As for the martial examination, Chen Shi was very confident, but not so much for the literary examination.
Although he had studied diligently under Zhu Xiucai, he had only studied for two years, while others had spent five or six years in private schools, much longer than him.
Moreover, what was crucial was that he had taken the scholar examination ten years ago; he did not know if sothing would go wrong if he tried again.
Becoming a scholar and advancing to a higher rank was an obsession for Chen Shi.
Living in the countryside, he believed that besides becoming a talisman master, advancing from a scholar to a higher official rank was the only other viable way to make a living. Although being a scholar was not very useful, a higher rank could warrant being called a master.
Once he beca a master, he could legitimately dominate and benefit from the villagers.
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Besides, even if he couldn’t beco an official, he could seek out Jin Hongying and join the Divine chanism Camp.
This was the future he envisioned for himself.
For a child of only eleven years of age, planning for the future at such a young age was already quite extraordinary.
However, Mr. Ye from Bridge Bay Town had died at the hands of the Zhao family, and the private school had declined; naturally, the promise to Chen Shi to secure him a spot in the county examination was unattainable. Thinking it through, he did not know many people, only Shao Jing from Juxian Building in the county town was a person of so importance.
"Why not make a trip to the county town and ask Shao Jing if he could secure a spot for in the county examination?"
No sooner had Chen Shi thought this than he prepared his wooden cart, called on Black Pot, and headed toward the county town.
Before he reached the county town, from a distance, he saw people lined up for execution. Not far away, many people looked on from a distance, and an altar had already been set up for the executions, invoking the True God to oversee.
Above the altar hung a Ten Thousand Soul Banner, presumably a magical treasure from the county governnt, used to collect the souls of the beheaded and rge them into the banner to enhance its power.
Chen Shi also noticed so cultivators raising a Bloodthirsty Pearl, preparing to gather human blood for refinent.
Other cultivators were performing sacrificial refinents on their gourds, though their purpose was unclear.
Regarding such people, his grandfather had told him that those who raised such magical treasures at the execution ground often had connections with the authorities; others simply did not have the ans.
He made his way to the back of the crowd and stood on his cart to look, but there were too many people, blocking his view.
"What is going on here? Why are so many people being killed?" he asked soone nearby.
"What, you don’t know? Must be from the countryside," the man glanced at him but kindly explained with patience, "They’re beheadings. The entire family of the forr county magistrate is being executed. The new county magistrate is supervising. The forr county magistrate was Zhao Ji, apparently from the Zhao family in the province capital."
Soone nearby excitedly added, "The Zhao family’s patriarch died not long ago. He was the governor of Xin Xiang Province but had committed heinous acts. Rumor has it that the demon transformations in your countryside were orchestrated by the Zhao family. The Western Capital was furious and ordered the execution of the entire clan, leaving no one alive. And now, the new county magistrate is supervising the execution... Ah! Such swift execution!"
With that praise, the crowd also burst into cheers, comnding the executioner’s skillful swordplay.
Chen Shi looked toward the altar, where a figure stood resolutely. A Divine Embryo in the shrine gathered energy to form a blade, the blade light fell, shining brilliantly, visible to the naked eye unlike the traditional invisible Sword Qi.
"It seems, my Sword Qi is faster."
Chen Shi was puzzled, "Why do they all say this person’s blade is swift?"
He had practiced the ridian Evil Slayer Sword to deal with the granny from Black Mountain recently, and the speed of his invisible Sword Qi was much faster than that of the executioner, which inevitably amazed him.
After the execution, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner fluttered, drawing the lost souls into it for refinent.
So raised their gourd to collect the spattered blood, while others raised a Bloodthirsty Pearl, rolling it over the bodies to extract the blood.
Chen Shi also saw so governnt officials dragging away the corpses and throwing them into the bonfire to burn them, so as to avoid them becoming corpse demons under the moonlight.
"Young brother, do you have tuberculosis? I have so stead buns here," whispered the person beside him.
Chen Shi shook his head and did not continue watching; he drove into the county city.
The Zhao family had completely fallen.
Originally, there were many properties in the city belonging to the Zhao family, but now they had all changed hands, becoming shops and establishnts owned by others, including gambling houses and brothels that had new owners.
Chen Shi was worried whether Shao Jing was still at Juxian Building. He felt nervous and, upon arriving at Juxian Building, he parked and asked about it. A clerk from the building smiled and said, "Master Shao is naturally still here. Please wait a mont; I will go inform the proprietor."
Chen Shi was quite surprised and thought to himself, "Shao Jing is actually the shopkeeper of Juxian Building. He’s so young and already has quite the enterprise."
Juxian Building was not an inn but a place that sold various cultivation materials, including precious dicinal herbs, spiritual at, refining materials, and treasures like gems, pearls, and rhinoceros horns. It was packed with an array of items that dazzled the eyes.
Soon, Shao Jing hurriedly ca over and smiled, "It turns out to be Brother Chen Shi! It’s been a while! That Bi Xi shell you sold made a good deal of money. It was in my store for just a few days before a rchant from the south bought it."
rchants from the south were nurous and traveled widely, possessing broad knowledge and a distinct, sowhat unfluent southern accent but with a sharp business acun.
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Congratulations, Brother Shao. Truthfully, I ca to the city this ti to ask for a favor."
He hesitated for a mont before stating his intention.
Hearing that he wanted to participate in the county examination, Shao Jing laughed and said, "That’s a small matter. I’ll have soone list your na in a private school. Co back tomorrow, and I’ll introduce you to the schoolmaster."
Chen Shi was imnsely grateful and quickly expressed his thanks.
Shao Jing laughed and said, "If you have more treasures in the future, just think of Juxian Building first as a way to thank ."
Chen Shi bid farewell, leaving Juxian Building and suddenly rembered a small stone in his book box, not sure what it was. He thought, "Well, I’ll show it to him tomorrow."
"My benefactor, my benefactor! Is it really you?"
Chen Shi was strolling on the street when suddenly soone stopped him. Looking closely, it turned out to be the husband of Cui E, the pregnant woman he had saved in Luwei Town.
Trembling with both shock and joy upon seeing him, the man wanted to treat Chen Shi to a al. Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I was paid for saving your wife; there’s no need for a al. What brings you to the city?"
"Escaped from calamity. Our town’s dry nurse was killed by the Black Mountain Granny, who took over the place. It was originally agreed that we would build her a palace in exchange for her protection. Unexpectedly, the day before yesterday in the morning, those Rat n carried away the Black Mountain Granny. Without the dry nurse’s protection, co nightfall, we feared that evil spirits would co and eat people, so the people of our town decided to move."
Chen Shi froze. "The little Taoist is dead?"
A feeling of guilt washed over him.
He had seen the grey-clad rats eating people and thus told the little Taoist that Black Mountain Granny was grabbing his territory and letting the rats devour his people. The next day, the Taoist sought trouble with Black Mountain, ultimately leading to his death when Black Mountain Granny ca knocking, causing the disintegration of Luwei Town.
"If I hadn’t encouraged him to confront Black Mountain Granny, perhaps he wouldn’t have died, and Luwei Town wouldn’t have had to disperse."
His heart weighed heavily. The people of Luwei Town might seek refuge in other villages or find a new dry nurse.
There were many ancient trees, relics, and divine statues in Qianyang Mountain; they could find a new place to settle, but they could also die at the jaws of evil spirits.
"I heard that Black Mountain Granny didn’t take over our town because she was seriously injured and needed to return to Granny’s temple to recuperate," said Cui E’s husband.
"Black Mountain Granny has done evil, and it can’t just be overlooked! The Master said, ’If I hear the way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.’"
Anger rising, Chen Shi decided, "First, I’ll find out how to get to Black Mountain Granny’s temple and then go kill her this afternoon. This grudge cannot wait until tomorrow; that would be an injustice to the little Taoist!"
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