Chapter 75

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

The morning sun brightened the eastern sky, its golden rays streaming through the gaps in the clouds.

In the pen, the old donkey munched on fodder, snorting and braying, while the big black dog wagged its tail enthusiastically in the courtyard, watching the Daoist practicing his martial arts nearby.

Lu Liangsheng stepped out of his room, squinting at the sunlight as he stretched lazily. Only then did he notice his master sprawled out on the stone steps beneath the eaves.

“Master?”

The scholar called softly. Over there, the toad twitched a couple of times, his short legs jerking reflexively as he murmured in a half-dreaming voice:

“…Slow down… almost there, almost there…”

Perplexed, Lu Liangsheng made his way into the courtyard and rolled up his sleeves. He began practicing his Qianyang Palm. Occasionally, he paused and glanced at the Daoist nearby, lowering his voice to ask:

“What’s wrong with my master?”

“Who knows?”

Sun Yingxian struck a White Crane Spreads Its Wings posture, then casually wiped his mustache.

“I saw him lying there first thing in the morning. Probably overexerted himself during the night and fell asleep right there.”

Overexerted?

Lu Liangsheng was just as puzzled. Wasn’t his master perfectly fine last night, even taking the time to admire the moon alone?

“If he really had an upset stomach I wonder if the doctor in the city can even treat a toad…”

With that thought, he walked over, picked up his master, and carried him back into the room. After setting him on the bed and tucking him in with a blanket, Lu Liangsheng returned to the courtyard. Just like in the old days at Lu Family Village, he sparred with the Daoist for a while. Afterward, he freshened up. Despite the bustling events of the previous night, he was feeling remarkably energized.

After enjoying the breakfast brought by the maids of the household, Lu Liangsheng picked up a book and headed to the front courtyard to find Erudite Scholar Zhou Zhen.

The morning breeze carried the crisp scent of the air, gently rustling the flowers and trees in the grand courtyard.

With all pressing matters settled, the so-called carefree mind and light body gave his steps an unusual buoyancy. Of course, this didn’t compare to the lightness achieved through techniques.

Servants passing by respectfully greeted him, to which Lu Liangsheng responded with a friendly smile. Occasionally, a maid or two would bow and sneak glances at him, their cheeks blushing faintly pink with shyness.

Unfortunately, the brisk-footed scholar had no inkling of these subtle gestures. Clutching his book and writing tools, he swiftly passed under the corridor eaves, his flowing robes trailing behind. This left the recently departed maids glancing back repeatedly as they walked away.

Upon arriving at the front courtyard, he noticed a few servants waiting outside, whispering amongst themselves. Since beginning his cultivation and entering the Foundation Establishment stage, his enhanced eyesight and hearing allowed him to catch fragments of their conversation even from a distance.

“That shameless Zhang Liancheng is right inside the hall—I saw him myself.”

“…The master didn’t get angry?”

“Angry? Of course, he did. He even smashed a teacup. Zhang Dongming was there too, didn’t dare to utter a word.”

“Pah! Serves him right for what his son did.”

“Shh! Stop talking—Young Master Lu is coming this way.”

An alert young servant carrying a tray noticed the approaching scholar and quickly bowed with a smile.

“Young Master Lu, are you here to see my lord?”

From beyond the door to the guest hall, Lu Liangsheng faintly heard a familiar voice speaking. Pausing for a moment, he looked at the servant and smiled warmly:

“Since Elder Zhou is receiving guests, I’ll return later to see him.”

“Wait, wait! Young Master Lu, don’t leave in such a hurry.”

A servant quickly took two steps forward to persuade him to stay. “The master isn’t meeting a guest—it’s clearly an enemy!” He cast a glance toward the door with a disdainful snort.

“It’s the Zhang family father and son, here to apologize to the master. Even our young lady is inside. I’d bet she’s in tears by now.”

Ah, so it’s family affairs.

…That made it even less appropriate for him to intrude.

Lu Liangsheng paused to think and was just about to leave when the door creaked open. Stepping out was Zhou Rong, dressed in a plain white gown adorned with floral embroidery, accompanied by her personal maid. Her eyes were red, tears clinging to the corners.

Upon spotting Lu Liangsheng, she hastily wiped her tears and managed a faint smile. With a graceful bow, she lowered her gaze and quickly walked toward the end of the corridor, her steps light but hurried.

“It seems your young lady has a resilient heart.” Lu Liangsheng said with a faint smile, noting the faint lingering fragrance in the air, which was quite pleasant.

The servant nodded earnestly. “Indeed, that’s true. If it were any other noble lady, she might be throwing a tantrum—or worse, looking for ways to end it all.”

The door remained open, and inside, Zhou Zhen noticed Lu Liangsheng conversing with the servant. He immediately waved him in.

In the hall, the Zhang father and son were indeed there to apologize, and gifts piled up to half a man’s height. Upon seeing Lu Liangsheng enter, Zhang Dongming quickly tugged his son forward.

“Liancheng, hurry and thank your benefactor!”

Zhang Liancheng, frail and sickly-looking despite the life-extending intervention of the fox demon, showed proper etiquette. Having likely heard the full story from his father, he approached the young scholar, who was younger than him, with utmost respect.

“Honorable benefactor, please accept Liancheng’s gratitude.”

Lu Liangsheng thought it would just be a bow or clasped hands, so he raised his hand to stop him. But before he could, Zhang Liancheng suddenly dropped to his knees with a resounding thud, leaving Lu Liangsheng momentarily stunned.

Seriously… Why does this family love kneeling so much…

“Stand up quickly, no need for such formalities…” Lu Liangsheng, momentarily flustered, struggled to find the right words. After helping Zhang Liancheng to his feet, he sat with Zhou Zhen to host the father and son.

It seemed the issue of the previous marriage arrangement had already been addressed. Despite Zhou Zhen’s fiery temper, the Zhangs’ endless kneeling and ingratiating smiles seemed to placate him. After venting his frustration, Zhou Zhen eventually allowed them to sit and talk.

Once the Zhang family father and son were seen off, Lu Liangsheng finally exhaled in relief. He began to realize that being knelt to wasn’t necessarily a pleasant experience.

With trivial matters resolved, Lu Liangsheng formally began seeking Zhou Zhen’s guidance on the prefecture-level examination topics. The scope was not overly broad, as there was still the Ministry of Rites exam to prepare for in the spring.

This period of time was enough for Lu Liangsheng to thoroughly understand the books. Over the next two months, Lu Liangsheng immersed himself in study without much interruption. Occasionally, Zuo Zhengyang would drop by, though he never stayed long.

His master, the Toad Daoist, had also become unusually idle, spending his days either quarreling with Sun Yingxian or lounging in a custom-made recliner to bask in the sun.

Yet, one particular matter left Lu Liangsheng feeling rather troubled.

Ever since that brief encounter with Zhou Rong under the veranda, the young lady of the Zhou family had made a habit of visiting the side courtyard almost every day. At times, she claimed to have missed the courtyard; at others, she asked if Lu Liangsheng could paint her portrait.

The moment the words “paint a portrait” left her lips, the atmosphere in the courtyard changed dramatically. The sky turned gloomy, a cold wind swept through, and rumors of ghostly disturbances in the back courtyard soon began to circulate.

On the brighter side, there were things that lifted the young scholar’s spirits. A few days earlier, a letter had arrived from home. The paper was covered with crooked handwriting, the handiwork of his younger sister, Lu Xiaoxian, who was learning to write at the local school. Since Lu Liangsheng’s departure, the village had hired a new teacher. Considering the current prosperity of Lu Village and the neighboring northern village, where no one dared show their face without at least a dozen taels in their pockets, affording a teacher was hardly an issue.

The contents of the letter from home were not extensive, mostly inquiries about how he was doing, whether he had enough silver to spend, and a reminder that merchant caravans were now trading Lu Village’s grains and fish to this area. If he ever ran short of funds, he was advised to reach out to them.

At the very end, likely penned by Lu Xiaoxian herself, were some heartfelt words:

“Brother… I miss Ghost Sister, and I miss you too, and even that big toad… When will you all come back?”

The feeling of being remembered by someone, even the Toad Daoist found it rather moving. Meanwhile, Nie Honglian, who had leaned over to glance at the letter, was tearfully longing to return home…

“After the exams, we’ll go back.”

Lu Liangsheng comforted her, his gaze drifting past the window lattice to the old tree in the courtyard, where a yellowed leaf floated down.

In just two more days, the Autumn Imperial Examination would begin.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Orluros’s Vault of Secrets: If you liked the chapter feel free to donate 🙂 and if you find any errors in the translation please mention them in the comments here or in discord