mortal clerk

Chapter 70 Ping Shan Academy
In the early morning, Lao Shen, who was tired all over, struggled to get up, while regretting that he drank too much wine yesterday, while wondering if he was getting older and his body was not as good as before.

When he came to the well, he fetched a bucket of water and poured two ladles of water, only to find that the well water was not as sweet as before.

"It's strange, maybe it's really old, and even the sense of taste has problems. When I bought this yard, it was precisely because of this sweet well."

Seeing that Li Qingniu also went out of the house to feed the horses in a daze, he no longer struggled.I thought, I can't let this kid know that he is old.So he deliberately stretched his hands and feet, pretending to say:
"Oh! Boy, your body is not very good. You are young, and you can't get out of bed after drinking such a little wine."

Li Qingniu was also sleepy, and if he had to get up early to get the scabbard, he wouldn't be tired all over. Seeing Lao Shen moving his body, he said doubtfully:

"Old Shen, did you have a stiff neck? You stretched your hands and feet here early in the morning."

"What do you know, kid? It's called dancing at the sound of chickens. It's the habit of us martial arts practitioners."

"I don't believe it, why didn't I see you get up so early to practice martial arts before."

"Hahaha, you were on your way before. Hurry up and wash up. Let's get the scabbard first, and then go to the academy to report."

Old Shen beat him for a while, haha, he managed it.

The two wanted to go there on horseback, but Li Qingniu saw that the old horse was depressed and refused, so he had no choice but to walk.

After talking nonsense all the way, he finally arrived at the Casting Pavilion when the sun came out of the top of the mountain, took out the ticket slip, and got the scabbard.

The scabbard is simple in shape, dark brown all over, with delicate wood grain, and simple patterns on the leather wrapping. Inserting the iron sword into it is just right.

"This scabbard is really suitable, it is easy to use!"

"Bring it to me to see!"

Old Shen took it and played with it a few times, and was very satisfied.

"No wonder, the Forging Pavilion has almost monopolized the casting industry in the county in just a few years! It is highly efficient and of good quality."

"Thank you, Old Shen. My sword has a new scabbard!"

"What are you talking about. Let's go."

The two had some breakfast on the side of the road, hired a carriage, left the East City Gate, and walked along the official road of Mianjiang County in the northeast for more than an hour, and came to the foot of a mountain range that stretched from east to west.

I saw that although the mountain is not high, it stretches for thousands of miles from west to east, lying on the Guifang Plain, like a long dagger, inserted into a huge basin, even the official road has to be discounted here , go around and go north again.

At the southernmost tip of the mountain range, there is a towering mountain front. The peak is surrounded by knives and axes, all of which are more than a hundred feet of cliffs. The peak is a gentle slope, which looks like a huge screen standing from a distance. On top of the continuous mountains, it is named Pingshan.

The Guimen County Official School is built on Pingshan Mountain, and there are two buildings at each end of the peak, which are Mingli Hall and Yingwu Hall, which are respectively the residence and office of the management of the second civil and martial arts department of the college.

There are more than ten large and small buildings in the middle of the peak, which are the teaching, classics and debates, martial arts and living places of the top disciples of the academy.Along the dangerous road several feet wide on the top of the peak, you will come to the outer gate on the gentle slope in the middle of the mountain.

In the middle is a large circular square. In the north of the square, relying on the cliff, there are library collection pavilions, government halls, military equipment warehouses and some auxiliary buildings. They are the places for the collection of scriptures, collections, exercises, daily management, and standard weapon storage.

Dozens of buildings are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the square, which are teaching offices, cafeterias, and residences for ordinary students. There are some pavilions scattered among the mountains, which are either historic sites or self-built teaching places for miscellaneous subjects.

Along the foot of the mountain, there are dozens of large and small shops and restaurants, which are specially built by merchants for the purchase and entertainment of teachers and students, and they are very clean on weekdays.

Lao Shen brought Li Qingniu to the front of the mountain, just when Xiu Mu student returned, the small market at the foot of the mountain was also lively.

Li Qingniu didn't come here for the excitement, so he climbed the stairs for half an hour, and finally arrived at the guard of the mountain gate. After explaining his intention, the two of them went to the first floor of the Zhishi Hall.

As soon as he stepped through the gate, a white-clothed boy walked towards him. He was only fifteen or sixteen years old, but he had an elegant temperament and a natural expression.When they saw Lao Shen and Li Qingniu, they bowed their hands and saluted.

After Lao Shen and Li Qingniu returned the gift, they hurriedly asked:

"Master, may I ask which master should I contact for admission recommendation?"

Seeing that the young man in white was recommended to enroll, he was kind.

"Both of you, I am not the master of this academy, but Yan Kewen, a disciple of Rituals. If you want to apply for admission recommendation, you must ask Master Wang for it."

Old Shen hurriedly asked: "Where is Mrs. Wang?"

"Forget it, I'll lead the two of you there."

Led by Yan Kewen, Lao Shen and Li Qingniu walked through the lobby on the first floor, in front of a wing room behind the Shizhi Hall.

"You two wait a moment, I will report."

"It's work!"

Not long after, Yan Kewen came out and said, "Please, please, Mrs. Wang is just here."

"Thank you!"

"Thank you, brother!"

"Hahaha! You're welcome. However, after you pass the year-end assessment, it's not too late to call you brother."

After saying that, Yan Kewen walked away.

Lao Shen and Li Qingniu didn't dare to delay, they went straight into the door, only to see an old man with a goatee inside the door, drinking tea with a teapot in his left hand, flipping through a book in his right hand, without looking up.

"Master Wang, the two of us are here to apply for admission recommendation, and we hope you can accommodate us."

Master Wang didn't look up, and continued to look at the books on the case, and said leisurely:
"Who recommended it! Do you have a letter of recommendation?"

Li Qingniu hurriedly took out Deacon Mu's recommendation letter, handed it over respectfully and said:

"Master, I have a letter of recommendation."

Master Wang heard that there was a letter of recommendation, so he looked up at the two of them just now, put down the teapot and took the letter of recommendation, saw that it was written with a letter of recommendation from the Shendu Chamber of Commerce, and it was stamped with the seal of the Chamber of Commerce, so he opened it just now, after a brief reading, he looked at Li Qingniu.

"Li Qingniu, is that you?"

"Yes."

"This letter says that you are a mountain dweller on the border of the Southwest Official Road?"

"Yes?"

"It's not easy to study thousands of miles. But, you are already 13 years old, why do you still come to our Pingshan Academy?"

"My master, my disciple's hometown is far away, but he is determined to study."

Old Shen quickly answered: "Master, is it because you are too old to go to school?"

Master Wang looked at the recommendation letter again and shook his head.

"Our Pingshan Academy does not have a clear age limit, but most of the students who enter the academy are five or six years old.

Of course, there are also thirteen or fourteen-year-old students who can explain the classics in the liberal arts and who have reached the first-rank warriors in the martial arts.I don't know what book you have cured? "

Li Qingniu had no choice but to answer me: "Master, I don't have a master in my hometown, so I haven't mastered a book, and I have only learned to read for half a year."

Mrs. Wang is a third-rank martial artist. Seeing that the opponent not only has less than first-rank strength, but also has only read and read for half a year, he is very puzzled:
"Then why are you still here? At your age, you won't achieve much in literature and martial arts now. It's better to learn a good craft. At least make a living."

Although Li Qingniu was prepared to be hit, he still couldn't get angry.

"Master, don't you hear the sage saying 'It's okay to die when you hear the Tao in the morning'? Although the disciple is older, he will definitely study hard and hope for the success of the master."

Mrs. Wang obviously didn't expect this wild boy in front of him to refute himself with the words of a saint, and he was very surprised.

"Oh? You still understand the teachings of saints. Then what do you want to learn?"

Li Qingniu thought for a while and replied: "I will learn everything, I will learn everything taught by the academy."

"You are already old, and if you still learn everything, you will only be miscellaneous and incompetent, and you will not achieve anything. But since it was recommended by the Shendu Chamber of Commerce, I have no choice but to accept it. However, the tuition fee is not low!"

"What tuition fee?"

"You don't even know the tuition fee?"

"Isn't there no tuition fee, and room and board?"

Seeing that these two people didn't even know about tuition fees, Mrs. Wang couldn't help saying angrily:
"You are not a son of an official or a hereditary title with the favor of the court, nor are you a descendant of the deacon of this court or the special approval of Guimen County. Of course, you need to pay for the tuition fees, and you have to pay for accommodation and food."

"Huh? So much money?"

Old Shen was not in a hurry, and asked with a smile:

"Master, how much is the tuition?"

"A total of sixty gold per year for optics!"

　Difficulties always follow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)