Breaking Through a Major Realm Overnight

With a chi sound, a flying knife shot horizontally towards Zhang Yiyu. Zhang Yiyu was startled; the knife was incredibly fast, ten times faster than before!

She waved her hand, and the flying knife changed direction, returning to Lin Su's hand.

"Again!"

Another knife, this one even fiercer!

Again!

Again!

Lin Su dashed wildly around the courtyard, kicking up dust and stones. The flying knife in his hand repeatedly flew towards Zhang Yiyu, growing stronger with each throw! It seemed as if every strike used all his strength, and the next strike was even more powerful, with seemingly no end.

All night long, the west courtyard was filled with flying sand and stones. Lin Jialiang, who was nearby, knew nothing of this because all he saw was what Zhang Yiyu allowed him to see.

As the eastern sky began to show a sliver of pale white, Lin Su threw one last knife and then slowly collapsed. His entire body felt as if it had been washed with water, and his clothes were torn to shreds.

Zhang Yiyu, holding the flying knife, stared blankly at Lin Su on the ground.

What was this? A genius?

In just one night, his flying knife had reached such a level. In terms of sheer power and speed, it was no less than that of a Martial Ancestor. At dinner, he had only been a Martial Artist, yet in one night, he had skipped over Martial Master and was now close to Martial Ancestor, crossing more than one major realm overnight.

An hour and a half later, Lin Su woke up, likely because the sun was shining on his backside. The moment he woke, Zhang Yiyu vanished from her spot.

Lin Su looked down at himself, a bit bewildered. He got up and looked around, then went into the room to get some clothes. He ran to the courtyard wall, leaped over, and disappeared into the jungle behind. In a flash, he was by the river, chutong!

About half an hour later, he climbed back over the courtyard wall. He had washed his hair and face, changed his clothes, and now looked dapper.

Zhang Yiyu was nowhere to be found.

Despite the commotion in his west courtyard yesterday, there wasn't the slightest bit of damage. If he hadn't felt the surging power within him, he would have thought yesterday was just a painful yet pleasant dream.

The Five Realms Dao Flower, being no ordinary mortal, protected him. No matter how much he messed around, it wouldn't cause any major disturbance. She was truly a good sparring partner.

Lin Jialiang entered, carrying Xiao Yao.

"Third Brother, the Provincial Examination is over, and a new task awaits: the Metropolitan Examination. There are only ninety-one days left!"

Lin Su thought to himself, 'Holy crap!'

Is this human countdown clock starting again?

This is never-ending.

"Third Brother, don't blame your brother for nagging, but your status is different now. You're the Jieyuan of the Provincial Examination. If you fail the Metropolitan Examination, it would be a huge joke in the Literary Way! So, no matter how unhappy you are, Second Brother still has to push you!"

That was indeed the truth.

Being the Jieyuan of the Provincial Examination and then failing the Metropolitan Examination would be the biggest upset.

Lin Su said, "Second Brother, don't forget, the Metropolitan Examination is something we brothers will face together. Tomorrow, I'll take your place as the human timekeeper and start the countdown at your place..."

Lin Jialiang's face lit up with joy. "That's exactly what I was thinking! We brothers will discuss and work hard together... Third Brother, these are two sample policy essays I collected. Your military and national policy essay was truly unparalleled, but the Metropolitan Examination essays might not always be about military matters. It's best to be prepared for anything."

He handed Lin Su two manuscripts. These were copied on ordinary paper, and the writing was already quite faded, with traces of candle oil and ink. Judging by their appearance, they were quite... antique and authentic.

Lin Su picked them up and examined them closely.

Memorial on Commerce—The prosperity of a nation is all about profit. Where does profit come from? From commerce. Therefore, the importance of commerce is the importance of a nation's tool...

After reading it in one go, Lin Su picked up the other essay.

On the Calamities of Water Conservancy—The prosperity of a nation lies in its people. The people's convenience comes from water and soil. The Great Cang has thirty-seven major rivers, and over half of them flood annually...

He finished that one in a single breath as well.

His expression was rather strange. "Second Brother, you call these sample essays?"

"Of course, they're sample essays! These are sample essays from the Palace Examination twelve years ago. The topic for the policy essay was just three words: The Nation's Prosperity. These two sample essays were obtained by Father through a friend in court..."

"Don't you think these sample essays are utter nonsense?"

Lin Jialiang froze abruptly.

Lin Su, however, sat down and muttered, "This is a bit strange. How could such essays, with such biased viewpoints and bizarre arguments, be written for the Palace Examination? Was the standard really that low? That shouldn't be right... Oh, I think I understand..."

What did he understand?

He understood why the policy essays in this world were so bizarre.

It was for one reason: the Sages were divided in this world, and each school of thought had completely different viewpoints. When students embarked on the Literary Way, they would label themselves.

For example, the first policy essay was written by someone from the Syncretist School. The Syncretists emphasized commerce, so they infinitely magnified the role of commerce while belittling other schools of thought.

The second was written by someone from the Agriculturalist School, so they infinitely magnified agriculture and denounced commerce as a source of national ruin.

With such labeled policy essays, how could one find truly effective methods for governing the world? Therefore, it wasn't surprising that their viewpoints were extreme and biased.

In contrast, in Chinese feudal society, the real Imperial Examinations began in the Tang Dynasty. Policy essays also entered the hall of examinations around that time. By then, the ancestors who founded the Hundred Schools of Thought were long gone, and their influence was gradually waning. The various schools of thought moved past division and entered a stage of integration, thus leading to a holistic and big-picture perspective.

Under this intellectual trend, the quality of policy essays significantly improved.

In this world, the Sages still existed... even if they themselves were no longer present, at least their influence remained unprecedented, and the boundaries between schools of thought were clearly defined.

This was why such bizarre policy essays, where "everyone spoke their own language, and quack remedies governed the world," appeared.

Lin Jialiang completely misunderstood: "Third Brother's military policy essays are top-tier, so his standards are naturally higher. It's normal for him to look down on these policy essays, but... nowadays, it's hard to find sample policy essays. Any excellent ones are kept by the major aristocratic families. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to find better samples for Third Brother..."

Hidden in the shadows, Zhang Yiyu's eyes lit up. He wanted sample essays!

Then find me, I can bring a few sample essays from home...

She didn't know why she suddenly had this thought.

Lin Su said, "Second Brother, don't bother! How about this, I'll write a few for you. You can use them as a reference, and perhaps they'll help with the Metropolitan Examination..."

Lin Jialiang's heart trembled, and his face suddenly flushed red.

Zhang Yiyu was also stunned. How come the script wasn't going as she'd imagined?