Chapter 51

When Ye Qing bid farewell to Lü Shangjing and returned to the inn, night had already fallen. The world followed the rule of working with the sunrise and resting with the sunset, and this was precisely the time for rest.

However, this time, many rooms had lights on, indicating that the occupants were not yet asleep, or if they were, they were tossing and turning.

As he walked, the atmosphere was heavy. Even though Ye Qing was deep in thought, he couldn't help but recall the college entrance exam on Earth, wanting to laugh but unable to.

The world's opportunities were monopolized by strict rules, with narrow channels for advancement. Ascend and you become a immortal; fall and you become mud. Most of the people staying at the inn were from poor families, and under such pressure, it was no wonder the atmosphere was like this!

"Actually, I am one of them, and perhaps even more aware of the pressure, but I have frozen it within me..."

In a moment, he arrived at the farthest room on the second floor. The dim yellow light shone through the paper window. Pushing the door open, he was greeted with a smile: "Young Master has returned, have you eaten?"

"Why not eat first?" Ye Qing took off his outer robe and handed it to her. Seeing that the food on the table was untouched, he smiled: "I drank a lot of wine and didn't eat much. It's good to have some more now."

"Great!" Qianqian happily went to serve the rice and set the chopsticks, then said, "I had a few pastries, but I waited for Young Master to eat together."

She casually asked about the day's events, and they sat down to eat together.

Under the dim light, the small, peaceful atmosphere gradually soothed many things.

After eating, Qianqian went to clean up, while Ye Qing pushed open the window and gazed at the city under the night sky. A faint dark red glow was visible in the air, and only a thread of golden qi flowed into the east of the city, almost forming a golden lake.

"This is the examination hall..." After a moment of silence, he went to wash up and went to bed. Lying in bed, his mind was in turmoil.

Lü Shangjing's move had failed; how could he pass the scholar examination?

"Scholars are selected by their literary talent, and their qi determines their rank. With such low qi, to pass the scholar examination, one must stand out as the best, ranking first in literary talent."

"But the county examination is full of strong competitors. Regardless of others, just this Yu Fan, though I hate him, I must admit his literary talent. At this level, he might be close to a jinshi. To be first, I must write a jinshi-level essay."

"Writing a jinshi-level essay would shock the world and be detrimental to the Dao, and the gains might not outweigh the losses."

As he was deep in thought, after a while, he vaguely felt the light move, the rustle of clothes, and the light lifting of the quilt as a warm female body slipped in, not pressing close as usual but lying quietly on the side.

The light flickered and went out.

The room fell into silence, leaving only the peaceful breathing.

The next morning, the students hurriedly got up, washed their faces with cold water, and the cold water invigorated their spirits. Regardless of whether they had slept well the night before, they all perked up and went out.

After finishing his morning routine, Ye Qing took a book basket from Qianqian, who had big, bright eyes: "This was used by Master when he took the scholar examination. It will surely bless Young Master to pass."

Ye Qing was momentarily stunned, and memories from his past life flooded back, almost blurring the two lives. In this life, with the qi at a low point, he hadn't thought much about it, but in his past life, he had indeed benefited from his father's legacy. The memory of his mother was still clear, but his father was vague, though he still respected him. His father, though a genius, had fallen at the scholar level and was not enshrined in the family shrine. He wondered how he was faring in the afterlife.

"Young Master?" Qianqian was a bit puzzled and amused, "Not today, no daydreaming!"

"Alright." Ye Qing solemnly took the book basket, which was heavy. Opening it, he found not only writing materials but also baked buns, roasted chicken, pickles, tea, and even two red eggs for good luck. He couldn't help but smile: "Qianqian is the most considerate."

"I am Young Master's chief maid." Qianqian's eyes twinkled, and she magically produced two large meat buns, her face slightly red as she pushed Ye Qing out the door: "These are for the road, go quickly..."

"Chased" out the door, Ye Qing walked alone to the examination hall.

The street was already bustling, with many vendors braving the cold to set up their stalls.

Today was the day of the scholar examination, and many students were on the move. To these vendors, even the most ordinary student was a wealthy customer, and they were willing to endure the cold to earn more for their families.

Ye Qing, munching on a meat bun, passed many students who had stopped to buy food, ignoring the vendors' calls.

In a moment, he arrived at the examination hall, where armed soldiers stood guard every ten steps. The square was already lined with over a hundred candidates. Unlike the county examination, the entrance to the examination hall was adorned with a large flag of the Great Cai King, fluttering in the wind, with a faint purple glow in the golden dragon's eyes, making the candidates solemn.

After verifying his number, he followed the crowd into the examination hall.

Inside, it was not a single large hall. The accumulated candidates from the entire county, numbering over two thousand, required specially built rooms. Each room was about ten feet square, ample for one person, with a desk, a low bed, and even a small curtain with a chamber pot, far superior to the county examination.

Most noticeable was that at the door of each room, a soldier stood guard. Each door had a dark golden plaque with intricate patterns, clearly not ordinary.

"These are special plaques from the Heavenly Court to suppress Daoist magic!" Ye Qing recognized them immediately, though he had seen them a few times in his past life, he still felt a chill.

"The Daoist Court, on the eve of a great calamity, is like a blazing fire, with a million years of accumulation, its strength is truly formidable!"

The main gate of the examination hall faced south, with high walls on three sides. To the north was a high stone platform with a golden pavilion. Several examiners emerged, looked around, nodded in approval, exchanged a few words, and began patrolling the hall.

At that moment, a long, clear crane call echoed from the sky, like a clear spring, stirring the spirits of all present.

"It's the examiner immortal!" The examiners, hearing this, looked up and saw a white figure flash by, and they hurried to the rear hall.

The highest rank among them was a juren, who could still maintain their dignity in the face of various sects, but scholars and above were valued by the Daoist Court. Every three years, a real immortal was randomly dispatched to supervise the examination, creating significant pressure.

"This is not just a respectful title for a spell caster, but a true immortal with a formal Daoist rank. I wonder where this one has been dispatched from, perhaps from a deep mountain, practicing for years, not understanding human emotions, and being strict... who knows, they might give a poor evaluation..."

When the examiners hurried to the rear hall, they saw a large white crane standing on the roof, nearly as tall as a man, with shiny feathers. It was pecking at the ice on the roof tiles, chipping away at the ice, making a clinking sound that spread far with the spiritual qi, making the hearts of those present feel uneasy.

Hearing footsteps, the crane stopped pecking and turned to look at them, its eyes cold and distant, even warning, a true spirit.

The examiners instinctively stopped.

"Do not be impolite, please come in, examiners." A clear voice, accompanied by a gentle breeze, came from inside the hall.

Rustle—

The crane spread its wings, white feathers fluttering, and its form became blurry, then reappeared as a small, cute white-robed girl, who pouted and hopped into the hall.

The examiners looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

Though scholars bowed to human affairs and were supported by the Daoist Court, they could ignore magical abilities, but in the face of the fundamental difference in life, they had to yield—this involved the essence of the immortal path.

"Thank you, Immortal!" They all responded, with Lan Chongwen leading the way, and quickly entered the hall. They saw a white-robed immortal with long white hair and eyebrows, but a youthful face, fair and handsome, with a graceful demeanor and pure eyes, making it hard to guess his age.

Sitting on a mat, he handed a book to the white crane girl, smiled, and looked at them without any airs.

The examiners, however, did not dare to be too casual and bowed respectfully: "We greet the Immortal. Please take charge of the examination."

"Of course, the law of heaven and the virtue of the court are important matters. I will do my best." The immortal said, taking out a palm-sized silver seal from his sleeve, which glowed: "Place this in the examination hall!"

The examiners, seeing the silver seal, felt a heavy presence, knowing it was a suppressive force, a necessary part of the examination rules, but controlled by the Daoist Court for scholars and above.

Lan Chongwen stepped forward, verified it, and then left to hang the silver seal on the golden plaque, facing the examination hall.

Instantly, a presence filled the hall, suppressing the unseen qi.

By now, all the candidates, numbering 1,600, had entered. Many felt this presence and looked at the silver seal with a chill, seeing the armed guards and the strict environment, any thoughts of cheating were quickly dispelled.

There was no inspection for hidden materials, maintaining the dignity of the scholars and openly warning them—think twice before cheating.

Ye Qing glanced around, already accustomed to it, found his room according to his number, and entered.

He felt a change; some unknown restriction in the examination hall had made the temperature gradually warmer, and even the cold wind from the high walls was not felt.

His spiritual eyes, suppressed by the silver seal, were ineffective. Though he had lost his past Daoist abilities, his instincts told him it was some kind of barrier. He sighed inwardly: "Not only does it regulate the temperature, but it also carries a strange Daoist power. If my memory serves, this is the protection of a deity against disease."

On Earth, examinations were traditionally held in spring and autumn, as these seasons were neither too cold nor too hot, suitable for scholars from all regions. However, these seasons were also prone to epidemics, and with so many candidates gathered, one outbreak could affect many. Now, with the protection of the deity, any disease would be eliminated, and even sick candidates would recover in secret.

"Wow, what a high cost, and such generous treatment for scholars. For hundreds of thousands of years, the scholar class has largely supported the Daoist Court.

"Even during dynastic changes, the academies remain intact, showing respect for scholars and highlighting the authority of the Daoist Court, but also because the economy cannot bear the cost."

"Such an examination hall, one could cost the entire county's tax revenue for ten years. Maintenance is bearable, but if destroyed in war and rebuilt, it would be unbearable."

With these thoughts, Ye Qing formally took his seat and looked around.

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