Soon, a table filled with delectable dishes was placed before Lin Fang and his companion, the variety immense and dazzling, truly living up to the Shop Assistant’s words.

Lin Fang was happily sampling the delicious fare, musing that the cuisine of the Mortal World indeed had flavor. The Demon Clan, after years of warfare, naturally had little focus on culinary research, and as for the Heavenly Court, though the ingredients were rare in the Three Realms, their taste was too bland.

"Mr. Mo, do taste this, the flavors of the Mortal World are quite different from those of the Heavenly Court," Lin Fang enthusiastically introduced the dishes on the table to Mr. Mo.

Mr. Mo, unreserved, nodded after tasting and said, "Indeed, there is a unique flavor to these. Although the ingredients lack Spiritual Energy, the culinary skills are intricate, turning decay into wonder. It certainly is a craft."

While these foods did not contain much Spiritual Energy, they excelled in taste, so the two of them ate with great pleasure.

The Shop Assistant stood by, waiting to see the pair make fools of themselves.

That large table full of dishes was too much even for two strapping men, let alone two frail Scholars.

However, today was set to disappoint him, for although Lin Fang and Mr. Mo ate with scholarly refinement, their pace was anything but slow, and the heaping table of dishes was quickly being cleared.

From initial amusement at the prospect of a joke, the Shop Assistant’s attitude gradually turned into shock as he marveled at how the seemingly delicate gentlemen could have such large appetites.

Their capacity for food was nearing that of three or four strong men, yet there was no sign of their bellies swelling.

Just then, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and the street was crowded with onlookers.

Mr. Mo, curious, glanced outside and asked with some surprise, "What day is it today that attracts such a crowd?"

Shop Assistant hastily replied, "The gentlemen may be unaware, but today is the day when Scholars parade through the streets on horseback. All these people have come to see the Top Scholar."

Having stayed long in the Heavenly Court, Mr. Mo was not familiar with the customs of the Mortal World, unlike Lin Fang who felt right at home. He had not expected such a tradition in this small realm.

"A Top Scholar, ah, that is indeed a sight to behold," Lin Fang said with a smile.

"Haha, dear guests, you may not know this, but while Top Scholars are commonly seen, an eighteen-year-old Top Scholar is a rare occurrence indeed. The one visiting today is the youngest Top Scholar in history," the Shop Assistant said proudly, a sense of pride common to those who live in the Imperial City.

"Here they come!"

Following the direction the Shop Assistant pointed, Lin Fang and Mr. Mo saw a young man riding on a tall horse, adorned with red flowers on his head and donned in a red robe, slowly making his way towards them.

The surrounding commoners were cheering, and Government Officials were maintaining order on both sides, creating a lively scene.

Mr. Mo observed the scene with great interest. His experiences in the Mortal World truly gave him the sensation of widening his horizons. Having been confined to the Heavenly Court for many years, everything felt new and exciting.

Lin Fang, with a smile, explained the significance of the Top Scholar to him.

As they conversed, the procession made its way to the base of the restaurant, but Lin Fang suddenly uttered a soft exclamation.

In his sight, this Top Scholar had a faint aura of Overwhelming Righteousness above his head, and his body was even protected by the destiny of the dynasty, yet inexplicably he was shrouded in an aura of impending death, clearly a man marked for an early grave.

Interest piqued, he pinched his fingers to calculate, only then did he notice that the other party recently faced a deadly calamity, and if it couldn’t be passed, a premature death was likely.

"You’ve been calculating for so long, did you discover something amiss?" Mr. Mo asked with a smile.

Lin Fang smiled faintly, lightly pointing at the Top Scholar who rode on his horse full of pride, "This young man is in high spirits, just inscribed in the golden list at the prime of his success, yet he is unaware of where fortune veils disaster, and disaster underlies fortune. I have calculated that his death is imminent indeed."

Hearing this, Mr. Mo also became interested and upon careful analysis arrived at the same conclusion, then slowly said, "It’s quite a pity; observing the Baiqi rising above his head, it should be the overwhelming righteousness you spoke of. If he can get through this calamity, his future might hold promise."

"A pity, indeed," Lin Fang also said lightly.

He wasn’t a meddler by nature. Since the Top Scholar’s fate involved this calamity and Lin Fang had no personal connection with him, he naturally did not wish to intervene too much.

The shop assistant, who had initially been enjoying the hustle, turned his head and widened his eyes when he overheard the conversation between Lin Fang and his companion, only to see Lin Fang’s fleeting smile before he disappeared without a trace.

The shop assistant hastily rubbed his eyes, only to see that no one was near the table close to him, but the table was in disarray and next to it lay one ingot of silver, certainly more than enough to cover the meal.

"My goodness, I’ve encountered a living immortal," the shop assistant exclaimed in shock.

His cry immediately attracted the attention of countless people, all wondering what had happened here.

"Did any of you see two very refined gentlemen just now?" the shop assistant asked someone, grabbing their arm.

"What refined gentlemen? It has been just you here from the beginning," the person responded, equally puzzled.

The shop assistant then realized that the immortals’ divine skills were beyond his comprehension.

However, he kept the earlier words of Lin Fang and his companion in mind, silently looking up at the departing Top Scholar with a sigh, "What a fine young man, ten years of arduous study, finally his name graces the golden list, yet fated not to enjoy his success."

Wei Ze rode his fine horse through the Imperial City, bathed in envious gazes from countless people, feeling somewhat elated.

He came from a humble family, bright from a young age, and his parents had spared no effort so he could study. He lived up to their expectations and fought his way through all obstacles to stand here.

Young and suddenly elevated to a high position, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride, which was only natural.

Wei Ze was already anticipating what kind of position the emperor would bestow upon him, and after being named the top scholar, he could finally help his parents out of hardship and enjoy the good life.

Thinking of this, Wei Ze felt a surge of happiness in his heart; even his horse seemed to pick up on its master’s mood, its steps becoming more spirited.

Once the horseback parade through the city was over, what awaited Wei Ze was a crawl of flattery. Viewing the imperial examinations as a leap over the dragon gate wasn’t too far from the truth; from the moment he became the top scholar, he had succeeded in leaping the social divide.

Although Wei Ze wasn’t fond of social niceties, he still endured them, knowing that when he entered officialdom in the future, this would be indispensable. He would have to face it sooner or later; better to start training now.

When everyone had left, the moon hung high in the sky, and Wei Ze felt weary, his body aching more than when he would read through the night.