Above the Great Dao
Chapter 157 - 90 County Examination Fraud_2

Chapter 157: Chapter 90 County Examination Fraud_2

"I plan to return to my hometown as a noble after my studies and rightfully oppress the locals."

Chen Shi asked, "And you?"

Hu Feifei placed her hands on her chest, holding the edge of the blanket, her eyes sparkling as she smiled, "My purpose in studying is to find a handsome scholar and develop a romance with him that will be sung and cried about!"

Chen Shi inquired, "Have you found one yet?"

"Not yet."

Hu Feifei appeared somewhat dejected and continued, "Our academy is full of little brats still wet behind the ears, not one catches my eye. Once I become a Scholar, I’m sure to meet better scholars."

As they talked about the future, Hu Feifei’s voice dwindled, and she eventually fell asleep.

Seeing this, Chen Shi also snuggled into the bedding and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The day for the county examination finally arrived.

This time, the examination was held in the cultural temple within the county city, a place dedicated to Confucius. The area along the walls was divided into booths, and students from all the private schools in every town across Xinxiang County gathered at the temple. Hundreds of participants were present, including numerous elderly men, all here to take the examination.

The first test was the literary examination.

Chen Shi and the students from Wencai Academy were assigned to different booths. Once everyone was seated, paper, brushes, ink, and inkstones were distributed, preventing them from cheating.

The chief examiner was Tian Huaiyi, exactly as Fu Leisheng had mentioned—a serious young government official. He first paid homage to Confucius, then to Wenchang before announcing the start of the exam.

"Today’s question is about the saying by Zeng Zi: ’The cry of a bird facing death is mournful; the words of a man facing death are good.’"

After announcing the question, Tian Huaiyi’s voice boomed, "No talking, no discussing, and no smuggling of cheat sheets in the examination room. Enhance the Bright Mirror, minutely examine!"

Two examiners then lifted a huge Bright Mirror, taller than a person, and passed a burning incense stick in front of each booth.

As the incense burned, its fragrance drifted toward the mirror, which seemed to possess a spirit, absorbing the Incense Fire Qi, emitting a soft orange glow.

Suddenly, the examiners paused, giving a sign to a pair of government officials.

The officials promptly approached the booth, where the student inside screamed in panic but continued to frantically write.

The officials smirked and snatched the student’s black hat.

There, sitting on the student’s head was a white-haired mouse, around three to four inches high, holding a thin brush and facing a small easel with paper.

The mouse was intensely scribbling away, writing interpretations of the examination question.

Whatever the mouse wrote, the student copied.

Upon being discovered, the mouse hastily dropped the brush and tried to flee, but was quickly seized by one of the officials.

The other official twisted the student’s arm and dragged him before Tian Huaiyi. Huaiyi glanced at the white-haired mouse, sneered, and said, "Ah, a knowing mouse. Daring to cheat in my examination, what audacity! Take him away and give him ten hard lashes!"

The officials hauled the student away.

The two examiners continued with the Bright Mirror inspection.

Chen Shi sat in his booth, excited: "A man’s words at death are good! Zhu Xiucai has lectured on this topic more than once, a question well-suited for me!"

He wrote with inspired strokes, quickly finishing the 200-character essay. After signing his name and listing his academy, he dried the ink and stood up to submit his paper.

At this time, other students were still deep in writing, some pondering how to begin; many had not yet completed their papers.

Tian Huaiyi, surprised to see him submit first, took the paper and glanced at the academy’s name, chuckling, "Ah, from my mentor’s Wencai Academy. It appears the mentor has cultivated yet another impressive scholar."

The other examiners complimented, "Great teachers produce great students, or how could they have once taught a talented man like Minister Tian?"

Tian Huaiyi read on, his smile growing more and more rigid. Suddenly, he snapped the examination paper shut, took a deep breath, and steadied his spirit.

"Has there been a traitor among my mentor’s disciples?"

He thought to himself, "No, I must see my mentor! This matter is of great importance. If it involves beheading, it might implicate both my mentor and me!"

Chen Shi stepped out of Wencai Academy. Fu Leisheng was waiting outside and, seeing Chen Shi emerge, was extremely surprised and quickly approached him.

"Chen Shi, you’re out so soon? How did the examination go?"

Chen Shi, not without pride, smiled and said, "I have thoroughly studied the Master’s classics; this county examination was merely a matter of lifting my hand."

Just as Fu Leisheng was about to ask what he wrote, suddenly, a brilliant red glow descended from the sky, falling straight into Wencai Academy, filling the air with a strong, strange scent.

"Divine Descent... it’s a Divine Descent!"

Fu Leisheng stared blankly at this glow, suddenly crying out in shock. Several cries of alarm also came from within Wencai Academy, and many examiners, startled by the glow, exclaimed in unison, "The True God descends in secret! Which scholar has received the True God’s secret descent?"

From the sound of it, this Divine Descent was extraordinarily significant.

Chen Shi’s heart also pounded wildly as he watched the vertical streak of glow.

The fragrance in the air grew stronger and, upon smelling it, one felt as if floating towards immortality.

Divine Descent, fully termed as the Secret Descent of the True God.

Small Cultivators of the Divine Altar Realm, upon forming their Divine Altar, hold a grand ceremony to worship heaven. The True God from Outer Heaven, attracted by the Incense Fire Qi, will then descend a glow, granting the Divine Embryo.

With the Divine Embryo inhabiting the Divine Altar, the Cultivator formally steps into the Divine Embryo Realm, gaining the potential to advance to the next realm and condense the Golden Core.

However, Divine Descents typically appear only after the ritual sacrifice of the county examination. To witness a Divine Descent emerge spontaneously during a major examination is extremely rare.

"No need for a grand ritual, a spontaneous Divine Descent often signifies a person of overflowing talent and auspicious literary fortune!"

Fu Leisheng murmured, "Who could this person be?"

Just as he was speaking, someone hurried over and bowed, saying, "Mr. Fu, Lord Tian requests your presence."

Hearing this, Fu Leisheng quickly followed the man, entering the temple from the back door of Wencai Academy. Tian Huaiyi was already waiting there. Upon meeting, he didn’t bother with pleasantries and hurriedly said, "Mentor, there’s a serious issue at Wencai Academy! Both a traitor and a genius have emerged from Wencai Academy!"

Fu Leisheng, both shocked and delighted, quickly asked for details.

Tian Huaiyi said, "The one who received the True God’s secret descent is also a student from Wencai Academy, named Shen Yusheng. This individual received the True God’s favor during the Literary Examination, being granted a Divine Embryo. We still do not know what rank it is, but it definitely won’t be lower than Second Rank! This is a genius; congratulations, Mentor! As for the traitor..."

He took out Chen Shi’s paper and handed it to Fu Leisheng.

"Please, Mentor, take a look."

Fu Leisheng glanced at it, his face pale as if made of clay: "This is going to send me to the Ten Thousand Soul Banner!"

Tian Huaiyi immediately said, "Mentor, what should we do?"

Fu Leisheng clenched his teeth and said, "I’ll write one for him! No matter what, the academy must not be implicated!"

Tian Huaiyi hesitated and then said, "If Mentor writes for him, he will definitely become a Scholar, and after becoming a Scholar, he will take part in the autumn examination. When he goes to the provincial examination, won’t that create even bigger problems?"

Fu Leisheng quickly produced brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and said, "Once he becomes a Scholar, I will expel him from Wencai Academy. By the time he takes the provincial examination, no matter what trouble he causes, it will have nothing to do with Wencai Academy!"

Tian Huaiyi lowered his voice and roared, "Mentor, this is cheating!"

"Cheating is still better than being sent to the Ten Thousand Soul Banner! If his paper is submitted, you might be implicated as well!"

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