I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 80 - 67 Alas, I’ve Been Hit!_2

Xu Qing was thinking this, and in the end, did not mention it to the other person.

He just didn’t know how this kid had won the favor of the Crown Prince’s close servant in the few days since leaving Linhe.

But thinking about it made Xu Qing feel relieved. The other party had been diligently pursuing Miss Shuyu for many years, following her from far away to Linhe. With such accumulated experience, winning the favor of the old eunuch didn’t seem too difficult.

...

On the way back from the exam, the three walked together. When they arrived at the tea house, Guo Dongyang was narrating a new story called "Xiang Yu."

This was also one of the supernatural tales from Strange Tales, talking about the love entanglements between the scholar Huang Sheng and the two flower spirits, Xiang Yu and Jiang Xue.

The three walked into the tea house, and as soon as Xu Qing entered, he spotted many familiar faces.

A lean man with a knife at his waist, standing by the door; a strong-willed woman in tight clothing on the second-floor corridor, arms crossed, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings...

As soon as Xu Qing saw these people, he knew who had arrived.

Inside the tea house, Zhu Huai’an saw the trio at the door and eagerly waved them over.

Xu Qing and the others saw this chubby boy arrogantly shoving his fellow customers aside, causing a stir of angry protests.

But when a rough man, towering over nine feet tall, with his head nearly touching the ceiling, stood up behind the chubby boy, the tea house fell silent again.

The three of them walked closer, and Zhu Huai’an invited them to sit, then motioned for silence, gesturing to listen to the rest of the story before exchanging pleasantries.

"Infinite longing held within,

Gazing with love through the short window.

Afraid of returning to Shazali,

Where could I find another peerless beauty?"

Guo Dongyang tapped the table, opening a mystical scene from the book with a prologue poem.

...

As evening approached, the crowd dispersed.

Only then did Xu Qing learn from Guo Dongyang that while he was diligently writing in the examination hall, Zhu Huai’an had been coming to listen to stories every day for three consecutive days.

As a result, this chubby boy could now occasionally improvise a segment on his own.

Guo Dongyang jokingly said that Zhu Huai’an had a real talent for storytelling and a distinctive appearance. If he could settle down and follow him, he might even inherit his skills in the future.

But upon learning that this idle young master was the only heir of Prince Changting, he abruptly stopped the conversation.

Letting a royal heir take the role of a lowly storyteller?

It was no different from making nobility bend down to collect dung, and Guo Dongyang knew he couldn’t manage that.

However, Zhu Huai’an seemed seriously keen on the idea and almost apprenticed himself to Guo Dongyang.

Later in the evening, not long after Prince Zhu had departed for home, a group of old and young people unexpectedly arrived at the now quieter tea house.

An elderly man, supported by a middle-aged and a young man, took the lead and seated himself.

Seeing this person, Guo Dongyang immediately stopped speaking and personally went forward to greet him.

"Mr. Tian She, how have you been?"

"I’m still well, able to travel a hundred miles to take the exam."

The old man, addressed respectfully as Mr. Tian She, had a smiling face, although a trace of fatigue showed on his brows.

The Wu brothers’ expressions also turned respectful upon seeing this person.

Xu Qing recognized him too. Among the candidates for the state exam, the oldest one was this person; it was said he was already seventy years old.

Accompanying him was his newly eligible great-grandson.

"Dongyang, I became a child student at twenty-nine. Since then, I’ve taken the state exam every three years, but I’ve never passed. This is my fourteenth attempt, and if I fail again, I may never get another chance to come to Jin Sect."

"I truly envy you; you passed the student exam at seventeen and became a scholar. I spent my whole life trying but never succeeded."

Guo Dongyang shook his head with a smile upon hearing this.

The affairs of the world are unpredictable and not always within our control. Although he had the talent to pass the exams, he had no heart for it.

Conversely, those who yearn for it may not have the necessary talent.

"Mr. Tian She!" Guo Dongyang seemed very familiar with Mr. Tian She, speaking in a tone like old friends or perhaps teacher and student of different generations.

"At your age, wouldn’t it be better to enjoy your old age at home? Being over seventy is a blessing; you should be enjoying family happiness, the joy of children and grandchildren together."

"Why bother so persistently about academic titles?"

Mr. Tian She also shook his head and smiled at these words.

"Dongyang, you’re just like me. If I asked you to give up storytelling and try again for academic titles, what would you choose?"

"Everyone has their own aspirations; you can’t force them."

Guo Dongyang shook his head at this. "I once told you the story of the Dream of the Yellow Millet when you were fifty. Have you forgotten it? Even if you win the examination now, what good would it do?"

Mr. Tian She laughed loudly and said, "To be remembered in history!"

Guo Dongyang was stunned for a moment, then pointed at the old man in front of him and laughed, "Many talented people desire to be remembered in history but can’t achieve it. I didn’t expect you to find a way."

"Unfortunately, only if you pass this time can you gain fame." Mr. Tian She sighed deeply, then looked at Xu Qing and the others.

"Being young is good. Are these new friends of yours?"

Guo Dongyang nodded, with a playful smile, and said, "Mr. Tian She, let me introduce them to you..."

"Zhiyuan could take the top spot in this state exam. Wencai could be the classic or second place winner. As for Younger Brother Xu..."

Xu Qing raised his eyebrows, watching Guo Dongyang make his comments and predict the exam rankings, waiting quietly for what would come next.

"Younger Brother Xu is just like I was, a good-for-nothing who only seeks the convenience of being a student, not seeking fame!"

Xu Qing’s eyelid twitched. Could it be that Nimo also possesses Talent Recognition Skill?

...

The thin mist lingered as dawn approached. In the White Water Alley of Jin Sect, a graceful figure appeared.

Miss Shuyu, who once acknowledged Celestial Heart Sect Leader Qin as her godfather, was bidding her ’beloved’ farewell.