Chapter 163

Over the following days, the little ginseng spirit ran a long distance every day to fetch a ginseng fruit, only to watch Fu Bao crunch down on one while locking the other away in a tiny chest with an oversized padlock.
Little Ginseng: Who on earth is she guarding against?
……
"Where is Lin Shi now?" inside a carriage, a handsome young master lifted the curtain and asked the young page driving outside.
Lin Shi waved his tiny riding crop and turned his head to reply, "Young Master, we are still two days away from the capital."
Lin Chenshen nodded. "Two days, huh."
"It's getting a bit late. Let's find somewhere to rest for the night," Lin Chenshen added.
"You got it, Young Master." Lin Shi drove the carriage into a grove, intending to make do for the night there.
Lin Chenshen and Lin Shi lit a campfire and took out the dried rations from their bundle to stave off hunger. A snapping sound echoed through the woods. In an instant, Lin Shi pricked up his ears, snatched up the saber by his side, and stared vigilantly in the direction of the noise.
"What kind of sneaky thing is that? Get out here!" Lin Shi blocked Lin Chenshen behind him and shouted toward the woods.
"Huffle, huffle." The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer as a massive figure lumbered out from the forest.
"This is... Oh mother! A black bear! There's actually a black bear here?!" Lin Shi's face lit up with excitement the moment he saw the oversized bruin.
Lin Chenshen: "???" Bro, your reaction is completely off.
The black bear let out a roar at the two of them, baring its bloody maw.
"Run!" Lin Chenshen yelled, grabbing Lin Shi as he intended to slip away. But before he could, an intensely excited Lin Shi swiftly shoved Lin Chenshen into the carriage in one fluid motion, drew his saber, and charged directly at the black bear.
This was a fine treasure; he couldn't let it get away.
Lin Shi was a manservant meticulously handpicked by Lin Erlang for his nephew when the young man set off for the imperial examinations. Literate enough to serve as a study companion and skilled enough in martial arts to hunt, this fellow was obviously no ordinary person, as evidenced by his thrilled reaction upon seeing a black bear.
Lin Chenshen and his horse both expressed that they were thoroughly traumatized. Man and beast stared with wide-open eyes at the battle unfolding right before them.
Up in a tree, a man with a large morning glory flower perched atop his head watched the scene below. He looked on in absolute bewilderment as Lin Shi eagerly lunged toward the black bear.
This didn't quite go according to his script. Shouldn't a normal person scream at the top of their lungs and flee for their life?
Gazing at the black bear, which was many times broader than himself, Lin Shi felt like he was about to make a fortune. If he dragged this back, it could probably fetch a tidy sum of money.
Lin Shi crooked a finger. "Come on, baby! Let me see what you've got."
The giant bear flew into a rage. Was this human not afraid of death?
...
Before long, man and beast were going at it hammer and tongs.
Perched on a tree branch, the large morning glory flower watched the bizarre combat unfolding below, the corners of its mouth twitching violently. Word was that the intelligence this time was completely wrong; who would have thought this scholar had such a formidable hunter by his side?
This wasn't the morning glory's first time holding up scholars. The higher-ups had given strict orders to intercept and ambush a batch of examinees heading to the capital to stir up some trouble for the people in the imperial city.
Just a few days ago, they had dealt with a bunch of weaklings. The big black cat hadn't even made an appearance yet before those two boys were frightened clean out of their minds and passed out. That left the big cat feeling rather helpless, so it simply stripped off the pair's trousers and slipped away. Frankly, there was zero sense of accomplishment in that.
Because the commotion had been too loud, no scholars had passed through the area for several days.
Today, having finally run into another pair of prey, it naturally intended to toy with them properly.
However, watching the big black cat lying nearby foaming at the mouth, the morning glory decided that a wise man submits to circumstances. With a *whoosh*, it dropped a smoke bomb, swept past the black bear, and bolted.
Lin Shi, brandishing his blade and sharpening it eagerly toward the bear, was suddenly hit by an indescribable cloud of smoke rushing straight to his brain. Reflexively covering his nose, he cursed, "What the hell is this smell? So foul!"
When the smoke finally cleared completely, Lin Shi found that the space before him was utterly empty. His precious treasure—which had been almost within his grasp—was gone. The carcass of the black bear had vanished.
Lin Chenshen, who had been dazzled and dizzy from the pungent, irritating gas, finally managed to wake up only to find his page radiating a terrifying aura.
Lin Chenshen: "..." Terrifying.
"Lin Shi?" Lin Chenshen swallowed hard, clutching the carriage door and asking cautiously.
"Young master... My treasure!" Lin Shi lunged forward, grabbed Lin Chenshen, and shook him wildly. His heart was bleeding; he had watched helplessly as the great treasure that was about to bring him silver was snatched away by someone. Detestable!
Lin Chenshen was shaken so hard he gagged up several mouthfuls before he finally managed to recover.
"If it's gone, let it be. It must have been taken away by something," Lin Chenshen said after rinsing his mouth.
If I find out who snatched my meat right out from under my nose, I'll beat him until he cries for his daddy! Sparks of pure rage were flying in Lin Shi's mind as his fists cracked audibly.
Lin Chenshen: "..." The second uncle really didn't pick an ordinary book boy for him.
……
"What is the meaning of this?" Early in the morning, the Emperor let out a massive yawn. When he turned his head, he saw that the memorials on the imperial desk had piled up yet another notch.
The eunuch attending at the side quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and Lord Lin, who is in charge of receiving the examinees, have been waiting in the Imperial Study since early this morning. It concerns the matter of the examinees entering the capital."
"Prepare the carriage for the Imperial Study," the Emperor said, knitting his brows. Those two old foxes had arrived at the crack of dawn; it seemed this matter was quite grave.
Inside the Imperial Study, Lord Lin, the Minister of Rites, was pacing back and forth in front of Bai Zhan霜. Every two steps, he would lift his head, heave a heavy sigh, take another two steps, lift his head again, and sigh once more.
Bai Zhan霜, sipping the tea presented by a palace maid, watched the pacing Minister of Rites until he felt his eyes were going to cross.
Rubbing his temples, Bai Zhan霜 spoke up helplessly, "Lord Lin, I beg you, sit down and have some tea. Calm down."
"Prime Minister, I am anxious!" Lord Lin looked as though he were about to kneel before Bai Zhan霜. "You tell me, if something happened to just one examinee, that would be an accident. But within just a few days, half of the examinees have met with danger one after another! As the person in charge this time, I cannot shirk responsibility!"
"Hasn't the Ministry of Justice sent people to investigate? What are the results?" Bai Zhan霜 asked, knitting his thick brows.
"The Ministry of Justice sent a few subordinates to ask around. These examinees were all attacked by sudden, freakish monsters along their journey," Lord Lin wiped the sweat from his brow as he relayed what he knew.
"Sudden monsters?" Bai Zhan霜's brows furrowed even deeper.
"Indeed, and they were all monsters of considerable cultivation!"
"Were there any casualties among the examinees?"
"No injuries to speak of. Those monsters simply frightened them unconscious and stripped off their outer garments and trousers."
Bai Zhan霜: "???" What in the world? No robbery, no murder—they only took their clothes? And these were filthy garments from people who had been traveling in the dust for months?
Seeing Bai Zhan霜's expression that clearly said *are you pulling my leg*, Lord Lin coughed lightly twice and said, "Lord Bai, this is the truth."
"Hah, what a bizarre affair. Monsters attack people without killing or plundering, yet they harbor a fondness for stripping people naked," Bai Zhan霜 lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Accompanied by the grand eunuch's announcement, a flash of imperial yellow stepped into the room.
After paying their respects, Bai Zhan霜 and Lord Lin laid out the whole story from beginning to end.
"How do you My Lords interpret this matter?" The Emperor stroked his chin, his brows furrowed.
Bai Zhan霜 stroked his beard. "Your Majesty, in this minister's view, these demonic creatures seem to have come with a purpose. They do not harm people nor do they take wealth; such behavior is extremely peculiar. Although there are no casualties yet, we cannot guarantee whether the examinees will face danger hereafter."
"This minister seconds that," Lord Lin nodded and bowed.
"Then, in the Prime Minister's view, how should this matter be handled?" The Emperor leaned sideways against the dragon throne, resting his chin on his hand.
"This minister thinks we should dispatch a detachment of hunters near the capital to meet and escort the incoming examinees and soothe their anxieties. The most urgent matter right now, however, is the reception of the foreign emissaries," Bai Zhan霜 said.
The emissaries had already been in the capital for several days; it was time to discuss the matters concerning the alliance by marriage.
In the end, the Emperor dispatched a contingent of the capital's hunters to escort the examinees and deal with the demonic disturbances.