Lord of Earth Fiend

Chapter 207: The exam is about to start, is it a blessing or a curse?
Gu Leyou is a restless person.

The city is full of wind and rain at the moment, so it’s hard to go out for a stroll, so you can only walk around in the alleys.

Unknowingly, I came to the gate of Duanyun Temple again.

This temple is not big, and it shows signs of dilapidation everywhere. It has not been repaired for an unknown period of time.

"What a waste..."

Gu Leyou muttered.

In his opinion, although the location of this temple is a bit remote, it is still located in the inner city, where every inch of land is valuable. As long as you know how to manage it, you will definitely be able to attract incense.

Judging from the current situation, it's probably the old lady who doesn't care about anything.

With a creaking sound, two old doors were opened, and a female crown wearing a gray robe and as thin as a bamboo pole came out.

She is already old, her hair under the Hunyuan scarf is gray and mottled, and her face is even more skinny and revealing, which makes her look a bit scary:
"Comrade, you are always lingering here, sneaking around. What do you want to do?"

"Who's sneaking around?"

Gu Leyou said angrily: "I just happened to pass by."

"Really? But I've noticed you passing by several times?"

The old lady's eyes were fierce and had a strange light.

Looking at her eyes, Gu Leyou inexplicably remembered the horror of the "venomous snake" and subconsciously took a step back: "I originally lived over there."

"is it?"

The old lady took a step forward with an imposing manner.

Gu Leyou felt the pressure and almost drew his sword.

"Taoist Priest Youyun, Taoist Priest Gu!"

Suddenly someone shouted, interrupting the tense scene.

The person who came was Cui Qizhao's long follower Xiao Wu. He walked over quickly with a wooden box in his hand: "What misunderstanding do you two Taoist priests have?"

The old lady asked: "Xiao Wu, what's going on? Who is he?"

Xiao Wu quickly replied: "He is Taoist Master Gu Leyou, and he follows Chen Jieyuan. Chen Jieyuan is a friend of the young master."

After a pause, he added: "A very good friend."

The old lady said "Oh", reached out and grabbed the wooden box that Xiao Wu was carrying, turned around and opened the door, and slammed the door again.

Xiao Wu seemed to be used to her temperament and didn't take it seriously. He turned around and asked, "Daoist Priest Gu, why did you annoy Taoist Priest Youyun?"

Gu Leyou said innocently: "I was just passing by here, and she suddenly ran out and scolded me for being sneaky...Who is this?"

"She is Taoist Priest Youyun, her surname is 'Jian', she is worshiped by the Cui family, and she lives in the capital all year round."

"I see, then this Taoist temple is also Cui's property."

Gu Leyou understood, and the idea of ​​replacing "Duanyun Temple" with "Izumo Temple" was completely shattered.

When he went back sadly, he saw Chen Jin and immediately told him about the matter: "Scholar, I told you that the Cui family is very vicious, and looks like he wants to eat people. I don't know what kind of practice he is practicing. Anyway, when I get a little closer to her, I feel like my whole body is getting hairy."

Chen Jin said: "Those who can serve as ministers in famous families naturally have some skills."

"That's true."

Gu Leyou didn't dwell on this matter, and changed the subject: "I tried to persuade the bearded man, but he doesn't know how to deal with it. Scholar, I think you should persuade him. He will listen to you."

"Advise him what?"

"Encourage him to practice swordsmanship."

Gu Leyou said seriously: "What is a swordsman called if he puts down his sword? If he abandons himself like this, he will become useless."

Chen Jin pondered for a moment: "Have you ever seen him use his sword?"

Gu Leyou was startled: "Come to think of it, I haven't seen it before. I just heard about it."

"Haha, as the old saying goes, 'hearing is false, seeing is believing', but sometimes, even if you see it with your own eyes, it may not be true."

"What do you mean by this?"

Gu Leyou was a little confused.

Chen Jin said: "I have killed evil spirits side by side with Big Beard, and I have seen his sword. His sword skills have reached an advanced level, and he has long surpassed the shackles of moves and reached the state of doing whatever he wants."

"so smart?"

"If you fight him, it's probably just a matter of one blow."

Gu Leyou: "..."

He coughed dryly: "Scholar, I am self-aware. Isn't it just a sword strike against you?"

"That's different."

Chen Jin smiled and said: "What I mean is that people like Big Beard no longer need to practice sword practice every day. His sword is already here."

Pointing to his heart: "What he needs most now is to temper his mental state. As long as he can get out, he can reach a higher level. In the jargon of spiritual practice, he now has inner demons. And to deal with the inner demons It’s hard for outsiders to help him, he has to rely on himself.”

"I understand."

Gu Leyou is not a stupid person, and he can tell the truth with just one point: "Scholar, the exam is about to begin."

"almost."

……

Like the imperial examination, the general examination is also divided into three sessions, and the main examination room is Gongyuan.In fact, it is like taking the exam in a different place, and the format of the exam is basically the same.

The biggest difference is that food, as well as pen and ink, are all provided by the imperial court.

In other words, there is no need for Kaozi to bring food and stationery in personally.

This is convenient and can also reduce the occurrence of cheating among candidates.

However, Chen Jin didn't like the food provided by the government very much, so just like last time, he asked Gu Leyou to buy a large ham of good vintage, put it in the pot, and brought it into the examination room to enjoy.

He never treats himself badly when it comes to eating and drinking.

A few days passed by suddenly.

On this day, the examination started. After getting up early and having breakfast, Chen Jin got on Cui Qizhao's carriage and rushed to Gongyuan together.

In terms of travel, the two of them had already made an agreement, which saved them a lot of time.

After being sent out, Gu Leyou and Ma Shengshen came back.

Gu Leyou said: "With a big beard and a title on the scholar's gold list, if you want to be an official, where do you think it is better to go?"

"do not know."

"How can you say you don't know? You should have a place you like."

Ma Shengshen replied: "Then go back to Lingnan."

"Going back to Lingnan?"

Gu Leyou jumped up and said: "We finally got out of the border wilderness, but you want to go back again. It's too unrewarding."

Ma Shengshen said calmly: "As a martial artist, what can I pursue? I just want to live a peaceful life."

Gu Leyou: "..."

I feel like I can't really talk to him, but I'm used to it.

Ma Shengshen glanced at him: "I'm going to cut grass to feed the horses."

"it is good."

Gu Leyou was already starting to feel bored.

The carriage was rolling, and the interior of the carriage was spacious and warm. There was a coffee table with several kinds of exquisite snacks and shortbreads on it, as well as a pot of good tea.

Cui Qizhao is a person who lives a refined and particular life, and he does not forget these things even on the way to Gongyuan.Chen Jin asked: "Brother Cui, how can you endure the food after entering the examination room like this?"

Cui Qizhao smiled and said: "Outside the examination room, there is an outside way of life; inside the examination room, it is another way of life. What's the problem with this? Could it be that in your eyes, I am just a spoiled young man?"

"Looks like it."

"The worst thing to do is judge a book by its appearance."

Chen Jin smiled and said: "Brother Cui is right... So after these days of contact, I feel more and more mysterious about you, and there is a feeling that I can't see through. I think there must be many secrets hidden in you."

Cui Qizhao raised his eyebrows: "What about you, Brother Chen? Don't you also have a secret? We all have each other."

The two looked at each other and smiled, as if everything was silent.

Chen Jin asked again: "Brother Cui, have you ever thought about how you will face it if you fail this year?"

"What's the point? If I fail the exam, I will go home and continue to be a rich kid with no worries about food and clothing. What about you?"

"Me? If I fail the exam, I will no longer pursue this career of fame and officialdom. I will travel to the ends of the world with my sword and become a knight-errant who enjoys revenge."

Cui Qizhao smiled and said: "You are free and easy, but you shouldn't be. You are married. You are going to make a living in the world. What will you do with your beloved wife?"

Chen Jin said nonchalantly: "Just take her with you. There is no rule that says you can't take your wife into the world."

Cui Qizhao sighed: "We stay together and fly together, which makes others envious."

Chen Jin said: "It may be a kind of hardship that we have to help each other."

Cui Qizhao lowered his eyebrows: "We are going to take the exam now, how can we say we failed before taking the exam? This is a taboo and a bad sign."

"Haha, when it comes to taboos, I remember an allusion. It is said that there is an old boy named Liu who has many taboos about sex. Before and after the exam, he cannot read or say any words that are not conducive to the title of the gold medal. Even the homophony You can't even say the word "happy", and "well-being" means "well-being". When the list was released, he asked the servant who was looking at the list whether he got the best, and the servant replied: The scholar is healthy..."

Cui Qizhao smiled and said: "So this story tells us that it is useless to avoid those things. It is best for people to rely on their true talents to learn."

Just as he was talking, the carriage stopped and Gongyuan arrived.

Before getting off the car, Cui Qizhao suddenly smiled and said: "Brother Chen, I am here to wish you success and a title on the gold medal list."

Chen Jin replied: "I also wish you success in winning the gold medal."

The two got off the car and went to line up.

Because they didn’t bring food or pens and ink, the candidates were all alone, so the entrance inspection was much simpler.

He knows how to do exams, and his status is higher than that of a scholar, so he has a certain dignity and will not be treated roughly.

When entering the Gongyuan, you are faced with a statue of a saint that is more than ten feet tall, with a high crown and a broad belt, holding a scroll in his hand.

Chen Jin carefully released his Dharma thoughts to feel it, but was stunned.

He felt no malice, nor any other meaning. It was completely silent, lifeless, and unresponsive.

This statue of a saint is just a dead clay sculpture!
"This?"

Chen Jin was quite surprised.

You must know that Gongyuan is the most advanced examination place and has sacred significance. So what is going on with this saint statue?

He couldn't help but observe carefully, and he found clues:
This statue of the saint seems to have been newly erected.

In other words, there was something wrong with the previous statues and they were replaced.

Such a situation is rare.

No matter what kind of temple, as long as a statue of a god is erected, it will not be easily replaced.

Replacing the idol is almost equivalent to destroying the temple by cutting down the mountain.

With normal methods, the golden body can be reshaped and finely repaired and filled in. How can the entire statue of a god be replaced?
Unless the original statue is broken or there are other irreparable problems.

"Don't stay, come inside quickly!"

An official in charge of order in the examination room shouted.

Chen Jin followed the test takers and walked forward, still thinking in his heart: In fact, even the newly replaced saint statue should not be a dead thing. At least the procedures, such as pretending to be dirty and other key links, should be completed. How could the finished thing be carved out of a shell and placed here?

Is it just a show to fool people?
something must have happened...

He didn't understand.

After entering Beijing, Chen Jin originally planned to visit the Confucian Temple in Beijing.

The Jingcheng Confucian Temple is a temple complex that is larger than the Jiangzhou Confucian Temple and is famous far and wide.

But after what happened at the Jiangzhou Confucian Temple, he learned a lesson and became wary. In addition, the time before the examination was already very tight, so it was not appropriate to make extraneous matters. He had to pass this important examination first.If you want to meditate, it’s not too late to go after the exam.

In Chen Jin's subconscious mind, he already thought that something was wrong with the Confucian Temple in Beijing.

The dead objects now placed in the Gongyuan are an example.

But at the moment, it is useless to think too much. It is impossible to understand without going to the field to verify it. Do the current things well first.

I started to look at the test room and found that it was a bit wider than the one during the exam, and it was also neater and cleaner. Overall, it was pretty good.

Take your seats and sit in silence, waiting for the exam to start.

……

Capital City, Imperial City, Right District.

Most of the mansions here are occupied by high-ranking officials in the court; the left area, opposite, is the residential area for members of the royal family.

Su House.

He didn't go to court today, so Su Xiaocheng rested at home.

In the short time since he entered Beijing, he had obviously lost weight, with a tired look on his face.

When he first entered the capital, Su Xiaocheng was very excited from the moment he received the decree. He felt that the Holy Emperor was wise and that his career would be on the right track and his glory would be restored.

After returning to the capital, he directly became the Minister of Rites. He had an ambition to show his talents.

However, the various encounters and problems that followed made Su Xiaocheng feel a deep sense of powerlessness.

Apart from writing a lot of flattering and mystifying poems, he couldn't do anything else.

Even the Qing Ci he wrote was handed over and handed over by the eunuch in the inner palace to the Holy Master.

Su Xiaocheng couldn't even see His Majesty's face, and he didn't even know if His Majesty had read those Qingci.

At the same time, he was not the only one who wasted no time in writing Qingci to please the Holy One, there were many others.

This gave Su Xiaocheng a sense of crisis. If his poems were not favored if he did not do well, his official position would not be preserved.

In fact, Su Xiaocheng did not want to become an official through such a ridiculous method.

But there was nothing he could do.

Returning to the temple, Su Xiaocheng found that his old friends had withered and scattered, replaced by batches of new officials.

Although he is a minister, it is difficult for him to find someone to talk to.

There are many things that cannot be said casually. Once you say it, you may be taken to the inner factory in the blink of an eye.

What will greet him will be a terrifying and unpredictable prison.

The atmosphere in the temple was eerie and difficult, and Su Xiaocheng felt frightened and haunted by nightmares every step of the way.

He began to regret and doubt whether it was right or wrong to return to Beijing as an official...

Inexplicably, I thought that it might be a relief for the fourth child to die in prison because of his strong temper.Given Su Xiaowen's temperament, he was ordered to return to Beijing. I'm afraid the only thing waiting for him would be a prison sentence.

Su Xiaowen is dead, and his student Chen Jin has come to Beijing to take the exam.

By the way, today is the big day for the general examination.

It is a blessing?Is it a disaster?
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(End of this chapter)