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

Chapter 76 Hope
The hall was eerily quiet. The arrogant words of the green-haired lion demon still echoed in their ears. After the suffocating pressure dissipated, the Jing River Dragon King and the Earth God exchanged a glance, both seeing the lingering fear and worry in each other's eyes.

They silently bowed to Wei Zheng, said nothing more, and quietly withdrew.

Silence returned to the study. Chen Guangrui then emerged from the shadows behind the bookshelf, his expression grave. He bowed respectfully to Wei Zheng.
"I will always remember the kindness of Lord Wei."

His voice was deep and clear, “You did not succumb to that beast’s threat just now, and risked everything to keep that Green Lion Spirit alive, in order to buy me time to wait for news from the Thirty-Three Heavens. Guangrui is deeply grateful.”

Wei Zheng's stern features did not soften; instead, his brows furrowed even more deeply. He habitually stroked his short beard, a dark cloud hanging over his expression.
"Admire what?" He shook his head, his voice low.

"It was just a matter of words, and he cornered me, so I had no choice but to put on a brave face. Although the lion left unwillingly, it was by no means a bluff."

“This is precisely what I worry about.” Chen Guangrui walked to the table, looked directly at Wei Zheng, and spoke clearly and calmly.
“That beast’s wild words will not be left unsaid. He will surely go back and embellish them before reporting back. If Manjushri Bodhisattva listens to his side of the story, in order to retrieve his mount, he only needs to ask the Jade Emperor for a decree. The Jade Emperor… will not refuse this Buddhist Bodhisattva’s request.”

Chen Guangrui paused for a moment, then pointed out the cruelest reality.
"In the Jade Emperor's eyes, a demon harming the people and infiltrating the palace to alter the records are trivial matters that may not be worth causing Buddhism to lose face. At the latest, the Heavenly Court's decree will reach you in the next two or three days. If you do not release the person then, it will be considered disobeying the decree."

His voice was deep, carrying a clear understanding.

Wei Zheng twisted his beard with his knuckles, forming a knot, clearly thinking rapidly about a solution.

After a moment, his eyes lit up, revealing a hint of determination.
“If the imperial decree forces me to release the lions… I will call Kui Mulang back. He was given the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill by Laozi, and his magical power has greatly increased after he recovered from his injuries. With him, and with the help of me, the Dragon King, and the Earth God, what are those green-haired lions? They may not be afraid of them.”

Chen Guangrui immediately shook his head, categorically denying it.

"Absolutely not, Lord Wei. Lord Kui Mulang is on a private visit to the mortal realm. If this matter is exposed because of you and me, wouldn't that harm him? Descending to the mortal realm without permission is a serious crime, not to mention it will cause conflict with Buddhism. At that time, even Laozi's face might not be of any use! I'm afraid the star lord will be immediately taken back to the Heavenly Court to be punished."

"This……"

Wei Zheng stroked his beard again, clearly finding the argument reasonable; his initial enthusiasm was suppressed by Chen Guangrui's worries.

He changed his approach, his tone laced with a tentative ruthlessness, "Then... while the imperial decree hasn't arrived yet, I'll go to Cui Jue's place now, kill that beast, and then ask Judge Cui to capture its soul. As long as it's done cleanly and efficiently, its soul will be scattered and there will be no way to prove its innocence! Even if Manjushri has extraordinary abilities, he won't be able to find the lion spirit or find any evidence against it, and he won't suspect you for a while!"

Chen Guangrui shook his head again, his tone carrying an even deeper sense of helplessness.

"Lord Wei, this plan seems feasible, but in reality, it will have endless consequences. The methods of Buddhism are unpredictable. If Manjushri himself comes to Chang'an and truly wants to investigate, he may find clues, and the lion may not necessarily be terrified. This will only expose us prematurely, putting me in an even more dangerous situation. Moreover..."

His gaze became complex and slightly somber, yet it held a hint of hope.
"If Judge Cui really has a way to quietly... extract the Golden Cicada Soul from my body, that would be the best solution."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng sighed heavily, his fingers, which had been stroking his beard, fell limply to the ground, his face filled with a profound sense of helplessness in the face of reality.
"Alas... Old Cui, who controls the Book of Life and Death, may have the means to take souls and reunite spirits, but to remove the spirit residing in the body of the Buddhist monk Jin Chanzi is difficult! Too difficult! Unless... we go to pray to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva? But going there would be worse than not going at all."

Chen Guangrui forced a bitter smile. "Yes, Lord Wei. No matter how much I prepare, I always feel powerless when facing forces far beyond my own level."

He raised his head. "The only chance of survival may be that faint hope, waiting for the echo to descend from the thirty-three heavens."

He paused, his gaze calming down. "Since there's no solution for now, it's better to face it calmly than to be anxious. In the remaining days, I want to... take a good look at Chang'an." Chen Guangrui bowed solemnly to Wei Zheng, said no more, and turned to leave.

In the days that followed, Chang'an was unusually peaceful, and the results of the new officials' appointments were quickly announced in the imperial court:
Zhang Changling, assessing the situation, saw that Sun Fujia was in a bad position and decisively joined the Qin Prince's camp. Because of his literary talent, he was highly regarded and was appointed as a proofreader in the Secretariat. Although it was only a ninth-rank official, it was a rare starting point.

Two others were also retained to work in Beijing due to their performance or background.

The rest were all sent to other places and were given official positions such as county magistrate, military advisor, and registrar.

The most surprising result was this year's top scorer, Chen Guangrui.

This talented man, who had been personally praised by His Highness the Crown Prince, was appointed as the Sima of the Daizhou Military Command. Although it was a low-ranking official position of the fifth grade, he was required to immediately join the army to fight against the Turks in the north, to venture into dangerous territory, and to rush to the battlefield where he would face death at the hands of the enemy.

For them, it really wasn't a good official position.

When his classmates said goodbye, Zhang Changling looked at him with a complex and indescribable gaze, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a sigh.

Chen Guangrui remained calm on the surface, his heart undisturbed. The outcome even carried a sense of relief, as if the dust had settled. No one could understand the source of this relief.

As he had wished, he strolled leisurely through Chang'an. Most of the time, he was alone, either wandering in the newly opened taverns of foreign merchants in the West Market, listening to the local musicians sing some tunes; or sitting idly for half a day in the teahouses of the East Market, listening to scholars tell a story and comment on old tales.

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye. Many classmates have packed their bags and left Chang'an City with either anticipation or trepidation for their new future.

Chen Guangrui remained unhurried. Li Jing's army still needed time to prepare for its departure, and he was happy to have some leisure. Today, in particular, he was in high spirits and spent the entire afternoon listening to music at the renowned Zuiyue Pavilion, only emerging as dusk fell.

He walked out of the bustling gate with slightly tipsy steps, strolling slowly along Zhuque Avenue. The night in Chang'an was deep and the Milky Way was dazzling. A breeze blew by, carrying the coolness of early autumn, brushing against his cheeks and refreshing his mind.

He subconsciously looked up at the vast starry sky.

My gaze inadvertently swept across the northeastern sky.

My body suddenly stopped.

In the northeastern sky, an inconspicuous star was drifting slowly in a certain direction with a manner that was neither obvious nor unusually resolute.

That direction... is precisely the area where Wei Zheng's residence is located.

Chen Guangrui stood still, the drunkenness and ease on his face vanishing instantly, his gaze becoming deep and fixed as he followed the changing direction of the stars.

(End of this chapter)