Fighter of the Destiny

The school in Aoba's world doesn't know day or night, and the people inside can hardly feel the passage of time. They don't know that the real world outside has already entered the next day.

It was almost noon, and the vendors seized the opportunity to shout loudly. Using those stone pillars as a line, the excitement outside the line was extremely lively. The fragrance of the sweet-scented osmanthus cake was the clearest in the taste of the food.

People who came to see the imperial examination gathered around the palace, discussing the latest news coming from the palace from time to time. People could not see the exciting scenes at the imperial examination, but their emotions were not affected. The atmosphere was still very lively. It must be said that this is also due to the storytellers.

On the street outside the palace, dozens of feet away, there is a tea shop. There is always an ordinary table in front of the shop. Storytellers wearing long gowns or quilted jackets stand in front of their respective tables, spitting. Dancing and dancing, he kept talking about what happened in the academy at this time. He didn't know who these storytellers and the boss behind them were related to in the palace. What happened at the imperial examination one moment, became the next moment. It understands the content of the story without much deviation.

There is a relatively quiet teahouse in the southwest corner, the decoration is quite elegant, but today this teahouse cannot be out of the ordinary. A storyteller was specially invited to sit in the hall, and he also spent a lot of money to buy the latest news from the palace. The middle-aged storyteller with a slender appearance patted the wood and said: "It is said that the tranquility of Qujiang River can illuminate people. All the candidates used their own skills, either crossing the river by walking on the water, or transforming into flowing clouds, and then the state religion teacher The young man from the college fell last. For a moment, there was silence on both sides of the river. They all wanted to see how the young man crossed the river and who had made the noise. All they heard was the chirping of a crane from the horizon, and the white crane was coming back!"

Speaking of this section, the storyteller was shocked again, startling the attentive tea guests, and then slowly narrated: "At that time, nearly a hundred candidates on both sides of Qujiang were all stunned like you. They were shocked by the little old man, but the candidates were shocked by the white crane. Why? Because the next moment, the young man from the National Education Academy without saying a word, lifted up his front and sat on the back of the white crane. Soaring up into the clouds, heading towards the other side, really riding a crane down to the south of the Yangtze River, this scene is so amazing!"

There was a noisy discussion in the teahouse.

The storyteller smiled and said: "You don't need to argue. You must know that those candidates who participated in the Great Imperial Examination, whether in sects or colleges, must have seen immortal birds and strange beasts. But why are they so surprised? Because there are no People thought that it was possible to cross the river in this way, and what shocked them even more was that the white crane was no ordinary white crane, it was the white crane from the Eastern Royal Divine General’s Mansion in Kyoto, my Great Zhou Dynasty!”

The discussion in the building became more intense. Many people in Kyoto knew that there was a white crane in the palace of the Eastern God General, but they had seen it less often in recent years. Some people thought of the much-rumored engagement, and couldn't help but wonder why. That white crane would be willing to carry the young man from the National Education Academy. "

"If you have not forgotten, you should know that the white crane has followed Miss Xu to the Saintess Peak in the south. Why did it suddenly appear in Kyoto thousands of miles away? Could it be that Miss Xu really recognized the young writer from the National Education Academy? Fiancé? How will the four Lishan Sword Sect students present react?"

Having said this, the storyteller coughed twice, picked up the tea cup and took a sip of warm tea. The tea patrons in the building understood what this meant. Although one or two tea officials said angrily that this was yesterday's story, why are they still claiming to be cheating money today? Most people still took the tea money honestly.

The storyteller was very satisfied when he saw the number of copper coins in the tea tray. He cleared his throat and began to continue telling the story of the imperial examination. The teahouse people listened attentively. No one noticed that a middle-aged man wearing a hat After drinking all the remaining tea in the cup, the man walked out of the teahouse. The middle-aged man's hat was pulled down so low that his facial features could not be seen clearly. After leaving the building, he blended into the crowd in the street and disappeared after a while.

After some time, this middle-aged man appeared in an inn four miles south of Ligong. He took out two dark red pills from his arms and took them. He coughed painfully for a while and finally suppressed the pain in his body. Injured, he walked to the bed and lay down, his hat was pushed aside, and there were two faint protrusions in his black hair.

After noon, the business of all the teahouses and tea shops became better, but the stories told by the storytellers were no longer so attractive, because the results of the literary test of the Imperial Examination were officially announced, and the shopkeepers of each tea house or tea shop The waiter copied it back before leaving the palace and began to explain it to the tea guests.

The last person on the literary examination list was a candidate named Zhang Tingtao from the Star Reaching Academy. The public had no impression of this name, and naturally they didn’t have much discussion. They just laughed a few times and attacked the purpose of the Star Reaching Academy. Just tell him after a while. Xuanyuan Po's ranking was very low, Tang Sanliu was ranked seventh, Zhuang Changyu was sixth, and the four scholars from Huaiyuan had excellent results, all of them entered the top ten. Of course, the one that people paid the most attention to was the most The two names in front - Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng were ranked first and second respectively, and there was a note next to their names: Excellent.

Looking at the final list of the literary test of the Dachao Examination, the onlookers were talking and marveling. They pointed at the names of Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng and were filled with admiration. Some tourists from other counties who came to Kyoto specifically to watch the Imperial Examination were very puzzled by this. They thought that even if they were ranked first, why would they be praised so highly?

Some people in Kyoto explained to these people that the literary test of the Great Imperial Examination has always been ranked first, and only extremely excellent papers will specifically indicate excellence. The extremely outstanding here generally refers to all correct answers. Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng both have excellent marks next to their names, which means their answers are perfect. You must know that this is a very rare thing. It has been many years since this happened in the imperial examination.

Those tourists from other counties understood the reason, but they were a little confused. Since the two candidates' literary test scores were so excellent, they should be all correct, so how were they ranked? Why was Gou Hanshi ranked first, but Chen Changsheng only got second place?

No one can explain this problem. The well-informed people in Kyoto are also very curious about it. Also puzzled are the examiners in charge of review in the palace.

The examiner of the Literary Examination looked at the priest who had a cold expression and was obviously looking for trouble. He thought to himself that even if the priest was not angry that Chen Changsheng did not get the first place, why did he show it so obviously?

However, the Archbishop is under the control of the Bishop of Merissa and has been extremely strong in the past year. Even if the examiner of the Literary Examination has a higher rank than the other party, he still has to explain carefully.

"The issue of terminology."

He looked at the priests who were responsible for reviewing the literary test scores at the ecclesiastical office, and said with a serious expression: "I can't tell the difference in other aspects, but Gou Hanshi's terminology is very strict and standardized, especially the special vocabulary related to classics, even There were no mistakes in the repeated attempts to avoid taboos. Although Chen Changsheng answered no questions, his wording was too old-fashioned. According to the standards after the editor's revision, points should certainly be deducted."

The results of the literary test have been sent out of the palace and announced to the world, and naturally they have not been changed again. Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng, who received excellent evaluations, became the objects of everyone's admiration. Later, when the candidates for the final round of the battle were confirmed, people were even more shocked and talked about it, because those two people were still Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng, this means that the first place in this year's imperial examination must come from these two people.

One is the world-famous young wise man of the Lishan Sword Sect, the second of the seven laws of the Kingdom of God, who has read Gou Hanshi in Daozang. One is the first new student of the National Education Academy in many years, and the target of training by the old school of the National Education. Xu Yourong’s fiancé Chen Changsheng. In terms of reputation, the two are equally matched. The fact that they have reached this point is a testament to their respective knowledge and strength. But there are still not many people who are optimistic about Chen Changsheng.

Sidafang has published the latest odds. Gou Hanshi's odds are one and one-third, while Chen Changsheng's is seven. The difference is very huge. It can even be said that Gou Hanshi will win steadily.

Listening to the noise coming from downstairs, Tianhai Shengxue had a thoughtful expression on his face. Although he had bought Chen Changsheng a lot of money before, he did not expect that the young man from the National Education Academy could really reach this point. But even if Even he couldn't be optimistic that Chen Changsheng could continue to win.

The reason why no one was optimistic about Chen Changsheng in the end was because everyone, including Tianhai Shengxue, knew that there was a threshold between Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng.

That bar is high.

That threshold is related to life and death, and is higher than life and death.

In the Zhaowen Hall, Bishop Melisa slowly opened his eyes and looked at the literary test score list displayed on the light mirror. He was silent for a long time, then he laughed and struggled with the support of Reverend Xin. He stood up straight and walked out of the palace towards Qingxian Palace. He originally just wanted to use the imperial examination to make Chen Changsheng mature as soon as possible, but he did not expect that Chen Changsheng would really be able to pick this plump and juicy fruit. It was just that there was no hope. Since hope was ahead of him, he naturally would not allow any No one can do it if others destroy it.

Deep in the palace, the divine crown is on the table, bearing the sky falling from the palace, shining with dazzling brilliance. The divine staff on the table reflects the reflection of the pool, as if it is in the deep sea. Compared with these two artifacts, the earthen basin The green leaves inside seemed a little shabby, but the Pope did not look at the crown or the staff. Instead, he looked at the green leaves quietly, silently, and somewhat lost in thought.

He had his hands behind his back, like an old flower farmer.

Not far away is the clear pool of water. The wooden ladle rises and falls gently in the water, like a flat boat, ready to hold water at any time. The water can be used to water the green leaves or make it rain.

In the farthest place from Kyoto, there is a stretch of wild mountains with endless forests and white mist. The mountain road is slippery and difficult to navigate, and it is extremely quiet. If it weren't for the beeping sounds that ring from time to time in the mountain road, it might seem Even more eerie.

Those thumping sounds were the sound of wooden sticks falling on the wet rocks on the mountain path.

The rest of the people walked on the mountain road with difficulty, holding on to crutches. He and Chen Changsheng's master, the mysterious Taoist Ji, were walking in front with their hands behind their backs, seemingly not worried that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

The beeping sound lasted for a long time, and the clouds and mist in the quiet forest became thicker and thicker. There were many faint sounds coming from inside, as if many creatures were attracted to this place by the sound of the stick.