Chapter 39

PS: To hear the exclusive stories behind "The Wasteland Journey" and more suggestions for the novel, follow our official account (add a friend on WeChat - add an official account - enter qdread). Whisper to me!

Zhang San's words silenced the crowd, as he had already explained the reasons clearly. Moreover, their identities were not enough to represent the factions behind them.

"Next, those who wish to enter the stone cave can come forward for the assessment. As long as you pass the assessment, prove your identity, and have no record of evil deeds, you can enter the stone chamber to study the martial arts inscribed on the stone walls!" Zhang San said loudly at this moment.

However, no one came forward to try, as many had already attempted the assessment and knew its difficulty. Without a sure chance of success, no one was willing to step forward again!

"I'll go!"

At this moment, a loud voice rang out among the crowd, and a burly man in a tight-fitting outfit jumped out and approached Zhang San.

"Brother, please!" Zhang San bowed and then instructed the man to draw a question from the assessment box.

The man walked forward, placed his hand in the box, drew out a piece of paper, and handed it to Zhang San!

After opening the card, Zhang San glanced at the question and asked with a light smile, "Brother, in the Northern Sea there is a fish, whose name is Kun. Kun is so large, no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans! Can you tell me the next line?"

"Transformed into a bird, its name is Peng. The back of Peng is so large, no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans. When it flaps its wings in anger, they are like clouds hanging from the sky!" Bu Fan silently answered in his heart. This was a line from Zhuangzi's "Free and Unfettered Wandering"!

However, this simple line left the man momentarily stunned. After a long while, his face turned red, but he could not answer.

Zhang San did not mock him but gently closed the paper and said to the man, "Brother, why don't you take a break and try again later?"

The man, feeling ashamed, bowed and then jumped back into the crowd!

"Brother Wei, what do you think? Do you have a chance?" A few guards beside Bu Fan asked Wei Xiao in a low voice.

Wei Xiao did not speak, only frowning slightly. He could answer the question the man had drawn, but the assessment on侠客岛 was certainly not as simple as just one question!

While Wei Xiao was thinking, another young man stepped forward and handed the paper he had drawn to Zhang San!

"Clouds dissipate and rain clears, the sky brightens! The setting sun and the lone wild goose fly together, the autumn waters and the sky blend into one color! May I ask, where does this line come from, what is the next line, who wrote it, and what is its background?"

After reading the question, Zhang San asked the man softly.

"The Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion, by Wang Bo. The fishing boats sing at dusk, their sounds echoing by the banks of Poyang Lake; the geese are startled by the cold, their cries breaking off over the waters of Hengyang!"

Bu Fan quickly answered in his heart, but the man who had come forward, like the burly man before him, was again in a dilemma.

"Alas, I am shallow in knowledge and overestimated my abilities. I apologize for my poor performance!" The man, being straightforward, bowed to the crowd and then returned to the group.

"Is there anyone else willing to try?" Zhang San asked the crowd again.

However, after the two attempts, many in the crowd understood that the questions in the box were not so simple!

Bu Fan sighed inwardly. For him, these questions were not difficult; they were part of the Chinese literature he had studied in school.

However, for these men, ancient literary knowledge was very challenging. Moreover, Bu Fan could remember them because he had learned these classic works of ancient literature, thanks to the era he lived in.

"How about it? Brother Wei, do you have a chance?" Someone beside Wei Xiao asked again in a low voice.

"Alas, it's difficult. Even if I go, I doubt I can pass!" Wei Xiao shook his head helplessly.

"Hey, where's Bu Fan?" At this moment, someone suddenly noticed that Bu Fan was missing. They called out softly and then stood there with wide eyes.

For some reason, Bu Fan had already walked to Zhang San and said solemnly, "Mr. Zhang San, I am not very talented, but I would like to give it a try!"

"Good, heroes often emerge from the young! Since you have the heart, please draw a question!" Zhang San waved his hand and said boldly.

Bu Fan walked forward, placed his hand in the box, and slowly drew out a piece of paper, handing it to Zhang San.

After opening it, Zhang San glanced at the question and his expression changed slightly, seemingly regretting Bu Fan's bad luck.

"The ancients said, 'Do not be elated by material gains, nor saddened by personal setbacks!' May I ask, where does this line come from?"

As soon as Zhang San finished speaking, the crowd's expressions changed. The previous questions had many hints, but this one had only eight characters, making it particularly difficult!

Bu Fan smiled calmly and said softly, "This line comes from Mr. Fan Zhongyan's 'Record of the Yueyang Tower.' Is my answer correct?"

For Bu Fan, the answers to these questions were not the problem; it was the archaic way of speaking during the answers that troubled him!

At this moment, Bu Fan tried to mimic the ancient scholars' way of speaking to show his extensive knowledge, fearing any slip-up.

Zhang San looked at Bu Fan in surprise and nodded solemnly, "Well done, young sir! Listen to the next question!"

"Men, why not carry the Wu Hook and reclaim the fifty states! May I ask, what does 'Wu Hook' mean?"

"The Wu Hook refers to a weapon from the ancient Wu region, a type of hook. It was produced in Wu, hence the name Wu Hook. Later generations often used it to refer to weapons in general!"

"Among the Four Princes of the Warring States, who was the prince of Wei, and who was the prince of Zhao? What is the story between them?"

"The prince of Wei was Prince Xinling, Wu Ji, and the prince of Zhao was Prince Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng. At the time, Zhao was in peril, threatened by Qin..."

Bu Fan narrated the story of Prince Xinling stealing the seal to save Zhao without any concern for the shocked expressions of the crowd.

Even Zhang San was surprised and then continued to look at the paper, saying to Bu Fan, "Young sir, this is the last question. If you can answer it, you will pass!"

"In ancient times, there was a Poet Immortal named Li Bai, skilled in poetry. Young sir, if you can recite five poems by Li Bai, you will pass!" Zhang San said, looking at Bu Fan with regret.

The crowd also changed their expressions upon hearing this. Poetry was already precious in the Heavenly Martial Empire, let alone poems by a specific author.

"Alas, Bu Fan will likely fail. Only the most learned scholars can recite poems by the Poet Immortal, as only a fraction of his works have survived!" Wei Xiao sighed and shook his head.

Only Bu Fan was speechless. If it were poems by other authors, reciting five would be difficult, but it was Li Bai. Well, five poems were not that hard!

What Bu Fan was more curious about was why the simplest poetry to him was a challenge here. (Great events are happening, with cool phones up for grabs! Follow the qdread WeChat official account (add a friend on WeChat - add an official account - enter qdread) and join in! Everyone wins, so follow the qdread WeChat official account now!)

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends