Chapter 1598 - A Meeting
Chapter 1598 - A Meeting
On his deathbed, he recalled the words of the no-name scholar form hundreds of years ago. Those words seemed to fill his mind until the moment his life ended and he became one of the primary souls of the soul flag.
His divine sense spread out for the last time at the end of his life and spread across the Soul Refining Sect. He saw a man who had fled from a far away place and mixed in among the Soul Refining Sect disciples. A very ordinary-looking person.
When he saw that moment, Nian Tian’s divine sense trembled like never before. He was shocked to find that this person was the scholar he had questioned hundreds of years ago!!
With confusion and an unimaginable speculation, his divine sense dissipated. His soul became part of the soul flag...
Wang Lin was sent back to the city in Zhao and stood next to the tree outside the test area. Big Fortune was still sleeping there. Everything that had happened felt like a dream.
“Karma… I understand a little…” Wang Lin looked at the sky and saw the white bird again. The white bird circled in the sky before slowly disappearing into the clouds.
After waking up Big Fortune, the two returned to the inn. The moonlight fell from the sky and stretched out their shadows.
The ranking was going to be placed a few days after the test. All the scholars anxiously waited for that day to come. Those who entered the ranking would have a chance of going to the next test.
This chance was to go the city of Su to participate in the exam there and have a chance to fly to the heavens. Once they obtained the title of Chosen Su, they would have a chance to go to the capital of Zhao for their last struggle!
If they were talented enough to obtain the appreciation of Head Scholar Su, they would instantly become famous. If they could become Su Dao’s disciple, the glory they could obtain would be unimaginable!
This was the desire of almost all the scholars in Zhao.
Less than 50 people in the entire county would have the chance to go to the city of Su. Although Wang Lin’s name was not on the top of the list, he was among these 50 people.
When Wang Lin saw his own name, he didn’t feel excited. He calmly looked at the ranking and left with the excited and proud Big Fortune. He went to the city hall to confirm his identity and obtain the certification for the next exam and the silver reward issued by the imperial court.
What caused Big Fortune to become excited was not that Wang Lin had gotten on the ranking but the silver.
His experiences during this short month had unknowingly changed Wang Lin, or one could say that he should have always been like this. Those dreams still existed every night, and he had grown used to them.
His mentality had changed. He no longer felt lost; he no longer felt confused or worried about the failing the exam.
What would be obtained would still be obtained and what would be lost would still be lost.
Nothing was worth anything, only the heart remained the same. The heart was as calm as the water in the well. It was like looking at a mountain as a mountain then seeing a mountain not as a mountain and then seeing a mountain as a mountain again. In this short period of time, not even he realized how much he had changed.
The aura of a great scholar gradually grew on his body. Among the countless scholars, his straight back and calm eyes stood out like a pearl.
Like cultivators that coldly looked down at their fellow cultivators!
“Life is like a dream. I’m not willing to wake up from this dream.” There were many scholars celebrating and even more feeling depressed when Wang Lin left the city with Big Fortune.
Just like how he came, he calmly left.
Big Fortune followed Wang Lin and continued to calculate their silver. He would sometimes mutter and reveal an expression of heartache.
At the gate of the city, Wang Lin stopped and his gaze fell on a wine stand not far away. “Big Fortune, go buy wine!” He suddenly wanted to drink even though he had gotten seriously drunk after just two cups before.
“There is very little silver and you want to drink wine?!” Big Fortune rolled his eyes as he grabbed the cloth around his chest and shook his head.
“What does this silver count as? Thousands of gold coins can be scattered, and they will always come back. Quickly, go buy wine!” Wang Lin smiled and pushed Big Fortune.
Big Fortune struggled and let out a long sigh. He arrived next to the wine stand unwillingly and began to bargain in a way that made Wang Lin gobsmacked. He even played dirty, and in the end the liquor vender smiled wryly and sold Big Fortune two jugs of wine at a very low price.
Despite this, Big Fortune still felt so much heartache when he took out the silver that his face became twisted and he started to mutter.
“Mine, mine, it was mine!”
Wang Lin laughed and took the wine jug. He took a big gulp and allowed the wine to flow down the corner of his mouth. Big Fortune quickly followed with a bitter expression.
At this moment, it was noon. The two walked further and further away. The lonely and sad aura around Wang Lin dissipated greatly. Instead, it was replaced with relief.
“Young Lord, where are we going?” Big Fortune’s voice echoed from the distance.
“The city of Su. I heard the osmanthus wine there is pretty god. I need to wait for a person there.” Wang Lin took another sip of wine. He untied his hair and let it scatter behind him as he laughed.
The city of Su was 250 kilometers south of the capital of Zhao. This city was very long and had a few rivers going through it. The city of Su was a river city.
The city of Su was famous because of Su Dao. The city of Su was also a gathering place of talents, and where there were talents, there would be no lack of beauties.
There were always boats traversing these rivers. Dancing and singing would happen day and night, making it very lively. Poetry, beautiful dances, and zither music filled the entire city of Su.
All the wine stalls that sold osmanthus wine were as famous as the scholars. It was said that the officials in the capital would send people to buy the osmanthus wine from the city of Su.
The head scholar, Su Dao, loved this wine in his earlier years and often drank it while comprehending the world. When he became famous, the osmanthus wine became even more famous.
The two-month journey passed by in the blink of an eye. Wang Lin and Big Fortune were sitting inside a humble carriage on the way to the city of Su. Wang Lin drank wine he had bought along the way and looked outside. Sometimes his laughter after getting drunk would echo.
“Young Lord, don’t drink anymore. The amount of wine you drink is frightening. It’s only been two months, two months! See how much wine you already drank? Almost all the silver has been used by your drinking!!” Big Fortune cried out, voicing his extreme heartache.
“If you keep drinking, even if we reach the city of Su, we won’t have any silver to stay at an inn. Who told you to drink, who told you to drink so much?” Big Fortune’s chatter became more and more frequent in these two months.
However, not only did he not make Wang Lin feel annoyed, but Wang Lin felt a sense of familiarity with him.
“No harm, you are the book boy and housekeeper. If there is no more silver left, you can just go earn some.” Wang Lin laughed as he joked with Big Fortune. He drank wine and looked at Big Fortune, who had a bitter expression.
As Big Fortune continued to chatter, dusk arrived and the sunset gave off a red glow. It wasn’t glaring and the light was extremely gentle. As the carriage wobbled, they closed in on the city of Su.
The city of Su was very big and looked like a mighty city. However, this was only the outer appearance. Inside, it was filled with winding rivers and gave of a feeling of elegance.
After paying the fare for the carriage, Big Fortune looked at the little remaining money in his hand and nearly cried. Most of the money they had spent on the road was for wine that entered Wang Lin’s stomach.
Wang Lin’s tolerance for alcohol had unknowingly increased; he was no longer someone who would get drunk after just two cups.
After getting off the carriage, Wang Lin fixed his clothes. He looked very elegant with his white robe and long hair scattered. As he held the wine jug in his hand, the scholarly aura around him had dissipated. It was replaced with a sense of freedom.
As he walked on the streets of Su, he saw many people walking along the road. Students accounted for more than half, and there were also many beautiful women embellishing the city.
Although Wang Lin’s appearance was ordinary, his temperament was very special. As he walked down the street, he attracted a lot of attention. Many beautiful women directed their gazes at Wang Lin. Wang Lin remained calm and continued to walk forward.
Big Fortune followed behind him. During these past two months, he constantly had a bitter expression. At this moment, he was the same and continued to sigh.
It was dusk in the city of Su, and the moonlight gradually appeared. As the boats floated along the river, the sound of music and leisure could be heard. Wang Lin stood on a bridge and looked at the boats on the river as the zither music filled his ears.
“Young Lord, who are we waiting for?” Big Fortune peaked at a few of the women dancing on a boat. He swallowed and his eyes shined.
Wang Lin remained calm and muttered, “Waiting for a person from my dream. He will come and gift me a pot of wine. If he shows up, it will confirm one of my guesses.”
Big Fortune looked at the empty wine jug in Wang Lin’s hand and said very carefully, “We are going to stand here waiting? Maybe we should find a cheap inn first…” He was afraid Wang Lin would make him buy wine again.
Wang Lin shook his head and revealed a smile that wasn’t as smile. He looked at Big Fortune and said leisurely,
“I remember that there was a lot of silver, especially after we got the silver from the exam…”
“Is there? Uh… Forgot…” Big Fortune blinked and revealed an awkward expression.
“Take out the silver you hid and get some osmanthus wine and rent a boat. We will live here for a few days.” Wang Lin waved his sleeve with a smile and no longer looked at Big Fortune.
Wind blew by, causing ripples to echo across the river’s surface and landed on Wang Lin’s body. This wind was soft and not cold; it carried a hint of warmth. Along with the wind came the sound of a zither playing.
Wang Lin murmured, “Will you come…”