Chapter 132: Friends Arrive

In truth, with the Xiao family's power, their young master could become an official even without participating in the imperial examinations. However, the examinations were not only a path to advancement for scholars and commoners but also an excellent way for children of officials to prove themselves. As long as they weren't truly degenerate playboys, excellent family academic resources combined with some connections often led to good results in the imperial examination.

As Ji Yuan rowed away, he naturally overheard the remark about "drinking tea with so-and-so," a clear reference to leveraging connections for the imperial examination. The young master did not object, which simply reflected a certain unwritten rule among the upper echelons of the feudal dynasty.

Of course, these individuals dared not go too far. At most, they might receive guidance on where to focus their efforts. Excessive interference would incur the Emperor's wrath, which was no joke. There were indeed officials in the history of Dazhen who had been executed for leaking examination questions.

‘Yin Fuzi, your competitors in the imperial examination are truly numerous and strong!’

The covered boat drifted further and further, eventually disappearing from the large ship's sight.

It was completely dark. Ji Yuan once again exerted force, making the small boat shoot forward with each heavy stroke of the oar. The wooden oar, protected by a faint magical aura, remained incredibly tough and did not snap under such immense force, which clearly exceeded its normal capacity.

Before midnight, the covered boat had already passed Zhuangyuan Ferry. The dock there was lit with lamps and fires, featuring eateries and inns, while the Tongtian River God Temple nearby was also adorned with high-hanging lanterns and curling incense smoke.

However, on this cold winter night, no ferry boats were crossing the river.

A little while later, Ji Yuan rowed the small boat to its usual mooring spot, feeling a slight sense of relief. He wondered if old man Chen, unable to find him for days, would have anxiously reported his absence to the authorities.

Ji Yuan didn't concern himself with that any longer. He tied the boat rope to the shore, walked over, and closed the bamboo woven doors on both sides of the canopy, then lay down inside, covered himself with a blanket, and fell asleep.

The next morning, familiar shouts came from the shore.

"Mr. Ji? Mr. Ji, is that you? Mr. Ji!"

Ji Yuan had opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps approaching. Now, he naturally emerged from the covered cabin.

Seeing Ji Yuan, the old man on shore breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Mr. Ji, where have you been rowing these past few days? It's so cold, and you just disappeared for so many days without a word. I was so afraid you..."

Old man Chen stopped short, but Ji Yuan understood what he meant and bowed apologetically to the old man.

"It was my fault, Mr. Chen. I truly wasn't thoughtful enough. Please forgive me. I couldn't catch any fish the past few days, and then I met a friend who said we might catch some if we rowed further. I also wanted to enjoy the snow while boating, so I went with him and forgot to leave you a message."

Old man Chen shook his head, pointing at Ji Yuan.

"You being gone for so many days truly frightened this old man. But it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."

After grumbling for quite a while, old man Chen finally adjusted his mood. It was Ji Yuan's easy-going nature and their familiarity that allowed him to chatter on so freely.

Old man Chen instinctively glanced at the fish basket near the bow of the boat; it was empty, as expected.

"Mr. Ji, you and your friend didn't catch any fish, did you?"

"No, we didn't. My friend left disappointed!"

"Right, it's really strange lately. No one in the village can catch many fish either; the schools just aren't showing up. At most, we only get small fish and shrimp, and nothing bites when fishing. Mr. Ji, do you think it will still be like this after spring?"

As the old man spoke, he approached the shore and handed Ji Yuan a lotus leaf package, which was still steaming.

Ji Yuan's nose twitched. He happily took the package and casually replied,

"Did you pray to the River Goddess?"

"Of course! How could we not?"

"Then it's fine. I reckon things will get better soon!"

"Ah, I hope so! Oh, by the way, Mr. Ji, would you like some wine? If so, I can bring you some local wine this afternoon."

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, remembering that the last time, his wine was swept away by the old dragon, along with him and his boat.

"No, no need. I still have some wine here. I'll ask you when I need more."

"Alright, alright, Mr. Ji. Please enjoy your meal. I'll be going now."

"Okay, goodbye, Mr. Chen!"

Old man Chen, relieved, walked with a much lighter step. While his concern for Ji Yuan was partly genuine, he was more afraid of a potential death report.

After old man Chen had walked far away, Ji Yuan untied the boat rope from the shore post and used his oar to push the small boat away from the bank.

With the foreign aquatic demons and spirits, especially the overly concentrated flood dragons, gradually leaving, the disturbed aquatic life in the river should soon return to normal.

As usual, Ji Yuan settled on the small stool at the bow of the boat in a suitable spot. He cast his line using dried insects as bait, ate his bun from the lotus leaf package, and rested a new book borrowed from the old dragon on his lap.

The book was titled "Imperial Discourses." It was not a heavenly scroll, but it was certainly no ordinary book. Ji Yuan could read it clearly, and there seemed to be deeper mysteries between the lines. Those with insufficient mental focus would feel dizzy or even hallucinate if they stared at the text for too long.

Like the few other books Ji Yuan had obtained previously, this one had no author's name.

Ji Yuan had once thought with a touch of dark humor that perhaps, in a world of demons, immortals, and various spiritual beings, authors feared that powerful figures or fierce demons might take offense at their writings and either challenge them to a debate or simply beat them up, which was why none of them signed their works.

"Imperial Discourses" was not a spellbook; more precisely, it was a book designed to help one understand the "control-type" spells within larger spell manuals. Most thick volumes of this kind were miscellaneous works, such as "Legends of Heretics" and "Strategies of Enlightenment."

The key was that these miscellaneous books were highly engaging and enjoyable!

The knowledge of spells was not to be easily passed on. True spell manuals were often concise and usually preserved in objects that conveyed spiritual essence, like the jade slips Ji Yuan had borrowed.

However, Ji Yuan believed that these miscellaneous books contained profound knowledge, and their wildly imaginative ideas were worth exploring. "Imperial Discourses" covered the author's research on controlling water, fire, wind, and thunder, from basic to advanced concepts, focusing solely on insights and theories rather than formal methods.

Based on the proportion of insights and theories for each control type, Ji Yuan could easily deduce the author's cultivation level and mastered techniques. For instance, the author most likely didn't know how to control thunder, as that section consisted almost entirely of hearsay, hypotheses, deductions, and pending discussions.

Ji Yuan nibbled on his bun as he turned the pages. When he reached a particularly excellent passage, which detailed the subtle changes that allowed water control to be both soft and firm, it resonated perfectly with his own understanding. This feeling of hitting a sweet spot made Ji Yuan beam with joy.

A barely perceptible tremor shook the tip of his fishing rod to his left; the float was bobbing. Ji Yuan quickly stuffed the remaining half of the bun into his mouth and looked at the float.

‘Did I get a bite?’

He watched the water for a moment, then, still smiling, turned to look at the distant official road by the shore, where two scholars carrying book satchels were walking together.

"Brother Yin, it's all my fault. I dragged you into this. I should have known it was a scam, but I wouldn't listen to your advice. Now look, we've lost all our travel money..."

One of the scholars sighed incessantly.

Yin Zhaoxian was certainly a bit vexed too, but he was far more composed than his companion.

"Enough, Brother Shi. Don't blame yourself anymore. Let's just consider this a lesson learned."

"That's easy to say, but how dare such a scoundrel accuse us first? If it weren't for your status as the Xieyuan of Jizhou, we would have almost been thrown into prison! I can't swallow this insult just thinking about it!"

Yin Zhaoxian tightened the strap of his book satchel, rubbed his frozen hands to warm them with his breath, and looked at his companion.

"If that's the case, we must strive even harder to achieve official status. When we become officials, we can clearly resolve such cases. Today's misfortune may not be tomorrow's blessing!"

"You're right, Brother Yin, you're absolutely right!"

They walked and talked, and after quite a while, they finally approached the Tongtian River. Along the way, they discussed whether their remaining money would be enough for a ferry ride and how they would manage the months before the metropolitan examination began, expressing various concerns.

Even Yin Zhaoxian looked troubled, resigned to taking things one step at a time.

"There's a boatman over there. Shall we go ask how far it is to Zhuangyuan Ferry?"

"Good idea, let's go ask!"

Though tired, the two scholars quickened their pace.

Beneath the river, a Yaksha was full of confusion. Why wasn't the fisherman pulling up his rod? Was he blind, unaware he had a fish on the line? Or was he waiting for a bigger one?

His Highness the Dragon Prince had suddenly ordered him to find this fisherman and occasionally put a large fish on his hook. Though the Yaksha didn't understand, he wouldn't question it; he simply followed orders.

Just as he was about to switch to another fish, the fisherman on the small boat suddenly reeled in his rod.

Yin Zhaoxian and the scholar surnamed Shi had just reached the shore. Before they could call out to the covered boat, they saw the fisherman pull up his rod. A large, white carp, appearing to weigh twenty to thirty catties, thrashed, sending water splashing across the river surface.