In the darkness of the night, the thick black clouds flashed, illuminating the surface of the river. A shadow jumped from the boat onto the shore, and was once again enveloped in darkness.
The rain continued to pour down, and on both sides of the river were paddy fields. The paddy fields were golden and ready to be harvested. Pei Zi Yun held his sword by the side of the paddy field, "I've boarded the boat. Just like what he said, the speed of traveling downstream is twice the speed of traveling from the prefecture to the capital. Is this the ferry?"
There was a road here that led directly to Hou Du Town. Originally, the town was bustling with people, but at this time, everyone was asleep. Occasionally, there would be lights shining through the windows.
The only troublesome thing was that during the night, there would be dogs barking.
Villages were like this. As long as one dog barked, all the other dogs in the village would bark along with it. The barking of the dogs would not stop. This was enough to scare the thieves, and the owners of the houses would wake up.
Pei Zi Yun hid in the darkness. A cool breeze blew past, and the sound of crickets chirping could be heard. It was autumn, and the sound of the crickets sounded desolate.
"I remember there was a Daoist temple, and a mansion not far from here. That must be Li Wen Jing's residence. I've only heard of it in my previous life, I have to search for it."
Following the stone path of the town, he saw a Daoist temple. Near the temple, there was a huge mansion. Several pine trees surrounded it, and two lions were squatting on the steps. Pei Zi Yun walked up and saw a plaque with the words "Li Mansion" written on it. Pei Zi Yun was overjoyed. Li Wen Jing's house must be here.
Just as Pei Zi Yun was about to climb over the wall, the Plum Blossom in front of his forehead flickered. His heart turned cold. Li Wen Jing's mansion was protected by a Dao spell. This was going to be difficult.
"It's just that the new dynasty has just been established, and the Imperial Qi is strong. The net of laws is everywhere. Within the counties and provinces, other than those who are bestowed titles and some Dao spells, everything else is restricted."
"Although this is the pier, I've heard that Li Wen Jing did not have many Dao spells in his previous life. It's impossible for him to have a Dao spell cast over the entire mansion."
As Pei Zi Yun thought about this, he circled around Li Wen Jing's mansion. Indeed, when he neared a spot, the Plum Blossom in front of his forehead did not light up.
He wondered if Li Wen Jing was in the residence. If he was, he could kill him, and Zhang Jie Yu would lose an arm.
As he entered the courtyard, he realized that it was a three-way house. According to the laws of the Great Xu Dynasty, only High Scholars could live in a three-way house. This Li Wen Jing was just a commoner. According to the laws of the Great Xu Dynasty, he should be beheaded.
After entering the courtyard, Zhao Fu saw that there were some flowers and plants in the courtyard. There were some strange stones and a small pond. As he entered the courtyard, he saw an evil dog pouncing at him. He let out a cry and a sword light flashed as the tip of the sword pierced into the dog's head. With a twist, the dog fell to the ground, motionless.
Pei Zi Yun hid the dog within a rock and walked towards the yard. He wasn't sure if it was because Li Wen Jing wasn't around, but there were no guards patrolling the yard. He was overjoyed.
As Pei Zi Yun walked forward, whenever there was a Plum Blossom, he would avoid it. The yard was quiet and there was no sound. It shouldn't be here. As he walked along the corridor, he suddenly heard a woman's laughter. It sounded like she was having fun.
He walked forward, and as soon as he got close, he could smell the fragrance of women. There were osmanthus flowers, roses, and some rouge mixed together in the courtyard. However, the smell was very faint.
As he got closer, he heard a man's voice. It sounded like he was flirting with a woman. His heart was filled with joy. The heavens were helping him. This Li Wen Jing was destined to die. He was at home.
He walked forward and poked a small hole in the window. Hot steam came out. There were many women inside. The autumn night was chilly, but there was a fire inside.
Looking closely, the women inside were all wearing dresses. He didn't see any men. That was strange. Could it be that Li Wen Jing wasn't here?
Suddenly, he saw a woman trembling under her dress. A man came out from under her dress and pinned her to the ground. He whispered sweet nothings and pounced on her.
All of a sudden, the room was filled with lust. The man wasn't satisfied. He grabbed a woman and pulled her up.
Pei Zi Yun looked carefully. This man was indeed Li Wen Jing. He had seen this man's portrait in his previous life.
Was this another party?
Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly, 'Hm, although this man is intelligent, he isn't a heavenly cultivator. Even if he has some techniques, he needs time to use them. He's very fragile. Meeting him tonight is a heaven-sent opportunity. I can kill him with a single sword.'
Thinking this way, he waited for this man to finish his party. This kind of pleasure would consume a lot of the man's blood essence. Even if he had a few Dao Arts, Dao Arts could not create blood essence out of thin air. This lust was just a catalyst.
Even if he used women, there was a limit. Going too far was as bad as not going far enough. Furthermore, the man would not have any energy left after the deed.
Their voices filled the room. Some were bright, some were flirtatious. All of them were beauties. At this point, Li Wen Jing felt uneasy. His eyes turned from lust to clarity.
'The Dao Arts have not been activated. Where does this uneasiness come from?'
Li Wen Jing stood up. The woman beneath him was still not satisfied. Seeing that the man was about to leave, she pulled him back. Li Wen Jing was already naked, there was no place for her to grab onto. Li Wen Jing was startled and walked away. The woman sat up as well, mumbling to herself.
Li Wen Jing ignored her and retrieved his sword from the wall. He walked to the corridor and looked around. He still did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Because of the party, there was a quarantine. He ran to the entrance of the inner courtyard and was about to shout for help. He had just turned a corner when he heard a "pu" sound. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He looked down and saw a bloody sword sticking out of his chest. His vision turned black and he screamed in pain.
"Hold him down!" Someone came out from behind and covered his mouth with a towel. Blood flowed out from Li Wen Jing's body. After a few minutes, he stopped moving. He only twitched from time to time.
"It's just that simple to scheme against an unsuspecting person." He placed the man down on the floor and walked back the way he came. He walked out of the courtyard and found the stables.
"Who's there?" Just as he was about to lead the horse away, a stable hand came out from the stables. He saw a man trying to lead the horse. Since it was a straightforward action, he did not call out a thief. He then asked, "Who's there?"
Before he could finish his sentence, a pebble hit him in the face. He felt dizzy and fell to the ground.
Pei Zi Yun dragged the stable hand into the room and placed his hand on his sword. He was considering whether he should kill him. He hesitated for some time before letting go of the sword, 'This man did not see me clearly. I shall spare him!'
As he thought this, he led the horse out from the back door.
When he reached the main road, he leaped onto the horse and shouted. The horse then galloped away.
The few women in the room felt that something was strange. Their master was having a good time. Even if he had to go to the bathroom, he would have to return. Hence, they put on their clothes and searched for him.
The moment they stepped out, they saw a pool of blood on the ground. The blood had already congealed. The woman screamed and fainted on the ground.
The women at the back heard the scream. When they walked out, they saw a large pool of blood. They followed the blood and saw a naked man at the end of the corridor. There was a sword lying beside him.
One of the brave women stepped forward and tried to take a breath. He was no longer breathing. His body was cold and filled with fear. She then shouted, "Help, help! Master has been killed! Master has been killed!"
… …
Night.
The clouds and rain gradually dissipated, and the moonlight shone down. The horse was galloping very quickly. It was indeed a good horse. After a night of galloping, the horse was panting heavily.
Pei Zi Yun looked up and saw a bright star hanging in the sky. From afar, he could see the walls of the city, 'Hey, galloping for a hundred miles in the middle of the night. This horse is not bad. It must be worth at least fifty taels of silver right?'
'It's a pity, but I really can't bring you along.' Pei Zi Yun slowed down as he galloped along the river bank. He could hear the sound of water splashing.
Pei Zi Yun jumped off the horse and pulled out his sword to stab the horse. The tip of the sword pierced through the horse's heart. The horse did not die immediately. It hopped twice before jumping into the river. Its blood dyed the ground red as it was washed away by the river.
He then took off his clothes. Although he was careful, his clothes were still stained with blood. It wasn't much though. He then threw the clothes into the river.
Pei Zi Yun looked at the city walls. If it was during a war, not only would there be people patrolling the area, the trees within a hundred meters of the city would have to be cut down. Now that the world was at peace, there was no such rule. He looked at a spot and used the trees and buildings to climb up. He then entered the city.
'Quick, it's almost daybreak.'
At this point, the streets were deserted. There were no passersby. The lanterns in the shops had long been extinguished. Pei Zi Yun did not walk on the main road. He turned around and headed towards the small alleyway. When he reached the inn, he headed towards the backyard of the inn. He then made his way to his room. He had left the window open when he came out last night. He then opened the window and entered his room.
After an entire night of killing people, he was extremely tired. He threw his blanket aside and lay down on his bed. After a while, he fell into a deep sleep.
…
Prefecture City, Tribute Courtyard
The room examiner had already finished reading the papers for the first round. According to the rules, the examiners were the first to read the papers. Firstly, if there were any typos, it would be a taboo and a violation of the rules of the examination. Those who reported their family background and information would be demoted. This was to prevent people from cheating. After all, the purpose of the examination was to cover up the mistakes in the examination. Yet, you still reported your own name. If you didn't demote them, who would they demote?
"How many have been demoted?" Hu Yingzhen asked.
"This time, there were more than three thousand papers. Due to violations of the rules, a total of five hundred and sixty-one papers have been demoted." Someone reported. Such papers had been posted and not recorded.
"These Elementary Scholars don't know the importance of the Prefecture Examinations. There are so many mistakes and omissions." Someone said.
"The Prefecture Examinations are very stressful. Many newcomers can't avoid it. Even you and I don't have a flawless first round." One of the room examiners said.
"Have the main and secondary papers been completed?" Hu Yingzhen asked.
"CEO, the three hundred main papers and the two hundred secondary papers have all been completed." One of the examiners said and heaved a sigh of relief.
After the examination, the examiners would stay in the room all night to read the papers. It could be said that they had a heavy responsibility. The papers in their hands were related to the fate of every examinee. Not only that, these papers would also be sent to the Ministry of Rites.
There were many people in the Ministry of Rites who were free. When they had nothing to do, they would check the papers. If they discovered that the papers were deviant, the examiners and examiners would be held accountable. Those who passed the examination would be stripped of their official titles and dismissed.
The examiners were trembling with fear as they read the papers meticulously. Only now could they heave a sigh of relief. What happened next was no longer the responsibility of the ordinary examiners, but the room examiners.
The room examiners read the remaining five hundred papers again and recommended them to the CEO.
"This paper is brilliant. Compared to the other papers, it's not even on the same level." The room examiner took a sip of tea and picked up a copy of the main paper. After skimming through a few lines, he suddenly felt energized and started reading again, "It's simple and elegant. It can be used as a model essay in the imperial examinations."
"There's a hint of Hanlin in it."
"That's strange. Not to mention Elementary Scholars, even ordinary High Scholars wouldn't have such an aura. One must enter the Hanlin Academy and gradually develop such an aura." The room examiner read again and felt that the style of writing was somewhat familiar, "This must be highly recommended."
As he said this, he drew a circle and wrote highly recommended.
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