In his previous life, he hadn’t exactly been unmotivated, nor was he lacking in talent, but in the end, he faded into obscurity. On many quiet nights, he reflected on it all—it was that one time he chose to obey, to take a step back, and as a result, he was forced into passivity at every turn. Though he still managed to pass the exams for tongsheng and xiucai, he could never catch up with the tides of the world.

　　Edward Clark pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly: “I have studied since childhood and am thoroughly familiar with the classics, without the slightest difficulty. This time, in the child scholar exam, I am certain to succeed—there is no reason for delay or failure.”

　　Hearing this, William Clark was taken aback. This reaction was a bit unexpected. He carefully observed his expression, feeling a bit suspicious inside.

　　This nephew of his was somewhat clever, but limited by his age, and after losing his father young, he had no good teacher to guide him... Where did this confidence come from? He laughed heartily: “Oh? Is that really so?”

Chapter 0002: Cannot Be Cultivated

　　“There truly is no difficulty,” Edward Clark replied with a bow.

　　In his previous life, he should have had great fortune, but even after yielding, he still couldn’t keep up with the times. Now, even if he had lost all his cultivation, some spiritual sense remained. He could feel that he was now without fortune; if he yielded again, he feared he wouldn’t even achieve what he had in his past life.

　　This time, there was absolutely no reason to back down.

　　When William Clark heard this, his face grew cold, and gradually, even the faintest smile disappeared. After a long pause, he finally said, “Very well! Today, your uncle will set the questions, and you will answer them on the spot. You are still young—don’t think I’m bullying you. You must know, the child scholar exam concerns your future, and there can be no carelessness.”

　　Grace, hearing this from the inner room, looked a bit nervous.

　　Edward Clark, however, only smiled. He immediately fetched brush and ink from the desk, unrolled a long scroll, and placed it beside William Clark.

　　With the courtesy of a scholar, he formally cupped his hands to this “elder”: “Please, Uncle, set the questions. If there are any mistakes, it is because I am not familiar enough with the classics, or there is some difficulty. If not…”

　　At this, William Clark felt a surge of anger inside.

　　There were only three spots for the child scholar exam in the Ye clan. William Clark’s own son was older, and though he had pulled some strings to let Edward Clark step aside, it was mainly to reduce internal competition.

　　He had thought it was a sure thing, but unexpectedly, this boy, once so obedient, now dared to defy him.

　　“Fine, fine, I’ll set the questions and show you how difficult it is!” With that, William Clark closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then dipped his brush in thick ink and wrote swiftly on the blank scroll.

　　A quarter of an hour later, four questions were written. William Clark stuffed the brush into Edward Clark’s hand and spoke slowly: “Since you have such confidence, let’s put it to the test. If you can’t even pass my questions, why bother embarrassing yourself at the child scholar exam?”

　　Edward Clark’s eyes flashed when he heard this. Without another word, he dipped the brush in ink again, studied the questions for a moment, and then began to write rapidly.

　　In his previous life, he had already thoroughly studied the Daoist classics, and his real level was that of a juren. He had memorized countless famous works, so writing these answers was just a small test of his skills.

　　William Clark watched Edward Clark write quickly, at first not paying much attention. Edward Clark was still young—how much of the classics could he remember? If he got two or three out of ten, that would be good. Besides, the questions he set, though within the scope of the child scholar exam, were all rather obscure and more difficult.

　　But as he watched Edward Clark write so swiftly, his eyes narrowed and he was startled. Even without considering the content, just the fluidity of his brushwork was extraordinary.

　　“Uncle, please take a look.” Edward Clark finished writing, a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead—this body was still too frail.

　　After his parents died, though he lived in a large clan, he was neglected. The family’s land was managed by others, and he couldn’t get even a tael of silver. Food was not a problem, but there was little meat, no wonder he was weak and sickly. Thinking of this, his eyes grew cold.

　　At this moment, as William Clark focused on the writing, he saw that the characters were elegant yet powerful, like dragons and snakes, as if clouds and mist were rising from the paper. He was startled.

　　Looking further, the classics were filled in flawlessly, the calligraphy was clear and natural, not a single mistake.

　　At the end, there was even a rare commentary on the classics—not just filling in the blanks, but every word was a gem. Unconvinced, he spread the scroll out flat, bent over to examine it closely, and after a long time, sweat beaded on his forehead. Finally, he closed his eyes and sat back in his chair, his mind in turmoil.

　　William Clark himself was only a xiucai, but after decades of immersion, he at least had the ability to appreciate good writing. He immediately understood the weight of what he saw.

　　This handwriting and essay could at least win a xiucai title. He never expected this neglected nephew to be a true scholar!

　　But the Daoist imperial exams valued not only literary talent, but also fate. In practice, each clan could only select one or two candidates. With this boy, his own son’s chances of passing would be greatly reduced!

　　After thinking for a while, he could no longer contain his shock and blurted out, “This... did you write this?”

　　“Of course, it was your nephew’s work,” Edward Clark replied.

　　He knew his own abilities. He wasn’t a genius, but the child scholar exam only tested memory of the classics—what was called “ink skill.” In his previous life, he had mastered this over fifteen years, and after reviewing everything in the two days since his rebirth, he truly could make not a single mistake.

　　At this moment, both were silent. Grace stood in the corner, carefully watching the expressions of the second uncle. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

　　Suddenly, she glanced at the crack of the wooden door, faintly hearing some sounds. She exchanged a look with the young master, her heart stirred, and she quietly moved toward the door...