughter pair extended.

Fang Lang remained where he was.

He watched as they melded with the crowd of Chang Street and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

That night, the moon was bright but the stars were shy. Birds were flying south for the night.

Autumn was in high gear and the moonlight reflected the thin frost covering the ground.

Fang Lang put Ni Wen and her mother out of his mind. Thinking about it would not improve the situation.

Under the moonlight, he sat cross-legged on the bed, hands clasping a spirit crystal. He was absorbing the spirit crystal in the Triple Binding Modespiritual energy flowed out like a water stream.

Fang Lang was a third-grade sword master and the spiritual energy of one low-grade spirit crystal had little effect on his body.

At a sword master's level, spiritual energy absorption was the least of his concerns. More importantly, he had to convert the spiritual energy into blade energy.

When all the spiritual energy in his energy center was converted into blade energy, he would be at the peak of second-class sword mastery, ready to break through into the third class.

Fang Lang pulled up Jiang Linglong's status.

Binding Partner: Jiang Linglong

Age: 15

Cultivation: Ninth-Grade Sword Master (Second-Class Sword Mastery)

Core: 55 (Gold)

Cultivation Speed: 15 low-grade spirit crystals/two hours

Conversion Speed: 10 wisps/two hours (spiritual energy > blade energy)

Jiang Linglong's cultivation had improved again. She was a ninth-grade sword master with a significant increase in cultivation speed.

Fang Lang's step into the sword master realm unlocked a new stat in the displaythe conversion speed from spiritual energy to blade energy.

This meant he would benefit from the binding partner's ability.

Unfortunately, whatever bonuses he got would be useless as he did not have the proper cultivation method. Without the knowledge, the conversion would be slow regardless.

Fang Lang toned down his excitement and decided to continue cultivating.

Just then, a light knock sounded.

Old Fang called out through the door. Fang Lang opened the door and was greeted with a bowl of steaming wontons. The old man walked in with a smile.

"There must be a balance between work and rest. Balance is the way of cultivation. Come, have some wontons. The Imperial Examination is tomorrow. Relax if you have to, and don't bring too much stress onto yourself. You did your best," Old Fang said.

Fang Lang immediately sat down and began eating.

Old Fang watched his son devour the food. He had witnessed Fang Lang's hard work in this period leading up to the Imperial Examination.

He did not know why Fang Lang was putting so much effort into cultivation but as his father, he would support Fang Lang unconditionally.

Even if Fang Lang failed the Imperial Examination, Old Fang would still be able to leave him a sizable fortune to manage as he grew older.

When Fang Lang was done with the meal, he felt a lazy warmth in his belly. Old Fang did not rush to clear the dishes. Instead, he spent some time shooting the breeze with his son, clearly trying to alleviate whatever nervousness Fang Lang felt.

Fang Lang did not resist his father's attempts and entertained the chatter.

As the night grew darker, the stars filled the sky.

Old Fang yawned and left with the dirty dishes. Fang Lang resumed his original position on the bed.

The absorption process carried on through the night. Staring at the brightening sky, he let out a breath of stale air and took another spirit crystal.

In the Year 276, Tang Dynasty.

It rained on the ninth of August.

The triennial Imperial Examination was held on a rainy autumn day.

The autumn drizzle and wind bathed the city in melancholia.

The rain fell like a net enveloping Luojiang City.

A horse carriage was ready at the entrance of the Fang Manor. Old Fang had the driver on standby early in the morning. It was his son's big day, Old Fang would ensure everything went smoothly.

Old Fang had slept early and postponed all his business matters in order to personally accompany his son to the exam venue.

Old Fang held the umbrella for Fang Lang, a nervous expression on his face. The rain soaked one side of his shoulder but he did not mind. He told Fang Lang to not be nervous.

There was a hint of frustration in Fang Lang's eyes. 'You're clearly more nervous than I am. Frankly, I'm not worried about the examination in Luojiang City. I'm more worried about the final section of the Imperial Examination in the Imperial City.'

As for whether he would qualify for the final section, Fang Lang was at least that confident in his abilities.

The withering leaves were crushed as the carriage made its way onto the main street. The streets were quieter than usual. There were patrol officers in the rain chasing away the street vendors. Luojiang City was silenced, providing a conducive environment for the candidates.

In Luojiang Examination Tower.

The examination tower was a special venue used for the Imperial Examination. The venue was opened once every three years. Most cities did not have an examination tower, thus the students from other academies would flock to the few cities that had examination towers.

The Fang family's horse carriage made its way to Luojiang Examination Tower. The venue was crowded with parents who were sending off their children and attending servants. Including the candidates, the crowd had 100,000 to 200,000 people.

The number was significant. Under the foggy autumn rain, Luojiang Examination Tower was bustling with activity.

Thankfully, the authorized official stepped up and cleared a path for the students to enter the examination tower. The state of the crowd became more orderly then.

"Son, relax. Just do your best and we won't have regrets! Even if you fail, I have the inns, the market streets and acres of fertile soils for you. Don't feel too pressured by this!" Old Fang said agitatedly as the umbrella in his hand wavered.

His words drew the attention of the accompanying parents around them.

Fang Lang smiled and made a sound of acknowledgement. Then, he flicked away a drop of rain from his green robe before striding into the examination tower, examination handbook in hand. Before the crimson gates of the tower, he presented the handbook to the official. He was allowed into the venue.

Old Fang did not leave. He stood guard under the autumn rain outside Luojiang Examination Tower, peering expectantly at the gates.

The autumn chill was brought upon by the rain.

Wen Ting stood on the top floor of the Mentors' Office. He was dressed in a bamboo hat and drab clothing. A sword laid in his arms, the hilt facing the gray skies.

Headmaster Cui glided across the autumn rainhe glanced in the direction of Luojiang Examination Tower with a smile.

"According to the news from the Imperial City, this year's examination is heralded as the toughest one in two centuries. The grand chancellor, Lu Taixuan, personally wrote the papers. Some even say the one deep within the palace had a hand in drafting the questions. Rumor has it The question has something to do with the Jiang family"

Headmaster Cui collected a drop of rain on his fingertip. With a profound expression, he said, "No one can grasp the Emperor's intentions. Perhaps, this is a sign?"

Wen Ting did not answer. His bamboo hat tipped forward and the rain water dripped from the brim.

He stared at Luojiang Examination Tower and vaguely saw the students rushing into the examination venue.

The chilly autumn rain could not dampen the exuberance of the young. This group of students were about to change their fates.

Wen Ting hoped his three years of teachings would benefit them.

Hopefully, they would live up to the standards of cultivation.

Dang!

The deep-sounding bell echoed within Luojiang Examination Tower, even reaching the city beyond.

With their handbooks, the students entered the hall.

Within the main hall, dozens of red doors opened and armed men stood before them with stern expressions. In every examination hall, there were sharp-eyed examiners dispatched by the Ministry of Rites.

Fang Lang passed the rune and quickly found his seat.

Some students were deep in thought, some were taking deep breaths while some prepared their inkstones.

Once all the candidates were in the hall, the invigilating head examiner from the Ministry of Rites went through some reminders. Then, he activated his spiritual sense and touched a rune.

The heavy curtains along the long corridors in the examination tower closed shut, silencing the rain and noise from the outside.

Once the invigilating spell was activated, the head examiner and fellow examiners waited patiently for the bell that signified the start of the Imperial Examination. The whole room was as silent as a graveyard and the atmosphere was solemn.

Dang!

The second bell sounded.

The head examiner, who was dressed in an official robe, opened his eyeslight shone in his eyes.

"Begin!"

At that, the other examiners distributed the papers.

The crinkling papers sounded as loud as a downpour.

Fang Lang prepared his inkstone and let the wolf wool brush absorb the ink. His eyes fell on the examination paper. The heady scent of ink filled his nostrils as a thought crossed his mind.

Within the span of his two lives, this was likely the most life-altering examination he would ever sit for.

In the Imperial City, Changan Examination Tower.

The beautiful Jiang Linglong pulled back her sleeves. Her brush touched parchment.

Ni Wen bit her lower lip. Her face was pale but with determination, she began writing.

Liu Bubai held his head high. Confident as always, his brush moved like a flight sword.

The drizzle continued outside Luojiang Examination Tower.

A smile crossed Fang Lang's face.

Ink smudged as his brush moved along the paper.