Chapter 113

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Spring rain pattered down the eaves. By dawn, the continuous drizzle of the past few days had finally ceased.

Morning light spilled through the window lattice. Nie Honglian lay sprawled beside the bed, resting her chin as she blew a breath into the scholar’s ear, softly calling: “Young Master, it’s time to rise.”

Only when the sunlight pushed in further did she get up and drift back into the painting. A moment later, her head popped back out again.

“YOUNG MASTER!!”

A sudden shriek burst forth. Startled, Lu Liangsheng sat up with a jolt. Across the room, the female ghost at the wall giggled, stuck out her tongue mischievously, and, content, slipped back into the painting. She perched on the swing, swaying lazily back and forth.

“Ah…”

Lu Liangsheng let out a yawn and exchanged a glare with Honglian in the painting. Only then did he rise, don his robes, and begin to wash up. As he slid his feet into his shoes and took two steps when a Splurt came from his feet.

The scholar looked down. The Toad Daoist was sprawled flat on the ground, limbs splayed, his bulging eyes nearly popping out, his tongue squashed and flung out over the floor.

Er…

He hurriedly lifted his foot and picked up his master, whispering, “Master?”

The toad on his palm twitched its beady eyes, and with a shwoop, drew back its tongue. Its limbs trembled as it gave a few feeble pushes and finally managed to sit up, webbed foot slapping its own back.

“You wret—”

Before the toad could finish cursing, Lu Liangsheng let out a soft exclamation. He noticed the floor was littered with crumpled balls of paper. Picking one up at random, he unfolded it—dark ink was smeared across the sheet, but he could vaguely make out the outline of a landscape.

“Master, what were you doing?”

From within the painting, Honglian kicked her legs playfully and swayed on the swing as she laughed:

“Toad Master was drawing the whole night. He fell asleep on the floor.”

Cough—

The toad gave two dry coughs, his bulging eyes glancing away. After a moment, his gaze turned, and his expression grew solemn.

“For this master, having lived alongside you all for so long, I’ve been stained by the smoke and fire of the mortal world, by mundane feelings and affections. I cannot help but feel a trace of longing for my homeland. Yet alas, my powers have waned, my cultivation depleted—I can no longer return to that place of old… All I can do is paint the homeland in my memories, to ease the bitterness of homesickness.”

Inside the room, Lu Liangsheng gathered the scattered, crumpled sheets of paper and stacked them upon the writing desk. After spreading them out for some time, he could make out some of the shapes and contours. He turned to look at his master.

“If Master can’t draw it clearly, then just describe it. I’ll draw it.”

Saying this, and taking into account his master’s… form, which made it difficult for him to flip pages at will, Lu Liangsheng retrieved a small scroll from the bookshelf and unrolled it on the desk. Listening to the toad Daoist’s voice, he slowly lowered his brush and began to sketch out the lines of mountain ridges.

“From this Chen Dynasty capital, heading north, twenty li west of the Northern Zhou border lies a gravehill. Then heading seven li east…”

As the Toad Daoist dictated, names of mountains and rivers, even a few major roads, were all gradually rendered onto the paper. Lu Liangsheng set down the brush, lifted the scroll into the morning sun, and blew gently upon the still-wet ink.

“Master… looking at this drawing, it seems like a view from above, as if seen from the heavens. And…”

Lu Liangsheng turned his head to look at the Toad Daoist sitting atop the desk.

“…This is a map, isn’t it?”

“In those days, your master’s cultivation was profound—I often rode the clouds and drove the mist. What I saw, naturally, were sights from such lofty heights!”

The Toad Daoist gazed at the map, gave a reply, then tensed his stubby legs and bounced back and forth a few times. His webbed hand stopped just short of half a cun from the scroll, unable to reach it, and in the end, he had no choice but to give up and sit back down, his webbed limbs propping up his chin.

“Well, fine. This is indeed a map. Marked upon it are places where, back in the day, I hid many pills and techniques. If I hadn’t been unable to recover for so long, I wouldn’t bother making such a long trip… especially after being bullied by a measly little centipede demon! This master simply cannot swallow that humiliation!!”

“You hid pills and techniques?” Lu Liangsheng raised his brow.

The toad lifted his eyelids and sighed.

“Though I fear… they may no longer be there. This master senses that place has already been disturbed, as if someone has broken in…”

As for his suspicions regarding the Earth Fiend Yin Fire Formation, the Toad Daoist kept them to himself. After all, once one secret is brought to light, it tends to unravel many more. That principle, at least, he understood well.

But now, this disciple of his was no longer that naïve mountain boy from four years ago.

The toad’s expression grew solemn as he stared at the scholar—but inside, his little frog heart was pounding tu-tuk, tu-tuk.

…He mustn’t find out.

He mustn’t notice.

Don’t let him see it…

“Liangsheng, are you up yet?!”

At that moment, Wang Shuhua’s voice called from outside. Just as Lu Liangsheng turned his head, a crimson tongue suddenly lashed out and snatched the scroll from his hands, flinging it away.

The Toad Daoist leapt down from the desk, scroll clutched tightly in his arms, his tongue flicking in excitement as he darted into a small cubby in the bookshelf. With a sweep of his webbed hand, bang!—the door slammed shut.

“…”

Lu Liangsheng looked down at his now-empty hands and let them fall helplessly. Clearly, his master had lost quite a few treasures over the years… With a sigh, he turned and opened the room’s door to step outside.

Beyond the threshold, the old man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the parasol tree. Near the crescent-moon gate, inside and out, many maids and servants had gathered, all of them staring toward the old tree.

In just a few short days, the parasol tree in the courtyard had sprouted new branches, full of life, and the entire household found it nothing short of miraculous.

“I remember this tree’s been here for many years—back when the old master had just taken his post as Grand Scribe, the young miss was still just a child.”

“I’ve been in the manor a few years myself. I watched this tree wither away. How did it suddenly come back to life?”

“Could it be that student of Mr. Wang Shuhua?”

“You mean Young Master Lu…? I vaguely recall, during one of the old master’s drunken ramblings, hearing something about Young Master Lu being a cultivator…”

“A cultivator? Then no wonder! That would explain how the old tree was granted a second spring.”

“Shh, that’s enough—Young Master Lu is coming. Disperse!”

Though the whispers were hushed, Lu Liangsheng heard every word as he approached. As for that parasol tree—it was indeed true that a few days ago, he had used the Way of Painting to channel his cultivation and revive the withering tree.

He wasn’t sure whether he had endured a lightning tribulation or if perhaps his cultivation and brushwork had both deepened. But every time he sat beneath that tree, he could sense its sorrow—its dying lament.

That morning, beneath the radiant sunlight, Lu Liangsheng looked upon the parasol tree and murmured softly,

“I saved your life as thanks for shielding me from the wind and rain these past days.”

In the nine days of the Spring Examinations, the tree’s once-sparse leaves had gradually grown dense and lush. The old bark shed away, new bark emerged, and now it stood tall and vibrant once more. The servants and maids who passed often through the crescent-moon gate had witnessed this miracle of rebirth—dead wood blooming anew—and the mysterious nature of it all filled the entire manor with a quiet reverence for the enigmatic Young Master Lu.

After the crowd dispersed, Lu Liangsheng stepped forward and cupped his hands behind his mentor.

“Teacher, I thought you had gone out?”

“Heh… miraculous, most wondrous.” Mr. Wang Shuhua gazed at the parasol tree branches swaying gently in the breeze, stroking his beard with a sigh. He turned around, a smile still lingering on his face.

“I did set out just now. However, before I got halfway, I received word from Minister Min, asking me to inform you to make ready—you’ll be entering the palace shortly for the palace examination. This is the final trial before stepping onto the path of officialdom. You must treat it with utmost care.”

Lu Liangsheng was caught a little off guard.

Ordinarily, after the exam, there would be a few days’ interval. Should there be pressing state affairs, the date would be postponed even further. He had already made preparations for the top three scholars’ ceremonial parade through the streets on horseback—yet now, he was being summoned for the final examination on the very next day.

“So soon… then again, that’s fine. Matters such as the affair in Heliang Prefecture and the appointment of the National Venerable Master—none of them can afford delay.”

There was still some time. Lu Liangsheng promptly returned to his chambers, washed and tidied himself, and readied his appearance. Before long, palace attendants arrived to vividly and thoroughly instruct him on the proper conduct within the palace.

“…Scholar Lu, once you’re inside the palace, be sure not to wander. Many places are strictly forbidden to outsiders. If you trespass, you’ll be punished—and if it’s serious, you could even lose your head.

“This time, His Majesty will personally oversee the examination. Whatever you do, do not attempt to cheat. If you try anything under His Majesty’s gaze, even the gods won’t be able to save you. You must keep this firmly in mind. And also…”

The eunuch from the palace prattled on at great length. Lu Liangsheng, not wishing to offend, listened patiently. When the man finally finished, he quietly drew some loose silver from his sleeve. The eunuch grinned, nodded amiably, and without the slightest trace, slipped it into his own sleeve before covering his mouth and smiling obsequiously.

“Scholar Lu is so dignified in bearing and knows how to conduct himself—surely, great fortune awaits you in the days to come.”

Not long after, Lu Liangsheng departed with the carriage sent for him, bound for the imperial palace.