They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 64 Searching for someone
Chen Guangrui ran wildly, his heart pounding, straight to the secluded courtyard where Wei Zheng was renting a place.

"Uncle," he asked urgently to the hunched-over old steward who was tidying up the yard, panting, "has the Wei family had any guests?"

The old butler straightened up and shook his head blankly. "No one's coming."

Chen Guangrui's heart sank slightly. Had he missed it? He nodded and, without waiting for the butler to lead the way, hurried inside.

Since Wei Zheng had given prior instructions, the steward did not stop him and let him barge in.

The courtyard was quiet. Chen Guangrui, familiar with the place, rushed to the study and pushed the door open.

really!

The man in the dark blue brocade robe who had asked him for directions on the street and casually tossed him a gold leaf was now sitting upright in the guest seat, his expression carrying a hint of indescribable loneliness.

Wei Zheng sat in the main seat, his face showing the joy of reuniting with an old friend.

Seeing Chen Guangrui suddenly burst in, a hint of surprise flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes. "Guangrui's here? Perfect timing!"

He pointed to the man in the brocade robe.

"Come, let me introduce you to a distinguished guest. This is Kui Mulang, one of the seven constellations of the White Tiger in the west, one of the twenty-eight constellations of the Heavenly Court. He is an old friend of mine."

Then Wei Zheng pointed to Chen Guangrui and said, "This is my good friend in the human world, Chen Guangrui."

Upon hearing this, Kui Mulang turned his gaze to Chen Guangrui, a fleeting look of understanding flashing in his eyes. He clearly recognized that this was the scholar who had happened to give him directions on the street.

His expression was calm, and he nodded slightly as a greeting. Although there was a polite smile on his lips, his eyes held a polite but distant scrutiny, clearly indicating that he did not want to discuss private matters in front of this stranger.

Wei Zheng, being a shrewd and experienced man, naturally sensed Kui Mulang's reservations. He chuckled, intentionally elevating Chen Guangrui's status in an attempt to break the somewhat subtle distance between them.
"Brother Kui, don't underestimate this man. Although he hasn't ascended to immortality, he understands people's hearts well and possesses both courage and ingenious strategies. To be honest, my position as a civil official is newly established and my foundation is not yet stable. It was this young man who, in just two hours, made that cunning old dragon of the Jing River willingly lead the dragon clans of the nearby water palaces to surrender and pledge allegiance. Even that usually slippery local tyrant in Chang'an was quite frightened and personally came to apologize, all with utmost respect. His methods are truly remarkable."

Kui Mulang raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, and when he looked at Chen Guangrui again, the simple scrutiny was now mixed with surprise and inquiry.

The distant smile on his face became more genuine, and he finally took the initiative to clasp his hands and bow to Chen Guangrui: "Scholar Chen? I see. My apologies. I was in a hurry on the street earlier. Thank you for pointing the way."

His voice was gentle and his manners impeccable, but he remained silent about why he was seeking Wei Zheng and his relationship with Wei Zheng.

Among the three, Wei Zheng was warm and familiar, Chen Guangrui had a sincere smile, while Kui Mulang was polite but harbored his own thoughts and wariness.

Just then, something strange happened.

In the study, on the untouched desk, the space rippled slightly as if on the surface of water, and silently, a letter on yellow paper appeared out of thin air and lay quietly on the table.

"This is……?"

Chen Guangrui was so startled that he took half a step back.

Wei Zheng waved his hand calmly: "No need to panic. It's a letter from my friend Cui Jue in the underworld, sent by his subordinates, the Black and White Impermanence. They travel between the Yin and Yang realms, and their methods are so stealthy."

Chen Guangrui couldn't see the impermanent figure, but he assumed the ghost messenger was there.

Upon hearing the name "Cui Jue," Kui Mulang, who had maintained a calm demeanor, finally showed a crack in his perfect mask-like expression.

A fleeting glint of urgency crossed his eyes, and he leaned forward slightly, blurting out the question.

"How is it? What did Brother Cui say in his letter?" Wei Zheng didn't answer, but simply picked up the letter and handed it to Kui Mulang. Kui Mulang took it and quickly began to read it.

As his gaze swept across the words on the paper, the faint glimmer of hope on his handsome face quickly faded, replaced by deep disappointment, and finally turned into a long and helpless sigh.

What's wrong with this person? He was so polite just a moment ago, why is there such intense emotion in his eyes now?
All of this was observed by Chen Guangrui. He waited a few moments, and seeing that Kui Mulang had finished reading the letter and Wei Zheng was about to explain, he spoke up at the opportune moment and asked,

"Lord Wei, may I ask who this Cui Jue is?"

Just as Wei Zheng was about to make the introduction, Kui Mulang looked at Chen Guangrui, a gentle and perfect smile returning to his face, his tone as natural as casual conversation.

“Scholar Chen, you may not know this, but Brother Wei has a wide circle of friends. This Cui Jue is a judge in the underworld.”

He casually erased all his previous emotions, mentioned Cui Jue briefly, and then changed the subject, never again mentioning the contents of the letter.

Chen Guangrui understood. This star lord was indeed deep in thought and extremely wary. As a righteous god of the Heavenly Court who had secretly descended to the mortal realm, he would certainly not want to reveal his whereabouts and purpose to strangers who did not know his background.

"I see. Just now, Lord Wei said that this Judge Cui is a judge of the underworld, capable of determining life and death, and naturally can also determine where a person is reincarnated... Star Lord is a celestial being with unfathomable magical powers. If one wishes to examine the life and death of mortals, there is probably no need to trouble Judge Cui. But if..."

He paused, his gaze calmly meeting Kui Mulang's sharpening eyes.

"If the Star Lord's purpose in making this trip is to find the whereabouts of someone who has been reincarnated, then he should look for Judge Cui."

Chen Guangrui spoke calmly, as if stating the most ordinary deduction, his gaze directly meeting Kui Mulang's.
"Judging from the Star Lord's expression just now, the matter he inquired about in the letter doesn't seem to be going smoothly?"

Upon hearing this, the study immediately fell silent.

Wei Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, looking at Chen Guangrui with a hint of approval and "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, kid."

Kui Mulang's gentle smile froze for a moment. He turned to Wei Zheng, shook his head, and chuckled.

“Brother Wei…you truly have discerning eyes. In this mortal world, to be able to recognize such a person, your insight is truly remarkable. However, the person I am looking for lacks crucial clues. Even Cui Jue has no way to find this person’s whereabouts.”

He did not directly answer Chen Guangrui's question, but only acknowledged Chen Guangrui's extraordinary qualities.

The atmosphere inside the room remained somewhat awkward.

After exchanging a few more casual pleasantries, Kui Mulang seemed to have no intention of staying any longer and got up to take his leave: "Brother Wei, since we've already caught up, I won't bother you any longer."

Wei Zheng also got up to see him off.

Just then, Chen Guangrui, watching Kui Mulang's departing figure, seemed to suddenly remember something. In a tone almost casual, she spoke clearly, her voice not loud, but loud enough for Kui Mulang to hear.
"If we are looking for someone and have searched everywhere without success... I would like to offer a suggestion: perhaps we could look to the west?"

"To the west..."

Kui Mulang's steps, which he had already taken, seemed to be nailed to the spot by invisible nails.

That simple directional word seemed to possess some kind of magic, instantly freezing his composed demeanor. He didn't even turn around completely, merely maintaining a half-turned posture, the lines of his shoulders and back beneath the wide brocade robe tensing instantly.

The air in the study seemed to freeze. Only the rustling of the breeze through the treetops could be heard outside the window.

Kui Mulang slowly, extremely slowly, turned his head. "Why west?"

(End of this chapter)