Chapter 8

"Indeed, the hierarchy among scholars is very strict, and each level up means a significant increase in strength. First-level child scholar, second-level student, third-level bachelor, fourth-level literatus. Only a literatus can produce a resonant essay. All the candidates today are even lower than child scholars, separated by several levels, with a gap as wide as a chasm. How could any of them create a resonant essay?"

Even Inspector Su was puzzled. He carefully examined the Fuxi writing disk in his hand, unable to believe his eyes.

Indeed, this was the indication of a resonant essay. The Fuxi writing disk had never been wrong. The divine symbols of Fuxi's stellar gravity, engraved by senior craftsmen based on the records from the Temple of Fuxi, were absolutely flawless!

Moreover, the location was clearly marked: the Li position in the county examination hall. Although the red light of the resonant essay was relatively dim, it was definitely red!

"This is a major matter. I must see it with my own eyes to resolve my doubts!" Inspector Su was about to leave, but County Magistrate Qi was quicker, blocking him and shaking his head solemnly.

"County Magistrate Qi, do you dare to stop me? The three examiners of Hong County must have committed dereliction of duty, and I haven't settled accounts with you yet!"

Inspector Su stood up for justice, taking a step forward, almost face-to-face with County Magistrate Qi. His righteous aura soared, forcing the other three to step back and use their divine palace power to resist the overwhelming momentum.

County Magistrate Qi still did not move. He bowed again, respectfully saying, "Sir Su, under your governance, Hong County has produced a resonant essay, which is a great achievement! However, examiners only have inspection rights and are not allowed to meet candidates privately during the exam. This is a clear and strict rule of the Chu Kingdom's Ministry of Literature. I suggest you return to the county hall with us and wait for the exam to end, hoping for good news!"

"This..."

Inspector Su was momentarily speechless. He had forgotten this rule in his excitement. If he really met the candidates now, he might be reported by these Hong County officials, which would be creating trouble for himself. County Magistrate Qi's intervention was actually well-intentioned.

Looking at County Magistrate Cai, who was still kneeling, Inspector Su quickly assessed the situation.

From the looks of it, the three examiners of Hong County were definitely guilty of dereliction of duty. The sudden increase in the number of child scholars could only be due to widespread proxy exams, but the extent of the dereliction was unknown without an investigation.

However, compared to the emergence of a resonant essay, these minor faults were insignificant. The Chu Kingdom's Ministry of Literature would not delve into the proxy exam issue just because Hong County had fifty or a hundred more child scholars, but they would certainly lavish praise on the resonant essay.

This County Magistrate Qi might not only be free of blame but also be recognized for his excellent governance and outstanding cultural education, a great achievement!

"Ha ha! County Magistrate Qi is right. I was too hasty and overexcited. Ha ha!" Inspector Su, weighing the situation, decided not to pursue the matter further and changed his tone with a smile.

The three examiners of Hong County breathed a sigh of relief. The head of the literature department quietly helped the incompetent County Magistrate Cai to his feet. County Magistrate Qi led the way with a laugh, and the four of them walked joyfully to the county hall, frequently looking back at the Li position, their faces beaming with smiles.

No matter what, Hong County would surely shock the Chu Kingdom, and even the entire Central Yuan world this year!

...

"Oh, this damned exam hall is leaking! My test paper is wet again!"

Looking at the dripping rain inside the room, Yue Heng felt helpless. He tore up the wet test papers into small pieces and stood on the wooden table to block the larger leaks in the roof. The rain inside the room improved.

He then dried the table, took out the last clean sheet of paper from his book box, and rewrote his exam essay.

"Early Spring

The light rain on the street is as smooth as butter,

The grass looks green from afar but not up close.

This is the best time of the year,

Better than the smoky willows in the imperial capital."

Yue Heng carefully checked, finding no misspellings. He then filled in the exam number and his name, completed the task, and submitted the paper!

Submitting early was not unusual. Writing an essay could be done in one go when inspiration struck, completing it in the time it took to burn an incense stick. The amount of talent was another matter.

During the spring exam, many people had already prepared their essays beforehand. Once they entered the exam hall and received the questions, they would pretend to think for a while before copying their prepared essays, which seemed reasonable.

Before Yue Heng submitted his paper, half of the candidates had already left early. Outside the county hall, people were discussing the exam content. Seeing a famous scholar or a long-time failed candidate would spark a flurry of comments and evaluations, which was quite entertaining.

"Ouch... This light rain is really cold!"

The early spring rain was not heavy, but it was enough to make Yue Heng shiver.

His injuries were not fully healed, and he had used the "Life" symbol in his body before setting out. According to his experience, the light in his divine palace must be extremely dim, not enough for another use, let alone to protect him from the rain. He raised his left hand to shield his head as much as possible.

"Hey, another early submitter, and he has a broken arm, the right one that can write!"

"Heh! Even a fool can see it's a fake injury. If his arm was really broken, how could he put down his book box and pick it up again? He wouldn't even sleep with it on, right?"

"Spit! He's not even a professional at faking it, worse than those fake prostrators!"

At the entrance of the exam hall, a group of idlers chattered and pointed at Yue Heng, mocking him nonstop.

However, when a figure with a medical book in hand, several gourds hanging from his waist, and a medicine box on his back approached, almost everyone fell silent.

This spirit master held a beast-patterned umbrella, which looked ordinary but was actually extraordinary, with a hidden surge of spiritual power. It was unassuming but striking!

Some in the crowd recognized it as a masterpiece from the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, a low-grade inferior defensive tool. Any tool made by the craftsmen of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion had endless uses, and only the wealthy or the noble could afford such items.

This spirit master clearly knew the man with the fake injury, smiling and handing over the beast-patterned umbrella, willing to get wet himself.

This shocked the others even more, making their jaws drop!

"Congratulations on finishing the exam, Brother Yue!"

"Brother Min, you are... too polite..."

Yue Heng was surprised by Min Xuhuai's reception. The latter was a genuine second-level spirit doctor, far above his status in both profession and life. They had no reason to interact.

However, Min Xuhuai had waited at the entrance of the county exam hall, specifically to greet him, which deeply moved Yue Heng.

Of course, his doubts remained. Since his rebirth, he had become a skeptic, always thinking, "Is this a trap? Is there a problem?"

"You, with a broken arm and a body full of injuries, I naturally have to pay attention to you to prevent you from dying and tarnishing my reputation as a spirit doctor! Brother Yue, please, get into my beast-soul carriage, and I'll treat you to a drink!"

Min Xuhuai joked, smiling sincerely, personally supporting Yue Heng's intact left arm, and slowly walking him to the beast-soul carriage parked by the crowd, helping him in and entering the carriage together.

Those who had just mocked Yue Heng were stunned. When the beast-soul carriage left, there was a loud buzz of discussion.

"Am I seeing things? Isn't that County Magistrate Min from the Spirit Doctor Hall? He actually showed such respect to a commoner who isn't even a child scholar? Who is this candidate with the broken arm?"

"I have a vague memory. He should be an unknown poor student from the northern city book club, named Yue something..."

"I remember now, he's Yue Heng! This is his fifth spring exam, and he failed the first four times! How could such a failure have any connection with County Magistrate Min? It's really hard to understand!"

"Anyone who can interact with a spirit master is not ordinary. Spirit masters are rare and mostly descendants of noble families, rarely entering the secular world to practice. I can only say this guy has incredible luck!"

No matter how they talked, no one believed Yue Heng had the strength to earn a spirit master's respect. Most still thought he was just lucky or for some other reason.

In this Central Yuan world, scholars were the lowest profession, just above servants and commoners, far below warriors, spirit masters, and craftsmen. The tradition of scholars belittling each other was a long-standing bad habit. It was no wonder the people outside the county exam hall didn't give Yue Heng a good face.

Sitting in the beast-soul carriage, Yue Heng truly felt the wonder of this world.

The carriage, named a carriage but without horses, was driven by a driver controlling a wooden horse with a single wheel, used only to control direction and power. The power system was provided by the beast soul, which burned to provide energy, and the vehicle's transmission system controlled the carriage's movement.

The three-wheeled design was incredibly ingenious, with the entire cabin made of high-quality birch wood, covered with luxurious demon beast skin, and comfortable, soft seats. In winter, a simple fire dragon beast soul heater kept the cabin warm and cozy.

The shock absorption was excellent, highlighting the importance of the craftsman profession. Besides using the beast soul energy most efficiently, they used precise engineering to make the carriage as stable as possible, providing the greatest comfort to passengers.

"Truly talented! Senior craftsmen are talented, and senior spirit masters are talented. I wonder how much this beast-soul carriage costs. I haven't seen many in Hong County. Min Xuhuai is really rich! In comparison, the carriage from Drunken River Tower this morning was terrible, like a vibrating rocking chair!"

Yue Heng sighed, looking around. When he saw Min Xuhuai smiling at him, his heart skipped a beat: "Could this guy have a preference for men?"

Min Xuhuai, as if reading Yue Heng's thoughts, laughed, "Brother Yue, I invite you for a drink for three reasons: to celebrate your passing the spring exam, to celebrate your recovery, and to chat and catch up!"

"We only met yesterday, and you are a doctor, while I am a patient who can't even afford a consultation fee. What kind of old friendship is this?"

Yue Heng secretly complained, smiling, "Thank you, Brother Min. I am just a poor student who hasn't even registered as a scholar. Until the results are announced, I can't say I've passed the spring exam. Also, County Magistrate Min, you invite me to drink right after I recover. Is that really a good idea?"

The two laughed heartily. Soon, the beast-soul carriage arrived at a secluded and quiet tavern in the city—Spirit Cleansing Tower.

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