The morning sun gently shone on the ground. The sky was clear and there were many clouds that were like feathers spreading across the sky. When the sun shone on them, there was a faint orange-red glow. Looking from a distance, it looked like a dream.
The barking of dogs and the rising smoke drifted out from the inn on the side of the official road. It blended into the world, causing this beautiful scene to be faintly tainted with the aura of the mortal world. However, it did not make people feel that it was out of place. It was as if this was how it should be.
The dogs raised by the owner of the inn were playing with each other as they ran back and forth on the official road. Their tails swayed along with their bodies, and they looked like the spirits of the land.
But not long after, the sound of horse hooves could be heard from afar. At the end of the official road, a cloud of dust rose up and turned into a cloud of dust. Within the cloud of dust, several horses galloped, and on the backs of the horses sat a few burly men wearing embroidered robes. All of them had serious expressions as they galloped away.
As they closed in, the dogs on the official road whimpered and quickly moved to the sides, causing the horses to gallop far away.
Perhaps because the sound of the horses galloping was too fast, the moment they passed by the inn, the ground trembled. The inn next to the official road also seemed to tremble along with the ground.
This inn was very simple, as if it had been here for a long time. As it trembled, it let out creaking sounds as if it could not withstand the pressure. As these sounds echoed, cries of surprise came from the rooms on the second floor.
"It's fine, it's fine. Old Man, this inn has been here for more than 100 years. Every time a horse rushes by, it will be like this. It won't collapse."
An old voice echoed in the inn. In the corner of the hall sat an old man wearing coarse clothes. The old man held an opium pipe in his hand, and after taking a puff, he spoke in a leisurely manner.
Across from him, the waiter from last night curled his lips. He slung a towel over his shoulder and carried a kettle of boiling water up the stairs. He delivered hot water to every guest in the guest room.
At this time, in the last room on the right side of the second floor, a young man reclined on the bed. The entire room was filled with the smell of alcohol.
As the sound of the horse's hooves passed by, the room trembled slightly. The young man slowly opened his eyes and got up. He pinched his forehead with his right hand and looked around in confusion.
"Alas, greed is a hindrance, greed is a hindrance … Why did he drink so much wine …" This young man looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was tall and slender, and his appearance was ordinary. He had a scholarly air about him.
At this moment, he had a bitter smile on his face. His head hurt. He supported himself on the side of the bed and staggered to the table in his dizziness. He poured a cup of herbal tea and drank it in one gulp. Only then did he feel a little better.
"Looks like I have to remember not to get drunk in the future. Last night, I was almost unconscious. If I ran into a bad guy, losing some money is a small matter, but if I were to lose my life …" The young man sighed and drank a few more cups of herbal tea.
At this moment, knocking sounds came from outside the door, followed by the voice of the waiter.
"Hot water, would you like it?"
The young man hurriedly stood up. Perhaps because he had stood up too suddenly, he felt dizzy again. He forced himself to speak.
"Come in."
The door creaked open, and the waiter walked in with a kettle. After he filled the basin with hot water, he looked back at the young man and smiled.
"I've been a waiter here for three years, and I've never seen anyone get this drunk after drinking two cups of our rice wine. Last night, I couldn't push you, so I had to carry you here to rest. You can't hold your liquor well, so you need to practice more. I heard that all the officials in the capital can't drink until they're drunk."
The young man's face was slightly red, and his eyes were filled with gratitude. He got up and clasped his hands at the waiter. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your care, brother. I don't know what happened to Wang. He felt fine after the first cup, but after the second cup, he passed out."
The waiter grinned. Before he left with the kettle, he looked at the young man with a playful expression and said, "You're a scholar going to the county to take the exam, right? Last night, you kept telling me that you had a dream. In your dream, you became an immortal. Haha, what you said is quite interesting. Tell me again when you have time, it's quite fun."
With that, the waiter walked out with a kind laugh. The young man's face was red, and he bitterly smiled and shook his head. After the waiter left, he went to the basin and used the hot water to wash his face, washing away a lot of the tiredness from last night.
He opened the window of the guest room. Along with the bright sunlight came a burst of cool wind. The wind blew on his face, and it was very comfortable, causing the young man to let out a long breath.
The young man stood by the window, looked outside, and muttered to himself, "After getting drunk last night, I really did have a dream. This dream was very strange, and after waking up, I didn't forget it at all …"
"That dream was very real, almost indistinguishable … It actually started three years ago when Fourth Uncle came, and I joined the Heng Yue Sect … Haha, interesting, but the dream didn't seem to finish. I only remember joining the Heng Yue Sect, and nothing else.
Heng Yue Sect … How could there be such a sect in this world? How could there be an immortal? I'm a scholar, and I don't believe in the power of ghosts and gods. Most of it is just a rumor to fool the common people. "
The young man shook his head and turned around to look at the teacup on the table behind him. Suddenly, a young man's heart stirred. He raised his right hand, formed a seal according to his memory, and pointed at the teacup.
"Attraction Spell!" The young man laughed and pointed at the teacup.
The teacup didn't move and calmly sat there. The young man laughed again and said to himself, "These spells are very interesting."
After playing for a while, the young man collected his thoughts and tidied up his luggage. Silver, dry rations, clothes, brushes, ink, and books were all there. Then, he carefully cleaned the room and waited for the smell of alcohol in the room to disperse. After changing into a clean set of clothes, he carried the bamboo bookcase on his back and walked out of the room.
He was smart since he was a child, but his temperament was very simple. He grew up in a mountain village, and this was the first time he left home. Under the kind gaze of his parents, he walked out of the mountain village. He was like a young bird that had grown up and was about to spread its wings and fly.
This room was dirty and had the smell of alcohol because of him. He would rather clean it himself than let the servant who carried him here do it.
In the hall on the first floor, he ate some simple food and paid the bill. Then he smiled at the servant, cupped his hands, and left while facing the sunlight.
The gentle sunlight fell on his body, making the young man look like he was filled with the aura of sunlight. It gave people a very comfortable feeling, and people couldn't help but have a good impression of him.
His clothes were clean and tidy, which made him seem full of vigor and vitality. He stood off to the side of the road, looking out at the end of the road, at a place he couldn't see. Gradually, he seemed to be able to see the distant capital city of the State of Zhao.
"Wang Lin, you can do it!
When you pass the imperial examinations, bring my parents out of the mountain village and take care of them until they grow old. Let them live a happy life. "The young man took a deep breath and walked forward.
The spring wind blew, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers and grass that came from who knows where. It blew on Wang Lin's clothes, causing his green robe to flutter slightly and make a soft sound. As he walked, he gradually got farther and farther away from the inn.
Only the sound of singing was carried away by the wind. It was unknown where it went, but it slowly became indistinct until it only became a remnant.
People in their late teens often didn't know fatigue. As Wang Lin walked along the road, his eyes were filled with intelligence. Occasionally, he would stop and look at the forest around him. He looked very comfortable.
The day passed very quickly. As Wang Lin walked at a steady pace, the forest in front of him was no longer dense. Instead, a green river appeared behind the forest.
The sound of the river flowing could be heard by the wind.
In the Kingdom of Zhao, there were a few roads that were connected to the river. The road that Wang Lin was walking on was one of them.
To Wang Lin's left was the mountain range, and not far to his right was the river that flowed like a belt. There were a few boats on the river that flowed with the river.
Gradually, the sky in the distance darkened. In the darkness, dark clouds slowly gathered together. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning flashed across the sky. From a distance, it looked like a silver snake.
During the day, the weather was clear and sunny. However, before nightfall, the sky was already covered with dense clouds. The weather was very unpredictable.
The green mountains in the distance became dark under the clouds. Fortunately, although the color was dark, the dark clouds could not cover it.
From a distance, the mountains and clouds were entangled. The green mountains seemed to want to break through the dark clouds, but the dark clouds seemed to want to devour the mountains. It was like a battle between a dragon and a tiger. It was a spectacular sight.
At this moment, the rain fell amidst the thunder. Wang Lin quickly ran to a tree and took out a large umbrella from the bamboo on his back. This umbrella was made by his father. It could be folded and stored. When it was fully opened, not only did it cover the bamboo, but it also covered his body.
With the umbrella in his right hand, Wang Lin looked at the black mountains that the dark clouds could not cover. He looked at the rain falling on the ground, on the leaves, and on the surface of the river. As the rain turned into ripples, it bounced up a lot of water droplets and splashed on the boats on the water.
Wang Lin looked at all of this and laughed loudly. "There is an ancient saying, 'Black clouds cover the mountain, white rain jumps into the boat … It really is like this.'"
"Scholar, are you stupid? You see my family's boat is drenched in the rain, and you still laugh? How infuriating!"
A crisp voice came from the boat that was very close to the shore. There was a pretty girl holding an umbrella on the bow of the boat. Her face was filled with anger as she stared at Wang Lin and pointed at him.
Wang Lin was stunned. His laughter came to an abrupt stop, and he scratched his head.
"Children's Day, please allow me to take half a day off to update a chapter.
It has been more than two years. Whether it is the Spring Festival or any other festival, I have never taken a day off. However, as a father, I want to accompany my daughter today. I want to play with her and take her out to make her happy. "