On his deathbed, he recalled the words of the unknown Confucian scholar from hundreds of years ago. Those words seemed to have become eternal, and they continued to echo in his heart until he closed his eyes, until his lifespan came to an end. He threw himself into the Soul Refining Flag and became the main soul within it.
His divine sense spread out for the last time in his life toward the Soul Refining Sect. It was also at this moment that he saw a very ordinary-looking person who had escaped to this place and mixed in with the people who wanted to enter the Soul Refining Sect.
As soon as Nian Tian saw this person, his divine sense began to ripple. To his astonishment, he realized that this person was none other than the Confucian scholar he had asked about hundreds of years ago!!
With a sense of confusion and an unimaginable guess, his divine sense dissipated and his Nascent Soul became the soul of the flag … Wang Lin was sent back to the capital of the State of Zhao. He stood next to the big tree outside the exam venue. In front of him, Big Fortune was still sleeping, as if everything he saw was just a dream.
"Karma … I understand a bit now …" Wang Lin looked up at the sky. He saw the white bird circling in the sky before slowly disappearing into the clouds.
He woke up Big Fortune, and the two of them returned to the inn while Big Fortune's sleepy eyes were still open.
The bright moon hung high in the sky and fell on the ground, casting a long shadow on the two of them.
In a few days, there would be a big list for the county exam. As the 71 scholars waited anxiously, the day arrived.
Those who could get on the list would have the title of Elementary Scholar.
With this title, they would be able to go to the city of Su and participate in the Su City Imperial Exam. With this title, they would be able to soar into the sky. Once they become the Su City Imperial Exam, they would be able to go to the capital of the State of Zhao and fight one last battle!
If they were talented and obtained the recognition of Su City's Great Scholar, Su Qian, their name would spread throughout the world. If they could become Su Dao's disciple, the glory they would obtain would be indescribable!
This was the dream of all the scholars in the State of Zhao.
In the entire county, out of the countless students, there were less than fifty people who could obtain the title of Elementary Scholar. Although Wang Lin's name wasn't at the top, it was still within the top ten.
When he saw his own name, Wang Lin did not feel any excitement. He looked at it calmly, and then with Big Fortune, who was even prouder than him, he went to the county yamen to verify his identity. After collecting the proof of his Elementary Scholar title and the reward from the imperial court, he left.
What made Dafu excited was not Wang Lin's victory over the Elementary Scholar, but the money.
Everything that had happened in the past month had changed Wang Lin. Perhaps it could be said that he was supposed to be like this. The dreams that he had every night still existed, and gradually, Wang Lin had gotten used to it.
His mentality had changed. He no longer cared about the gains and losses. He was no longer as indecisive as he had been in the beginning, worried that he would be disappointed after he failed.
It's still the same to gain and still the same to lose.
Everything else was nothing. As long as his heart remained the same, his heart would be as still as water, without any ripples.
It was like looking at a mountain as a mountain, looking at a mountain not as a mountain, and looking at a mountain still as a mountain. In the short period of a month, even Wang Lin himself did not notice that he had changed so much.
The aura of a great scholar gradually rose from his body. Even among the countless scholars, his straight back and calm gaze were like pearls that stood out from the crowd.
As an immortal, he looked coldly at the cultivators. As a mortal, he was also an outstanding person!
"Life is like a dream. I don't want to wake up from this dream."
Wang Lin brought Big Fortune with him, carrying a bamboo backpack on his back. In the county, the dozens of people who had become Elementary Scholars were cheering and celebrating, and even more people were sad and gloomy as they left the county.
Just like when he came, he left calmly and unhurriedly.
Big Fortune followed behind Wang Lin, constantly calculating the amount of money. From time to time, he would mutter a few words, showing a look of heartache.
"Dafu, go buy some wine!"
Beside the city gate, Wang Lin's footsteps paused. His gaze fell on a wine stall not far away. He suddenly felt the urge to drink, even though he had once gotten drunk after just two cups.
"We don't have much silver left, and you still want to drink?!" Big Fortune rolled his eyes, grabbed at his robes, and shook his head vigorously.
"This little bit of silver is nothing. Even if it's gone, it will come back. Go buy some wine!" Wang Lin smiled and pushed Big Fortune.
Big Fortune groaned and groaned as he struggled. He reluctantly went to the wine stall and haggled, which left Wang Lin dumbfounded. In the end, the wine vendor bitterly smiled and sold two pots of wine to Big Fortune at a very low price.
Even so, Big Fortune's heart still ached when he took out the silver. His expression twisted as he muttered.
"Mine, it's mine, it's all mine!"
Wang Lin couldn't help but laugh. He took the wine pot and took a big gulp, allowing the wine to flow down the corner of his mouth. Laughing, he walked out of the city. Big Fortune's expression was bitter as he quickly followed.
It was noon, and the two of them walked further and further away under the blazing sun. The loneliness and loneliness on Wang Lin's back seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of carefreeness and unruliness.
"Young Master, where are we going?" Big Fortune's voice echoed out from the distance.
"City of Su. I heard the osmanthus wine there is pretty good. I'm going there to wait for someone." Wang Lin took another sip of wine, then loosened his hair and laughed.
City of Su was about 250 kilometers south of the capital of the State of Zhao. It was a very large city, and there were several silver streams that flowed through it, making it look like a water town.
The city of Su was named after Su Dao, but at the same time, almost all of the talents of the State of Zhao were gathered there. There were also many beautiful women in the city.
Those silver dragon streams had painted boats on them all year round. Every night, they sang and danced to celebrate peace. It was quite lively. Geniuses recited poems, beauties danced, and music filled the air. The entire City of Su was shrouded in a crimson color.
There were also wine shops of all sizes in Su City that sold osmanthus wine. Su City's osmanthus wine was very famous. Even the nobles and officials of the capital would often send people to Su City to buy this osmanthus wine.
The great scholar Su Dao loved this wine when he was young. He drank it to comprehend the vastness of the world. After he became famous, the osmanthus wine became even more famous.
Two months of travel passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Lin and Big Fortune sat in a simple and crude carriage on the official road to the city of Su. They drank the wine they had bought along the way and looked out. Occasionally, they could hear Wang Lin's drunken laughter.
"Young Master, don't drink anymore. The way you drink is too frightening. It's only been two months, two months! Look at how much you've drunk, almost all of the silver has been consumed by you!!" Big Fortune's sobbing voice could be heard from the carriage, and it was filled with extreme heartache.
"If you keep drinking, even if we get to the city of Su, we won't have any silver to stay in. I'll let you drink, I'll let you drink!" Big Fortune's chatter had become more frequent during the past two months.
However, not only did his behavior not displease Wang Lin, it actually caused him to feel a sense of familiarity.
"It doesn't matter. You're the steward and errand boy. If we run out of silver, you can just go and earn some back." Wang Lin's laughter was filled with ridicule as he drank the wine and looked at Big Fortune, who was sitting on the side with a bitter expression.
As Big Fortune chattered, it was dusk. The light from the setting sun was red, but it was not dazzling. Instead, it was extremely gentle. The carriage swayed as it slowly approached the city of Su.
The city of Su was very big. From a distance, it looked like a magnificent city, but that was only on the outside. On the inside, it was like the moon on the water in Jiangnan, filled with grace and elegance.
After paying the fare, Big Fortune looked at the little silver left in his hand and almost cried. Most of the money he had spent on the carriage had become wine and entered Wang Lin's stomach.
Before he knew it, Wang Lin's tolerance for alcohol had also improved. He was no longer the person who would get drunk after two glasses.
After getting off the carriage, Wang Lin tidied up his luggage. His white robe made him look very elegant. His long hair was loose, and he held a jug of wine in his hand. The scholarly air on his face had long since disappeared, and what replaced it was a sense of freedom.
As he walked on the streets of Su, he saw that there were many people. Among them were scholars, and there were also many women wearing beautiful clothes that decorated the city.
Although Wang Lin's appearance was ordinary, his temperament was very special. As he walked on the streets, he attracted many gazes. Among them were the beautiful eyes of many women. Wang Lin's expression was the same as ever as he drank his wine and walked forward.
Big Fortune followed behind him. In the past two months, there wasn't a day where he didn't have a bitter expression on his face. At this moment, he sighed endlessly.
As the moonlight filled the sky, the sound of music drifted out from the pleasure boats in the river. Wang Lin stood at the head of a bridge and looked at the pleasure boats in the river. The sound of the zither lingered in his ears.
"Young Master, who are we waiting for?"
Big Fortune stole a glance at the few women dancing on the pleasure boat not far away, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his eyes glowing.
"We are waiting for the person of my dreams. He will come and give me a jug of wine.
If he really appears, then it will confirm one of my speculations. "
Wang Lin's expression was calm as he murmured.
"Are we just going to stand here and wait?
How about we find a cheap inn first … "Big Fortune looked at the empty jug of wine in Wang Lin's hand and carefully said. He was afraid that Wang Lin would go and buy wine from him.
Wang Lin shook his head and a faint smile appeared on his face. He glanced at Big Fortune and said leisurely.
"I remember that they prepared a lot of money, especially the reward from the county government …" "Did they?
Uh … I forgot … "Big Fortune blinked and looked embarrassed.
"Take out the money you have hidden and go buy osmanthus wine for this young master. Go rent a small pleasure boat. We will live on the boat." Wang Lin smiled and turned around, no longer looking at the six blessings.
At this moment, a gust of wind blew by, causing ripples to appear on the surface of the river. The wind blew on Wang Lin's body and caused his hair to flutter. The wind was very gentle and not cold; it carried a hint of warmth. Along with the wind was the sound of the zither.
"Will you come …" Wang Lin murmured.