Front hall, private room.
Ma Xuncai found the number plate for the room, pushed the door open, and walked inside. At once, he spotted Lu Chang’sheng seated in the place of honor.
A flicker of surprise crossed his heart.
Ever since Lu Chang’sheng stopped trading with him before the New Year, everyone had been holed up indoors, buried in their studies for this year’s imperial exam, and hardly set foot outside. So, they’d barely seen one another in all this ti.
Now, seeing him here, the boy was still just shy of manhood, but there was a subtle ease, an unfathomable composure in how he carried himself. If you ignored his tender face, no one would guess he was just eleven or twelve years old.
"Ma!"
A greeting snapped Ma Xuncai out of his distraction.
Only then did he notice several scholars of about his own age seated around the room.
"Zhang!"
Ma Xuncai felt a bit disgruntled, but he knew the boy before him was no one he could push around. So instead, he plopped down in a seat nearby, waiting to see what ga the kid wanted to play.
Afterward, another scholar arrived, filling every spot in the private room.
Lu Chang’sheng, who had just been chatting idly, now squared his shoulders and said, "I imagine you gentlen must be curious why I invited you here, am I right?"
"Ha! If you’ve got sothing to say, just say it straight out. There’s barely a month left to the imperial exam. Ti’s running thin!"
"Yeah! Whatever it is, make it quick!"
······
Lu Chang’sheng knew their mindset, so he stopped stringing them along and got right to it: "I’ll be blunt! There are plenty of scholars staying at the Traveler’s Inn, but I called only you here because you’ve been staying the longest and are most likely to win a place as Child Scholar at the exam!"
At these words, several scholars’ faces relaxed—even the most difficult of them softened up.
"Too kind!"
"No, no, couldn’t possibly!"
······
So, this kid brought us in just to butter us up!
They all felt inwardly delighted.
Lu Chang’sheng wasn’t like other people; he ran the archery practice ground, rumor had it he pocketed a few hundred copper coins each month. In this Traveler’s Inn, everyone called him little master.
To have soone like that kiss up to you—who wouldn’t feel the thrill? It was only natural.
But none of them expected what he said next, which instantly set their hearts racing, minds ringing with just one word—
Arrogant!
Because Lu Chang’sheng said, "Gentlen, may I ask—do you think I, Chang’sheng, can win honors at this year’s exam?"
"Winning honors is no easy feat, little master. You may be gifted, but it takes at least three or five tries before you’re likely to succeed!"
The slicker ones said it that way.
The more blunt ones didn’t bother sparing Lu Chang’sheng any face.
"That all depends on your ability. If you don’t have the skills, you might never make it in your lifeti!"
Lu Chang’sheng didn’t grow angry, only laughed. "Gentlen, you’re all being a bit too cautious. If you ask , this year’s exam—Child Scholar’s seat, I’ll have one for sure!"
Before the scholars could storm off in anger, he gave a soft sigh and said, "For the imperial exam, Child Scholars are tested on Book, Classic, Poetry, and Essays. Of these, Essays are most valued in a scholar’s eyes. I have one tael of silver—would any of you care to debate last year’s essay questions with for it?"
"Arrogant brat! Youngsters like you need a lesson in humility and so self-reflection, so you don’t offend everyone you et!"
They all slamd the table, eyes darting to that glint of silver, full of righteous fury.
······
So ti later, Lu Chang’sheng erged from the private room and called to a valet nearby: "Send a few dishes of snacks to those gentlen inside!"
Saying so, he tossed over twenty copper coins.
"The rest’s your tip!"
"Of course!" The boy bead and hurried off.
Lu Chang’sheng left the inn and imdiately spotted Li Nangua waiting nearby, hands full of household goods, and visibly struggling.
"No need to bring everything," Lu Chang’sheng said with a wry smile.
Two big bags—not just books and clothes, but even mats, a washbasin, towels, brought along.
Like a laborer fleeing with his whole load!
"We’re not short on a bit of silver now."
"Still, if I can save so, I will. These things are almost new—perfectly good!"
Li Nangua’s face flushed pink, standing awkwardly, unsure whether to unpack or stand her ground.
"Never mind, this is fine too. Give one to carry!"
Lu Chang’sheng said, smiling.
Li Nangua instantly stepped back two paces, bowed her head: "No, no! You’re our brains, can’t be doing this grunt work!"
Lu Chang’sheng was touched, but pretended to grumble: "I’ve got hands and feet—why shouldn’t I help out?"
He snatched up one bundled pile of goods and strode forward with long steps.
Li Nangua stamped her foot, saw Lu Chang’sheng headed off in a hurry, and rushed to catch up.
The two played cat and mouse, drawing closer to the city gates. Suddenly, Lu Chang’sheng, walking ahead, ca to a halt.
Li Nangua nearly bumped right into him, just checked herself in ti.
"Hold this for first."
"Okay!"
Li Nangua’s eyes brightened. She quickly took the bundle from Lu Chang’sheng and scampered on ahead, not looking back.
This girl!
Lu Chang’sheng smiled to himself, dug out a copper coin, and walked off in the opposite direction.
Clang!
The copper coin landed in the beggar’s chipped bowl with a crisp ring.
"Thank you, young master! Thank you!"
The beggar hesitated, then fell to his knees in thanks.
Lu Chang’sheng shook his head, chuckled, turned to leave, and had barely gone seven or eight paces when he suddenly loosened the bow slung on his back.
Notched an arrow, drew, spun around.
Fluid as water, seamless!
"Whiz!"
The beggar, just reaching for his bowl in delight, felt a numb tingle in his hand—a darting shadow flashed by.
Thud!
A sharp crack rang out.
When he recovered, his bowl was nowhere to be found. Instead, not far off, an arrow was planted deep in the dirt, a copper coin dangling from its quivering tail.
Looking up, the boy was already dozens of feet away. The beggar froze—angry and panicked.
If that arrow had been aid at his skull, would he still be alive?
The Black Mountain Army was busy fending off the rebels from Red Water, and had cut back on patrols outside the gates. If a beggar wound up dead, odds were no one would chase down the killer; at worst, a bit of silver as a fine.
"Hmph, that Lu kid really doesn’t know his place!"
Ignoring the astonished stares around him, he leapt up, shrugged off his ragged blanket to reveal sound legs, and dashed off down the street.
Before long, he’d reached the Three Red Gang’s headquarters.
A high-walled courtyard.
A lean, sharp-eyed middle-aged man stood on the hall, listening to a report from below, his otherwise calm gaze suddenly sharpening.
"You sure you didn’t see wrong?"
He fixed the beggar with an icy stare.
"No mistake, none at all! That Lu kid just turned back and shot my bowl to pieces, and the copper coin landed right on the arrow’s tail!" The beggar, afraid the gang boss wouldn’t believe him, hastily handed over the pierced arrow as proof.
The middle-aged man inspected the arrow for a long while, then set it aside, deep in thought.
"With archery like this—even if he’s just a kid—he’s still a real threat!"
"If he was still holed up at the Traveler’s Inn, we could find a way to handle him. But now that he’s inside Prefecture City—that’s a genuine problem!"
"Still..."
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