Chapter 6: The Examination Trap (Part Two)

The imperial examinations continued through the second and third days, leaving most candidates utterly drained. Yan Yunqing was no exception.

Throughout the examination period, those hostile forces remained restless, incessantly sending agents to obstruct Yan Yunqing or attempt to swap his answer scripts. Fortunately, the dark servant had long since replaced the nameplate outside his cubicle and cast a veil of illusion over the room, ensuring that the intruders remained oblivious to their failure.

When the examinations concluded successfully, Shen Xunqing, as an examination proctor, returned home later than Yan Yunqing. Upon arriving at the manor by sedan, he found Yan Yunqing waiting at the entrance with a gentle smile. A warmth spread through Shen Xunqing’s heart, but as he drew closer, he noticed Yan Yunqing’s uncharacteristically pale complexion. He asked anxiously, "Are you exhausted? Is something wrong?"

Yan Yunqing shook his head slightly and murmured something so faint that Shen Xunqing would have missed it had he not been leaning in close. "I am fine, just tired. I only wish to rest for a while. Brother Xunqing, please lie down with me."

Shen Xunqing helped Yan Yunqing back to their room, and they lay down together. Once Yan Yunqing’s previously rapid breathing steadied, Shen Xunqing, reassured that his companion was merely fatigued, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as well.

*Drip.* The sound of water droplets falling—one, then two—gradually coalesced into the gentle murmur of a stream. Shen Xunqing snapped his eyes open, clutching his head and rubbing his temples. He regained his senses only to find himself lying upon water; he could feel the presence of the liquid, yet he remained dry.

Even the slightest movement from Shen Xunqing caused the glowing blue stream beneath him to ripple in spreading circles. It must be said that such a mundane scene, illuminated by this ethereal blue light, was utterly mesmerizing.

The sound of the water continued to ring in his ears like a lover’s whisper, stirring his heart. Resigned, he stood up, only to hear a voice from the bank: "Who are you? How did you enter this place?"

The voice was all too familiar. Turning, he saw Yan Yunqing, yet there was something subtly different about him. Shen Xunqing gazed at him and asked, "And who are you?"

"I am Yan Yunqing, son of the Lord of the Underworld," the figure replied. "If I am not mistaken, I should still be undergoing my trial. This is my spiritual consciousness, currently under seal. You have yet to answer me..." His tone grew cold, laced with a hint of menace. "How did you get in here?" He possessed a rare, eternal glacial constitution; had any other soul entered his consciousness, they would have been frozen to death instantly. How could this person still be conversing with him?

Shen Xunqing chuckled at this. Having lived for so long and fallen in love, this was the first time he had truly encountered the real version of his beloved. It was a humbling realization.

Hearing the laughter, a feeling of alienation stirred in Yan Yunqing, leaving him deeply unsettled. "What are you laughing at?"

"How I entered this place is a question you should be asking yourself," Shen Xunqing replied. "I woke up and found myself here. Shouldn't you be the one giving me an explanation?"

Shen Xunqing looked around and discovered that the stream acted as a partition; on one side lay the true form of Yan Yunqing, while the other was shrouded in thick mist.

As he watched, the mist parted. From the other side, Shen Xunqing heard a familiar voice call out, "Young Master Shen..."

Just as he had suspected, the other side held Yu Huan, Yan Yunqing’s mortal reincarnation. Yu Huan looked at him silently, tears streaming down his face. His lips moved as if to speak, his expression filled with profound sorrow. Suddenly, Shen Xunqing felt himself pulled far away along the stream, leaving behind a frowning Yan Yunqing who stared at him with a complex gaze.

Shen Xunqing slowly opened his eyes. Beside him, Yan Yunqing was already awake, grinning. "Good morning, Brother Xunqing."

Shen Xunqing reached out to stroke Yan Yunqing’s head, only to hear a gasp. "Brother Xunqing, your hand..." Yan Yunqing’s eyes filled with tears as he stared at Shen Xunqing’s left hand, which had completely vanished.

*How could this be?* It seemed the encounter with the gluttonous beast had caused more damage to his physical vessel than he had anticipated. Yan Yunqing sobbed, and Shen Xunqing, raising his right hand, gently covered Yan Yunqing’s eyes. "Come now, that was just an illusion. I am perfectly fine."

Shen Xunqing cast a minor spell, and his left hand reappeared. Removing his hand from Yan Yunqing’s eyes, he waved both hands before him. "See? You just saw it wrong."

Yan Yunqing looked puzzled. "But..." He had clearly seen his brother's hand disappear. Could he truly have been mistaken?

"Enough, sleep a while longer. I must head to court." Shen Xunqing stood up and began to dress in his official robes.

Yan Yunqing nodded obediently, but as he lay in bed, he refused to close his eyes, watching Shen Xunqing until he disappeared from the room. Yan Yunqing’s playful expression instantly vanished into a mask of indifference. After a long moment, he raised his own left hand, which was also turning completely transparent, and offered a bitter smile. "A fine 'Young Master Shen' indeed!"

The Taoist priest had been right; even if Shen Xunqing was not a demon or a monster, he was certainly not simple. But what of it? Having barely clung to half a life, what harm was there in indulging himself for this final stretch of time?

Outside the manor, Shen Xunqing gave the dark servant one final instruction to guard Yan Yunqing well before boarding his sedan, heading toward the Imperial Palace.

In the grand hall where the civil and military officials gathered, there was a deathly silence. For some reason, the atmosphere was stifling to the extreme.

Emperor Yan’s face was dark as he spoke. "Do my ministers have nothing to report to me?"

After a long pause, an official finally stepped forward, trembling. "Your... Your Majesty, this subject has a report."

"Speak," the Emperor commanded.

The official, one of the proctors for the examinations, knelt down, his forehead slick with cold sweat. "I deserve to die, Your Majesty. I have been negligent in my duties. I beg for your punishment."

Emperor Yan let out a cold snort. "What do you mean by this?"

The official, cold sweat pouring down his back, stammered, "I am honored by Your Majesty’s trust in selecting the pillars of our nation. However, due to my incompetence, the examination hall has..."

"What happened in the examination hall? Speak!"

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the official replied, "There have been frequent instances of cheating in the examination hall. I beg Your Majesty’s mercy; it is my fault."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince lowered his head slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into an imperceptible arc.

Emperor Yan scanned the room and suddenly remarked, "Minister Shen, do you know what this is all about?"