In the inn, the aroma of spirit wine gently lingered on the table.

Chen Xu cradled Little Mouse Ashi with his left hand, while his right hand softly caressed the white porcelain wine cup.

He raised the wine cup, gave Feng Yuanbai a slight smile and said, "Brother Feng, reading may be lonely and silent. Some like to plant plum trees and raise cranes, some prefer cats with yellow ears, but I particularly love this little house deer."

House deer, another name for a mouse.

There are many aliases for mice, some positive, some negative.

And from Chen Xu's use of "house deer," one can already hear his affection and cherishment for the little mouse in his embrace.

Feng Yuanbai understood the implication and smiled as well.

Although his friendship with Chen Xu grew deeper, he was very measured and wouldn't casually interfere with Chen Xu's personal preferences.

However, there were things Feng Yuanbai needed to remind him of, "Xu, even though no one will criticize you for keeping a house deer, carrying it around at all times is inconvenient.

That Qingxu Daoist Palace has a kind of Spirit Garden Pouch you can buy, said to be woven with spiritual materials, allowing you to carry and house small pets.

Over time, it can nurture the pet's spirituality.

You might want to buy one... or maybe you're currently in some difficulty, I can send someone to buy and deliver it to you tomorrow."

This was indeed a good idea; Chen Xu was pleasantly surprised and quickly thanked Feng Yuanbai.

Upon asking about the price of the Spirit Garden Pouch, it was quite expensive, coming to 300 taels of silver each.

Chen Xu immediately took out silver notes and handed them to Feng Yuanbai, who accepted them without any back-and-forth courtesy.

This straightforward action was actually quite comforting.

Feng Yuanbai further added, "I noticed your little pet's aura seems weak. The Daoists of Qingxu Daoist Palace are extremely skilled in medicine, proficient in healing both people and demons.

But those Daoists often see slaying demons as their duty, so seeking their help might involve some unavoidable trouble.

Our Confucianism also emphasizes that medicine and Confucianism are not separate; tomorrow, I'll send you a few books like 'Lingshu', 'Su Wen', and 'Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases'.

No need to master them completely since we're not aiming to be doctors.

But learning some medical theory, discerning the four natures and five flavors, can help solve common ailments and adjust Qi Blood and mental health using Literary Qi.

Most importantly, you should achieve the title of Scholar early, so you can officially register your pet's name with the Imperial Court.

With your Literary Qi and scholarly protection, in the future, even if you keep two house deer, no one will dare say a word."

After speaking, Feng Yuanbai laughed heartily.

His expression towards Chen Xu was quite interesting, as if to say: Yes, I'm urging you to study hard.

Chen Xu then laughed too, and they raised their cups in mutual toast, all understood without words.

By the time Feng Yuanbai left, night had already fallen.

Chen Xu gifted him a jar of spirit wine and saw off this elder brother.

At bedtime, only Chen Xu remained in the room.

The candle flame was lit, moonlight hadn't yet ascended, but sparse starlight entered through the window.

In such an atmosphere, standing by the window, Chen Xu felt his entire heart calming down.

The day's storms had subsided, leaving a ripple of ups and downs, neither near nor far, inviting contemplation.

Chen Xu was reviewing the day's gains and strategies.

Standing by the window, he felt a peculiar sensation.

Even though it was deep into the night, the supposed vast silence seemed to have noise rising from all directions.

Chen Xu's hearing was improving.

Now, if he listened closely, not only could he hear the breathing of people in the inn's various rooms at night, but also various complex sounds within a twenty to thirty zhang range outside the inn.

From the sound of fine dust lifting in the wind on streets to the rustling night conversations of market dwellers.

There were also the creeping sounds of nocturnal insects or the almost nonexistent footfalls of night patrol soldiers.

Chen Xu felt there was a group secretly watching Gaosheng Inn.

Recognizing certain familiar auras, he deduced they were the Cui family's guards.

Cui Yunqi was indeed worried about another "incident", as such covert protection had apparently been ongoing for quite some time.

Additionally, within the inn, someone was quietly weeping.

These weepers were mostly scholars who failed the courtyard exam this time; out of eighty-two selected scholars from Yunjiang Prefecture for the year, the majority had naturally failed.

Among those from Jichuan County, aside from Chen Xu, who ranked first, Xu Wenyuan also became a scholar.

The exception was Fang Ji—

Sadly, Fang Ji's Divine Soul was devoured by the evil ghost of Pufeng Mountain, leaving only a decaying body on the long street.

This matter was later taken over by the Prison Control Department, who also took Fang Ji's body, intending to cleanse the corrupt Ghost Qi before the government could return it to his hometown.

He came full of ambition, but returned home as a mere body.

This inevitably evoked a sense of desolation among his peers, hence Chen Xu also heard Xu Wenyuan's faint sobbing.

During the day, Xu Wenyuan showed no obvious grief, but unexpectedly mourned alone at night.

Whenever exams ended and the list was released, there were always those who rejoiced and those who sorrowed.

Standing by the window, Chen Xu reflected on the various joys and sorrows of the world at that moment, realizing that people's joys and sorrows were indeed disconnected.

And these disconnected joys and sorrows were actually a form of cultivation.

He circulated the Innate Qi within him and checked the little mouse Ashi held in his palm.

Ashi's aura was very weak, yet its sleep was steady.

Simultaneously, an indescribable strange force was slowly damaging its body, which seemed to be the main reason it wouldn't wake up.

Chen Xu closed the window, placed Ashi inside his bed, next to his pillow, and covered its fluffy little body with a small cloth.

Ashi then slept quietly at Chen Xu's bedside, adorably silent like a piece of gray-golden warm jade.

Chen Xu gently stroked it for a moment, then leaned against the bedhead and let his consciousness dive into the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

He began to study the specific use of the [Life-Reflected Fiend].

Though Feng Yuanbai suggested that Chen Xu could learn to sense Qi and use Literary Qi to nurture his pet through medical books.

But in truth, Feng Yuanbai didn't know Ashi's exact condition, assuming it was merely weak.

Chen Xu believed, to truly save Ashi, he must rely on this [Life-Reflected Fiend].

The Life-Reflected Fiend was shapeless and formless, almost invisible to the naked eye.

Chen Xu could only sense its presence, sketching a vague outline of it, feeling it resembled a shape-shifting "water belt."

Due to its ever-changing nature, it was particularly difficult to grasp.

As Chen Xu attempted to control it through mental attachment, trying to absorb the so-called "Evil Qi," he found it to be extremely slippery.

Like a "water belt," or a writhing loach.

As soon as you touch it, it slips away.

Chen Xu labored in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen for a full six to seven hours, always driving his Divine Thought to the limit, yet achieving scarce results.

During this process, he discovered that his Divine Soul consumed particularly quickly.

Hence, Chen Xu constantly needed to increase his Attribute Points to balance cultivation and recovery.

Until a sudden moment of insight struck him.

He realized that concentrated Fireworks Collection in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen had unlocked a new technique: [Spirit Control]!

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