Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 93: Cheating with Spiritual Sense

The autumn wind swirled withered leaves outside the high walls of the Prefectural School.

Su Ming walked at a steady, unhurried pace on the small path outside the school.

His gaze fell on the base of the wall, where an ant was struggling to drag half a withered, yellowed blade of grass, slipping again and again, only to bite down and try once more.

Yet Su Ming's spiritual sense was like an invisible net, enveloping the thin, receding figure a hundred paces ahead.

Yan Zisu.

Over the past half month, Su Ming had seen him over a dozen times.

Every time, Yan Zisu would emerge punctually from the Prefectural School's side gate, a few scrolls of yellowed ancient texts cradled in his arms, disappearing into the dilapidated old residential district in the western part of the city.

Yan Zisu never spoke with anyone, nor did he ever look around.

His world seemed to consist only of the books in his arms and the path beneath his feet.

"Master, this Yan Zisu doesn't seem to have any fluctuations of spiritual energy around him," Su Ming said inwardly.His spiritual sense could clearly perceive the faint spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the jade pendant at Yan Zisu's waist.

Yet, Yan Zisu's own body revealed not a trace of spiritual energy.

There were no signs of spiritual energy circulating within him. His vital energy and blood were even weaker than that of an ordinary person, completely unlike someone who had stepped onto the threshold of cultivation.

"A mortal, wearing a magical artifact?" Su Ming felt puzzled.

"What's so strange about that?" Lin Yu's lazy voice sounded, carrying a tone of having seen it all before. "The family has fallen into decline."

Lin Yu, however, was inwardly muttering: Thank goodness, it's just a family fallen on hard times. I thought cultivators were crawling all over this prefectural city.

"Fallen into decline?"

Lin Yu patiently explained, "This Yan Zisu most likely had one or two true cultivators among his ancestors who refined this jade pendant. Unfortunately, the inheritance was broken, the cultivation method lost. Later generations, left merely guarding the treasure, can only wear it as an ordinary antique."

"This pendant's spiritual energy is internalized and restrained. Its only use is probably to calm the mind and focus the spirit, keeping one warm in winter and cool in summer. For him, it's not much different from wearing a comfortable, ordinary piece of jade."

Su Ming understood instantly.

He recalled what Xu Qing had said: the Yan family had declined, its members scattered.

Perhaps, the true inheritance had already dissipated like smoke in the wind and rain of a hundred years.

Yan Zisu was just a man guarding his ancestors' relic.

Su Ming withdrew his spiritual sense.

Since it was just a misunderstanding, there was no need to continue observing.

He turned and walked towards the direction of Wenan Inn.

The waters of the prefectural city might run deep.

But at least, this small ripple before his eyes had already settled back into calmness.

...

For the next half month and more, Su Ming sank into complete quietude.

He and Xu Qing turned their inn room into a small study.

The various selections of Provincial Examination policy discussions and critiques of famous contemporary essays that Xu Qing had gathered from major bookstores piled up over half the table.

"Brother Su, look at this essay! Discussing the pros and cons of the 'Kai Zhong Fa' system, quoting classics and citing sources, progressing layer by layer, truly the work of a master!" Xu Qing pointed at an article, his eyes shining.

"Look here, he uses an allusion from the 'Salt and Iron Debates.' It seems ordinary, but it secretly aligns with Minister Wang's viewpoint from his early memorials. This ability to fathom the superior's intentions is absolutely brilliant!"

Xu Qing possessed an almost instinctive sharpness for these things.

Su Ming listened quietly, occasionally flipping through pages.

He focused more on reading those archives concerning Yunshuo Prefecture's water conservancy, agriculture, and military preparedness.

wax to others, appeared to him

the second level of Qi Refining allowed him to easily construct the entire operational framework of the prefectural city in

were, where the barracks were, which river channels were prone

him

what are you doing? Simulating a city?" Lin Yu

Ming's reply was simple.

laughed out loud inside the

truly grasps the essence of my Way of Survival! The fight hasn't even

the Provincial Examination

Yunshuo Prefectural City was

scholars in the inn all wore grave expressions, their

Ming and Xu Qing's room remained as calm

it was time to eat, studied when it was time to

stemmed from the confidence accumulated through years

the fact that he never considered the "top scorer"

...

of the Provincial Examination, the

Hall, a sea of people had already

dense crowd, like a surging tide, was firmly held back several zhang away by rows of soldiers holding long spears,

the chill of early morning and the white mist exhaled by countless people due

Qing were

walking beside Xu Qing, perhaps too tense, accidentally dropped his examination basket. Ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones scattered across the ground. His face

and household registration documents!" a yamen runner

Qing handed over

checked carefully, nodded, then looked

similarly handed over

runner checked carefully, nodded,

the Examination Hall, the atmosphere

as neatly as honeycombs, stretching

two wooden planks: one served as a seat, the other as

Ming was assigned to

A damp air, mixed with the smell of mildew and

didn't rush to sit down, but

of the wooden planks were

out a dry cloth he had prepared from his bag and

did he sit down, arranging his

composed, as if he hadn't come to take the fate-deciding Provincial Examination, but to review his lessons in a

"Boom—Boom—Boom—"

drumbeats sounded, reverberating

examination had

papers

session tested

came from the "Book

Ming dipped his brush in ink,

breaking into the topic instantly formed in his mind. If written

it in his

another approach, more reliable, but also

was balanced and

solid

plain and unadorned, without any flashy displays

was like the most diligent craftsman, using the most standard mortise and tenon joints to build his essay. Not a

he needed

simultaneously surfaced in

"Zuo Zhuan," the most fitting and

"Book of Han," slightly obscure,

papers in the County School library, so obscure that using it

over

decisively chose

allusion from the "Book

would make him appear like a

writing swiftly, a strand of Su Ming's consciousness quietly

spiritual sense covered

in a "Di"-numbered cell not far

Zi'ang, further away in a "Tian"-numbered cell, brimming with high spirits, his brush flying across the paper like