Xia Xin had nearly run through the entire garden and still couldn’t spot anything unusual.
His face bitter, he was thinking of coming back to consult Jiangli when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of faint Spiritual Energy.
Xia Xin’s whole being perked up, following that trace of Spiritual Energy, looking at the vast garden before him, his mind suddenly cleared.
The next second, Jiangli saw him suddenly climb up a rockery in a corner of the courtyard.
Panting heavily, Xia Xin climbed up and, standing at the top, felt like he was looking down at all the lesser peaks.
In an instant, he saw where the problem lay.
"Old Ancestor, I’ve got it, I’ve got it!"
Xia Xin excitedly jumped down, ran up to Jiangli in one breath, his face flushed with excitement, "Old Ancestor, is this a Formation, a Suppression Array to quell evil spirits?"
Jiangli raised an eyebrow, "You’re not too stupid after all..."
Was this an admission?
Xia Xin rubbed his hands together, "Did I really see it right?"
His eyes sparkled, his face etched with excitement, hardly believing he had actually figured it out.
Jiangli said, "Although it took you a while, you did indeed figure it out."
Upon hearing this, Xia Xin wished he could roll on the ground right there, "Really? I, I really didn’t let down the Old Ancestor’s expectations!"
"It’s only some basics, what’s there to be so happy about?" Jiangli, at the critical moment, didn’t forget to throw cold water on Xia Xin, "Apart from the Suppression Array, didn’t you notice anything else?"
Xia Xin’s smile stiffened for a moment, having truly not noticed anything else.
He blinked in astonishment, staring at Jiangli, suspecting the Old Ancestor was bluffing him.
Fu’er, who had followed them, also felt surprised upon hearing Jiangli’s words.
He, too, had only noticed the Suppression Array.
But according to the Old Ancestor’s implication, wasn’t there more to it than just a Suppression Array?
Fu’er turned his head back and studied the garden closely.
Xia Xin looked over as well, both of them tilting their heads, examining everything in the garden in all kinds of ways.
Jiangli tugged at the corner of her lips, not idle either, she kept tossing pebbles in her hands, occasionally throwing one into the water vat.
To an outsider, this looked merely like idle play.
"Hey..." Xia Xin glanced at Jiangli, seeing the Old Ancestor wasn’t looking their way, he gave Fu’er a meaningful look, asking quietly, "Did you figure out if there’s any other Formation here?"
Fu’er’s face turned red, too embarrassed to admit he hadn’t noticed anything, and strategically cleared his throat, "I, of course, figured it out!"
Without thinking too much, Xia Xin assumed he had indeed noticed it, and immediately pressed, "What Formation, what Formation, tell me quickly?"
"Why should I tell you?" Fu’er stood with his hands behind his back, righteously indignant, "The Old Ancestor obviously wants to test you, if I tell you, what would that be like? Wouldn’t that be the same as cheating on the imperial examinations? It’s improper, improper!"
Xia Xin was choked up: "..."
That reasoning made sense, and he couldn’t argue with it.
He had truly tried his best.
Looking carefully back and forth, Xia Xin still couldn’t discern any Formation in the courtyard, and could only once again seek help from Fu’er.
"Please help me out, big brother, what other Formation is there in this courtyard?"
Fu’er puffed out his chest, pretending to speak, but Jiangli’s voice ruthlessly exposed him.
"Why ask him? What could he possibly notice?"
Xia Xin turned around in shock, only to see Jiangli with her back to them, still throwing pebbles into the water vat, yet seeming as though she had seen everything.
Xia Xin immediately felt embarrassed, "Old Ancestor..."
Only then did Jiangli turn around, glancing at the unnatural Fu’er, "I know his true worth better than you do, if he were really that impressive, I would have taken him as an Inner Sect Disciple years ago."