This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

When Zheng Zhuang woke up, it was already noon. The inn was quite nice.

However, very few people get up at this time; only unemployed people like him can sleep until they naturally wake up.

He specifically chose an upper room, through which he could see several pine trees planted in the courtyard. Their branches were thick and their shapes were unusual, suggesting that the person who cultivated them had put a lot of thought into it.

But as the saying goes, there's no place like home, and Zheng Zhuang still felt most comfortable sleeping at home.

Even if he didn't actually stay home for many days, he would still have a different feeling about the house he bought.

This inn is relatively expensive, so the occupancy rate is not very high, and it is relatively less crowded, which is one of the reasons why Zhengzhuang chose it.

As a modern young person, what is the first thing you do when you wake up?

If we're talking about a past life, it would naturally be washing my face and brushing my teeth, and sometimes even washing my hair.

However, Zheng Zhuang felt that the most enjoyable thing about achieving success in cultivation was that washing up was incredibly convenient; a simple spell was all it took.

If he wanted, he could even skip washing, because although he hadn't reached the state of being completely free of dirt and grime, it wasn't too difficult for him to keep himself completely free of dust.

Zheng Zhuang stretched, then opened the door and strolled downstairs.

Walk a little further and you'll reach the lobby, which is now quite crowded with people as it's lunchtime.

Just then, Zheng Zhuang suddenly saw a chubby boy waving at him from one of the tables. Zheng Zhuang smiled and walked over.

This chubby boy was about seven or eight years old, and his appearance could be considered decent. I saw him briefly when I checked into Zhengzhuang this morning.

At that time, he was about to receive loving guidance from his kind father and mother because of bedwetting, but Zheng Zhuang's arrival saved him from disaster.

Because it was just dawn, Zheng Zhuang told his staff that he needed to rest and not to be disturbed.

The chubby boy's parents naturally heard it too. If the noise was too loud, it would inevitably affect Zhengzhuang, so they could only scold him a few times.

So the chubby boy felt grateful to Zheng Zhuang for sparing him a beating, and waved to him as soon as he saw him coming.

"Sir, have you rested well? Would you mind if we ate together? Don't worry, this meal is on me!" the chubby boy said generously, imitating an adult.

His parents exchanged a helpless glance and said with a wry smile:

"The child is ignorant and doesn't know any better. Please forgive him, sir. Please have a seat."

Judging from the Zheng family's attire and appearance, they must be quite well-off, so they didn't refuse and sat down with a cupped-hand salute.

“My name is Zheng Zhuang. I apologize for disturbing you.”

Seeing Zheng Zhuang dressed as a scholar, the chubby boy's father quickly replied:

“Mr. Zheng, you are too kind. My name is Kong Xiang, this is my wife Liu, and this rascal is my son Kong Ming.”

Kong Xiang deliberately put on a stern face when introducing the chubby boy, but you could tell from his eyes that he really liked him.

"Kongming?" Zheng Zhuang almost spat out the tea he had just brought to his lips, quickly covering it with his sleeve. "What a...what a wonderful name!"

"Is Mr. Zheng a scholar?" the chubby Kongming asked.

A scholar? Of course!

Nine-year compulsory education is no joke.

Let me show you what a true talent looks like!

Zheng Zhuang produced a folding fan at some point, flicked his wrist, and the fan snapped open, deliberately revealing the poem on it. Then, he slowly waved it and nodded, saying:

"That's right!"

In this situation, the person opposite him will see the poem on his folding fan, but because he is waving the fan, they cannot see what he has written.

At this point, the other party will most likely ask about the content of the poem on the folding fan, or want to borrow it to take a look. Zheng Zhuang can then pretend to refuse and then hand it to the other party to admire.

When the other party discovers that the poem is exquisite, Zheng Zhuang can then pretend to be reserved and accept everyone's compliments, thus perfectly putting on a show.

"Does the gentleman have any official rank?" the chubby boy asked again.

Fame and fortune? Of course not!

This chubby kid doesn't play by the rules!

However, this is no challenge for me!

Zheng Zhuang smiled slightly, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, as if he was reminiscing about something.

Seeing Zheng Zhuang's expression, Kong Xiang glared at the chubby boy, thinking he had touched a nerve with Zheng Zhuang.

"Sir, please don't be angry. This child has no sense of propriety!"

Zheng Zhuang waved his hand slightly, pretending to be deep in thought, and handed the folding fan to Kong Xiang, saying, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some past events. The poem on the folding fan was written in my spare time. As for matters of fame and fortune, you will know after reading it."

Kong Xiang took the folding fan, thinking that no matter how well the poem was written, he should still compliment it and not offend Mr. Zheng, as scholars especially value their reputation.

Beautiful calligraphy!

His gaze fell upon the fan and he was somewhat surprised. Regardless of the quality of the poem, the calligraphy alone was a masterpiece.

When he finished reading the first few lines, he was immediately struck by the fact that Mr. Zheng's poetic talent was extraordinary!

With such talent and learning, passing the imperial examinations would be no difficult task.

The folding fan naturally bore the poem about peach blossoms. In the novels Zheng Zhuang had read before, other time travelers would have copied down all the poems.

He felt that as long as the copying was done well, one song was enough!

As Kong Xiang read on, he unconsciously began to read aloud:

"The world laughs at my madness, but I laugh at their blindness. The tombs of the heroes of Wuling are nowhere to be seen; now, without flowers or wine, they are fields tilled by farmers."

After a while, Kong Xiang put away the folding fan, carefully handed it back to Zheng Zhuang, and sighed:

"What a fine poem! I, Kong Xiang, have spent my whole life pursuing fame and fortune, lacking even a fraction of your carefree spirit. I have learned a great deal. Indeed, for you, fame and fortune are but fleeting clouds!"

Zheng Zhuang nodded reservedly, indicating good comprehension skills; this was exactly what I meant.

The chubby boy asked curiously, "Dad, didn't you say that a good man should pass the imperial examinations and achieve fame, so as not to waste what he has learned?"

Kong Xiang's lips twitched slightly: "Well... that's true for others, but someone like Mr. Zheng is different!"

"What's the difference?" The chubby boy, unaware that he was already on the verge of disaster, continued to press for an answer.

Kong Xiang gave Zheng Zhuang an apologetic smile, then turned to the chubby boy and said:

"The reasoning behind this is quite profound, and you cannot comprehend it with your current knowledge. Here's what we'll do: after you finish eating, go back to your room and copy the Classic of Filial Piety five times. I believe you will gain some understanding from that!"

"What if you still don't understand?" the chubby boy asked with a mournful face.

"Then copy it ten times!" Kong Xiang said sternly.

"Mom!" The chubby boy looked at his mother with pleading eyes.

"Listen to your father!" Liu smiled gently.

"I think I understand now..." the chubby boy said weakly.

"Understand what?"

"Sir, you are different from ordinary people!"

Zheng Zhuang looked at this family and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, saying:

"You don't understand!"

The chubby boy looked puzzled and said timidly, "Please teach me, sir!"

Zheng Zhuang revealed an expression that said, "This child is teachable."

You shouldn't have asked!