Chapter 13

Ping County

This is a county town with only a few ten thousand people. From an Earth perspective, it is merely a market town, but it is one of the few bustling places within a hundred miles.

"I have been here a few times with Madam, so I know the way. Young Master, please follow me!" After two hours, Qianqian appeared calm on the surface, paid ten coins for the carriage fare, and led Ye Qing to a guesthouse.

This Zhang Family Old Inn had two rows of rooms, twenty in total, divided on both sides. They looked relatively clean. Seeing Qianqian enter, the innkeeper said, "Boss, please arrange a quiet room for us. My Young Master is about to take the examination and does not like to be disturbed."

"A quiet room... Do you want three meals a day? If so, it will cost extra!" The innkeeper loudly agreed, took out a sign marked 'A', recorded it, and then asked.

Qianqian did not speak, and Ye Qing tapped the counter: "Yes."

"An 'A' room costs three silver coins a day, and three meals a day total half a tael a day!"

One tael of silver is equivalent to half a month's expenses for a family of five, so this was actually a luxury.

"Actually, a regular room would be fine..."

"We need the best room. The Young Master's future is important; we can't let the examination be affected!" Qianqian said with a serious face.

This kind of generosity amidst penny-pinching reminded Ye Qing of his own college entrance exam days on Earth. He was moved, feeling warm inside, but couldn't quite smile. He saw Qianqian take out her purse, pretend not to be heartbroken, pay the money, take the room key, and a waiter led them to a room in the back yard.

It was a quiet room with an inner and outer chamber, fully furnished. The inner room even had a wooden tub for bathing.

"Please wait a moment, I will bring your food and hot water soon. Is there anything else you need?" The waiter briefly introduced the room and asked.

"No, you can go now." Ye Qing waved his hand, and the waiter left.

After a while, the waiter knocked on the door, bringing in the food and hot water.

There were three dishes and a soup. Ye Qing had only eaten half a pancake in the morning and was now really hungry, so he wolfed down the food. Qianqian, with a small appetite and preoccupied mind, ate a little and watched Ye Qing.

Actually, she had seen corpses before. The Ye family was relatively kind, but still punished servants who broke the rules, making other servants and maids watch. The first time, new maids were frightened by the bloody whipping, but after a few times, it became routine.

Even those who truly crossed the line were beaten to death.

However, this was different from the Young Master personally killing someone. Recalling it, Qianqian closed her eyes, and the dying expression of Wu Tiesi seemed to be in front of her.

But she had been educated and had a strong character, so she knew the gravity of the situation. She thought wistfully, "If Master and Madam were still here, it would be better!"

Master had passed the child examination, owned a hundred acres of land, and had plans to buy more. Life was comfortable, and there was room for improvement. Even a maid like her had the opportunity to learn to read, and the family was kind.

But after Master and Madam passed away, the Young Master's treatment declined sharply. This time, he was even forced to the brink. It wasn't the Young Master's fault...

The young girl's emotions and reason were in turmoil.

"Qianqian, your eyes look strange. What are you thinking?" Ye Qing felt a bit uneasy under her gaze.

"Uh, nothing... Young Master, eat quickly, eat more..."

After finishing the meal with suspicion, Ye Qing washed his face and took out the registration items from his bag: "You rest here, I'll go register."

"Okay!" Qianqian watched Ye Qing leave, momentarily dazed.

Leaving the inn, Ye Qing followed the street eastward. The registration site for the child examination in the county town was usually in the county office.

Gradually, he approached the bustling area of the county town, with mostly blue-tiled, white-walled, spacious, and exquisite courtyards and buildings. Following his memory, Ye Qing saw the county office.

He did not enter immediately but stopped to look. The county office was a large courtyard with a screen wall, main gate, main hall, second hall, and a large garden behind, dotted with halls, small buildings, and rooms.

Ye Qing was not unfamiliar with this place. Once, he was a guest here.

He remembered using Daoist techniques to observe, seeing the hall filled with white and red clouds, even guarded by deities.

Now, looking at the stone lions, Ye Qing couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He entered through the side door, met two officials, and without hesitation, walked the correct path to the registration area. Standing at the entrance, he looked inside—there was a long queue.

Inside, there were desks, and clerks were seated, with two sets of tables and chairs below. Several clerks held pens, recording one by one.

The number of examinees was neither too many nor too few. Ye Qing waited quietly at the back, and in front of him was an old man with white hair, which made Ye Qing feel pity.

On Earth, Confucian examinations would not select people of advanced age because they had few years left to serve the court.

Daoist examinations were to select Daoists, and this old man, with his white hair, had little chance of passing.

Now, coming to take the exam was just a matter of obsession. The government, bound by the Red Emperor's decree, had to accept his registration, but it was just a formality.

Entering, five clerks simultaneously observed, asking for name, age, and background. Almost immediately, a golden rooster on the desk showed a series of vibrations, clearly verifying the truth!

Many candidates were unaware, but Ye Qing knew very well. This was a special feature of the Daoist world, and although the golden rooster was of low grade, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary people who had not practiced Daoist techniques.

After a quarter of an hour, it was Ye Qing's turn.

The middle-aged official looked at him and asked, "Place of origin, name, and contract."

"Cangzhou Ping County, Ye Qing!"

"A member of the Ye family?" The middle-aged official looked at him, and there was some commotion in the queue, with people sizing up Ye Qing.

"Yes, this is my contract."

"Silence, silence..." The middle-aged official sternly shouted, carefully inspected the contract, and said, "Continue!"

Four clerks asked tens of questions, recording them all. Another person measured and recorded his height and appearance.

This description was not a photograph but a vague auxiliary means. Some people tried to impersonate, but with deities patrolling, they failed shamefully.

The middle-aged official, seeing everything was in order, said kindly, "Alright, put your fingerprint."

Ye Qing wrote his name and pressed his fingerprint. He then heard, "This is your exam number. Keep it well, no replacement if lost. Tomorrow at dawn, bring your number to take the child examination. Go, and there is one more procedure, go to the second hall to stamp."

"Yes!" Ye Qing took the exam number and left, reaching the second hall where a middle-aged official was in charge. He bowed deeply.

The middle-aged official did not ask much, took out a small golden seal, and stamped the document.

Actually, there was no need to worry. Even if the candidates were talented, most would fail due to fate. Only one in ten would be selected.

During the exam, not only were deities patrolling, but also Daoists from the prefecture, making cheating impossible.

When Ye Qing stamped the document with the golden seal, he felt a force on his body, a chill in his heart. In his previous life, when he took the examination to become a scholar, he had experienced this procedure, knowing that the Daoist seal was on him.

This seal would last for a week, and any ghost or deity would know he was an examinee, providing both protection and supervision.

Leaving the county office and reaching the street, the crowd was bustling. Ye Qing felt the "Chuanlin Notes" in his mind, his heart calm like water.

According to history, whether he could survive the great calamity, the key was starting tomorrow.

But as Ye Qing turned the corner, he stopped and turned around.

At the end of his gaze, two people were walking leisurely on the street, their clothes fluttering, exuding an indescribable elegance.

Ye Qing showed a faint, ambiguous smile. These two were Daoists, clearly sent to supervise the exam. Even though his cultivation was gone, Ye Qing's eyes still recognized cultivators.

As they passed, one of them looked at him and asked, "Have we met before?"

Clearly, he had noticed Ye Qing's gaze. Ye Qing showed no surprise, bowed, and said, "No, but I was impressed by the two gentlemen's demeanor and couldn't help but look. Please forgive me."

His tone was very polite!

Ye Qing had a deep understanding of these Daoists.

In the early days of this world, each Daoist lineage selected people, and once one entered the Daoist path, they became a Daoist. Due to the intense internal and external struggles for fate, the Daoist lineages were very competitive.

But after the three Daoist Lords established the Heavenly Court, they began to reduce the power of the Daoist lineages. The Red Emperor's reform changed "entering the Daoist path to ascend" to "Daoist examinations," making all talents belong to the Daoist path and serve the central Daoist court, completely eliminating the threat to the Daoist path. The original sects gradually declined.

Even so, the Daoist sects still maintained certain standards and privileges, such as supervising the examinations, which was one of their privileges. These people entering the Daoist path either knew the examinations were unfavorable or were specially trained by their own sects, with different interests, so they had the right to supervise.

These Daoists had a common flaw: they were both inferior and arrogant. Their inferiority came from centuries of suppression, while their arrogance came from believing they were the true Daoist lineage. They thought the current examination system had deviated from the true Dao.

Now, bound by the heavenly rules, they dared not act rashly. After the great calamity, these suppressed Daoist lineages erupted, with some even daring to shout, "The Heavenly Court has lost virtue, overthrow the heavens, and restore the old system!"

Though they claimed to overthrow the heavens, they were actually targeting the three Daoist Lords, revealing their true nature. Hearing this, seeing Ye Qing still very respectful, another Daoist slightly turned his face, without a smile, and said coldly, "I see, scholar, be careful."

Saying this, he left without further attention.

Watching them go, Ye Qing slowly returned, still not showing any emotion. After a hundred steps, he slightly relaxed.

"Spit, Daoist locusts!" Recalling their future actions, Ye Qing spat inwardly, his original mood completely gone.

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