At this moment, his wife Mrs. Clark brought him some purple grapes, carefully washed and selected, and said with a smile, “These are from the Ye clan, always of good quality. But since you’ve confined him, why did you still let him stay in Room Three, and even specially ordered extra food for him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll feel upset and forget your kindness?”

William Clark picked up a grape and ate it, listening with a smile. After a while, his smile faded and he sighed, “Edward Clark is my nephew. I originally thought he was just somewhat talented, so I suppressed him to avoid wasting the clan’s fortune. But after reading his essay yesterday, I realized he’s truly showing promise, with an extraordinary aura.”

“I suppressed him this time partly out of personal interest for San’er, but also to temper him. He’s too young, only fifteen. Even if he’s talented, how much can he really achieve?”

“You must know that every exam is a contest of fortune. If he takes the exam now, how confident can he be? It would just waste his talent and the clan’s luck.”

“If he can settle down and study, by the next child scholar exam, he’ll have accumulated more, and his talent will burst forth. He won’t just pass as a child scholar, but also as a xiucai and a juren!”

“My suppression isn’t just personal, it’s also for the public good, and has the tacit approval of the clan. Next year, if Qing’er can study diligently, I’ll return his family land to him. Not only that, the clan will provide even more support.”

“Public and private interests must be balanced. I see San’er clearly—if he can pass as a tongsheng, that’s enough for me. Qing’er’s future is far brighter than San’er’s; he’s the future of the clan. Don’t get confused about this!”

William Clark’s words were calm but earnest. Mrs. Clark blushed and quickly said, “I’m just a woman with limited insight, don’t mind me. I won’t hold you back!”

William Clark smiled and said, “As long as you understand.”

After a pause, he seemed lost in thought for a moment, then continued, “I’m not afraid that Qing’er will become distant. It’s normal for him to be angry for a while, but after reading and experiencing more, he’ll naturally understand. Of course, the clan’s sincere support is the foundation, just as he will one day sincerely repay the clan.”

At this point, he stood up, stretched his body, and gazed into the distance. Looking at the night sky, he saw a layer of pale ink-blue across the heavens, with unevenly bright stars stretching on and on. In the distance to the north, the silhouette of hills could be faintly seen—a vast expanse of darkness. He sighed, “Tongsheng and xiucai are limited to cultivating Daoist arts; only juren have a chance to die and become spirits, and only jinshi have a chance to enter the gate of the Great Dao. When will our Ye family produce a true immortal who can live forever?”

For the Daoist sects, before they controlled the world, Daoist arts were openly displayed. After gaining control, they strictly restricted the manifestation of divine powers in the world.

This is easy to understand: during rebellion, every effort is made to arm oneself; after success, every effort is made to confiscate weapons.

If you’ve already gained control of the world and still let Daoist arts spread unchecked, that would be sheer idiocy. The three Daoist Lords and five Imperial Lords are certainly not fools.

But there’s still a big difference between a yin spirit and a true immortal. Having ancestral spirits at home only brings hidden blessings, while having a true immortal can protect the family’s visible fortune. Yin virtue works in secret, subtly influencing things, while yang virtue can directly enhance fortune.

The Ye family has several clan deities and is a major household in the county, but as long as they haven’t produced a true immortal who can live forever, they can’t be considered a prestigious family in the prefecture!

For the clan to produce a true immortal—this is the dream of the Ye clan, and indeed of most families!

At this time, however, Edward Clark paid no attention to William Clark’s thoughts. In the middle of the night, when people sleep most soundly, Edward Clark guessed that Qianqian had already gone to bed, so he sat up and once again carefully examined the room.

He found himself in a quiet chamber, about fifty square meters by Earth’s standards, but extremely elegant. There was a bookshelf filled with Daoist texts—certainly including the Three Classics and Five Canons. Above it hung a jade flute, and under the west window stood a desk.

This was clearly top-tier treatment. For a moment, he didn’t know how to feel. After a long time, he sighed, “Who can escape the deep bond between father and son?”

William Clark wanted to cut off his chance at this year’s child scholar exam, simply for the sake of his own son. Other than that, he still treated his nephew well—this is what’s called having a standpoint.

After sighing, he lit the oil lamp, took a bronze cup from his bosom, and gently rubbed it.

The bronze cup looked ordinary, but that was only to mortal eyes. Edward Clark knew that this cup was actually a treasure for suppressing fortune, and when it was given to him by an immortal, it even came with a small portion of fortune!

But Edward Clark didn’t know exactly what kind of fortune it was. At this moment, though, that wasn’t the issue—he had something related to his academic prospects to deal with.

He took out the bronze cup and placed it on the table. For some reason, there always seemed to be a lingering subtle fragrance. Shaking his head to dispel distracting thoughts, he stared at the cup and silently made a wish in his heart: “With this fortune, I pray that I may participate in this year’s child scholar exam without obstruction!”

As this thought formed, he seemed to sense a change in the cup—this meant it was working, though he didn’t know how it would manifest. This was a power currently beyond his control.

But the most important thing about this method of fortune is that your intention must be clear and stable, focused on a specific matter. If it’s even a little vague, the fortune consumed will multiply instantly.

At this moment, Edward Clark made a clear wish to the bronze cup. If he had wished for something like becoming a jinshi, not only would it have been ineffective, it might even have backfired.

After making his wish, perhaps it was just his imagination, but the bronze cup seemed a bit dimmer.

Edward Clark felt a pang of regret, dazed for a long time before lying down to sleep again.

Chapter 0009: County Deputy

The night moon sank in the west, and the Bei Mang mountain range lay silent beneath the night sky.