Now, the Four Books and Five Classics have become a skill—reciting all 450,000 characters fluently. But being able to recite them doesn’t necessarily mean you can write or use them flexibly. Yet at this moment, it seemed as if I suddenly understood how to apply them, and even gained a special rhythm and insight.

“This is part of the insights of a licentiate.”

When Edward Jr. Sutton snapped out of his joy, Richard Bennett had already finished reading this notebook and was planning to read the official texts.

Chapter Six: Sudden Enlightenment

“Brother Bennett, read another notebook!” The official texts were printed books, which Edward Jr. Sutton had already studied, so naturally he didn’t want to waste time and set his sights on another of Richard Bennett’s notebooks.

George Bolton chimed in from the side, “Strange, after listening twice just now, I actually feel suddenly enlightened, even clearer than when I read it myself. Brother Bennett, why don’t you read another one!”

His last call of “Brother Bennett” was even more affectionate than usual. Even though Richard Bennett was familiar and a good friend, he couldn’t help but rub his arm.

“Brother Bennett, your voice is perfect for reading these notes. Besides, both of these notebooks are yours, so it flows even better when you read. Read one more!” Edward Jr. Sutton echoed with a smile.

“All right, I’ll read one more. But in my opinion, the official texts are still more important.” Richard Bennett picked up another notebook and began to read aloud again.

This time, as soon as Richard Bennett started reading, his vision went black, and the familiar prompt box appeared before his eyes. Edward Jr. Sutton also responded “yes,” and another wave of experience surged in.

After Richard Bennett finished reading, he wanted to ask Edward Jr. Sutton to continue, but found Edward Jr. Sutton sitting to the side, eyes vacant, lost in thought.

“Brother Sutton? Brother Sutton?”

He called twice before Edward Jr. Sutton snapped back to reality, fell silent, and looked at the prompt: “[Four Books and Five Classics] increased by 5 levels (37/5000), Intelligence +1, Intelligence 12→13 (10)!”

Edward Jr. Sutton’s mood soared. Not only had [Four Books and Five Classics] barely reached level 5, but his intelligence had also increased. With higher intelligence, learning would become easier and comprehension would improve. To be honest, Edward Jr. Sutton’s original academic aptitude was only slightly above average, and his current foundation was the result of ten years of hard study.

But at this level, even passing the county-level exam for xiucai would be a stretch. In the last national round, only 25 xiucai were admitted in the prefectural (jun) exam, 100 juren in the provincial exam, and 150–200 jinshi in the metropolitan exam. It was truly like thousands of troops crossing a single-log bridge—he couldn’t count on his abilities alone.

Now, being able to increase intelligence was a relief, and this joy made Edward Jr. Sutton sigh deeply in his heart: “My path is set!”

He then thanked Richard Bennett: “Listening to your reading truly gave me a sense of sudden enlightenment!”

These words were heartfelt. At such a difficult time, he had thought it would be hard to reach level 5, but unexpectedly, Richard Bennett had been a great help.

Of course, Edward Jr. Sutton also realized that the first licentiate’s notebook had given him 2,000 experience, while the second only gave 1,500.

Thinking about it, it made sense. The same licentiate-level content was implied, so the second notebook didn’t help as much.

Richard Bennett, unaware of the details, felt a bit embarrassed by Edward Jr. Sutton’s earnest thanks and quickly said, “Brother Sutton, you flatter me. The three of us are learning together here, and we all benefit greatly!”

George Bolton giggled, “I’ve said it before, we’re all friends, no need for all this formality. Seeing you two thank each other like this, it’s clear you have a shot at the county exam! Unlike me—even if I’ve learned a bit now, actually passing the county exam… ha, that’s more of a dream!”

“Don’t belittle yourself.” Richard Bennett looked at him helplessly, then turned and said, “Brother Sutton, as we’re about to take the county exam, we’ve heard some rumors.”

“If you have any difficulties, just let us know. Though our abilities are limited, we can still help a little.”

Looking at Richard Bennett’s earnest face, Edward Jr. Sutton sat up straight and thanked him, feeling moved. The Yu family was certainly good, but their rules were strict. While borrowing books was easy, getting any money was not. Yet Richard Bennett still offered help—regardless of anything else, the gesture itself was rare.

“Brother Bennett, Brother Bolton, don’t worry. If I really have trouble, I’ll definitely speak up.”

With the county exam approaching, the three didn’t linger long. Edward Jr. Sutton, using the excuse of going home to review, took his leave. Once out of the inn, walking down the increasingly deserted street, Edward Jr. Sutton couldn’t help but laugh.

“Heaven truly never seals off all roads!” Since he was already in the county town, even though it was a bit far from his lodging, Edward Jr. Sutton still held up his oil-paper umbrella and walked home.

By the time he reached the street, his cloth shoes were already soaked through, mostly from slowly absorbing the snow. Though he had stuffed some cotton inside, making them fairly thick, the feeling at this moment was hard to describe. Edward Jr. Sutton even felt his feet gradually going numb.

Edward Jr. Sutton trudged through the snow, step by step. The shopkeeper, Henry Foster, sat behind the counter, wearing a bamboo jacket washed to a snowy white. His complexion was hardly any rosier than the jacket. When Edward Jr. Sutton entered, he was hunched over, coughing, his voice sounding as if he might cough up a lung.

Edward Jr. Sutton showed a trace of worry—Boss Ye’s cough seemed to have worsened.

“Edward Jr., you’re here. Are you preparing to apply for the county exam as a stipend student?” Henry Foster barely managed to stop coughing when he saw him, immediately understanding Edward Jr. Sutton’s purpose. After all, for the county exam, mutual guarantees and written pledges were required.