Above the Great Dao
Chapter 646 - 293 Martial Arts Performance

Chapter 646: Chapter 293 Martial Arts Performance

Chen Shi was shocked beyond words, and immediately stood up.

"Didn’t you see it?"

He loudly questioned Bi’an and Fuxi, "We are committing fraud! He’s writing the interpretation for me!"

Bi’an and Fuxi walked back and forth sternly in the grand hall.

An examiner shouted, "No shouting! Sit down!"

Chen Shi was about to speak when Zhang You laughed and said, "Chen Jieyuan, sit down. This hall is meant for fraud. Even if you write a blank page or rebellious words, what you turn in will still be a perfect, elegant essay, and you’ll still be on the list."

Chen Shi widened his eyes in disbelief, "This hall is meant for fraud?"

Zhang You laughed and said, "The children of our Thirteen Families have always taken exams in this hall. This literary examination is just for show, for outsiders. There should have been thirteen people here, but this year there are two more, making fifteen in total. We didn’t expect the other twelve brothers to disappear, neither seen alive nor dead, leaving only the three of us."

He glanced at the young master; the twelve missing people were originally allies of the young master.

The reason he wasn’t dead was that he wasn’t an ally of the young master; he wasn’t at Qixia Temple when Chen Shi arrived.

The young master sat there, watching the petty official who was writing for him, and said, "Chen Jieyuan, do you feel it’s unfair? Don’t forget, you enjoyed the unfairness too. You’re one of us."

Chen Shi sat down, was silent for a moment, and said sadly, "My father was outside just now, telling me how fair and solemn this grand examination is, saying these two Divine Beasts would see through everything, any cheating method, even using Ghost God to cheat, wouldn’t escape their eyes and ears. He didn’t know that upon entering this grand hall, even the all-seeing Bi’an and Fuxi would help with cheating. He always thought the literary examination was fair."

"No whispering." The examiner said expressionlessly.

Zhang You ignored the examiner and smiled, "That’s why your father’s essays were renowned in the Western Capital, making paper expensive there. His essays were heartfelt and meaningful, unlike ours, which are just typical essays written by these petty officials."

Chen Shi sighed and said in a low voice, "What can poor scholars use to compete with Families? Like my father, who was deceived for a lifetime."

He thought of how Chen Tang wouldn’t let him bring various weapons, so serious, so careful, and couldn’t help but feel sad for other scholars in the examination halls.

They thought the literary examination was a fair grand exam. In the martial exam, they might not match the Family children, but in the literary exam, they were confident not to lose.

They studied hard, believing they learned the teachings of the Saint, which could be effective, cultivating oneself, managing the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world.

Such scholarly enthusiasm!

The young master turned and said, "Therefore, a True King must take over the Court to correct the chaos. Chen Jieyuan, Brother Zhang You, you should help me!"

Chen Shi said indifferently, "Have you cleaned your neck?"

The young master sighed in a somewhat resentful tone, "You’re still so prejudiced against me."

Chen Shi looked at his exam paper; the petty officials ignored their conversation, still writing diligently, elegantly, but it was empty, saying nothing.

"Moreover, their understanding of the classics is wrong. Thunder in the sky, huge strength. A gentleman does not tread things improperly. They think this sentence means thunder in the sky, and a gentleman does not commit improper acts. This is very wrong."

Chen Shi sneered, thinking, "This sentence clearly means encountering someone ignorant of propriety, first lay thunder in the sky so they can’t release Primordial Spirit and Nascent Soul, then swell Qi-Blood to strengthen the body, using courage and strength to defeat the opponent, and step on the improper person! It’s clearly the Saint teaching us how to fight, how to defeat opponents."

He sighed inwardly and said in a low voice, "They just don’t want me to be the top scorer, stripping me of the chance to showcase my talent."

He felt dispirited; the Thirteen Families controlled the Court, misinterpreting the teachings of the Saint, so no matter how well he writes, what can he do? The top three literary exam scores are determined in this hall, but he’s definitely not first.

The three petty officials soon finished writing their exam papers, placing them in front of the three of them, pressed down with paperweights.

After an hour, the examiner collected the papers and then allowed them to leave the examination hall.

Chen Shi walked out of the Ministry of Rites, only to feel the sunlight outside was glaring.

Chen Tang approached, somewhat eager, but still composed, unhurriedly said, "How did it go?"

Chen Shi’s expression was normal, "It’s alright, it was a topic Zhu Xiu had talked about."

Chen Tang visibly relaxed, laughed, and said, "If Zhu Xiu talked about it, then there’s certainly no problem. He is extremely talented; when he taught me back then, I thought he was just an ordinary Ghost Scholar. Unexpectedly, from the County Examination, village examination to Imperial Examination, I passed every stage with rare rivals."

The father and son walked and talked, Chen Shi asked, "Zhu Xiu’s knowledge is so good, taught you, taught Fifth Uncle, and taught me, maybe even grandfather learned from him. Why did he hang himself outside Huangpo Village?"

Chen Tang was slightly stunned; he had thought about this question but had no answer.

Zhu Xiu was talented, powerful, with various profound and mysterious secret arts, logically such a peerless master would never hang himself.

Yet he did.

When he hanged himself, he was still a scholar, not the top scorer or something.

What drove him to such despair, to choose death?

"I don’t know." Chen Tang said.

Chen Shi said, "I didn’t know the answer before, but today I participated in the grand examination, finally I understand."

Chen Tang looked at his profile, feeling that his son has matured a lot.

In the afternoon, outside West Capital City at the Divine Mechanism Camp’s martial examination in the martial arts field.