The sky had not yet fully brightened, a thin layer of mist enveloped Su Family Village.

The air was clear and cold, carrying the moist scent of dew mixed with earth.

At the entrance of the Su family’s small courtyard, the atmosphere of parting fermented in silence.

Mrs. Chen stood before her son, extending her hands covered in thin calluses, smoothing the collar of Su Ming’s robe over and over again.

The collar of that blue homespun cloth long gown was already perfectly straight and neat as new, yet her fingertips stubbornly stroked over it.

“When you’re away from home, eat your fill and dress warmly,” she murmured softly, as if speaking to Su Ming, yet also as if speaking to herself.

She pulled out a small cloth pouch from her bosom, the pouch still carrying the warmth of her body.

Without allowing any argument, Mrs. Chen stuffed the pouch into the inner lining of Su Ming’s undergarment, carefully patting it to ensure it was hidden securely.

“Don’t lose it.”

Su Ming felt the outline of the pouch; inside were some uneven, hard objects and the touch of a pair of thick shoe soles. He knew it was all the family’s silver ingots, and the thick-soled cloth shoes his mother had stayed up several nights in a row to make.

His throat tightened a little, but he only nodded forcefully.

“Mother, I know.”

Su Shan, who had been squatting by the courtyard gate, stood up, tucking the unlit pipe tobacco rod back into the cloth pouch behind his waist.

Without a word, he picked up Su Ming’s not-very-heavy traveling bag, turned, and walked towards the direction of the village entrance.

In the morning mist, his back, usually somewhat hunched from the heavy burdens of life, now appeared exceptionally firm, like a silent wall, blocking all the wind and rain behind for his son.

Eldest Brother Su Feng and Second Brother Su Yang stood on either side of Su Ming.

Su Feng smiled with simple honesty, stuffing a bundle of dry rations wrapped in a clean cloth towel into Su Ming’s hand; the bundle still carried the warmth of having just come off the stove.

Su Yang, meanwhile, gave Su Ming’s shoulder a firm pat, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a very low voice.

“Leave the family to me.”

Four words, weighty as a thousand pounds.

Su Ming’s eyes felt a little hot.

He took a deep breath of the cold, clear air, suppressing that surge of aching sorrow, then turned to his family with a reassuring smile.

“Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you can see me off just here.”

He took the traveling bag from his father’s hand; it felt light in his grasp, yet his heart felt heavy.

“I’m going to the town to bid farewell to my teacher, then I’ll go directly to the capital. You… should all go back now.”

Mrs. Chen’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, she didn’t say anything more, only the rims of her eyes grew redder.

Su Shan stopped walking, turned back to look at his son once. Turbulent emotions swirled in those cloudy eyes, ultimately transforming into only a heavy nod.

Most of the fields along the road had already been harvested, leaving neat rice stubble. A few early-rising villagers were busy working in the fields. Seeing Su Ming, they all stopped their tasks, straightened up, and greeted him warmly.

“Provincial Graduate Su, heading out so early!”

“Su Ming, off to the capital, are you? Be careful on the road!”

Su Ming responded to each one, his steps never halting as he strode towards the dirt road leading to the world beyond the mountains.

Qingshi Town, the west city corner.

Xu Qing’s family’s book stall was busier than usual.

Several half-old camphorwood chests were lined up behind the stall. Xu Qing’s father was directing two short-term laborers, carefully sorting stacks of books by category into the chests, wrapping them meticulously in oil paper to prevent moisture and insects.

Xu Qing wasn’t participating in the packing. He stood to the side, holding a half-old ledger, using a charcoal pencil to swiftly record book titles and numbers, his expression focused.

His traveling bag was placed at his feet—a simple blue homespun cloth bundle, packed cleanly and neatly, revealing its owner’s practical nature.

“Brother Su.” Upon seeing Su Ming, Xu Qing immediately put down the ledger in his hand, a smile appearing on his face. He dusted off his hands, flipped the ledger to a certain page, and pointed it out to Su Ming.

“The carriage and horses have been hired as we previously discussed, from Old Chen’s family at the west end of town. Old Chen has been running this route for over a decade; he knows the roads well and is a steady man. I personally went to inspect the carriage’s condition yesterday; checked the axles, wheel hubs, everything is fine.”

His voice was clear, bright, and steady, carrying a reassuring quality.

“The route is also finalized. We’ll take the official road, passing through Luocheng and Xiangfan. This route avoids several places with treacherous mountain paths. Though it adds two or three days to the journey, the post stations and inns along the way are well-established, resupply is convenient, and it’s the safest. This is the rough itinerary.” He flipped another page. On it, a simple line drawing showed the route map, marking major towns and estimated camping spots.

Su Ming examined it carefully and nodded. Xu Qing had considered things very thoroughly.

“Brother Xu, how are the dry rations and medicinal herbs prepared?” Su Ming asked.

“I was just about to discuss this with you, Brother Su,” Xu Qing said, reopening the ledger. “For dry rations, I’ve mainly prepared flatbreads and dried meat that store well. I’ve also prepared some easy-to-carry fried rice. For medicinal herbs, I’ve stocked up on some patchouli, dried tangerine peel, and mugwort for common ailments, plus a small bottle of wound medicine. Brother Su, do you think we need to add anything else?”

Su Ming thought for a moment. “Prepare some more salt and sugar; they can replenish energy at critical moments. Also, could you check with Old Chen again to confirm if his carriage can have an additional hidden lock installed? Being careful never hurts.”

Xu Qing nodded, immediately noting it down in the ledger. “Alright, I’ll go take care of that shortly. Brother Su’s considerations are indeed thorough.”

“I’ve troubled you, Brother Xu.” He pulled out a small coin purse from his robe and handed it over. “This is the estimated travel expenses for our journey. Half is for carriage and horse fees, half for food, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses. Brother Xu, please manage it all.”

Xu Qing didn’t decline, accepting the purse straightforwardly, noting it in the ledger, then closing the book. “Brother Su trusts me; I will certainly not betray that trust.”

The two exchanged a smile; everything was understood without words.

At this moment, Xu Qing’s father looked up from the pile of books. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve and smiled at Su Ming.

“Provincial Graduate Su, be extra careful on the road.” Xu Qing’s father’s words were plain. “Our Qing’er has read many books, but his experience being away from home is still somewhat lacking. The two of you traveling together, look out for each other more.”

Su Ming bowed respectfully. “Uncle, please rest assured. Brother Xu and I will definitely support each other. You must also take good care of your health. These books… take your time sorting them; no need to overexert yourself.”

Old Man Xu waved his hand, laughing. “I’m used to it, used to it. These books are my lifeblood; I wouldn’t trust them to anyone else. You two focus on going to take your exams for scholarly honor; don’t worry about matters at home.”

“Brother Xu, I’ll go to the County School first to bid farewell to several teachers and classmates,” Su Ming said to Xu Qing.

“Alright,” Xu Qing nodded. “I still need about half an hour to finish inventorying the books here. After that, I’ll go purchase some more dry rations and common medicinal herbs for the road. Let’s meet at the east gate of the town in the afternoon and depart on time.”

“East gate in the afternoon, rain or shine.”

“Hey, this kid really is reliable. Bringing him along will save a lot of worry on the road,” Lin Yu commented in Su Ming’s mind.

Su Ming replied mentally, “Master, between friends, trust is most valuable. Each has their own strengths.”

Su Ming left the book stall and first went to a reputable blacksmith shop in town to collect several small, delicate throwing knives and a slender iron probe he had ordered a few days prior, concealing them on his person. This was on Lin Yu’s instruction, to prepare some inconspicuous yet practical self-defense items.

Su Ming did not go directly to the Zhou Residence. Instead, he detoured to the depths of the County School, to that secluded small courtyard planted with several plots of green vegetables.

Professor Liu was wearing his reading glasses, squatting in the vegetable patch, carefully mounding soil around a cabbage plant. His movements were as focused as if he were grading a splendid essay.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up. Seeing it was Su Ming, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

“Leaving?”

“Yes, I’ve come specially to bid you farewell, Professor,” Su Ming said respectfully, bowing.

Professor Liu stood up, dusted the soil off his hands, and pointed to the stone stool in the courtyard.

“Sit.”

He didn’t go back inside to wash his hands, just casually sat down opposite Su Ming.

“The capital is not like Qingshi Town,” Professor Liu said, looking into Su Ming’s eyes, speaking slowly. “That is the foot of the Son of Heaven, the vortex center of power. Every person you see there, even a soldier guarding the city gate, might have intricate connections behind them.”

He paused, his tone turning serious.

“Your policy discussion essay about the floods in the five southern townships had good intentions, but it was too sharp, touching on sore spots for many people. Once you leave Qingshi Town, you must never mention it to anyone again. It’s best to dispose of the draft as well.”

“This student understands.”

“When a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will surely break it. Your talent is a sharp sword, but also a flag that attracts wind and rain. Before you have enough strength to protect yourself, concealing one’s edge is more important than brandishing the sword.”

Professor Liu’s words coincided perfectly with Lin Yu’s “Way of Survival.”

Su Ming felt a stir in his heart and bowed once more.

“Thank you for your instruction, Professor.”

Professor Liu waved his hand, then pulled out an unsigned letter from his robe. The envelope was made of ordinary yellow deckle-edged paper, looking somewhat aged.

On it was only a line of small characters: “To the Capital, Mule and Horse Market, Fushun Teahouse, for Manager Zhang’s personal attention.”

The envelope was ordinary yellow deckle-edged paper, with only that one line of small characters.

“When you reach the capital, it will be an unfamiliar place. If you encounter difficulties you cannot solve yourself, or… if you feel you’ve reached a dead end, you can go here and find a teahouse manager surnamed Zhang.” Professor Liu’s tone was very flat, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Professor Liu’s tone was flat.

“He is a distant nephew of my clan. He served as a cook in the army in his early years. He’s fairly reliable. Give him the letter, and he might be able to provide you with some minor assistance.”

Su Ming took that light, flimsy letter, yet his heart sank.

The weight of this letter was far heavier than a thousand pieces of gold.

“This old man knows what’s up,” Lin Yu’s voice carried a note of approval. “He’s giving you an inconspicuous little path. Disciple, keep it safe. Who knows, you might need to crawl out through this dog hole to save your life someday.”

“This student thanks the Professor for his nurturing!” Su Ming solemnly tucked the letter securely against his person.

Professor Liu nodded, turning his gaze back to his vegetable patch.

“Go on. The soil in the capital is very hard, and also very fertile. Whether you can take root in that land depends on your own fortune.”

Coming out of Professor Liu’s courtyard, Su Ming’s mood felt considerably lighter.

Coming out of Professor Liu’s courtyard, Su Ming strolled towards the student dormitory area.

He didn’t go to the A-ranked dormitories, but instead walked slowly through the ordinary dormitory area.

Most of the students he encountered along the way, whether acquainted or unfamiliar, would stop upon seeing him, actively cupping their hands in greeting.

“Senior Brother Su!”

“Brother Su, are you setting off?”

“Wishing Brother Su success in the capital exams and a place on the golden list!”

Their words were mostly filled with goodwill and respect.

Even though his ranking wasn’t as high as Xu Qing’s, the “Provincial Graduate” status itself was already enough to make these Xiucai still on their academic journey look up to him.

The status gap brought by scholarly honor was vividly apparent at this moment.

Su Ming returned each greeting with gentle courtesy, remaining as humble as ever.

“Thank you for your kind words.” “The same to you all; I hope you all make great progress in your studies.”

He specifically went to visit several classmates with whom he had some friendship and whose scholarship was solid, briefly bidding farewell and wishing each other well.

In the room of a classmate surnamed Wang, the other brought out his treasured tea to entertain him, speaking with considerable emotion. “Brother Su, with this journey, you are sure to achieve great things. I only hope that when you rise to prominence in the future, you won’t forget us, your classmates from Qingshi Town.”

Su Ming said, “Brother Wang, you exaggerate. How could I dare forget the friendship of classmates? If there is an opportunity in the future, we shall certainly gather again.”

At another classmate’s place, surnamed Li, the other was more concerned about the academic atmosphere and examiner preferences in the prefectural city. Su Ming shared some of his observations from the prefectural city, picking out the less critical ones to tell. The other listened, nodding repeatedly.

Walking to a corner of the dormitory area, he faintly heard suppressed discussion voices from inside.

“…That Su Ming, he just got a bit lucky, hanging onto the tail end of the list. How can he be compared with Second Top Scorer Xu?” One voice carried a hint of sourness.

“Quiet!” another voice immediately cut in. “A Provincial Graduate is a Provincial Graduate! How can we casually comment on that? Don’t bring trouble upon yourself!”

The voices inside immediately dropped lower, becoming inaudible.

Su Ming’s steps didn’t pause, his expression unchanged, as if he had heard nothing.

“Hey, hear that?” Lin Yu laughed in his mind. “The prestige of the Provincial Graduate Lord is already showing. Even if they’re sour inside, they still have to be respectful on the surface. This is the ‘momentum’ that status brings.”

Su Ming responded calmly in his mind, “It’s just empty fame. Their awe is for the ‘Provincial Graduate’ status, not for me, Su Ming, personally.”

After walking a circuit through the dormitory area, having fulfilled the courtesy due to classmates, Su Ming turned and left without lingering further.

For those walking different paths, a nod of acquaintance was sufficient.

He arrived before the familiar black lacquered gate of the Zhou Residence.

This time, he didn’t hesitate in the slightest, nor did he adjust his breathing.

He simply stood quietly, raised his hand, and gently knocked three times on the door knocker.

The door opened in response.

It was the same old gatekeeper. Seeing Su Ming, the smile on his face was even more sincere than last time.

“Master Su, you’ve come. The Master is waiting for you in the study.”

Su Ming passed through the courtyard, heading straight for the study.

He reached the doorway, his hand about to touch the door knocker.

“Come in.”

Zhou Wenhai’s voice came from inside, steady and powerful.

Su Ming pushed the door open and entered.

The last rays of the setting sun slanted in through the window lattice, dyeing the study a layer of warm gold.

Zhou Wenhai wasn’t sitting behind the desk. He stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the parasol tree whose leaves had already begun to wither.

Hearing the footsteps, he slowly turned around.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep