They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 67 Dragon Ball
"Lord Wei, we've already given you so much information. That person beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens... can't you do some calculations?"

In his mind, the gods in heaven could predict the future with a snap of their fingers; if they paid attention to this matter, they could see the whole picture.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng shook his head with a wry smile, his fingers unconsciously stroking his gray beard.

"If he could plan everything perfectly, his precious golden pill wouldn't have been stolen by a monkey, and now he has to refine pills day and night while cursing."

He thought of those legends, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and a realistic understanding.

Chen Guangrui thought of the Monkey King imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain; wasn't he also unable to calculate his own actions, which led to his monstrous troubles? He nodded in agreement.

When it comes to divination, it seems we still need to rely on specialists like Yuan Shoucheng…

At this moment, Wei Zheng seemed to remember something, his expression suddenly turned serious, and he whispered a reminder.

"Guangrui, you need to be extra careful of Yin Kaishan recently."

Chen Guangrui raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What happened to Prime Minister Yin this time?"

He is now particularly sensitive to this name.

Wei Zheng lowered his voice.
"I heard that after the banquet, Yin Kaishan seemed to be secretly contacting Fang Xuanling and the others... What do you think he's planning to do?"

Before Chen Guangrui could answer, he quickened his pace, "He actually offered to relinquish the position of prime minister!"

Chen Guangrui's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was amiss.

“In exchange,” Wei Zheng’s voice was filled with disbelief.

"He hopes to arrange your marriage with his daughter, Yin Wenjiao, as soon as possible!"

He frowned deeply. "At the time, I just found it strange. He arranged for his daughter to marry the newly appointed top scholar in order to consolidate his position, yet he voluntarily relinquished the position of prime minister? Isn't that a contradiction? Now it seems..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: there's something fishy going on here!
Yin Kaishan's actions were highly unusual and must have ulterior motives.

After hearing this, Chen Guangrui laughed, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes; it carried a hint of mockery.
"Interesting. When did I, the person directly involved, lose so little say in my marriage? They can just decide to make it happen whenever they want?"

Wei Zheng sighed helplessly.
"If they really reach an agreement with Fang and Du, they will naturally have ways to get His Highness the Crown Prince to agree. In His Highness's mind, stabilizing the power transition and balance among these old ministers is far more important than the personal feelings of a top scholar. At that time, whether you agree or not will indeed... not make much difference."

These words were cruel and true. Chen Guangrui was silent for a moment. "They think they can make decisions just because they want to? At worst, I'll give up being the top scholar and leave Chang'an today! Do you think I'll let them bully me?"

Wei Zheng said, "If you were in Chang'an, and the Buddhist sect wanted to harm you, I could still offer some assistance. But if you leave..."

Before Wei Zheng could finish speaking, Chen Guangrui directly chose to burn his bridges.
"If this doesn't work, then I might as well go directly to Yin Kaishan's house and see what he's up to."

Wei Zheng remained silent, then firmly expressed his opposition.

"Go to Yin Kaishan's residence? Isn't that just offering ourselves up for nothing? Who knows what's strange about that place!"

He felt a chill run down his spine when he recalled the eerie record of "solemn and majestic appearance".

Chen Guangrui's eyes hardened.

"Lord Wei, how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? I have my own plans. I only need you to provide me with one piece of help."

"What help?"

"As a minor official, could Lord Wei possibly see through the souls of mortals?" Chen Guangrui asked directly.

Wei Zheng was taken aback. "You mean..."

“Yes, according to the records, Yin Wenjiao seems to have become a different person. I suspect that there may be other souls inside her.”

Chen Guangrui, being a time traveler, had watched too many TV dramas and read too many novels, so he naturally made these connections. Wei Zheng, hearing this for the first time, found the idea quite peculiar. After thinking for a moment, he nodded, seemingly agreeing with Chen Guangrui's guess, then shook his head.
"I do not possess the supernatural power to see into souls; I only oversee the perception and transmission of the will of Heaven."

Chen Guangrui nodded; this was within his expectations. Even the gods in Heaven weren't omnipotent, just as Wei Zheng didn't possess the ability to see through illusions.

He then pressed on, "Then... what about Judge Cui Jue? He's in charge of the Book of Life and Death, dealing with souls and spirits. He should have some way of figuring things out, right?"

Wei Zheng's eyes lit up. "That's possible! Old Cui's authority is specifically in charge of the souls of the dead in the underworld. He or his messengers of death might really be able to see the abnormalities in the souls of ordinary people!"

"That's great!" Chen Guangrui clapped his hands; the plan became clear.
"It's settled then! Lord Wei will contact Judge Cui for me, asking him to do me a small favor. I'll try to make a trip to the Yin residence soon, and ask one of my brothers, Wu Chang, to secretly 'take a look' at the soul of that Miss Yin Wenjiao... to see what it really looks like!"

He wanted to see what this "solemn and majestic appearance" was all about.

“Alright!” Wei Zheng agreed without hesitation this time. “Leave this matter to me.”

Chen Guangrui left Wei Zheng's house; it was already late.

Just as they stepped out of the secluded alley and into a slightly busier intersection, a burly and wealthy figure strode towards them, his face showing gratitude and anxiety. It was none other than the Jinghe Dragon King in human form.

"Scholar Chen! I've been waiting for you!"

The old Dragon King grasped Chen Guangrui's hand tightly, his voice trembling with emotion.
"You are truly my benefactor! The official in charge of personnel has finally recognized my abilities!"

As he spoke, he cautiously glanced around, as if afraid of being discovered.

Before Chen Guangrui could speak, the Dragon King solemnly took out an object from his bosom.

The object felt warm to the touch and emitted a hazy, soft glow. It was a round bead the size of a pigeon's egg, entirely blue, with what appeared to be flowing water inside.

The Dragon King placed the round bead into Chen Guangrui's hand and explained in a low voice,
"Scholar Chen, this is the inner core dragon pearl of the Jing River when I was young and served as the Dragon King of the Jing River! Later, as the power of the Jing River increased, I refined a new one, and this old one was left behind. Although it is not valuable, it is still somewhat useful."

He paused, then emphasized,

"This pearl has the power to control water, drawing upon the power of rivers and streams. Using it along the banks of rivers is like adding wings to a tiger! However..."

The Dragon King's expression became extremely serious.
"Absolutely not! Absolutely not! It must not be used to make rain on its own! To summon clouds and rain, one must have an imperial decree from His Majesty the Jade Emperor, not even the slightest deviation! This is an ironclad rule!"

He had clearly remembered something, which is why he gave that warning.

The Dragon Ball felt cool to the touch, and Chen Guangrui could clearly feel the power it contained. He asked curiously,
"Dragon King, do these abilities to control water and bring rain not require special cultivation of magical powers?"

The Dragon King shook his head.

"Magic and supernatural powers, such as flying through the clouds and changing one's form, require one's own hard work and cultivation. Everyone is distinguished into the realms of Earth Immortal and Heaven Immortal based on their strength."

"But when it comes to specific 'authorities' and 'powers' such as 'controlling clouds and rain' in the world, it involves the operating rules of the 'Dao' of the world. Either one needs a divine position conferred and recognized by the Heavenly Court, granting corresponding authority; or one must rely on powerful magical artifacts or inner cores that carry some of the rules to drive it. Otherwise, it would be forced to perform, which would not only be twice as difficult but would also incur divine retribution!"

Chen Guangrui suddenly realized that when the Bodhi Patriarch was teaching Sun Wukong, he first imparted supernatural powers, which the monkey learned very quickly. However, when it came time to impart the "Tao," the monkey did not learn any more.

The Dragon King continued, "This pearl should rightfully be handed over to the Heavenly Court, but thanks to the help of several of my kinsmen who covered it up back then, it was fortunately preserved. Today, I present it to my benefactor as a token of my gratitude, and I earnestly hope that he will not refuse!"

Chen Guangrui accepted the dragon pearl and was about to express his gratitude when he saw a sudden struggle appear on the old dragon king's face. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he took a step closer, his voice lower than a mosquito's buzz, filled with urgency and fear.
“My benefactor! There is one more thing! I just returned to my residence and heard some news.”

"The master of that green-haired lion spirit is Manjushri Bodhisattva... He will probably come to Chang'an City soon, or even tomorrow!"
Is Manjushri Bodhisattva coming to Chang'an?

The Jinghe Dragon King's urgent whisper was like an ice needle, piercing deep into Chen Guangrui's heart.

His face remained impassive, but his heart sank. His mount had been captured, and its master's arrival was perfectly justified. But would this Bodhisattva's descent to Chang'an, besides rescuing the green lion demon, also conveniently resolve his own problems?
He is still too insignificant right now.
The night breeze brushed against Chen Guangrui's cheek, carrying a hint of chill.

Can't wait any longer!
(End of this chapter)