Chapter 70: Lady Eight Eats Alone

Even if Bao Zheng himself had taken the position of county magistrate, or anyone else for that matter, it would not have affected Shen Shi’s place. The cultivation of scholarship was, after all, one of the achievements for local officials. For a scholar to become the top student and be granted a stipend was entirely normal; it would be strange only if he did not. Emperor Taizu of Song, in addition to his famous words about sharing the world with the scholar-officials, also established the principle of nurturing talent throughout the realm for the empire’s use. If Shen Shi had achieved no rank, that would have been another matter. But since he had already passed the children’s examination, how could the county school simply ignore him and not admit him to cultivate his scholarship? Such a rule was never broken.

The old lady’s joy at her grandson becoming a stipend scholar was of a different kind; it was not his intellect she celebrated, but the simple fact that someone in the Shen family was once again able to draw the imperial stipend. She was overjoyed! In the past, Shen Shi had frequently submitted essays to the county school, hoping to be corrected and guided. In other words: “How do you like my writing? Do I have the potential to earn the imperial stipend?” The county school’s replies were always dismissive: “Your writing is mediocre, unworthy of appreciation.” He had never been accepted.

Now that he had come first, there was no way they could refuse him. Not only the old lady but others as well were delighted for Shen Shi. Gaining admission to the county school was a rare fortune indeed. There was no age limit to the imperial examinations; as long as one could walk and endure the few days of sitting for the tests, and performed well, no one could stop you. Given how hard it was both to enter and to be expelled from the county school, as long as you kept taking the exams—even if your results were poor—and had not committed any heinous acts such as betraying your teachers or rebelling, congratulations: your long-term meal ticket was secure. So long as you remained a student and a stipend scholar, you need not worry about food, drink, or pocket money.

As for literary elegance and refinement... well, that was a scholar’s concern. Here, in a village where for generations the people had been rough soldiers, such matters were far less important than practical ones.

Outside, the festivities continued with food and drink lasting well into the night. As for Shen Shi’s father, he was completely absorbed in the feast, reluctant to return to his room—for reasons best left unspoken. He claimed he had not enjoyed wine or meat for days... well, let’s just take him at his word.

...

Elsewhere, Xin Fourteenth Daughter’s flight from home was soon discovered by her sisters.

“Eldest Sister, something is wrong. Fourteen has taken the Purification Cauldron.”

“What? How dare she?” Xin First Daughter could hardly believe it.

“What wouldn’t she dare? With Father gone, who here can restrain her?”

“Outrageous! Go and bring her back at once.”

“Yes, Eldest Sister.”

At the order of their leader, the foxes sprang into action.

“Hehe, you don’t know that I already know exactly where Fourteen has gone!” Fox spirits are cunning; even among sisters, they are never above playing tricks.

“I’ve succeeded in cultivating the way.” With a flash of foxfire, one streaked straight across the river toward Jinhua County.

Xin Eighth Daughter had crossed paths with Shen Shi before and recognized his aura at once. The moment she saw Fourteenth Daughter, she realized that Shen Shi’s scent lingered on her. Had Fourteenth not boasted so much, she might have spoken up already. But with such a rare fate, she coveted it for herself and kept silent. In fact, she had even had a hand in Fourteenth Daughter’s departure. As a false Dragon King of the Qiantang River, as long as Fourteenth Daughter remained within the river’s domain, she could always find her.

But as soon as her foxfire rose, all the other foxes of Lanruo Temple gathered.

“Eldest Sister, is Eighth trying to hoard the prize for herself just like Fourteenth?”

The others were indignant at Xin Eighth Daughter’s actions.

“Hmph! She may want it, but it’s not up to her alone.”

“Yes, yes, let’s cross the water and catch her red-handed.”

One after another, the foxes grumbled, eager to teach a lesson to the sister trying to take everything for herself.

But Xin Eighth Daughter was no simpleton. Once across the river, she dove straight into a well, slipping away through the water route. This immediately slowed her sisters’ pursuit.

“Hmph! Think you can take advantage of me? I was prepared for you all along.”

Xin Eighth Daughter felt triumphant, heading directly for the Shen household.

However, she had truly picked the wrong opponent. Before she could even approach, Shen Shi had already detected the presence of demonic energy.

She transformed into human form and feasted without restraint. Shen Shi did not interfere with her. But when she slipped into his room, he could no longer ignore her.

Using the pretext of returning to read, Shen Shi, his mystic eyes open, entered his room. With these eyes, he could see all auras, including those of demons. Scanning the room, his gaze paused on the bronze alchemical furnace.

A clever one indeed. The cauldron’s aura was muddled and complex; without the gift of sight, one would sense nothing unusual, and even if Shen Shi noticed a trace of demonic energy, he would not think much of it—after all, Fourteenth Daughter was herself a demon.

But the eyes revealed more. Xin Eighth Daughter, adept in water arts, carried with her the dampness of the river, distinct from Fourteenth Daughter. Moreover, masquerading as the Dragon King, she was suffused with the scent of incense offerings. In Shen Shi’s eyes, she practically glowed like a beacon.

Shen Shi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He quietly closed the door behind him as if nothing were amiss, then crossed to the meditation mat and sat down. Soon, the faint sounds of his breathing in practice could be heard within the room.

Gradually, the room quieted, as if all was normal.

“He really is cultivating!”

Seeing Shen Shi at his practice, Xin Eighth Daughter’s eyes gleamed. “Such pure and orthodox cultivation, his skill is not shallow. No wonder Fourteenth ran away from home. And such fine features, so delicate and appealing—I can hardly bear to leave myself. Perhaps we could become Daoist partners?”

Xin Eighth Daughter drifted into pleasant dreams.

Two hours later, dawn was breaking. Shen Shi, who had seemed to be dozing in meditation, abruptly opened his eyes, sprang up, and, with a sudden motion, slammed the lid of the bronze cauldron down with a resounding clang, sealing it tightly.

At once, the cauldron rumbled violently, its lid reverberating as Xin Eighth Daughter, startled from her dreams, struggled desperately to escape.

Shen Shi had known from the start that a demon had entered his house and was hiding in the cauldron, but he had not acted hastily. He had waited until she had let her guard down before suddenly striking. After all, with a feast going on and the whole village present, if the demon were not contained, who knew what might happen if she ran amok?

He retreated swiftly to the door, eyes fixed on the cauldron, his mind taut with vigilance. If the lid truly burst open, he was determined not to let the demon escape.

But his fears were unfounded; this bronze cauldron was a magical artifact. Once sealed, it formed its own inner space, capable of purifying and refining even the densest energies. Not even a small fox demon could hope to break free.

As soon as the cauldron was sealed, much of Xin Eighth Daughter’s power slipped from her control. Even without being fired, she was terrified. She struggled for a long time, but the cauldron did not budge. It was no ordinary vessel; it could not be opened from within. At last, she had no choice but to give up, conserving her strength and focusing on preserving her vital essence.

Once the cauldron quieted, Shen Shi stepped to its side and called out, “Hey! Who are you?”