3 Chapter Three - Failed Again?

"A cursed child with substandard talents and can't even cultivate pure ice qi. Wouldn't emperor Zhao behead me if he found out I was with you" Yue Chen teased.

"Am I not worth it?" Zhao Xue asked while pouting.

"I didn't say you weren't" Yue Chen replied happily

"But you didn't say I was either"

"Are you leading me on purpose?" Yue Chen smiled wryly.

"You realized?" Zhao Xue asked with a playful smile.

"Did you have something to tell me? This can't be the only reason you called me out here right?" Yue Chen asked curiously. He knew there was something important that she wanted to tell him.

In the next moment, Zhao Xue's smile was replaced by a grim look "Did you hide the rings as I told you to?"

"I buried one, the other is right here" fishing out a ring from his pocket Yue Chen showed it to her. "The cultivation technique inside is the Frozen Phoenix Body that I trained as a child"

The ring was an ocean blue color with intricate designs carved into it. At brief intervals, it would release a weak chilling aura. This was one of the two rings that Yue Chen's adopted father Gou PengRan had given him, telling him they had belonged to his birth parents.

Almost two years ago Zhao Xue had visited Yue Chen's courtyard telling him to hide his ring immediately.

"You still need to be careful this ring has a faint divine aura leaking from it. My father has probably already sensed it and he'll use any means necessary to take it from you if you're not smart about it" Zhao Xue explained grimly.

"Can't I just give him the book?" Yue Chen smiled awkwardly. If possible he'd like to avoid possible headaches.

"It's not that simple" Zhao Xue shook her head and said with much reluctance "my father, the emperor is a very meticulous person who likes to 'uproot potential enemies' it'd be a miracle if he simply let you off" as she spoke her eyes became teary.

"Okay, I'll try to not reveal it in public" Yue Chen smiled in response and pecked Zhao Xue on the lips.

After spending a little more time together the lovers went their separate ways.

"I should go visit the old man now," Yue Chen thought to himself.

Turning around he started walking towards the market area. It didn't take him too much time because there was a shortcut that led to Old man Feng's store.

Walking behind the stalls Yue Chen entered the back of the store. He quickly entered a small room that was roughly 5 meters on every side. Inside the room was a dull torch that flickered slightly at every second, threatening to extinguish any second.

"Old Man Feng" entering the room Yue Chen was greeted by Bo Yang and Old man Feng's daughter, Feng Qin.

"Cough, young master Chen" Old Man Feng greeted Yue Chen while weakly attempting to sit up.

"How's your fever?" Yue Chen asked while taking out a small bottle "Yang serpent blood, it should help speed up your recovery"

"Yang Serpent blood? there's no way I could accept such a gift young master Chen, it's too expensive, I'd never be able to pay you back, cough" after a few seconds of unceasing coughs Old man Feng shook his head "Young master Chen I am grateful for your thoughtfulness but I can't accept it"

"Feng Qin, feed this to the stubborn old mule" Yue Chen frowned, passing the bottle to the young lady seated next to him. "there's no shortage of these in my old man's vault, there's no problem with me stealing a few."

"Thank you, thank you so much, young master, I will forever remember this favor" feeling the pure Yang energy contained within the bottle Feng Qin bowed to show her appreciation.

"Won't you get into trouble for stealing sir PengRan's serpent blood?" Bo Yang asked curiously

Flinching slightly at Bo Yang's mention Yue Chen snorted "Of course not, he won't find out now will he?"

"Isn't that what you said last time?" Bo Yang retorted with an amused smile.

"That was different!"

"I heard you got quite a beating" Bo Yang laughed hard while holding his sides

"You're making me lose face!" Yue Chen stated with a wry smile.

After ingesting the medicine Old Man Feng's pale complexion regained its original rosy and healthy look within a few minutes.

"You should be fine after getting some rest, I'll be taking my leave now, Bo Yang are you coming?" Yue Chen smiled and winked at Bo Yang.

Seemingly able to understand Yue Chen's meaning Bo Yang's cheeks lit up "I'll stay behind a while longer" lowering his head to hide his embarrassment Bo Yang's responded hesitantly.

Leaving the Feng Family's house Yue Chen headed back to the Gou Family's courtyard.

"sigh, I didn't plan on attending the monthly exam around this time, princess Yali really is a pain in the neck" entering his courtyard Yue Chen thought about Zhao Yali's brash actions that had forced him to attend the monthly exam that was almost three weeks away.

Returning to his room Yue Chen sat cross-legged and began to circulate his qi.

At each corner of the small room stood a pillar that extended to the ceiling. Each pillar had strange inscriptions that emitted ice energy that made the room extremely cold.

Directing the cold energy into his meridians it spun three complete cycles then moving to his chest and then arms which after the first cycle the ice energy became still.

"I failed again?" smiling wryly at his failure Yue Chen continued his cultivation.

The following three weeks Yue Chen focused all his time on cultivation, only going out to visit Old Man Feng and to gather materials for training, eventually stepping into the upper sky of the Nascent realm.

Leaving his room Yue Chen stretched, his body producing dull cracking sounds.

The day of the monthly exam had arrived.