Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

On the fourth day, just as dawn was breaking, the group set off.

Mo Wen and Qinglong walked in front, with the five children following behind.

No one spoke; the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Even the usually most active one, Zhang Kai, kept his mouth closed and his brows slightly furrowed.

Li Qianqian gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her face tense.

Zhao Mingxuan appeared quite calm, but Lin Feng noticed that he walked with his back straighter than usual, as if he was deliberately maintaining something.

Chen Jing'an... is still the same as always, as if today is just an ordinary day.

The path up the mountain was the same as it had been three days ago: bluestone steps and pine and cypress trees lining the way.

But today, most people are here to check the rankings.

Some students came alone, some came with their parents, and some came with their servants.

A diverse and bustling scene.

Lin Feng walked up the stairs step by step, nestled among the crowd.

The steps seemed longer than they had been three days ago, and each step felt heavy.

My heart was beating a little fast, and my palms were slightly sweaty.

His mind was a mess.

One moment I think of the days at the school in Hexi Town, the gentle voice of Master Lin, and the laughter of my friends playing around.

I think back to the experiences I've had along the way: the shadowy figure in the dilapidated temple, the ring in Yuanyang County, and the fire at the inn.

A moment later, I remembered those three questions on the exam paper and the answers I had written...

Is it possible for me to pass the exam?

he does not know.

We finally reached the summit.

The academy square was already packed with people.

A makeshift wooden bulletin board was set up, with a large red paper pasted on it. That was the list.

A large crowd of people crowded in front of the red paper, a dense mass of faces, all craning their necks to look up, chattering away like a pot of boiling porridge.

"Make way! Make way!"

"Who stepped on my foot!"

"Did you see my name? Wang Fugui!"

"I haven't seen it yet... There are too many people!"

Lin Feng and his group were squeezed on the outer edge of the crowd and couldn't get close at all.

Qinglong and Mo Wen stood a little distance away, with Qinglong crossing his arms, looking as if it were none of his business.

Mo Wen stroked his beard, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Squeeze in!" Zhang Kai said, taking the lead in pushing forward.

Lin Feng quickly followed. He wasn't very tall, and in the crowd, he looked like a small boat, being jostled and pushed about.

All I could hear were the cacophony of voices, and my nose was filled with the smells of sweat, dust, and ink.

After squeezing for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I finally managed to get a seat near the front.

Lin Feng raised his head and looked at the red paper.

The red paper was densely covered with names, from right to left and from top to bottom, a total of one hundred.

Each name is followed by the place of origin and age.

His gaze swept across the first one.

First place: Ji Jin, seventeen years old, a local of Qingyang County.

Second place: Shi Yuhan, sixteen years old, from Yunhai Prefecture.

Whispers arose from the surroundings:

"As expected, it's Ji Jin and Shi Yuhan... These two are renowned talents in Yunhai Prefecture!"

"I've heard that Ji Jin is the eldest son of the Ji family, and Shi Yuhan is the eldest daughter of the Shi family. They come from good families and are also very well-educated..."

"That's real talent; it has nothing to do with family background!"

Lin Feng wasn't interested in listening to any of that. His gaze continued to sweep downwards.

Third place, fourth place, fifth place...

The names flashed by one by one, all unfamiliar. His heart sank lower and lower.

Finally, in seventh place, he saw a familiar name.

Seventh place: Li Qianqian, fourteen years old, from Hexi Town, Nanling County.

"Qianqian!" Lin Feng turned his head and looked excitedly at Li Qianqian beside him.

Li Qianqian also saw her name. Her face instantly turned bright red, her eyes widened, and her lips trembled. She wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

She nodded vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes.

Raymond Lam was happy for her too.

He continued reading.

Thirteenth: Chen Jing'an, thirteen years old, from Hexi Town, Nanling County.

Chen Jing'an saw it but didn't react much, only nodding slightly, as if confirming something she already knew.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and continued to look down.

20th, 30th, 40th...

The further he went, the colder his heart became.

Finally, at the eighty-third position, he saw Zhang Kai's name.

Eighty-third: Zhang Kai, fourteen years old, from Hexi Town, Nanling County.

He grinned widely and patted Lin Feng's shoulder hard: "Look! I'm here!"

Raymond Lam forced a smile: "Congratulations."

His gaze continued downwards, his palms sweating profusely.

Eighty-fourth place: Zhao Mingxuan, fourteen years old, from Hexi Town, Nanling County.

Zhao Mingxuan saw it, and a smile appeared on his lips—a smile of relief mixed with a touch of smugness.

He puffed out his chest, as if this ranking was unworthy of him, but at least he was on the list.

Lin Feng didn't have time to deal with him.

His gaze swept quickly over the remaining names.

Eighty-fifth, eighty-sixth... ninety-ninth.

No.

Lin Feng is not included.

His heart sank to the bottom.

Finally, the 100th place: Song Xiaodong, 15 years old, a local of Qingyang County.

Whispers arose from the surroundings:

"Song Xiaodong? Isn't that the prefect's son? He's on the list too?"

"Number one hundred...hehe, those who know, know."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Someone might hear us..."

Lin Feng had no interest in listening to any of this.

His eyes were fixed on the red paper, looking from the first name to the last, and then back from the last to the first.

No.

No, there really isn't.

The name Lin Feng disappeared from the list as if it had evaporated.

He stood there, motionless. The crowd around him was still surging, the noise was still deafening, but he couldn't hear anything.

My ears were ringing, and my mind was blank.

How is that possible?

Why?

Did he answer poorly? He felt he answered those three questions quite honestly...

"Lin Feng?" Zhang Kai nudged him.

Lin Feng did not react.

"Lin Feng!" Zhang Kai shouted, increasing his strength.

Lin Feng suddenly snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Zhang Kai.

Zhang Kai's face was full of worry, and Li Qianqian also came closer, her eyes red, wanting to say something but unable to speak.

Zhao Mingxuan stood a little distance away, looking at Lin Feng with a complex expression, a mixture of sympathy, relief, and a hint of...satisfaction.

Chen Jing'an looked at him, and for the first time, a clear emotion appeared in her empty eyes—worry.

"I..." Lin Feng opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.

"I didn't pass the exam."

When he said those words, his voice was calm, but it felt like something had ripped his heart out, making it hard for him to breathe.

His eyes stung, and something seemed to well up inside him. He clenched his teeth and forced it back.

Can't cry.

At least I can't cry here.

"Maybe...maybe there's a mistake."

Chen Jing'an whispered, "Brother Feng, let's take another look..."

"Alright!" Lin Feng interrupted him, his voice trembling slightly.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile, an ugly one, but it was indeed a smile.

Congratulations!

He said, his gaze sweeping over Li Qianqian, Chen Jingan, Zhang Kai, and Zhao Mingxuan, "Really, congratulations."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and squeezed his way out.

The crowd was still surging, and he struggled to squeeze out like a fish swimming upstream.

Various sounds came from my ears.

Cheers, sighs, whispers, cries... all mingled together, like an absurd play.

And he was the clown who was kicked off the stage.

As he squeezed through the crowd, he saw Qinglong and Mo Wen still standing there.

Qinglong looked at him calmly, his eyes devoid of emotion. Mo Wen's brows furrowed even more, as if he were deep in thought.

Lin Feng walked up to them, head down, without saying a word.

Qinglong patted him on the shoulder: "It's alright."

Just two words.

But Lin Feng suddenly felt a sharp stinging sensation in his nose.