parentshiftbook Chapter 71: Someone Died!
Chapter 71: Someone Died!
After three consecutive matches, it was already noon.
The midday sun shone on the bluestone ground, and the air was hot and dry.
The officials from the academy on the high platform gradually left their seats.
A student in charge of maintaining order in the examination hall strode forward and loudly announced to the candidates: "If you are not going to participate in the subsequent examinations, you can register at the accounting office and be treated as absent, then you can leave. If you decide to continue participating, you can rest for half an hour, but be careful not to stray far from the examination hall. The examination hall will be closed at 1:00 PM. Anyone who fails to return by the deadline will be considered absent!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the candidates who had been standing all morning finally breathed a sigh of relief and rushed out, eager to find a place to get some fresh air.
Standing and taking three exams in a row would be exhausting for anyone.
The vermilion gate behind the school square slowly opened, and the examinees filed out.
Some candidates who felt hopeless about their results proactively approached the accounting department and gave up the afternoon's test.
At this moment, a burly young man approached Chen Ye, his eyes quickly scanning the clothes of the people nearby. He grinned and said, "Brother, my name is Xu Jing. My family runs a small noodle stall outside the academy. This lunch is on me! It's fate that we're taking the exam together. If any of us become scholars in the future, we can at least get to know each other."
Chen Ye thanked him and nodded in agreement.
When Xu Jing saw that he had agreed, he was overjoyed and turned around to greet the other candidates warmly.
It was lunchtime, and since everyone was already thinking about having a meal, many readily agreed.
However, some people didn't give him a friendly look and refused him outright.
They have servants at home who will bring them prepared meals; they do not eat outside.
Xu Jing wasn't annoyed; he still smiled broadly and continued making arrangements.
Before long, he actually managed to invite more than a dozen people, and the group headed towards his noodle shop in a grand procession.
Just as he said, Xu's Noodle Shop was located about twenty steps outside the main gate of the school.
The so-called shop was nothing more than a thatched shed enclosed on three sides, with a few old wooden tables inside and a cloth banner that read "Xu's Noodle Shop" hanging under the eaves.
Steam from cooking noodles and the aroma of scallion oil wafted out from the doorway.
Xu Jing quickly led everyone to the table and called out to the shed to serve each person a bowl of noodles.
Chen Ye followed the crowd and found a seat.
Seeing this, Wang Baohe also sat down next to him.
Immediately afterwards, two well-dressed disciples from various sects also joined the table.
The four people sat at an octagonal table.
Listening to their introductions, one was from Fenglei Hall, surnamed Tang; the other was from Luoyun Manor, surnamed Luo. Both intended to become retainers of the Li family of Pingguo Prefecture, and came to the capital to try their luck in the martial arts examination, hoping to obtain the status of a scholar and raise their social standing.
During their casual conversation, the three of them subtly inquired about Chen Ye's background.
Chen Ye didn't want to say more, and the three of them tactfully changed the subject.
Wang Baohe asked, "Brother Luo, I remember that Luoyun Manor is in Danfeng County. I've heard that Chongwu Tower's influence there has been growing recently. Have you heard about it?"
"How could I not know?" the examinee surnamed Luo said. "One of the elders in Chongwu Tower came from my Luoyun Manor."
"What's the situation over there now?"
"The situation over there now... can only be described as not good. The imperial court's several crackdowns have had little effect, and instead, they have become even more powerful. I don't know what kind of opportunity Chongwu Tower has obtained, but its overall strength has been raised by a whole level. Many disciples in the manor are envious and have secretly gone to join them."
"If things continue like this, the imperial court will probably have to send more troops. Otherwise, if Chongwu Tower is allowed to grow too powerful, it will become a major threat sooner or later."
The candidate surnamed Tang from Fenglei Hall said nonchalantly, "Major affairs of the court are for important figures to worry about. Why should we commoners concern ourselves with them? Instead of worrying about this, we should spend more time thinking about how to deal with the upcoming competition."
As they were talking, the noodle shop waiter quickly came over with a food tray and placed a steaming bowl of scallion noodles with lard in front of each person.
Wang Baohe said, "Stop talking, let's eat noodles."
Chen Ye didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. His gaze casually swept over Xu Jing's table, and seeing that Xu Jing had already started eating heartily, and seeing that everyone around him was starting to eat one after another, he slowly picked up his chopsticks.
Although the shop was located next to the school and was mostly a long-term business, and the customers inside were mostly江湖客 (jianghu ke, martial arts practitioners) who had risked their lives, Xu Jing probably wouldn't dare to tamper with the food.
However, one should not have the intention to harm others, but one must be wary of others.
Being careful won't hurt.
On the other side, after finishing his noodles, Xu Jing went to each table, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "If you all found the taste satisfactory, my family also runs 'Xu's Restaurant' in the city. If any of you pass the imperial examinations, I will certainly host a separate banquet to celebrate!"
Everyone smiled and agreed, feeling that Xu Jing was quick-witted, thoughtful, and good at handling things, leaving a very good impression.
After the meal, no one dared to linger and hurriedly returned to the school courtyard, where they each found a place to sit and rest, waiting quietly for the competition.
Half an hour passed quickly.
Around 1:15 PM, an instructor from the academy strode out and announced loudly to the crowd: "The competition is a practical assessment!"
The academy has set up four examination halls, and you will need to compete against the examiners there. Those who rank in the top three will be awarded Grade A, and thereafter, they will be ranked in groups of three, with the ranking proceeding downwards.
To ensure fairness, all examinees are required to have undergone six transformations in their cultivation. After each battle, a Qi and Blood Pill will replenish their strength before proceeding to the next round.
At this point, his voice suddenly became serious: "However, fists and feet have no eyes, and in previous years, many people have died in the martial arts examinations. Therefore, before this competition, everyone must sign a life-or-death contract."
If anyone regrets it now, it's not too late to give up.
Once the contract is signed, life and death are in the hands of fate; everyone must fight before they can leave!
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Some candidates who had hoped to try their luck looked grim. After much deliberation, they ultimately gritted their teeth and chose to give up.
But most of those who remain are true martial arts masters who have roamed the martial world, and among them are probably many ruthless characters with blood on their hands.
Having come this far, they naturally didn't want to give up.
After several rounds of selection, sixty-two people remained to participate in the competition.
Once the number of attendees was finalized, the school instructor led everyone to an open space paved with bluestone slabs.
There were two side rooms on each side, and two soldiers with swords at their hands stood solemnly at the door of each room.
Once everything was ready, the school instructor announced loudly, "The competition officially begins! Those whose numbers are called, proceed to the corresponding training room. Three, four, six, nine, ten... go to the Emperor's room; twenty-three, twenty-five... go to the Earth's room..."
Hearing the numbers announced, many candidates who had not secretly made arrangements looked tense.
Everyone knows that this is the most complicated part.
Although the examiners were of similar cultivation levels, their actual strength still varied.
Those with connections have likely already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of the examiners in each room and made proper arrangements, while those without connections can only rely on luck.
Whichever one you encounter is the one you'll find.
Chen Ye was assigned to the Xuan-class training room, along with Wang Baohe and Xu Jing.
Both of them had earlier numbers than him, so they would enter the venue before him.
Soon, the doors to the four side rooms opened simultaneously.
In front of the Xuan-level examination room, Xu Jing, the first examinee, stood up, straightened his clothes, and grinned at the other examinees, saying, "Gentlemen, I'll go and test your skills first. If I'm lucky enough to get a good ranking, we'll hold a celebration later!"
Those in the crowd who had been treated by him raised their hands in greeting and offered a few auspicious words.
Xu Jing turned around and pushed the door open to enter.
The door to the room with the character "玄" (xuan) closed slowly.
Before long, sounds of fists clashing, shouts, and sparring could be heard from the various rooms.
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out from the Xuan-character room, followed by deathly silence.
The soldiers guarding the door received a summons from inside and quickly pushed the door open to enter.
A moment later, the two men, one on each side, dragged Xu Jing out of the room.
His face was covered in blood, his chest was mostly sunken, and he was already lifeless.
The person died just like that.