160: Backyard view

The backyard was much larger than Lin Zixu had imagined.

Lush green spiritual grass covered the ground as far as the eye could see; it was unclear what rank it was, but it shimmered with a certain spiritual luster.

Between these ankle-high Spiritual Plants, various rabbits of different appearances hopped and ran about.

There were also people dressed as servants and Maids walking through the courtyard, carrying wooden basins and occasionally scattering handfuls of crumbs among the Spiritual Plants.

Looking at the material's luster, Lin Zixu easily recognized it as crumbs ground from Origin Rune Stones. No wonder these Spiritual Plants were kept so lush and green.

In the distance of the grassy field, two areas seemed to be enclosed by stone walls. Lin Zixu looked closely but couldn't see what was kept inside.

A servant pushed a cart with several buckets of fresh raw meat, opened a window, and dumped the meat inside.

Through the small window, Lin Zixu caught a glimpse of a creature with a long snout covered in fine scales passing by.

Before he could get a better look, his view was blocked by the tilting wooden bucket. That Source Beast seemed to be bound by iron chains; compared to the rabbits frolicking everywhere, it must be some kind of fierce carnivorous Source Beast.

A grunting and squealing sound came from behind the other wall. Hearing this, Lin Zixu's expression turned a bit strange; it sounded like the noise from a neighbor's pigsty back in his village.

Before he could observe more, Chu Shengyuan had already pulled out two chairs and a small square table, setting out tea and various sweets and snacks, looking like they were on an outing.

Chu Shengyuan pressed Lin Zixu into a chair and said with a smile, "Just stay here. I'll go catch some rabbits for you."

With that, before Lin Zixu could react, he dashed out like an arrow from a bow, returning in less than ten seconds.

He stopped in front of Lin Zixu, tossed two rabbits with pink ears into his arms, and instructed, "Hold them tight."

Lin Zixu looked blankly at the two rabbits lying quietly in his arms, then watched Chu Shengyuan's figure darting across the grass.

A faint fragrance lingered around Lin Zixu's nose, and he could feel the pain in his body slowly being drawn away by this scent.

Two, four, eight... After a period of busy work from Chu Shengyuan, sixteen rabbits were soon surrounding Lin Zixu.

With so many Medicinal Fragrance Powder-Eared Rabbits around him, Lin Zixu couldn't keep track of them all. Since the rabbits wouldn't always stay quietly by his side, he began to break into a cold sweat from anxiety.

Chu Shengyuan placed the last two rabbits next to Lin Zixu, clapped his hands, and announced proudly, "Mission accomplished."

Lin Zixu watched a few rabbits leave and looked to Chu Shengyuan for help. "They're all running away."

"Don't panic." Chu Shengyuan walked around the square table, and a layer of white crystal crumbs slipped from his hand, surrounding the two of them in the center of the table.

It was a different substance from the crystal crumbs the servants and Maids had scattered earlier. It appeared much brighter, and as a Mortal Rank Low Tier Contract Master, Lin Zixu could feel that the energy contained in these crystal crumbs was much more concentrated.

Once the crystal crumbs were scattered, Chu Shengyuan sat composedly in his chair, picked up a snack from the table, and began to enjoy it leisurely.

The powder-eared rabbits that had just left were attracted by the rich energy fluctuations. They turned back, hopped over, and happily began nibbling around the white crystal crumbs.

These Source Spirit Stone crumbs attracted more than just the Medicinal Fragrance Powder-Eared Rabbits; other types of rabbits also hopped over joyfully.

The Moon Worshipping Rabbits were surrounded by a lunar glow, looking elegant and noble; the Flying Fur Rabbits had extremely long fur, making them look like some kind of long-haired cat; the Medicinal Fragrance Powder-Eared Rabbits were surrounded by a faint fragrance that made anyone who smelled it feel relaxed.

Seeing such a lively scene, several panicked servants and Maids hurried over. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Chu Shengyuan was scattering crumbs of Source Spirit Stone.

Although they didn't know why Young Master Yuan was making such a commotion, as long as nothing happened to the rabbits, it was fine.

Seeing that Young Master Yuan was not inclined to pay them much attention, they took a quick look, bowed to him, and withdrew.

Lin Zixu didn't taste many of the tea snacks; he simply inhaled the fragrance surrounding him, his eyes closed heavily, and he fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, when Lin Zixu opened his eyes again, he saw only the brilliant stars set against the dark night sky.

He moved his body, which was somewhat sore from lying in one position for too long, but his mind felt more comfortable than ever. He stood up from the chair.

The various rabbits that had gathered around him before he fell asleep had dispersed, leaving only three scattered about.

Hearing the sound of Lin Zixu standing up, Chu Shengyuan rubbed his bleary eyes and said with a hint of fatigue, "You're awake. Do you feel any better?"

Looking at Chu Shengyuan, who had stayed with him until now, Lin Zixu was somewhat moved. He nodded to Chu Shengyuan and said:

"I've never felt this good before. It's as if all my illnesses are gone. Thank you, Young Master Yuan, for staying here with me for so long."

Chu Shengyuan waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Only when you're healthy can you be my book boy properly. Hey, does this mean that when I go to the Library Courtyard to study in the future, you'll have to accompany me?"

Lin Zixu didn't quite understand what a book boy was, but he figured it was close to what Chu Shengyuan said, so he nodded in agreement. "It should be."

Chu Shengyuan clapped his hands. "Great, it's a deal then. Come find me early tomorrow morning."

“Okay.”

...Qianling Prefecture City.

After visiting several Book Pavilions in a row, Chu Shengfan had gained a more detailed understanding of the Qianling Academy entrance examination.

Generally speaking, one should try to participate in every assessment and achieve higher scores; these entrance scores make a big difference in the initial allocation of resources.

After all, within the academy, students are divided into four ranks: Ordinary Student, Proclaimed Student, True Inheritor Student, and Qianling Student.

Each rank enjoys different levels of teaching resources.

Ordinary Students and Proclaimed Students are the types who have to pay tuition every year, while True Inheritor Students and Qianling Students are those to whom the academy provides resources.

So after learning this, Chu Shengfan decided to continue participating in every assessment.

The next day, Chu Shengfan arrived at the square from yesterday.

Bypassing the registration lines, Chu Shengfan walked straight toward the passages guarded by students of Qianling Academy at the edge of the square.

He first went to the first combat-type assessment on the far left. After handing over his jade token to verify his identity, he entered the assessment Secret Realm through a vortex entrance at the guard's signal.

Just as Chu Shengfan entered, a sweet voice instantly filled his mind.

"Welcome to the Source Beast One-on-One Combat Assessment. Please summon the Source Beast you wish to use for the assessment."