I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 37 Proving Immortality Through the Imperial Examination

As the boat docked, Xue called out to the boatman, who was tidying up the fishing nets at the ferry, and asked him to watch over the small boat before heading home.

It was still early, the fog was thick, the surroundings were quiet, and the air was excellent.

Xue Xiang pondered the questions the woman in the yellow dress had pointed out, savoring their meaning, and then refrained from using the Wind-Stopping Step, continuing his normal, slow walk.

After walking three hundred steps, the field of vision narrowed, with shrubs on the left, cedar forests on the right, and a large expanse of farmland in front.

Xue Xiang was about to take a shortcut when a figure appeared at the intersection ahead. The gray sky and the person's gray clothes made him almost invisible unless you looked closely.

Xue Xiang turned around abruptly, and a man in black was following him at a leisurely pace a hundred paces behind him.

Xue Xiang felt a chill run down his spine and said loudly, "Gentlemen, I am a poor student passing by, and I don't have much money."

If you two would be so kind as to do me a favor, I certainly have the money to treat you to a meal and tea.

As he spoke, he took out his money pouch, poured out a spirit stone, a spirit shard, and a bundle of several strands of spirit silk.

He wasn't without skills, but he preferred to spend money to avoid disaster, and he didn't want to face the risks.

Neither of them answered. The one in front continued to guard the intersection, while the one behind continued to slowly approach.

Xue Xiang suddenly remembered the two escaped bandits he had mentioned when he warned Xun Sizhou, and said loudly, "I know you two just got out of prison and are looking for a way to survive."

I am a humble resident of Jiufen Mountain, and I possess some authority; I am willing to serve you both.

Both of them were startled at the same time. The person behind them quickened his pace, not even glancing at the spirit silk on the ground.

Xue Xiang secretly realized he was in trouble.

They won't take your money, they'll take your life.

To be blocked by these two so early in the morning can only mean that they must have been waiting all night for me.

"Alright, how much are you two being paid by your backers? I'll pay double!"

Xue Xiang shouted loudly.

"You're really good at talking."

The man in black let out a soft whistle and suddenly accelerated.

Xue Xiang screamed in terror and ran wildly with his head covered, seemingly going in the wrong direction, and quickly approached the man in gray.

The man in gray sneered repeatedly, and with a sudden wave of his hand, a cold blade slid into his palm with a clang.

"Gentlemen, please hear me out."

Xue Xiang shouted and stopped two zhang away from the gray-clad man.

"Why are you still spouting nonsense when you're about to die?"

The man in black ignored him completely, rushed forward, and raised his steel knife.

"Grass!"

In an instant, a burst of silver light erupted from Xue Xiang's waist. The silver light exploded, and his feet moved as if swimming and gliding, his body as if floating on water. His sword danced like a serpent, his body moved, his sword moved, and the wind did not move.

In the blink of an eye, two cold lights pierced the sky. The man in gray and the man in black hastily raised their knives and swords, and two silver lights kissed and pierced their throats.

The sprayed blood drew a perfect fan shape in the air.

With two thuds, the two corpses fell to the ground.

Xue Xiang was stunned for a moment. Although it was his first time killing someone, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.

Instead, their hearts surged with excitement and their blood boiled, and they were even more shocked by the terrifying killing power of the Breath of Wind Sword.

It wasn't that he didn't want to leave survivors to interrogate the mastermind behind the murder.

Rather, he simply didn't have the ability to hold back. His cultivation level was still low, and he relied entirely on the domineering Breathing Wind Sword Technique for support.

If he holds back and lets those two regain their senses, he'll most likely be the one to fall.

After a few dozen breaths, he calmed himself down, picked up his purse, and quickly cleaned up the mess.

He searched the two men's belongings and found nothing but some spirit silk and two steel knives of different lengths.

Xue Xiang found a pit in the forest, buried the two bodies in it, and then piled snow on them.

Finally, the blood-stained snow was buried back into the snow.

This was done to prevent the body from being taken away; he had to complain to Xie Haiya.

After inspecting it and finding it acceptable, he hurriedly left.

It was nearly 7 a.m. when I stepped into my home.

The whole family knew he was preparing for the exam and traveling to and from Zhaoyewu. Although he did not return home for one night, it did not arouse any suspicion from the family.

After eating the braised meat noodles under Liu Mei's nose and drinking the brown sugar ginger tea brewed by Xiao Wan, and being snuggled up to by the little guy for a while, Xue's mother came out of his room, bringing with her a wave of heat, and told him that the bath water was ready.

Xue Xiang took a bath, changed his clothes, completed the process of guiding the spirit into his body, rested for two hours, and then went out.

He timed it perfectly; when he arrived at the warm pavilion of the Plum Blossom Hall, Xie Haiya had just finished his afternoon nap and had brewed some black tea.

"How rare! What brings you to my humble abode, Mr. Er Diao?"

Xie Haiya jokingly smiled.

Xue Xiang waved his hand, "It was just a classmate joking, the dean is laughing at me."

Xie Haiya poured tea, saying, "There are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames."

The two fishing poems have already spread throughout the Yunmeng Shilin community, which is a good thing.

The title of "talented scholar" has always been something that scholars yearn for.

However, one should not focus solely on poetry and forget the meaning of the classics.

For us Confucian scholars, the classics are fundamental.

Xue Xiang bowed and listened attentively. "Have some tea. It's rare for you to come. Tell me, what happened this time?"

Xie Haiya handed over a cup of tea.

"I've been assassinated."

Xue Xiang remained calm.

Xie Haiya spilled some tea from his hand, his face quickly turning ashen. He glared at Xie Haiya and said, "Your return means the assassination failed, but who helped you capture the thief?"

"The two thieves appeared to be remnants of the bandits who had escaped from prison. When they attacked me, a mysterious person intervened, killed the two thieves, and left. I hid the bodies of the two thieves in the snow."

Xue Xiang couldn't tell the truth, after all, his ability to activate the blessed spiritual realm within the sacred image was his most treasured secret.

Even someone as close as Xie Haiya could not reveal this trump card.

"Tong Shouhu".

Xie Haiya shouted loudly.

Tong Shouhu strode over.

Xie Haiya instructed Tong Shouhu to find the two thieves' corpses, behead them, and then go to the prison to verify their identities.

He repeatedly instructed Tong Shouhu to make a grand return.

Tong Shouhu accepted the order and left.

"Is the lord trying to scare us?"

Xue Xiang immediately understood why Xie Haiya had Tong Shouhu make such a big show of it.

"Without this, it would be insufficient to deter the thieves. After this incident, I doubt the person behind the scenes will dare not take such a risky move again for a short time."

Xie Haiya stroked his beard.

"That's it?"

Xue Xiang's eyes widened. "I was almost killed, Abbot."

Xie Haiya coughed. "They won't leave any evidence, but I will continue to investigate this matter. I'm afraid there won't be any results in the short term. Are you scary?"

Xue Xiangdao said, "It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid, but I was still scared afterward."

"What's the use of being afraid now that things have come to this? Just do it."

"Just do it! Well said!"

Xie Haiya rose from his seat and said, "The path of an official is always fraught with danger; every step is like rowing against the current."

Unless you want to just coast along and get by, there's no way to avoid offending anyone.

If you offend people, you'll inevitably face all sorts of open and covert attacks.

The only way is to strengthen ourselves and go against the wind.

Just a few months ago, you were nothing more than a lowly official; now you wear a silver flying fish badge.

You can't get these things by just going through the motions and getting by.

Now that your scientific expedition is imminent, I don't have much to teach you, but there are some things I still need to tell you.

Xue Xiang bowed deeply and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

Xie Haiya said, "You must have heard the saying, 'Of all professions, only studying is noble.' Do you know why this is so?"

Xue Xiangdao said, "Studying and advancing in one's studies can not only enlighten one's mind but also elevate one's own status. Everyone eagerly hopes for this, which is only natural."

Of course, for cultivators like us, participating in the imperial examinations and passing them offers the opportunity to acquire literary talent.

The value and importance of literary talent are extremely high, which is the fundamental reason why we are superior to ordinary cultivators.

Xie Haiya nodded first, then shook his head, "You're right, but not entirely right."

The subtlety of literary talent is profound and mysterious; how many people can truly master it?
Even I have only just achieved some minor success so far, and it is only useful for deterring villains during scientific expeditions.

In fact, for most Confucian scholars who took the imperial examination route, they only paid attention to literary skills, but their fundamental focus was still on the cultivation of qi.

After all, throughout history, only Confucius has emerged as a prime example of aligning literary tradition with the Way.

Xue Xiang frowned. "You mean, literary talent isn't important?"

Xie Haiya said, "Literary energy is certainly important, but it is difficult to obtain, difficult to refine, and difficult to advance in."

The world is full of geniuses and prodigies who forge their own unique paths.

Xue Xiang nodded, "Then why do Confucian scholars hold such a superior position?"

Xie Haiya laughed and said, "Do you know that in ancient times, sects and aristocratic families dominated the world and savagely controlled the land?"

Since the sage united with the Dao through literary tradition, even the most powerful sects and the most formidable families have had to submit to the golden rules established by the sage.

Only through the imperial examinations can one acquire literary talent. Those who refine their literary talent become incredibly powerful and dominate their era.

Furthermore, in this world, spirit stones are abundant, and everyone is cultivating.

But those who can reach the Foundation Establishment stage are one in ten thousand.

The resources required to progress from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, and from Core Formation to Nascent Soul, are unimaginable.

While powerful families and noble clans may be able to provide one or two Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivators, how can they possibly compete with the boundless supply provided by our divine kingdom's system?

Therefore, for the vast majority of cultivators, how far they can go on the official path determines how far they can go on the path to immortality.

And the foundation of all this lies solely in the imperial examination system.

One day, you will understand why we scholars stand at the pinnacle of this glorious world.

(End of this chapter)