Shou Ming turned toward the owner of the voice, and it was none other than the young lady of the Lu Clan—Lu Xia.
He halted in place for a moment, wondering inwardly, "What if that guard is one of her personal attendants?"
But there was no time left to flee; they were now only a few steps away. All that remained was to weave his words carefully if they meant him harm.
Lu Xia stopped before Shou Ming and said, "Young Master Shou, what do you think of joining the Lu Clan?"
Shou Ming was slightly taken aback; he had not expected her to come and invite him to join the clan. "And… why does the young lady wish for me to join the Lu Clan?"
Lu Xia took a breath and continued, "To be honest, I have been deeply impressed by Young Master Shou's writings, especially your poems and your analyses of books. Therefore, I wish for Young Master Shou to tutor me for the next two months until the Imperial Examination begins."
Upon hearing the words "Imperial Examination," Shou Ming understood exactly what she meant. It was the test for entering the imperial court; those who achieved the highest scores could join the court and become government officials. Their family's status would rise, as would their own. If they excelled, they might even have the chance to become an imperial minister in the mighty Li Dynasty.
Shou Ming replied while scratching his head in unease, "The young miss must be joking. My writings are not interesting enough to warrant such attention."
Lu Xia smiled. "Haha, there is no need for such modesty, Young Master Shou. Your writings are truly remarkable. If I could reach even half your level, I would pass the Imperial Examination with flying colors."
"As for the reward, I will give you five thousand silver coins for the next two months, and our clan will be indebted to you."
Five thousand silver coins… that sum would cover more than a full year of his living expenses. On top of the support from the Lu Clan, it was on another level entirely.
Of course, if Lu Xia passed the Imperial Examination, five thousand silver coins would be utterly worthless in her eyes.
Shou Ming had never expected his writings to be so excellent; he had previously thought of himself as merely a beginner whose past-life luck had helped his novels and poems gain fame.
He answered Lu Xia with a foolish smile, "In that case… we shall be together for the next two months, Young Miss Lu."
The two extended their hands and shook. Lu Xia then ordered the guards beside her to carry Shou Ming's belongings and deliver them to the room she had prepared for him in the Lu Clan before his arrival.
She had intended to bring him here ever since she first read one of his books, but because of what had happened in the clan earlier, she had decided to spend some time with her brother before returning to her studies.
Shou Ming walked with her the entire way until they reached the Lu Clan. At the gate, two guards stood watch. The moment they saw Lu Xia, they bowed and quietly opened the gate without questioning the person she had brought with her.
Lu Xia turned to look at Shou Ming beside her. "Young Master Shou, we have prepared a room for you with some new clothes. Follow the servant and he will show you to it."
A young boy who appeared to be about fifteen years old stepped forward, bowed to Shou Ming, and Shou Ming followed him quietly, leaving Lu Xia behind. They arrived at a medium-sized room that he would never have dared even imagine sitting in before.
The boy bowed to him once more. "Young Master, if you need anything, please inform this little one and I will bring it to you."
Shou Ming nodded and entered his room, closing the door behind him. On the large bed lay several luxurious garments that Lu Xia had placed there before his arrival. He took them and began changing out of his tattered clothes into the new ones.
A short while later, Shou Ming finished changing and ate the lunch that had been set beside the clothes. "What shall I do now…"
He felt a little bored until he remembered the paper and ink. He took them from the leather bag beside the bed, sat at the low table, and began preparing lessons so he could start teaching Lu Xia the very next day.
He spent that day immersed in his books until night fell. Outside the room, there was a small peephole that allowed a view inside—barely enough to see the wooden table. Lu Xia had been watching him from two hours after he entered the room, ever since he had begun writing. "As expected of a true scholar…"
This was the first time she had seen such steadfastness. He had sat writing for more than six full hours!
Even she, who was preparing for the Imperial Examination, had never sat for more than five hours at a stretch. Moreover, Shou Ming did not seem much older than her; she had not noticed it clearly before because his face had been dirty and his body frail.
"Sister? What are you doing?" A gentle voice came from behind her. It was her brother, Lu Feng.
She quickly hid the small peephole behind her back and turned to speak to Lu Feng, though she could not conceal her nervousness; the situation could easily be misunderstood no matter how one looked at it. "Brother? Ah, it's nothing important." She spoke with an odd smile that revealed her tension.
Lu Feng looked at her closely for a moment but did not press the matter. "Very well. Work hard on your studies. Only two months remain until your Imperial Examination."
The tension eased a little after hearing her brother. "Thank you. I will certainly give it my all!"
Thus, the first day of Shou Ming's arrival at the Lu Clan passed peacefully. Night gave way to the morning sun.
It was the first night Shou Ming had slept under a solid roof, in a large and comfortable bed. He had already decided what he would do with the money; the first thing that came to mind was buying a good house, even if it exhausted every coin. It would certainly be worth it.
He rose from his bed, then entered the room's bathroom and cleaned himself. It was also the first time in over a full year that he had bathed. Now his handsome face had almost returned; all it lacked was proper food, for he had suffered from malnutrition for a long time, which had negatively affected his body.
Afterward, he tidied the room as it had been, then prepared the books he would begin teaching Lu Xia that very day.
Knock—knock—knock.
He heard the sound of knocking after he finished his preparations. The door opened quietly, and it was the same servant from the previous day. "Young Master, the young lady asks when you will begin her lessons—right away, or do you need more rest?"
Shou Ming waved his hand. "We will begin right away if the young lady is ready. Please inform her of that."
The servant bowed slightly and continued, "The young lady is already seated in the study room. Please follow me."
Shou Ming replied, "Very well. Lead the way."
This was his first day teaching anyone, so he felt somewhat nervous. What worried him most was whether his teachings would truly benefit Lu Xia, or if they were empty and she would dismiss him before he received his payment.
He did not truly care about Lu Xia herself; what he truly cared about was the money. If he did not get it, he would return to that wretched poverty and that narrow alley, sleeping under the cold, dark night sky. Just by comparing it to yesterday and the days he had spent on the street, he refused to entertain the thought of returning there again.
A short while later, they arrived before a simple door leading to the study room where Lu Xia spent most of her time. The servant said, "The young lady is waiting inside. Please go in, Young Master."
The servant left. Shou Ming stood alone before the door, took a breath to calm himself, and quietly opened it.
The moment the door opened, Lu Xia rose with a smile on her face. "Young Master Shou, please come in."
Shou Ming smiled and took a seat beside her. "Since you wish to study literature, let us begin with that first."
Shou Ming had brought with him a book he had written himself, containing teachings from poets and scholars of Earth along with some of his own writings. He opened it quietly and began explaining from the fundamentals and the finest details all the way to the end of each lesson.
He had also brought several books containing sayings he had written himself and began demonstrating the explanations on them. Unexpectedly, and without even realizing it himself, all his previous nervousness vanished; instead, he felt a sense of refreshment.
He had not expected that simply sharing his knowledge would make him feel this way. Lu Xia, for her part, was fully absorbed in his teachings, memorizing them one after another.
Shou Ming's explanations were detailed and flawless. Time passed quickly without him noticing, flowing as smoothly as turning the pages of a book.
After seven hours of sitting together, it was now late afternoon; the sun had tilted toward the horizon. While they were still immersed in their studies, they heard a knock at the door.
Shou Ming stopped explaining and looked toward the door, which opened slowly. It was Lu Xia's maid. "My lady, you have missed the midday meal… The young master has finished his training and invites you to dine with him," she said with a lively expression.
Lu Xia's expression changed slightly. "Ah, I had completely forgotten. Very well, Yanshi, prepare a table for three. Young Master Shou will join us."
Shou Ming said nothing; he was truly hungry. He had not eaten anything since waking, though he was used to that feeling.
Lu Xia smiled. "Young Master Shou, thank you for your efforts today. This will truly help me. You may rest after the meal, but… may I borrow these books for today?"
Shou Ming did not object, even though he felt refreshed from sharing the knowledge he had long believed to be meager. "Of course, no problem."
Lu Xia and Shou Ming rose and headed outside to take their midday meal.
Now that he thought about it, Lu Xia had never once objected to his teachings. A thread of confidence gradually formed within him. Perhaps he possessed a talent for teaching without having realized it…
A short while later, Shou Ming and Lu Xia arrived at the dining room. It was a spacious hall with a table large enough for more than ten people, surrounded by wooden chairs decorated with beautiful carvings.
Before them were laid out all kinds of dishes—chicken, soup, rice, dumplings, and more. Shou Ming's mouth watered without him realizing it. When had he last eaten food like this? He could not remember. Only a cheap chicken leg two days earlier, and it had not been nearly this good.
Shou Ming sat opposite Lu Xia, waiting for the arrival of the young master of the Lu Clan. That person was somewhat known as the nobody of the Lu Clan—talentless and good at nothing. There were even rumors that he worked as an ordinary disciple, merely cleaning the training grounds and the like. He did not possess the authority of a true young master of the clan… those were the rumors Shou Ming had heard two years ago.
So perhaps his situation had changed now? After all, he was dining with his family in such a natural manner and freely using the training grounds.
His past was somewhat familiar; it resembled the past of the protagonist Shou Ming had written about in his mind five years earlier… talentless… rejected by his clan. Shou Ming had stopped writing that story the moment he described an average martial art to help the protagonist solve the problem of his energy pathways. After finishing that technique, he had felt such pain that he had abandoned the story ever since.