Going to the County Town

Meanwhile, over in Xiushui Village, more than ten days after Qin Jianghe's departure, Sun Yigao also packed his bags and prepared to head to the county town to participate in the county examination.

Two days before his departure, Sun Yigao sought out Lin Xiao and his brothers on the mountain early in the morning and asked:

"Do any of you want to go to the county town with me the day after tomorrow?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at him in great surprise:

"We can go too?"

Sun Yigao nodded hastily and said:

"My father told me yesterday that he rented a small courtyard for me in the county town. Although it only has two rooms besides the kitchen, the heated brick bed in the room is quite large and can sleep several people. He told me to ask if you guys wanted to go to the county town together to have some fun."

Everyone knew that this was a house specially rented by Landlord Sun, presumably prepared specifically to invite them to the county town to play.

Liu Yunan scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit excited but also a little embarrassed:

"If we go, will it delay your exams?"

Lin Xiao also said:

"Yeah, there will always be opportunities for us to go play in the county town in the future. There's no rush right now. We shouldn't let our presence affect your exams."

Sun Yigao laughed and said:

"It won't. I've been studying for so many years, a few days won't make a difference. Besides, the county examination consists of three sessions, and each session takes a whole day. You can take this opportunity to properly stroll around the county town. What's more, with you guys around, I'll feel more relaxed."

Hearing him say this, everyone felt relieved and began laughing and joking about who would go.

Tietou, who usually joined in on any excitement, was the first to shake his head and say he wasn't going this time.

When everyone asked him why, he repeatedly shook his head and said:

"I'm thinking of gathering more materials recently, and I also want to get some flowers and trees to plant back in our sect to dress it up nicely, hehe. So I won't go this time. You guys go and have fun, and keep Yigao good company during his exams!"

Although Tietou usually had a very good temper, he was also very stubborn about things he set his mind to. Lin Xiao and the others tried to persuade him but failed, so they simply let him be.

Anyway, in the future, when their cultivation levels were high, the world was vast; where couldn't they go?

At that time, roaming the world freely wouldn't be just a dream!

Lin Yun and Lin Lei also stated that they wouldn't go.

Lin Yun wanted to stay behind to help Lin Dayou manage the family's fields and the sect's spiritual fields, while Lin Lei wanted to seize the time to cultivate and strive to learn the Dust Removal Spell and the Earth Escape Spell as soon as possible.

So in the end, the ones going to the county town with Sun Yigao were Lin Xiao, Jiang Youfu, and Liu Yunan.

The two little girls, Liu Shengsheng and Lin Ying, watched eagerly as the guys happily discussed going to the county town to play, but neither asked to tag along.

Thus, Lin Xiao temporarily entrusted the sect to Liao Pantu, asking him to look after the sect's affairs.

Liao Pantu accepted the task somewhat gloomily.

The first disciple he had taken in his life was going to participate in an important examination. Even though it was just a small exam in the mortal realm, he, as the master, couldn't even accompany him. Sigh...

He looked at Lin Xiao with quite a bit of resentment:

"Even if you're just going to accompany him for the exam, you must still seize the time to improve your cultivation! Hurry up and find my soul and physical body!"

Otherwise, looking like this, he couldn't even go out openly and honorably.

Of course, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, Liao Pantu didn't feel there was anything wrong with his current appearance at all; it was just that mortals had seen too little and loved to make a fuss over nothing.

So he had expressed his desire to go as well at the time.

As a result, he was jointly rejected by everyone, including his good disciple.

The night before departure, the four who were about to go to the county town excitedly packed their luggage at home.

Everyone first stuffed the things Brother Xiao had recently distributed to them into their storage bags, and then casually packed some other items like clothes, shoes, and socks.

As for Lin Xiao, he was pondering over the matter of silver.

Going to the county town to play, although Sun Yigao didn't mention it, would definitely cost money.

Even if Landlord Sun provided a place to stay, it wouldn't be good to keep taking advantage of others for everything else.

Therefore, Lin Xiao was thinking about dragging Fuzi and Baldy along to earn some pocket money once they got to the county town.

Otherwise... should they clean people's teeth again?

As long as they didn't shout like they did in the town and didn't make too much noise, they wouldn't attract attention.

They could go door-to-door to sell their services...

Thinking and thinking, Lin Xiao happily drifted off to sleep.

Originally, Lin Xiao thought that after becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he wouldn't need to sleep anymore, just like in many novels he had read before.

In fact, this was indeed true.

Now, as long as he didn't want to sleep, he could easily go without sleep for many days and still remain energetic.

However, after trying to stay awake for five days once, Lin Xiao decisively chose the normal routine of an ordinary person who rests every day.

The moment his head touched the pillow after five days without sleep, he felt a wave of complete relaxation spread throughout his entire body. Even though he was lying on a hard wooden bed and his head was resting on a buckwheat pillow made by his mother over ten years ago.

Yet, he fell asleep instantly in absolute comfort.

Only then did he realize what an incredibly comfortable thing sleeping was in life!

Although one must seize the time to cultivate, one shouldn't abandon the enjoyment of sleeping! Without enjoyment, wouldn't the fun of cultivating immortality be almost gone?

The other three were just like him; after packing their things, they rested early.

Jiang Youfu's grandmother had wanted to remind him a few more times to pay attention to safety when going to the county town, but listening to her little grandson's heaven-shaking snores, she had to swallow the bunch of words she wanted to say. Figuring she would just tell him the next morning, she went back to her room to rest.

A night passed.

In the early morning light of Xiushui Village, which hadn't yet brightened much, curling smoke from kitchen chimneys rose.

Morning dewdrops condensed on the grass leaves, welcoming the vitality at the time when the sun and moon transitioned.

The entire Xiushui Village looked like an ink painting soaked in the midst of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers.

The half-grown youths had exceptionally good sleep quality.

They slept soundly until dawn, reached out to wipe away the drool from the corners of their mouths, and excitedly tucked their storage bags away before heading out.

The elders grabbed the youths who were rushing out the door, shoved bundles full of dry rations into their arms, and swiftly took wet towels to wipe their crusty eyes again and again.

After carefully wiping their faces clean amidst the youths' pleas for mercy, they finally let go, allowing them to sprint out of their homes like they were flying.

Except for Lin Xiao.

When the sky was still pitch black, he was ruthlessly lifted out of bed by Lin Dayou's large hand.

Then Lin Dayou threw him a bag of three-grain flour, which the family only ate occasionally, and told him to steam his own dry rations.

Lin Dayou's exact words were:

"You little brat, hurry up and get up. You're going to the county town to play, and you still expect your old man to steam dry rations for you? Go do it yourself! And you better move fast, don't make the people taking you to play wait half the day for you!"