Chapter 20

Xu Fei had already reacted, staring at the large pot of spirit rice, somewhat stunned, and realized he had been negligent. The child didn't understand these things, and he had forgotten to remind him.

Key was that he usually didn't worry about cooking. The child didn't need to be told what to cook; it was always to ensure he was well-fed. So, it ended up like this.

Xu Fei scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "Brother Shiheng, this really can't be blamed on the child..."

"Stop!" Yu Qing raised his hand and released the child. His palm slowly pressed against his chest, feeling a sharp pain, a genuine heartache.

Beating up his senior brother to steal a few silver coins? This little book boy casually stewed a thousand taels of silver. How could the three senior brothers react if they knew? And he couldn't even argue his case.

Why did he make such a low-level mistake? He could only console himself that even the best horses sometimes stumble. He was momentarily distracted by Xu Fei's identity as a scholar, and he miscalculated badly!

After thinking it through, Yu Qing waved his hand and said with great sorrow, "Eat, eat as much as you can, and then get it over with. From now on, no one is allowed to mention this, not even a single word, or I'll turn on you!" He then picked up the bowl and started eating furiously.

He couldn't understand why cooking spirit rice always led to trouble. Last time, it injured someone; this time, it cost him a fortune.

The child wiped away his tears and sobbed, "Master, can we save some for tomorrow? I can reheat it and it will still be edible."

"Um..." Yu Qing, who was eating ravenously, almost choked to death. He raised his head, his neck strained, and his eyes rolled. He pounded his chest hard to catch his breath and immediately looked for water to drink.

Xu Fei was also at a loss, "Child, this is spirit rice, different from regular rice. The value of spirit rice lies in the spiritual energy it contains, which is sealed by a layer on the surface. Once cooked and the layer breaks, the spiritual energy dissipates. So, it needs to be eaten as soon as possible after cooking, or it will be wasted."

He had eaten spirit rice before, but only occasionally. Regular consumption was too expensive.

Martial cultivators knew the benefits of eating spirit rice, but many were blocked by the high cost.

Xu Fei's family was considered wealthy in a small place. How wealthy? To put it in perspective:

For an average family, ten taels of silver could feed a family for half a year.

His family's business could earn several hundred taels a month, making them a small but wealthy household.

So, they could occasionally try something new, but eating spirit rice regularly was out of the question, let alone a meal that cost over a thousand taels of silver.

"Enough talk, eat!" Yu Qing, unable to swallow his grievance, shouted again.

Xu Fei saw his frustration, smiled, and started eating without hesitation.

The child, wiping his tears, served the two of them.

Eating more would reduce the loss, and Yu Qing was determined to eat as much as he could.

However, his appetite was limited. He tried to be strong, but after a few bowls, he was full to the point of discomfort, with the food stuck in his throat. He couldn't eat any more.

He wanted to reduce the loss, but he couldn't stuff himself to death. He had to stop and watch Xu Fei eat voraciously.

The more he watched, the angrier he became. He didn't want Xu Fei to have all the benefits, and seeing the child looking pitiful, he forced the child to eat.

The child naturally dared not refuse, but after being threatened by Yu Qing, and with Xu Fei's encouragement to settle the matter, he reluctantly ate.

The child wanted to eat just a little, but Yu Qing forced him to eat three bowls.

The rest, a large portion, was easily consumed by Xu Fei. Seeing him pat his stomach with a slightly regretful look, it was clear he wasn't fully satisfied.

Yu Qing, holding his bloated stomach, returned with an indescribable pain...

On a sunny morning, seventy carriages and over a thousand guards formed the escort for the candidates heading to the capital.

Three hundred and eighteen candidates left the temporary academy, forming a grand procession as they departed from the city of Lieshou.

Outside the city, dozens of riders led the way, and all personnel within three miles of the road were driven away to find places to avoid the procession, which could only resume after the convoy passed.

Of the seventy carriages, forty were for the candidates.

Each carriage held eight candidates, arranged in a 3-3-2 seating pattern, with three on each side and two at the end.

Although it was a bit crowded, it was still much better than walking the entire journey.

It was impossible for each candidate to have their own carriage. Over three hundred carriages would stretch for a long distance and require a large number of guards.

The arrangement of seventy carriages was the best choice after considering all factors.

Compared to the over two hundred book boys, the escort only provided ten carriages for them. It was impossible to fit over two hundred people into ten carriages, especially since the candidates' main luggage was their responsibility.

The ten carriages were mainly for storing the candidates' luggage, and the book boys took turns resting in them, mostly walking behind the carriages. The thousands of guards also mostly walked, so the book boys had little to complain about.

Yu Qing did not share a carriage with Xu Fei. He saw Xu Fei being pulled into a carriage by four guys who always wore the same pants.

The seven people in his carriage were all strangers, and he didn't want to socialize with them. He maintained a cold demeanor, keeping his distance from the others. He listened to their refined conversations but didn't know if they were aware of the threat from the demons. He remained vigilant, observing the surroundings.

Among the escort were over a hundred people in gray cloaks, clearly from the Sinan Prefecture. Yu Qing had a close encounter with them this time.

Xu Junning and Tang Bulan were also in the convoy, wearing the same clothes, but they didn't notice Yu Qing.

What attracted Yu Qing the most were the archers. These archers carried black, non-reflective matte metal bows. If he guessed correctly, they were "Ink Shadow Bows," a powerful bow that required a True Martial realm to draw. Once drawn, the arrows had incredible force, capable of piercing stone and splitting wood.

Those who could use the "Ink Shadow Bow" were almost exclusively Master Archers!

Based on his temporary observation from the carriage, there were at least a dozen such archers.

After the convoy set off, they traveled continuously during the day, stopping only for special circumstances. They had to reach the next designated town by the end of the day due to the large number of people. Ordinary inns couldn't accommodate such a large group, especially in terms of lodging.

The inns provided water and repairs for the convoy. Lunch was always dry rations, and they only had hot meals and rest at the designated towns.

After dinner, they would rest, wake up, have breakfast, and set off again, with lunch being dry rations. This cycle continued for two to three months until they reached the capital. Despite the carriages, the speed was essentially the same as walking.

The first destination on the first day, being close to the city, was reached by evening.

A county military camp was temporarily vacated for the convoy.

Originally housing a thousand soldiers, the camp now held about a thousand and seven hundred people, making it crowded, but there was plenty of open space.

As Yu Qing looked around after getting off the carriage, his pupils suddenly contracted. He saw an old man with gray hair get out of a carriage, also an archer, carrying a bow with a twisted root-like body, dark in color, with many silver spots that looked like eyes of various sizes.

If he guessed correctly, this was the "Twisted Dragon Bow," made from the roots of a tree growing on cliffs, resistant to water and fire, and indestructible for thousands of years. After special processing, it became the powerful "Twisted Dragon Bow," wielded by a Master Archer of the Mystic realm.

Seeing the old archer get out of the lead carriage, it was clear he was a Master Archer of the Mystic realm!

Also getting out of the lead carriage were the highest-ranking officials of the convoy, the escort leader, and the head of the Sinan Prefecture escort team.

Not just one, but another archer with a "Twisted Dragon Bow" got out of a carriage in the middle of the convoy, and another from the rear.

One Master Archer of the Mystic realm was already a terrifying killer, and there were three on this trip? Yu Qing was secretly alarmed. Upon closer inspection, he found there were also about forty to fifty Master Archers of the Martial realm.

These people alone could fend off an army. Yu Qing sighed in relief, knowing that with such strong protection, the demons should not be a threat...

The sleeping quarters in the military camp were insufficient. The best rooms were reserved for high-ranking officials, and the Master Archers also needed to be accommodated.

Next were the candidates, who all slept in dormitories, ten to a room.

The remaining rooms were for the soldiers, and some tents were set up to make up for the shortage.

The book boys also slept in tents, but there weren't enough, so some had to sleep under the eaves.

In previous years, the book boys could share their masters' rooms to assist them, but this time, the number of guards had doubled and doubled again.

When Yu Qing found the book boy, Chong, after dinner, Chong was squatting on the ground with a group of book boys, surrounding a wooden bucket. They were reaching in to scoop out a mushy mixture with vegetable leaves, pouring it into bowls to eat. It looked no different from pig feed. Some book boys from wealthier families wrinkled their noses at the smell and found it hard to swallow after a taste.

Chong, after tasting it, continued to eat silently.