Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

September 7th.

The small Qingshui County bustled with extraordinary activity.

Countless people crowded anxiously in front of the local academy or the government office, among them were elderly men with drooping shoulders, teenagers in their teens, and quite a few middle-aged parents filled with anxiety.

But their purpose was profoundly unified.

Today was the day for the posting of the successful candidates.

"Make way! Make way!"

"Lord County Magistrate is here, make way!"

The Government Official parted the crowd to make way for a man in his fifties, wearing an official hat and robe, who strode forward, holding a roll of golden silk brocade with a serious and solemn expression.

After hearing this, a fervent gleam appeared in many people's eyes; they didn't dally, cleared their throats, stood at the tallest point in the crowd, untied the silk thread, and read out loud.

"The list of successful candidates for this imperial examination is as follows..."

The names were read out loudly, with some becoming so excited upon being called that they nearly fainted, while those whose names were omitted naturally looked dejected. The announced results included not only the county examination but also the governmental and county tests, that is, the lists for Scholar and scholar.

In the corner, there was an inconspicuous young man, with a calm expression and a handsome appearance, listening quietly, witnessing the joy and sorrow of the countless students.

"This is far more nerve-wracking and thrilling than checking college entrance exam results in my previous life, and even more useful than the examination itself."

He couldn't help but feel some emotion.

His teachers always liked to rant about how just one more point could edge out tens of thousands of others, and for that goal, he too had made efforts, struggled, but the results were not as hoped, with only a score of rote memorization but not a trace of real ability.

Only after being buffeted by society did he understand what he really wanted, but by then it was too late. Witnessing this scene, he couldn't help but feel emotional. Had he participated, perhaps he too would be amongst that throng, sharing in the sorrows and joys of the human world.

He felt no regret, for if such an incident had occurred before, he would have been furious, but now, there lay another path before him.

A path more suited to himself.

Perhaps deep inside he was never someone who could settle for the ordinary.

Having handed the silk brocade over to the Government Official to be hung in front of the academy's announcement board, the young man was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.

He stopped instinctively.

"Unexpectedly, Miss Yan has also come. I heard that you also took part in the governmental examination, and your performance was quite impressive. It's just a pity that some of those old fogeys are indeed too rigid."

His expression was very courteous, he even went out of his way to greet her, his old face smiling like a chrysanthemum—one could tell from this alone the exalted status of the Yan Family within the county. The young lady also returned the gesture with great politeness, curtsying slightly with hands placed at her side.

Her natural grace as a well-bred young lady made it hard for people to shift their gazes. When it came to social relationships, the Yan Family handled all aspects very appropriately.

"I have seen Uncle Sun," she said with a polite smile, "As a mere woman, Yu Rou should not hold office. To have been allowed to sit for the exam is already an immense honor; how could I dare to wish for more?"

"You seem to take it quite openly, much better than my good-for-nothing sons. If only they had your intelligence...I might wake up laughing even in my dreams."

"Uncle Sun is too kind with his praise. Both of your sons are people of exceptional talent. With the second son Sun securing the title of Scholar this time, I believe that in three years, Qingshui County will have two more scholars."

"Ha ha, you're such a smooth talker, my girl. Ah, it's a pity, such a pity, that Miss Yan's marriage was arranged too early, or else I would've risked my old face to step over your threshold and seek a marriage alliance for my youngest..."

The two chatted and laughed together. In the field of social interactions, Yan Yurou surely inherited her father's disposition. After all, she was the only daughter and the heir to the Yan Family. Even the County Magistrate did not use the self-referential "this official" in front of her but approached her as a family elder to foster closeness.

However, as the conversation went on, Lord County Magistrate eventually broached the main topic, pretending to ask casually.

"Speaking of which, there was a bit of an incident on Jiangfeng Road this time, causing one candidate to miss the exams. Frankly, I have always had high hopes for that lad. In my view, his attainment of the title of scholar was almost certain, but that horse going mad, was that really the case?"

As the County Magistrate, he naturally had access to a lot of information, but rumors after all are just rumors. They say it was the horse gone mad that caused the carriage to plunge off the cliff, but who should he seek out to assign blame? His intuition told him, things were not that simple.

"This... I, Yu Rou, dare not make reckless comments. On the day of the accident, Jiang Lang fell off the cliff, a hundred meters deep. If not for heaven's favor, I'm afraid a disaster would have truly befallen him. As for what exactly happened to the horse, I do not know."

Her tone carried a hint of grievance. Anyone could guess that there was something fishy about the incident, but after some investigation, nothing inappropriate was found. Moreover, the carriage belonged to her Yan Family. Now that the carriage was destroyed and the horse dead, even if she wanted to, she was powerless to uncover the truth.

"Why can't these young masters just stay out of trouble!"

With a tone of reproach, he scolded. After all, Yan Yurou was a girl, her nature somewhat gentle, which was normal. But he did not need to be too concerned and directly narrowed down the suspects to those few second-generation rich kids.

It didn't take much thinking to know that someone wanted to use such a method to eliminate Miss Yan's fiancé, especially as the wedding was drawing closer, those young rascals were becoming increasingly anxious.

"Niece, recently this official will pay more attention to their movements. Tell your fiancé not to leave the city. Lay low for now, and once you two are married and the dust settles, their commotion will be of no consequence."

"Mm, Yu Rou here thanks Uncle Sun on behalf of Jiang Lang."

"It's my duty. The Xue and Wu families wield great power, and they are both ruthless and efficient in their deeds. Speaking of which, you too should be careful. In recent days, there seem to be some exceptionally skilled strangers who have sneaked into our county..."

He left the crowd silently.

The last thing the Lord County Magistrate said was true, because since yesterday, he had felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him, even now that unsettling gaze was fixed on him.

Compared to that Mr. Xue, he was likely falling behind.

Snap!

Fireworks soared, bursting into sound in the sky.

Many people's attention was drawn away, followed by the sound of firecrackers. On a day like today, when results were celebrated, fireworks and firecrackers were both hot-selling products. He took a few sniffs.

"There is no lack of gunpowder, what needed to be done has been done, next..."

He glanced sideways using his peripheral vision and saw that those house servants in familiar clothes had been shaken off, out of sight. This was also why he deliberately came to the bustling market area, even near the crowded school.

Then, he dived into the blacksmith shop and tossed a silver note to the sweating blacksmith without a word, picked up the package, and left.

The whole action was smooth and natural, even the blacksmith was baffled.

Three days ago, Jiang Feng had come to him to order some small parts and a hollow rod. To be honest, he had never seen a rod with such high specifications—utterly black, hollow inside, as the customer instructed, not a single wrinkle was allowed, even when steel balls were put through, they had to roll smoothly.

Moreover, one end left only half a vent, which was even more baffling. He inquired about its use, using the words of the customer...

"Oh, I'm taking it home to use as a fire-poking rod."

Is that something a person would say?

Don't people usually use bamboo for blowing on fires? Using this thing—is it because it's not hot enough, or what? Besides, closing one end and leaving only a small hole, how great must one's lung capacity be to blow and kindle a fire?

Wait a minute.

The blacksmith suddenly thought of something. The rod was smooth and round without any edges, and its length was remarkable, the thickness just right.

Looking at that shape, could it be...

"Tsks."

"These young masters really know how to play."

"Throwing a few silver pieces just to make a metal fake d**k."

"Sigh, the young people these days."