252 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

"Have you been secretly cultivating?" Ning Songwu was utterly bewildered by this abrupt question. She stared blankly and said, "What?" "You're at the early stage of Golden Core." "What!" Ning Songwu tugged at the corners of her mouth, suspecting Ran Fanyin was joking with her. "Shifu, you must be kidding." However, Ran Fanyin's serious expression showed no sign of jesting. A bad premonition seized Ning Songwu's heart. What in the world is going on? Chapter 101: Beyond the Domain (3) [There aren't many low-level cultivators, and there aren't many high-level ones either, but the middle-level cultivators are abundant.] [Are other families like this as well?] [Honestly, what I've learned during these days isn't as much as what I learned by following you in the Demon Palace.] [The people in this family are really too xenophobic and hostile to outsiders.] [But you saved me.] After the peaceful and harmonious Zhao Age of twenty years, late at night, in the Ran Mansion in the capital. "Master, Yin'er has finally woken up." The young woman held the girl's hands tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. After three days and nights of deep slumber, during which many renowned physicians had declared her beyond saving and advised to prepare for her final rites, the seven-year-old Ran Fanyin had awakened. She slowly opened her eyes, took a few seconds to survey the room, and finally her gaze landed on the face of the sorcerer by the bedside, her expression filled with surprise. Yu Qing muttered to herself, "Huh! Isn't that the Taoist priest I encountered on Qingcheng Mountain a couple of days ago? How is he in my dream?" Just as she was puzzled, she suddenly heard a voice, "Yin'er, you finally woke up. Your father was scared to death by you." It turned out that this wandering sorcerer had knocked on their door in the middle of the night without invitation, fed her a pill, and snatched her back from the gates of hell. Before leaving, the sorcerer had specially warned Ran Houmeng that his daughter's marriage fortune was quite complex and changeable. No marriage means safety; a second marriage would be a suitable match. Ran Houmeng took these words seriously. When his daughter reached the age of marriage, he firmly refused all matchmakers, no matter how persistent. Ran Fanyin's personality greatly changed after she woke up, making her seem like a completely different person. Her parents merely thought it was the aftereffects of her illness. Little did they know that their daughter was no longer the same. She was now Yu Qing, a third-year graduate student in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Capital Medical University, who had traveled from the twenty-first century. Soon after, Hui Emperor Zhao Xin's misconduct led to eunuch dominance, causing disruption in the court and chaos in the country, resulting in massive peasant uprisings. Prince Yang Lun of the Zhou clan rallied support rapidly and soon captured the capital, establishing the Bei Liang regime with the era name "Jian Kang." "People only desire the old, not the worn; the new replaces the old." With the newly established and unstable Bei Liang regime, Yang Lun retained the loyal former officials for his use. * Spring of the sixteenth year of Jian Kang, inside the Sima Mansion. "I, Ning Jingyang, must have sinned in my previous life to have given birth to such a fool like you in this life! You've nearly shamed us completely." The Grand Sima Ning Jingyang's face turned blue with rage, glaring at the trembling Ning Songwu as he yelled. "Father, please calm down. It's harmful to your health to be so angry. I know I'm worthless and incapable. It might be better to seek another path." Ning Songwu's expression was troubled, her head lowered. "Entering the career through imperial examinations is your only path! If you fail again this year, you’d better marry early. As the saying goes, one should establish oneself only after founding a family. I've already indulged you enough!" Ning Jingyang spoke vehemently, spittle flying through the air. Ning Songwu wiped her face and helplessly said, "Father, I want to succeed but lack the ability to meet your expectations. Why must you press me so hard?" She knew avoiding the imperial exams and ranking on the Golden Scroll was inevitable but still harbored a flicker of hope, intending to struggle a bit. She didn't want to fail and be forced into marriage, which would mean she couldn't keep her secret. Ning Jingyang's anger intensified and he shouted, "Have you forgotten you bear the Ning name? Who else has your fortune? It's the merit of several lifetimes to climb the high branches of the Sima Mansion. Remember, it's an unshakable mission." If not for having only one child after all these years, he wouldn't be so adamant. "Yang Lang, Wu'er she…" Zhuo Huaxiu cautiously tugged at Ning Jingyang's sleeve, intending to defend Ning Songwu. Ning Jingyang ruthlessly shook her off, glaring at Zhuo Huaxiu and reproaching, "If it weren't for your indulgence, how would it have come to this? A lenient mother raises a worthless child!" He seemed to blame Ning Songwu's failure entirely on her. Ning Songwu furrowed her brows tightly and finally made up her mind, "Father, rest assured. I will strive with all my might in this year's imperial examination to fulfill your expectations." "That is better." Finally hearing the desired answer, Ning Jingyang turned and stormed out. "Wu'er, you must be exhausted. It's all my fault for causing you trouble," Zhuo Huaxiu rushed over to support Ning Songwu, her face full of guilt. Ning Songwu forced a bitter smile, wiped Zhuo Huaxiu's tears, and said helplessly, "Mother, what's the use of saying this now?" * Autumn of the sixteenth year of Jian Kang, the results of the imperial exam were announced. The only son of Grand Sima Ning Jingyang—Ning Songwu, who had diligently studied the sages' books for over a decade, finally made it onto the Golden Scroll. People say a tiger father doesn't breed a dog son. Ning Jingyang, the current Grand Sima and the once famous top scholar, saw his son Ning Songwu experience two failures in the imperial exams. This time, in the third attempt, Ning Songwu's name was at the bottom of the third category on the Golden Scroll. After three months of Hanlin Academy training, the newly advanced scholars were to receive their official assignments in a grand ceremony. This event divided them into local officials, which everyone avoided, and capital officials, which everyone coveted. The Bei Liang political sphere was dominated by aristocratic families, known as aristocratic politics. These families monopolized the selection of Bei Liang officials, with official rank and position determined by birth, a situation known as "high rank has no commoners, low rank no aristocrats." Noble descendants only needed to make the Golden Scroll, regardless of rank, to receive high official titles by virtue of their status. In contrast, commoners, even if they topped the list, had no chance at fourth-rank positions. Following the rank order, Ning Songwu, despite being at the bottom of the third category, was granted a third-rank post due to her origin in the Sima Mansion. Ning Jingyang had quietly coordinated with Sheng Zong, making the capital official post a certainty. Sheng Zong laughed, "Fine, it is rare that you are not enchanted by the capital's prosperity. As a model, I will fulfill your wish."