Who Would Take Top Honors?

Even commercial titan Ding Hai was following behind them—and more terrifying still, there were those with Dao and demons among them...

The Confucian Temple was equivalent to a point of contact where the Sacred Hall had been built in the human realm. It was exceedingly holy. Three thousand had been built across Great Cang, and each Confucian Temple had only one person standing watch: the Confucian Temple Night Watchman. If you had business and wished to see him, he would certainly be absent. Yet when you were wandering the streets with nothing to do, he would be standing on the steps, gazing up at the vast sky.

He would be there every three years for the imperial examinations, because that was his sole duty.

Today, the Night Watchman wore white as snow. He stood on the second level of the nine-story Confucian Temple, like a deity looking down upon the mortal world.

The Golden Bell had rung, and the students entered the Way of Letters.

A streak of golden light had emerged, falling at the outermost edge of the Confucian Temple. This golden light was the boundary. Only those who had earned scholarly honors, or students of the Imperial Academy, were qualified to enter this circle. Should anyone else intrude, they would be executed on the spot.

Humans entered, humans died; demons entered, demons died; devils entered, devils died!

With the power of the Confucian Temple, ten thousand evils dared not draw near!

Little Fox flickered in and out of the forest, sometimes taking human form and blending into the crowd. But when she was still ten zhang from the Confucian Temple, she stopped, not daring to take another half-step forward.

Zhang Yiyu stopped as well. Though she was human and the Confucian Temple was not so hostile toward her, she likewise did not dare touch upon its might. This was not merely a matter of danger; it was also the basic bottom line between one Dao and another: mutual respect.

At last, she saw this legendary person from up close.

He was more or less as her elder brother Zhang Haoran had described.

What was the same was that this man was very unusual.

What differed was that her brother had said he was unconventional, while she felt that this man was truly sick in the head...

Scholars—Countless People described them as gentlemen warm as jade: refined and quiet, with transcendent bearing; in motion, as full as the Dao; in stillness, like spring water. Was that not the mark of lofty men and elegant scholars? But you—betting with people at the drop of a hat, even stripping your clothes to wager, and speaking in ways that could infuriate people to death—how were you anything like a scholar?

Once the students entered the golden circle, all laughter, curses, and clamor vanished.

This was the might of the Confucian Temple.

For scholars, sages were their living ancestors. How you behaved before your ancestors was how you behaved at the Confucian Temple.

The Night Watchman gently lifted a hand. A small golden hammer struck a little chime on the second level, producing a crisp ring. This was the Astonishing Sage Bell. Once it rang, it meant that the entire venue was under the Sacred Hall's watch.

The students grew even more solemn.

A golden light appeared and swept around the entire grounds, becoming a gigantic list. The list rose more than ten zhang high; even from ten li away, it could be seen clearly.

To be inscribed on the golden list referred to this list.

As long as one's name appeared on it, one had been admitted. Among Haining's three thousand examinees, only two hundred would be selected. The admission rate was truly low.

The entire city fell silent. Pedestrians halted, merchants craned their necks, and women secluded in their inner chambers opened their windows...

So long as they faced in the direction of the Confucian Temple, regardless of east, south, west, or north, and no matter how many buildings stood in between, they could see the golden list—and they would always see its front.

The solemn, majestic moment had arrived!

Sacred light rose from below, like a river swelling with the tide.

The first name emerged: Sun Yuanming.

At Sun Manor in the east of the city, everyone leaped to their feet.

The second name emerged: Du Tianyuan. In a dilapidated house in the west of the city, a woman's whole body greatly shook. The water ladle in her hand clattered to the ground. Tears poured down her face. A full seven years—over those seven years, she had lived frugally and traveled tirelessly in other lands, and at last it had brought her husband success on the golden list...

The third name...

The fourth name...

Every name that appeared was accompanied by the cheers of a crowd...

Soon, there were already one hundred names!

The name of one person who had bet against Lin Su appeared: Zhou Zong. Zhou Zong's heart was brimming with excitement as well. Entering the top hundred meant he had successfully met the goal his family had set for him. Fanning himself with his folding fan, he spoke, "Brother Lin, I don't seem to have seen your name."

Lin Su gave a cold smile. "Not seeing my name means you've lost, understand? And you're still celebrating!"

Zhou Zong's face stiffened. Kid, don't be so arrogant. Are you really that certain you'll place in the top hundred?...

The second name of someone who had bet against him jumped out: Li Lie. Li Lie's face abruptly turned red. In truth, he had been holding his breath all along. He had originally expected to rank outside the top hundred. When the list reached one hundred and his name still had not appeared, terror seized him. Could it be that he had failed entirely? Now, at last, the huge stone in his heart dropped away, and his whole person came alive!

And once alive, he became somewhat unrestrained. "There are only sixty spots left now. Third Young Master Lin, who do you think you are? You think you can be among those sixty? You've already failed entirely. Get ready to strip!"

Lin Su shot him a sidelong glance. "You like watching men take off their clothes that much? Then congratulations—today, you can watch to your heart's content. A whole pile of men will be stripping!"

"Ha ha..." A laugh came from beside them. It was Yang Hongji, another person who had bet against Lin Su, ranked forty-third.

In the blink of an eye, the names of those who had bet against Lin Su appeared in rapid succession—seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth... Zhang Haoyue's name appeared, ranked eighth!

That was quite good. Eighth in the Provincial Examination meant he was qualified to attend the Deer Cry Banquet.

What was the Deer Cry Banquet?

The prefect hosted a banquet to entertain the outstanding talents of his prefecture, congratulating them on soaring ten thousand li like a roc. Only the top ten talents were qualified to attend; it was the highest honor for the younger generation.

The goal his father had set for him was precisely to attend the Deer Cry Banquet. He had achieved it; he had not disgraced the Zhang Family!

That was one cause for excitement. Even more exciting was that his other scheme was about to come true.

At Zhang Prefecture in the east of the city, the Zhang Family's old patriarch was excited as well. "Bring me my red robe! I am going to the Prefectural Manor!"

More than a dozen maids hurried toward the inner rooms to prepare celebratory clothes for the old patriarch...

At Lin Manor, however, it was an entirely different scene.

Xiao Tao and Xiao Xue stared blankly at the giant ranking board, tears in their eyes...

Leaning on her cane, Madam Lin stood silently on the steps. Lin Jialiang held his arms half-raised, waiting for his mother to collapse so he could catch her.

There was one more person in the side courtyard—Uncle Deng. His right arm had already been bandaged, yet blood still seeped through. But he stood motionless in the courtyard, staring at the giant ranking board...

At the wine factory, operations had temporarily stopped. Everyone was looking at the giant ranking board, hoping to see Lin Su's name appear on it. But it was not there! Third Young Master Lin had failed to make the list!

For such a good man, such a godlike man—why? Why would they not give him a chance?

The displaced people of the riverbank were all tangled up inside.

They could not forget the ice-cold river winds they had endured. They could not forget the ice-cold corpses they had sent away. Nor could they forget the earth-shaking transformation of the riverbank today. And even more, they could not forget that it was all because of a benefactor called Third Young Master Lin!

It must be said, things of a kind gathered together, and people divided themselves by their groups.

All those who associated with Zhang Haoyue, Zhao Ji, and their crowd were outstanding talents.

Of the twenty-three people who had wagered against Lin Su, all but Zhao Ji were currently on the list. Yet Lin Su's name had still not appeared.

The list had reached its end!

Zhao Ji lightly flicked his folding fan. "Lin Su, the list has reached its end. Tell me, will the next top-ranked name be yours or mine?"

He was brimming with confidence, because he absolutely believed his ability stood a whole level above that of his companions. His companions had all made the list—how could he possibly fail to do so?

He was bound to be first on the list!

A name emerged—it was Zhao Ji!

All the students present burst into laughter. A grand wager that had shaken the entire city had ended in a score of twenty-three to zero!

Lin Su had failed to make the list, while all twenty-three people who had wagered against him had made it without exception.

Zhao Ji threw back his head and laughed. "This truly is a fine tale for the Literary Way! Anyone who wagers against the Lin family can make the list. From now on, I fear your elder brother's metropolitan examination will be exceptionally lively, with scholars from the Whole World scrambling to wager against him!"

That one sentence detonated the entire scene.

Countless People cheered, but several faces turned iron-blue, Including Ding Hai's!

The crisis had finally arrived!

For some reason, Zhang Yiyu did not quite dare to look at Lin Su's face. A Literary Way Genius, having only just entered the world, had suffered such a crushing blow—would he become dispirited from this day onward?

At Lin Manor, Madam Lin finally fell, pitching forward headfirst!

The list had finished being posted. The miracle she had awaited had not appeared!

Inside the wine factory, someone cried out, "Where is the Heavenly Dao..."

Before the literary temple, Lin Su's brow was tightly furrowed as well. Why? Why had he failed to make the list? There was no reason for it—absolutely no reason...