Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Falling into the Water

"You mean to say, that batch of painting demons are all dead?" In a small courtyard within the Bai residence, a woman reclined on a rocking chair under a tree, her eyes closed, speaking in a ghostly, ethereal tone.

"Replying to my mistress, there is still one lurking in the home of Zhu Xiangrui," a maidservant replied.

"Has that fat fish discovered it?" the woman asked, still with her eyes shut.

"It has. It seems to be trying to find a way to dispose of it."

"Oh, is that so? That group of wicked creatures is not easy to deal with. I intended to bestow a grace upon them, yet they dared to think of mutiny. Truly, they didn't even pick an auspicious day to go seeking death." Taking up a round silk fan from the side and twirling it, the woman in white remarked with sarcasm.

"Mistress, should I go ahead and..." The maidservant made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No need. Let that fat fish handle it. Since someone else is willing to do the dirty work for us, why should we go looking for trouble?"

The maidservant thought, *In plain terms, you’re just lazy.*

The next day, Fubao arrived at the academy early, carrying her breakfast.

"Fubao!" The young Miss Chen waved at Fubao from her desk.

"Coming," Fubao replied, taking a seat at her own desk nearby.

"The assessment is in two days. I feel like my soul is about to be drained out of me," Miss Chen pouted.

"So soon? How come I didn't know?" Fubao’s hand, holding a book, trembled as she asked in surprise.

"Sigh, let me tell you. In two months, candidates from all over will be arriving in the capital for the imperial examinations. The academy masters will be very busy then, so they are holding our assessment early." Miss Chen had gathered this information yesterday after overhearing a conversation between her parents.

Upon hearing about the imperial examinations, Fubao grew excited. "Really? Is this news certain?"

"Of course. I heard it from my father; it can't be fake," Miss Chen answered firmly.

"That's wonderful!" Fubao grinned craftily. *Will my cousin, Lin Censen, be coming to the capital to take the exams too? If so, doesn't that mean I’ll get to see him?*

"Why are you smiling so happily? Are you confident about the early assessment?" Miss Chen’s words struck right at the heart.

"Uh... no," Fubao wilted instantly.

"Hey, why is she here? Wasn't she dragged away by the Dean? How does she have the face to come back?" Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the classroom.

Fubao looked up and saw that it was Zhu Fanrui who had arrived.

Perhaps she had been sent back by the Dean to ensure she would successfully pass the upcoming assessment.

"It seems the assessment really is happening," Fubao muttered, slumping over her desk.

Miss Chen sighed.

Before long, the old master walked into the classroom stroking his beard. Seeing the young girls sitting up straight, he nodded and said, "Young ladies, today we shall have a different kind of lesson."

"Different? How so?" one of the young misses asked.

"Fishing."

The girls were bewildered.

A while later, a row of young girls sat along the edge of the academy's lotus pond. The old master held his fishing rod, as motionless as a meditating monk.

Fubao and Miss Chen sat on one side, while Zhu Fanrui and Liu Fei'er sat on the other.

Soon, the girls couldn't sit still, shifting their hips and wiggling their waists. Every so often, they would peek at the old master, who sat peacefully with his eyes closed.

"Young friends, fishing can cultivate your patience and help you relax. Just like practicing calligraphy, you must maintain a peaceful state of mind. Remember, do not be impetuous," the old master said without opening his eyes.

"Yes, we will heed your teaching, Master."

Shortly after, the old master departed to rest, claiming he was feeling unwell. Before leaving, he instructed that every student must catch at least three fish, though catching them by hand in the pond was forbidden.

"Hey, Zhu Fanrui, why are you sitting so far away?" Liu Fei'er turned her head and noticed that Zhu Fanrui had somehow moved to the shade of a large tree, leaving her fishing rod propped up on a pile of stones near the water.

"What's it to you?" Miss Zhu rolled her eyes. *As if I could get near the water while I am a painting demon. Do you want me to die?*

"You... I’m telling the master!" Liu Fei'er said in a fit of pique.

"Go ahead," Miss Zhu ignored her.

"You..." Liu Fei'er’s only flaw was that she was easily angered, and would faint when she got too upset. However, this time, after rolling her eyes several times, she managed to hold it together. Zhu Fanrui always outperformed her, and she refused to lose to her.

*Afraid of water, huh? Hehe, this is great.* Fubao peeked at Miss Zhu under the tree, stroking her chin with a crafty smile.

"Come, come, come, big fish, go bite that hook," Fubao put down her rod, leaned over, and stirred the water.

"Fubao, what are you doing? Be careful not to fall in," Miss Chen called out from behind.

"Don't worry, I just saw a big fish," Fubao squinted at the water, seeing a dark shadow swimming by, and the corner of her mouth curled up.

"Get up, what big fish? There are only small fish here, and you aren't allowed to catch them by hand," Miss Chen glanced at Fubao helplessly.

"Oh." Fubao stood up and picked up her rod to fish. *Hmm... I suppose I’ll have to summon them one by one.*

Zhu Fanrui lay under the tree, watching the group of girls fishing, and let out a cold snort. If her demon body weren't still in the process of merging, she would have long since devoured these little brats. *Poor brothers and sisters of mine, all burned to death.*

Just as Zhu Fanrui was seething with indignation, a cry of alarm came from the bank.

"Ah! Miss Zhu, your rod is moving! A fish is on the hook!"

"What?" Zhu Fanrui was startled. A fish was on the hook?

"Oh, what are you standing there for? Pull the rod!" a girl shouted.

"Pull the rod..." Afraid of the water, Zhu Fanrui swallowed hard, unwilling to go near the pond.

"Hurry, hurry!"

"Heh, what are you acting so arrogant for? It’s just a fish. Still putting on an act, hmph!" Liu Fei'er muttered under her breath.

"Fine, I'm coming." Seeing everyone staring at her, Zhu Fanrui knew she had no choice. She bit the bullet and walked to the edge of the pond.

She picked up the rod, thinking, *It’s just one fish, I’ll just pull it up.*

When she was dragged into the pond by the "small fish" on the hook, Miss Zhu was completely stunned. *Is this how I fall?*

The girls on the bank were terrified. In the end, Zhu Fanrui was fished out by a group of matrons; after receiving artificial respiration, she was sent home.

As for the painting demon, the moment it hit the water, it fled back to the Zhu residence, only to be caught red-handed by Gu Yun, who had been lurking in the room. He tied it into a tight knot and tossed it into his demon-capturing bag.