Chapter 21

The last burst of firecrackers finally signaled the end of the banquet, allowing Ye Qing to take his leave.

Even a grand banquet was nothing compared to the twenty tables set up in Ye Qing’s courtyard. The family-born servants, all smiles, lined up according to their seniority to offer their congratulations, while many others had to stand as there were no seats left...

However, there was no shortage of dishes being served. Without needing to be called, the kitchen staff sent food boxes in a steady stream, every half an hour.

"Congratulations to Young Master Qing for passing the examination as a scholar!"

"Oh, look at Miss Qianqian, she’s truly blessed. She’s finally made it after following the right person."

Such words never ceased, continuing until late into the night, when the crowd gradually dispersed. When Ye Qing returned, he saw the messy tables.

"Master Qing!" Even Manager Fan’s wife, Fan Hushi, with her silver-threaded hairpin, was working, followed by a large group of wives and maids, washing bowls, cups, and chopsticks. They all stood up to greet Ye Qing with a bow!

Among the family-born servants, there were those of higher and lower status. Today, all those with status and position had come.

Ye Qing said, "How dare I let you all toil personally!"

Fan Hushi smiled, "Master Qing is too polite. This is our duty... It’s late, Master Qing and Miss Qianqian should rest. Leave this to us!"

Looking at Qianqian, who had indeed drunk a lot, her face flushed, even her neck red, Ye Qing half-supported and half-carried her to the room.

"Is this the reward the young master spoke of? If the young master becomes a scholar, a provincial candidate, or even a metropolitan candidate... how could Qianqian drink so much?" Qianqian’s eyes were hazy, but she still had some sense, thinking about this question.

Ye Qing cleared his throat, "A scholar has the capacity of a scholar, a provincial candidate and a metropolitan candidate have even greater capacity. If one becomes a prime minister, the pinnacle of a minister, they can have a belly that can hold a boat. Therefore, you need to train your drinking capacity."

A prime minister is the pinnacle of a minister, known for having a belly that can hold a boat. The emperor, at the very least, has the capacity of a lake or sea!

"Um, train my drinking capacity, Qianqian’s belly can hold a boat!" Saying this, Qianqian fell onto the bed, her skin rosy, her cheeks flushed, muttering, "Train my drinking capacity..."

Ye Qing was speechless, gazing at her for a moment, his eyes deep and profound. He removed her hairpin, shoes, and outer garments, glanced at her, then finally covered her with a blanket and silently left the room.

The night grew deeper, the sound of washing dishes gradually ceased, and faint sounds of people leaving could be heard. Ye Qing did not light a lamp, sitting in the dark, lost in thought.

After a while, he lit the oil lamp, its dim light casting a slightly eerie glow, but it was more than enough for Ye Qing.

He untied the red silk on the table, revealing two white robes.

Though the Five Virtues cycle, this was for the imperial family, and the entire court had a system that had been in place for hundreds of thousands of years, through two thousand dynasties, with a set of general rules.

The official robe was a complete set, including a robe, boots, hat, belt, and accessories. A scholar wore a white robe, a scholar a light red robe, and a provincial candidate a dark red robe, but without a hat or belt, indicating they were not yet formal officials.

Feeling the clothes, he also found two documents, each with black text and a golden seal. One certified that he was now a scholar, having left the commoner status and entered the scholar class. The other was a grant of ten acres of good land from the government.

In addition, there was a stack of silver bills, each worth ten taels, totaling about three hundred taels, the clan’s reward for passing the scholar examination.

Ye Qing went to the bed and saw that Qianqian was already deeply asleep, her legs entangled in the blanket, revealing much of her beauty.

Without disturbing her, he took one of the robes and put it on, then reached out, and a scroll appeared in his hand—the Chuanlin Notes.

"Having obtained the rank, I need to confirm it..." Ye Qing murmured, flipping to the third page. On the blank scroll, a name appeared—Ye Qing!

A faint, transparent ripple appeared, and below the name, an ink figure appeared, the image of Ye Qing.

The image had a white aura, with a note: "In the ninth month of the eleventh year of the Pingjing era of the Great Cai, in Pingshou County, Nanchang Prefecture, at the southern foot of Mount Beimang, Ye Qing passed the scholar examination, first Dao, then law!"

A scholar now!

Ye Qing’s gaze was fixed, his mind swirling with thoughts.

Not being from this world, he did not understand the value of this. In this world, the laws were strict, and except for scholars, there was almost no way to practice Dao. In his previous life, he had great fortune but could not practice any Dao without passing the scholar examination.

Of course, one could join a Daoist sect. The ancient Daoist temples and palaces, for those with certain qualities, allowed one to obtain Daoist status and practice Daoist techniques. In Pingshou County, there were such Daoists who practiced the Five Elements Daoist techniques, which could be powerful for a time, but were essentially no different from skilled workers!

Larger sects, for those above the scholar level, who had no hope of passing the imperial examinations, could join and practice deeper techniques, cultivating the foundation of their spirit and flesh, nourishing and refining them day and night. However, this was a minor path, essentially recognized by the court as minor officials, not part of the orthodox Daoist court. The many trials aside, the most despairing thing was the almost impossible chance of achieving true enlightenment.

Now, the mainstream was to practice the Great Dao, not learn spells, not cultivate inner qi, but purely through reciting the Three Classics and Five Canons, to pass the imperial examinations. Though they had no power, they constantly honed their Daoist heart, making their spirit and soul no longer ordinary. Once granted an official position and accumulating fortune, they could rapidly advance in their Daoist techniques, with the top ones having the hope of immortality.

"The scriptures say: Only water stays low, only earth is deeply hidden. To achieve longevity, one must cherish and preserve." Ye Qing touched the image on the scroll, the white rank shining: "With this rank as a foundation, I can proceed to the next step."

Ye Qing flipped past the image to the next page, where several seal characters were clearly visible: "Six Yang Diagrams!"

Looking down, the originally blank page now showed a text, profound and enlightening, each word bright. Carefully examining it, he saw a total of eighteen diagrams, each showing a person in a different posture.

At first glance, he felt a "boom" in his ears, quickly calming himself, closing his eyes, and steadying his mind. Suddenly, he felt a deep understanding of the eighteen diagrams, each posture deeply ingrained in his heart, making him feel refreshed and enlightened.

"Originally, this was a way to recall the Daoist technique from my previous life." Ye Qing, realizing this, was overjoyed, carefully recalling the technique.

The Six Yang Diagrams were one of the highest-ranking foundational techniques in the world, directly rooted in the Five Colors. Unfortunately, in his previous life, he had already laid the foundation, and though he had deeply studied and understood its essence, he could not truly practice it. Now, he could begin!

Ye Qing took a deep breath, suppressing his eagerness, and calmed his mind. He took out a cloud page from his chest, embroidered with patterns, but after a quick glance, he sneered and threw it on the table.

This was the Daoist technique issued by the government, given at the banquet. It was the Qi Cultivation Chapter, with several human diagrams and a section explaining the principles, demonstrating a special breathing technique.

To be fair, though this technique was basic, it was extremely orthodox, using beneficial circulation to stimulate the organs, converting qi, and was indeed authentic.

However, in the face of a great calamity, it was far inferior to the Six Yang Diagrams. The most special aspect of the Six Yang Diagrams was its ability to harmonize the spirit and flesh, creating a thunderous shock. Though this shock seemed insignificant, it was like the evolution of teeth in living beings, allowing them to chew food, purifying and refining them, playing a crucial role in the face of heavenly disasters.

Most importantly, while it required a rank to activate, it did not require a rank to practice.

Before the great calamity, the white qi of scholars, the pure white qi of scholars, the red qi of provincial candidates, and the yellow qi of metropolitan candidates were all monopolized and controlled by the Heavenly Court, forming "ranks," which is why the Daoist examinations were so competitive.

During the great calamity, the order would collapse, and the ranks would be severely damaged. Though they still existed and were significant even in Ye Qing’s previous life, they were clearly not as powerful as before, and self-cultivation gradually became the mainstream.

"But by then, it will be too late. In the few years before the great calamity, I must level the playing field with the so-called children of fortune, and having a solid foundation and potential, strength will be the capital to speak in troubled times, the trump card to avoid being crushed by the calamity!"

Ye Qing felt a sense of relief and adjusted his posture. As he assumed the first posture, he felt a "boom," his mind becoming clear, even hearing the sound of water, though upon closer inspection, he realized it was the initial sign of guiding qi into his body, and continued his practice.

After a while, he felt a thread of true qi rise from his dantian, slowly passing through the twelve critical points, reaching the gate of life, and then descending, knowing that he had successfully completed the first posture.

After completing it, he opened his eyes, took out the notes to study the diagrams, combining them with his recovered memories. He saw that the eighteen diagrams were all interconnected, each with a unique movement.

Reflecting deeply, he thought, "According to my previous memory, one must start with the first diagram and not skip any, until all eighteen are completed. Each diagram is progressively more difficult, but with steady practice, over time, one can refine the bones and marrow, enhancing one’s Daoist nature."

"In my previous life, I had deeply studied this, but since my foundation was already laid, I could not change it, so it was useless. Now, I can complete it in one go."

"Moreover, according to my previous knowledge, one must complete the sequence forward, then backward, and finally forward again to achieve perfection. This small secret can significantly enhance the technique."

With this in mind, he stopped looking and began practicing the diagrams one by one. After practicing two, he felt some changes, greatly rejoicing. After a few more, he encountered difficulties.

Facing the difficulties, he sat and carefully pondered, entering a state of enlightenment, breaking through the obstacles. By dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and he had completed all eighteen postures.

Ye Qing suppressed his excitement, following the diagrams, and completed all eighteen, feeling the qi flow smoothly, his body feeling light and clear.

He then practiced them in reverse, feeling his blood boil and his body heat up.

Not daring to stop, he practiced them forward again, completing the sequence. Though he could not yet fully integrate the techniques, his progress in one day far exceeded his previous life.

By then, it was morning, the sky was ablaze with the rising sun.

"Master, what are you doing?" Qianqian, now awake, asked.

"Oh, Qianqian, this is the technique issued by the government. My body is weak, so I’m practicing it," Ye Qing said, not intending to pass on the technique. Even during the great calamity, privately passing on techniques would invite the backlash of the order, and many would not survive, let alone now.

"Qianqian, tell the clan that I will be in seclusion for three days, and not to disturb me unless it’s urgent," Ye Qing thought for a moment and slowly said.

In his previous life, Ye Qing did not seek attention and was always low-key.

This was not necessarily a bad thing, but with the great calamity approaching, all rules would change, and time was urgent. He needed to seize every opportunity. According to his previous knowledge, some intelligent people could master the government-issued techniques in seven days.

With his previous knowledge and the Six Yang Diagrams, he had entered the path in one night. Qianqian, being an ordinary person, did not know, but the clan’s scholars and scholars would recognize it immediately.

This was not just being high-profile; it was being extraordinary. Therefore, by being in seclusion for three days, if he could enter the path by then, though it would be high-profile, it would not be extraordinary, and it would benefit him in the future.

As for the impact and consequences, he could not afford to worry about them.

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