Lin Qianxuan walked up to the fierce tiger, confirmed its death, then turned back and shouted loudly: "Brother Yu, it's dead already!"

Yu Yong, who was hiding far behind a dirt slope, still trembled a bit upon hearing this.

Although he appeared somewhat cowardly, he wasn't undeserving of his name. After being startled by this beast during the day and escaping for his life, he still dared to lead Lin Qianxuan here at night.

In human society, his courage was already considered quite commendable.

Wobbling out of the dirt slope, Yu Yong called out to Lin Qianxuan from afar.

"Hero, where are you?"

"Over here!"

Lin Qianxuan replied. Yu Yong groped in the dark and soon arrived nearby.

He saw Lin Qianxuan lying on the tiger, working on skinning it.

He was taken aback, saying, "De...dead?"

"Dead!" Lin Qianxuan confirmed, not stopping his work.

"The hero is truly a man of divine prowess!" Yu Yong exclaimed in admiration.

"Brother, help me build a fire, tonight we'll eat one of its legs!" Lin Qianxuan said.

"Alright, alright!" Yu Yong nodded repeatedly.

They immediately built a fire there, and with the seasoning bottles that Lin Qianxuan brought, roasted a large piece of tiger meat.

Although it wasn't perfectly prepared, it was fresh, and thus quite decent.

Yu Yong also had a good feast.

Lin Qianxuan roasted and marinated the tiger liver and heart to keep for later, and then saved the tiger skin, kidney, and penis to send to Du Fuchen.

What remained was not important to him.

As dawn broke the next day, the two prepared to set off.

Yu Yong still considered cutting some meat from the tiger to take along, lest too much be wasted, planning to call people to fetch the tiger bones later.

Lin Qianxuan said, "Why bother? Brother, lead the way, I'll carry the rest of the tiger meat down the mountain for you."

"Hero, even if we've eaten some, this beast must still weigh over four hundred pounds, and it's at least thirty miles to the county town. Don't strain your back..." Yu Yong advised.

He didn't actually believe Lin Qianxuan could carry it; he was just trying to persuade him gently.

"Brother, don't forget, I have the strength of a thousand pounds!"

Lin Qianxuan bent down, secured the tiger with ropes prepared in advance, and lifted it up with a swift move.

Lighter than the stones at the school, and after killing the tiger last night, having achieved a new milestone, it wasn't as difficult as imagined.

Yu Yong was stunned, disbelief filled his eyes.

"Brother, lead the way!"

"Al...alright...."

Yu Yong walked empty-handed, while Lin Qianxuan carried the tiger, yet their pace was faster, with Lin Qianxuan even able to hop over mountain streams.

The weight of over four hundred pounds seemed nonexistent.

This wasn't just due to his great strength, but because Lin Qianxuan had obtained a "Carrying +1" unique milestone [Loadstone] while moving boulders for the school.

For weights within a thousand pounds, carrying them felt no more than barely a hundred pounds.

This fierce tiger on him felt like just forty to fifty pounds.

With his strength, how could it be a burden?

The only challenging part was that its large size made movement slightly inconvenient in the mountainous forest.

After a long march, they finally arrived in Taoshan County.

Their journey caught the attention of many townsfolk.

Yu Yong was ahead, proclaiming for Lin Qianxuan:

"The fierce mountain tiger has been slain by this hero; fellow villagers, there's no need to fear anymore!" Yu Yong shouted loudly.

Instantly, there were countless cheers.

"Great! Thank you, hero!!"

"This great tiger, he carried it all alone? Must be beyond a mortal!"

"The hero is truly a person of divine strength! This kind of brute strength, not even ten men could rival!"

As countless people watched, Lin Qianxuan didn't take the tiger for the county reward, but instead brought it to Yu Yong's doorstep.

"Take the remaining tiger meat, Brother Yu, it's all yours!" Lin Qianxuan said, "The government's bounty, Brother Yu can also collect on my behalf, and if villagers want the tiger meat, you may distribute some to them."

"Is that appropriate? Even without me, a hero of your valor would surely have killed the tiger!" Yu Yong waved his hand.

"Brother, you fearlessly accompanied me on this, saving me much effort; it's deservedly yours," Lin Qianxuan patted Yu Yong's shoulder, saying, "Don't be modest, if truly grateful, Brother, just invite me for a drink someday!"

Yu Yong's eyes brimmed with warmth, deeply moved.

"May I know your name, hero? So that I may address you properly if we meet again," Yu Yong asked.

"Xu Zhi!" Lin Qianxuan replied.

"Xu Zhi?" Yu Yong was taken aback, but after sizing up Lin Qianxuan, he added, "It shouldn't be the same person...."

"Oh, is there someone around with the same name as me?" Lin Qianxuan asked, puzzled.

Yu Yong said, "The hero may not know, but in Baiyang County, there's a young prodigy named Xu Zhi, the last disciple of Elder Zhu. It's said he's a master of literature and martial arts, having taken first place in children's poetry contests thrice, became a scholar at six, and this year became a Provincial Scholar, a Scholar Lord. In martial arts, they say he can shoot with pinpoint accuracy at a hundred steps, and lift cauldrons with great strength...."

"Then why do you think he's not me?" Lin Qianxuan laughed.

"Hero Xu is jesting," Yu Yong chuckled, "he's only nine years old!"

"Brother Yu, let us formally meet," Lin Qianxuan cupped his hands in courtesy, saying, "Xu Zhi of Yimin Academy, Baiyang County. Yeah, I just turned nine this year!"

"Nine years old?"

Yu Yong was dumbfounded, full of disbelief.

But now that the dawn had arrived, upon closer inspection, he did indeed feel that Lin Qianxuan still retained a youthful innocence.

His features did indeed look like a child's, and his voice carried a slight childishness.

But it was just incredible to him.

Could this be nine years old?

Is he really just nine?

He had never witnessed it personally before, and always thought others were exaggerating, but now seeing it with his own eyes, he realized reality was even more outrageous than the exaggeration.

...

...

Xiaojiang Prefecture, prefectural city.

As an urban area, it was naturally much more prosperous than a county town.

Not to mention anything else, just the clothes the pedestrians wore here were much more lavish.

Lin Qianxuan headed straight to the Du Mansion, and after presenting his visiting card, he was quickly invited inside.

Du Fuchen was still at work, so only Du Fuchen's wife, Liu Lezhen, met with Lin Qianxuan.

As for other members of Du Fuchen's family?

The daughter was married, and the three sons were each serving as officials elsewhere, one in the military, one in the court, and one a thousand miles away.

After bathing and changing clothes at the Du Mansion, Lin Qianxuan's demeanor changed dramatically, gaining a scholarly air and losing a bit of his fierce courage.

By evening, Du Fuchen returned home by carriage.

He had originally planned to work late, but upon hearing that his junior had arrived, he set aside less important matters to meet Lin Qianxuan.

In the side hall, Lin Qianxuan and Du Fuchen met.

"In just one year, Xu Zhi, my junior, you've changed so much!" Du Fuchen remarked in amazement.

If he hadn't witnessed it himself, who would believe that this physical form belonged to a junior who was only nine years old?

"Senior brother, you've changed quite a bit too. Government affairs are important, but you need to take care of yourself as well," Lin Qianxuan responded.

Du Fuchen, who once had a full head of black hair, now had gray temples, clearly troubled by many things.

"Ah, let's not talk about that. It's rare for you to visit, let's try to talk about something pleasant," Du Fuchen sipped his drink slowly, then hesitated and poured another cup for Lin Qianxuan, asking, "How is the teacher doing now?"

"Eating well, sleeping well, strictly living by 'Sun's Health Care Scripture,' eating until 70% full, chewing well, sleeping on time, washing every three days... I find it quite tedious. Now his essence qi is abundant, he can still practice swordplay, not much different from Sun Wubing back then, probably no problem living to a hundred," Lin Qianxuan explained.

Sun Wubing was the one who wrote the 'Sun's Health Care Scripture'; he was from the previous dynasty.

He originally intended to enter politics, but after failing, he studied medicine, focusing entirely on health practices.

He eventually lived over one hundred and forty years, outliving four emperors.

And during this time, after he turned one hundred, he presented his work to the emperor, earning the title of Medical Sage and becoming an official of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Thus, as long as one lives long enough and remains healthy, even the most difficult goals become more achievable.

"The teacher is truly remarkable," Du Fuchen marveled.

The two then drank and chatted, talking about current events and sharing amusing anecdotes.

When the time was right, Lin Qianxuan began to discuss the main topic.

"Senior brother, I was sent by the teacher this time," Lin Qianxuan stated.

"You're not planning to go to the capital to continue your studies? Are you planning to take up a post here?" Du Fuchen asked, puzzled.

"Going to the capital to study? The area around Qizhong is in chaos, and the court has yet to resolve the rebellion..." Lin Qianxuan replied.

"It is somewhat dangerous. Should I send a team to escort you there?" Du Fuchen suggested.

"That's not the issue. If I wanted to go, I could go alone; it just seems unnecessary," Lin Qianxuan shook his head.

He was confident he could take the top spot in the exams, with or without preparation.

Unless someone cheated.

The issue now wasn't about preparing for exams, but whether the court could survive this crisis.

This rebellion was clearly complicated, with aristocratic families fighting against imperial power.

"How can it be unnecessary?" Du Fuchen questioned.

"Senior brother, let's not talk about that. The teacher sent me to assist you this time," Lin Qianxuan said.

"Assist me? Assist me with what?" Du Fuchen asked, confused.

"The Jichang case!" Lin Qianxuan replied.

The place where a disaster relief team disappeared was near a village called Jichang.

It's been months, but the case remains unsolved.

The court and local aristocratic families are still in a standoff.

And as the Prefect, Du Fuchen is the representative of the court.

The incident occurred in his jurisdiction, and he's exhausted.

Previously, officials sent for investigation had their entire families wiped out.

This matter is exceptionally complicated.

"No! You can't get involved!" Du Fuchen immediately objected.

"Senior brother, the teacher is more composed than you. If he didn't trust me, he wouldn't have sent me," Lin Qianxuan smiled, then added, "Oh, on my way here, I killed a tiger in Taoshan County and brought you a tiger pelt, as well as the tiger liver and such, to nourish your body."

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