Rain threaded through the air like silver needles.
Beyond the eaves of the Spirit Warden Bureau, the world lay muted—washed in gray and shadow, as though even the heavens were holding their breath.
Yan Rui stood beneath the corridor, hands clasped behind his back, watching the rain strike the stone courtyard in steady, rhythmic taps.
Beside him, Lin Qingyu leaned against a wooden pillar. For once, her usual restless energy had quieted, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond the falling rain.
Neither spoke at first.
Inside the main hall, the assessment continued.
Ink, paper, and silence decided the future of two men.
After a while, Lin Qingyu exhaled softly, her breath barely audible over the rain.
"Lord Yan," she said, breaking the stillness, "doesn't it feel strange to you?"
Yan Rui glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"Strange?"
She straightened slightly, her brows knitting together.
"That someone like Chu Fengge would come here in person."
There was a trace of disbelief in her voice.
"He's not just any official. He's practically the voice of the capital. When he speaks, people listen—not because of his rank, but because of who stands behind him."
Yan Rui smiled faintly, his expression unreadable.
"The intentions of those at the top are rarely simple," he said calmly. "Speculation often leads nowhere."
Lin Qingyu frowned, clearly unsatisfied.
"But it has to mean something."
She folded her arms, fingers tapping lightly against her sleeve.
"A small county assessment isn't worth that kind of attention."
Yan Rui's gaze drifted toward the hall, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, "it is not the assessment they care about… but the person taking it."
Lin Qingyu's eyes sharpened.
"Li Shen?"
Yan Rui did not answer.
But the silence was not enough.
She let out a quiet snort, shaking her head.
"Well, it makes sense," she muttered. "That guy's cultivation speed alone is already ridiculous."
Then, almost unconsciously, she added—
"And his talent for talismans… even more so."
For a brief moment, her expression softened, something unspoken flickering in her eyes.
Then she caught herself and turned away.
Yan Rui noticed—but said nothing.
Instead, he shifted the topic.
"There is another matter," he said.
Lin Qingyu raised a brow.
"The exam this time… is not ordinary."
"Oh?"
"It was prepared by someone from the capital," he continued. "A scholar known for her vast knowledge."
Lin Qingyu tilted her head, curiosity replacing her earlier mood.
"How vast?"
Yan Rui gave a small, almost helpless smile.
"Let's just say… if the questions seem unreasonable, it is because they were never meant to be simple."
Lin Qingyu clicked her tongue.
"Whoever sets those questions must enjoy tormenting people."
Then, after a brief pause, she added with quiet confidence—
"But it won't matter for Li Shen."
Yan Rui chuckled softly.
"You seem very certain."
"Of course I am," she replied without hesitation. "That guy reads like his life depends on it. Half the time, I don't even understand what he's talking about."
She crossed her arms again, chin lifting slightly.
"If anyone can handle those questions, it's him."
---
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Time itself seemed to take form—
Heavy.
Relentless.
Pressing down on every breath.
Ma Qin's brush hovered above the paper.
A drop of ink fell, blooming slowly across the surface like a spreading wound.
He stared at it.
Then at the question before him.
He could understand each word on its own.
But together—
They formed something alien.
"What kind of question is this…" he muttered under his breath, his voice dry.
Spirit classification.
Formation theory.
Geomancy.
Even fragments of ancient folklore woven into the phrasing.
This wasn't just an assessment of experience.
It was a test of knowledge across disciplines he had never even touched.
His jaw tightened.
Years of hunting spirits had taught him how to survive.
How to fight.
How to endure.
But not how to answer questions like these.
He forced himself to continue.
Skip one question.
Then another.
Circle back.
Try again.
Time slipped through his fingers like sand.
Across from him—
Li Shen remained unmoved.
His brush glided across the page in steady, unbroken strokes.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
Each answer formed with quiet precision, as though he had written it countless times before.
But in truth—
This was his first encounter with such questions.
To Li Shen, they were not obstacles.
They were… familiar.
Patterns.
Concepts.
Fragments of knowledge he had absorbed over time, now aligning effortlessly.
The moment he read them, the answers surfaced naturally—
Like echoes answering a distant call.
He did not rush.
Nor did he linger.
He simply continued.
Page after page.
The faint patter of rain outside blended with the soft scratch of his brush.
A strange harmony settled in the hall.
Calm.
Measured.
Almost… soothing.
For the first time in a long while—
Li Shen felt challenged.
Not by danger.
But by intellect.
Whoever had designed this assessment…
Was no ordinary person.
The questions were intricate, layered with hidden connections and subtle traps.
A careless answer would miss the deeper meaning entirely.
A lesser mind would crumble under the weight of it.
But to Li Shen—
It felt like a conversation.
A silent exchange between two minds.
A test of understanding.
A duel fought with ink instead of steel.
His lips curved ever so slightly.
Interesting.
---
Time passed.
The tension thickened.
Ma Qin's breathing grew uneven, his chest rising and falling faster than before.
His paper was filled in parts—
But large sections remained blank, accusing them of their emptiness.
He clenched his teeth.
Ten years.
Ten years of waiting.
He couldn't fail here.
Not like this.
Not now.
He forced himself to write something—anything.
Even if it was incomplete.
Even if it was wrong.
Anything was better than leaving it empty.
But the more he tried, the more his thoughts tangled into knots.
His confidence wavered.
Then cracked.
And every time he glanced up—
He saw Li Shen.
Still writing.
Calm.
Focused.
Unshaken.
It felt like being slowly crushed under an invisible weight.
---
A bell rang.
Sharp.
Final.
The sound sliced through the hall like a blade.
"Time is up."
Ma Qin froze.
Then, slowly, he set his brush down.
His fingers trembled faintly, betraying the strain he had been holding in.
Relief washed over him—
Cold.
Heavy.
Mixed with exhaustion.
And something else.
Resignation.
He gathered his paper and handed it over without another glance.
He didn't want to see it again.
Not now.
Not ever.
A moment later, Li Shen stood.
He placed his brush aside and flexed his fingers briefly, easing the stiffness.
Then he handed in his paper.
Unlike Ma Qin, his expression was light.
Not arrogance.
Not pride.
But quiet satisfaction.
As though he had just finished an engaging task—
Something worth his time.
As though…
He had enjoyed it.
---
When they stepped out into the corridor, the rain had softened to a gentle drizzle.
Mist lingered in the air, curling around the pillars and drifting across the courtyard like wandering spirits.
Ma Qin inhaled deeply.
Fresh air.
At last.
It filled his lungs, cool and grounding.
He turned to Li Shen, forcing a smile onto his face.
"How did it go?"
Li Shen considered for a moment.
"Not bad," he said simply.
"And you?"
Ma Qin hesitated.
"…About the same."
The words felt hollow even as they left his mouth.
Before the silence could stretch too far, footsteps approached.
Lin Qingyu and Yan Rui walked toward them.
Ma Qin immediately bowed.
Lin Qingyu gave a brief nod in acknowledgment.
Then, without hesitation, she turned to Li Shen.
Without a word, she placed a small iron pot into his hands.
Steam rose gently from within, carrying a faint, sweet aroma.
"I had this prepared earlier," she said. "Sweet fungus soup. Good for the mind."
Li Shen blinked, caught slightly off guard.
Then a faint smile touched his lips.
"Thank you."
She waved it off, looking away as if it were nothing.
"Don't overthink it. You'll need your strength for the next part."
She didn't ask about the exam.
Didn't need to.
Her confidence in him was absolute.
Ma Qin watched the exchange in silence.
Something in his chest tightened, subtle but unmistakable.
For a brief moment—
A dangerous thought surfaced.
Had coming to Riverfall… been a mistake?
---
By midday, the rain finally began to ease.
The clouds thinned, and pale light filtered through, casting a soft glow over the bureau.
In the dining hall, food had been laid out.
Simple dishes.
Warm.
Comforting.
Li Shen sat at the table, eating quietly.
Across from him, Yan Rui poured tea, the steam rising in thin spirals.
"Eat well," he said. "The real test begins this afternoon."
Li Shen nodded.
"I understand."
He took another bite, the warmth spreading through his body, easing the lingering chill from the rain.
For once—
He allowed himself a small, private thought.
If every day were like this…
Wouldn't life be much easier?
The thought lingered for a heartbeat.
Then he shook his head faintly.
No.
In this world—
Peace never lasted long.
And somewhere, beyond the fading rain—
Something was already waiting.