On this day, Zhao Hu sprawled grandly across the room, while Lu Chang'sheng stood off to the side looking awkward, which left Zhang Village, who had planned to play the sympathy card, speechless for a good while.
Having worked as an Archery Master at the South Gate for two months, he was well aware of the ins and outs of the place; that's exactly why he sought out Lu Chang'sheng—after all, there was a bit of a mentor-apprentice bond there, so he figured Lu Chang'sheng's payment for his services wouldn't be too shabby.
But seeing Lu Chang'sheng like this, he couldn't help but feel something was off.
"Old man, things aren't the same as before. I'm pretty much out of the business here now; it's Mr. Zhao running things. So, I can't say much about this stuff!" Lu Chang'sheng couldn't possibly misunderstand what Zhang Village meant.
Back then, maybe he hadn't figured out who was teaching archery at the South Gate, but now, if he still couldn't guess, he'd be insulting his own intelligence.
And Zhao Hu was annoyed with Zhang Village for playing tricks, plus Zhang Village's bad leg could cause trouble at the South Gate, so Zhao Hu only offered a month's pay at thirty copper coins, with the promise of a bonus if things turned out well.
With that, the matter was settled.
Two days later, Lu Chang'sheng packed up his daily necessities and moved over to the Traveler's Inn.
"Seriously, the courtyard and the inn are just a few steps apart—was this whole move really necessary?"
The kids all seemed pretty down about the move.
Sure, they weren't far apart, but it wasn't the same.
Zhao Hu tried to talk Lu Chang'sheng out of it.
He figured Lu Chang'sheng could just study at the inn by day and come back to the courtyard at night. After all, once evening fell, the archery trainees would leave, so it'd be quiet enough.
But Lu Chang'sheng had his own view.
"If you want to succeed, you can't leave yourself a way out! Just look at Ma Xuncai and the rest—putting in ten, twenty years of hard work, and it's still tough for them. I've only been studying two years, how could I hope to surpass them? All I can do is give it everything I've got!"
Lu Chang'sheng said solemnly.
"If nothing urgent comes up, I won't be back here. Wait two years, and then see Mr. Zhao watch me earn that Child Scholar title!"
Zhao Hu's heart was shaken; he said no more.
Lu Chang'sheng picked up his things and looked at Wang Heihou and the others. "You all left Zhao Family Village with me, and it's been a while. I'm not around much, so don't be careless! The Prefecture City is deep water, and with this drought still going, things aren't going to settle down anytime soon. Don't let your guard down and get yourselves into trouble!"
"We know!"
Lu Chang'sheng nodded, then turned to Li Nangua and said, "Sorry to trouble you, Nangua!"
"It's no trouble!" Li Nangua wasn't all that sentimental about it; in fact, she was secretly pleased. With Lu Chang'sheng shutting himself away to study, he'd be out less often, but he still had to eat, so she'd be bringing him his meals every day.
For Li Nangua, it was an unexpected chance for a different kind of closeness. Over the past couple of days, every time she thought about the days to come, her cheeks flushed and her mind wandered off.
One time, big-mouth Wang Heihou caught her daydreaming and nearly turned it into a joke.
After saying his goodbyes, Lu Chang'sheng stepped into the Traveler's Inn.
The most common long-term tenants at the Traveler's Inn weren't just anyone—they were all those relentless scholars grinding away at their studies.
So, along the way, he passed a bunch of renters in long gowns.
"Another idiot blinded by dreams of glory!"
A group waddled down the corridor, the leaders decked out in silk, white clothes fluttering, a fancy straw accessory at their waist, and clutching a hand fan.
Their brows held a trace of mockery.
Lu Chang'sheng wasn't bothered. If he got riled up over a few words, his life would be exhausting.
Their sneers weren't just for him; it was really for all the poor scholars staying here.
"Who are those guys?"
He turned to ask the servant guiding him.
Here in the Traveler area at the West Gate, Lu Chang'sheng was already something of a big deal. The servant didn't fear him, but still didn't want any trouble, so he replied honestly, "Don't mind them, sir. They're all sons of wealthy families from other towns! The big autumn exam's next year, so they showed up early to snag a spot before it gets crowded!"
His words had a hint of mockery too.
"Dressed to impress like they own the place! If they really had money, why would they stay at the Traveler's Inn? There're way better places downtown!"
Lu Chang'sheng laughed, tossed him a copper coin, and said, "Well said! That's for you!"
Feeling upbeat was one thing, but he knew he'd have to deal with this servant often over the next two years; a few tips weren't something to skimp on.
"Thank you, sir!" The servant grinned and whispered, "Last time you rented, it was Room No. 19, wasn't it?"
"That's right!"
"How about I switch your room? Pay just two more copper coins a month and you can have Room No. 1!"
Lu Chang'sheng frowned a bit.
The Traveler's Inn had upper, middle, and lower rooms—the upper rooms weren't meant for long-term stays, though it wasn't impossible if you were willing to pay; ten copper coins per day, that's about 300 a month.
Plenty of folks at the bottom in Black Mountain Prefecture only made that much in a whole year.
And the lower rooms were only about twenty copper coins a month.
Of course, the living conditions couldn't compare.
Lu Chang'sheng had a little silver saved, and the Land of Archery brought him hundreds of copper coins each month, but he didn't want to waste it. So he just opted for a mid-tier room—eighty copper coins a month.
At the Traveler's Inn, the lower the room number, the better the environment. The No. 1 room in the mid-tier was said to be even nicer than some of the upper-tier rooms at the far end.
"I thought someone was living in Room No. 1!"
Picking a fight for a room wasn't worth it.
But the servant replied, "No worries, Room No. 1's resident moved out a couple days back!"
That was news to Lu Chang'sheng.
"Why's that?" Lu Chang'sheng had been to the inn often and met the guy from Room No. 1, said to have lived there for over seven years.
Everyone thought he'd stick around until next year's autumn exam, but—
"I heard he made a little money now and then, it couldn't have been—"
The servant snickered, "Money wasn't the problem. He just couldn't take it anymore!" He pointed to his head. "The night staff said they suddenly heard a furious scream, then a desperate wail—'This is too hard! These exam questions are way too tough! I don't understand a thing!'—really tore at the soul, worse than a man who lost his wife!"
"When we got there, the guy was out of his mind! Luckily, he had family nearby who came and took him away. If he didn't, they would've tossed him out, and in that kind of state, he wouldn't have lasted long out there!"
Wow.
"Chasing after scholarly status has never been easy, from ancient times to now," Lu Chang'sheng sighed to himself, feeling a bit of pressure inside.
"Will I really make it through the autumn exam next year?"
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes, followed by a glimmer of determination.
I will succeed!
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