CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 65: BORING, INTERESTING, AND THE PERSON IN THE PAINTING (DOUBLE-LENGTH CHAPTER)

After expressing their thanks, they exchanged their backgrounds once more.

It turned out that this group of students came from Qingyan County, but they had not studied at the County School. Instead, scholars from several neighboring towns had agreed to travel together to the Prefecture City for the examination.

Jichuan County had a similar situation, where the County School’s limited enrollment couldn’t accommodate all the examinees.

Those who could enter the County School were either from influential families or, like Chen Xu, had excelled in the county examination.

Or like Xu Wenyuan, who was allowed to enroll because his exceptional diligence caught the attention of a former instructor.

Being admitted to the County School did not guarantee passing the Scholar examination, and not attending did not mean one wouldn’t pass.

However, the scholars from Qingyan County, grateful for Jichuan County’s kindness, unknowingly adopted a more humble attitude.

After getting acquainted, the scholars from Qingyan County couldn’t help their curiosity, eager to know what made this group outstanding.

"Wealthy and powerful people have always admired talented individuals. My esteemed brothers, being received with such reverence, you must have exceptional qualities."

"It’s our fortune to encounter such talented individuals on our journey, a privilege to witness your brilliance..."

The people from Jichuan County felt a bit guilty yet slightly proud.

"Oh, not at all, we’ve merely read some books like any ordinary person."

"Perhaps we’ve been mistaken for someone else, hardly deserving such praised talent."

...

Their humility only garnered more respect from the others.

"A true scholar has a heart vast like a valley amidst the mountains. Such is the nature of a true talent."

And so, both groups stayed at the posthouse together.

The people from Jichuan County were warmly welcomed by the Posthouse Soldiers, while the Qingyan County group, though benefiting from convenience, couldn’t avoid contemptuous looks.

The difference in treatment was stark, yet the scholars from Qingyan County remained silent in their indignation.

Despite their personal grudges, the overall atmosphere at the posthouse that night remained peaceful and calm, without further disturbances.

At night, Chen Xu pretended to sleep but let his Divine Soul enter the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, practicing diligently without cease.

He exhausted the attribute points he had saved earlier. Despite spending more than he earned these days, the overall balance was still sustainable.

However, the Fireworks Value was running low, and Chen Xu urgently needed new revenue.

[Free Attribute Points: 45]

[Fireworks Value: 367]

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm Early Stage 10.6%]

Unwittingly, his cultivation had already reached 10% of the Meridian Passage Realm Early Stage.

[Current State: Innate Divine Power Awakening 30%]

As his cultivation level increased, Chen Xu sometimes found the politeness among scholars hypocritical and dull.

He occasionally scoffed at worldly affairs, only to find himself on the same path, uncertain when he could truly transcend it.

The next day, the people of Jichuan County were thoughtfully provided with breakfast by the posthouse soldiers.

They wished to settle their account but were straightforwardly declined by the soldiers: "The guest who reserved the room has already paid. Why repeat the account? Please, do not trouble us."

Afterward, they eagerly provided provisions for the journey, praising them with exaggerated accolades.

The scholars became full of confidence and ambition.

The caravan moved forward again, now accompanied by the scholars from Qingyan County.

Fortunately, the distance to Yunjiang Prefecture City was getting shorter, so there’s no need to mention the midday rest.

By evening, they saw the sky painted with clouds, a magnificent sight.

Suddenly, a towering city wall rose on the horizon, surrounded by ancient plains and green grass, with a long pavilion stretching for miles.

In the pavilion gathered many scholars wearing square hats, some gentlemen playing the zither, women tuning strings, amidst soft smoke and glowing sunset, the sound of silk and bamboo pleasing to the ears.

There were fresh fruits and fine wines, jade bowls, and golden goblets.

In the pavilion, everyone was engaged in lively discussions, talking and laughing. It seemed to be a grand event.

Inside the carriage, fifteen-year-old Wang Xin lifted the curtain and was stunned by what he saw.

"What a long pavilion," Wang Xin said. "Could this pavilion host over a hundred people?"

Fifteen-year-old Wang Xin was here for the first time to participate in the prefecture examination. In Jichuan County, he had never seen such a gathering?

Wang Mochuan often came to the Prefecture City and had attended various gatherings.

This particular gathering in the pavilion seemed different somehow.

He focused his gaze, gradually growing more serious: "The Cui, Wang, Ning, Tian, Wei families... the prominent ones in Yunjiang Prefecture all have descendants here today."

Though most seemed to be from collateral branches, there were also a few key figures among them.

More importantly, Wang Mochuan thought he had just seen the figure of the Wang Family’s legitimate young master, Wang Ji.

However, due to the crowd in the pavilion, the breath nurtured in Wang Mochuan’s Dantian was somewhat insufficient, making his eye power weak, and he only felt he had seen an illusion.

Wang Mochuan didn’t know that Wang Ji was indeed in the pavilion.

But Wang Ji had cast the Blinding Technique, using a Heart Technique he recently comprehended to conceal his presence.

Allowing others to see him, yet making them feel as if they hadn’t seen him.

Wang Ji was sulking with his family elders. He always hated the Path of Divination, feeling that all divination is like ghostly scribbles.

He seemed to recognize every word at a glance, yet none of them recognized him.

This kind of anonymity in face-to-face meetings made the idea of learning divination even more impossible.

If the imperial examination demanded divination, Wang Ji thought he’d rather not take that path.

Without taking the examination, does that mean he couldn’t practice and cultivate?

Wang Ji secretly skipped school in defiance and spent his days wandering around the Prefecture City.

He would secretly participate in literary gatherings but never revealed himself.

Instead, he watched from the shadows as some people argued fiercely over a poem or a word.

Or when they flattered each other today, and insulted each other in writings tomorrow, one calling the other ignorant, the other calling him vulgar.

Wang Ji just wanted to ask, what was the point of all this quarrelling?

Could it govern a country, or could it manage the world?

Or could it enlighten someone into a Great Scholar?

Having seen the splendor, one finds the splendor useless, considering it all laughable instead.

Moreover, some people liked to have poor scholars accompany them to literary gatherings, only to ridicule them with their insights during the gatherings.

Thus gaining a pitiful sense of superiority.

That was even more laughable—

Today, the literary gathering at the Ten-Mile Pavilion was the same old routine.

With only a slight difference, Wang Ji had secretly replaced their banquet’s theme painting, the "Beauty Worshiping the Moon Painting."

Though still titled "Beauty Worshiping the Moon Painting," the beauties in the painting were slightly out of the ordinary.

Just as the sky was approaching dusk, a cloud of dust rose at the road’s end, signaling the arrival of a caravan from afar.

A certain descendent of the Cui family’s collateral branch, named Cui Jingxian, suddenly held up a scroll and said to everyone around, "Gentlemen, I have recently acquired a marvelous artwork, though it regrettably lacks accompanying poetry.

In the past, we always gathered to write poetry as a competition, choosing the best-written piece as the day’s literary leader.

While this process is fine, it inevitably gets tedious over time.

Today, how about we try something amusingly different, what do you all think?"

The crowd responded, "What do you mean by amusing?"

Cui Jingxian raised the scroll beside him and smiled, "Look, gentlemen, there happens to be a caravan coming along the road.

Why not simply pick someone out from the arriving carriages, offer a prize, and have them compose a poem.

This time, we won’t compete for the best poem but for whose chosen person wrote the best poem.

The winner will have the exclusive right to select all recreational performances at Biyan Lake for the next month.

What do you all say, isn’t this contest more interesting than before?"

Cui Jingxian’s words immediately sparked enthusiastic applause among those in the pavilion.

Poetry and writing competitions had indeed become monotonous over time.

But adding an element of randomness made it exciting again.

Everyone’s interest was piqued, and they watched as Cui Jingxian, holding the scroll, walked to the middle of the road.

A long "whoa" sounded, and the first carriage that approached came to a sudden halt.

The driver, startled, managed to control the horse but yelled out angrily, "What are you doing? Walking suddenly into the road, aren’t you afraid I might not control the carriage and injure you?"

"Ten taels of silver," Cui Jingxian replied.

The driver was taken aback, "What?"