"What's your name?" Evan Yang asked, feeling a natural closeness to the child. "I'm Zhou Yun," the boy replied.
"How did you get poisoned?" Evan asked curiously.
"Poisoned?" The boy looked puzzled, but the attendant interjected, "You're done here. Go on to the next trial."
Evan glanced at the boy, then turned and followed Kevin Chance and the others. Now, only a dozen or so contestants remained.
"I heard that those without sincerity can't cross it. Simply put, if you don't have a kind heart, you won't make it to the other side," Kevin Chance said with a smile.
"So you? Guess you don't stand a chance then," Evan said, surprised by such a place, but he smiled at Kevin Chance.
"How can you say that about me? Just because I'm like this doesn't mean I'm not kind. Seriously," Kevin Chance retorted, glaring.
Evan just smiled and stayed quiet. The attendant led them away to the next stage.
As for Zhou Yun, he watched Evan Yang and the others leave, smiling to himself. "That big brother is really interesting."
"Young master, let's head back. Stop playing around. If the eldest young master finds out you were out so late, we'll be in trouble," the retainer said gloomily as he approached Zhou Yun.
"A true gentleman? Come on, you have nothing to do with that. If there are a bunch of beauties ahead, you'd be dying to get to them all," Evan said with a half-smile.
The retainer nodded, picked up Zhou Yun, and with a flash, disappeared into the Crystal Palace. Lady Selena and her brother were still there. Zhou Yun ran in from behind, calling, "Little aunt, second uncle!"
"Shui Yun, what are you doing here?" Lady Selena asked with a smile.
"Little aunt, you saw it, right? I took poison for you, just to help with your trial." Shui Yun smiled. (Shui Yun is the same as Zhou Yun from earlier.)
"You mean that beggar, right?" Lady Selena laughed. "That's him. What do you think? You saw it all, didn't you? Not bad, huh? He's not very handsome, just a bit dirty, but maybe other people are better looking." Shui Yun said.
Shui Yun shook his head. "Auntie, I had an antidote. What was there to be afraid of? If they couldn't cure me, worst case I'd just use the antidote myself. Still, I got lucky and met a big brother with amazing medical skills—he cured me in one go."
"You're picking a husband, right? I'll help you! I want you to pick someone excellent—if not in strength, then at least with top-notch medical skills." Shui Yun insisted.
"Oh, you! Do you even know what I'm doing? So don't go meddling," Lady Selena said.
"I don't want to! I want to watch the third trial." Shui Yun said stubbornly.
"What do you know, little rascal. Go play now," Lady Selena laughed.
"No way! I want to watch the third trial!" Shui Yun shouted.
"Don't laugh at me. You might be the one to fall in," Kevin Chance chuckled.
Evan Yang was helpless; he wasn't sure if he would fall in either. By now, some people were still flying, but most were drifting in the water.
After a while, Evan Yang and a few others reached the shore first. He glanced around and saw that many were missing; only a few hundred had made it.
There was someone waiting to receive them. About half an hour later, the receiver announced that anyone still in the water was disqualified. So, those who made it to the shore numbered just over a thousand—a huge reduction. The ones who didn't make it were unwilling to accept the result. How could this happen?
Evan Yang and Kevin Chance exchanged glances. Kevin grinned, "See? A lot of people look like gentlemen on the outside, but their hearts aren't right."
"Yeah, so many people had bad intentions," Evan said.
"Of course! Tons of people just want to sneak into the Water Clan and become a son-in-law. That's the highest honor," Kevin Chance laughed.
Evan Yang knew that many who came to the Water Clan were obviously after their power and wealth.
While Evan Yang and Kevin Chance were talking, the receiver announced, "Now there are just over a thousand people. Next comes the second trial, and it's not as easy as the first. Follow me."
With just over a thousand left, it was easier to manage. The group followed the receiver along the path.
On the Crystal Palace's external platform, a young woman looked outside and said, "Brother, there are already over a thousand people. Who do you think it might be?"
"With so many people, how should I know? What's the second trial, anyway?" asked the man in the wheelchair, curious.
"The second trial will start soon," the young woman replied with a smile.
Evan Yang and the others arrived at a canyon. Inside, many patients lay about, suffering from all sorts of illnesses and strange conditions—even some with exposed bones. The thousand-plus candidates watched curiously, unsure what it all meant.
The receiver smiled and said, "Everyone can see there are many patients here, each with a different illness. If anyone can cure one patient within an hour, you'll pass. Begin—and good luck!"
Hearing this, everyone hurried to find a patient. There were more candidates than patients, which was a problem, but the receiver quickly explained, "Each person only gets one chance. If you can't cure your patient in an hour, someone else will take over. So don't worry—everyone will have a chance."
"What's the Water Clan thinking, making us cure people as part of the trial?" Kevin Chance wondered aloud. "What, are you scared?" Evan Yang teased. "Scared? Not at all! I've got miracle pills. I'll just pick someone and give them one to cure them instantly," Kevin Chance boasted.
"Miracle pills? Isn't that cheating?" Evan Yang laughed.
"They didn't say you couldn't use whatever method you want. Why are you so naive?" Kevin Chance replied.
Evan Yang thought it was reasonable. He wasn't worried—a patient wouldn't be a problem for him.
After several hours, many failed, but a few succeeded. Evan Yang and Kevin Chance soon stepped up to choose their patients.
Kevin Chance picked a man who was paralyzed and couldn't speak. Kevin gave him a pill and some water. After a while, the man could talk. "Thank you," he said.
"Heh, I did it!" Kevin Chance laughed loudly, then was led to the area for those who succeeded. Evan Yang chose a small boy, feeling sorry for him. The boy's illness wasn't something a pill could fix, so Evan began to examine his body.
He found a strange poison inside the boy. It could copy his abilities, growing stronger and eventually destroying his body, making life unbearable. There were many complications, and even the boy's face had changed.
Evan Yang knew he had to clear out the poison. He sent cold energy into the boy's body and began to remove it, one bit at a time. Because there was so much, it took quite a while.
As an hour was about to pass, Kevin Chance muttered, "He might not make it."
Only Evan Yang was left working as time was almost up. The receiver was about to announce the end, when Evan finished and smiled at the boy, "You can get up now."
The boy's appearance was fully restored—he looked handsome and clear-eyed. He gazed at Evan Yang with big eyes and said, "Thank you."
Kevin Chance grinned at Evan Yang. "I didn't expect you to be so good at healing."
Evan Yang smiled. "Look at me—I look just like a beggar. I learned some medical skills to protect myself, mostly so I could treat my own wounds, you know?"
Kevin nodded. "That's true. If you know how to heal yourself, you save a lot of money."
As for Zhou Yun, he watched Evan Yang and the others leave, smiling to himself. "That big brother is really interesting."
"Little aunt, you saw it, right? I took poison for you, just to help with your trial." Shui Yun smiled. (Shui Yun is the same as Zhou Yun from earlier.)
"I saw it. You're such a rascal. What if no one could cure you? What would you have done then?" Lady Selena picked Shui Yun up and smiled.
Shui Yun shook his head. "Auntie, I had an antidote. What was there to be afraid of? If they couldn't cure me, worst case I'd just use the antidote myself. Still, I got lucky and met a big brother with amazing medical skills—he cured me in one go."
"You mean that beggar, right?" Lady Selena laughed. "That's him. What do you think? You saw it all, didn't you? Not bad, huh? He's not very handsome, just a bit dirty, but maybe other people are better looking." Shui Yun said.
"You're picking a husband, right? I'll help you! I want you to pick someone excellent—if not in strength, then at least with top-notch medical skills." Shui Yun insisted.
"I don't want to! I want to watch the third trial." Shui Yun said stubbornly.