Speaking, he brazenly looked Edward Jr. Sutton up and down, his gaze sweeping disdainfully over Edward Jr. Sutton’s worn, rain-soaked cloth shoes, his contempt so obvious he didn’t even bother to hide it: “Well, if you fail this time, you’ll probably freeze or starve to death soon enough. That would truly be a disgrace to scholars, haha.”

“That’s none of your concern.” Edward Jr. Sutton replied coldly.

Samuel Grant’s face immediately darkened as he warned, “Edward Jr. Sutton, remember, you have five days left. Debts must be repaid. If you don’t pay by the deadline, I’ll haul you to the authorities.”

He spat, “I really thought your dead father left you some connections to save face, but it turns out it was all for show. Well, scholars do like to act lofty!”

“Don’t worry, there will be an explanation when the time comes.” Edward Jr. Sutton let out a chuckle, and as he glanced at the familiar wild Taoist, the corner of his mouth twitched, his expression cold as he brushed past.

“Still so arrogant, even at death’s door!”

Samuel Grant tried to hold back, but couldn’t, and through gritted teeth said to the wild Taoist, “Second Brother Clark has always been efficient. Why hasn’t he come back this time?”

“The county exam is about to start. You said he’s shrouded in bad luck now and definitely won’t pass. When that happens, the grave field can be taken over, right?”

If the other party passed the county exam, it would be much harder to act against him then.

The wild Taoist stared at Edward Jr. Sutton’s back for a long time before finally looking away, silent and frowning.

Clark Jr. hadn’t returned for two days, and even Tongshan Temple was a bit uneasy. Eldest Bolton had already gone to look for him, while he himself came to observe, and indeed, there had been a change.

Edward Jr. Sutton’s appearance and bearing had never stood out before. From his face, he only had a minor fortune, with some lingering misfortune—at best, he might become a xiucai, and his family’s landholdings were few. So when Tongshan Temple made the offer, he agreed.

But now, his features had changed. The flaws were being repaired, and a faint red aura was forming—clearly, this person’s prospects had shifted.

“He suffered a blow and his ancestral tomb was damaged, so why has his fate improved so much, even breaking through his bad luck?”

“Could it be a final burst of energy before the end?”

Thinking of this, the wild Taoist grew even more puzzled: “A so-called final burst of energy does happen, but only if there’s a foundation. If there’s no foundation, if the oil is spent and the lamp is out, what final burst could there be?”

“If there is such a final burst, the Su family may not be so simple. No wonder Tongshan Temple is willing to spend money to target them. I’ve been dragged into this.”

“No, I need to go check the Su family ancestral tomb again, or I’ll be tricked by Tongshan Temple.”

Leaving aside the wild Taoist’s thoughts, Edward Jr. Sutton arrived at the county yamen gate on time. The county exam was the first stage of the children’s exam, not as elaborate as the provincial or metropolitan exams, but there were still necessary checks. Edward Jr. Sutton raised his arm for the yamen runners to search him, then carried his inspected basket inside.

The basket contained the Four Treasures of the Study, as only one session was required, so there was no need to bring food.

For this county exam, the Linhua County yamen had specially cleared out an area and erected a simple examination shed.

Imitating the previous dynasty’s imperial examination system with some modifications, in a small county like Linhua, there weren’t many scholars, so the arrangements weren’t too complicated—just some simple rows of seats in the shed for candidates to write.

Edward Jr. Sutton entered the yamen and was first led into a large courtyard. The gate was the north gate, which was usually nothing special, just an ordinary door. But on the day of the county exam, this north gate was called the “Dragon Gate,” symbolizing good fortune—scholars passing through it were like fish leaping over the dragon gate.

Beyond the Dragon Gate was a courtyard where, according to the rules, all candidates had to wait for their names to be called.

When Edward Jr. Sutton arrived, raindrops still fell from his oil-paper umbrella, the water dripping and pattering down the eaves. The bluestone-paved ground was slick and wet, and the air was filled with a damp, chilly atmosphere that sent a shiver through him with every breath.

He wasn’t the first to arrive, nor the last, but even when the courtyard was full, it remained relatively quiet. Anyone who could come to take the exam here would not be uncouth; even the most ill-mannered would know better than to act rudely in such a place, as it would only bring harm. Everyone tried their best to present their best side.

Paper lanterns stood in the courtyard. Though the drizzling rain made it dimmer than usual, it was already dawn, and from where Edward Jr. Sutton stood, he could see fairly clearly.

“Taking the county exam in this weather—I wonder if we’ll be assigned to a warm exam room.” Though he knew it was unlikely, Edward Jr. Sutton couldn’t help but imagine it.

At that moment, a small commotion arose. Standing in the crowd, Edward Jr. Sutton looked ahead and saw a middle-aged man in official robes emerge from the hall—it was the county magistrate, Sir Bolton.

Magistrate Bolton was personally calling the roll, which was an honor. Edward Jr. Sutton didn’t need to look to know that most of the scholars around him were excited. This was the “benefit” the imperial exams brought to scholars: through study and the exams, one could leap over the dragon gate and change one’s social standing.

“Edward Jr. Sutton.”

“Present.”

“Enter.”

“Yes.”

When it was Edward Jr. Sutton’s turn, the yamen runner, as required, loudly announced that Franklin Reed the stipend student was the guarantor. Franklin Reed, who was vouching for Edward Jr. Sutton, glanced at him to confirm his identity before responding to the call.