Gate of God

by Stayrr

This is a strange and inexplicable world…Mountains, water, stones, flowers, grass, trees, wood, the Sun, moonlight, stars… All creation under the Heavens and Earths are sources of energy. In this world, there are all the classics from his previous world, but there is a new addition: The Law of Dao. Fang Zhengzhi was conflicted. I can obtain power from reading books? Should I read T

10. 301

Read Gate of God - Chapter 301: Court Examinations online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 301: Court Examinations

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

She landed on the deck of the boat lightly with the tips of her toes. She did not make any sound as she landed.

Even so...

In the moment the lady's toes landed on the deck, seven girls dressed in green surrounded her.

The lady was right in the middle.

"Haha... I heard that Yun Qingwu was unique. I didn't expect that this is how she greets her guests?" The lady chuckled.

"Since you are a guest, please announce yourself!" A girl in green asked for the identity of the black robed lady.

"That's true, I am Wu Yuer." Wu Yuer nodded.

"Wu Yuer?!" The expression of the girl in green changed. When she looked at Wu Yuer, she seemed to tremble slightly.

"It looks like... you know me?" Wu Yuer smiled. Her skin was radiant, almost as if a gentle breeze had just caressed it.

"I don't know." The girl in green shook her head.

"Oh, is that right?" Wu Yuer ignored the green girl. She closed her eyes and listened to the music from the boat. "It looks like Ms Yun has other guests today."

"How do you know?" The girl in green was shocked.

"It's not too difficult. One just has to infer from her choice of music." Wu Yuer began to admire the way the boat was decorated.

All seven girls in green were anxious.

However, none of them moved, allowing Wu Yuer to walk on the deck.

"Can I go in?" Wu Yuer asked after pacing around.

"Since Ms Wu knows that she has an appointment, why don't you go in?" At that moment, another lady dressed in green walked out.

She was slightly different from the other seven. She had a gold hairpin in her hair. It was quite difficult to notice if one wasn't paying attention.

"What's the link?" Wu Yuer asked.

"I see that Ms Wu is prepared today?" The lady in green pressed.

"It's not really any preparation at all. However, if I don't see her, I am not going to leave." Wu Yuer retrieved a cheque. "I heard that Ms Yun doesn't meet people receiving a gift first? I can't possibly break that rule today."

She flicked her fingers and the cheque flew towards the lady in green.

The expression of the lady in green changed as she grabbed the cheque with both hands. She retreated a few steps, stunned by the impact. However, she suppressed her shock quickly.

"Thank you. However, my lady does not want the cheque." The girl in green tore up the cheque in her hands.

The torn up pieces of paper floated on the lake, combining with the fallen maple leaves. They looked like snow on the water.

"I have already given you the cheque. Whether she wants it or not is none of my business." Wu Yuer walked towards the girl in green.

The expressions of the other seven girls changed immediately.

"Woosh!"

Almost simultaneously, all seven of them drew their blades. The blades glimmered icily in the autumn sun.

Wu Yuer stopped.

However, she did not look at the seven girls. Instead, she turned to look at the center of the lake.

There was a light mist on the surface of the water. A faint figure was floating on the surface of the river. Before long, a boat cam into view.

There was no paddle.

A lone youth stood aboard the boat. He wore a white shirt. However, it was impossible to make out his appearance. He was surrounded by fallen maple leaves.

"It's him?!" Wu Yuer's expression changed when she saw that boat. She stood rooted to the spot.

At that moment, the music from inside the boat stopped.

The door opened.

Yun Qingwu walked out. She was dressed in white, a veil blocking her face. Her smooth, luscious black hair danced in the wind.

"I see that someone was even earlier than me." Wu Yuer murmured to herself. This was rather strange. Ordinarily, people would think that she was earlier than the figure on the lake.

"Yes, he is earlier than you." Yun Qingwu nodded lightly when she heard Wu Yuer. She was clearly in agreement with Wu Yuer's judgement...

The wind in the capital was cold to the touch. It was clear that they were well into autumn.

The date of the court examination had been set. It would be held five days later at the dawn of winter.

This court examinations were one of the grandest in history. Virtually all of the powers on the Rising Dragon Roll were here.

The fourth ranked Wu Feng was the one who caught the most attention.

The reason was simple...

He was a core disciple of one of the four sages.

There was one other reason. Wu Feng had done something recently. After the announcement of the imperial examination results, news of it reached the capital.

Qin Yan, ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll, had been defeated.

The person who defeated him was Wu Feng.

People were not shocked that Wu Feng defeated Qin Yan. After all, they were only one rank apart.

It was common for the talents to switch places like this, especially near the top.

However, they were all stunned by Wu Feng's choice of time to do so.

It was only five days from the court examinations.

"Is he not afraid of getting injured?"

This was the first reaction from everyone. However, the fact was, Wu Feng was not injured. Furthermore, he had defeated Qin Yan in three rounds.

Three rounds to defeat Qin Yan.

Wu Feng was now ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll.

He took over the only contestable spot on the Rising Dragon Roll. He was now second only to Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao.

Of course, this court examinations was the queerest one to date.

After his defeat, Qin Yan withdrew from the examinations.

Seventh ranked Xiang Tianying and eighth ranked Tang Zhongming also announced their withdrawal after the release of the imperial examination results.

The withdrawal of these two candidates were linked to the racing and hunting competition.

However...

People were curious why Xiang Tianying and Tang Zhongming would withdraw instead of trying to get revenge at the court examinations.

After all, their enemy was Fang Zhengzhi.

The wind continued to blow in the city.

It was clearing out some of the dust before the court examinations. However, there was always more dust to take its place.

Everyone in the city was on their toes.

However, there was one exception. That exception was Fang Zhengzhi.

Over the past few days, Fang Zhengzhi found himself a new hobby. He would bring Ping Yang around to catch people. Yan Xiu would always tag along.

He quickly became one of the most powerful in the city.

Yan Xiu played a huge role in this game.

When some people would hide in their residences, Ping Yang's voice was more than enough to scare them out.

These people included...

Wen Dabao.

"Young Master Wen, where are we going to eat today?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the depressed Wen Dabao mockingly.

"Official Fang... will what I say go?" Wen Dabao asked bitterly.

"You have to suggest something to us first. Only after you suggest can we know if it's acceptable." Fang Zhengzhi encouraged.

"..." Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying, "Why don't you decide, Official Fang?"

"Okay then, I shall decide. Where do you want to go?" Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Ping Yang.

"Why don't we go to the Fragrance Restaurant for food then go to the Jade Pavilion for some shopping?" Ping Yang blinked her eyes.

"Not a bad idea. I think that's fine. What about you?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded solemnly. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu.

"Mm." Yan Xiu nodded lightly.

"Your highness, Young Master Yan, Official Fang, this really will not do. I... I..." Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying.

All of his winnings from the hunting and racing competition were spent over the past two days. Then, his own savings were also emptied.

"No worries, it's on me this time." Fang Zhengzhi replied magnanimously.

"..." Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying. He had fallen for this trick before.

Two days ago, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu had came to look for him.

Wen Dabao was ecstatic. He immediately offered to treat Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu to a good meal.

However, Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

"It's on me!"

This caused Wen Dabao to fall this his knees. Fang Zhengzhi was such a good man. He thought that he had made the perfect choice to follow Official Fang.

However, he finally understood what Fang Zhengzhi meant by treating.

In short...

It was bullying.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu would order whilst Wen Dabao would pay.

Afterwards, Wen Dabao learnt his lesson. He hid within his residence and did not greet any guests. However, he could not escape Ping Yang.

Wen Dabao realized that after he went into hiding, there were even more people who came over for meals.

"Dabao!" A male walked out from the residence.

"Father? Why are you out here?" Wen Dabao was slightly stunned.

"Nothing much. My memory is failing me recently. I dropped some silvers a few days ago but I can't seem to find them now. Aish... so I decided to come out here and take a look.

"Dropped silvers in the yard?!" Wen Dabao's eyes brightened. However, why would his father come to his residence to look for silvers he dropped in his own yard.

However, he did not say this out loud.

Because...

That would only result in a beating.

"Mm, I will go look for it along the streets. I will be off for now." The middle aged man left.

Wen Dabao's eyes glimmered when the middle aged man left. There are silvers in the yard? Hahaha... there are silvers!

Three days passed very quickly.

It was only two days from the court examinations. All of the talents began to stay home as they made their final preparations for the court examinations.

At this moment...

A piece of news reached the capital.

This news was simple. It consisted of only one sentence - "Nangong Hao announces his participation in the court examinations!"

"Nangong Hao is going to participate?!"

"Is this real?"

"Of course it is. This news came from the imperial academy."

"If Nangong Hao participates, will Fang Zhengzhi have the chance to top the exam?"

"What rubbish. Even if Nangong Hao doesn't participate, Fang Zhengzhi would not have a chance! There is still Wu Feng! Don't forget that he defeated Qin Yan in three rounds! Fang Zhengzhi's battle against Xiang Tianying and Tang Zhongming is not even a feat worth mentioning."

"That's true. I am really looking forward to the court examinations!"

Discussions continued throughout all corners of the city.

At the same time, a few cavalry sped past the gates to the city. They headed straight for the palace at neckbreaking speeds.

"It's the Dragon Protection Squad!"

"I wonder what news it is now?"

"Anything that would cause the Dragon Protection Squad to rush to the capital in this manner is extraordinary."

Everyone on the streets began guessing upon seeing the Dragon Protection Squad.

Fang Zhengzhi, who was with Yan Xiu and Ping Yang, happened to see the Dragon Protection Squad. However, he was not curious at all.

Because...

He did not recognize them at all.

However, Ping Yang's eyes brightened almost immediately.

"Hey, look, it's the Dragon Protection Squad. I wonder why they are rushing?" Ping Yang screamed in anticipation.

"Dragon Protection Squad?" Yan Xiu also turned to look at the speeding cavalry. His expression changed slightly.

However, he recovered quickly.

Then...

Yan Xiu raised his head and looked into the blue sky and the clouds, seemingly deep in thought.

"Hey, where are we going now?" Wen Dabao rushed over from the restaurant after settling the bill.

However, this time, Wen Dabao was not depressed. On the other hand, he looked quite happy to settle this bill.

"Fang Zhengzhi, do you want to go and play at the palace?" Ping Yang looked at Wen Dabao scornfully. Then, she smirked at Fang Zhengzhi.

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Chapter 302: Mausoleum

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Palace? Is there anything fun there?" Fang Zhengzhi's eyes brightened.

He had been to the palace before. However, he was summoned to the throne room then. He had not had the chance to explore it before.

In all honesty, he had never seen the palace in its entirety.

"Have you heard of the... 3000 beauties?" Ping Yang was rather contented to see Fang Zhengzhi's interest piqued.

The residence of concubines...

An image flashed in Fang Zhengzhi's mind. Countless beauties walking past him, each with their own unique qualities.

3000 of them!

With 365 days in a year... he could change one everyday and have enough to last him 10 years!

Furthermore, this was just an estimate. In his previous world, the Emperors all had more than 3000 concubines. For some of them, the concubines were virtually uncountable.

"Ahem, I am still young. I can't be exposed to such things too early!" Fang Zhengzhi replied solemnly.

"What are you thinking about? What do you mean by you are too young? You can't be exposed to such things so early?" Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi scornfully. "I am just bringing you there to take a look. Are you going?"

"Yes!" Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.

"Yan Xiu, what about you?"

"Nope."

"What a disappointment." Ping Yang's lips twitched. Then, she turned to look at Wen Dabao.

"I will go, I will go!" Wen Dabao did not even wait for Ping Yang to ask. He was salivating at the thought of it.

"Scram! Is that a place that you can go to? Do you believe that I will get someone to castrate you?" Ping Yang glared at him as she made a chopping motion with her hands.

Wen Dabao crossed his legs as sweat flowed from his forehead.

"Come let's go, I will bring you to see what 3000 concubines look like!" Ping Yang pulled Fang Zhengzhi away after snorting at Wen Dabao...

Inside the library of the palace.

A golden armored member of the Dragon Protection Squad stood in the middle. There was a letter on the table.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping sat beside the table, his expression as calm as water. However, he kept looking at Emperor Lin Mubai, who was at the table.

Emperor Lin Mubai scanned the letter, his expression changing slightly.

"Where is he now?"

Emperor Lin Mubai's question was quite vague. However, the Dragon Protection Squad member understood immediately. He cupped his fist.

"Your highness, he is rushing to the capital as we speak. Based on his speed, he should arrive shortly."

"Mm... you may leave now." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

The Dragon Protection Squad member bowed and left the library.

"Your highness, the implications of this are great. Should we gather all the officials?" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied quickly after the Dragon Protection Squad member left.

"What do you think I should do about this?" Emperor Lin Mubai questioned after some hesitation.

"We have already confirmed the identity of the Demon Leader. As such, we only have two options. We can order for her capture. She should not have gone far. If we send the order now, we should be able to capture her. That will give us the upper hand against the demons. The second option is... lockdown the news and let things take their course." Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied after some thought.

"I was asking about him." Emperor Lin Mubai shook his head.

"Him?" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's expression changed as he looked out of the library. He clenched his fists then loosened them. "Your highness, do you plan to use this opportunity to show mercy?"

"What are your views on Nangong Mu?" Emperor Lin Mubai changed the approach.

"Your highness, you have been merciful!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied.

"Haha... I'm afraid that you are the only one who would say that I've been merciful? I think that Nangong Hao has come to the city because of this."

"This is an opportunity."

"I am worried that we will not be able to grasp this opportunity."

"Based on Nangong Hao's ability, he could have topped the court examinations four years ago. Four years later, he should be able to do so with no problem. Your highness, all you have to do is wait."

"Mm... you're right!" Emperor Lin Mubai nodded, then turned to look out the window. "Do you think... that there could be someone else that is the child in the Heavenly Prophecy?"

"Are you referring to Yan Xiu?" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping trembled.

"No, I am talking about Fang Zhengzhi." Emperor Lin Mubai shook his head lightly.

"About this... forgive my stupidity, but I don't see it." Left Prime MInster Yu Yiping's expression changed.

"Yes, it is quite the long shot and it's just a thought I had. Anyways, the Crown Prince seems to be into landscaping?" Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

"The Crown Prince uses the botany to understand the values required to be a leader."

"It is good to improve one's values and health. However, he needs to improve his political involvement. As a leader, he cannot continue this way if he wants to be effective."

"Your highness is wise!"

"About the court examinations, the Crown Prince has suggested that I hold the combat examinations at the Southern Mountain Region. I find it refreshing and bold. What is your opinion?"

"I think that this is quite bold, but it would affect the military. I am afraid King Duan..."

"Let King Duan help him from the side. Brothers should work together more often. King Duan made some errors in his last invigilation, I would like to give him a second chance."

"Your highness, you have considered every possibility, I am impressed beyond words."

"Mm, you've always been too humble. I've had a splitting headache recently. I keep thinking that something bad is about to happen. Why don't you accompany me for a walk around the gardens?" Emperor Lin Mubai smiled and stood up.

"Yes your highness!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping bowed.

The cold wind blew, causing the lake to freeze over.

The mountains were now covered in snow.

It was incredibly cold now. The rivers and lakes were frozen and the lands were covered in snow.

There was a huge mausoleum in the middle of this landscape.

Snow covered the vast limestone. The rock was not blocked by any foliage from the icy wind. This was an eternally icy world.

The entire cemetery was covered in snow.

This was the Nangong mausoleum.

This was the home of the reputable Nangong Family.

This place had existed for aeons. It was established about the same time as the Great Xia Dynasty. The limestone may have aged, but the ice was still the same.

The Nangong Family stayed right next to their ancestors' tombs.

Many people could not understand it, but the mausoleum was the pillar of this ancient family's fate.

There was a stone tablet in the middle of the mausoleum.

Each tablet was carved with a name, and under each name was the description of the ancestor's life. This was the residence of the Nangong Family, and it was also the resting place of the Nangong ancestors.

Today, there were a dozen people by the side door of the mausoleum.

Each person's gaze was icy, their bodies covered in snow from head to toe. They had clearly been standing here for some time.

However, none of them moved from their spots. They looked like statues by the door.

This was a strange sight. If not for the fact that clouds of mist formed everytime they exhaled, one may be tempted to think that these men were dead.

The snow continued to fall lightly to the ground.

A figure walked out from the snow. The figure wore a green short sleeved shirt and his workaday appearance was complemented by calm, expressionless eyes.

He stopped at the mausoleum.

Then, he fell to his knees and kowtowed to the mausoleum. The snow stained his forehead as he did so.

"You're back?" The man right at the front of the stone door finally spoke.

This was a slightly plump middle aged man. He wore a single layer, but his collar was lined with fur. He revealed no expression.

His eyes did not blink even as the wind blew against his face. His blood vessels showed through his eyes. He had clearly been in the snow for too long.

"Mm." The figure nodded lightly as he replied.

"Why did you come back?" The slightly plump middle aged man asked again. This time, his tone was icily dangerous.

The figure did not speak. He chose to stand in the snow silently. His expression was as flat as before, almost as if he wasn't even thinking about the question.

"What is the core value of the Nangong Family?" The slightly plump man raised his head as he looked at the falling snow. Then, he looked at the figure in the snow.

"Break rather than bend." The figure asserted.

"Why did you admit defeat?" The middle aged man's tone changed.

Silence once again. However, this time, the figure in the snow seemed to be deep in contemplation.

"You can lose, you can die, but, you cannot bend!"

"Yes."

"Kneel to your ancestors!"

"Yes." The figure nodded then walked through the dozen men and towards the stone tablet.

There were a total of 3,478 tablets.

However, his expression did not change. He walked quietly to the first tablet and knelt. Then, he kowtowed once, twice, thrice...

For a total of 10 times.

Only then did he stand up and walk to the second tablet. He kowtowed 10 times there. Then, he moved to the third tablet...

"Master, is this a little too harsh?" One of the figures standing outside the mausoleum felt heartache as he saw the lone figure kowtowing to each grave.

"The Emperor has been kind enough to not put his name on the roll. In all our history, there has been no one who has gotten a first-class roll result. This is humiliation. The Nangong Family has been humliated! After he dies, are we supposed to put imperial examination first-class roll on his grave?"

"Master is wise."

"You can all leave. I will wait for him here by myself."

"I understand."

The snow continued to fall on the two remaining people in the mausoleum. One of them stood by the side door silently. He was just like a statue, unspeaking and unmoving.

The other figure kept kowtowing at the front of each gravestone. However, the determination in his eyes never wavered.

"Dong, dong, dong..."

The sound of his head against the ice and snow rang out, almost like a hammer knocking against the ground.

In the palace...

Fang Zhengzhi felt the urge to curse. He felt utterly cheated. Furthermore, he had been cheated in the worst manner.

3000 concubines!

Ping Yang did bring Fang Zhengzhi to the residence of the concubines. However, this palace did not belong to the Emperor.

This was the residence of princesses.

Fang Zhengzhi bowed so much he felt like he had sprained his waist. Crowds of them ran out like butterflies.

Each one of them chuckled to themselves.

More importantly.

They would ask the same question each time.

"Oh? Who is this?"

They were almost like curious babies.

He had no other choice but to introduce himself to each of them. However, he began to grow tired of it after more than 20 times.

"I heard that Official Fang managed to clinch the top spot for the imperial examinations. Can you share with us how you did it?"

"Exactly exactly. Official Fang, please share with us. We always here Sister Ping Yang call you shameless. How shameless are you? Why don't you try it on us?"

"Why do you ask Official Fang so many questions at one go? Official Fang, ignore them. Tell me how you made everyone fall for your trick at the hunting and racing competition! Also, tell me how you knew they would go one additional round?"

All of them looked at Fang Zhengzhi in anticipation, their dresses flapping in the wind.

"Don't be so draggy! Get me something nice to eat first!" Fang Zhengzhi could not take it any longer. He slumped into a chair and finished an entire fruit platter on the table.

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Chapter 303: Expand your horizons

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

This sight stunned all of the princesses.

Everyone of them was well respected wherever they went. Even the officials in the imperial courts did not dare treat them the way Fang Zhengzhi did.

Fang Zhengzhi was just a rank four Sword Envoy. Furthermore, he had no authority or influence as an official. If not for the fact that he was the Sword Envoy, he probably couldn't enter the palace.

Yet now, he was showing a complete disregard for them.

Outrageous.

"One's birthplace dictates one's horizons. Official Fang is wolfing down the food, he must be hungry. We have many delicacies here that commoners don't get to eat."

"That's right. Official Fang is a guest of Sister Ping Yang. We would be petty not to offer some food to him."

"Servant! Prepare some food for Official Fang. Let him broaden his horizons."

Each of the princesses began to call for food. Even though they looked at Fang Zhengzhi with tints of scorn, they did not despise Fang Zhengzhi's audacity.

After all, the rarer something was, the more valuable it was.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi's audacity was well known throughout the city. The princesses were quite curious about him.

With their interest and curiosity piqued, they were willing to ignore many of these details.

Ping Yang smiled when she heard the discussions amongst her sisters. She pitied them quite a bit.

They were trapped in the maze of the palace.

Unlike her, these princesses spent most of their time in the palace. Many of them had not even left the palace before. As such, their outlook on the world was restricted to the palace.

As a result, they were naturally arrogant.

Expand the horizons of Fang Zhengzhi?

This may sound normal to an ordinary person. However, Ping Yang knew that Fang Zhengzhi was quite experienced, especially when it came to food.

He had probably tried all the delicacies in the capital as well as those in the various vassal states.

To put it bluntly, Fang Zhengzhi would eat whatever he could wherever he went!

However, Ping Yang did not say this out loud. She thought that Fang Zhengzhi would say it himself.

However, surprisingly, Fang Zhengzhi did not say that. On the other hand, he looked on excitedly. "Good good, bring me something yummy. I want to expand my horizons!"

"Hahaha... what a hillbilly!"

"The top scorer in the imperial examination is just a hillbilly."

All of the princesses chuckled when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. Their laughter filled the air instantly.

Ping Yang pouted. This fella was embarrassing her. After all, she was the one who brought him in.

The least he could do was behave.

Fang Zhengzhi did not care about what the others saw of him. He had heard that the imperial chefs were the best around. He was going to taste it for himself today.

Very quickly, the table was filled with food.

There were over 30 dishes. Each one was exquisitely prepared. Upong serving each dish, a eunuch would also introduce it to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Official Fang, please have a taste!"

"Yes, you should expand your horizons."

All of the princesses urged by the side.

Fang Zhengzhi was not going to be courteous about it. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and stuffed the food into his mouth. His look of anticipation froze.

Oh?

I thought the imperial chefs were supposed to be the best there were! Why did it taste just like what he had in the capital?

He did not think too much of it. He picked up a second piece.

He chewed it slowly and closed his eyes, relishing the flavors.

All of the princesses stared at Fang Zhengzhi. They were all waiting for Fang Zhengzhi to break down in tears at how delicious the food was.

"Quite average." Fang Zhengzhi confirmed that these dishes were pretty good but not out of this world.

"Average? How can these be average?!"

"Try this. This is my favorite."

"Okay, I'll try it!" Fang Zhengzhi picked up another pair of chopsticks excitedly. He chewed on it, "It really is average. It is not much different from what I have normally."

"How is that possible?"

"Official Fang, you must tell the truth. This is the delicacy from the palace, it is not something you can eat normally."

"That is true. You're from the countryside, how could you have possibly eaten such delicacies. I think you're just boasting?"

"You said that our kitchen is just average. Why don't you do something for us?"

"Yes, you should make us something!"

"I would like to see if you can make something better than our palace chefs!"

"Who can't boast? The key is to prove it with your actions."

All of the princesses did not believe what Fang Zhengzhi said. Their favorite foods had just been dissed by someone. All of them chided, their faces flushed.

"Fang Zhengzhi, show them!" Ping Yang finally spoke up. She had always like Fang Zhengzhi's grilled meat. It was much better than these bland dishes.

"I'm too lazy. It's too much work." Fang Zhengzhi was too lazy to cook. He came here to play, not to cook.

"That's because you can't!" All of the princesses said in scorn.

"Yes, that's because you cant!"

"I think so too. You probably can't cook!"

Many other princesses began to chime in. No one believed that Fang Zhengzhi could cook.

"God damn it. Who says I can't cook?!" Fang Zhengzhi could not take it any longer. How could he stand being despised this way. To make things worse, he was being chided by ladies.

He could not stand it any longer.

"If you can do it, you should go do it!"

"Exactly, if you really can, you should make something for us!"

"Everyone can boast. However, not everyone can prove it with actions."

All of the princesses were not going to take this lying down.

"Okay, I will cook something for you. However... I have one condition." Fang Zhengzhi stepped forward and looked at all the princesses. He smirked.

"Condition?" All of the princesses retreated slightly. They were wary of his smirk. Did he want to make one of them his wife?

That would not do. They were never going to marry a hillbilly.

"Tell us what the condition is."

"It is very simple. The first bite you have is free. After which, you have to pay 100 silvers for each subsequent bite. If you don't want to pay in silvers, you can give me a treasure. How about it?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the princesses. They were all rich enough to afford 100 silvers a bite.

"First bite is free?"

"Each subsequent bite is 100 silvers?"

"Okay, deal!"

The princesses nodded after looking at each other.

During banquets, there could be upwards of 1000 dishes. There were few dishes that they would take a second bite of. As such, they did not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could make them eat this much.

Ping Yang was rather surprised by this. Even though the grilled meat was tasty, it required quite some time to grill.

There were no less than 20 people here. Fang Zhengzhi was only selling one for 100 silvers? How much could he earn? Probably a few thousand silvers at best...

He clearly wasn't thinking ahead.

However, Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

He was beaming. At 100 silvers a mouthful, he would pauper the entire palace.

Two hours later, just as all the princesses were getting restless, Fang Zhengzhi ran over. There were two eunuchs behind him carrying a huge pot.

This was not the strangest sight. There were two more eunuchs behind them. One of them carried a hollowed out table whilst the other one carried a huge pot of charcoal.

"He spent so long making one dish?"

"He clearly can't make anything!"

All of the princesses shook their heads in scorn.

Ping Yang was quite confused. Why did he have a pot? And a hollowed out table? Did he find a way to grill meat in a pot? What a maverick.

Just as she was thinking about it, Fang Zhengzhi arrived in front of her.

The two eunuchs carefully placed the pot on the hollowed out table. Then, they placed the charcoal below the table.

"What dish is this?" One of the princesses asked warily.

"This is not a dish." Fang Zhengzhi replied.

"It's not a dish? Then what is it?"

"It is a hotpot."

"Hotpot?" The princess was stunned.

"Hahaha... it is a hotpot!" Another princess chuckled. In the palace, they had a tradition of eating hotpot during the winter months. They were still wondering what dish Fang Zhengzhi had cooked.

It was just a hotpot.

For a hotpot, even making the princesses eat a mouthful was an achievement.

Ping Yang frowned. Why would Fang Zhengzhi do a hotpot instead of grilling meat? Even though it was rather chilly, it was not the season for hotpots.

Furthermore, a hotpot was just cooking things in boiling water or stock. What was good about it?

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the scorn on the faces of all the princesses. However, his smile did not diminish.

He knew that they had hotpots here.

However, could the hotpots here even be called hotpots?

Today...

He will let them know what is a Chongqing Hotpot!

"Clang!" Fang Zhengzhi lifted the lid to the pot and revealed a hotpot with eight different bases, each separated by a metal plate.

Fang Zhengzhi had to thank the fact that the palace kitchen was well stocked.

In order to make one soup base, he needed at least 20 different ingredients. Furthermore, it was quite complicated to make an eight flavored hotpot.

Back in the Northern Mountain Village, it was virtually impossible for Fang Zhengzhi to make so many flavors.

Initially, he had only thought of making a two flavored pot. However, upon seeing how well stocked the kitchen was, he changed his mind.

There was an entire house filled with superior stocks. They simmered constantly in dozens of pots.

There were people watching over it to make sure the fire was never extinguished.

Normally, they would only take a little bit out to make soup for the emperor. However, Fang Zhengzhi virtually emptied the pots.

He put a little in the soups and placed most of it in his Heart Protection Mirror.

The guardian had wanted to duke it out with Fang Zhengzhi. However, he was knocked unconscious before he could put up a fight.

After which, no one stopped Fang Zhengzhi.

More importantly, he had the token given by Ping Yang.

The eight colored soup boiled in the pot. It did look quite appetizing. However, what were the "leaves" rolling in the soup?

"Can... this really be eaten?"

"Is there poison in this?!"

All of the princesses were hesitant upon seeing the leaves.

"Of course not." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

"Inedible? Then are you trying to poison us?" The princesses raged.

"Bumpkins. I am asking you to eat a hotpot. You have to take your meats and vegetables and cook them in the base!" Fang Zhengzhi's mouth twitched as he clapped.

Very quickly, an eunuch brought over all sorts of ingredients for the hotpots.

"How dare you call us bumpkins?!"

"Outrageous!"

All of the princesses raged when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. However, they were also attracted by the ingredients the eunuch brought over.

"Can these be put in the hotpot?"

"Oh? This can be eaten?"

"Wow... what is this. It looks like... ah, what is this?!"

After all the ingredients were brought over, the princesses leapt to their feets. This was different from what they had seen before.

"Enough with the talking. If you all don't want to eat it, I will start eating!" Fang Zhengzhi was hungry. He picked up a piece of pig brain and placed it in the hotpot.

Within moments, he took it out and took a bite. It was delicious!

The princesses could not resist it when they saw Fang Zhengzhi devouring the food. In the end, Ping Yang was still the first person to try, "I will have try it out!"

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Chapter 304: Emperor, robbery!

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ping Yang was not afraid that Fang Zhengzhi would poison the soup base. She knew that no matter how outrageous Fang Zhengzhi was, he would never poison the princesses inside the palace.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had no reason to poison them.

"Woosh!" Ping Yang did not swish the meat around like Fang Zhengzhi did. Instead, she poured the entire plate of meat into the soup.

The red soup base splashed skywards.

"Ouch ouch ouch..." All of the princesses yelled when they were scalded.

However, they were all attracted by the aroma coming out from the hotpot. They began salivating.

Ping Yang simply picked up one piece of meat and put it in her mouth.

She chewed on it slowly.

Then, her expression changed. Her entire face turned red, almost as if she had been lit on fire.

"Water, water! I need water!"

"Princess, princess, the water is here!" A whole bunch of eunuchs panicked when they heard her. Even though Fang Zhengzhi had made the food, the ingredients had come from the imperial kitchen.

If there was any problem...

The kitchen would be responsible as well.

All of the other princesses stepped back when they heard this.

"Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you poison the food!"

"Capture Fang Zhengzhi!"

"We will not let you off today!"

All of the princesses yelled in terror. After all, Fang Zhengzhi was quite powerful. It was very possible that he would take one or two of them hostage in a fight.

Fang Zhengzhi twitched his lips in scorn. "Poison? Go fly a kite!"

Just as he spoke, he placed a few pieces of meat in his bowl. He cooled them down by blowing on them before placing them in his mouth.

Red oil trickled from the edge of his mouth.

Just at that moment, Ping Yang took a big gulp of water and suppressed the redness in her face.

"Hahaha... how awesome!" Ping Yang yelled as she picked up yet another piece of meat. She placed it in her mouth, "Yummy, very yummy!"

All of the other princesses were stunned by this change. What was going on? Why was she okay all of a sudden?

Could it be that water was the antidote?

"Is it yummy?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang.

"It is!" Ping Yang nodded vigorously.

"Then you should eat some more, hehe!" Fang Zhengzhi looked on as Ping Yang placed more meat in her mouth. She now owed him 200 silvers.

Easy money.

All of the other princesses looked at each other in confusion. They all knew how picky Ping Yang was about food.

What kind of food would make Ping Yang praise it to such an extent?

All of the princesses were curious. After all, the meat on the table was ordinary. Furthermore, nothing had been done to the meat. Could it be that the hotpot was the magical ingredient?

"I will try it as well!"

"Me too!"

"I... I will only try one piece."

All of the princesses could not take it any longer. All of them reached for their chopsticks.

"Wow, how spicy! How yummy!"

"I... I am unable to take the heat. Are there any less spicy ones?"

"Of course. This is tomato flavored. This is not spicy." Fang Zhengzhi began to introduce each flavor to the princesses.

All of the princesses could not resist the temptation any longer.

All of them began to dive in.

Before long, all of them began to attack the food like famished animals.

Each of them tried all eight flavors, then continued to cook the meat in their favorite bases.

They completely forgot about the 100 silvers price tag on every mouthful they had.

All of the eunuchs were stunned to see the princesses attacking the food this way.

Were these princesses?

They looked like famished commoners!

Fang Zhengzhi was not surprised by this. After all, hotpot was a ladies favorite. With no real hotpot in this world, this was a great weapon.

"One should always enjoy a good hotpot with some wine." Fang Zhengzhi waved to some of the salivating eunuchs.

"Yes!" The eunuchs brought bottles of wine over.

The wine in the palace was much better than those in the restaurants. After all, the wine in the palace were all vintages.

Most of the princesses believed Fang Zhengzhi and began to gulp the wine down.

Before long...

They were all flushed and tipsy.

Fang Zhengzhi was beaming. Now that they were tipsy, they would not know how much they ate. At the end of the day, all he had to do was quote an astronomical figure.

Emperor Lin Mubai and Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping were just enjoying the scenery. Then, they smelt the aroma from afar.

This was quite a special aroma. It stuck to them and in that moment...

Both of them felt hungry.

"What is that?" Emperor Lin Mubai was curious.

"It is not the time for meals yet. Why is there such an aroma? Furthermore, what is this? Why have I not smelt it before?" Emperor Lin Mubai thought to himself.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's eyes brightened. He was slightly hungry, but he would not say this in front of the Emperor.

"Will you walk with me?"

"Yes!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping nodded. Does the Emperor not know what this is? Why must he walk over and see it?

Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why women were compared to tigers.

"Hey, that soup... you can't drink it!"

"Ah? Why, it's very yummy..."

"..." Fang Zhengzhi was speechless and exasperated. You can drink it, but can you at least leave a little? How am I supposed to eat without soup?

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard voices approaching.

"The Emperor is here!"

"The Emperor is here!"

"Oh?" Fang Zhengzhi was slightly stunned. His gaze scanned across all of the tipsy princesses. He felt his stomach turn, "Uh oh... will I be charged for this?"

Just as he prepared to run, two figures appeared at the entrance.

It was Emperor Lin Mubai and Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

"Gree... greetings fa... father!"

"Greetings fa... father."

All of the princesses fell to their knees. However, some of the princesses could not get back on their feet.

Emperor Lin Mubai was furious.

When did his garden become a place for such things? Furthermore, the people who were drunk were princesses, his daughters!

How humiliating!

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Fang Zhengzhi holding a pair of chopsticks. There was a half eaten piece of meat at the corner of Fang Zhengzhi's mouth.

Fang Zhengzhi, how outrageous of you! How dare you toy with the Emperor's daughters!

Emperor Lin Mubai squinted. He could smell the alcohol in the air. It was clear that Fang Zhengzhi had gotten all his daughters drunk.

Just as he was about to rage...

He saw a figure in red float in front of him.

"Father, come quickly. You have to try this hotpot! It is absolutely delicious!" Ping Yang tugged at Emperor Lin Mubai's hand and led him to the table.

Emperor Lin Mubai's eyelids jumped. He curiosity was piqued as he looked at the steaming hotpot. This is the origin of the aroma?

"Father, have a bite!" Ping Yang picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and fed it to Emperor Lin Mubai.

Emperor Lin Mubai really wanted to avoid it.

After all, he had noticed the rolling leaves in the pot. He really wanted to ask if the things inside were edible.

However...

Ping Yang had already passed the meat to him. He had no other choice but to nibble on it.

"Is it nice?" Ping Yang looked on in anticipation after seeing Emperor Lin Mubai chew on the meat.

"Mm... not bad." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded. Before Ping Yang could feed him again, he picked up a chopstick and began eating.

"Prime Minister, you should have a taste as well."

Emperor Lin Mubai turned to Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping after eating three slices of meat.

"Yes!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping glanced at Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he too took a seat at the table.

His eyes brightened the moment he ate it.

"You should always enjoy a hotpot with wine." Ping Yang looked at Emperor Lin Mubai and followed in Fang Zhengzhi's footsteps.

"Is that so? Hahaha... okay then, bring me some wine. All of you should have some!" Emperor Lin Mubai patted Ping Yang's head as he chuckled.

"Thank... thank you father!"

All of the princesses, who were scared out of their wits, climbed to their feet. Their clothes were drenched in sweat after that rude awakening.

"Come over and join me."

"Yes!"

All of the princesses were ecstatic when they heard it.

Then, the eunuchs all saw something that terrified them.

Under the leadership of Emperor Lin Mubai, Princess Ping Yang, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping, as well as the other princesses began to dig into the hotpot.

Fang Zhengzhi chuckled to himself by the side.

Before long, all the food was cleaned. Emperor Lin Mubai stood up, clearly satisfied.

"What is this called?"

"Your highness, this is a hotpot." One of the eunuchs replied instantly.

"Hotpot? Hotpot can be done this way? Nicely done, very nicely done. Which chef thought of such a wonderful method? I must reward him." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded in satisfaction.

"About this..." The eunuch turned to look at the beaming Fang Zhengzhi.

"Father, this was not done by a chef. This was done by Fang Zhengzhi." Ping Yang's lips twitched.

Fang Zhengzhi did this?

Emperor Lin Mubai's expression changed.

Initially, he had thought of finishing his meal before berating Fang Zhengzhi for intoxicating his daughters. Only now did he realize...

Fang Zhengzhi was in his garden and surrounded by his daughters for a reason.

"I see." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded. He looked at the other princesses with a complicated expression.

However, since he had said it, he could not take it back.

After all, an Emperor does not joke.

"Reward Fang Zhengzhi with 1000 silvers!"

"Thank you your highness."

Fang Zhengzhi thanked him immediately. Then, he rubbed his hands as he looked at the empty plates. "Your highness... I'm afraid 2000 silvers is not enough."

"Not enough?" This was the first time Emperor Lin Mubai had heard an official tell him that his reward was too little. How can 1000 silvers for a meal be too little?

"Fang Zhengzhi, how outrageous of you! How can you say that the Emperor's reward is too little?" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping stood up in fury.

"Left Prime Minister please cool down. You can get angry later. You also owe me quite a few silvers. Let me calculate... mm, you had a total of 35 mouthfuls. Taking away the first complimentary mouthful, you owe me 3,400 silvers!" Fang Zhengzhi said sincerely.

"What?! 3,400 silvers. What are you talking about?"

"Is the Left Prime Minister trying to go back on a deal? Word travels fast in the capital!" Fang Zhengzhi shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"Father, it's like that. We had a bet with Fang Zhengzhi. We said that he couldn't cook. We agreed that the first mouthful would be free, but every subsequent mouthful would be 100 silvers." Ping Yang explained.

"One mouthful for 100 silvers?" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was stunned. This was daylight robbery!

Furthermore...

He was robbing the palace!

More importantly, Fang Zhengzhi was audaciously robbing the Emperor as well as the Emperor's right hand man!

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Chapter 305: The court examinations begin

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Everything in the empire belonged to the Emperor.

There was nothing more audacious in this world than to bargain with the Emperor! He could be charged for a lack of respect for the Emperor!

Just as Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was preparing to speak, he saw Emperor Lin Mubai wave him off. He shut up instantly.

"Hahaha... if Ping Yang had not told me the reason, I would have wronged Fang Zhengzhi. Since I had come here without an invitation and had so much to eat, I should pay up. I will pay according to what was previously agreed on, 100 silvers a mouthful!" Emperor Lin Mubai was not angry at all.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's jaw dropped in disbelief.

100 silvers a mouthful for a hotpot...

The Emperor agreed to it?!

"Left Prime Minister, the Emperor has agreed. Do you have any objections?" Fang Zhengzhi beamed when he heard this.

"You... I didn't bring much silvers today, you can collect it from my residence!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping flung his hands in the air.

"Sure, but can you write me proof that you owe me that amount?" Fang Zhengzhi retrieved a piece of paper and ink.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the furious Yu Yiping, then back at Fang Zhengzhi. He smiled as he patted Ping Yang's head.

In all honesty, he was a little stunned when he found this out from Ping Yang. 100 silvers a mouthful was quite the sum.

However...

It was average for food in the palace.

There were records in history that Emperors sent riders out for 800 miles just to collect fresh ingredients.

The sheer amount of manpower and resources needed made such expeditions expensive. Each mouthful would be worth at least 1000 silvers.

Even though the Great Xia Dynasty had been through many wars, they were still quite rich.

Furthermore, they had not been embroiled in any major wars recently. The treasury was stocked to capacity. 100 silvers a mouthful was insignificant.

As a result, the Emperor would not be so petty about it.

At the end of the day, everything in the empire still belonged to the Emperor.

Just because the Emperor gave you silvers doesn't mean that the silver is yours.

It still belongs to the Emperor.

This was the power the Emperor had.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai could not figure out if Fang Zhengzhi knew his thoughts when he asked for the silvers, or if Fang Zhengzhi was just audacious.

"Fang Zhengzhi, I did not bring any silvers out with me today... What should we do?" Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his domineering aura showing.

"Your highness, you didn't bring silvers as well? That's easy. Why don't you write me proof of the debt as well?" Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.

"Outrageous! You want the Emperor to write down proof of a debt to an official? Aren't you afraid... that I will fire you and send you back to be a farmer?" Emperor Lin Mubai wanted to threaten him with execution.

However, he realized that Fang Zhengzhi was a rank four Sword Envoy. Furthermore, he had given him this post personally. To execute him would be rather ridiculous. As such, he decided to change his threat.

"Not at all." Fang Zhengzhi asserted.

"Oh, why not?" Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi doubtfully.

"If the Emperor wants me to die, I have to die. If the Emperor wants me to be a farmer, the Emperor would have his own plans. What's there to fear?" Fang Zhengzhi replied solemnly.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. Then, he chuckled, "Hahaha... good, well said! Today, I will break my rule and write you a proof of debt. You can collect it from the treasury later."

"Thank you your highness. However, may I ask something? Can I not collect the silvers?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded, then asked.

"Not collect the silvers? Why?" Emperor Lin Mubai was doubtful. Did this guy realize his mistake?

"Based on my calculations, your highness ate a total of 47 mouthfuls. Subtracting the first complimentary mouthful and the 1000 silvers you bestowed upon me, you only owe me 3600 silvers. However, the value of these silvers is nothing when compared to the proof you will write me. I was thinking of auctioning it off..."

"Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you think of auctioning away this proof of debt! Do you know what a cardinal sin that is?" Emperor Lin Mubai's anger was building.

"Your highness, you have wronged me. You have eaten 47 mouthfuls of the hotpot and it is only logical that you pay for the meal. By writing down this proof of debt, you are showing the public how righteous and moral you are. It also represents your ability to govern the country in an orderly manner. By writing this proof of debt, you have shown yourself to be a man of honor and integrity. I hope that your highness will see that I am trying to help you!" Fang Zhengzhi yelled.

"Shameless! When did this guy learn to bootlick?" Ping Yang murmured to herself scornfully.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. He turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes glowing brightly. He had not realized that this young man had the gift of the gap.

"Does that mean that I have to thank you for auctioning off my proof of debt?"

"Your highness, you don't have to thank me. You just have to give me some silvers." Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

"Hahaha... I can't give you silvers. However, here is a token from me. I hope that you will go to the Ministry of Rites to help out when you have the time!" Emperor Lin Mubai smiled. Then, his expression changed to one of solemn when he threw a gold token into Fang Zhengzhi's hands.

"Ministry of Rites?" Fang Zhengzhi caught the token in mid air. It was made of pure gold. The front was engraved with the words 'golden dragon' whilst the back was a picture of a golden dragon.

What is this used for?

In his previous world, the Ministry of Rites hosted the imperial examinations as well as engaged in diplomacy. However, due to the importance of the Dao examinations, this world had set up the Imperial Academy.

The Ministry of Rites only did diplomacy related matters. They would also plan the royal events, including the hunting and racing competitions, rituals, etcetera.

"Ministry of Rites?!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was stunned when he saw that.

He had heard the exchange between the Emperor and Fang Zhengzhi. He could also guess that the anger the Emperor showed was unlikely genuine.

But this was not important...

Most importantly, the Emperor wanted Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites!

All this while, Fang Zhengzhi had only been an official in name only. Even though he was a rank four official appointed by the Emperor, he was powerless.

But now, it was different. The Emperor had ordered Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites. Even though he was currently positionless, the Emperor had already made his stand clear.

The Emperor wanted to use Fang Zhengzhi.

For a rank four official to enter the Ministry of Rites...

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping knew that rank four was not much. However, Fang Zhengzhi in the Ministry of Law would shock the courts.

"Could it be... that his guess during the racing competition was going to come true so quickly? The new dynamic... he could not let this happen!"

Just as he was about to speak, Fang Zhengzhi beat him to it.

"Your highness, I will go to the Ministry of Rites as ordered. However... I antagonized the Minister during the racing and hunting competition, as such..." Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask if he could choose not to go?

He wanted his freedom!

"When you're at the Ministry of Rites, you represent me! You do not have to worry!" Emperor Lin Mubai waved him off, signalling that there was no discussion on this matter.

How domineering!

Can't he respect my opinions?

Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched. However, he did not speak anymore. After all, the Emperor's orders could not be defied.

One could ask the Emperor for silvers or other peripherals.

However...

One could not defy an order.

It was no different from the military. As a soldier, you had to obey your commander without exception.

The orders and wishes of the king were even more domineering.

"Yes your highness!" Fang Zhengzhi kept the token. After all, the Emperor told him to go over in his free time. If he wasn't free, he could choose not to go.

Two days later, before the break of dawn...

Good news reached the Northern Mountain Village. This time, the provincial governor came personally to deliver the news.

All of the villagers saw the words 'top of the imperial examinations'. Then, they saw the name in gold. All of them were ecstatic.

"Eh, old Fang, your son did it again! He is the top scorer for the imperial examinations!"

"This is awesome. The Northern Mountain Village has produced a rank four official who is also the top scorer of the imperial examinations. There are few in history who have done so!"

Voices rang out in the Northern Mountain Village.

The teachers who had come from the Northern Territory constabularies all looked at each other in disbelief when they heard the news.

To have a rank four official be the top scorer in the imperial examinations was quite the feat.

"He really did it?!"

All of the villagers from the surrounding villages swarmed to the Northern Mountain Village. After all, they had students from all the surrounding villages.

News of this spread like wildfire.

All of the village elders prepared carts of gifts for the Northern Mountain Village. They all wanted to be the first to send their congratulations.

The Southern Mountain Village was the first one to react.

"What are we waiting for? We didn't send anyone to aid in the construction of the school either! Are we just going to hideout here for life? We can't keep this up forever!"

"We have to go!"

"We have to be the first one to arrive. Don't you agree?"

All of the Southern Mountain Village villagers looked at the village elder as well as Li Zhuangshi and his son.

"Prepare the gifts! I will send them over personally!" Village elder Meng Bai grit his teeth.

"Elder, let me and Hu Zi go with you. And you... you should come as well!" Li Zhuangshi sighed as he looked at Mrs Li beside him.

"Why should I? Why should I go with you?" Mrs Li was not taking any of that.

"You can choose not to go, but I will make sure I break your legs first. Do you believe me?" Li Zhuangshi stepped forward.

"Okay... okay! I'll go, I'll go!"

Just as things were heating up in the Northern Mountain Village...

The court examinations were starting in the capital.

The court examinations were held in the white jade square outside the courts. The Emperor himself would choose the questions, meaning there was no way to cheat.

Dawn...

It was well into autumn and the falling leaves danced in the wind. Two rows of golden armored guards guarded the door to the palace.

There were armored soldiers wielding spears on each side. They kept the spectators out, leaving a path down the middle.

This path led to the palace.

The palace gates had been opened. Rows of talents streamed in towards the palace. However, they all stopped after entering the gates, awaiting further instructions.

"Look, isn't that Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu?"

"It looks like it. Fang Zhengzhi was the top scorer of the imperial examinations. Yan Xiu topped the combat examinations as well. I'm quite sure the court examinations will be intense."

"Fang Zhengzhi has topped every examination he was in. I am sure the court examinations will be no different.

The crowd exploded into chatter upon seeing Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu approach together.

"Fang Zhengzhi can top the court examinations? What a joke!"

"Exactly! They must be ignorant villagers. Wu Feng is participating in the court examinations, how can Fang Zhengzhi ever top the exam?"

Some well dressed youths began to voice dissenting opinions.

"Oh please, I watched the imperial examinations. No one thought that Fang Zhengzhi could top it but what happened? He did so anyways!"

"Exactly, so what if Wu Feng is here? He may just be like all the other overrated talents. We still think Fang Zhengzhi can top it!"

Those commoners dressed shabbily replied with determination. They all supported Fang Zhengzhi.

"Villagers will always be villagers. Their outlook on the world is always so parochial. How can Fang Zhengzhi defeat one of the core disciples of the four sages? Even if Wu Feng loses, there's one person who will not lose."

"Who?"

"Nangong Hao!"

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Chapter 306: Policy Paper

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Nangong Hao?!"

When the ragtags heard Nangong Hao's name, their expressions all changed, all of them becoming silent almost instantly.

"Nangong Hao... is participating in the court examination?"

"If Nangong Hao participates, then it will be very difficult. Even though Fang Zhengzhi is powerful, I doubt he can defeat Nangong Hao?"

"Aish... it would be good if he can get a decent ranking, why must he defeat Nangong Hao?"

"That's true."

Even though Nangong Hao's participation in the court examination was no secret in the capital, some of those in the outskirts had yet to hear the news.

Four years ago, he was already the top talent of his generation. Four years later...

How powerful would he be?

Naturally, Fang Zhengzhi ignored the chatter around him. He was now rather experienced with all these examinations having been through three of them.

He felt that he needed to calm down.

It was just an examination on the Law of Dao, it couldn't get much easier.

Yan Xiu wore a green robe as he stood next to Fang Zhengzhi. They looked quite matching as they walked through the doors.

Once they entered the palace, a few armored soldiers stopped Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. After checking their identities and a thorough pat down, they directed both of them to the side.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything. After all, this was the court examinations. Everything had to go by the book.

At this point, there were hundreds of candidates waiting inside the palace. They were all huddled around anxiously.

"Young Master Yan, Young Master Fang!"

Before Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu could walk into the crowd, a smiling youth walked towards them. Behind him was a group of impeccably dressed youths.

It was Wu Feng.

"Mm." Yan Xiu nodded icily without a second word.

Fang Zhengzhi's gaze once again fell on the jade green flute in Wu Feng's hand. He felt a strange feeling just looking at the clouds inscribed on it.

"Young Master Fang, how did you prepare for the court examinations?" Wu Feng smiled. He walked closer towards Fang Zhengzhi.

"Is there a need to prepare?" Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly.

"Haha... you're right. I heard that Young Master Fang finished all six scripts in the theory examination. You have set a record." Wu Feng nodded.

"It is true. If the court examination was testing the Book of Dao again, we will definitely have to concede to you." One of the youths behind Wu Feng nodded.

"If we were to compare understanding of the Law of Dao, I think that only Nangong Hao and Chi Guyan are your match. It is a pity..." Yet another youth hesitated.

"What is a pity?" Fang Zhengzhi grew increasingly suspicious as he looked at the two of them.

"Do you not know?" The two youths looked at each other, smirking as they did so.

Fang Zhengzhi did not probe further. He knew that they would tell him anyways, even if he did not ask.

Just as he expected, the two youths could not hold back their excitement.

Just as they were about to speak, Wu Feng stopped them.

"It is normal that Young Master Fang does not know. However, I would have thought that you would have known a little after spending so much time with Yan Xiu."

Yan Xiu's expression changed. Then, almost as if he thought of something, he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you that the court examination does not test the Law of Dao!" Yan Xiu looked on apologetically.

"It doesn't test the Law of Dao?!" Fang Zhengzhi's expression froze.

Yan Xiu had been recuperating from his injuries before this. As such, Fang Zhengzhi did not disturb him. After Yan Xiu recovered, he had focused all his energy on partying.

He had paid little attention to the court examinations.

After all, he had thought that the court examinations would be similar to all the previous ones. He had expected to be tested on the Law of Dao.

As such, he did not probe.

"Hahaha... do you really not know? There is still an hour before the examinations begin. You should really use this time to prepare." The two youths behind Wu Feng chuckled when they heard this.

All of the other candidates also chuckled when they heard this.

"Fang Zhengzhi doesn't know that the Law of Dao is not tested at the court examinations?"

"This is interesting. We prepared for two years just for this exam. He did not even prepare at all? Hahaha..."

"I haven't seen someone enter the court examinations unprepared."

"I would like to see how he will even begin to answer the questions!"

All of the candidates looked like they had just saw the most unbelievable thing ever. They looked at Fang Zhengzhi mockingly.

"Since Young Master Fang doesn't know, we shall not disturb you any further. We will go off first. You should prepare a little." Wu Feng smirked as he left.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything.

Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi apologetically, "About this, I..."

"Why do you think Wu Feng said those words to me just now?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu. He knew that Yan Xiu did not withhold the information from him on purpose.

Wu Feng had pointed the finger at Yan Xiu on purpose to cause a rift between them.

He did not even attempt to mask it.

"I understand." Yan Xiu nodded but did not explain further. He whispered, "The court examination questions have always been set by the Emperor. As such, they have never been questions about the Law of Dao."

"Then what does it test?" Fang Zhengzhi began to understand. Even though there were many theories encompassed by the Law of Dao, the Emperor could not possibly come up with the questions on the spot.

It was impossible for him to set six scripts beforehand.

Furthermore...

More importantly, the Emperor could not possibly set so many questions. The maximum number of questions he could set was two.

This was easier to understand.

If the questions had come from the Law of Dao, then they would have hundreds of scripts with the same answer.

How would they find the best of the best?

"Policy!" Yan Xiu replied.

"I see." Fang Zhengzhi had guessed as much.

He had never expected to be back where he started. In his previous world, they were frequently examined on policy issues.

They would ask the candidates a question based on the political climate.

The candidates would present a policy to address the said issue. In effect, they were proposing a policy to the courts.

Now...

There was a problem.

Just as these talents had said, other than incorporating various theories, a good policy paper had to take into account current affairs and political climate.

Only through an understanding of the issues faced by the government could One present a good paper.

Furthermore, one would probably need tens, if not hundreds, of drafts for a policy paper to be watertight.

That was the only way to stand out from the crowd.

This was also the reason why they would look at Fang Zhengzhi with such mocking gazes.

They had prepared for two years, concerning themselves with the political developments over the past two years. Furthermore, they had been improving their papers throughout this entire time.

They probably had at least five such thesis.

Fang Zhengzhi did not prepare. He simply came to the examination without any prior knowledge.

If he could pass the theory examination.

It would really be a miracle.

"What will I do now?" Fang Zhengzhi frowned. He cursed in his heart.

Even if he knew this beforehand...

It would be impossible to know everything that had happened in the past two years within the past few days. Furthermore, he had to have a grasp of the problems the government was facing in recent times.

It bordered on the impossible.

"I have a few papers..." Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi before hesitating.

"Yes, you should copy some of Yan Xiu's papers!"

"Fang Zhengzhi, if I were you, I would ask Yan Xiu to tell me what he had too."

"Mm... we would like to hear Young Master Yan's thesis too. Could you please impart some knowledge to us?"

When the surrounding candidates heard Yan Xiu, they surrounded the two of them like moths to a flame.

Yan Xiu's expression turned icy instantaneously.

Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

He knew exactly what these candidates were thinking. His lack of preparation was a dream come true for them. Why would they let him have a chance to copy from Yan Xiu?

"Don't worry, I have my own plans. I will definitely be able to pass the theory examination!" Fang Zhengzhi rejected Yan Xiu as he glanced at the surrounding candidates.

He felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart.

Yan Xiu's policy paper!

I wish I could copy it.

Fang Zhengzhi did not care if this was cheating. If he could cheat under the nose of the Emperor, it would be an achievement in itself.

But now even that was gone...

He would not be able to cheat even if he wanted to.

Everyone knew that he did not prepare a policy paper. As such, he could not even switch it around with someone else.

Was he really going to flunk the examinations?

"He can definitely pass the examination? Did I hear that wrong?"

"Hahaha... Brother Li, you did not hear that wrong. Young Master Fang is the top scorer for the imperial examination. It would be impossible for someone of that caliber to fail the court theory examination."

"That is true, I was wrong. Young Master Fang, my apologies!"

"In my opinion, Young Master Fang is truly a talent. Even we would find it impossible to rush out a policy paper now. Don't you all agree?"

"Yes indeed! Hahaha..."

All of the talents could not help but guffaw when they heard Fang Zhengzhi assert that he would pass. They all looked at Fang Zhengzhi mockingly.

"F*ck!" Fang Zhengzhi raised his middle finger towards the rest of the candidates. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu. He wanted Yan Xiu to fill him in on some current affairs.

Yan Xiu stiffened, then pondered for a moment. He turned to look at his surroundings before replying with only one word.

"Works!"

"Works? Okay I got it." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

Even though he had not been in touch with recent happenings in the court, he knew that there were no major wars in the past two years.

Even though the demons were up to their antics once again, it was not something a single policy could solve.

As such, the question could not have anything to do with war.

The six ministries represented the country's policy.

Without wars, the Ministry Of Defence was out of the question. The Ministry Of Manpower was rarely involved in policy. The Ministry Of Finance dealt with money and rations. Since there was no war, neither of these things were a problem.

All that was left was Ministry Of Law, Rites, and Works.

Since it was peacetime, the Ministry Of Law could be eliminated.

To decide between Works and Rites, anyone with some knowledge would guess the Ministry Of Works.

The Ministry Of Works was in charge of developments and infrastructure. In recent years, the Great Xia Dynasty was riddled with droughts. Even the villagers were affected by this.

Over the past few years, only the Northern Mountain Village had managed to bounce back slightly. Other villages in the surrounding were still immensely poor.

Even though Yan Xiu had only said a single word, it was the biggest hint he could possibly give.

All of the other candidates were stunned when they heard what Yan Xiu said. They wanted to say something and accuse them of cheating, but they could not find anything to say.

After all, the word 'works' meant little on its own.

"So what if he knows it has to do with works?"

"Exactly! Without sufficient preparation, knowing the topic is useless!"

"The court examinations are not so simple. They only select 10 out of the hundreds that take part. I don't think he can write anything particularly stunning in such a short time!"

All of the candidates left after saying their piece. However, every now and then, they would look at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu, afraid that Yan Xiu will tell Fang Zhengzhi his plans.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored all of the surrounding candidates. He focused on how he was going to begin this policy paper.

He racked his brain...

But he found a problem... he knew virtually nothing about the history and geography of the Great Xia Dynasty!

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Chapter 307: The examination begins

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The solution to persistent droughts was not to build the Great Wall or forts. It was to direct water from the sea into the rivers and lakes before redirecting them to each village and city.

This was beneficial to the citizens.

Furthermore, he had to bear in mind that this world had not invented the dam or cloud seeding just yet.

Fang Zhengzhi decided to make water scarcity the basis for his paper.

However, without an understanding of the dynasty's history, he would not know what had happened where. He also did not know what infrastructure each city had.

More importantly, he knew nothing about the geography of the empire.

Where were the seas? Where were the lakes? Where were the rivers? Where were the water sources... where was water in abundance? Where was water in short supply all year round? How was he going to begin without knowledge of any of this?

This exam was no different from the thesis he had wrote in his previous world. Without real world examples, it would be a useless paper.

Fang Zhengzhi sweat profusely.

Was he really going to fail?

Just as he was thinking about it, the sound of a gong rang out. Then, rows of imperial messengers in black robes approached from afar.

The one leading the group was Su Qing. He wore the robes of a rank four official.

Su Qing's face was filled with color. He had a list of all the candidates in his hand. He led the group of messengers to the crowd of candidates.

All of the candidates stopped talking, patiently waiting for Su Qing to speak.

He was simply going to announce the rules for the entering the exam hall, as well as the guidelines for the examination itself.

"The Great Xia Dynasty..." Su Qing did not waste any time. He began to recite all the rules for the examination. Then, he looked at the candidates, "This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Enter the hall!"

"Thank you your honor!" All of the candidates bowed in thanks.

Fang Zhengzhi did not bow like the rest of them. He was an official himself, why should he bow? Furthermore, he was of the same rank as Su Qing.

There were quite a few like Fang Zhengzhi who did not bow. The dozen of them included people like Yan Xiu and Wu Feng.

There were at least a dozen candidates who came from powerful and influential families.

Fang Zhengzhi was not one of them.

All of the candidates were screened one more time, their identities reverified. After all, the examination was to be held in the palace. Double checking was quite understandable.

This second check was even more detailed than the first. First, one was questioned on their background before a blood test was done.

This was to prevent a second incident like the one which happened in the World of the Sage.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen such a blood test before back in the Southern Mountain Village. This time, the blood test was to screen for members of the demons. As such, it was much faster than the one in the Southern Mountain Village.

Before long, all of the candidates had been screened and verified.

They were now officially invited into the hall. The imperial messengers led them all to the entrance of the square.

Fang Zhengzhi began to get a little suspicious.

He knew that Nangong Hao had announced his intention to partake in the court examinations. However, he could not feel this man's presence in the crowd.

"Is this Nangong Hao so easy to miss?" Fang Zhengzhi did not ask anymore. He remembered that Nangong Mu was also quite easy to miss back at the imperial examination.

How is Nangong Mu now?

Fang Zhengzhi looked towards the south. He did not know if that was where the Nangong Family was, but he subconsciously glanced in that direction.

All of the candidates arrived at the entrance to the White Jade Square very quickly. Two rows of armored guards stood by the entrance.

They were all solemn.

Fang Zhengzhi had been here before and he knew how well guarded the palace was. There was virtually a guard every ten steps. However, the number of guards seemed to be even more today.

After entering through the doors, his field of vision expanded.

The White Jade Square was true to its name. The entire floor was made out of White Jade and it was surrounded with White Jade fences. Each one had exquisite engravings of dragons and phoenixes.

Today, there was a golden stage in the middle of the square. It was covered in a cloth weaves from gold thread. A huge umbrella adorned with dragons was in the middle of the stage. It blocked out the sun that was beating down on the stage.

A red cloth covered the ground below the stage. There were over 200 redwood tables on the square. Each one was at least three meters from each other.

Okay then...

This was going to be a whole new experience.

Fang Zhengzhi could almost confirm that it would be impossible to cheat here. Furthermore, there were at least 20 imperial messengers around them.

"Let's go." Yan Xiu spoke as he looked at the square.

"Mm." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

All of the other candidates walked towards the redwood tables. This was different from the other examinations. This time, everyone tried to sit as close to the front as possible.

Fang Zhengzhi's gaze fell on a pair of great seats. They were right at the mouth of the dragon on the golden door. Furthermore, it provided a wide field of vision.

Since he had little confidence going into this competition, Fang Zhengzhi decided to rely a little on Feng Shui to turn his fortunes around.

Just as he was preparing to go over, he saw a fat candidate rush over maniacally.

"Stealing my seat?" Fang Zhengzhi had come unprepared. He was already incredibly nervous. Should his seat be taken from him, it would the nail in the coffin.

He flicked his hand and a nail flew over.

"Ouch... why is there a nail on this seat?" The fat youth bounced right back up just as he prepared to sit down.

All of the candidates were stunned by what the fat youth had just said. They all looked at their own chairs, concerned that this may be a test.

However...

Their seats were nail-free.

"It is a good omen to have some redness at the beginning of such an event!" Fang Zhengzhi was pleased with the result. He walked over to the seat, retrieved his nail and sat down.

"Fang Zhengzhi, what are you doing?" The fat youth was furious.

"Nothing much. I am bullying you. Do you have an opinion?" Fang Zhengzhi said straightforwardly.

"You... you dare to bully me? Do you know who I am? I am the Nanqun..." The fat youth fumed when he heard Fang Zhengzhi's reply. He pounded his chest as he spoke.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Fang Zhengzhi interrupted.

"Yes!"

"I would like to make a report. He wants to assault me!"

"What? This is the theory examination. If you continue to make trouble, I will disqualify you!" One of the imperial messengers walked over upon seeing this.

The fat youth shrunk when he saw this. He immediately motioned to the imperial messenger that he will not attack. Then, he glared at Fang Zhengzhi after the messenger left.

"Humph, Fang Zhengzhi, just wait and see!"

"Why? Are you looking for a fight?" Yan Xiu walked next to Fang Zhengzhi. He waved his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan as he glared at the fat youth icily.

"No... I don't dare." The fat youth's expression changed as he tucked his tail between his legs and ran.

All of the other candidates sat by the side when they saw this. No one dared to antagonize Fang Zhengzhi.

This way, Fang Zhengzhi was given quite a lot of space to himself. He leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes.

"Works?"

"Water?"

Fang Zhengzhi kept thinking of all the passages he had read before. Da Yu who conquered the floods? Not very appropriate... Sun Wukong in the Eastern Dragon Palace?

Erm...

That didn't seem on topic either.

What about a poem about labour and farmers?

Aish!

Fang Zhengzhi's mind was in a mess. He could not think of anything that could work at the moment. He decided against thinking about it anymore.

"Bong!"

Just at this moment, a gong rang out.

All of the candidates straightened in their seats. The second gong announced the arrival of the Emperor.

Indeed, after the gong echoed through the air, a voice rang out.

"All hail the Emperor!"

"All hail the Emperor!"

The voice neared and a huge carriage came into view. It was entirely made from gold. There were a few dragons engraved on it. Each golden dragon was filled with complicated patterns.

"This pattern..." Fang Zhengzhi's eyes brightened. This was the first time he had seen the carriage of the Emperor, however, this was the third time he had seen such patterns. The first time was back on Cang Ling Mountain in The Vast World. The second was on Wu Feng's jade flute.

Three times?

This was definitely not a coincidence.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that this pattern definitely had a special meaning. The one he saw must have been linked to the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. As for Wu Feng, his master was one of the four sages.

As for Emperor Lin Mubai...

He was ranked above the sages.

This should be the Sagely Pattern!

Okay, this was his guess. He thought that he should just ask Yan Xiu about it after the examination. This guessing was pointless.

The carriage arrived at the White Jade Square. The door was opened and Emperor Lin Mubai walked out slowly. He wore a golden robe.

Fang Zhengzhi noticed a youth next to Emperor Lin Mubai. He wore white but his robe was stained with some red.

The red was reminiscent of blood, but its shape was rather unique. All of them were pentagons and looked like maple leaves.

"Nangong Hao!"

"Who would have thought that he was already in the palace!"

"And he is travelling with the Emperor!"

All of the candidates noticed the youth as well. When they recognized who it was, they could not help but discuss it heatedly amongst themselves.

"Nangong Hao?" Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at the youth in white. He found that Nangong Hao looked completely different from Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu was plain. It would be difficult to notice him in a crowd. However, Nangong Hao was like a bright light.

This light was not glaring. It came from within.

There was an apt term for someone like this.

Bright!

His eyebrows were sharp, his pupils black and shining. He was expressionless, his thin lips revealing no trace of emotion. He made one feel like he was above all worldly concerns.

Emperor Lin Mubai had already exited the carriage. He seemed to notice the discussions below. He turned to nod at Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao returned the greeting.

However, it was not one between an official and the Emperor, but rather one between a junior and a senior. Nangong Hao walked towards a redwood desk below.

He sat down.

He did not say a single word from start to finish.

Emperor Lin Mubai did not say anything either. He walked to the stage and took his seat on the throne.

Just at this moment, all of the officials began to approach. They were led by Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping as they took their seats on stage.

All of the candidates held their breath.

The court examinations were held once every two years. Many people chose to become officials right after the imperial examination.

However, this caused them to have insufficient preparation for the court examination.

Of the 200 candidates, few were officials. Some of them could not find vacancies in the court. Others were drawn the the academic rigour of the court examinations.

Everyone wanted to attain the highest honor.

The court examinations.

This was the last mountain to cross. As long as they crossed this, they would be greeted by a boundless future. This was the key moment.

Who wouldn't be nervous.

What will the question be this time? Everyone was concerned about this. After all, this question will determine if their preparation had been a waste or not.

Did they manage to guess the topic correctly?

That was the golden question.

"Bong!"

The gong rang out for the third time. This represented the beginning of the court examination. Their questions were about to be answered.

All of the candidates were silent as they stared at Emperor Lin Mubai. They waited for him to speak...

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Chapter 308: Unexpected Question

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Emperor Lin Mubai scanned the group of candidates affectionately.

He was a young Emperor. If not for the fact that he was on the throne, he would have looked like a candidate himself.

"Governing the country, maintaining peace in the vassal states, ruling the world. These are the goals of the emperor. Even though I am powerful, I need capable people to help me achieve these goals. I have scoured for talent from all corners of the empire. Because talents are scarce, I have used this biannual court examinations to find the top talents!"

Emperor Lin Mubai paused, his expression pained. His 'depression' stemmed from the lack of talent.

Fang Zhengzhi was stunned. What a good actor!

Life was all an act.

All of the Oscar winners and famous actors from his previous world could not hold a candle to Emperor Lin Mubai. His acting was impeccable.

Even describing it as perfection would be an understatement.

However, Fang Zhengzhi could understand it.

After all, as the chief examiner and Emperor, he had to forge a connection with the candidates.

All of the candidates who were participating in the court examination would have went through all of the prerequisite Dao Examinations.

Even though they were at the final examination and had much to say, but the Emperor may not be willing to listen. Whether what they said was of any use, or if the question was sincere or not was not the concern of the candidates.

After all...

This was the final barrier. Once they were in, they would not have to worry for the rest of their lives. If they failed, they may not have a second chance.

As the Emperor, Lin Mubai had to break down the barriers in the hearts of the candidates. He wanted them to approach the examinations calmly.

After Emperor Lin Mubai paused, all of the expressions of the candidates changed. Their wariness was replaced with excitement.

The court lacks talent?

That's great, we are all talents!

All of the candidates rubbed their palms in excitement. They were all at the edge of their seats, waiting for Emperor Lin Mubai to reveal the question so they could prepare their response.

Emperor Lin Mubai nodded slightly, then continued. "I have said enough. You have all been studying diligently for many years. You are all very well read and intelligent. It is time for you to show us all your abilities!"

Fang Zhengzhi also understood what the Emperor was doing.

This was encouragement and praise.

He first said that he had a lack of talents, then praised the candidates for being well read and intelligent. He was telling them that this was their opportunity to show him what they got.

All of the candidates grew restless in their seats. It was almost as if they had just been given a jab of steroids. If not for the fact that the Emperor was in front of them, they would probably shout at the top of their lungs.

"I will not hold back!"

Fang Zhengzhi was not like them. The Emperor always had other concerns. He would never take the words of inexperienced talents blindly.

He was just engaging in pleasantries.

However, all of these talents were fired up. They were all looking for affirmation and easily riled up. Furthermore, the one riling them up was Emperor Lin Mubai.

He was a man of power with great acting skills.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Emperor Lin Mumbai's act was coming to an end. The question was about to be revealed.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the expressions of the candidates. He nodded in satisfaction before turning to look to the south.

"It is said that we should bury the hatchet. To our north we have the barbarians. We have vast mountain ranges to our south and vast seas to out west. We are vulnerable to sudden sneak attacks. Even so, the one that worries me the most is the demonic race. They cause me insomnia and ill appetite. It is said that the most powerful do not need to a battlefield attain victory. Those who are great tacticians do not need a battle to secure their victory. Those who are great warriors never lose and those who learn from their mistakes never die."

"As the Emperor, the welfare of my citizens is the most important. I must ensure that they lead peaceful and prosperous lives."

"The best commanders win without lifting a sword. The next best alternative is diplomacy. After that comes battle in the open. The worst strategy is to siege a city. I hope that you will all be able to provide me a strategy which can quell dissent in the outskirts and benefit the nation!"

Tears welled up in Emperor Lin Mubai's eyes. They dropped down like beads of crystals, the depression clear on his face.

It pained people just looking at it.

However, all of the candidates were stunned.

In that moment, all of the candidates felt like crying. However, their sadness was different from that of the Emperor's. They really wanted to cry.

Two years!

In the past two years, they had devoted all their time to researching the history and geography of the empire. They focused all their attention on how they would develop infrastructure to ensure water security.

Some of the candidates even went to the affected areas to understand the pain of the commoners.

They had done everything they could to prepare for this day.

More importantly, they had studied about infrastructure. They learnt about engineering, how to divert rivers into lakes...

But now?

This was clearly a question on military strategy. Furthermore, the Emperor had made it very clear that he did not want an attack strategy.

More importantly, he wanted a policy that would soothe the outskirts and benefit the empire!

Wasn't this going to be about how to divert seas into rivers? How to build reservoirs? Your highness, did you not witness the droughts in the past two years? Why did you ask us about how to guard our borders? Where are we going to find our answers?!

All of the candidates were on the verge of tears.

Two years of preparation had been completely decimated by a single statement from the Emperor. The policy papers that they had spent so much time preparing were virtually useless.

None of them had the mood to take the exam...

Mother, I want to go home!

All of the candidates' hearts sank. They prayed that the Emperor would test them more, that he would give them another question on water security.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the tearful candidates in shock. He wondered if his speech previously was really that emotional.

Why did they all look like they were about to break down in tears?

The effect was rather unexpected.

He was surprised that there were so many talents fired up to rush into the battlefield for the empire.

Emperor Lin Mubai was happy with such an effect. He began to set up the finale.

"Everyone, this policy question requires much thought and knowledge. Take great care in crystallizing your thoughts and pen them down!" The Emperor continued.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Emperor Lin Mubai was setting the rules.

He wanted the candidates to analyze the problem carefully and conscientiously. He wanted them to draw on examples from history. The viewpoints laid out in the paper must be based on facts.

The Emperor had already set the stage for the theory examinations.

Since the Emperor had already set out his requirements, it meant that there was no second or third question.

All of the candidates were about to break down.

They all wanted to beg the Emperor to give them another examination question!

It was a pity.

It...

Was of no use!

The Emperor had no intention of giving them another question. He sat back on the throne without a second word. He picked up his teacup, motioning to the candidates to begin writing.

It was deep autumn and maple leaves filled the lake.

A broken boat rocked on the lake. There were clear sword marks on it. Each mark was deep. If not for the strength in the construction of this boat, any of those strikes would have split it in half.

On the boat were two ladies in green dresses. There was also an instrument on the boat.

At this point, two figures appeared from at the edge of the lake.

The one in front was skinny wore a black cloak. The breeze blew the hoodie off his head, revealing a white face.

If Fang Zhengzhi was here, he would have recognized this man as Bai Xing.

"Where is the master?" Bai Xing's eyes glimmered as he looked at the boat.

"Domain Chief, the master is fine. She is resting in the city. However, the master has already ordered your immediate return to the Southern Mountain Range!"

"What is this about, bring me to the master!"

"I'm afraid not!"

"Do you want to die?"

"If you want to kill me, please do so in a more secluded area."

"You... is the master injured?"

"I already said that she is not in danger. I humbly request that you return the the Southern Mountain Range. The master has said that she will meet you there."

"The master will go to the Southern Mountain Range?"

"Yes."

"I understand. Where is Nangong Hao now?"

"Yan Capital!"

"Yan Capital?"

"That's right. Nangong Hao is participating in the court examinations as well. I have intel that tells me that the candidates will be having their combat examinations in the Southern Mountain Range. You can wait for him there."

"Nangong Hao will go to the Southern Mountain Range? Good! Very good! I will fight it out with this talent!" Bai Xing turned and left without hesitation.

Inside the palace.

After taking a sip of his tea, the Emperor looked at Nangong Hao, who was sitting silently at his desk.

"Nangong Hao, your gift to me is rather significant..." Emperor Lin Mubai's eyes glimmered as he placed the teacup on the table beside him.

He looked at the maple leaves at the edges of Nangong Hao's clothes. His expression changed slightly but he did not speak. He simply sighed.

The other candidates did not notice the Emperor's expression. They were too busy trying to rack their brains for an answer.

Emperor Lin Mubai had talked about governing the country, stabilizing the vassals and ruling the world.

Then, he had came up with a question on how to stabilize the vassals. This was completely different from what they had expected.

Therein lay the problem.

They had no policy for stabilizing the vassal states. What were they to do now?

These candidates all understood some military tactics. However, the policy paper required opinion and clarity of thought.

The most important thing in the paper was not how beautifully it was written.

What was valued was the opinions and views raised.

The Emperor wanted to stabilize the vassal states. There were many ways to do this. He could marry a princess to the leaders there. He could give them gifts and tokens of friendships. He could give land and official positions, or he could declare war...

But now...

Was the Empire going to war?

Clearly not.

Without any actual wars, there was no evidence to go on. Without evidence and examples, the policy would be impossible to write.

A policy about the Northern Barbarians would have certain specifics about that race and location. The same applied to the Southern Mountain Range and the demons.

Without any specifics, how did the Emperor expect them to write the paper?

All of the candidates frowned deeply, their pens shaking in their hands. Many could not bring themselves to begin writing.

However, there was a minority who seemed well prepared.

Wu Feng was one of them. His expression was filled with confidence.

Many things in life were not without clues. However, one needed a keen sense of observation to spot these clues. Wu Feng always thought of himself as an observant person.

Most people did not notice the Emperor looking towards the south before he asked his question.

But, Wu Feng noticed it.

Furthermore...

Wu Feng had intelligence that the combat examinations would be held in the Southern Mountain Range.

For the court examinations to be held there...

The implications did not need to be elaborated upon.

"I think that there are problems in the Southern Mountain Range!" Wu Feng's eyes glimmered as he began writing.

The Southern Mountain Range had always been a natural defence for the empire.

It was a great defence against the demons. Because of its presence, the demons had been unable to launch a large scale attack.

The policy would need to keep the Southern Mountain Range on the empire's side!

Wu Feng's eyes glimmered as he raised his pen. He contemplated for a moment before beginning to write.

He was completely absorbed in his writing...

Just at that moment, a voice rang out.

"Don't give up, just do it!"

Wu Feng jumped in his seat. His hand shook and a huge blob of ink fell onto his paper...

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Chapter 309: I am the master of my own paper

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Who is it?!" Wu Feng was furious. For the court examination, their scripts had to be immaculate. This blob of ink basically rendered his script useless.

There were about a dozen other candidates who were just as infuriated.

They had suffered the same fate as Wu Feng. One of them had already written more than 300 words. That blob of ink of his paper meant that it was all a waste.

The person responsible was Fang Zhengzhi. He was ecstatic.

Sometimes the believers were rewarded. He had thought that he was going to fail, yet, the reality was a huge surprise.

He was right to snatch this seat.

The question was changed!

As a major in history, Fang Zhengzhi knew little about water security. However, he was well read on governance and management of threats.

He knew what the Emperor wanted.

During the Three Kingdoms Era, Cao Cao had commanded an army of over 800,000 to attack the Eastern Wu. Most of the officials had suggested that they surrender.

However, Zhou Yu knew what his King wanted.

Similar events could be seen throughout history. Emperor Wu of Han's attack of the barbarians, Kang Xi's suppression of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories... All of these told Fang Zhengzhi that an Emperor's ambition was boundless.

Furthermore, the Great Xia Dynasty had remained peaceful for so many years. Their coffers were full. This would fan the ambitions of the Emperor.

He could see this from what Emperor Lin Mubai had said just now.

If one continued to write about peace and diplomacy, even the most well written policy would not be in line with the Emperor's wishes.

It was simple. He would have to write about battle!

Or at the very least, the idea of it.

He could simply use the threat of an army to suppress the enemies of the empire. Simply by marching to the border could instill fear in the enemies, making them afraid to rise up for generations.

Now that he knew what he was going to write about, it came down to the details.

A plan?

Fang Zhengzhi did not have one. He had no idea that the court examination would be a policy paper. He also did not know that it would be a topic like this.

But it was no matter.

In his previous world, there were many classics that discussed policy. The three most famous were "Early Qin", "Feudalism", and "Six Nations".

"Early Qin" discussed why the Qin Dynasty managed to prosper and its eventual downfall. It was a book on governing policy.

"Feudalism" was a book on revolution.

It analyzed the pros and cons of each revolution and had links to government.

These two classics were of little use, but it did not matter. "Six Nations" was apt! This book recounted how Qin managed to conquer all the other six nations.

It targeted the passive attitudes of the other six nations at the time.

They had all given Qin parts of their land or a number of cities in order to maintain temporary peace. However, they did not expect Qin to grow stronger as a result.

In the end, after Qin destroyed the countries which did not carve out land for them, they managed to turn back to conquer those which did.

Even though it was a novel on the cowardice of the six nations, it all pointed to one lesson...

Do not surrender, fight!

What if the vassal states do not keep in line? Beat them till they do? Pacify? That is something one does when one is not powerful enough. No true Emperor would want to employ such a strategy.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if Emperor Lin Mubai was a Holy Spirit. However, he knew that he was not a careless man.

The best example was...

Emperor Lin Mubai had given Fang Zhengzhi his personal token to facilitate his entry into the Ministry Of Rites. This was sufficient to show the Emperor's decisiveness.

With this in mind, Fang Zhengzhi began to write.

Then, he saw the enraged glances of the candidates around him?

"Is there something wrong, Young Master Wu?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Feng with confusion.

"Nothing!" Wu Feng grit his teeth and forced a smile. He rolled up his script which was destroyed by the ink.

"Then you should continue writing your own paper. Even if you keep looking at me, I will not let you copy my script!" Fang Zhengzhi shifted his table closer to himself.

Wu Feng was furious!

Why would I copy yours? I did not spend my two years as poorly as the others! I had prepared plans for all six ministries!

Do I need to copy your script?

Wu Feng was scornful.

However, he was also infuriated. He realized that Fang Zhengzhi was even more scornful than him. In fact, Fang Zhengzhi's attitude bordered on condescension.

Clear, unadulterated condescension.

"Just wait and see. When I top the theory examination, we will know who is the one who needs to copy!" Wu Feng turned back to look at his script. As he was about to write, he frowned.

Where was he at?

God damn it!

"Ahem! No communication during the examination!" One of the invigilators coughed lightly when he saw Fang Zhengzhi and Wu Feng talking.

Fang Zhengzhi raised his middle finger at that imperial messenger.

He seduced me.

He did not continue debating with Wu Feng. Fang Zhengzhi realized another problem.

Did this world have the Warring States Era?

Fang Zhengzhi was not very familiar with the history of the Great Xia Dynasty. Even if the Warring States Era existed, it was unlikely that the countries would be called Qin, Chu, Zhao...

If they were, it would be too much of a coincidence.

Without this period in history, the "Six Nations" could not be used either. How was he going to solve this?

Fang Zhengzhi looked into the sky. There were a few leaves floating in the air, blown around by a light breeze.

The world keeps changing - flowers bloom and wilt, spring came and went.

When was he ever going to find himself a wife?

Hang on... he was taking an exam now.

He had to concentrate on that first. How was he going to use the "Six Nations"? Six Nations, Seven Nations, Eight Nations, Three Nations...

I got it!

If there isn't, I'll just make up a story.

In many novels, the stories within them were all made up. They were there for the sole purpose of allowing the author to push his point.

This was a simple concept.

In primary school, they were tasked to write an essay. The topic of the essay was observing the growth of plants.

One could not possibly buy a seed and watch it grow and bloom.

It would take too long. The essay would never be submitted on time.

The problem he had was solved.

There was no way Fang Zhengzhi would write out the history of the Warring States Era. Only an idiot would do such a thing.

He would use an analogy.

He would use the Seven Kingdoms to describe the Great Xia Dynasty's current predicament. They had the barbarians to the north, the mountain range to the south, the demons in the distance, and the problems from the seas in the west.

He did not need to assign each kingdom their counterpart in this world. Anyone reading it would simply link the various problems to the seven kingdoms in their heart.

This technique was not something the average reader would understand.

However, since his reader was Emperor Lin Mubai, he had nothing to worry about. If the Emperor was not able to make such links, he would not be able to sit on that position for long.

He would have been usurped long ago.

Fang Zhengzhi smirked to himself as he thought about this. He had decided to base his policy paper off the "Six Nations".

Even though it needed to be changed a little, this was easy for Fang Zhengzhi.

He was a first-class honour student of history, having read countless classic literature all these years. He even managed to memorize the Law of Dao.

His train of thoughts could not be stemmed.

His brain was filled with ideas in an instant.

He immediately began writing, his mind guiding his hands across the paper.

"Woosh woosh woosh..."

The brush swept across the paper.

All of the furious candidates who were interrupted by Fang Zhengzhi's outburst were stunned by this sight. They had heard about Fang Zhengzhi's speed before.

Now, they saw it for themselves.

It looked like he was spasming.

"So fast?!"

"Didn't he say he didn't prepare? Why is he able to begin writing so quickly? Furthermore, it doesn't look like he's writing a paper, it looks like he's copying one!"

"Could it be that he is just trying to fill his paper with something because he has nothing to write?"

"I think that it is possible!"

All of the candidates were doubtful. After all, Fang Zhengzhi's speed was unbelievable.

Wu Feng was trying to regain his train of thought when he heard the wooshing sound of the brush.

He turned to look.

It was Fang Zhengzhi.

"That speed..." Wu Feng's jaw dropped as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he turned to look at his blank script. He then looked at another person nearby.

It was Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao was calm as water in his white robe.

Nangong Hao was the complete opposite of Nangong Hao. Ever since the beginning of the exam, Nangong Hao's pen had not even moved.

He shut his eyes, deep in thought.

He looked like a statue in the middle of the examination square.

Just at this moment, a fallen leaf fell lightly on Nangong Hao's shoulder. It was so natural that it made people feel that the leaf was on his shoulder all along.

Any other candidate would have swept the leaf off their shoulder. However, Nangong Hao remained still as a statue.

"Chirp chirp..." A bird chirped in the distance.

Then, a red beak, green feathered, three tailed kingfisher landed on the outskirts of the square. This was a common bird in the palace gardens and did not attract the attention of the candidates.

However, Wu Feng's eyes widened.

Because...

He saw the three tailed kingfisher hop towards Nangong Hao. Before long, it had hopped onto Nangong Hao's shoulder, picked up the fallen leaf with its beak and hopped away.

"This, this is... Natural Heart Dao!" Wu Feng's expression changed.

As the disciple of one of the four sages, he knew that one's heart would continue to change as they progressed. Some would become more aggressive, others more peaceful. Some would become more passionate, others more serene.

This had to do with the kind of Dao they cultivated.

However, one kind of person was an exception.

They were never changed by their cultivation. Their personality and hearts stayed the same throughout, regardless of external stimuli.

It did not seem like much.

However, these people were the most terrifying talents in the world. They could learn any Dao or technique.

They could cultivate and train with the demonic and evil arts.

Killing could cause them to improve, but so could healing and helping others.

No matter what they did, it would be combined with the Dao in his heart. It would become a part of his cultivation, regardless good, evil, peace or violence.

This was the Natural Heart Dao

"I see, I see!" Wu Feng finally understood what Nangong Hao was doing the past four years. He finally understood why Nangong Hao had rejected the invitation from the Heaven Dao Pavilion four years ago.

Back then, Nangong Hao had only said one thing when he rejected them.

Poor foundation!

At that time, most people did not understand what he meant. Nangong Hao was able to suppress intermediate Rewind State cultivators as a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State. If his foundation wasn't good, whose was?

Almost everyone felt that Nangong Hao was finding an excuse for himself to not enter the Heaven Dao Pavilion.

But now, Wu Feng understood.

Nangong Hao was not finding an excuse for himself. He was speaking the truth, but it was not something anyone had expected.

In four years...

Natural Heart Dao!

This was what Nangong Hao considered a good foundation.

In the Heavenly Reflection State, Nangong Hao was able to understand the Natural Heart Dao. This made him the same level as Wu Feng's master!

Sage!

This was something everyone wanted and worked for. That word meant that one was a peerless power.

Wu Feng stared at Nangong Hao with jealousy. However, he suppressed this jealousy, because, his brain told him...

Nangong Hao was not to be antagonized!

Wu Feng looked back at Fang Zhengzhi, his lips twitching as he smiled bitterly.

"I think both you and I are just here as fodder for this man!"

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Chapter 310: Script Submission

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Wu Feng did not think that Fang Zhengzhi was weak. Before he knew that Nangong Hao was participating, or before he saw Nangong Hao's Natural Heart Dao...

He had always thought of Fang Zhengzhi as one of his biggest competitors.

Especially on the Theory Examination.

Anyone who could finish six scripts in four hours perfectly was not to be underestimated.

Wu Feng had tried it before, and two scripts was his maximum.

Six scripts...

The only way to describe it was "monster".

However, he had to consider Fang Zhengzhi and himself as mere accompaniments. It wasn't that Fang Zhengzhi was weak, but Nangong Hao was too strong!

Fang Zhengzhi did not notice any of this. He was happily engrossed in his policy paper, writing down the knowledge of the ancestors of his previous world.

He completely ignored everything around him.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi's "Six Nations" had some differences from the real "Six Nations". He simply used "Six Nations" as his foundation.

After all, the history and dynamic during the era of the "Six Nations" was also slightly different from the Great Xia Dynasty.

However, the concept of never surrendering would not change regardless of era or political climate. Even a small enterprise could use this concept when competing against giants in the market.

So...

What about the major players?

They can use the same concept. Never surrendering represents a will to fight. If the powerful take their pedal off the metal, they too will become weak.

This was simple logic.

However, in order for his "New Six Nations" to be even more applicable to this dynasty, Fang Zhengzhi had to change some of the sentences.

One of the sentences inside the original was...

"This empire rose from the ashes of the six nations, but it could also fall at their hands."

What this meant was that if the ruling country was strong enough to conquer the nations but not strong enough to hold them, they could be overthrown easily.

Fang Zhengzhi used this as the main idea for his paragraph, adding in details of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Anyone who was not a fool...

Would be able to see that he was referring to the current Great Xia Dynasty. Whilst they were powerful now, they needed to exert that power so that the vassal states will remain subservient.

Else, they will go down in flames.

Fang Zhengzhi's policy paper was coming to an end. He did not analyze the current political climate of the Great Xia Dynasty, choosing to analyze a period of history from the viewpoint of an outsider.

The reason was...

He did not know the current political climate.

"Mm... I think that it's not bad!" Fang Zhengzhi stopped writing and began to check his work. He quickly realized a misspelled word.

Then, a grammatical error.

Phew!

Checking one's work was always a good habit. It never hurt to check one more time. This idea was drilled into him by his teachers.

He made the changes and burnished his sentences.

He read it one more time.

Satisfied...

Then, he copied the entire script with his edits onto a fresh script.

He looked around him and saw all the candidates frowning. Some of them were even chewing on their pens, almost like starving wolves.

Why would they eat bamboo if they weren't pandas?

Fang Zhengzhi shook his head in disdain. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu. Yan Xiu had already begun writing, and he looked rather confident.

Fang Zhengzhi was not too surprised by this.

Even though Yan Xiu also prepared plans related to the Ministry of Works, as a disciple of the Yan Family, he was in tune with the sensitivities of the empire. As such, this policy paper should not stymie him.

He then turned to look at Wu Feng and saw that Wu Feng had also begun writing. However, he seemed to be a little affected, a stark contrast from his usual cheery self.

"Has Nangong Hao begun writing?" Fang Zhengzhi remembered and turned to look in that direction.

He saw that Nangong Hao was still seated on his chair like a statue, his brush still on the table.

Is he joking?

Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself.

Isn't he supposed to be the top talent? How can he take so long to think about a policy to subdue the vassal states? If he was this weak, it would be such a disappointment.

Fang Zhengzhi did not look around any longer. He calmed himself and stretched his arms. Then, he continued writing.

Within 15 minutes, his "New Six Nations" policy was finished.

"I would like to submit my script!" Fang Zhengzhi had always had the habit of sleeping after finishing his paper previously. After all, the previous exams did not allow him to submit his scripts ahead of time.

However, the court examinations did not have such a rule.

As such...

He decided that he would like to enjoy the thrill of handing in his script before hand. After all, he had always done this in his previous world.

He would treat it as reliving some of his old life.

"Hand... hand in his script?!"

"He's done?"

"How is he so fast? I am barely done with my introduction."

"Introduction? I haven't even thought of what I'm going to write."

All of the candidates were clearly stunned by Fang Zhengzhi's actions. It was less than an hour since the start of the examination. Fang Zhengzhi was handing in his script?

More importantly, all of them knew that Fang Zhengzhi had come to the court examination completely unprepared.

How could he possibly be done?

He was faster than the people who had prepared.

Emperor Lin Mubai, all of the officials, as well as the imperial messengers in the White Jade Square were all stunned.

Handing in one's script ahead of time?

This was something that had not happened in centuries!

Rubbish!

Was there anything more ridiculous than this? This was blatant disrespect towards the court examinations. Regardless whether Fang Zhengzhi was done or not, this attitude was telling the Emperor that his question was too easy!

"Fang Zhengzhi came from a village. Is it possible that he just wrote rubbish because he has no policy in mind?" One of the officials asked doubtfully. After all, finishing a policy paper in such a short time bordered on the impossible.

"If that is the case, him handing in his script in advance will give him a one way ticket out of the courts." Another official shook his head.

"You mean he actually has a decent policy on how to control the vassal states?"

"I don't know. However, I know that we had once treated Fang Zhengzhi as an ignorant fool. However, he has shown us time and again that he is very intelligent. He will not dig himself a grave and jump into it."

"That is true. However, how can he possibly write anything good in such a short time?"

"Aish... I do not know. However, the Emperor himself ordered Fang Zhengzhi to help out in the Ministry of Rites. Even though he didn't give Fang Zhengzhi a post, I think... that there's more to it than meets the eye."

"Do you mean that the Emperor thinks that Fang Zhengzhi is a talented diplomat? But it doesn't seem to be the case. After entering the capital, he has made enemies with many of the influential families."

"I beg to differ. Who is Yan Xiu? He is the heir to the Yan Family. He is usually icy and a man of few words. Yet, how is he with Fang Zhengzhi? And then there's Princess Ping Yang. How many people dare to antagonize her? What about Chi Guyan? Then look at Xing Qingsui of the Stabilization Constabulary, Nangong Mu of the Nangong Family. Which one of them is easy to get along with? Yet, they all have relationships with Fang Zhengzhi!"

"Could it be that Fang Zhengzhi is actually talented in that area?"

"I think that it is too early to say. We will know more after the theory examination."

"I agree." The official nodded lightly and became silent. He did not say anything else, but he looked at Fang Zhengzhi rather strangely.

Su Qing smiled and walked to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Is Official Fang planning to hand in your script early?"

"Can I do it?" Fang Zhengzhi replied with a question.

"Of course you can. However, why don't you check your work and think about it one more time?" Su Qing smirked, raising his voice slightly.

The expressions of all the officials changed. They looked at Fang Zhengzhi and Su Qing, their hearts written on their faces.

After his performance at the Crown Prince's residence, he did not get a promotion, but he was temporarily the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy.

Many of the officials were not happy about it initially.

However, seeing his wit today made them gasp silently in admiration.

This statement meant more than what it seemed.

Emperor Lin Mubai had made it clear that he wanted all of the candidates to think deeply. Su Qing's advice to Fang Zhengzhi was telling all the other candidates that Fang Zhengzhi's actions were going against the Emperor's wishes.

This was quite the hit to Fang Zhengzhi.

All of the officials turned to look at Emperor Lin Mubai.

Emperor Lin Mubai raised his hand and a servant immediately placed a new pot of tea in front of him.

Emperor Lin Mubai raised his glass and sipped. He did not speak, neither did his expression changed. It was almost as if he did not see anything.

All of the officials were stunned.

Emperor Lin Mubai's attitude towards Fang Zhengzhi was rather cryptic during the racing and hunting competition. No matter what Fang Zhengzhi did, he did not seem to fault Fang Zhengzhi.

Why was this so?

None of the officials spoke again. If Emperor Lin Mubai was not going to speak, then neither could they. They were in no position to question Fang Zhengzhi.

"I have already checked my work thoroughly. I even have a draft here." Fang Zhengzhi placed his draft script in front of Su Qing.

Su Qing glanced at the draft in Fang Zhengzhi's hand. He raised his hand slightly, then realized what was happening.

He took a step backwards.

He was too curious. In fact, everyone there was curious as to what kind of policy Fang Zhengzhi had written.

However, he managed to regain his senses at the most critical moment.

For the court examinations, the scripts would be sealed right after they were collected. The Emperor would view them personally. As a rank four imperial messenger, who was he to view the scripts?

Even the previous Chief Imperial Messenger Han Zhangfeng did not have the right.

"Did he... do it on purpose?" Su Qing began to sweat profusely. When he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi again, his gaze was different.

Fang Zhengzhi innocently waved his draft in front of Su Qing. He beamed as he did so, almost as if he was an innocent child.

"Do you want to take a look? You can come and see!" Fang Zhengzhi waved his draft as he called out to Su Qing.

"I do not dare take a look at the court examination scripts." Su Qing was shocked by Fang Zhengzhi's actions. He retreated a few more steps, his head lowered.

"You don't dare? Okay then... I thought you were really going to check the scripts on behalf of the Emperor." Fang Zhengzhi smirked innocently.

All of the officials surrounding Emperor Lin Mubai were stunned by this sight.

Those innocent sounding words were actually immensely loaded.

Su Qing had used the Emperor's words to attack Fang Zhengzhi. However, Fang Zhengzhi had used the same method to return the favor. In the end, Fang Zhengzhi had come up on top.

Did he do it on purpose? Or was it a happy coincidence?

None of the officials could put their finger on it.

All of the officials looked at Fang Zhengzhi, their gazes complicated.

Then, another figure stood up from his seat and bowed to the Emperor.

"I would like to hand in my script!"

His voice was not loud, but it was crisp. The tone was flat and calm, almost like a mist wafting through the valley.

It combined with the clouds in the sky softly.

Even so, all of the officials looked at the figure in terror.

Fang Zhengzhi's actions had stunned them all, but this man's actions terrified them.

Fang Zhengzhi handing in his script early may have been unexpected, but it was acceptable.

After all, it was Fang Zhengzhi.

But...

Why would Nangong Hao hand in his script early?

Furthermore, Nangong Hao had been sitting silently at his desk all this while, a blank paper in front of him.

He had not written a single word.

But now...

Nangong Hao had stood up and said the same thing as Fang Zhengzhi.

"I would like to hand in my script!"

What's going on?

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Chapter 311: Deciding who comes first in an art

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

No one could understand what Nangong Hao was thinking. Was he going to hand in a blank script? Was this question too easy? Did he find the court examinations too easy?

But that did not seem very possible.

If Nangong Hao did not care about the court examinations, he did not have to come all the way to the capital and announce his participation.

Almost all of the officials knew that the Nangong Family valued their reputation. Handing in a blank script would not be tolerated.

As such...

What was Nangong Hao thinking?

Just as all the officials were thinking about it, Nangong Hao picked up his script and flipped it over.

"What... what's going on?"

All of the officials were stunned when they saw it.

In the moment Nangong Hao flipped over his script, they could all see that his script was not blank. It was filled with words.

This meant that Nangong Hao was not handing in a blank script.

It's not blank?

How is that possible?!

All of the officials were stumped. No one was willing to believe what they were seeing. Before Fang Zhengzhi had asked to hand in his script, Nangong Hao's script was still blank.

Could it be...

How is that possible?

"Oh my god, how did he do that?"

"That is impossible!"

"Unbelievable."

All of the officials were consumed by terror.

If Nangong Hao was not handing in a blank script, there was only one possibility.

Just now...

In the moment that everyone was engrossed with Fang Zhengzhi, Nangong Hao had completed his script at supernatural speeds.

However, when they tried to recall what happened...

The entire episode, from Fang Zhengzhi's announcement to his exchange with Su Qing, lasted no more than 10 minutes.

This meant that Nangong Hao had completed his paper in that time.

That was too fast!

All of the officials were stumped by that speed.

What stunned them even more was that Nangong Hao had finished his paper during a time which was least conducive for writing a paper.

Any interruption would easily break one's train of thought and momentum.

Yet, during the most chaotic part of the entire court examination, Nangong Hao managed to finish his paper.

Furthermore, he had completed it in such a short time.

This meant that Nangong Hao had already reached a state of nirvana where he could not be disturbed by anything around him.

"Natural Heart Dao... is this Natural Heart Dao?!" Wu Feng looked at Nangong Hao with fear.

This was the first time he feared someone to this extent.

The fear stemmed from the depths of his heart.

Su Qing finally recovered from his shock. He looked at Nangong Hao, then back at Emperor Lin Mubai. Emperor Lin Mubai's expression changed slightly.

"Seal the scripts." Emperor Lin Mubai replied.

"Yes, your highness." Su Qing replied.

All of the officials went silent when they heard this.

If Fang Zhengzhi was the only one to hand in his script, then they could charge him for disrespecting the Emperor. But now, even Nangong Hao was handing in his script.

What else could they say?

Were they going to charge Nangong Hao as well?

Su Qing had already walked over to Nangong Hao. He looked at the script on the table and prepared to seal it.

Just at that moment, a hand stopped Su Qing.

This was Nangong Hao's hand.

"Young Master Nangong, do you not plan on handing it in?" Su Qing was confused.

"No, but I think that Official Su has got something wrong?" Nangong Hao's gaze towards Su Qing was plain and calm.

"What is it?" Su Qing was getting slightly suspicious.

"Official Su participated in the imperial examinations four years ago. You made it into the courts and advanced to the post of imperial messenger. Can't you see who submitted their script first?" Nangong Hao pointed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

Su Qing was stunned.

All of the officials next to Emperor Lin Mubai were also taken aback.

"Can't you see who submitted their script first?"

They knew what Nangong Hao was getting at, and they knew that Nangong Hao was referring to Fang Zhengzhi.

However, they could not figure out why Nangong Hao would say something like that. This was a small matter. It was just the order of submission.

If the imperial messenger in charge of sealing the scripts went in a different order, most people will not raise any objection.

Was Nangong Hao a petty person?

Clearly not.

That meant that Nangong Hao was doing this on purpose.

Another thought was raised in the officials' minds. If Nangong Hao was saying this on purpose, then did he hand in his script right after Fang Zhengzhi on purpose too?

No one could understand it.

However, Su Qing reacted quickly.

He was second to Nangong Hao during the imperial examinations and a rank four official in the courts. However, he was nothing in the face of Nangong Hao.

At least, he was nothing right now.

There would always be a difference between rank one and two. It was an unassailable gap.

Su Qing knew this very well. Even though he was the invigilator for the examination, he still bowed to Nangong Hao apologetically.

Then, he turned to bow to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Official Fang, please accept my apologies. I have made a mistake!" Su Qing walked over to Fang Zhengzhi and prepared to seal his script.

A hand quickly stopped Su Qing in his tracks.

This was Fang Zhengzhi's hand.

What now?

Su Qing's eyes glimmered, but he tried to suppress it.

"Official Fang, do you not plan on handing in your script?"

"I still plan to hand in my script, but I wonder if Official Su has neglected to consider some things?" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Su Qing flatly before looking at Nangong Hao.

"What have I failed to consider?" Su Qing tried to remain calm.

"Official Su participated in the imperial examinations four years ago. You made it into the courts and advanced to the post of imperial messenger. Can you not see who you were closer to?"

"What do you mean?" Su Qing's expression darkened.

"Official Su was already by Nangong Hao's side. Yet, you decided to turn around just because of something he said. This is a clear indication of your indecisiveness. You gave up what was closer and came to me, who was further. This is an extremely inefficient way of doing things. If this is how you handle the complicated matters at the imperial academy, I will be worried!" Fang Zhengzhi said with concern.

Life was all an act.

Emperor Lin Mubai was such a great actor. He had to use this chance to show off some of his acting skills as well.

As to why he wanted to make things difficult for Su Qing.

He did that on purpose.

Reason?

There were two reasons. Firstly, if he had let Su Qing collect his script, he would have lost out to Nangong Hao even though it seemed that he had the advantage.

Those officials may not understand, but Fang Zhengzhi knew.

Before Nangong Mu left, he had come to see Fang Zhengzhi. He did not say much, but Fang Zhengzhi remembered one sentence.

"He will come after I leave!"

At that time, Fang Zhengzhi did not really understand what was going on. However, after Nangong Hao announced his participation in the court examinations, he understood.

Fang Zhengzhi's challenge to Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao had come all this way for one purpose - restore the honor of the Nangong Family. Nangong Hao's submission of the script right after Fang Zhengzhi was proof of this point.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not know how he did it, the fact was that Nangong Hao completed his policy paper in that short period of time.

Then, Nangong Hao's tactic was incredibly well planned and executed.

Normally, the first one to hand in his script would be the one in an advantageous position.

However, Nangong Hao had spoken up for Fang Zhengzhi. This allowed the spotlight to shine on him. This was also his way of showing who's boss.

Nangong Hao would never allow himself to lose the advantage in the theory examination.

If Fang Zhengzhi was to challenge Nangong Hao, he could not lose the initiative either. As such, he played the ball right back into Nangong Hao's court.

At the cost of Su Qing...

As to why he wanted to bully Su Qing... that was the second reason. Su Qing was thick skinned enough to take it.

More importantly, Su Qing had already declared war on Fang Zhengzhi with his little show previously.

This was the perfect time for Fang Zhengzhi to kill two birds with one stone.

All of the officials looked at each other in awe.

It was clear...

Fang Zhengzhi was doing this on purpose.

However, Fang Zhengzhi's statement was perfectly logical. He even used Nangong Hao's words, making it quite irrefutable.

More importantly, it cut very deep.

Su Qing was in this position only because the Crown Prince had placed him there. There was no explicit approval given by the Emperor. And now, Fang Zhengzhi was questioning his abilities in front of the Emperor.

Furthermore, he had used Nangong Hao's words. This was the worst possible of concoction for Su Qing. His position was now in jeopardy and he could all but forget about a promotion.

"Vicious!"

"Extremely vicious!"

They had never truly seen Fang Zhengzhi as a threat before this. No matter how talented Fang Zhengzhi seemed to be, they always treated him as a lowly villager.

No one actually feared him.

All of the officials thought that they would school him easily.

However, having seen what he had done to Su Qing, they all gasped. Who were they to think that inexperience meant that he didn't know anything about politics?

Fang Zhengzhi was the prime example.

Su Qing's expression darkened. He had never been humiliated like this before. Four years ago, he lost to Nangong Hao in the imperial examinations.

He gave up his cultivation to serve in the courts.

He knew for a fact that Nangong Hao would never enter politics.

Before, he was slightly unclear as to why Nangong Hao would say what he did. However, Fang Zhengzhi's reply clarified everything for him.

The two of them were using him as their chess piece!

Furthermore, they were doing it without any regard for him.

Su Qing could not possibly accept being humiliated this way.

Thoughts raced in his mind. He knew that he had to resolve this situation quickly. Else, his future would be ruined.

That would mean that his plan would fail.

He knew that he could not rebut Fang Zhengzhi right now. If he did so, his future would be instantly erased.

Right now, the only thing that he could do was self preservation. He need to prove that he had a talent for resolving problems.

He had to use his actions to turn the tables back in his favor.

"Official Wang, please help to seal Young Master Nangong's script." Su Qing glanced at an imperial messenger.

"Okay." One of the imperial messengers nodded and walked over to Nangong Hao.

吗?"Su QIng nodded then turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his expression calm. "Young Master Fang, can you let me seal your script now?"

All of the officials nodded when they saw this.

It was mature and admirable that Su Qing was able to react so calmly in this situation. This simple action resolved the tension between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi.

He sent someone else to collect Nangong Hao's script.

He himself would stay and collect Fang Zhengzhi's script.

This way, both Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi would not have anything to say.

"You are a quick learner, a quick learner indeed!" Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he placed his script in Su Qing's hand.

Su Qing's expression darkened once again. He raised his hand and received the script.

"Thank you Official Fang for your lesson!"

All of the officials nearly crumpled to the ground when they heard this.

"A quick learner?!"

"How shameless could this guy get?!"

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Chapter 312: You can breakthrough now

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Even though Su Qing was young, he was a few years older than Fang Zhengzhi. They may both be rank four officials, but Su Qing was in a more powerful position.

No matter what...

It was weird for Fang Zhengzhi to say something like that.

However, Fang Zhengzhi did. Furthermore, he said it in such a calm and flat manner. If not for his youth, the officials would have thought that a senior was educating his junior.

Su Qing did not say anything else.

He knew that if he did, he would be cursing and swearing.

He could have superhuman tolerance, but even then, he had a limit. Su Qing's limit may be high, but he was about to hit it.

Fang Zhengzhi still wanted to say more. He wanted Su Qing to roll on the floor in anger, cursing and swearing all the way.

However, Su Qing did not reply, so he could not continue.

He had to show that he was a man of class.

Nangong Hao did not say anything else either. He placed his script in the hand of the imperial messenger, turned and left.

The maple leaf print on his clothes was blown up by the wind, staining his clothes red.

All of the candidates were shocked. They could see that the stains on Nangong Hao's shirt were not maple leaves. They were blood in the shape of maple leaves.

Where did Nangong Hao come from?

Why would his clothes be stained with blood. Why was the blood in the shape of maple leaves?

None of them knew.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai did not find it surprising. He watched Nangong Hao leave, deep in contemplation.

The theory examination was finally over.

The results were set to be released five days later. The location was the "Imperial Decree Hall". This was where the inaugurations and funerals were held.

This was also where the Emperor paid his respects to his ancestors.

However, after Emperor Lin Mubai took the throne, he ordered that the hall be used for the release of the court examination results. Many did not understand why, thinking that only the Emperor should access that hall.

The reason why he was the Emperor was because he was the one true dragon. He was the son of heaven and commoners could not be able to access the same ancestral hall he did.

One of these people was the previous Minister of Rites.

He had already expressed his concerns to the Emperor. He backed it up with examples from history, claiming that it was against the rules of rites.

However...

It was no use.

Emperor Lin Mubai insisted that he did not see anything wrong with it even after examining the twelve rules.

There was no discussion after that.

The Imperial Decree Hall became the location for the court examination results release. For decades, it had not been changed.

This was the hall that most of the candidates wanted to go to, and it was also the most heavily guarded location in the palace.

Today, the light in the Imperial Decree Hall was lit.

This was unusual.

The light was only lit during inauguration, the annual memorial service, or the biannual announcement of court examination results.

However, the light was lit this night.

There was only one possibility, the Emperor himself was in the hall.

The set up of the Imperial Decree Hall was different from that of the other halls. The other halls were filled with gold and jewels, the Imperial Decree Hall was filled with incense.

The incense in the hall was particularly invigorating.

Each of the scripts were placed neatly on the antique tables.

As the Emperor, Lin Mubai should be concerned with the running of the country. He need not look through each script individually. In the past, he did not look through each one either.

The method was simple.

He would usually gather eight officials and have them judge the scripts first. Then, they would pass the top 20 scripts to him for him to rank.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai did not do so this time.

To judge 200 scripts was a tedious task, but Emperor Lin Mubai did it anyways. He began from the end of the court examinations and continued deep into the night.

He did not move at any point within the past 10 hours.

This did not seem very normal.

More importantly, Emperor Lin Mubai did not choose to mark the scripts in his library. Instead, he chose to do so in the Imperial Decree Hall.

The night was cold.

The light in the Imperial Decree Hall continued to be lit. The lights in the city were bright as well.

King Duan's residence was also brightly lit, a figure strolling back and forth within it.

The Crown Prince's residence was also lit. Many carriages passed by, dropping officials off.

However, Ping Yang's residence was not lit. Furthermore, there was no movement inside. Ping Yang had left her residence in the middle of the night.

What did she leave to do?

No one knew.

The Heaven Dao Pavilion reached through the clouds. Anyone looking at the stars from the peak was bound to be able to feel the light of the stars.

A lady in a pink dress with bright eyes stood quietly at the peak of the Heaven Dao Pavilion.

She stood on a rock, barefoot, as she looked up into the stars.

There was a young girl standing behind her. She wore a thick coat and had a white scarf around her neck. Even so, she still hugged herself, shivering from the cold.

It was late autumn.

However, in places like the Heaven Dao Pavilion, autumn was a bone chillingly cold time.

However, the young girl did not say anything. If Chi Guyan did not say anything, she would not say anything as a servant.

Finally, Chi Guyan lowered her head, her eyes shining brightly. It looked like there was a constellations in her eyes.

Yue Er looked at the constellations in Chi Guyan's eyes enviously. She was filled with pride that she was able to be by Chi Guyan's side at this time.

"Today is the court examination?"

"Yes ma'am. You haven't been concerning yourself with the affairs outside recently. As such, I did not mention it to you." Yue Er replied.

"Mm... did Nangong Hao participate?" Chi Guyan nodded lightly.

"He did."

"He really participated..." Chi Guyan's lips quivered, almost as if she was muttering to herself.

"Missus, do we need to do anything?"

"There's no use. If it is Nangong Hao, then the results of the court examinations are final."

"Do you really think that Fang Zhengzhi will lose?"

"I don't think he will lose, but I can't think of how he will win. As such, I can't do anything, and I don't know what I can do."

"There are things in this world that you can't think of?" Yue Er was shocked.

"Yes, this is an example." Chi Guyan nodded as she looked into the east. That was where the capital was.

Yue Er was stunned when she saw Chi Guyan's expression.

Ever since Chi Guyan returned to the Heaven Dao Pavilion, she was like a completely changed person.

She did not ask about politics, neither was she as cold as before. She would even talk to Yue Er about cultivation and sword techniques.

Her statement just now was the perfect example.

Chi Guyan of old would never say something like that. No matter how difficult the situation, she would find a solution.

"Congratulations Guyan!" An elderly voice could be heard from afar. Then, a figure approached Chi Guyan from the back.

He was silver haired and wore a white robe. However, his skin was smooth and he looked like a twenty year old youth.

"Greetings Pavilion Leader!" Yue Er kowtowed when she saw the figure.

The leader of the Heaven Dao Pavilion was Mu Qingfeng, someone who stood at the very top.

"Mm, you accompany Guyan here everyday. You can't just keep adding layers. This is a warming jade that you can hold onto." A piece of jade appeared in Yue Er's hand.

"Thank you Pavilion Leader!" Yue Er kowtowed in thanks.

"Rise." Mu Qingfeng motioned for Yue Er to recover.

"Master." The constellations in Chi Guyan's eyes disappeared as she turned to bow to Mu Qingfeng respectfully.

"Mm, you have already understood it. You can breakthrough now." Mu Qingfeng nodded.

"Breakthrough? Didn't master ask me to get a better foundation and breakthrough only two years later?" Chi Guyan did not quite understand Mu Qingfeng.

"Your foundation is solid. Suppressing your breakthrough is meaningless." Mu Qingfeng shook his head.

"I understand." Chi Guyan nodded.

"If I am correct, Nangong Hao should also have broken through." Mu Qingfeng said as he looked at the direction Chi Guyan's toes were pointing towards.

"Master, you mean that Nangong Hao is in the Supernatural State?"

"Yes, however, I don't think that anyone knows about this, including the Nangong Family." Mu Qingfeng nodded as he looked in the direction of the capital. His eyes glowed.

Those were flames.

They were just like the lights in the capital.

Chi Guyan did not speak. She stood quietly in position as she looked at the stars in the sky. The constellations appeared in her eyes once again...

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Chapter 313: Eight miles of fireworks

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The next day, before the break of dawn, many of the officials were gathered, wining and dining as they waited for dawn.

"You may all leave, the Emperor is not coming today." A crisp voice rang out throughout the hall. Then, a figure in palace robes came through the door.

"The Emperor is not coming?"

"How does Eunuch Wei know about this?"

All of the officials were stunned by what Eunuch Wei just announced.

Ever since he took the throne, Emperor Lin Mubai had rarely been absent from court. This caused all the officials to wonder if something major had happened.

"I have no idea." Eunuch Wei shook his head, but showed no intention to leave.

"Eunuch Wei is the Emperor's personal aide. Even if you do not know what happened, you should know where the Emperor is currently right? Could you enlighten us?" One of the officials asked when he saw Eunuch Wei stay.

"Since Official Li has asked, I will tell all of you the truth. The Emperor spent the night in the Imperial Decree Hall. He is still there, but I really do not know why he is not coming today."

"I see, thank you Eunuch Wei!" Official Li shook Eunuch Wei's arm, then discreetly dropped a tael of silver into his sleeve.

"Official Li need not be so courteous. The Emperor still required my presence. I will make my move first." Eunuch Wei said flatly as he bowed to the officials and took his leave.

Very quickly, the hall became rather chaotic.

"The Emperor is in the Imperial Decree Hall?"

"But, this is not the memorial period, what is the Emperor doing there?"

"Could he be marking the scripts there? After all, this is the first time the Emperor has not given us the scripts to read."

"Official Sun does make sense. But why would the Emperor read the scripts there and not in the imperial library?"

"I am afraid that the Emperor values this court examination more than we can guess. The fact that he is personally marking all 200 scripts is testament to this fact."

"What does Left Prime Minister Yu think of this?"

All of the officials finished their discussions and looked in unison towards the silent, red robed, Yu Yiping.

"Guessing the Emperor's intentions is not something we should do. The results will be announced in four days. Usually, the Emperor will meet with the top ten candidates before the results are announced. All we have to do is wait." Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping sipped his tea and replied flatly.

"What Left Prime Minister Yu says is right!"

"Since that is the case, we should leave."

"Official Wang, I hear that you managed to get an exquisite blood jade. Under sunlight it looks like blood flows within. Could you let us take a look?"

"This exquisite blood jade is one of the rarest jades. There is barely one every century. Official Wang should not be too selfish about it!"

"Hahaha... I got this exquisite blood jade by chance as well. It is my honor for Official Qin and all of you other valued officials to take a look at it. I will prepare some drinks at my place later. I hope you will all drop by."

"We will definitely be there."

"Hahaha..."

All of the officials left the hall in groups.

At this point, Left Prime MInister Yu Yiping stood up and looked towards the Imperial Decree Hall. He frowned, "Imperial Decree Hall?"

Winter was coming. The fallen leaves covered the capital like a golden armor. They formed a soft carpet for people to tread on.

Time continued to pass.

It had been three days. It was only one more day to the results for the court examination. Everyone was engaged in heated discussions and guesses about the results.

The capital was the gathering place for everyone. There were businessmen coming to trade, and commoners coming to look for work.

If one did not do anything whilst they were young, then their youth was wasted.

The younger one was, the more risks they could take.

To the youths of the capital, this was great news to them! They were simply going to enjoy as much as they could whilst they were young.

Wen Dabao had a keen nose for such fireworks. Even though he enjoyed living the high life, he was not talented in any way.

However, this did not stop him from wanting the luxuries in life.

He decided to find himself a talent. That way, with a talented buddy, he could truly become someone admirable.

The talent in this case was naturally Fang Zhengzhi.

Other than Fang Zhengzhi, Wen Dabao could not find a second person who would be willing to join him on his escapades.

Fang Zhengzhi was getting rather bored nowadays. He had basically finished all of the delicacies in the capital. He had also seen virtually all the sights there were to see.

His life was basically wining, dining and having fun.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that he had done everything except for having fun. He had read that the 'fireworks' in the past were quite different from the 'fireworks' that he had experienced in his previous world.

In the Ming Dynasty, there was the ten mile long Qinhuai River. On one of its banks was the examination grounds for the metropolitan examination. On the other bank was the gathering point for everyone looking for some fun.

The beauties of Qinhuai were famous throughout history.

They sold their arts and not their bodies. That was the beauty of the ancient 'fireworks'.

Fang Zhengzhi was still a minor, so he still had some boundaries. He would not let himself go too far. All he wanted to do was admire and enjoy. After he looked at Wen Dabao, he turned to look at Yan Xiu, who was still enjoying his tea.

He was surprised that Yan Xiu agreed to come without hesitation.

Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover. The wants and desires of the people here were not that much different from those of his previous world.

"You're going to see fireworks? How can you leave me out?" Ping Yang appeared just as they were about to leave.

"These... fireworks are not actually fireworks!" Fang Zhengzhi blushed. He felt so embarrassed, almost as if he had just been caught in bed with another woman.

"Duh... I know that you are going to drink and listen to music. Do you really think that I am a stranger to such places? I know them better than you do!" Ping Yang glanced at Fang Zhengzhi scornfully, her head raised.

"You've been there?!" Fang Zhengzhi felt like the world was going to crumble around him. Ping Yang was even younger than him!

How could she be familiar with such a place?

At what age did she go?!

Who brought her there?!

"Of course, I have been going to such places to listen to music since I was six with my granddad." Ping Yang said haughtily.

"Grandfather?"

"King Liqin! Haven't you met him before?"

"Him?" Fang Zhengzhi recalled who that was. He was the old man who wanted to take a look at the Traceless Sword in the throne room. He didn't expect that the old man was so dirty minded that he would bring along a six year old girl.

How evil.

All four of them left for the destination.

Wen Dabao was ecstatic. He didn't think that Ping Yang joining was inappropriate. Even Yan Xiu was calm.

Fang Zhengzhi was the only one who thought it was weird to bring the princess along.

He wondered what the Emperor would think if he found out.

There was no ten mile Qinhuai River in the capital.

However, there was a street eight miles long that was adorned with red lanterns and silk. It was quite different from what Fang Zhengzhi had envisioned.

The decorations here were antiquated but elegant. Each loft was adorned with poems and paintings. Melodious tunes floated out into the street.

There were sounds of guzheng, pipa, flutes...

"I hear that the people here today are all intellectuals!" Ping Yang said excitedly.

"The Princess is knowledgeable. There doesn't seem to be anything you don't know. The announcement of the court examination results is tomorrow. I think that there will be many people here tonight." Wen Dabao replied respectfully.

Fang Zhengzhi blinked and thought to himself, What's the link?

Wen Dabao turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu after sucking up to Ping Yang. Then, he began introducing the area to them like a tour guide.

"The most famous loft here is the "Intellectual Loft"! The night before the announcement of the court examination results, there will be a gathering held there. Many candidates would go there to talk about their policies!"

"Discuss policies?" Fang Zhengzhi seemed to reply.

This gathering was quite similar to those that he had after each examination in his previous world. Candidates would match their answers with each other. If their sentiments were echoed by the rest, they would be more confident.

They arrived at the entrance to the Intellectual Loft.

It was a three storey tall loft. There were eight red lanterns on the entrance and eight sets of couplets lined the doors. It looked like they were written by eight different artists.

In the middle of the loft were the words Intellectual Loft written in calligraphy. Anyone unfamiliar with the penmanship would have found it difficult to discern the letters.

"Congratulations Young Master Wu, congratulations! The Emperor had asked to meet you in person. I am sure you have made the top ten. Based on your abilities, I think it is possible that you even take home the top spot."

"Yes yes I agree. I also heard that Fang Zhengzhi has been spending all his time wining and dining. He didn't even get called by the Emperor. I think he is out of the top 10."

"I wonder if Nangong Hao met with the Emperor?"

"Is that even a question?"

"That's true. However, I haven't seen Nangong Hao since the examinations. It's almost as if he vaporized."

Just as they were about to enter, they heard laughter from inside. It was accompanied by the melodious tunes from a guzheng.

It was quickly accompanied by the crisp sound of a flute. It combined with the melody from the guzheng, giving the music a light wafting feel.

"Hahaha... you have done well in the exams. The flute and strings sing for you. I think you should say something."

"Yes yes. Young Master Wu, why don't you tell us the direction of your policy paper so that we can learn from you."

After a short period of time, the music stopped.

It was closely followed by claps and cheers.

"What a bunch of idiots. The meeting with the Emperor is a secret. Unless you tell them yourself, how would they know? Official Fang, don't you agree?" Wen Dabao commented angrily.

"Meeting with the Emperor?" Fang Zhengzhi was rather confused.

In the ancient times of his previous world, the emperor would meet with the top candidates just before the release of the results. He would ask them some additional questions before deciding on the top three.

However, he did not know if they had the same tradition here. As such, he did not think too much about it.

"Official Fang... don't scare me. Did you really not receive it? The invitation to meet with the Emperor before the release of the results. It means that you are in the top 10! Did you not receive it?" Wen Dabao's expression changed as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

Wen Dabao did not participate in the court examinations.

As such, he did not know what had happened inside. Even so, he was certain that Fang Zhengzhi could make the top 10.

Even the top three.

Even though the top spot would probably go to Nangong Hao, this did not bother him.

It was Nangong Hao after all.

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Yan Xiu and Ping Yang, his eyes filled with unspoken questions.

"I heard that the Emperor was in the Imperial Decree Hall looking through all the scripts personally. As such, I thought that there wasn't any meeting with the Emperor." Yan Xiu's expression changed when he heard this as well.

"You thought that there wasn't... does... does that mean that Young Master Yan didn't receive the invite either?" Wen Dabao's jaw dropped in shock.

"Yup, I didn't receive it." Yan Xiu nodded.

"How is that possible? Both of you didn't meet with the Emperor? You are the top two candidates from the imperial examinations. Isn't it too much of a coincidence? Could Wu Feng... he lying?" Wen Dabao's expression revealed traces of rage.

"No way. Wu Feng would not joke around with something like that." Yan Xiu shook his head as he looked at the lights in the Intellectual Loft. His grip on his fan tightened.

"Oh gosh... Fang Zhengzhi. You didn't receive the invite. Are you going to fail? It's only a pity that Yan Xiu... did you mislead Yan Xiu?" Ping Yang's voice rang out.

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Chapter 314: Four Symbols and Bagua

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Mislead?" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Ping Yang with disdain. How could he have misled Yan Xiu when the examination was in such an open area.

However...

How could he fail?

Even though he did not know what were the key pointers to look out for in a policy paper in this world, he was confident about his "New Six Nations".

"If what Wu Feng says is true, how is it possible that both of you didn't receive the invite to meet with the Emperor?" Wen Dabao was confused.

"The meaning of the policy." Yan Xiu said softly.

"The meaning?" Wen Dabao was confused. He had no idea what the question was, so he had no way of understanding what Yan Xiu meant.

However, at this point, the melodious music wafted out of the Intellectual Loft. It was intoxicating and calming.

"Let's go inside first. How can we enjoy the music at the door?" Ping Yang did not seem bothered about whether Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu passed or failed.

Before Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu could say anything, she dragged them both into the loft.

Wen Dabao followed behind without any objection.

Once they were inside, Fang Zhengzhi realized that the 'fireworks' here were quite different from those he knew. There was no intoxicating lights here, only poetic and elegant art.

The inside of the loft felt like a circus tent. It was completely empty inside, with four staircases leading up to the second floor.

In the middle of the loft were dozens of tables filled with snacks and wine. There were scenic paintings all over the ceiling.

On the second floor were eight slightly raised platforms. There was a lady in a long dress on each platform, their faces covered by a white veil.

Each one of them had a different instrument.

On the third floor of the loft were four floating stages. They were in the directions of north, south, east, and west. There was a lady in a long dress on each stage.

Their dresses were in four different colors - green, red, gold, and white.

Fang Zhengzhi glanced at it. He had a feeling that the Intellectual Loft was set up rather uniquely. There were four staircases, eight stages in the middle, and four floating stages at the top.

"Four Symbols, Bagua!"

"Oh? Fang Zhengzhi is here!"

"And Yan Xiu... greetings Princess Ping Yang!"

Very quickly, all of the talents at the center table saw Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. Then, when they saw Ping Yang between the two gentlemen, they all stood up.

The owner of the Intellectual Loft recognized Ping Yang instantly.

The moment Ping Yang was seen, a thirty year old lady in a white dress came to them.

"Your highness, do you want your usual seat?"

"Of course." Ping Yang raised her head haughtily.

"Your highness, please hang on a moment. I will arrange for it right now."

"Do it quickly."

"Yes your highness."

Before long, they were all led to a table in the middle of the loft. From this position, Fang Zhengzhi could see all of the art inside the Intellectual Loft.

PIng Yang looked at the seat, then blinked at Fang Zhengzhi. It was almost as if she was showing off her experience to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Not bad." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

"Hahaha... of course it's not bad." Ping Yang smiled immediately when she heard this.

All of the other talents looked on scornfully. The talents who had just been chased out of the seat brooded by the side.

"They will always be failures!"

"We will see who has the last laugh when the results are announced tomorrow."

"Young Master Wu, tell us more about your policy. It will also allow some others to understand their lack of abilities."

"Hahaha..."

Very quickly, chuckles could be heard from around them.

"Today's meeting should be about making friends and sharing knowledge. We should all make merry and enjoy the art. Let's not talk about the policy paper." Wu Feng waved all the other talents off, smiling as he did so.

"Young Master Wu, you are wrong there. The policy paper is the only component of the court theory examination. Anyone who can produce such stunning work is better than those who just memorize the Law of Dao!"

"Exactly. Young Master Wu already called this a gathering of intellectuals, why hold back?"

"Even though we also participated in the court examination, but we were not invited to meet with the Emperor. It is our good fortune to be seated next to Young Master Wu today. We hope that you will impart some knowledge to us."

All of the talents pleaded with Wu Feng to discuss his paper with them.

Wu Feng looked rather conflicted even as he smirked. He knew that the policy paper discussions would take center stage today.

After making a show of rejecting them initially, Wu Feng decided to accede to their requests.

"Since all of you think so highly of me, I will just tell you all my two cents worth." Wu Feng glanced at Fang Zhengzhi. "My policy paper is centered around honesty when dealing with the vassals."

"Honesty when dealing with the vassal states?"

"Is that the statement found in the Law of Dao?"

The eyes of the talents brightened when they heard this.

"That is correct. The Emperor must ensure order and prosperity for the country. The officials must respect the wishes of the Emperor. Children must be filial to their parents and parents must be forgiving towards their kids. When dealing with other countries, honesty is the best policy."

"I think that the Emperor values this very much. During the court examination, I noticed that the Emperor turned to look south. The uprising in the Southern Mountain Range must be on his mind. Yet, in the distance, there is also the problem of the demons. As officials, we cannot just solve the immediate problems, we must also prepare for the future."

"Even though I do not know the details, the Southern Mountain Range have been our allies for centuries. They have also been a natural barrier against any invasion by the demons."

"The Great Xia Dynasty has provided the Southern Mountain Range with support as well. We have helped them in the excavation and opening of roads. The Southern Mountain Range is bound to be grateful to us."

"In order for a country to be powerful, we must be able to accept! In dealing with others, we must be honest and trust each other. Only then can we prosper together."

"As such, I proposed that we needed to be sincere and honest in our dealings!"

Wu Feng's voice was slightly raised when he got to this point. He sounded like he truly had a passion to save the world.

"By being sincere, we can gain their trust? Young Master Wu is wise!"

"It is no wonder you are third on the Rising Dragon Roll. Your talents are not easily matched. Your policy paper is much better than some of the books I have written."

"Young Master Wu's policy paper is unique. It is meaningful and draws on knowledge laid out in the classics. I think even Nangong Hao would be hard pressed to write a better paper."

"That is true. Even though I used similar concepts in my paper, my ideas were not as lucidly laid out as Young Master Wu's."

All of the talents gasped in amazement when Wu Feng finished. Some others also sighed in disappointment.

"Naive." Fang Zhengzhi's mouth twitched in disdain.

The ideas laid out were all true. However, the key was in when and how to use those concepts.

There was no problem in trust and honesty.

To advocate trust between countries was not wrong either.

However, trust was not something that was easily achieved. They could not simply say they trust each other and go about leading their lives happily ever after.

All trust was still built upon the foundation of power. Only when both sides stood to gain would there be trust and cooperation.

Without the above foundations, trust was meaningless.

Wu Feng did not here what Fang Zhengzhi said. After he finished, he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

Then, he quickly walked over to the group of them.

"Young Master Yan, Young Master Fang, Princess, I wonder what the three of you thought of that?" Wu Feng asked respectfully.

All of the talents chuckled when they saw this.

For a talent who had met the Emperor to ask for advice from two failed candidates was quite the sight to behold.

They all fell vindicated when they recalled Fang Zhengzhi's arrogance during the theory examinations. This was compounded by the fact that Fang Zhengzhi had handed in his script early.

"Fang Zhengzhi, I bet you didn't expect this to happen when you handed in your script early!"

Yan Xiu glanced at Wu Feng but did not reply. He opened up his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan and fanned himself.

Then, he turned to look at the four dancing ladies on the third floor of the loft.

"Could you please not block me?"

All of the talents, who were waiting in anticipation, were stunned. They looked at each other in disbelief.

Could you please not block me?

Fang Zhengzhi also did not expect that someone as cold as Yan Xiu would say something so sarcastic. He wanted to give Yan Xiu a standing ovation.

After Ping Yang recovered from the initial shock, she burst out laughing, her hands clutching her belly as she did so.

"Hahahahaha..."

As for Wu Feng, he was completely stunned.

He looked at Yan Xiu's icy expression. His face turned red as his eyes glimmered. His lips quivered, almost as if he wanted to say something. However, he remained silent.

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Chapter 315: Multi talented

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The atmosphere in the Intellectual Loft was slightly strange now. This was not something the owner wanted to see. The owner shot a glance at one of the ladies on the second floor.

In that instant, melodious music filled the air.

There was an ancient saying, the girl who plays the pipa covers half her face with the pipa shyly.

Fang Zhengzhi was feeling great. He looked at the shy expression on the girl playing the pipa, a wave of emotions building up inside him. It was no wonder this Intellectual Loft was the most famous one around.

Ping Yang quietened down after hearing the music begin.

Wu Feng has returned to his seat. However, his expression was dark, his fists clenched tightly.

"Young Master Wu, why bother with these people?"

"Exactly! They did not even get invited to meet the Emperor. They are bound to fail."

"They are just jealous of you."

All of the other talents comforted when they saw Wu Feng's expression.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored them all. He turned to look at the decorations in the loft. It was designed with four symbols and the Bagua in mind. Furthermore, it seemed to be hiding something...

For a loft like this to be designed this intricately... this world was more complicated than he previously imagined.

Inside one of the rooms adorned with antiques...

There was a thick book on a redwood desk. There were a few letters next to the book, each one written in a different handwriting.

A lady in a black dress sat behind the table, opening each letter one by one. She read each one carefully, contemplating its contents before putting it down.

A bright light shone on the lady's face. Her snow white skin and exquisite features were illuminated. There was a spot of red in the middle of her forehead, almost like a drop of blood in the snow.

"Master!" A servant in black bowed as she entered.

"What is the matter?"

"Master, Young Master Fang and Young Master Yan are in the Intellectual Loft."

"Okay, I got it, proceed according to plan."

"Yes!"

This gathering was not just to discuss the court examination. Each and every talent had a wish. They wanted to have a story that would last the ages.

They were powerful when they were sober, and they lusted when they were drunk.

How could they not have a story to tell?

The Intellectual Loft was the number one place for 'fireworks' in the entire eight mile street. This meant that they were truly special.

That was the only way that they could remain on top.

Anyone that could attract all the top talents of the capital did not just have the looks and the body.

They also needed extraordinary talents.

Furthermore, they had to be pure and classy.

The logic was simple. Any treasure that was easily accessible to others was not a treasure at all. Only those that one could only admire from a distance would be treasured.

Immortal Tune.

She had burst onto the scene three months ago. She was extremely classy.Even though she was not the most beautiful, she was the most gentle.

She was as gentle as water. She was also as clear as a spring.

Her name was also representative of her talents. Her music could intoxicate people. More importantly, she was multi-talented.

She knew her poetry, could improvise and finish up others' sentences. Furthermore, she had fantastic penmanship.

Even though she was no match for the famous Yun Qingwu, she had an advantage because she could be seen.

Fang Zhengzhi was enjoying the music and dancing whilst snacking. All of a sudden, he realized that all the talents were on their feet, almost as if they were stabbed in the butt.

Then, a red silk cloth dangled from the roof of the loft.

"Is this a show?" Fang Zhengzhi guessed.

"No, Ms Immortal Tune is about to take to the stage. She is about to take to the stage." Wen Dabao said excitedly.

"Immortal Tune?"

"The top girl in the entire district." Ping Yang explained.

"Oh." Fang Zhengzhi understood Wen Dabao's excitement. Top girl? How good could she be?

Just as he was thinking about it, all the lights in the loft dimmed. The only lights remaining were those on the eight stages on the second floor.

Before long, there were red drums on each of the small stages.

"Drums?" Fang Zhengzhi was curious.

This world always valued strings... why would they use drums?

"Ms Immortal Tune!"

Just at this moment, all of the talents gasped, their eyes glistening.

Fang Zhengzhi was overwhelmed by curiosity. He looked up.

He saw a lady in a red dress float down from the roof of the loft. She hugged a black guqin...

She was like an immortal, a work of art.

"I heard that Immortal Tune is in the Divine Seal State. It seems that it is true."

"She floats down from the sky, almost like an immortal on this earth. Beautiful, perfection..."

All of the talents were completely mesmerized by her beauty.

"Ding!" The strings on the guqin vibrated.

Music filled the room. The music was soothing, causing one to feel weak and fall back into one's seat.

"I think Immortal Tune used music to enter Dao." Yan Xiu mouthed.

"Music to enter Dao..." Fang Zhengzhi recalled that Yan Xiu told him Wu Feng was also similar. Yan Xiu was saying this to remind him and give him advance warning.

"Ding!" The strings were strummed once again.

A gust of wind...

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Immortal Tune as she continued to make music with her Guqin.

Just like the other girls, Immortal Tune wore a veil. However, her veil was red and translucent. Her features could be made out through the veil.

Her features were exquisite. Her eyebrows were thin, her pupils black and shining. It was almost as if there was ink flowing inside her pupils, exuding an aura of calm and gentleness.

Music filled the room.

Fang Zhengzhi picked up a nut. Just as he was about to bite down on it, the music stopped. Then, two red cloths danced in the air.

"Bong!"

Drums rang out on both sides.

All of the other talents were mesmerized by the music. They looked at the red silk in the air, fiery passion in their eyes.

The music was captivating.

The guqin and drums complemented each other beautifully. Immortal Tune danced in the air with the music.

Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why Immortal Tune was the most popular girl in the entire area.

Her musical talents were sufficient to fire up all the talents.

After a while, the music stopped and Immortal Tune landed on the ground.

"Ms Immortal Tune, tomorrow is the release of the court examination results. If you are willing to, perhaps one of us could sing and drink with you in your chamber."

A voice rang out.

"Drink in her chamber?"

"Sing with them!"

All of the talents were fired up when they heard this. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be with Immortal Tune.

"Young Master Wu, you used music to enter Dao as well. You have the best shot!"

"Yes! Young Master Wu, please go ahead!"

"Both of you are incredibly talented! This will be a story for the ages."

All the talents looked to Wu Feng.

Wu Feng smirked when he saw this.

"Greetings Immortal Tune. I am Wu Feng, ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll. It is nice to meet you." Wu Feng bowed and introduced himself "humbly".

"Hello Young Master Wu." Immortal Tune's voice was intoxicating.

Ping Yang smiled when she saw this.

"Fang Zhengzhi, would you like to try?"

"Nope." Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation. He was a history major. He could recite classics and compose poems, but when it came to music...

He didn't know the keyboard, he didn't know strings. As for drums... he was utterly clueless.

He only knew how to brag.

Back on Yun Qingwu's ship, he had smoked his way through. If he had to play it himself, he would have been out of tune.

"Hahaha... I think you can't! How about Yan Xiu?" Ping Yang laughed.

"I know a little, but I am no match for Wu Feng." Yan Xiu shook his head.

Wen Dabao wanted to make a move. However, when he realized his opponent was going to be Wu Feng, he blushed and took a step back.

At this moment, Wu Feng's ears twitched as he smirked. "Ms Immortal Tune is great at music and dancing. We also have a talented individual in our midst. He is the top scorer for the imperial examinations. If you perform a duet with him, it will be a story for the ages."

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Chapter 316: Don't fall for it

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

As Wu Feng spoke, he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi encouragingly.

All of the talents were stunned when they heard this. However, they recovered quickly. Even though it looked as though Wu Feng was giving up this golden opportunity to Fang Zhengzhi...

In actual fact...

It was a masterful stroke.

Wu Feng had been dissed by Yan Xiu just now. This was his chance to regain the upper hand.

There was no one under the age of 30 who dared to claim that they were more talented than Wu Feng in music.

The girl was right in front of him.

No matter how good Fang Zhengzhi was, he could not be better than Wu Feng. Getting the girl was just a matter of time.

Immortal Tune's eyes showed no emotion after she heard Wu Feng's words. Her eyes were icy and clear.

"Young Master Wu, I am not as talented as you make me out to be. Furthermore, I am of a lower status. How can I possibly be talked about in the same league as our imperial examination top scorer? However, if Young Master Fang is willing to indulge me, it will be my pleasure to perform a duet!"

"Hahaha... Immortal Tune, you are too humble. There are countless people who would jump at the opportunity to perform with you." Wu Feng chuckled, then turned to Fang Zhengzhi. "Young Master Fang, I am sure you will not turn down Ms Immortal Tune?"

All of the talents immediately jumped in.

"Young Master Fang, this invitation by Ms Immortal Tune is a golden opportunity."

"Exactly, exactly. We are not as reputable as you. We have no choice but to admire by the side."

"Young Master Fang, you topped the imperial examinations. Now you have the opportunity to perform with Ms Immortal Tune. We are envious of you."

All of the other talents showed expressions of jealousy.

Fang Zhengzhi's mouth twitched. Damn it.

He knew exactly what the talents were thinking. However, he really did not know anything about music. There was no way he was going to fall into the trap.

He decided to ignore them.

He continued to sip tea and snack.

All of the talents hesitated, realizing that Fang Zhengzhi was still snacking on the nuts. They looked at each other. They all thought the same thing, Fang Zhengzhi probably doesn't know music. That's why he isn't responding.

This was quite reasonable.

Fang Zhengzhi came from the villages. Even though he came into contact with the Law of Dao, music was a luxury he probably could not afford.

"Young Master Fang, do you not know how to make music?" One of the talents asked scornfully.

"Rubbish! Young Master Fang is a talent, how could he possibly not know music?"

"Exactly! Don't talk rubbish!"

Two voices rebutted almost immediately.

However, right after, they smirked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Anyone in this world who did not know music or poetry was just a nerd.

Even though he could perform in the examinations, he would still be a laughing stock in social situations.

Immortal Tune gaze moved when she heard the discussion. She looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Then, she curtsied to Wu Feng and began to walk towards Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

Wen Dabao, who was brooding, brightened up when he saw Immortal Tune walking over. His jaw dropped.

"Ms Immortal Tune... hi... I... I am Wen Dabao."

"Hello Young Master Wen."

"Ms Immortal Tune, I am a regular here. I listen to all of your songs..."

"Wen Dabao, can you shut up?" Ping Yang looked at Wen Dabao dismissively.

"..." Wen Dabao covered his mouth in fear.

"Young Master Fang, I am Immortal Tune. May I ask what instrument you are adept at? I will get someone to prepare it for you." Immortal Tune turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

"Piano. Do you have one here?" Fang Zhengzhi asked without raising his head.

"Piano?" Immortal Tune asked in confusion.

All of the other talents looked at each other, lost. They had never heard of a piano!

"Is he trying to make something up?"

All of the talents looked at each other doubtfully.

"The piano is a keyboard instrument that was invented in the ancient western world. It has 88 keys and three pedals. The one on the left is a softening pedal. It lowers the volume of the notes that are played. The one on the right is a damper pedal. It causes the notes that are played to sustain longer. The one in the middle is the sostenuto pedal. It allows the pianist to sustain certain notes whilst keeping the others unaffected." Fang Zhengzhi explained.

"Western world?!"

"Did he just say western world?! Is he..."

"How can that be?"

All of the talents were stunned when they heard what Fang Zhengzhi said.

Yan Xiu's expression changed as well. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi awkwardly, but did not say anything.

Immortal Tune was also shocked. However, she recovered quickly.

"Young Master Fang is really talented. You even know the Western... Immortal Tune is not as talented. I would love to hear you play the piano, but we do not have the instrument here. Do you play any others?"

"Violin. Do you have it here? It looks like this..." Fang Zhengzhi nodded understandingly. Then, he sketched a picture of a violin on a piece of paper.

"Is that also from the west?" Immortal Tune's eyes glimmered when she saw the sketch.

"Yes."

"I am truly sorry, but we do not have a violin."

"Then what about a cello?"

"We don't have that either."

"You must have a guitar?"

"Erm... we don't."

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything else. He waved exasperatingly. His intentions were obvious. It's not that I don't want to perform, but they don't have the instruments for me.

All of the other talents were stunned.

Violin, cello, guitar...

What the hell were these?

They had not heard of these instruments before.

This guy was just trying to shift the blame away from himself!

Fang Zhengzhi did not care about what the others thought. After all, what he had asked for exists, it just wasn't in this world.

All of the talents were furious. However, they could not say anything. After all, Fang Zhengzhi was able to describe the instruments in detail, even sketching out how they looked like.

Wu Feng did not expect that Fang Zhengzhi would be this shameless. He never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would name instruments that didn't exist!

However...

No matter how shameless Fang Zhengzhi was, the fact was that he could not play the duet. All he had to do now was invite Immortal Tune to perform the duet with him.

Everything was still within his control.

"Ms Immortal Tune, since Young Master Fang is not going to play the duet, how about I play that duet with you?" Wu Feng bowed towards her.

He looked like a knight in shining armor.

"I heard that Young Master Wu has learnt the true art of playing the jade flute from the Clear Water Sage. I am sure that their duet will be a story for the ages."

"I wonder which song Young Master Wu will choose?"

All of the other talents chimed in with their approval.

Wu Feng smiled and coughed lightly. "I heard that Ms Immortal Tune's Pingsha is extraordinary. It would be my honor to complement you with my flute."

Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of stopping Wu Feng. He had come here to enjoy the music. He did not care who was going to go off with Immortal Tune.

He looked at Immortal Tune.

Normally, Immortal Tune would take her leave at this moment.

However, she showed no intention of leaving.

"I am sorry for not being able to give you the instruments you wanted. How about I make it up to you by drinking a cup with you?" Immortal Tune gestured to Fang Zhengzhi.

Wu Feng, who was holding the jade flute, stood rooted to his spot.

He was ignored?

He was ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll and the most talented musician of his generation! Furthermore, he had just met with the Emperor.

This meant that he should be in the top three of the theory examinations if there are no surprises.

That was clearly a much greater achievement than the top scorer for the imperial examinations!

However, it was a fact that he was ignored.

Immortal Tune did not even turn back to look at him.

All of the other talents were stunned as they looked at Immortal Tune in disbelief. Ever since Immortal Tune had started working here, she had never accompanied someone to drink.

Much less drink to make it up to someone!

More importantly...

She wasn't at fault!

The instruments that he had asked for probably did not exist! Immortal Tune, don't fall for his trap!

All of the talents wanted to vomit blood as they saw Immortal Tune raise her glass.

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Chapter 317: I'm just here for the music!

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi weirdly. She wondered to herself, Is this guy really so charismatic?

Yan Xiu found it weird as well, but he did not say anything.

When Wen Dabao looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes were filled with admiration and jealousy. This man is the master!

Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback as well. He did not want to flirt with her. More importantly, he was neither rich nor powerful.

More importantly, he did not know how to play music.

What was Immortal Tune trying to do?

"Young Master Fang, drink up." Immortal Tune raised her glass and gulped the wine down without waiting for Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the glass in front of him. He thought about it, then drank up.

All of the other talents wanted to kill Fang Zhengzhi when they saw him hesitate. He already had the girl, yet he still wanted to feign innocence.

Wu Feng stood quietly in his original position.

Even though he was ignored, he still had to maintain his composure. He felt that even if Immortal Tune ignored him for now, she would come back to him in the end.

Yes...

She will.

"Young Master Fang, are you not going to invite me to sit down?" Immortal Tune asked.

"Plonk!" Wu Feng's legs turned to jelly as he fell back into his seat. His face was completely red. He did not know what happened.

Where did he go wrong?

He was asked to meet the Emperor! Furthermore, he was higher ranked than Fang Zhengzhi on the Rising Dragon Roll. Most importantly, he was a talented musician.

He had all the advantages.

But he lost.

He had been completely schooled.

Hallucination, this must be a hallucination.

Wu Feng rubbed his eyes and looked at Immortal Tune. He saw that Immortal Tune was taking a seat at Fang Zhengzhi's table. She even filled Fang Zhengzhi's cup.

No way!

Wu Feng could not take it any longer.

He had been stymied at every turn. Each one was completely unexpected and illogical. The plan had been perfect. He had the initiative and the advantage, but the truth was cruel.

"Fang Zhengzhi, with so many talents and beauties here, would you engage me in a poetry competition in the spirit of this intellectual meet? You can choose the topic." Wu Feng raged.

It was a pity that this was an intellectual meet and not a martial one. If not, he would challenge Fang Zhengzhi and destroy him.

"Poetry?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Feng.

"That's right. You can choose the topic." Wu Feng nodded confidently. He knew that Fang Zhengzhi would not compete with him in music. His only chance was to engage Fang Zhengzhi in an intellectual duel.

"Nope." Fang Zhengzhi rejected him.

"Why? This is an intellectual meet!" Wu Feng could not understand. He was already giving Fang Zhengzhi the advantage, why would Fang Zhengzhi reject him?

"But I cam to listen to music." Fang Zhengzhi chewed on a nut and replied flatly.

"You... how about we compete based on couplets? I saw your script before. If you're not willing to compete in poetry, how about couplets?" Wu Feng grit his teeth.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I already told you before. I came to listen to music. Stop annoying me." Fang Zhengzhi said dismissively.

"Hehehe..." Immortal Tune chuckled to herself, her hand covering her mouth.

Ping Yang's laughter was much more maniacal.

"Hahaha!!" She did not even try to keep her volume down.

Even Yan Xiu cracked a smile. It was almost as if all the unhappiness flooded out of him in that instant.

Wen Dabao wanted to laugh too. However, he knew that he was not as good as Fang Zhengzhi. He could not afford to antagonize Wu Feng.

As such, he blushed.

He was trying to suppress his laughter.

Wu Feng's expression darkened. It was even darker than charcoal.

"Since Young Master Fang is here to listen to music, I have composed a few new songs. I wonder if you are willing to walk with me?" Immortal Tune chuckled, then said.

The entire loft fell silent when they heard this.

All of the talents looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

They could not understand where Fang Zhengzhi got his luck from. He did not strum any strings, hit any drum, blow into any flute. He did not even compose a poem.

Even so...

Immortal Tune invited him into her private chambers?

Could the world be any more unfair?!

Wu Feng had thought that he would be the lucky one tonight. After receiving the invite from the Emperor, he had thought that he would be going home with a pretty lady. Tomorrow, his victory would be confirmed.

He would enjoy himself to the fullest.

However... no matter how he tried...

He did not manage to succeed.

His 'fun' was stolen away by Fang Zhengzhi. More importantly, he did not even know how Fang Zhengzhi did it.

"Walk? To where?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Immortal Tune with confusion.

"Her chambers! Immortal Tune is inviting you to her chambers!" Wen Dabao was almost about to jump out of his seat.

"Chambers? But... I just want to listen to music. I don't want to sleep with her." Fang Zhengzhi replied innocently.

"Plonk!"

All of the seated talents fell off their chairs and onto the ground. They glared at Fang Zhengzhi murderously.

Sleep with her?!

Would Immortal Tune even want to sleep with you?!

What was this guy thinking?

Ping Yang also burst out laughing. "Fang Zhengzhi, hahaha... I can't believe how hilarious this is, hahaha..."

Yan Xiu was laughing too, but he was laughing bitterly.

Wen Dabao also wanted to laugh. However, he suppressed it, his body shivering. He whispered, "Official Fang, just because she invited you to her chambers doesn't mean that she wants to sleep with you. Furthermore, she must agree to it."

"Oh I see." Fang Zhengzhi nodded slowly. That being said, in the ancient times, going into a lady's chamber usually led to that.

Perhaps those stories were lying.

Or maybe they only recorded the stories of those who actually did it. Those who didn't were left out.

"Hehehe... is this the first time Young Master Fang has come to listen to music?" Immortal Tune chuckled lightly.

"Mm, it is." Fang Zhengzhi felt a little awkward saying that this was his first time even though that was a fact.

"I am honored. Young Master Fang, please follow me." Immortal Tune extended her hand to Fang Zhengzhi after hearing the reply.

"Hahaha... go quickly." Ping Yang chuckled.

"Don't forget that the results will be announced tomorrow. I will wait for you at the entrance to the Imperial Decree Hall." Yan Xiu reminded as he nodded.

"Official Fang, after you finished listening to the music, you must tell me about it. No one has heard Immortal Tune's newest songs." Wen Dabao looked at Fang Zhengzhi with jealousy.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang and Yan Xiu. He finally understood why having fun was considered a good thing here.

He was being asked out by a lady so openly. More importantly, even the princess was supporting him.

How could he resist?

Inside the antiquated room in the Intellectual Loft...

The lady in the black dress was still reading the letters in front of her. However, she had lost some of the concentration she had before.

After reading a dozen letters, she stopped.

Her eyes turned to look at the bright light as she bit her lip. Her expression revealed traces of anger as she contemplated something.

"Master!" Just at this moment, a servant in a black dress entered the room cautiously.

"How is it?" The lady in black asked anxiously.

"Immortal Tune has already invited Young Master Fang to her chambers." The servant bowed and replied.

"Oh, what did he perform?" The lady in black heaved a sigh of relief.

"He didn't perform any music."

"No music? Then did he recite poetry?"

"Nope, he did not make music, neither did he compose a poem."

"None of the above... did he come up with an outstanding couplet?" The lady in black asked doubtfully.

"Master, Fang Zhengzhi did not do anything. In actual fact, Young Master Fang did not seem to want her. In order to finish the mission, Immortal Tune had to take the initiative." The servant replied.

"That shameless fellow didn't try to win Immortal Tune over?" The lady in black was shocked.

"Exactly. Young Master Fang did not try to win her over. Furthermore, when Immortal Tune invited him to her chamber, he said..."

"What did he say?"

"He said that he was only here to listen to music. He had no intention to sleep with her."

"What? Hahaha... that shameless fellow really said that?"

"Yes, I heard it loud and clear. Immortal Tune also found out that this is Young Master Fang's first time out. He doesn't know the rules here."

"First time? Okay, I got it. You can leave now. Have Immortal Tune continue according to plan." The lady in black ordered.

"Yes." The servant left the room.

The lady in black picked up yet another letter from the table. She began to read it, this time with a smile on her face.

"First time out? Only listen to music and not sleep with the girl? Hahaha..."

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Chapter 318: The annoucement

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The chamber was the private place for the girls.

Fang Zhengzhi was not particularly interested in entering the chambers at night. However, he still entered.

To him, as long as one's moral compass was strong...

There was not much difference between entering and not entering.

There was a saying. As long as one believed in buddha, even alcohol and meat could pass through one's gut without being digested.

Fang Zhengzhi stepped into Immortal Tune's chambers. He looked around and began to take in the decorations.

Usually, the way the chamber was decorated would reveal something about the girl's character.

Immortal Tune's chamber was extremely gentle and warm. Light incense filled the room, giving a calming effect.

The floor was carpeted, making it very comfortable to walk on.

As for color.

It was primarily light blue and green. The carpets were light blue and the green came from the plants on the windowsill.

"Young Master Fang, please have a seat." Immortal Tune gestured to a chair in the middle of the room.

Fang Zhengzhi sat down without hesitation.

Even though there were some differences between this world and his previous world, their thinking was not that much different. The customer was still the most important person.

Leaving the seat in the chamber for the guest showed respect.

Immortal Tune poured a cup of tea for Fang Zhengzhi as he sat down and brought him a plate of nuts. Then, she bowed and placed the cup of tea in his hands.

Fang Zhengzhi did not move.

He did not feel comfortable being served by Immortal Tune this way. He felt that something was amiss.

He had never been here before.

He could possibly attribute the events of today to luck. However, he knew that everything happened for a reason.

He had done absolutely nothing.

He didn't perform the duet, he didn't compose any poems. He showed neither talent nor ability.

Yet, he was invited into the chambers. Furthermore, he was invited by the most popular girl. There could only be two possibilities.

One, he was incredibly handsome. Two, he looked like her father.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that neither was likely.

As such, the only remaining reason was...

He had no idea.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know, but, he wanted to know. As such, he began to observe Immortal Tune carefully.

"Young Master Fang, please have some tea." Immortal Tune brought the cup of tea to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Thank you." Fang Zhengzhi thanked her and took the cup of tea. However, he did not drink it immediately.

Immortal Tune did not wait for Fang Zhengzhi to drink it.

She turned and entered a room within the chamber. Within moments, she had changed into a different set of clothes.

She was not in a pale blue dress.

It was not as gaudy as her red dress, but it added a layer of gentleness to her. More importantly, Immortal Tune had removed her veil.

Her exquisite features were in the open for Fang Zhengzhi to see.

Immortal Tune's features were beautiful and small. Everything about her was small, her nose, her mouth, even her face.

Yet, just looking at it was oddly calming.

Fang Zhengzhi had thought that he would have to remove the veil himself. However, Immortal Tune clearly was not going to give him the chance, removing the veil herself.

Then, everything proceeded according to plan.

Immortal Tune placed her guqin on the rosewood desk and began to perform.

A melodious tune filled the room. It felt just as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring. Coupled with the intoxicating incense, this was true enjoyment.

Fang Zhengzhi rarely listened to music and did not know much about it.

However, he had heard great musicians, including Yun Qingwu and Chi Guyan.

Yun Qingwu's music was slightly more classy and open. It transported one's spirits through mountains and oceans, making one feel oddly refreshed.

Chi Guyan's music was more poetic. It made people feel like they were admiring various works of art. Everything from grass to creeks could be made beautiful by her music.

Immortal Tune's music was different from both the others.

It was gentle.

It was as gentle as water and as warm as jade. Listening to it made one feel snug and comfortable.

Fang Zhengzhi was so captivated by the music he completely lost track of time.

All of a sudden, he felt thirsty.

He looked at the cold cup of tea in front of him.

Immortal Tune seemed to notice it. She immediately stopped playing and walked into an adjacent room. She came out with a fresh pot of tea.

She also changed into another outfit.

This one was green with embroidery of leaves. She had a matching green flower in her hair.

If she was like water previously, now, she felt like spring. Everything about her screamed nature and the warmth of spring.

"Young Master Fang, please have some tea." Immortal Tune filled the cup and brought it to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Thank you." Fang Zhengzhi took the cup and felt the warmth emanating for it. Yet, he did not drink the tea.

Then, his hand trembled a little.

A loose piece of silver fell into the slightly cold cup of tea.

Splash.

"Young Master Fang, you dropped a tael of silver." Immortal Tune did not react when she saw the silver drop into the cup. She picked it up and brought it to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Thank you." Fang Zhengzhi coughed lightly, then kept the silver.

Then, he placed the fresh cup of tea by his lip. He took a sniff, the aroma of the tea hitting his nose instantly. He gulped it down.

He swirled the tea around in his mouth.

"Good tea."

"Thank you for the compliment. This tea was made by me. I used dried flowers to enhance the flavor." Immortal Tune explained.

"Mm." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

He did not really know much about tea. He only knew if a tea was nice to drink or not. However, he now knew from Immortal Tune that this was a type of floral tea.

Immortal Tune went back to her original position.

"Young Master Fang, do you enjoy watching dances?"

"Whatever you want to perform." Fang Zhengzhi actually enjoyed watching dances, but he could not possibly say that.

He had to show some class.

"Then I shall dance for you." Immortal Tune smiled when she heard this. She immediately began to dance.

Fang Zhengzhi felt a wave of emotions build up as he watched Immortal Tune dance.

In order to be the top girl in this world.

Was quite difficult.

In order to be this good with instruments, one must have had at least a decade of practice. Furthermore, in order to dance this well, she must have put in a lot of effort.

The girls had to be beautiful and be able to sing, dance, make music...

It was probably even more difficult than being a superstar in his previous world. They had to be young. Once they were past their prime, they would not be wanted.

All of their talents would go to waste.

This was the harsh reality.

When they were in their prime, everyone would praise them and fight for them. However, when that was over, they would be shunned.

They were just like flowers, aromatic and beautiful when they bloomed, but just brown and forgotten when they wilted.

Fang Zhengzhi drank even more cups of tea as he watched the dance.

After Immortal Tune danced for some time, she stopped. Then, she re lit the incense before retreating to the adjacent room.

She must be going to change again?

Ever since he came in, she had wore red, blue, and green. He wondered what she would change to now.

Before long...

Another figure walked out from the room.

She wore a black dress and golden cloth shoes this time. Furthermore, she had a red dot on her forehead.

Her steps looked different.

her aura and demeanor had completely changed from the warmth of spring just now,. This time, she was incredibly charming.

Fang Zhengzhi was shocked when he saw the figure come out from the room. Isn't this too drastic a change?

Did the clothes make that much of a difference?

Even if it did, where did she get the charm from?

Hang on!

Something was not quite right!

Fang Zhengzhi found something strange. The lady was not holding a pot of tea or any instruments.

She walked straight towards him.

Beaming radiantly as she did so.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that something was amiss. He wanted to see how what this lady looked like, but his vision was blurred.

It was almost as if his eyes were covered by a layer of mist.

More importantly, he felt all his strength and energy exit his body. He was completely immobilized.

"Damn it, I fell into the trap!"

Fang Zhengzhi was jolted. He wanted to resist, but his body wouldn't respond to his will. All he could do was watch as the figure approached him.

More importantly...

He still couldn't see what she looked like.

Damn it!

Was he going to lose his virginity tonight? He was only 15! Even if he was to lose his virginity, he did not want to be raped!

Dawn the next day.

It was late autumn and the temperature was dropping. The wind was strong, sending fallen leaves flying into the air. Birds flew around, pooping wherever they went.

One of the volleys hit Wu Feng on his head.

Wu Feng was still deep in thought. He left the Intellectual Loft extremely late. However, when he left, Fang Zhengzhi was still inside.

That meant that Fang Zhengzhi spent the night there.

Inviting someone into the chamber to listen to music and spending the night in the chamber were two very different things. Even though he did not think that Immortal Tune would sleep with Fang Zhengzhi...

But what if she did?

There was always a possibility. He was furious, so much so that he did not even realize the bird dropping on his head.

When he realized it.

He was even more infuriated.

How fast could a bird be? Normally, he would be able to dodge in time. Either way, the birds were out of reach by now.

"Damn it, wear pants when you go out!" Wu Feng hollered.

The birds turned back to look at Wu Feng. Its black eyes were filled with scorn, almost as if they were saying, "Who wears pants when they poop?"

Wu Feng did not understand their language.

But, he did see the bird turn back.

His eyesight was incredible. More amazingly, he immediately retrieved his jade flute and began to play.

"Chirp!"

This was just like the sound of the bird.

It was crisp and sharp.

The sound travelled through the air like an arrow.

There was a saying.

An injured bird would be terrified by the sound of the bow.

After a bird was injured, even the sound of the bow would be enough to shoot it down.

The bird in this case was not injured. In fact, it was quite proud of itself. Even so, it was still shot down. When the sound rang out, its wings froze in position.

"Woosh!"

The bird crashed into a branch and fell to the ground.

Wu Feng put down the flute, his eyes shining icily. Then, he took out a handkerchief and wiped the poop off his head before turning back to the hotel.

Today was the court examination results day.

He was expected to do extremely well in this examination. How could he go to the hall with bird poop on his head.

Many people were going towards the palace. Even though they could not enter the palace and hear the results...

The announcement could be heard from the vicinity of the palace.

Normally, the names of the candidates who passed would be announced three times. For the top three, the names would be relayed all the way from the Imperial Decree Hall to the outskirts of the city.

It was the greatest honor.

It was something every talent wanted.

The previous night was a sleepless one. All of the talents woke up early in the morning and prepared their best outfit for the occasion.

This was a grand event with many honored guests.

The disciples from most of the major families and well as some of the most influential people throughout the empire were eager to see the results...

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Chapter 319: Let's fail together

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Years of studying...

They had gone through so many examinations before making it here. Some people had taken five or six editions to get to this point.

"Quickly quickly. The results are about to be announced. Let's find a good position."

"I wonder what the results will be like?"

"I heard that Wu Feng met with the Emperor. The other talents didn't say much so I think Wu Feng will probably be in the top three."

"I heard that Fang Zhengzhi didn't get the decree. I think he is going to fail?"

"Even if he doesn't fail, Nangong Hao is bound to top the examination."

"That is true!"

All of the talents began to discuss their predictions for this edition of the court examinations. After all, it had captured the attention of everyone in the capital.

Nangong Hao was ranked second on the Rising Dragon Roll. He was the top talent in the Great Xia Dynasty four years ago. Then, there was Wu Feng, one of the core disciples of the Clear Water Sage.

Then there was Yan Xiu, someone who had demonstrated unprecedented abilities. Then there was Fang Zhengzhi, the top scorer in the imperial examinations.

Discussions engulfed the entire capital.

The entrance to the palace was packed with throngs of people. Everyone wanted to be the first to hear the news.

Two rows of guards in golden armor stood beside the Imperial Decree Hall. They all held gleaming spears, their expressions solemn.

All of the officials stood in the middle of the guards. Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping stood at the head of all the officials.

All of the candidates awaiting the results stood at a point 500m away from the entrance. All of them craned their necks.

Yan Xiu stood in the middle of all the other candidates. His expression was cold even as he scanned his surroundings.

Fang Zhengzhi did not return last night.

He was not too surprised by that. Perhaps Fang Zhengzhi was tired after listening to the music so he crashed at the loft.

But...

The time for the announcement of results had come... but Fang Zhengzhi was still nowhere to be seen.

Even though Yan Xiu found Fang Zhengzhi quite willful, but he knew Fang Zhengzhi would not make a mistake like this.

The announcement of results was too important an event to miss.

"Where the hell is he?" Yan Xiu looked at the entrance to the palace, anxiety building up in his eyes. However, before the results were announced, he could not leave.

He could only wait.

He could only wait for Fang Zhengzhi to arrive.

Wu Feng was quite happy. Even though there were a few setbacks along the way, they were insignificant. They did not dampen his spirit in the grand scheme of things.

Of course, he was most happy about the fact that...

Fang Zhengzhi was absent!!

This was fantastic news.

Wu Feng had always heard rumors that Fang Zhengzhi was very courageous. He would stand up to the other officials in court, even telling them off at times,

However, not coming to the announcement of the results was quite audacious.

A night of fun...

Go and have your fun!

"Fang Zhengzhi didn't come? I wonder what he's up to?"

"I heard that he went to the Intellectual Loft last night. Immortal Tune even invited him to her chambers. Maybe he didn't get any rest last night so he can't wake up? Hahaha..."

"I think he doesn't dare to come?"

"Young Master Qin hit the nail on the head. Fang Zhengzhi did not meet with the Emperor, so I am sure he will fail this time. It is only normal that he would not come to the results announcement, but..."

"But what?"

"It is a pity that Ms Immortal Tune would have to bear with him."

"Hahaha, but I don't think Fang Zhengzhi is even at the Intellectual Loft, I think he already found somewhere to hide?"

"Hahaha..."

All of the other candidates also realized Fang Zhengzhi's absence. As such, they began to discuss it animatedly.

Wu Feng was also smirking. He thought that Fang Zhengzhi was hiding. He would never believe that Fang Zhengzhi overslept.

The more he thought about it, the better he felt. He scanned the crowd and saw someone...

Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao wore a white shirt. However, the blood on the shirt was gone. It was unclear whether it was washed off or if this was a new set.

It was slightly dusty, but it still shone in the light.

Nangong Hao's eyes were bright like the sun. Yet, they also revealed an arrogant aura.

One could see the brightness in his eyes, but no one could get close to him. One could only admire him from a distance.

This was Nangong Hao to all the other talents.

Too talented.

He was a peerless talent. Even if Nangong Hao did not distance himself from others, he would never fit in.

Wu Feng wanted to know something.

He wanted to know if Nangong Hao met with the Emperor. It seemed like a foregone conclusion. There was no way Nangong Hao was going to fail.

Yet, he still wondered about it.

It was like a beggar in the rain. Even though he knew the streets would be virtually empty, he still held out his hands hopefully.

He wasn't hoping that he did exceptionally well. He was hoping that Nangong Hao slipped up.

Fang Zhengzhi had failed because he handed in his script in advance. Nangong Hao had handed in his script at that time as well.

Would he suffer the same fate?

Wu Feng did not doubt Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao's abilities. However, how would the Emperor be able to tolerate being disrespected?

Wu Feng approached Nangong Hao.

"Young Master Nangong!" Wu Feng smiled as he bowed to Nangong Hao respectfully.

All of the other candidates stopped their discussions when they saw this.

Wu Feng was greeting Nangong Hao before the release of the results?

What was he trying to do?

Were they going to engage in pleasantries? Or was this the spark before the fire?

"Young master Wu." Nangong Hao looked at Wu Feng and returned the gesture, bowing respectfully as well.

Even so, the candidates could feel an invisible, unscalable wall between these two top talents of the empire.

It felt very real.

Wu Feng's lips twitched. He predicted that Nangong Hao would not ignore him, but the courtesy Nangong Hao accorded him was unexpected.

It was quite uncanny.

It felt like Nangong Hao was being respectful and belittling him at the same time.

This wave of emotions caused Wu Feng to be taken aback. Why shouldn't Nangong Hao accord me that courtesy?

He was now ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll.

He was only one rank away from Nangong Hao...

Why did he still feel this way?

Wu Feng felt that he should be on the same pedestal as Nangong Hao. After all, the difference of one rank was not that much. He wanted to calm himself down, but he couldn't rid himself of that feeling.

As a result, despite his best efforts, he still did not manage to ask Nangong Hao if he met the Emperor.

He wanted to ask this question casually.

It was supposed to be like a casual question between friends. However, when he was facing Nangong Hao, he could not bring himself to ask the question.

"Young Master Wu wants to know if I met with the Emperor right?" Nangong Hao asked expressionlessly, almost as if he could read Wu Feng's mind.

"Haha... I don't think that question needs to be asked. Your talent basically guarantees you the top spot in this examination." Wu Feng tried to laugh it off as he worked to maintain his composure.

Even so, he couldn't help but stammer a little. When Nangong Hao asked that question, he felt as if he had been read like a book.

It was extremely uncomfortable.

"I did not." Nangong Hao shook his head. His tone was extremely calm, almost like an icy lake.

His expression did not change.

No matter how strong the wind, the surface of the lake was still ice.

Even though Nangong Hao was calm, the candidates who heard this could not maintain their composure.

"Did I hear that wrongly? Nangong Hao... said he didn't get the invite?!"

"How is this possible?"

All of the candidates could not believe their ears. Nangong Hao had topped the imperial examinations four years ago.

Four years later...

He cut through the capital like a knife through butter.

Yet he didn't get the invite to meet with the Emperor?

It was atomic news.

To meet with the Emperor meant that one was in the top 10. Those who did not would make the list.

That was a fact that hadn't changed in years.

Even though the top 30 would still be able to participate in the subsequent combat examinations, no one expected this to happen to Nangong Hao.

Could it be that the top talent of the Great Xia Dynasty four years ago...

Was not going to make the list?!

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Chapter 320: Parchment with missing names

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

If Nangong Hao did not say this himself, no one would believe that he was not invited to meet with the Emperor. Even when he did...

No one believed he wouldn't make the list.

So what happened?

Could it be...

All of the candidates thought of only one possibility. That was the only plausible reason. Nangong Hao had handed in his script early.

Was that the reason?

The candidates could not be sure. If the Emperor had seemed that someone who handed in their script early was disrespectful to him...

That did not seem very wise or fair.

All of the candidates looked at Nangong Hao with looks of doubt and sadness. Yet, Nangong Zhao himself showed no emotion.

It was almost as if him being on the list or not made no difference to him.

The candidates did not believe that Nangong Hao did not care. Even if Nangong Hao did not care, he had to live up to the expectations of his ancestors.

Top three.

That was the minimum for any Nangong Family member.

If they were not confident of making the top three, they would withdraw. Some of them would not even participate in the examinations.

The fact that Nangong Hao was here meant that he had the confidence to make the top three. Furthermore, Nangong Hao was expected to top both the theory and combat examinations.

Wu Feng was speechless as he looked at Nangong Hao.

Comfort?

He thought that it would be inappropriate to comfort Nangong Hao. Mockery and irony were out of the question as well.

As such, Wu Feng nodded and calmed himself down. Then, he returned to his original position.

He would not be able to take it if he stood next to Nangong Hao.

"Nangong Hao didn't meet the Emperor? Hahaha, I am definitely going to top the theory examinations this time. It is mine, hahaha..." Wu Feng was incredibly excited. His face filled with color and he felt as though he was on a cloud.

Just at this moment, they saw a figure in the distance.

An elderly man walked over. He did not sit in a carriage, but, all of the Royal guards accorded him great respect as he passed.

No one stopped him along the way.

He cleared his throat lightly.

All of the candidates looked on solemnly. They knew who this was.

This was an aged man, but his eyes were still very cryptic. One could not make out what he was thinking.

However, the silver official robes that he wore made everyone afraid to show anything less than complete respect.

He was King Liqin.

Wu Feng's haze froze. It was unusual for King Liqin to be here. After all, he rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the court.

So why would he come to the court examinations results announcement?

What was his motive?

"Your highness!" Wu Feng could not figure it out, but he still greeted King Liqin respectfully. His respect for King Liqin was true.

The reason was simple.

His master, the Clear Water Sage had given him only one instruction before he left for the capital.

"You can disrespect anyone in the capital bar King Liqin!"

This was an instruction, but it was also a warning.

"Your highness!" All of the other candidates recovered from their shock, greeting King Liqin with utmost respect.

"Mm, hello to you all." King Liqin's raspy voice rang out. Then, he smiled at all the candidates affectionately.

King Liqin's greeting was casual, almost like a grandfather greeting his grandchildren. It was difficult to link this man to the father of the Emperor.

All of the officials stood at the entrance to the Imperial Decree Hall. It was almost time for the results to be announced, but there was no movement inside the hall.

They could only wait patiently.

However, when King Liqin appeared, they could not keep their composure any longer.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yuping's eyes revealed traces of doubt. Why would King Liqin come here? He never concerned himself with the affairs of the court! This is abnormal!

The other officials had the same suspicions. However, King Liqin was heading right towards them, his steps a little haphazard.

Even though he looked like he was not very stable, one would realize upon closer inspection that he managed to maintain the same speed throughout.

"Your highness!" All of the officials bowed and greeted King Liqin respectfully.

"Mm, hello to all of you too." King Liqin smiled at them but did not slow down.

Before long, King Liqin had passed through all of them and walked to the entrance of the Imperial Decree Hall.

At this point, the door to the Imperial Decree Hall was nudged open, leaving a space just enough for one person to pass through.

"King Liqin entered the hall?" All of the officials were slightly shocked. There was only one man inside the Imperial Decree Hall.

The Emperor.

They were doubtful, but they could not stop him.

Even the two rows of golden armored guards by the gates of the Imperial Decree Hall did not stop him.

King Liqin entered the Imperial Decree Hall as easily as he would enter his own house. It made people wonder if he was even here in the first place?

Inside the Imperial Decree Hall, it was much calmer than it was outside.

A light incense floated around inside the hall. There was a glowing red light in the incense pot, the light shining on a young man's face.

That man was wearing a golden dragon robe. Only one man could wear such a robe.

Emperor Lin Mubai.

His eyebrows were scrunched together.

There was a golden parchment in front of him. This was the results slip for the court examinations. There were already names on it.

Once it was released, the results were set.

Wu Feng's name was on it, with some comments next to his name.

However, the parchment did not have Fang Zhengzhi's name. Neither did it have Yan Xiu or Nangong Hao's name.

"You're here!" Emperor Lin Mubai was calm when he saw King Liqin enter.

"Since the Emperor asked me to come, I came." King Liqin stepped forward.

"It's been tough on you." Emperor Lin Mubai stood up from the desk and placed three joss sticks in front of King Liqin.

King Liqin took it.

Then, he kowtowed three times before taking seven steps forward and placing them in the golden holder.

"What does the Emperor need from me?" King Liqin stood back at his original position after finishing the ritual.

"I am thinking of sending troops to the Southern Mountain Range, what do you think?" Emperor Lin Mubai whispered.

"Do you want to invade them or pacify them?" King Liqin asked, his expression unchanging.

"What do you think of both?" Emperor Lin Mubai pressed.

"If you are invading them, the Southern Mountain Range is vast. The woods are thick and ruled by beasts. Who will lead the expedition?" King Liqin asked.

"What about Xing Hou?"

"Yuanguo is loyal. Letting him lead the army is not a problem. However, his battle has always been with the demons, so he is not familiar with the Southern Mountain Range. Furthermore, the Mountain Breaking Army is skilled in siege. They will suffer heavy losses engaging in guerilla warfare. Conquering them would take at least a decade, probably more!"

"So what if I went in peace?" Emperor Lin Mubai nodded and asked.

"The Emperor already has a good plan. I shall not comment further." King Liqin looked towards the golden parchment.

"I have three scripts here from three different candidates. I would like you to take a look." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded and placed the three scripts in King Liqin's hand.

King Liqin took the scripts in his hand, his gaze scanning over the one at the top. Then, his eyes glimmered.

He quickly finished looking through that one.

He began to look through the second script.

This time, after a mere glance, his eyes cleared up, a bright light shining in his pupils.

After reading it twice, he picked up the third script.

The moment he picked it up, his eyes darkened significantly. However, this did not last long.

Before long, his eyes began to shine. The more he read, the brighter it became. His eyes began to widen, light rays shining out of them.

It was almost as if there was a rainbow coming out of his eyes.

Then, he picked up the second script once again and read the both of them over and over.

"Good!" After reading both scripts five times, King Liqin finally spoke. He only said one word, but his voice was not raspy. It was magnificent and deep, almost like a dragon which had awoken from its deep slumber.

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Chapter 321: The time has come

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

At that moment, a powerful aura emanated from King Liqin. This aura was different from that of Emperor Lin Mubai.

If Lin Mubai's Dragon Aura was like the sun...

King Liqin's was thick and powerful. It was a supernatural aura that had been hibernating for decades.

It was difficult to imagine that such a frail body would be able to contain such a powerful aura.

Even Emperor Lin Mubai's expression changed when he felt this aura. His eyes glimmered as he looked at his uncle.

The previous Emperor had eight siblings.

When he passed on, there was only one brother left. That was King Liqing, the man who had once led the armies of the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Uncle, are you already..." Emperor Lin Mubai asked in anticipation, his gaze towards King Liqin filled with respect.

As the Emperor...

He should have eliminated all threats to his throne.

Yet, he did not do so. He did not even think about it because the person in front of him was King Liqin.

King Liqin was the one who had conquered the lands for the empire.

"I'm on the verge of it, but I'm still missing an opportunity..." King Liqin's aura changed all of a sudden, his eyes turning misty and his voice becoming raspy.

"Do you need my help?" Emperor Lin Mubai asked this question as a nephew. He looked to King Liqin as his elder.

"Not at the moment. I think you asked me here because of these scripts?" King Liqin shook his head as he passed the three scripts back to Emperor Lin Mubai.

"Yes, I wonder if you have any opinion on them?"

"The first one is a fine piece of work. He has backed up his arguments with evidence and his logic is sound. His analysis is thorough and clear. If not for the other two scripts, he would have topped the examination!" King Liqin explained.

"I agree with what you said, but, these last two..." Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the last two scripts conflictedly.

"Are equally good."

"You think so too?"

"Yes."

"That is why I am so conflicted. There can only be one top scorer for the court examinations. I must choose a winner."

"If you really had to choose a winner, it would come down to how the ideas are worded. It would not be the ideas presented in the script. The second script is immaculate. Every word and sentence is flawless. Even I would be hard pressed to find anything to change."

"That is exactly what I thought!"

"As for the third one, even though it has some hiccups at the start, it's conclusion is superbly worded. The story of the demolition of the six countries is impeccable. When one reads this, it is easy to link it back to all the ideas he has laid out. It is extremely enlightening!" King Liqin added.

"So how do you think I should rank these two scripts?"

"As I have said before, these two scripts are actually on par with each other. If I had to pick one, I would choose the third script. However, I know you probably prefer the second one." King Liqin replied.

"Previously, when I asked you such questions, you would always skirt around them. Why are you so straightforward today?" Emperor Lin Mubai asked.

"Haha, you have locked yourself here to mark the scripts. You have also called me in here to look at these three scripts. Isn't this all for fairness? Since that is what you want, that is what I will give you."

"I understand, thank you!"

"I will take my leave now."

"Uncle..."

"Does the Emperor need something else from me?"

"If you manage to cross that barrier, can I request something from you?"

"The thing that you're asking for... is very difficult." King Liqin looked at Emperor Lin Mubai, his eyes cloudy as he shook his head.

"Even if you cross that barrier you can't do it?" Emperor Lin Mubai was filled with disappointment.

This should not be an emotion the Emperor showed. But it was showing in a pure, unadulterated form.

"I don't know." King Liqin shook his head.

"I haven't seen Yu Er in 10 years, five months and 23 days! Uncle! She left when Ping Yang was only three and a half years old. 10 years, we made a deal for 10 years. But it is five months and 23 days overdue..." Emperor Lin Mubai's expression was pained.

"It has been so long. However, since you chose to be the Emperor, you should have been mentally prepared for this." King Liqin sighed.

"I know, but.."

"I will do my best!"

"Thank you uncle!"

"I will take my leave first."

The doors to the Imperial Decree Hall opened and King Liqin walked out. All of the officials looked on doubtfully.

Today was the release of the court examination results. King Liqin's attendance was quite surprising.

And now, King Liqin exited alone. Normally, Emperor Lin Mubai would send King Liqin out personally.

But now...

There was no sign of activity inside the Imperial Decree Hall.

King Liqin entered and exited the hall alone. It was almost as if there was no one else inside.

All of the candidates waiting for the results were also equally shocked.

Why was King Liqin out again? Was he done with the discussion? What did he discuss? Did it have anything to do with the court examination?

Or...

Was it about something else?

Questions flew by in their minds but they had no answer.

Wu Feng wanted to glean some information off King Liqin's expression. However, he was disappointed. King Liqin was too calm.

He was as calm as a lake.

As for his eyes.

It was cloudy. Wu Feng respected King Liqin, but he was also suspicious of him.

"Master told me not to disrespect King Liqin. But Master is one of the four sages. He is on par with the Emperor himself. Why did he warn me about King Liqin? Could it be that King Liqin is also a safe? I doubt it? One pavilion, four sages, 13 constabularies. That meant that there are only four sages. If King Liqin was already a sage, he should already have taken up one of the positions."

Wu Feng did not really understand, but he still bowed respectfully.

King Liqin walked out slowly. He passed the officials and the candidates. Then he left through the gates.through the front gates.

Just as King Liqin

In the moment King Liqin left the crowd, a gong rang out.

"Bong..."

This sound reverberated throughout the entire palace for a considerable time.

The eyes of the officials and candidates brightened when they heard the gong. They became visibly excited.

This was the sound they were waiting for.

There was only one reason why the gong would sound. The announcement of results!

Wu Feng was visibly shaking from his excitement. Nangong Hao, Fang Zhengzhi, and Yan Xiu did not meet with the Emperor!

"All three of them didn't!"

This was the best possible news to him!

When Wu Feng had come to participate in the court examinations, his aim was to take home the top spot. In fact, he believed that he had the ability to.

However...

When he heard Nangong Hao was going to participate, his confidence wavered for the first time.

As such, he challenged Qin Yan, ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll. All he wanted to do was cement his own confidence.

He wanted to know where he stood now.

He defeated Qin Yan easily.

This allowed him to regain his confidence. However, at the theory examinations, he saw a true talent in Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao was too bright, even Wu Feng struggled to open his eyes.

His confidence fell to rock bottom again.

He mentally prepared himself. If he couldn't be first, he would be second... after all, Nangong Hao himself was second on the Rising Dragon Roll.

Taking second was not anything to be ashamed of.

Especially if one's opponent was Nangong Hao.

However, today, he heard something else. Nangong Hao did not meet the Emperor. That would mean that he was out of the top 10.

How would Nangong Hao fight with him?

He defeated Nangong Hao...

He actually defeated Nangong Hao!

How could he not be excited?!

Wu Feng subconsciously glanced at Nangong Hao. He realized that Nangong Hao was just as calm as before, nothing able to affect him.

"Humph... keep acting!" Wu Feng thought to himself. When the results are announced, he won't be able to keep his cool any longer.

Just as he was thinking about this, the doors to the Imperial Decree Hall opened, the incense from inside wafting out.

Then, Emperor Lin Mubai in the golden dragon robe walked out. He held a golden parchment in his hands.

"Long live the Emperor!"

All of the officials fell to their knees and kowtowed to the Emperor.

All of the candidates also fell to their knees, greeting the Emperor in the same way.

"Rise." Emperor Lin Mubai raised his hands.

All of them recovered.

Then, servants carried a throne behind Emperor Lin Mubai and opened up a large golden umbrella.

Emperor Lin Mubai sat down and looked at the officials and candidates. He scanned them again and again...

Then his expression changed.

The reason was simple. One person was missing. However, Emperor Lin Mubai would not ask or say this out loud.

He looked at Left Prime Minister Yu Yuping.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping saw the gaze and immediately tried to deduce the Emperor's intentions. What was the Emperor trying to tell him?

Was it because Fang Zhengzhi was absent?

Unlikely... he had heard that Fang Zhengzhi did not meet with the Emperor, meaning that he wasn't in the top 10. It was unlikely that the Emperor would be concerned about Fang Zhengzhi.

So...

The reason was simple.

He wanted Yu Yiping to announce the results.

Historically, the Chief Imperial Messenger would be the one to announce the results. But now, the Chief Imperial Messenger was in jail.

Even though he was still alive, his death was basically a foregone conclusion.

The current temporary replacement was Su Qing.

He was just a rank four official and a temporary replacement. He had no clout in the courts and it would be inappropriate for him to announce the results.

As the head of all the officials and the right hand to the Emperor, it was only natural for him to be the one to announce the results.

He thought that he had got it.

He quickly stepped out from the group of officials and walked up to the Emperor. He stretched his arms out respectfully as he prepared to take the parchment from the Emperor.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned by this. He did not understand why Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was doing this.

What was he thinking?

Just as he was about to ask, he realized what was happening.

Prime Minister Yu wants to help me announce the results?

Emperor Lin Mubai did want an official to help announce the results. However, he was not expecting such initiative.

The lack of a Chief Imperial Messenger was indeed a problem.

But he still had the six ministers!

He had the Right Prime Minister! He had the Crown Prince!

Emperor Lin Mubai's expression changed as he looked at Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping solemnly. In the end, he still handed the parchment over.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping felt a wave of excitement as he took the parchment in his hands.

Even though announcing the results was a small thing, it meant that the Emperor wanted him to take control of the Imperial Academy.

Even though the Imperial Academy's main role of organizing the Dao Examinations seemed insignificant, it was the gathering place for all the talents. Such an important role must be guarded.

He was ecstatic.

"Ahem!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping cleared his throat as he prepared to announce the results.

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Chapter 322: Release of the Court Examination Results (1)

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

However, there were pleasantries to be said before the announcement. This was no problem for Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping. He was a seasoned veteran in the courts.

Even though this was the first time he was announcing the results...

He had heard it umpteen times.

Firstly, he had to praise Emperor Lin Mubai on his achievements throughout the years and emphasize the value the Emperor put on the court examinations.

Left Prime Minister had the gift of the gap and he knew all of Emperor Lin Mubai's exploits like the back of his hand.

He managed to recite all the achievements since Emperor Lin Mubai's inauguration.

All of the other officials and candidates listened to the speech quietly.

After almost 15 minutes, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping stopped. After all, this was the court examination results release. The announcement was the main show today.

When he finished, he turned to look at Emperor Lin Mubai.

Emperor Lin Mubai nodded, his intentions clear. Good enough, please proceed.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping immediately understood the Emperor's intentions. He began to unfurl the parchments, revealing the names.

The court examination results were announced differently from the imperial examination.

The imperial examination announced the second honor roll first, then the first honor roll, before revealing the names of the top three. For the court examinations, the results were announced from top to bottom.

Furthermore, there were only 10 names.

For the 11th to 30th ranked candidates, they would have to check out the full list placed at the entrance of the palace.

Left Prime MInister Yu Yiping looked at the parchment, the rock in his heart disappearing in that instant. His smile widened.

Because...

Fang Zhengzhi's name was not on it.

At the very top of the parchment were two words, Wu Feng!

Fang Zhengzhi was not on the list!

"For this edition of the court examinations..." Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping stopped in his tracks, his smile frozen.

He saw the word behind Wu Feng's name.

Fourth!

How could this happen?

Wu Feng's name was right at the top, yet he was fourth. The Emperor's comments were written clearly at the side as well.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping could not figure out what was going on.

Normally, the results were announced from top to bottom. Could it be that the top three were behind?

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping looked at the last row on the parchment.

Even so...

There was no mention of the top three candidates. The last name on the parchment was ranked tenth.

What was the problem?

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's gaze froze. He could not find the top three candidates. This was something he did not expect.

But, could he ask about it now?

Of course not, so he could only look through the entire parchment.

Then, he realized that the parchment only contained the names of those ranked fourth to tenth. There was no mention of the top three.

There were only seven names on it.

"Seven names..." Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping found the problem. There was still some blank space above Wu Feng's name.

This space was for the top three candidates.

But why was it not written down?

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping did not dare to ask, but he looked back at Emperor Lin Mubai with a confused expression.

Emperor Lin Mubai knew what Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was thinking.

He was very exasperated as well.

The time for the announcement of results had come too soon. He had no time to write down their names and his comments.

Timing was crucial here.

It represented fate and luck.

If he missed the timing, it would not be a good omen for the empire. Furthermore, he was just about to engage the Southern Mountain Range.

As such, he decided to leave it blank rather than writing some words haphazardly.

This did not affect the announcement of the results.

Initially, he had planned to announce the top three candidates himself before handing the parchment to the Minister of Rites to announce the rest.

However, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping had stepped out.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned by his actions. However, if he did not pass the parchment over to him, it would be extremely embarrassing for Yu Yiping.

After some consideration, he decided to spare a thought for his Left Prime Minister.

Then, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping began to talk about him. As a result, he could only wait by the side. He had hoped that Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping would look at the parchment after the speech.

Then...

If Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was smart, he would return the parchment to the Emperor. That would have been a smooth transition.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping did glance at it.

But, he immediately began to announce the results...

This resulted in this embarrassing impasse. He could not continue announcing, but it was too late for Emperor Lin Mubai to stop him.

"Announce what you see!" Emperor Lin Mubai knew that if he didn't speak, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping would stand there awkwardly.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was shocked when he heard this.

It was a simple instruction, however, the implications caused Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping to take a step back.

Announce what you see...

Really?

Anyone who would do that was an idiot.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping did not know why the top three were missing from the parchment, but he knew the rules of the announcement.

He racked his brains for a way to salvage the situation. Finally, his eyes glittered.

"Many people might not know the emphasis and special meaning this court examination holds. I shall only say one thing. The Emperor had spent the past three days in the Imperial Decree Hall, personally marking all the scripts. He did not leave at any time!" Yu Yiping emphasized the last sentence.

All of the officials knew that Emperor Lin Mubai had marked the scripts personally.

However, the candidates did not.

All of them became visibly excited. Even though the rules dictated that the Emperor must mark each script himself, they knew that he was busy with court affairs.

In previous examinations, it was an open secret that officials would vet the scripts before submitting the best to the Emperor.

Yu Yiping knew this as well, so he emphasized what happened during this examination without mentioning the previous ones.

It was a deliberate omission.

Then, he looked at all of the excited candidates, steeling himself before he turned and knelt towards Emperor Lin Mubai.

"Your highness, I know the rules of the court examination. However, your highness has always cared for the people, so I'll make a request on behalf of the people today. I hope that you will change the rules slightly for this announcement!"

"Oh? What are you proposing?" Emperor Lin Mubai looked on doubtfully.

"I would like to propose that I will announce the rankings from fourth to tenth. Then, your highness can personally announce the top three candidates to show how much you value talent!" He had wanted the Emperor to announce the top three candidates first, but he had already begun the announcement.

Furthermore, the Emperor had already placed the parchment in his hands and ordered him to announce what he saw.

If he returned the parchment to the Emperor first before taking it back after...

The mistake would be too obvious.

Of course, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping also had selfish concerns. If he handed the parchment back now, his long speech would have been for nothing.

He would be utterly embarrassed.

All of the candidates and officials looked at each other in confusion when they heard this.

However, they all came to a consensus that this was Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's attempt at bootlicking.

"We hope that your highness will announce the top three candidates personally!" All of the officials replied almost immediately. Who would pass on such a great opportunity to bootlick?

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at all the officials and Yu Yiping, who was kneeling in front of him. He was extremely contented.

Even though Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping would announce the results first, the situation would be resolved without any awkwardness.

"Approved!" Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and the others began to thank him. The candidates were overjoyed to hear that the Emperor was going to personally announce the names of the top three candidates

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping heaved a sigh of relief.

He began announcing the names without hesitation.

"Ranked fourth for the examinations... Wu Feng!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's voice was confident and he said the name with conviction.

Even so...

All of the candidates were stunned when Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping announced this result? Fourth? How is that possible?!

Shouldn't he be first?

Nangong Hao didn't meet with the Emperor. Neither did Fang Zhengzhi not Yan Xiu. Who could possibly defeat Wu Feng? That was impossible.

Wu Feng stood rooted to the ground.

He felt as if he had just been struck by lightning.

He was extremely excited when he heard that the Emperor was going to announce the names of the top three candidates personally. He was going to be the recipient of this great honor.

Everything happened so quickly.

He didn't even manage to react in time. The honor of his name being called out was not what he wanted.

Fourth?

Why was he fourth?!

Who were the top three?

Wu Feng desperately wanted to know.

Another thought flashed in his mind. Did Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping make the wrong announcement? He was first! The Left Prime Minister must have made a mistake!

That must be it!

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping must have read the names off from top to bottom. His name was first on the list... it... it must be a mistake!

"Wu Feng, come forward and show your thanks!" A voice rang out.

Wu Feng really didn't want to move. This was not the result he wanted. He really wanted to ask what was happening. However, seeing as the Emperor himself was there, he could not bring himself to ask the question.

"Wu Feng!"

"I, Wu Feng, thank your highness!" Wu Feng shuffled forward and fell to his knees.

Even so, he kept screaming in his heart.

This is a mistake, it must be a mistake!

As Wu Feng fell to his knees, voices began to ring out around him.

"Ranked fourth, Wu Feng!"

"Ranked fourth, Wu Feng!"

"Ranked fourth..."

The voices formed a chain from the Imperial Decree Hall all the way to the main entrance.

When all of the talents at the gates heard Wu Feng's name, they all got excited. The first name was Wu Feng.

Wu Feng had topped the court examination!

Fang Zhengzhi did not make the list!

Just as they were about to celebrate, they realized something was amiss. Fourth?

Some of the golden armored soldiers on well groomed stallions also took a double take. They were about to gallop off in their respective directions with the news.

Fourth position first?

Historically, only the top three candidates were given the honor of having their names spread to the surrounding cities. Since the announcement was for fourth, they didn't have to go.

"Eunuch Li, did you get that right? Why is the first announcement for the fourth position?"

"The people in front said fourth, so I followed!" The man in a robe replied exasperatingly.

The golden armored guard's lip twitched but he did not ask any other questions.

Wait.

All he could do was wait. He had to wait for the other names to be announced.

Wu Feng was also waiting. He was waiting for Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping to remedy the mistake. To his disappointment, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping did not.

He continued the announcement.

"Ranked fifth..."

"Ranked sixth..."

"Ranked seventh..."

"Ranked tenth..."

These announcements reverberated throughout the palace, eventually making their way out to the palace gates.

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Chapter 323: Release of the Court Examination Results (2)

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

With each announcement, a candidate stepped out from the crowd and thanked the Emperor.

When the golden armored guards heard the announcements, they felt reassured.

They didn't hear it wrongly!

The results were announced from fourth to tenth.

The top three had not been announced!

Even though they did not know what happened, their only job was to spread the news of who made the top three. Nothing else mattered to them.

They did not have to move for the time being.

The calmed down considerably.

However, Wu Feng could not find any calm. Standing next to these candidates having made the top 10 should have been glorious.

Yet, he could not bring himself to smile. He could feel the awkward gazes the other candidates were shooting in his direction.

"First... I was supposed to be first. What happened?" Wu Feng was unwilling to accept the fact that he was fourth. He kept hoping for Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping to correct the 'mistake'.

However, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping finished announcing all the names without a hiccup. He rolled up the parchment and place it in Emperor Lin Mubai's hands.

"Your highness, please announce the results for the top three!"

"Mm." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded. Eunuch Wei immediately took the parchment from Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and placed it in the Emperor's hands.

Emperor Lin Mubai took the parchment but did not open it immediately. He scanned the crowd once again, his gaze sharp.

"Where is Fang Zhengzhi?!"

This was what Emperor Lin Mubai was most concerned about.

He could announce the results right now, but what would happen after? Fang Zhengzhi was not around to thank him!

Could Fang Zhengzhi be hiding in the crowd?

Emperor Lin Mubai had to hope that this was the case. He did not dare believe that Fang Zhengzhi would be so audacious as to be absent on such a day.

If he really embarrasses me today, I will have his head!

Emperor Lin Mubai cursed to himself, then began his announcement. "During the course of reading the scripts, I came across many fresh ideas. The future of the Great Xia Dynasty is bright. However, there can only be three names. I made my decisions after much deliberations. Even if you're not named, do not despair. Study hard and you can still try again next time!"

"Thank you, your highness!"

All of the candidates immediately thanked the Emperor for this advice.

Emperor Lin Mubai nodded once again. Then, he unfurled the parchment and looked over it. After a moment of hesitation, he announced, "The top scorers for the court theory examination... Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi!"

His announcement was not immediately greeted by cheers. The entire crowd was silent as they stared at Emperor Lin Mubai.

After some hesitation, the silence was finally broken. However, there were no cheers. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

"Did I hear that correctly? Nangong Hao?!"

"I don't think you heard that wrongly. I heard that too. But how can it be Nangong Hao? He didn't meet with the Emperor?!"

"Maybe he lied to Wu Feng?"

All of the talents could not react when they heard Nangong Hao's name. Nangong Hao had said that he didn't meet with the Emperor.

So why was he the top scorer?

Even though this was something everyone had expected, they could not understand it, especially after recent developments.

Of course...

They were even more shocked to hear a second name after Nangong Hao's. This was a name all the officials dreaded.

"Fang Zhengzhi?!"

"The top scorers are Nangong Hao AND Fang Zhengzhi?!"

Emperor Lin Mubai's voice continued to reverberate in their minds

"What is that supposed to mean... Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi?!"

"They are joint firsts?!"

"How can there be two people?!"

"Furthermore, how can the second person be Fang Zhengzhi? Fang Zhengzhi didn't meet with the Emperor! This does not make any sense!"

No one could understand what was going on. Nangong Hao taking home first place was still acceptable.

Even if he did not meet with the Emperor.

After all, Nangong Hao had been the favorite to top the examinations. However, having Fang Zhengzhi tied for first was unusual.

How could two people who didn't meet with the Emperor be first?

Tied for first?

This was something that had never happened before! There had been no tie for first in the court examinations in history!

Wu Feng's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

What is going on?

His first position was stolen by Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi? But neither of them met with the Emperor. Why? What was going on?

"Your highness, I..." Wu Feng's jaw dropped as he stepped forward. Then, he saw the Emperor's gaze.

It was a gaze that quelled all doubts.

It represented his power.

This caused Wu Feng's leg to freeze in mid air. He did not dare step forward, neither could he continue speaking.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and the other officials were also in disbelief. They did not know how this could happen.

This was the court examination!

There was never a tie in the court examinations. The court examination was meant to find the top talent.

How can there be two 'top talents' in a single examination?

This was illogical. Furthermore, they could not bring themselves to believe that Fang Zhengzhi could be on par with Nangong Hao.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping's lips twitched, but he did not speak.

All of the officials also looked at Emperor Lin Mubai doubtfully. Even those in charge of relaying the announcement were stunned.

They did not know if they should relay the message.

Emperor Lin Mubai knew what everyone was thinking by the looks on their faces. However, he was the Emperor.

Who would dare doubt the decision he made?

In actual fact, before King Liqin had given his opinion, he was leaning towards a particular decision. However, after hearing what King Liqin had to say, he changed his mind.

Fairness!

This was the most important value he stood by when marking all the scripts. He thought he had achieved it, but he hadn't.

The rules stated that he must choose a winner!

However, these two scripts were equally immaculate. To choose a winner would not be fair. Since it was not fair, why should he do it?

Rules? He was the rules!

As to why he didn't meet with Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao? The reason was simple. Only three scripts had proposed to "fight".

The top three were already decided.

Since he knew who he was going to place in the top three, why bother meeting them.

All he had to do was meet the fourth to tenth ranked candidates and find out more about what they proposed. That would allow him to rank them accordingly.

Emperor Lin Mubai was not lazy. After all, in order to personally look through all 200 scripts, he had neglected the affairs of the state for the past few days.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi...

It didn't matter if he met Fang Zhengzhi or not.

Emperor Lin Mubai knew that his decision would not be questioned. However, he still had to explain his decision. Furthermore, the explanation had to be a good one.

"My decision today may shock all of you, but this is something that is perfectly logical. It is said that there should always be a clear winner. Ever since I took the throne, I have seen countless scripts. I always thought that I would be able to judge one script as being superior. However, between Nangong Hao's and Fang Zhengzhi's, I could not pick a superior one!"

"I could not pick a superior one!"

This sentence reverberated throughout the Imperial Decree Hall.

All of the candidates and officials looked at each other.

This was an easily comprehensible statement. However, for this to be said by the Emperor had great ramifications.

For two scripts to be deemed as equal to the Emperor, how impeccable must they be?

This showed off the Emperor's humility even whilst he praised Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao for their impeccable work.

Wu Feng's face was completely flushed.

He thought of the events back at the Intellectual Loft. At that time, he talked about his policy paper in front of Fang Zhengzhi.

Now...

He felt a stinging pain on his face.

"The Emperor is fair and wise!" One of the officials fell to his knees.

All of the other officials followed suit.

"The Emperor made a wise decision!"

No one dared to doubt the decision of the Emperor. He was the leader of the Great Xia Dynasty.

All the other candidates also fell to their knees.

The people in charge of relaying the information finally recovered.

"In first place, Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi!"

"In first place, Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi!"

"In first place..."

The news was quickly relayed to the entrance of the palace.

The crowd outside the palace was in uproar. Two people were tied for first? And it was Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi?

Fang Zhengzhi!

He managed to tie with Nangong Hao?!

All of the shabbily dressed villagers whooped and cheered Fang Zhengzhi's name. A few men dressed in black in the crowd looked at each other and left.

The golden armored guards sprang into action as they sped towards the gates. They kept hollering, "Ranked first for the court examinations, Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi!"

Their voices reverberated throughout the entire capital.

Nangong Hao, who was dressed in a white shirt, stepped out from the crowd. He walked slowly and steadily.

Each and every step was regulated.

However, his mouth twitched in excitement. This was not excitement due to the result. He was excited that he found a worthy opponent.

Tie?

This edition of the court examination would be interesting.

"The commoner thanks the Emperor!" Nangong Hao stood in the middle of the door to the Imperial Decree Hall, bowing to the Emperor as he showed his gratitude.

"Commoner?" Emperor Lin Mubai sighed internally. However, he did not say anything as he looked at Nangong Hao.

Behind Nangong Hao was an empty space.

No one!

"Fang Zhengzhi is absent!" Emperor Lin Mubai's gaze froze, an invisible aura of power exploding from his body.

All of the officials read Emperor Lin Mubai's emotions instantly.

He was the Emperor.

He had already given Fang Zhengzhi the highest honor. But where was Fang Zhengzhi? Not only did he not express any gratitude, he was absent!

If Fang Zhengzhi had not made the list...

He would have just forgotten about it and pretended he did not know Fang Zhengzhi was absent.

But Fang Zhengzhi had made it!

He had topped the examination!

He could not ignore this!

"Where is Fang Zhengzhi, the Sword Envoy?" Emperor Lin Mubai's gaze scanned across all the candidates, his tone calm but dangerous.

It was almost like an arrow sailing slowly through the air.

No one dared to answer.

All of the candidates looked at each other.

All of the officials also looked into the crowd of candidates. They could forgive Fang Zhengzhi for being late, but he was absent!

This showed a complete disregard for the Emperor.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping smirked. He saw that Fang Zhengzhi was absent and planned on punishing him after the announcement.

However...

He did not have to do it anymore.

Fang Zhengzhi had topped the examination!

He did not know if this was a good thing...

Or a disaster.

The Emperor was the highest in the land. Fang Zhengzhi would not be able to recover from this! No matter how magnanimous the Emperor is, he would not forgive such blatant disrespect!

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Chapter 324: Voice from hell

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

There were a few men in black who ran to the Intellectual Loft as news of the court examination results spread throughout the city.

They ran straight to the roof of the Intellectual Loft.

In one of the antiquated rooms within, a lady in a black dress sat behind a study table holding a letter in her hand.

This table was completely empty, a far cry from what it was the previous evening.

"Master!" Before long, a voice could be heard at the door. Then, a servant in a black dress entered.

"What is it?" The lady in black asked flatly.

"Master, Young Master Fang and Nangong Hao are tied for first!" The servant bowed and replied.

"Tied for first?" The lady in black was visibly surprised.

"Yes, the news is currently being spread throughout the city and to the surrounding villages." The servant confirmed.

The lady in black nodded as she looked out the window. Her eyes glimmered. "Never did I expect that this shameless fellow could draw with Nangong Hao! It's a draw... did the rules of the court examinations change for him?"

"Master, what do we do now?"

"We follow our original plan."

"But... Master, the Intellectual Loft represents decades of hard work by the owner. Furthermore, it is the information source for the entire capital, are we really going to..." The servant in black stopped herself in her tracks.

"Are you questioning my decision?" The lady in black frowned as she looked at the servant.

"I do not dare!" The servant fell to her knees without a second word.

"I want all our operatives out of the city within 15 minutes."

"Yes!"

A light autumn breeze blew through the city. The atmosphere around the Imperial Decree Hall was tense.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at all of the candidates, rage building in his eyes. An intimidating aura emanated from his body once again.

"Where is Fang Zhengzhi?!"

"Your highness, I heard that Official Fang was at the district of fireworks last night. I heard that he spent the night with the top girl in the Intellectual Loft. I am afraid..." An official stepped out.

"What is it?" Emperor Lin Mubai's gaze turned icy.

"I'm afraid he hasn't woken up."

"Rubbish!"

"I do not think that Fang Zhengzhi is still asleep. In fact, I think that Fang Zhengzhi has left the Intellectual Loft!" An icy voice rang out.

Then, a figure walked out from the crowd.

He wore an elegant robe and held a fan in his hand.

"Yan Xiu?!"

All of the candidates recognized the person instantly.

Everyone held their breath when the Emperor raged. However, Yan Xiu still decided to step forward.

Because, he was Yan Xiu.

"Young Master Yan, we know that you are friends with Fang Zhengzhi. However, that does not mean that you can protect him and speak rubbish!" The officials were slightly shocked to see Yan Xiu step forward.

All of the other officials also shook their head lightly when they saw Yan Xiu.

"I believe that Fang Zhengzhi is not someone who will be late." Yan Xiu was unaffected by the looks he got from the other officials.

"Haha... Young Master Yan, we would have bought any other reason. But saying that Fang Zhengzhi is never late? Will we believe it?"

"Exactly. We know that you are helping him. However, this is not the first time Fang Zhengzhi has been late."

"Has Young Master Yan forgot about the incident in the throne room?"

All of the officials chuckled when they heard this. Fang Zhengzhi is never late? Despite being ordered to meet the Emperor after coming out of the World of the Sage, Fang Zhengzhi made them wait for a whole hour, claiming that he was still eating.

That was something none of the officials forgot.

"Young Master Yan, do you have any evidence to show that Fang Zhengzhi is not in the Intellectual Loft?" The Minister of Rites stepped forward.

Fang Zhengzhi had antagonized him during the hunting and racing competition.

Of course, this was not the reason why he risked stepping out today. He did so because he knew Fang Zhengzhi had a token.

That token was for Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites.

He had no idea why the Emperor made such an arrangement...

However, he knew that if Fang Zhengzhi really entered the Ministry of Rites, there would be no way of predicting what would happen.

"I do not!" Yan Xiu shook his head.

"Since you don't have any evidence, isn't it inappropriate for you to step out this way? Even though you are from a noble family, you are not an official yet." The Minister of Rites nodded.

Yan Xiu was silent. He knew that his actions were inappropriate. In fact, he could be charged for this.

But could he not step forward?

He couldn't.

He decided to step forward, regardless of the consequences.

"It's okay!" Emperor Lin Mubai waved his hand when he saw Yan Xiu fal silent. "Yan Xiu knows Fang Zhengzhi well. I am not surprised that he's stepped forward today."

"The Emperor is merciful!" The Minister of Rites replied respectfully. Then, he turned to Yan Xiu. "Young Master Yan, you should not take advantage of the Emperor's kindness. I invite you to step back into position."

Yan Xiu looked at the Minister of Rites, then back at Emperor Lin Mubai. He tightened his grip on the fan, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"I would like to request for permission to go look for Fang Zhengzhi. I am sure something has happened to him!"

All of the officials were stunned. They never expected Yan Xiu to forget the big picture just because of Fang Zhengzhi.

"Young Master Yan, you may be of noble origin, but you must remember your status here! You are a candidate!"

"Let the Emperor settle the issue. Young Master Yan, you should just concern yourself with your own affairs."

"Young Master Yan, get back in line!"

All of the officials began to advise Yan Xiu. They did not want to see someone with such a bright future ruin himself in a moment of folly.

The Emperor was already furious. He only pardoned Yan Xiu because of his noble blood. To push his luck was unwise.

"I also do not think that Fang Zhengzhi would be absent without reason!" At this moment, another voice rang out. This voice was extremely close to the officials.

All of their gazes froze.

They turned to look at the figure at the entrance to the Imperial Decree Hall.

The figure was in a white shirt, hi expression calm.

This was Nangong Hao, the top of the court theory examination. He was neither an official nor of noble blood. Yet, when he spoke, all of the officials fell silent.

The reason why...

Was because they had no idea why Nangong Hao would say this.

For Yan Xiu to speak up for Fang Zhengzhi was expected. However, Nangong Hao's reaction was inexplicable. Why? Aren't they rivals?"

"Imperial Ranger Squad" Emperor Lin Mubai frowned as he glanced at Yan Xiu and Nangong Hao.

"Here!"

"Go to the Intellectual Loft... bring Fang Zhengzhi back!"

"Yes!"

The reply was swift. Five of them shot out of the palace gates like rays of golden light.

Yan Xiu looked at the Imperial Ranger Squad.

He wanted to say something but he could not bring himself to speak. He bowed to the Emperor and prepared to return to his spot.

"You do not need to return. Come forward." Emperor Lin Mubai's expression became rather warm as he beckoned Yan Xiu forward.

"Come forward?"

"What was the Emperor trying to do?"

"Isn't this the announcement of results? Could it be..."

All of the officials were stunned when they heard the Emperor. Then, they thought of only one possibility.

Then...

The officials looked at the Minister of Rites awkwardly.

They had guessed what was about to happen. If Yan Xiu was just of noble blood, it would have been nothing.

However, if Yan Xiu was in the top three of the court examinations.

His status would be completely different.

All of the other candidates were also confused when they heard the Emperor. Did Yan Xiu make it into the top three?

How is this possible?!

Yan Xiu didn't meet with the Emperor either!

"Ranked third, Yan Xiu!" Emperor Lin Mubai smiled affectionately as he looked at Yan Xiu.

"It really is Yan Xiu?!"

"Yan Xiu is ranked third in the court examination!"

"Incredible! How did three people who didn't meet with the Emperor top the examinations?"

All of the candidates were stunned. They were shocked that Nangong Hao, Fang Zhengzhi, and Yan Xiu all did not meet with the Emperor.

Now that the results were released, this was a surprise within a surprise.

This was completely unexpected!

Wu Feng paled... Yan Xiu was third?!

Wu Feng was more affected by this news than Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi stealing his top spot.

When he was already reading, Yan Xiu was still a baby who only knew how to cry.

When he was easily breaking small trees with his hand, Yan Xiu was still enviously looking at him whilst sitting on a stone stool.

Being able to become a disciple of one of the four sages was something that he prided himself on. Furthermore, he would always ask Yan Xiu, "Young Master Yan, what did you learn from this book?"

"Young Master Yan, how is your progress? Did you breakthrough? Do you need me to guide you along?"

"Young Master Yan, you cannot force a breakthrough. You must ensure your foundation is good!"

More than a decade had past.

That infant, that child that he once mocked and teased... that kid was now better than him. In fact, that kid had mercilessly defeated him.

How could this happen?!

He didn't meet with the Emperor!

No way!

Wu Feng could no believe his ears.

However, Yan Xiu was already by his side. He bowed deeply, "Thank you your highness!"

"Ranked third, Yan Xiu!"

"Ranked third, Yan Xiu!"

"Ranked third..."

Voices reverberated throughout the entire palace as Yan Xiu stepped forward to say his thanks. Then, golden armored guards began spreading the news throughout the city.

The entire capital was in uproar.

"Yan Xiu is third?"

"Yan Xiu is only 16 years old this year!"

"How powerful!"

Just as the capital was engulfed by the news, there was a spark in the firework district.

Before long, columns of flame shot skyward. It stained the entire sky red.

At the entrance of the Imperial Decree Hall, Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Yan Xiu satisfactorily. Even though Yan Xiu was a little rash...

This did not affect his liking for Yan Xiu.

However, at this moment, a ray of golden light shot towards him. The moment he reached the entrance to the Imperial Decree Hall, he fell to his knees.

"Your highness, there was a fire at the Intellectual Loft, the entire place has been burnt to ashes!"

"What?! There was a fire at the Intellectual Loft?!"

"How did that happen?!"

"How is that possible? The Intellectual Loft has never caught fire in its decades of existence!"

All of the officials were in disbelief when they heard this. More importantly, it was all too coincidental.

Emperor Lin Mubai's expression changed. He blamed Fang Zhengzhi for being audacious, for disrespecting him by being absent. However, he never wanted to execute Fang Zhengzhi.

If he did, he would have used 'catch' instead of 'bring' when he gave the order!

"There was a fire in the Intellectual Loft... it has been burnt to ashes!" Emperor Lin Mubai frowned. Things were not as simple as they looked.

All of the other candidates were also shocked. The Intellectual Loft was one of their favorite hangouts. For it to have been burnt down...

What a pity...

However, Yan Xiu's shock was completely different. He paled, his grip on his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan tightening.

"Ah!" A deep, icy, hellish voice rang out throughout the Imperial Decree Hall.

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Chapter 325: Evil Asura

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Then, there was a column of bright red light at the entrance to the Imperial Decree Hall. It was bright as blood, a strange aura circling around it.

"Yan Xiu!"

"Young Master Yan, what are you doing? This is the Imperial Decree Hall!"

"This is the resting place of all the past Emperors of the Great Xia Dynasty, don't be rash!"

All of the officials were completely taken aback by this voice. All of their gazes focused on Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu's eyes glowed red, his entire body surrounded by a red aura. There were two bright red whirlpools beneath his feet as well.

"Dao of Asura!"

"He has managed to progress so much in the past few days?!"

"That Dao of Asura combines good and evil. Even though it is a good Dao, it stems from rage. Yan Xiu must have been triggered by Fang Zhengzhi's death. He managed to progress as a result, but..."

"But what?"

"Yan Xiu has too little experience with the Dao of Asura. If he did not have a good foundation, then he may become controlled by the Dao of Asura. Then, the Evil Asura would take over... that would be unfortunate!"

"He is a rare talent! He managed to understand and wield the Dao of Asura at 16! We can't let him ruin himself like that, we must help him!"

All of the officials were worried when they looked at Yan Xiu.

All of the other talents were also shocked when they saw this.

"Is this the Dao of Asura?"

"16 years old... top three in the court theory examinations... able to wield the Dao of Asura... how ridiculous!"

"I think even if three of us go up against him, we would not be his match..."

"Powerful indeed."

Wu Feng's expression turned extremely ugly when he saw this. He was standing right next to Yan Xiu and could feel the power Yan Xiu was exuding.

The aura felt like it had come straight out of hell. It was icy and sharp. He had no other choice but to retreat to the side.

"Yan Xiu!"

All of the other talents ranked fifth to tenth also retreated together with Wu Feng.

Only one person did not retreat.

Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao was also beside Yan Xiu. In fact, he was closer to Yan Xiu than Wu Feng was. However, he allowed the red aura to continue swirling around him.

His white shirt flapped in the wind.

However, Nangong Hao's expression was not calm. In fact, there were glimmers of excitement in his eyes.

"Yan Xiu?"

Emperor Lin Mubai waved his hand lightly.

A ray of golden light immediately shot into Yan Xiu's forehead. In that instant, the redness disappeared from Yan Xiu's eyes, the aura around him dissipating.

"Nobleman Yan. If you are truly concerned, you can come with me to the Intellectual Loft!"

Yan Xiu's body shivered slightly, the remaining aura absorbed by his body. He looked at Emperor Lin Mubai and the surrounding officials and candidates.

He nodded.

"Your highness, according to the rules, after the results are released, we should announce the rules for the combat examination... Do you want to go to the Intellectual Loft now?" The Minister of Rites asked when he saw Yan Xiu nod.

"Rules are dead, but we can be flexible. I will go to the Intellectual Loft first."

"Yes!"

The Intellectual Loft had been in operation for many decades. It had become quite the landmark in the capital. Countless talents had many unforgettable memories here.

Apart from the memories forged here, it contained the writing of many talents. That knowledge and art was the true value of the loft.

Now, all of that was nothing more than a pile of ashes.

All that was left of the once exquisite Intellectual Loft were a few tattered stone pillars. All of the wood was burnt to a cinder.

Other than that, there were many charred bodies in the ashes. It was impossible to tell their identities. Most of them were ladies, but there were a few males as well.

Countless guards and soldiers surrounded the remains. They held their spears in their hands, preventing the public from entering.

In the middle of the guards.

Emperor Lin Mubai stood in the middle of the wreckage, his expression solemn. He kept looking at the rubble.

All of the officials stood behind Emperor Lin Mubai. They stared at what remained of one of the most popular places in the entire capital.

"How did this happen?"

"It would be impossible to rebuild."

"Aish... what a pity."

All of the officials sighed as they looked at the rubble in front of them. Many of them frequented this place.

"Father!" At this moment, a figure in bright red rushed over. She immediately went through the guards at the perimeter and appeared next to the Emperor.

"Ping Yang is here." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded as he ruffled her hair.

"Where is Fang Zhengzhi? Where did he go?" Ping Yang asked anxiously as she stared at Emperor Lin Mubai with clear blue eyes.

Emperor Lin Mubai did not reply.

Yan Xiu's expression was similar. It was icy, incredibly icy, almost as if it was covered by aeons of snow and ice.

Before long, a golden armored guard appeared in front of Emperor Lin Mubai.

"Your highness, we found a total of 36 bodies. Everyone one was charred beyond recognition. We were able to determine their gender, but there is no way of knowing their identities."

"We can't identify them? What about the cause of the fire?" Emperor Lin Mubai frowned.

"We were only able to determine that the fire originated from within. This was not a fire set from the outside." The golden armored guard surmised.

"Okay, you may take your leave."

"Yes, your highness!" The golden armored guard disappeared from view.

"Father, I heard that Fang Zhengzhi was absent today. Is it true?" Ping Yang asked as she watch the golden armored guard disappear.

"Yes, he was absent." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

"That's impossible... he would never be audacious enough to absent himself... Yan Xiu, is Fang Zhengzhi still sleeping in the hotel? Answer me! Yan Xiu, why aren't you speaking?"

"Get someone here!"

"Yes your highness!"

"I have an order for you. I want you to search every household in the capital for Fang Zhengzhi. You will not stop until you have found him!"

"About... yes your highness!"

The air was cold and drizzling. The raindrops pattered on the streets of the capital.

A few figures walked the streets. They were either holding umbrellas or wearing jackets. Pedestrians tried to find shelter in shops or restaurants.

Everyone was discussing the fate of one man.

That man was Fang Zhengzhi.

It was a great honor to top the theory examination and tie with Nangong Hao. However, he had died in a sea of fire.

King Duan's residence was much more lively than it had been for the past few days.

Inside the library, King Duan was dressed exquisitely. He smirked as he sipped some superior tea.

"I only drank the tea previously because it was good. However, today, it tastes extraordinary!"

"The tea tastes much better because you're particularly happy today." One of the officials commented.

"You are all too superficial. I am not just happy about what you are thinking. I am happy because the Emperor has ordered for the military exercise to be held at the Southern Mountain Range! And the Crown Prince will be the one supervising it!"

"Congratulations my lord, congratulations!"

"I would like to see how the Crown Prince will pull this one off! Hahaha..."

The Crown Prince's residence was also equally lively. There were even more officials there. They all had a pot of plants of various species for the Crown Prince.

Countless officials were in the Crown Prince's meeting room.

Left Prime MInister Yu Yiping stood right in front. He was calm as he squinted, a glint in his eyes.

"Crown Prince, you have been tasked to lead the army this time. You can use this opportunity to get control of the army!"

"It is not appropriate. There are many in the army who are loyal to King Duan. Any attempt to control the army now may result in rebellion. Furthermore, whether the Crown Prince is in control of the army or not has little impact in the grand scheme of things."

"Official Liu is correct. However, this is a golden opportunity that we should not miss. I think that the Crown Prince can try to turn some of those officers and make them loyal to you!"

"Official Wang is right!"

Just as the discussions were heating up, a figure walked in through the door.

"Do you think that King Duan did not think of all the things you have discussed? I am sure that King Duan has already made arrangements. Your highness, you may be in danger during this expedition!" The figure's voice rang out.

He was in black official robes. He was Su Qing.

"Danger? Su Qing, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that King Duan will make an attempt on the Crown Prince's life?"

"Official Wang, this is a battle for the position of the highest in the land. Do you think that the fact that the Crown Prince's brother will stop him?" Su Qing replied expressionlessly.

"Then... based on what you just said, should the expedition to the Southern Mountain Range continue?"

"Of course. However, the Crown Prince must prepare in advance for this expedition. Else, any problems could result in catastrophic consequences."

"Official Su, what do you suggest?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong put down the pot of flowers in his hand as he turned.

"Make concessions for future gains!"

There were figures dashing about on the streets of the capital even whilst the residences of King Duan and the Crown Prince were packed with people.

They were as quick as phantoms.

Inside Ping Yang's residence, a sharp screech could be heard. A snow white, eagle-like bird shot into the sky. It flew through the rain and into the distance.

Inside a hotel in the capital, Yan Xiu stood by the window, watching the rain fall onto the streets below.

"Young Master, everyone has been sent out and the letter to Western Liang is on its way. However, the return trip would take at least 10 days."

"Mm." Yan Xiu nodded.

"Young Master... the combat examinations begin in five days."

"I know."

"Young Master... Master had said that you are to finish the examination regardless of what happens."

"I will, rest assured."

"Young Master..."

"Uncle Tie, I want to watch the rain alone."

"I will take my leave!"

The rain in the capital was not heavy but it lasted for a long time. It rained non stop for five days, causing ponding in the streets of the capital.

Everyone waited in anticipation for the combat examinations to start.

However, everyone was concerned about the absence of one man. This person had vanished into thin air ever since the Intellectual Loft was burnt down.

The army stood in the rain at the gates to the capital. They were all dressed in black armor. They remained disciplined and still despite the onslaught of the rain.

They formed a rectangle on the plain.

The army comprised 29 small rectangular units and one large rectangular unit

The small rectangles were formed by 2000 soldiers. Each one was led by an officer on a horse.

They were the top 30 candidates from the court examination.

Of course, only 29 of them arrived today. One was missing.

Each of them led an army of 2000. Behind them was an army of 42,000.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked on at the soldiers and candidates in the rain, his expression solemn.

"Your highness, it is almost time!" Eunuch Wei whispered a reminder.

"Mm..." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded, then looked at the darkening sky. He murmured to himself, "What an audacious fellow. He is still absent?"

"Are you thinking of Official Fang?"

"Yes, I don't think that he will die that easily. He did not die in the World of the Sage. He did not die despite the dangers in the Vast World. Yet, he died in the Intellectual Loft?"

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Chapter 326: A kiss must be on the lips.

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"I also do not think that Official Fang is dead." Eunuch Wei whispered.

Emperor Lin Mubai frowned slightly but did not say anything else. He tapped his fingers on the arm rest before standing up.

"The location for the combat examination will be the Southern Mountain Village. I have discussed this with their king. The main aim is to share tactics and improve our ability to cooperate in battle!"

"I have sent an army of 100,000!"

"I have a few requests. One, do not disturb the residents. Two, do not engage in mass destruction. Three, do not kill without reason!"

Emperor Lin Mubai paused when he reached this point.

"Yes, your highness!" All of the 29 candidates at the bottom of the wall replied in unison.

"The rules of the examination are simple. The Southern Mountain Range is the location. You can set up camp in any of the four territories - Yan Ya region, Shi Zun region, Thunderous Lion region, and the Icy Monkey Region. These are the four war zones. The results will be determined by your final strength and territories controlled.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes your highness!"

"Set off!"

"Woo..." A long drone could be heard. The 100,000 strong army turned in its spot as it marched into the distance.

On the walls of the city, the Ninth Prince watched as the army marched off into the distance. He sighed, "He still did not appear. This way, he has effectively missed the combat examinations. Even if he rushes back, it will not matter. Ping Yang, what do you... wait? Where is Ping Yang?"

The incident at the Intellectual Loft consumed the entire city. Everyone wanted to know what happened to Fang Zhengzhi?

Was he dead or alive?!

The discussions leaned towards 'death' after the start of the combat examinations.

The 100,000 strong army had already set off. This meant that Fang Zhengzhi had already missed the combat examinations. He did not have the token from the army and could not move any soldiers.

Without soldiers, how was he going to battle the other candidates?

How was he going to guard his territories?

Fang Zhengzhi was the top of the theory examination. By missing out on the combat examinations, he was effectively giving this golden opportunity away. Only a fool would do such a thing.

There was only one reason why Fang Zhengzhi would miss the combat examination.

Something bad happened to him.

Was he dead?

Obviously, Fang Zhengzhi had not died. On the contrary, he was living a good life now. He was in a orchard filled with fruits of all variety...

They were all sweet and juicy.

He even had a servant.

When he wanted to listen to music, Immortal Tune would appear in front of him. Guqin, drums, whatever Fang Zhengzhi wanted to listen to.

It was the life of the gods.

But...

He couldn't get out!

Fang Zhengzhi looked out across the vast orchard. There was an exquisite residence by the side of a creek. He was enjoying life, Immortal Tune playing music for him whilst he admired the scenery.

Today, Immortal Tune wore a green dress as she sat in the grass. She looked just like an immortal sprite.

"I really failed?"

"Yes, your name was not in the top 10, neither was it in the subsequent list. I think you didn't make the top 30. According to the rules of the court examination, you failed!" Immortal Tune nodded.

"Okay then... your master said she would meet me in five days. Hasn't it been five days?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded and shook his leg as he raised it on the table.

"My master is rather busy these few days. Perhaps you could wait another couple of days?" Immortal Tune chuckled when she saw Fang Zhengzhi's uncouth action.

This was not because of Fang Zhengzhi's relationship with her master.

It was because she knew for a fact that Fang Zhengzhi had tied with Nangong Hao for joint first in the court theory examination.

No matter how uncouth he seemed, he was an educated man.

One's actions did not determine if one was elegant or educated. The heart was what differentiated the good from the bad.

"Busy?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Immortal Tune doubtfully.

"Yes." Immortal Tune nodded solemnly.

"What is the name of your master?"

"You will know when you meet the master."

"Oh I see... Wu Yuer, you old hag! Get out here! Do you expect me to put a red carpet out here for you? Or are you too old to show your face in public?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded, then yelled.

"Bloody hell! Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you scold me?" A crisp voice rang out in the sky. Then, a figure in black appeared in front of Fang Zhengzhi.

She wore a black dress and leather shoes with golden embroidery. She had a black beaded hair and which glowed in the light.

Her skin was snow white and there was a red dot in the middle of her forehead. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

She was born with such great features.

"Master!" Immortal Tune fell to her knees when she saw Wu Yuer.

"Mm, you can take your leave now." Wu Yuer nodded to Immortal Tune.

"Yes master." Immortal Tune left.

After watching Immortal Tune disappear into the distance, she turned back to look at Fang Zhengzhi. "How did you know I would be the one to bring you here?"

"I do not know many people. Furthermore, you are the only person who I know who will treat me so well." Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Wu Yuer before putting his other leg on the table.

"Haha... you're quite smart. Tell me, why are you looking for me?" Wu Yuer smiled attractively.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"Oh, I guess you're right. I've been quite bored lately so I decided to find you for a chat. I heard that you failed the court examinations and are free at the moment." Wu Yuer blinked as she mocked.

"I failed the court examinations?" Fang Zhengzhi did not believe that.

"Of course. Did you expect to top the examinations with your mediocre talent?" Wu Yuer asked scornfully.

"I am fine with not being first. But for me to fail... is unlikely. But since you said I failed, I must have failed. What an unlucky mouth you have!" Fang Zhengzhi replied equally scornfully.

"How dare you say that of me? Are you tired of living? I treat you so well and did not collect any money from you!" Wu Yuer feigned anger.

"Oh is that so? So I should thank you?"

"Of course."

"I can thank you, but you must let me go first."

"Never!"

"You really think that you can trap me using this pocket dimension?"

"Yes."

"Okay, you win. This bloody place has trapped me. Let's just talk terms? What must I do for you to let me out." Fang Zhengzhi had tried everything the past few days.

Axes, blades, swords.

He tried everything but to no avail.

Furthermore, the orchard was clearly a very complicated magical formation. It would be virtually impossible to navigate through it, much less navigate out of the pocket dimension.

In the World of the Sage, Fang Zhengzhi had used the Traceless Sword to escape. That was because the sword was controlling the World of the Sage. However, it would be useless in this pocket dimension.

"Terms? Sure. Stay here for a month and I'll let you out." Wu Yuer smirked when she realized that Fang Zhengzhi was giving in.

"What about another one?"

"Another one... you can be my subordinate for a month." Wu Yuer pretended to think about it.

"Another one."

"You can offer yourself to my "Shadow Sect". You must swear to help when you're required!" Wu Yuer's expression was solemn.

"Offer? Are there any benefits?" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Wu Yuer.

"Of course there are. Everyone who offers themselves can ask for three things from the Shadow Sect. The sect will do everything in its power to make it come true." Wu Yuer said proudly.

"It sounds fair."

"So you agree?"

"I have no reason to reject."

"Okay then. From this moment on, you have offered yourself to the Shadow Sect. Tell me your terms." Wu Yuer was rather excited even though she calmed herself down quickly.

"The first one, you have to kiss me!"

"Kiss you? Haha... go to hell!" Wu Yuer chuckled, then chided.

"Why, are you going back on your word? I thought you were going to do your best to fulfill my wishes? Is there no trust between humans?"

"Is that really your first wish?"

"Is there a rule against it?"

"Nope!"

"Then come on, I'm ready."

"A kiss for your offering. This is such a good deal!" Wu Yuer catwalked next to Fang Zhengzhi.

She was extremely attractive.

Fang Zhengzhi smiled at Wu Yuer, his lips protruding out as he waited for her to kiss them.

Wu Yuer blushed when she realized that Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of avoiding the kiss.

"Can... can I not kiss you on the lips?"

"How can that work? You must kiss me on the lips! How else can it be called a kiss?" Fang Zhengzhi shook his head vigorously.

"Ok ok... but when I kiss you, you... you can't move!" Wu Yuer took a deep breath and grit her teeth.

"I can't move when you kiss me? Is that even a kiss?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Yuer scornfully. Then he motioned towards her.

"Fang Zhengzhi, you are going too far! I am the leader of the Shadow Sect! Even if you join us, you can't be rude to me!" Wu Yuer's expression changed.

Of course, there was something that she could not bring herself to say. Even though she looked very flirtatious...

This was her first kiss!

"Going back on your word again. What a waste of time. To think that you are the leader of the Shadow Sect. If you don't keep your promises, can the Shadow Sect even be trusted?" Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched as he picked up a nut.

"You... Fang Zhengzhi, in order to prove our sincerity, I can tell you a piece of news!" Wu Yuer made up her mind.

"Tell me about it."

"Do you know Yun Qingwu?"

"I've met her before but I'm not familiar with her."

"What if I told you she was the leader of the demons?"

Fang Zhengzhi's expression changed. Yun Qingwu was the master of the demons? If news of this got out, all of the talents in the Great Xia Dynasty would go crazy.

"What does this have to do with me?" Fang Zhengzhi smiled despite his shock.

"Don't you want to know?"

"Regardless, you've already told me." Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched.

"I knew that you were shameless. Forget it, I'll tell you the truth. It's no use even if you go out now. The combat examinations have begun. A 100,000 strong army is marching to the Southern Mountain Range. You will not be able to get the military token and you have no army. You will not pass the combat examinations." Wu Yuer sighed.

"Then why are you trapping me here?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"I don't want you to go to your death..."

"Didn't you tell me that in the Northern Mountain Village. But, am I dead? No, I'm completely fine!" Fang Zhengzhi waved her off.

"What if I told you you don't stand a chance against Nangong Hao?" Wu Yuer's eyes glittered.

"Everyone has said that ever since I began the Dao Examinations."

"This is different. I can confirm that Nangong Hao is already in the Supernatural State. He may even be at the pinnacle of it!" Wu Yuer asserted.

"How do you know?"

"I saw it for myself."

"You saw it?"

"Yes!" Wu Yuer nodded, then looked at the clouds in the sky, almost as if she was thinking of something.

Her expression slowly turned into one of shock.

After a moment of hesitation, Wu Yuer looked back at Fang Zhengzhi, "You've been on Yun Qingwu's boat before. You should know how sturdy it is?"

"Mm, more or less." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. Yun Qingwu's boat was formed from magical formations. Everything about it was superior to even the best boats around.

"Nangong Hao used three blades. The first one destroyed the boat's Eight Diagrams and Five Elements Formation. The second one broke her 49 servant Sword Star Formation. The third one took Yun Qingwu's life." Wu Yuer spoke, her eyes glimmering like interlocking sword lights.

"Yun Qingwu is dead?" Fang Zhengzhi was slightly shocked to hear this news.

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Chapter 327: Seven Stars

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"I don't know." Wu Yuer shook her head.

"Didn't you say that you saw it with your own eyes? How do you not know now?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Yuer speechlessly.

"Yes, I ran the moment I saw that things were taking a turn for the worse!" Wu Yuer shook her head, her hair flapping in the wind.

"..." Fang Zhengzhi was speechless. She was the leader of the Shadow Sect, yet she ran the moment she saw things were turning bad?

However, if Nangong Hao was going for Yun Qingwu, why would Wu Yuer run?

It did not make sense.

Of course, Wu Yuer did not go into details and Fang Zhengzhi did not press further. However, he was certain Wu Yuer did not have any relation to Nangong Hao.

"That offer..."

Wu Yuer began to speak when she saw Fang Zhengzhi become silent. Just as she was about to try convincing him, Fang Zhengzhi waved her off.

"I will think about it. Let me out first."

"You want to go even though you know you can't win?"

"How would you know if you don't try?"

"What if I told you that the Southern Mountain Range is virtually under the control of demons. Few will survive the combat examinations this time! You will..." Wu Yuer could not bring herself to say anymore.

"If what you say is true, then I must go."

"Why?"

"Because he is there."

"Who?"

"Yan Xiu!"

"Yan Xiu again. Are you willing to give up your life for Yan Xiu?" Wu Yuer knew that they had a good relationship, but she did not know that Fang Zhengzhi was willing to sacrifice this much for Yan Xiu.

"Yes." Fang Zhengzhi affirmed.

"I always thought that you were shameless, so shameless that you never thought of anyone else... okay then, what if I promised to bring Yan Xiu back safely?" Wu Yuer sighed.

"Then, all the more I must go."

"Why is that so?"

"Because if you have the confidence to bring Yan Xiu back safely, then you should have the same confidence for me right?" Fang Zhengzhi bit a melon seed as he spoke.

"..." Wu Yuer's lips twitched as her jaw dropped. She shook her head, "You and Yan Xiu are different. Yan Xiu has people around him, you don't..."

"Don't I have you?"

"Me?" Wu Yuer looked at Fang Zhengzhi awkwardly, her face flushing.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No problem at all. If you really want to go, bring this with you." Wu Yuer nodded solemnly and retrieved an item made from leather.

"What is this?" Fang Zhengzhi took the leather in his hands and unfurled it. He saw a few dots scattered around it.

"A map of the Southern Mountain Range."

"Map? This can be called a map?"

"What do you know? The Southern Mountain Range is covered by woods and mountains. It is vast and outsiders will never be able to construct a detailed map. The one that I'm giving you now is the most detailed one there is." Wu Yuer said with pride.

"This is detailed?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the dots on the leather as well as the specks and lines. He did not understand how this could be called detailed.

"Let me introduce it to you. The Southern Mountain Range is different from the Great Xia Dynasty. It is made up of settlements. There are over 1000 settlements, but only seven large ones!"

"Seven?"

"Yes, other than the ruling Shan Family Settlement, the six other settlements are,Yan Ya Settlement, Shi Zun Settlement, Icy Monkey Settlement, Thunderous Lion Settlement, Iron Hill Settlement, and Nan Ling Settlement! As the ruling family, the Shan Family Settlement is in the Sagely Mountain City. The other six are scattered around it.

"Sagely Mountain City?"

"Yes, the Sagely Mountain City. I heard that the combat examinations are held at Yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion, and Icy Monkey. Actually, if you look at the Southern Mountain Range from above, it is the same as the Big Dipper Constellation.

Big Dipper?

Fang Zhengzhi unfurled the leather in his hands and realized that there were indeed seven large spots on it.

It was in the shape of the Big Dipper.

The Sagely Mountain City was right in the middle of the constellation, taking the position of Alioth. Yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion and Icy Monkey took the position of Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, and Megrez respectively.

Put simply, if the Big Dipper was seen as a spoon, Yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion, and Icy Monkey would form the ladle.

Sagely Mountain City, Iron Hill Settlement and Nan Ling Settlement were the handle.

"I see!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded. Then, he looked at Wu Yuer, his mouth curling upwards into a smile.

"What are you looking at?" Wu Yuer asked suspiciously.

"You specially told me that the Southern Mountain Range was being controlled by the demons. Then, you told me about Nangong Hao's abilities and passed me this map. These can't all be coincidences?"

"This... this is just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Okay then, I'm leaving now."

"You are so confident that I will release you now?"

"If you had no intention of letting me go, why would you waste so much time telling me so much?" Fang Zhengzhi smiled as he looked at Wu Yuer.

"You... are really going?"

"Of course!"

"Okay then, you should go."

"Oh? Just like that? Aren't you going to place some of your best men under my command to protect me?" Fang Zhengzhi was slightly surprised.

"Wishful thinking. You are not part of the Shadow Sect yet, why should I protect you?" Wu Yuer's lips twitched in scorn.

"Open the door." Fang Zhengzhi was getting annoyed.

"Hang on, I have one more question for you."

"What is it?"

"Who... do you think is the prettiest? Chi Guyan, Yun Qingwu, or Ping Yang?" Wu Yuer hesitated before asking.

"Why aren't you included in the question?" Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

"Include me? Then... amongst the four of us... who is the prettiest?" Wu Yuer's volume dropped as she blushed.

"My mother is the prettiest!" Fang Zhengzhi replied triumphantly.

"You... you shameless fella! I have changed my mind, you can forget about leaving!" Wu Yuer disappeared from where she stood.

"No way? She ran away?!" Fang Zhengzhi was speechless. How could she leave like that?

Where was the trust between people?

The Southern Mountain Range was boundless. Dense forests were scattered throughout the range. The 'Stable Mountain Gate' was the boundary. Everything within it was the Great Xia Dynasty's. Everything outside belonged to the Southern Mountain Range.

Even though relationships were cordial...

As the boundary, the Stable Mountain Gate was well constructed. It was constructed from limestone and stood over 10 meters high.

However, there were few battles here, so the walls were barely scratched. This was also testament to the cordial relationship between the Southern Mountain Range and the Great Xia Dynasty.

After the 100,000 strong army rested for a night, they were welcomed by the diplomatic mission from the Southern Mountain Range. At the gates, Crown Prince Lin Tian Rong reiterated the rules of the combat examinations.

Then, the candidates led their armies into the territories.

How big was the Southern Mountain Range?

This was a question which few people knew the answer to. However, from territory alone, it was almost half the size of the Great Xia Dynasty. That being said, its population was much lower.

The place was dangerous and ferocious beasts roamed everywhere.

"It's difficult to even walk in this bloody place. When will we be able to see a village?" One of the candidates whined as he saw the dense forests.

"Brother Li, you made a mistake. There are no villages here, they are settlements. When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Another candidate chuckled.

"You and I are both of noble blood. If not for the combat examinations, we would not even be here! I... quick, there is movement up ahead, into your formations!"

"Brother Li, no need to be this tense. It is just a few scattered beasts. We have 4000 men under our command. As long as we don't run into a herd, it should be of no problem."

"Hahaha... Brother Wang is right. Come on, let's show them our skills and hunt some beasts to feed our men!"

"If Brother Li would humor me, why don't we have a hunting competition?"

"Okay!" The candidate smiled and nodded. Then, he turned his horse around and shouted to his troops, "Rest here, Brother Wang and I will return shortly!"

"Gen... General Li, this place is teeming with dangerous beasts. Shouldn't we send some men to protect you?" One of the lieutenants raised a concern.

"Hahaha... I am already at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Reflection State. Do I need your protection?" The candidate said dismissively.

"I was just..."

"Enough, just wait and enjoy the game I will bring back!"

"Yes general!"

"Brother Wang, we were played by Fang Zhengzhi in the hunting and racing competition. Let's have a good one today!" The talent turned to look at his friend.

"Since we want to compete, we must have some reward. I... will use my piece of jade as a wager. How about it?" The youth chuckled.

"Since you've wagered that, I shall match you. I will wager my jade plank!"

"Okay then, let us begin!"

"Jia!"

"Jia!"

After 15 minutes, at a spot two miles from where the troops were resting, two bodies crashed into the ground. Eight masked men in black stood around the bodies.

"Humans... are really dumb sometimes!"

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Chapter 328: The real motive of the combat examinations

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

One of the masked men placed the dagger in his hands on his lips as he licked the blood on the blade. His eyes glittered with pride.

This was an arrogance that stemmed from within.

"What are you talking about? The Domain Chief is still waiting. Strip these two humans and you two will dress up as them!" Another masked man ordered icily.

"Yes!" The male immediately kept his blade, his arrogance turning into respect.

The wind blew and carried the scent of blood into the woods. This quickly attracted wild beasts. When the beasts saw the two naked bodies...

"Roar!" They lunged and picked the bones clean within moments.

Sometimes, things were just so ironic. These two men may have been of noble origin and led good lives. However, once they were dead, they were just bodies...

Fang Zhengzhi did not know that Wu Yuer would have brought him so far from the capital. In order to get back to the capital would waste too much time.

More importantly, it would be meaningless.

He should just head straight for the Stable Mountain Gates.

However, Wu Yuer's actions had caused him a huge problem. Right now, he did not have any soldiers.

No soldiers?

How was he going to participate in the combat examinations?

It felt like he was going to ice skate without skates. Ice skate barefoot? It did not seem like a huge problem. However, skating slowly was not the problem, he could not stand the cold!

Was he going to ride into battle alone?

That would be a legendary story.

He had no idea if he was lucky or unlucky.

A week later, a figure appeared at the Stable Mountain Gates. The figure wore a blue long sleeved shirt and rode a poor horse of unknown breed.

Only two people would enter the city at this time. A leather merchant, or Fang Zhengzhi.

The answer was the latter.

Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the limestone buildings around him. He also looked at the solemn soldiers passing through the streets.

He had two choices.

He could find the general in charge of holding this fort. He could introduce himself and request for some soldiers. However, success would depend on the general's character.

The second option was to enter the Southern Mountain Range alone.

Before making his final decision, Fang Zhengzhi decided to have a good meal. He had been rushing all the way to this place. He couldn't possibly leave on an empty stomach.

Being this close to the Southern Mountain Range, the city had no lack of delicacies.

Each restaurant served the meats of various beasts.

"Recently slaughtered! Cut off what you want to eat!"

"Would you like to go inside?"

All of the sounds showed how bustling the city was. Even though it was no match for the capital, this city was still doing quite well.

Fang Zhengzhi picked a decent restaurant and chose a place with the most people. He called a waiter and placed his order. Then, he began to drink.

He chose the most populated place so he could listen to recent news.

The restaurants were always the best place to gather information. Having roamed the streets for so many years, Fang Zhengzhi was well aware of this fact.

The better the seat, the better the information that he could gather.

As more and more customers entered, Fang Zhengzhi's ears perked up. Most of them were talking about the combat examinations.

Fang Zhengzhi combined the information he heard here with those he gathered along the way. He began to have some understanding of the combat examinations.

"The Great Xia Dynasty sent 100,000 soldiers."

"Each candidate was given 2000 soldiers and the title of General."

"Crown Prince Lin Tianrong commands over 40,000 troops in support."

"The results will be based on the number of surviving soldiers and territories controlled!"

Fang Zhengzhi enjoyed the wine and food leisurely as he listened to the news. At the same time, he thought of how he was going to do well in the examinations.

On the surface, his biggest problem was that he did not have any soldiers. He could not take the test alone. However, this was not what was bothering him the most.

The question bothering him the most was...

The motive of the courts!

In order to answer a question, one could not just take the question at face value. One had to guess the intentions of the person setting the question. Why would he set such a question? What was the question asking? What was he thinking? What were the hints and hidden ideas?

The court examination.

It was the most important examination in the Great Xia Dynasty. It was the examination which required the most thinking, intellect, and power. Yet, the rules were this simple? Guard the territories and conserve troops?

If that was the case, why was there a need for 40,000 troops as reinforcements? What were they supporting?

Ensuring the safety of the candidates?

That sounded reasonable, but it did not seem very likely on closer thought.

After all, Fang Zhengzhi knew for a fact that he had topped the court theory examination. Wu Yuer had told him this when he left.

To put it simply, the theory examination question was based on battle.

The policy the Emperor was looking for was battle!

That was what the Emperor was thinking as well!

Battle...

Then this was not as simple as an examination... There was something amiss, but the Emperor would not announce this to the public.

Furthermore, Wu Yuer had told him that the Southern Mountain Range was virtually under the control of the demons. This meant that they did not have complete control!

Else, they would be at war now.

Fang Zhengzhi trusted the intelligence from the Shadow Sect. However, he did not think that all of the officials in the Great Xia Dynasty were idiots.

For the court to not know what the Shadow Sect knew was virtually impossible.

As to why they didn't announce it...

They must have been worried that this would cause mass hysteria. The other possibility was that the Emperor had no intention of discussing this.

Fang Zhengzhi's eyes brightened when he thought of this.

"I understand now! The combat examinations are not as simple as they look. Guarding the settlements is just another way of asking them to control the settlements."

The first step was to use the combat examinations as a reason to control yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion and Icy Monkey. Then, they can use those four settlements as a base. In the event things take a turn for the worse, they could siege the Sagely Mountain City.

Second...

Fang Zhengzhi had not thought that far.

After all, the current situation was not that bad. The Emperor's thoughts and the decision of the courts was still up in the air.

He did not know, so he could not make an educated guess.

However, there was one thing Fang Zhengzhi could be sure of.

Would the Southern Mountain Range agree to the Great Xia Dynasty sending in 100,000 troops to control the four settlements. Would the demons agree?

Definitely not.

This was going to be a battle in the shadows. In Wu Yuer's words, few candidates would be able to survive this examination.

This had nothing to do with the court's viciousness.

If he was correct, each candidate would have a deputy. This deputy should have a secret token which will allow him to stop the exam immediately.

It would be great if the combat examinations could continue as planned.

However, should anything change for the worse, the deputy would be able to take control of the army and the 100,000 strong army would become one unit.

Fang Zhengzhi had nothing but admiration for the Emperor's plan.

This was the best way to deal with the current situation. He could attack or defend. If the Southern Mountain Range was peaceful, then this would be a peaceful examinations.

However, if they tried anything funny, he could declare war in an instant.

More importantly, all the citizens were not alerted.

Everyone thought of this as the combat examinations. Naturally, no one would think of the real reason why the Great Xia Dynasty was sending 100,000 soldiers into the Southern Mountain Range.

Fang Zhengzhi raised his glass and took a sip.

It was a little spicy.

This was some hard liquor.

Fang Zhengzhi's alcohol tolerance was average. He could not binge drink, so he had to moderate his intake of such hard liquor.

Now that he had guessed the Emperor's intent, he had to think for himself. How was he going to top the examinations under such circumstances?

Without soldiers...

He could not join in the battle for territory. As such, he could not be graded.

So, was he going to borrow soldiers?

But what was he going to do after that?

Was he going to enter the four settlements and fight it out stupidly like the other candidates who still thought it was an examination?

That was too uncouth.

He was an educated man. Why would he stoop so low?

Furthermore, Yan Xiu would have figured it out as well. Wu Feng as well. As for Nangong Hao...

That was a foregone conclusion.

Fang Zhengzhi never underestimated his opponent. For Nangong Hao to engage him in that battle of wits during the theory examination showed that Nangong Hao was not a simple person.

Right now, Nangong Hao may be looking at the secret token his deputy had.

Okay then...

Here came the problem.

How was he going to ensure that he did well in the examination despite the confusion. How was he going to avoid battling all the other candidates?

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Chapter 329: Exotic

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Of course, most importantly, he wanted to stay out of danger!

Fang Zhengzhi was never fond of taking risks. Even though people said that breakthroughs were more likely on the brink of death...

He always thought that it was a death wish.

If you always walked along the river, your shoes were bound to get wet.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that the safest way was to stay away from danger. He wanted to spectate the battles and gain understanding that way.

Okay then...

Since he could not think of anything now, he would just start moving first. It would not help if he just sat in the restaurant. It was much more effective to walk 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books.

This was the idea he was applying to this situation.

"Waiter, bill please!"

"Thank you!"

After he left the restaurant, Fang Zhengzhi found the camp of the general.

Solemn soldiers guarded the perimeter. As the general of the border, he had quite a number of men under him.

All of the soldiers wore gleaming armor.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass this camp?!" One of the guards raised his hand to intercept Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi was in no mood to explain. He took out his official stamp and waved it in front of the guard.

"Greetings Sword Envoy!"

"Bring me to your general."

"Your honor, please wait a moment. Let me announce your arrival!"

"Mm." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. Even though a rank four official was not much to be proud of in the capital, he was one of the most high ranking personnel here.

Before long, the general in black armor walked out. He was in his forties, his eyes small. It looked like he had two threads for eyes.

"I am General Yu Tianfeng, may I know if you are Sword Envoy Fang?" Yu Tianfeng asked as he walked to Fang Zhengzhi.

"Yes." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

"It is an honor. I have heard much about your exploits in the court. You are young and talented. I did not believe some of the stories I heard, but now I do. Congratulations on topping the theory examination. I wonder what Sword Envoy Fang needs from us?"

"I need to borrow soldiers."

"Borrow soldiers? Erm... based on what I know, Sword Envoy Fang is not in the military. Why do you need the soldiers?"

"I need 2000 to participate in the combat examinations."

"Haha, I have heard about you missing the combat examination. It is saddening for me as well. Normally, 2000 soldiers would not be a problem, but, you know... this is not a good time." Yu Tianfeng hesitated.

"Why?"

"All I can say is that the entire border is on heightened awareness. I do not have enough soldiers myself. If I lend you some and lose the position as a result... I will be executed!"

"I understand, goodbye." Fang Zhengzhi nodded and did not say any more.

"Where is Sword Envoy Fang going? Since you've already missed the combat examination, why don't you rest here for a few days? I will host you."

"No thanks, I have to go back to the capital to get soldiers." Fang Zhengzhi waved him off and left.

"I see, then I will not delay your trip any longer!" Yu Tianfeng smirked as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi walk into the distance.

Go back to the capital?!

Even if you do, you may not be able to get soldiers!

"General, should we send people to follow him? Prevent him from going into the Southern Mountain Range?" One of his lieutenants whispered as he watched Fang Zhengzhi's silhouette disappear.

"No need for that. Without soldiers, he would not be able to do anything in the Southern Mountain Range. Furthermore, he has incurred the wrath of the Emperor by missing the combat examination. By returning to the capital, he is finding trouble for himself. There is no way he will get any soldiers. He will not be able to participate this time!"

"Then... should we report this to King Duan?"

"Mm, send a message to King Duan. Tell him that Fang Zhengzhi tried to borrow soldiers from me but I did not give him anything. Then tell him that Fang Zhengzhi may return to the capital. Give King Duan time to prepare."

"Okay, I understand."

There was no way Fang Zhengzhi was going to go back to the capital to levy soldiers.

His lack of troops was his biggest disadvantage right now. This prevented him from participating in the combat examinations and protect his territory.

Wu Yuer had completely f*cked him over.

He had lost the initiative.

Since she was going to let him go anyways, why bother catching him? Crazy b*tch!

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what Wu Yuer was thinking. Maybe she did not want him to participate in the combat examinations. However, her actions showed that she had expected this outcome.

She even prepared the map.

So what was the reason?

Hang on...

The map...

Fang Zhengzhi took out the map Wu Yuer had prepared for him. Even though it was quite badly constructed, the spots were all labelled clearly.

Yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion, Icy Monkey...

He could not go there right now.

After all, those four places were probably the most dangerous and complicated in the entire Southern Mountain Range.

There were 100,000 soldiers from the Great Xia Dynasty. There would also be troops from the Southern Mountain Range and possibly the demons.

He did not even have a single soldier under his command.

He would be sending himself to his death if he went to any of these four locations.

What about the Sagely Mountain City?

Fang Zhengzhi's eyes brightened. The Sagely Mountain City was the capital of the Southern Mountain Region. If he went there, he would be able to immerse himself into the culture. That sounded like quite a good idea.

However, he did not really know the Southern Mountain Range well. To go straight to the Sagely Mountain Village would be overly ambitious.

He had to understand the area first.

He would understand it from the outskirts.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi had decided that... if he couldn't participate in the combat examinations... he would just forget about it!

He would just take this as an overseas holiday.

The stress in Fang Zhengzhi's heart disappeared in an instant. Since he was going on a trip, he had to prepare for it. He did not leave the city instantly, choosing to shop for clothes at a nearby store.

"Do you have any ethnic clothes?"

Fang Zhengzhi asked as he entered the shop.

"Ethnic? You found the right place! We have ethnic and exotic clothes in abundance!" The shopkeeper's eyes brightened when he heard this.

"Bring me two sets." Fang Zhengzhi replied generously.

"Okay, just wait a moment." The shopkeeper ran into the shop and carried out a pile of clothes.

"What is this?" Fang Zhengzhi had really thought he had come to the right place. However, he could not understand what he was seeing.

"They're clothes!"

"Are these for men or for women?"

"I didn't know you were into that. These are all for women, but, if you like males... ahem, I have some inside!"

"Scram!" Fang Zhengzhi raged.

Who is this?

He was so handsome, why would he be into that?

"Young Master, please do not get angry. If you do not like these mediocre products, I have some valuable ones inside. They are truly exotic. There are those for the avant garde, or the passionate. Furthermore..."

"I want what they wear in the Southern Mountain Range!"

"Ah? That's quite difficult. The people in the Southern Mountain Range don't wear clothes."

"Don't wear clothes?" Fang Zhengzhi was shocked by this. Why wouldn't they wear clothes? Did they walk around naked?

"Yes, they wear leather and use leaves to cover their privates. If you want that, I have a few leather pieces inside. However, you will have to get the leaves yourself."

"Give me two!"

"Okay, I will get you two superior leather clothing."

Fang Zhengzhi's Heart Protection Mirror now contained two additional leather robes. One was with leopard prints, the other with white tiger prints.

It was rather domineering.

Fang Zhengzhi was pleased with this.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi began to turn. He had to prepare food and other necessities for the trek.

There were many people who would leave the gate to hunt in the Southern Mountain Range. As such, the things he needed were quite easy to find.

He had everything he needed.

Fang Zhengzhi did not waste anymore time.

He used the leather to mask his face, then barged through one of the gates.

As to why he barged...

The reason was simple. He did not have any permit to pass through nor the right to heart. It would be impossible for him to get out without revealing his identity. As such, he had to use violence.

After exiting the gates, he was chased for a distance before he finally managed to melt right into the woods.

He found a place to change his clothes. He placed his blue long sleeved shirt in his Heart Protection Mirror, donning the leopard prints in its place.

He recalled Shan Jia's dressing back on Cang Ling Mountain. He found a few branches and made a hat.

Then, he ruffled his hair.

He thought that he was doing quite a good job of assimilating.

Mm...

Quite exotic indeed.

He wondered how the women here dressed. He looked at the vast green mountains in front of him. He wondered if he would see anything of interest.

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Chapter 330: You're the boss

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ten days later.

"Zoom!" An arrow shot through the air. It was a jade green arrow flying faster than a shooting star. It sailed through the air and exploded upon impact with the ground.

"Aroo..." An armored scaled pig screamed in pain before falling to the ground, blood flowing from an open wound.

Just at this moment, a figure appeared in the distance.

A figure dressed in leopard prints and holding a jade green bow skipped next to the big. He hummed a tune as he did so.

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to get to the Iron Hill settlement. It was the closest to the Sagely Mountain city.

For the past 10 days, he used the map to find a way around the four major settlements. Coupled with the keen hearing he developed from his years on Cang Ling Mountain, he managed to avoid getting into trouble.

Right now, he was already outside the four major settlements.

This allowed him to relax a little. He wanted to hunt some game to make a nice meal for himself. This pig became his target.

"Forgive me, I am just hunting for food!" Fang Zhengzhi bowed to the Arrow Toothed Pig, then smirked.

It was quite the overkill.

He kept his Sun Shooting Bow and retrieved a small knife. As he cut off pieces of meat, he murmured to himself, "Pig tails, pig ears, pig tongue, yummy..."

However...

After all, one man's meat was another man's poison.

That being said, change and surprises were an inevitable part of life!

Just as Fang Zhengzhi hummed his tune and butchered the pig, there was a movement in the surrounding bushes.

He was now on alert.

It was not rare to encounter ferocious beasts here. However, ordinarily, there would not be too many small beasts where the dangerous ones roamed.

He had already picked a position with many small beasts.

Just as he thought about it, he heard a "zoom zoom zoom..." in the air. Then, rays of black fell from the sky.

"Spears?" Fang Zhengzhi immediately saw what those black rays were.

This was slightly different to the lances used by the army. Those were not usually thrown, but one could throw a spear. Furthermore, they did a lot of damage to beasts.

Did he wander into the hunting grounds of a tribe?

But there was nothing on the map?!

Fang Zhengzhi easily dodged all the falling spears. However, there was an order as to how they were thrown. They were not used to kill Fang Zhengzhi.

They were used to trap him.

Circles of spears formed around Fang Zhengzhi. It was not large, but it trapped Fang Zhengzhi in the center.

"Freeze!" A voice could be heard from the bushes.

Then, hundreds of figures appeared around him. Each one of them held a long black spear in their hands and wore green rattan armor.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen this armor before. Shan Jia had worn it in The Vast World.

However, these men wore armor which was much weaker and simpler. It only covered the vital areas like the chest and the groin. Everything else was left uncovered. They were all tanned from prolonged exposure to the sun.

Aborigines!

Fang Zhengzhi recognized these people instantly. He was certain that these men were from the Southern Mountain Range army.

If it was just a hunting tribe, their dressing and weapons would be more varied.

However, all of their armor and weapons were standardized.

They had to be from the Southern Mountain Range army.

If he had indeed run into the army...

His plan would be foiled.

"Which settlement are you from?" One of the middle aged men looked at Fang Zhengzhi's dressing and asked suspiciously.

"Which settlement?" Fang Zhengzhi's eyes brightened. He wanted to just use any random name, but he realized that it was not going to work.

If he hadn't seen the aborigines...

He would have thought of assimilating into the army or a settlement. However, after seeing their appearance, he basically gave up on that idea.

Because...

He was too white.

By asking which settlement he was from, his opponent was trying to trick him.

The people of the Southern Mountain Range were not dumb at all.

However, Fang Zhengzhi never expected that he would run into the Southern Mountain Range Army the moment he stepped outside the boundaries of the four settlements. He was not prepared for that.

He did not have many options right now.

His first option was to be weak and act like an idiot. He could refuse to answer every question and used some dance moves to shock them. Then, he may be able to seize an opportunity to escape.

His second option was to be strong!

There was a saying, if my enemy is weak, I am powerful. If my enemy is powerful, I am weak.

It was a very simple equation.

Fang Zhengzhi calmed himself down and looked slightly arrogant. He wagged his finger at the middle aged man.

The middle aged man looked around his surroundings, his suspicions raised. However, this was still his territory.

He walked next to Fang Zhengzhi.

"I asked you which settlement you are from?!"

"Smack!"

With a clean swipe of his hand, one of the spears in the ground was split into two by Fang Zhengzhi. It was a clean cut.

"You..." The middle aged man was stunned by Fang Zhengzhi's actions. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his spear as he took a step back.

All of the soldiers behind him also raised their spears. They prepared to charge forward when they heard the command.

"What settlement?! Can't you see my leather? Do I look like a villager to you? I am an envoy! Are you blind?" Fang Zhengzhi replied rudely.

After showing his power, he had to be fierce enough.

"Envoy? You... are?" The middle aged man was slightly taken aback.

He did not attack Fang Zhengzhi immediately because he noticed that Fang Zhengzhi was wearing superior leather. Only two types of people could wear such leather.

An "ignorant" spy from the Great Xia Dynasty...

Or someone of serious standing...

But now, he did not attack Fang Zhengzhi because of an additional reason...

Fang Zhengzhi was very powerful!

"If I had chopped your neck, what do you think would have happened? Enough crap, get your people to move aside! Who are you to question me?" Fang Zhengzhi waved him off in exasperation. He had to show them that he would not tolerate nonsense.

"Send the signal!" The middle aged man's expression darkened when he heard this. He waved to the soldiers behind him and Fang Zhengzhi was surrounded.

After the middle aged man finished speaking, Fang Zhengzhi saw a soldier shoot an arrow into the sky.

"Bong!" A crisp sound could be heard.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly taken aback. What the hell is going on? Did he fail in his plan?

That's impossible.

He would have been able to kill the middle aged man without any problem. The fact that he didn't showed that he was one of them. Furthermore, his attitude should have been convincing enough. There should be no reason for a 'rebellion'.

"Are you trying to violate my status?" Fang Zhengzhi had no choice but to stick to his story. He had no idea how many people he was facing.

"If you really are an envoy, tell us your intentions. If not, you can forget about leaving this place!" The middle aged man did not have any intention of attacking just yet.

"Aren't you afraid I'll have your head for this?" Fang Zhengzhi replied coldly.

"I am just doing my job, I fear nothing!" The middle aged man replied with determination.

"Fear nothing?" Fang Zhengzhi stared at the middle aged man. This was only the second time he had interacted with someone from the Southern Mountain Range.

However, he could see a strong determination in the eyes of the middle aged man.

All these while, Fang Zhengzhi had read that those who grew up in harsher environments were stronger. He could see this trait from this man.

The people from the Southern Mountain Range...

Were really different from those of the Great Xia Dynasty!

"Tell us!" The hundreds of soldiers shouted in unison when they heard the middle aged man. Their crisp voices echoed throughout the woods.

Could Fang Zhengzhi say?

He was not familiar with the Southern Mountain Range. The more he said, the larger the gaps in his story. He could not just come up with a random story.

Fang Zhengzhi had two choices.

He could kill them, or run.

Killing was an option. However, killing without reason was unnecessary. Furthermore, he did not know how they were like.

Kill all of these soldiers?

He was not a maniac.

Even if he killed all of them, he would still have to run.

Fang Zhengzhi knew he should be running.

He wanted to be stronger than these people, but they were definitely stronger than him.

It was not that he was not witty enough, but his opponent was much too determined. He wasn't even afraid of death. Such a person was not antagonizable.

He turned...

And ran.

"You want to run? Even the fastest beasts cannot outrun us, haha!" The middle aged man chuckled icily when he saw Fang Zhengzhi run.

The sky was filled with spears even before the middle aged man ordered for it.

A row of spears blocked Fang Zhengzhi's escape route.

Then, hundreds of soldiers surrounded him from both sides. They all growled in a deep voice.

"Aroo ooh ooh ooh..."

"Dong, dong, dong!"

Fang Zhengzhi was rather depressed. The road ahead was blocked and the soldiers surrounded his flanks. Was he really going to have to resort to killing?

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard crashing sounds in the near distance. Then, he heard waves of roars from beasts.

He turned and was stunned by what he saw.

Within moments, there were thousands of soldiers surrounding him. They all rushed his position, each one riding a two meter high beast.

It was a wolf like creature with blueish-purple fur. It had a single silver horn on its forehead, and it was two to three times larger than the wolf.

It was the silver horned wolf!

It was a beast which was even more ferocious than the Blue Fire Wolf. Each one had the power of a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator.

"Damn it, why did I have to run into the elite army of the Southern Mountain Range!" Fang Zhengzhi paled.

He did not know how many silver horned wolf squads there were in the Southern Mountain Range. He didn't think that there were many, so what was with the 1000 he saw in front of him?

If this wasn't the main force of the Southern Mountain Range army?

What was?

"Hang on! I was just testing your reactions. You're right... I am an envoy!" Fang Zhengzhi raised his hands. He could not defeat them. There were more than 1000 silver horned wolves and soldiers. They could grind him down easily.

He couldn't run either. His only choice was to try to prolong his life.

"Then please tell us what you're here for." The middle aged man raised his hand, then walked briskly to Fang Zhengzhi without fear.

"What if I killed you right now?" Fang Zhengzhi asked as the man walked over.

"I will become one with the mountain. My flesh and bones will provide nourishment for the plants and my blood will give moisture to the ground. I will be with the Southern Mountain Range!" The middle aged man replied proudly.

"Okay, I was just kidding." Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched. He knew that there were religions out there.

They were capable of banding people together and produce zealots blindly faithful to their cause.

"Tell us what you are here for." The middle aged man was in no mood to waste time.

"I can say it, but I can't tell it to you."

"Then who can you tell it to?"

"Your general of course."

"General?" The middle aged man frowned, then nodded, "I understand. Envoy, please follow me!"

Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

What a change of attitude?

Did his plan succeed?

Okay then, he will meet with the general in charge then think of a plan from there. In the worst case, he could kidnap the general!

A lieutenant may be dispensable, but was a general?

Fang Zhengzhi smirked. Everything was still in control, all he had to do was find a suitable opportunity to escape.

Initially, Fang Zhengzhi thought that he would be bound or blindfolded. However, none of the above happened.

He began to relax a little.

However, he was on alert right after exiting the woods.

There was a hundred meter high rock in front of him. There was a large army camp below it. It was constructed using wood, with leaves as camouflage.

It was quite well camouflaged. Anyone looking for it from a higher position would have been hard pressed to find it.

This was a real army cam, and it was well hidden and set up. But why would there be a camp here?

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to run but he had no chance to.

He had run into the main force of the Southern Mountain Range!

The middle aged man led Fang Zhengzhi through the camp for more than 15 minutes. Fang Zhengzhi finally saw what the Southern Mountain Range army was like.

Each soldier was dark skinned and wore the same rattan armor. They held long spears and were hulkingly huge.

When Fang Zhengzhi walked through, he piqued the interest of all the other soldiers. However, no one asked any questions.

He lost track of time.

The middle aged man finally stopped then fell to his knees, murmuring almost as if he was saying a prayer.

Soon after, he stood up and pointed respectfully to a wooden path in front of him.

"Envoy, please!"

"Thank you." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

Fang Zhengzhi realized something different about the tent in front of him. It was covered with a thick layer of greenery and there were all sorts of carvings on the pillars.

The middle aged man had kneeled towards these carvings.

The defences around this tent were also much stronger. There were at least 20-30 guards in each of the four directions. There were no less than 100 soldiers guarding this tent.

After seeing Fang Zhengzhi and the middle aged man.

The guards at the front of the tent finally spoke. He lowered his spear at Fang Zhengzhi and the middle aged man.

"Who is that man?"

"Envoy." The middle aged man replied respectfully.

"I understand, please enter." The soldier nodded. Then, he returned to his original position.

The middle aged man quickly stepped forward and opened up one of the flaps to the tent. Then he nodded to Fang Zhengzhi.

As the flap was opened, Fang Zhengzhi heard a caucus within, almost as if there was an ongoing intense discussion.

Fang Zhengzhi had no choice but to enter.

He stepped into the tent.

The tent fell silent.

Fang Zhengzhi was silent as well. He realized that there was more than one person inside the tent.

More than 20 people sat in two rows beside a table.

They were all dressed differently from the soldiers outside. Their armor was more intricate and they had a layer of leather.

More importantly, their arms had a faint glow. Upon closer inspection, they were all rather queer pictures.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi fell silent not because of the 20 people inside the tent. He quietened down because the person sitting at the top...

Was a lady.

A lady laying on a piece of golden leather.

Her skin glowed and she was clearly in the pink of health. A snow white piece of leather wrapped around her privates.

Her belly button and slender legs were there for all to admire. She was quite the attractive lady.

There was a leather ring wrapped around her right leg. She had two daggers kept there.

Other than the fact that she was dressed differently, what made her stand out was that she wore a bone toothed accessory on her head. It was also adorned with a five colored feather.

She was a person of power!

"How exotic?" Fang Zhengzhi stared at the features of the lady in front of him, admiring her glowing eyes.

This lady was an exotic beauty.

She was not hulking or tough, but exquisite and dainty.

However...

Fang Zhengzhi was still in the position of weakness.

After all, she was the boss.

Was this the way the culture of the Southern Mountain Range?

"Princess, the fake envoy is here!" The middle aged man walked in and fell to his knees. He did not even dare to look up.

"Okay... you may leave now." The lady's voice rang out. Then, she sat upright.

Fang Zhengzhi's expression changed instantly.

Princess?!

He knew this term well. After all, he had just had a hotpot and drinks with over a dozen princesses.

But now...

When he heard the term being said...

He knew he was finished!

Which envoy would call the princess a general?

As such, all the pleasantries were just a trap to lure him here. And now, he had stepped right into the trap.

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Chapter 331: Whatever you say

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi began to regret. He should have listened to Wu Yuer and not made the trip here.

And now...

He was just prey to them.

Were they going to roast or steam him?

The middle aged man complied with the lady's orders and began to walk out of the tent, his head lowered the entire time.

Fang Zhengzhi knew he had to remain calm.

There was a saying, I will not move if my enemy doesn't. If my enemy moves, I'll do something unexpected! Basically, it was about taking initiative.

"We can always talk things out. Let's use words before we fight. You can ask me anything. I will only tell you what I know, and I will tell you in detail. I am okay with saying anything." Fang Zhengzhi made his stand clear as he tried to buy time for himself.

Silence.

After Fang Zhengzhi said his piece, you could hear a pin drop in the tent.

Then, everyone inside began to laugh wildly.

"Oh sh*t! Hahaha... I heard that the people of the Great Xia Dynasty are strong, but I guess this one is a coward!" The lady chuckled, beaming as she did so.

"This fella is really shameless. Even before we say anything, he's offered to betray his country."

"Such a person is of no value, we should just kill him."

"Mm, you are right. The people of the Southern Mountain Range are brave. The mountains are our partners, the trees our neighbours. We have weathered many storms as a race. Such a coward is a waste of our time."

All of the generals shook their heads in scorn and disdain when they heard what Fang Zhengzhi said.

Fang Zhengzhi did not care about what they thought.

The only person he cared about was the lady. She was the one in power. He had already accomplished what he had set out to do.

Make her laugh.

This was very important if he was going to get closer to her.

Of course, there are many kinds of laughter. There is laughter of excitement, sorrowful laughter, joyous laughter, emotional laughter...

And mocking.

Fang Zhengzhi used the simplest method to get the princess to laugh. It didn't matter to him that the princess was mocking him.

"Your highness, don't listen to these people. I am of great use. Firstly, I know everything in the Law of Dao. In fact, I have memorized it. Furthermore, I know the Eight Diagrams and Five Elements, Astrology, poetry, mm, of course, I am a good chef as well! Even the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty loved the food I made. He even rewarded me with silvers on the spot." Fang Zhengzhi rattled off his abilities.

First, establish a connection.

The next step was to market himself. He had to let them know that he was useful. That was the only way he could stay alive.

"Not only is this guy shameless, he is boastful as well."

"His ability to boast is not bad."

"I heard that the people of the Great Xia Dynasty are cunning. I guess it is true."

All of the generals scoffed when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. Their scorn became deeper. Who praises themselves that way?

"Hahaha... interesting. You say that you memorized the Law of Dao, so I will test you on it. If you really memorized it, I will let you live. However, if you get one word wrong, I will chop off one of your fingers. Every additional word wrongly memorized will result in an additional finger chopped off."

"What if I memorize 11 words wrongly?" Fang Zhengzhi thought about it before asking.

"Off with your head!"

"What about my toes?"

"Nonsense. My words are commands. If I say the 11th wrong word will result in your head being chopped off, then it is not negotiable!"

"Okay, you are the boss. What you say goes." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. One day, he will make sure she got a taste of her own medicine!

The lady did not think too much into what Fang Zhengzhi said. After a brief moment of thought, she chuckled icily.

"Mount Lei is 300 miles to the south. It has jade and gold. The water from it's lake is potable, and the mountain is inhabited by lions... what comes after that?"

All of the generals were stunned when they heard this. Then, they turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi like they were watching a dead man walking.

Fang Zhengzhi was also slightly taken aback.

This lady was quite the cruel one. She picked one of the most complicated segments of the "Sea and Mountain Scripture".

More importantly, she did not even bother giving any hints. She simply expected Fang Zhengzhi to continue the sentence.

Any normal person would be hard pressed to complete this challenge.

But was Fang Zhengzhi an ordinary person? He was an archaeological talent in his previous world. In this world, he had spent eight years studying the Law of Dao.

His memory was unparalleled. Furthermore, he had put in much effort to memorize this. He could even memorize the Law of Dao backwards.

"Yet another 300 miles to the south is Xun Zhuang Mountain. It has jade and gold in abundance. There is also an abundance of limestone at its foot. It too is infested with beasts. There are six legged dogs, furry birds..."

Fang Zhengzhi began reciting without courtesy.

He did not stop at any time.

He finished reciting the entire "Sea and Mountains Scripture" in a single breath. Naturally, he did not get a single word wrong.

Silence.

Pin drop silence.

However, this time, the lady was clearly quite shocked by what she just saw. The generals around her stared at Fang Zhengzhi, their jaws dropped. This fella managed to do it?

He memorized the entire section? How is that possible?

Even though the Great Xia Dynasty had given the Southern Mountain Range copies of the Law of Dao, the content was too boring and complicated to them.

Initially, the Great Xia Dynasty had sent a few teachers here to teach the Law of Dao. However, as time passed, only the royal family and some in the major settlements knew how to interpret the Law of Dao.

"Should I continue?" Fang Zhengzhi asked after finishing the segment.

"Mm... of course, continue!" The lady suppressed her shock and turned to look at one of the generals.

The general nodded, understanding what she wanted immediately. He took his leave respectfully.

Before long, the flap to the tent was opened once again. Six men carried and exquisite wooden chest inside.

It was opened.

Revealing books bound in gold thread.

This was the Law of Dao. This was probably one of the original sets sent by the Great Xia Dynasty. That would explain why it was so intricately bound.

The golden thread bound Law of Dao was placed carefully in front of the lady.

Then, the lady flipped through one of the books casually.

"What comes after... Dao creates everything, morals nurture everything. Things take on a myriad of shapes, and the environment is key to whether living things can grow."

Even so, morals should be valued over Dao. Dao may create everything, and morals may nurture everything, but neither is the master of life. Everything is left to run its course." Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.

The lady was visibly stunned.

All of the generals were all shocked by what they were seeing. Is this person even human? Did he really memorize the Law of Dao?

"How is it? Not a single word wrong huh? You can't chop off my finger." Fang Zhengzhi said contentedly.

"Humph!" The lady snorted then picked up yet another book, "What comes after...?"

"We can see how tall a mountain is. We can guess how deep the ocean goes. If you understand all of these around you, you would understand the world and the intentions of the heavens..." Fang Zhengzhi rattled off without hesitation.

"I don't believe this. I must chop off your fingers today!" The lady was furious. She threw the book aside and picked up yet another one.

"You can't, you can't, you can't!" Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched. She could have tested him on anything. But she chose the Law of Dao, his strongest suit.

The next scene made all of the generals in the tent nervous.

The lady kept flipping through the books. She looked through each one and threw them to the side.

Fang Zhengzhi continued reciting the Law of Dao from memory. He didn't get any word wrong. It was almost as if he was reading from the book.

"How does he do it?"

"Could it be that even one of the small troops from the Great Xia Dynasty can do this?"

"No way?"

All of the generals looked at Fang Zhengzhi, their confidence shrinking. This coward had exceeded all of their expectations.

At the very least...

He was almost like a god to them when it came to the Law of Dao.

"This is infuriating! All of you... think of something quickly! Find a question that will stump him! I want all 10 of his fingers cut off!" The lady was at her breaking point after almost an hour of questioning.

No matter how she picked and chose the passages, Fang Zhengzhi replied instantly. Furthermore, his speed was even faster than she could read.

How could she not be infuriated?!

"Princess, this..."

All of the generals looked on bitterly when they heard this. It was a tall task for them to even finish reading the Law of Dao.

How could they possibly ask a question on it?

More importantly, the princess was the one with the books. If she couldn't stump him with the books in hand, what did she expect them to do?

Speechless.

They were all speechless.

"Your highness, why don't you challenge him in combat?" One of the generals scratched his head and his eyes brightened. Fang Zhengzhi was a shameless coward.

What kind of power could such a person possess?

The general felt that someone like that might be academically talented. However, his actual combat prowess would be nothing to fear.

The lady's eyes brightened when she heard the general's suggestion. Her anger was briefly soothed.

"The Southern Mountain Range is different from the Great Xia Dynasty. You value intellect over combat ability. This is naturally your strength. However, we built our country through war and blood. Combat is our strength. Do you dare to battle our warriors?" The lady looked at Fang Zhengzhi, her haughty demeanor returning.

"I'm not very good at horse riding or shooting an arrow. I'm not good at wielding a sword either. This... is quite difficult!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the lady, his expression pained.

"Hahaha... okay then, we shall compete in archery!" The lady laughed when she heard Fang Zhengzhi's words.

"This is my weakness!" Fang Zhengzhi pleaded.

"I want to compete in archery, what can you do about it?" The lady said oppressively.

"That's bullying?! Never!" Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

"Okay then! Get people to drag him out and behead him!" The lady waved her hand.

Half a dozen soldiers marched into the tent and lowered their spears. They prepared to drag Fang Zhengzhi out for execution.

"Hang on!" Fang Zhengzhi shouted.

"Why? You want to compete all of a sudden?" The lady smirked. What a weakling. Is he so easily scared into submission?

"Not really..."

"Guard!"

"Okay, I want to compete, I really want to compete!"

"Hahaha..." The lady chuckled as she looked at Fang Zhengzhi in scorned. If not for the fact that she had nothing to do...

People like this coward would not even live for three seconds!

"But, I don't have a horse? How am I supposed to compete?" Fang Zhengzhi squirmed. No matter how domineering these people were, there was no way they could be that unreasonable!

"Relax, I have plenty of horses!" The lady said generously.

"Who will I compete with? I can't possibly be competing with you can I? The princess is so powerful. I doubt you need to ride a horse or shoot an arrow?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the lady.

"I haven't ridden a horse or shot an arrow?!" The lady fumed when she heard this. "I am not like the princesses of the Great Xia Dynasty. Is there anyone here who dares claim that they are better than me? Anyone?"

"No your highness!" All of the generals answered in unison.

"Did you hear that?" The lady looked at Fang Zhengzhi triumphantly.

"Words are empty, prove it!" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at her scornfully.

"Shameless person! How dare you doubt my skills? I will compete with you personally and make sure you are convinced!" The princess was angered.

However, when the generals heard this, all of their expressions changed. They knew that the princess was much more skilled than Fang Zhengzhi.

She was the best amongst all the youths.

But that was just the youths!

More importantly, the competition would be held in the woods and away from the camp. The risks were higher there.

"Princess, please don't!"

"Your highness, this is a spy from the Great Xia Dynasty. He already knows where our camp is. He should be killed!"

"Yes your highness! Don't compete with him!"

All of the generals advised fervently.

From the moment Fang Zhengzhi stepped into the camp, he was a dead man walking. He was just a toy for the princess to relief her boredom.

However, they could not let the princess risk her life whilst toying with this man.

The lady's expression changed and she hesitated when she heard this.

"It's better if you don't compete. Release me then. You already lost just now. You can't kill me!" Fang Zhengzhi said excitedly.

"Activate the silver horned wolf squad. I want them to surround a two square mile area in the woods. Then, send 20,000 troops to support them. Uncle Tai, Uncle Mu, follow this man. If he tries anything funny, kill him! I will compete with him!"

"Yes, your highness!"

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Chapter 332: Are you both blind?

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Two middle aged men stepped forward.

One was a heavily bearded man wearing heavy armor. He held a black axe in his hand. The second one was a dark skinned bald man. He had two wolf fang like weapons on his back.

They looked at each other, unspeaking, when they heard the princess's orders.

With the silver horned wolf squad and 20,000 soldiers surrounding the area, he would not be able to escape even if he had wings. Furthermore, there were two generals escorting him.

This was quite the flawless plan.

Even though everyone felt that there was still an inherent risk in this plan, they knew that it would be impossible to change her mind.

All they could do was increase the security. How powerful can a 'scout' be?

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to fly. He even wanted to drag this princess into the sky with him. He wanted to get out of this god forsaken place.

"Then... can I ask another question?" Fang Zhengzhi said weakly.

"Speak!" The lady was visibly exasperated.

"If, and just if, I win, what happens?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the princess excitedly.

All of the generals were stunned when they heard this. Then, they all burst out laughing.

"This guys wants to win? Hahaha... does he not know that the "Mountain Rain" princess is the best female warrior in the land?"

"He must be day dreaming."

"He doesn't even know where he stands. He really is very thick skinned."

All of the generals could not help but laugh at Fang Zhengzhi's shamelessness.

Princess Shan Yu also began laughing. A tear rolled down her cheek. No one had ever dared say something like that in front of her.

"Okay, if you win, I will spare your life!" Princess Shan Yu could not even sit upright. She chuckled as she laid out the conditions.

"Will you release me?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"Release you? Hahaha... what do you think?" Princess Shan Yu looked at Fang Zhengzhi with condescension.

"I guess not." Fang Zhengzhi nodded lightly.

"From the moment you stepped into this camp, you were never meant to walk out. Do you understand? Don't bother daydreaming anymore. Just be a good clown." Princess Shan Yu comforted.

"Rest assured, I will make you very happy." Fang Zhengzhi assured.

"Hahaha... good, very good! Because of what you said, even if you lose, I will not kill you! I will just chop off your fingers and toes and hang you by a string. You will tell me a joke whenever I feel like it." Princess Shan Yu laughed.

"Thank you your highness!" Fang Zhengzhi replied 'gratefully'.

"Mm, that's a good boy!" Princess Shan Yu chuckled and left the tent.

All of the generals surrounded Fang Zhengzhi, staring at him coldly. They prepared to lunge at Fang Zhengzhi should he try anything funny,

Fang Zhengzhi moved.

He leisurely placed his hands behind his back and began to saunter out of the tent, humming a tune as he did so.

He stopped briefly when he reached the entrance of the tent. He turned to look at the two generals following closely behind.

The two generals were taken aback when they saw this. They had no idea why someone who was about to die was so relaxed.

"Open the flaps? Are you two blind?" Fang Zhengzhi chided as he looked at the two generals.

"You, you rascal, you must be tired of living! I am a general! Why would I open the flaps for someone like you?" The bearded General Tai raged when he heard Fang Zhengzhi. His domineering aura was released instantly.

"Just open it! Enough with your nagging. Do you not see the princess waiting for me outside? Are you going to take responsibility for delaying the competition?" Fang Zhengzhi continued.

"I will kill you!"

"Brother Tai, don't be rash, he is just agitating us. The people of the Great Xia Dynasty are cunning. We need to keep our calm and ensure the princess is safe." General My advised.

"Then do you really want me to open the flap for him?" General Tai was not happy about this.

"You, open the flap!" General Mu glanced at one of the other deputies.

"Yes, sir!" The deputy did not want to do it, but the two generals outranked him by many times.

He had no other choice but to follow orders.

"Why take so long to open the flap? You speak too much rubbish." Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the two generals in scorn. Then, he walked out confidently.

The two generals tightened their grip on their weapons as they watched Fang Zhengzhi walk out. If not for the fact that he was to compete against the princess...

They would slice him in half where he stood.

The sun shone brightly.

The valley of the Southern Mountain Range was blooming. A huge army surrounded it. There was an exquisite tent in the middle.

Pots of fresh flowers lined the insides of the tent.

Crown Prince Lin Tianrong squinted as he laid down on the chair. He sniffed the aroma of the various flowers, intoxicated by them.

"Your highness." At this moment an official in a black robe walked in. He looked at the Crown Prince and bowed respectfully.

"Mm, Official Su is here? Tell me how the combat examinations are going." The Crown Prince slowly opened his eyes and looked at the youth in front of him.

"Your highness, Wu Feng is currently in the lead. He has controlled 20 settlements and is using the Yan Ya Settlement as his base. He has almost 10,000 men under him." Su Qing reported.

"Almost 10,000 men? He has already eliminated four people?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong was slightly taken aback.

"That is correct." Su Qing nodded.

"What about Nangong Hao?"

"He has not moved much. He still has the original 2000 men and he is using the Icy Monkey Settlement as his base."

"Mm, the Icy Monkey Settlement is the one closest to the Sagely Mountain City. It is good that Nangong Hao has based himself there. Oh yes... how is Yan Xiu?"

"Yan Xiu did not try to control any particular settlement. He is roaming between various settlements. However, he has eliminated one person and has 4000 soldiers under him."

"I understand. How many candidates are left?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong nodded.

"About 20 candidates."

"Noted. Did Fang Zhengzhi appear?"

"No, but..."

"But what?"

"I received news that Fang Zhengzhi appeared in the Stable Mountain Gate. He even tried to borrow troops from the garrison there in hopes of joining the combat examination. However, he was rejected. The people report that he may have gone back to the capital to levy troops."

"Back to capital to levy troops? Haha... if you were Fang Zhengzhi, what would you do?"

"If I was Fang Zhengzhi, I would also show my face in the Stable Mountain Gate. Then, I would fool people into thinking that I was returning to the capital to levy troops. I would then use that opportunity to enter the Southern Mountain Range and defeat a candidate and take his identity. Then, I will grow slowly from there.

"That makes sense. That would mean that Fang Zhengzhi is hidden amongst the candidates?"

"Yes."

"Then let's wait patiently for him to show himself. However, don't let him grow too fast. Keep a close watch. If any other candidates are doing too well, report back to me."

"I understand."

In the imperial academy back in the capital.

Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilization Constabulary stood respectfully below. He emanated a steely aura.

"Official Xing, how are Qingmu's injuries?" Emperor Lin Mubai's eyes glimmered as he asked.

"Your highness, he has recovered and is awaiting your orders at any time."

"Mm, there is movement in the Southern Mountain Range. I believe that the demons have already smuggled themselves into our ranks. We will continue to act based on your plan."

"Yes, your highness."

"Oh yes, there has been news from the Stable Mountain Gate. Fang Zhengzhi has gone to the Southern Mountain Range. Even though I did not give him any soldiers, I believe that he will be able to make his way into the army. However... to be honest, I am quite worried. Fang Zhengzhi is talented, but he is a maverick. Will he impede our plan?"

"Your highness, even though I have had very little dealings with Fang Zhengzhi, he is a man of good heart. Even though he is shameless, he is very clear when it comes to the important things. I feel that he may even help advance your plan!"

"Advance? Haha... how can he possibly guess my plan? Forget it, let's not talk about him. I shan't hold you back any longer, go make the preparations." Emperor Lin Mubai smiled as he shook his head lightly. He did not believe what Xing Yuanguo had said.

"Yes your highness, I will take my leave!" Xing Yuanguo left.

Fang Zhengzhi basked in the warm sun of late autumn. The wind was slightly chilly, but it was not unbearable.

Sunlight shone on the trees and leaves, leaving glimmering spots of light on the ground.

"This horse... will not throw me off on purpose right?" Fang Zhengzhi was slightly afraid when he looked at the two meter high, black armored stallion. He kept his distance.

"Hmph! We are great with horses. Even though this Black Armored Stallion is ferocious, we have managed to tame it enough to be ridden!" Princess Shan Yu snorted when she heard what Fang Zhengzhi said. Then, she began to feel a tinge of regret. Competing with this man was unbefitting of her position.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything more. He neared the stallion carefully, his eyes filled with fear. He would turn to look at Princess Shan Yu periodically.

Princess Shan Yu rode a crimson beast. It's domineering stature and demeanor warranted its description as a beast.

It was fiery red from head to tail. Even its hooves looked like they were lit on fire. It even had two sharp horns on its head.

Dragon?

Or Qilin?

Fang Zhengzhi could not determine what it was, but he was sure that it was very powerful. He had no idea how Princess Shan Yu had managed to tame it.

"Oi, get on the horse quickly! Do you need me to help you up?" General Tai mocked as he snorted, his axe on his shoulder.

"No need. I can do it myself." Fang Zhengzhi replied innocently.

General Tai's face turned red instantly.

If this was said by anyone else, he would have praised them for their independence. However, Fang Zhengzhi had just asked him to pull open the curtain to the tent.

Fang Zhengzhi was the last person he expected to say something like that.

However, after Fang Zhengzhi finished, he mounted the horse. Even though he struggled a little, he managed to 'crawl' onto its back.

General Tai had no choice but to swallow his words. He snorted to himself, "I will have your head after the competition is over!"

Naturally, Fang Zhengzhi did not know what General Tai was thinking.

After he mounted his horse, he looked out into the distance. He saw that he was surrounded by soldiers. In the far distance, growls could be heard intermittently.

This was the silver horned wolf.

"Mm... I'll wait for my chance!" Fang Zhengzhi comforted himself. Everything was progressing well. All he had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Then...

Just as Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about this, he heard a loud roar right next to him. He turned to look at it.

His eyes widened instantly.

"Cloud... cloud pattern?!" The phrase flew through Fang Zhengzhi's brain. This phrase was enough to unsettle him.

Why would there be cloud patterns here?

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