The Theory of the Literary Star (Please Recommend and Bookmark!)

"Shengzhong, I owe you a great deal this time."

As a Hanlin Academician and chief examiner of the Provincial Examination, Scholar Guo had personally come to offer his thanks. By saying this, he had lowered himself as far as he possibly could.

The main reason was that this incident had been truly serious. If the Ming Cult had actually succeeded, his future would have been all but ruined.

The imperial examinations were the most important part of how the Great Song maintained its rule.

Back in the day, Emperor Taizong of Tang had perfected the imperial examination system and once said, "The heroes of the realm have all fallen into my trap."

What was a trap? A snare!

This actually revealed the essence of the imperial examinations: they were a snare designed to keep heroes from rebelling.

During the Tang Dynasty, the number of successful candidates was small, and they had to contend with aristocratic clans in officialdom. By the Song Dynasty, the emperor had vigorously promoted literary affairs, giving the realm's talented scholars a path to advancement. They all devoted themselves to studying the Six Classics, leaving them even less inclined to think about rebellion.

In devising ways to maintain domestic rule, Zhao Kuangyin had certainly taken great pains.

In turn, the Ming Cult's attack on the successful examinees had thoroughly touched a nerve in the ruling class.

Now, patrols were everywhere throughout Yong Prefecture.

A wave of turmoil was about to sweep across the entire Jinghu South Circuit.

As the person chiefly responsible, Scholar Guo was deeply shaken. The person he was most grateful to was Huang Shang.

But even so, given his status, he had no need to visit in person to offer his thanks.

The main reason was the rumor circulating outside—

Huang Shang was the Literary Star descended to the mortal world!

After the Ming Cult's bandits died outside the Examination Hall, the coroner naturally examined their bodies. The conclusion was that these martial-world bandits hadn't been killed by some supposed internal energy. They had simply died for no apparent reason.

Thinking of how Huang Shang had advanced step by step outside the Examination Hall, terrifyingly berating the bandits, a story began to circulate: the provincial laureate was the Literary Star descended to the mortal world, protected by divine power. That was how he had turned the tide when the Examination Hall came under attack.

Many people were filled with sincere awe, Scholar Guo among them.

Huang Shang showed not the slightest hint of pride. "It was only what a student ought to do."

Scholar Guo cautiously asked, "Do you have any leads on those Ming Cult bandits, Shengzhong?"

Huang Shang gave a slight shake of his head. "This student knows nothing."

He had stepped forward outside the Examination Hall and protected the safety of Yong Prefecture, but he had no intention of involving himself in what came next.

He had not yet passed the Palace Examination or been appointed to an official post.

Nor was he a military officer.

The more one did, the more one could get wrong.

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat was often the only way to understand one's gains and losses.

Seeing Huang Shang studying as usual and preparing for the next round, the Departmental Examination, Scholar Guo felt even greater respect for him. He said no more, rose, and took his leave.

Not long after Scholar Guo left, Wu Que and Nightingale appeared.

The former's expression had subtly changed. The latter was as she had always been, though her smile had grown sweeter, making her seem more and more like a starstruck fan.

The speed at which Huang Shang's strength was improving was truly beyond their expectations.

After seeing the battle at the Examination Hall, Wu Que had begun to wonder:

How far was Huang Shang from reaching the star rank?

The answer was unsettling.

Huang Shang could have a brilliant future, but only after the contract was completed.

If Huang Shang became the peerless expert from the original story in this world—a two-star grandmaster—how many chances would they have to contract with him?

It's time to break free.

Having keenly sensed the change, Huang Shang knew that Wu Que probably wouldn't help him improve from now on. Instead, Wu Que would start holding him back.

As it turned out, not a single star-ranked Reincarnator was easy to deal with. Wu Que and Nightingale had originally been competing with each other, which had suited Huang Shang's interests.

But the two of them had quickly joined forces, pulling in the same direction. That was bad news for him.

Being too weak didn't meet a Reincarnator's needs.

Soaring to the heavens didn't suit a Reincarnator's aims, either.

The real Huang Shang would never have imagined that a friend who had been calling him brother just yesterday was now harboring ill intentions, intent on turning him completely into a puppet.

Huang Shang, however, understood what the Reincarnators wanted.

Fairly speaking, Wu Que had given him the Bright Jade Art. It was perfectly normal for Wu Que to have such thoughts.

But from Huang Shang's perspective, he needed to find a way to get out without turning them into enemies.

It wouldn't be easy.

Luckily, this is the Jinghu South Circuit.

Huang Shang had been thinking of a solution these past few days.

In the end, though, he decided to wait and see.

If his guess was right, there was one martial-world faction more anxious than he was.

Someone might come to see him before long.

After that, Huang Shang continued reviewing his studies.

The Provincial Examination was only the first stage of the imperial examinations. Two more remained.

The Departmental Examination! The Palace Examination!

Having tasted the benefits of the Provincial Examination, he would gain even more Literary Qi from the next two.

If he passed them, each would bring an unparalleled enhancement.

Of the three examinations, the Departmental Examination was the most difficult—and the most crucial.

If he failed the Departmental Examination, being the provincial laureate would mean nothing. He would have to take the exam again three years later.

So he declined invitation after invitation and devoted himself to his studies.

Some people followed the rules and had no choice but to give up when he turned them down.

Others did not.

One day, Huang Shang was absorbed in a copy of Spring and Autumn Weighing when a noise suddenly came from behind him.

He seemed not to hear it. Only when a familiar, unpleasant odor drifted over did a tower-like, middle-aged man plant himself before him. "Young Master Huang, we meet again!"

It was Wang Jiantong, the Beggar Sect's leader.

Huang Shang gave him a cold look and ignored him.

Wang Jiantong was rather embarrassed.

Among martial artists, even if one had been enemies in the past, one was still expected to exchange pleasantries.

But Huang Shang wasn't a martial-world figure at all, and they had already become enemies before. He simply ignored Wang Jiantong outright.

Wang Jiantong had no choice but to force out an awkward yet polite smile. "I offended you greatly before, Young Master. I hope you can forgive me!"

Only then did Huang Shang reply, "There's no need for that. Your sect often breaks the law. I'm just a scholar, and I have no power to change anything yet. One day, I will purge the martial world of its chaos!"

At this, Wang Jiantong frowned. Before he could say anything, an old beggar stepped forward and glared at Huang Shang. "You insolent brat! What an arrogant boast!"

By seniority, this man was Wang Jiantong's martial uncle. He was Elder Xu, the Beggar Sect elder who had returned from retirement at the Beggar Sect assembly in Apricot Grove.

Huang Shang couldn't even be bothered to speak. He gave the old man a cold look.

There was no dazzling light of a martial artist in his eyes, yet Elder Xu felt an indescribable force crash into him. His face changed abruptly, and he stumbled back two steps.

Elder Xu was filled with shock. Wang Jiantong's expression changed, too.

It was said throughout the land that Huang Shang was the Literary Star descended to the mortal world. Wang Jiantong had never believed it. But a little over two months ago, while investigating Chen Sheng's death, he had personally examined the body. At the time, Huang Shang had been no more than a frail scholar. But now...

If it wasn't martial arts,

what was it?

Could it really be the divine power of the Literary Star?

With that in mind, even the wild bandit swagger that Wang Jiantong wore as a matter of course receded without him realizing it.

Huang Shang had no need for the reverence of a few beggars. He looked instead at the other young beggar who had come with Wang Jiantong and Elder Xu.

"Ma Dayuan?"

This future deputy leader, deeply trusted by Wang Jiantong, would have been the ideal second-in-command if he hadn't married a venomous woman. He was good at coordinating everyone above and below him, keeping everything in impeccable order.

Seeing Wang Jiantong and Elder Xu frozen in place, Ma Dayuan stepped forward. "Young Master Huang, now isn't the time to hold a grudge. Those who attacked the Examination Hall belonged to the Ming Cult, which came to our Central Plains from Persia. They aren't our people, and their hearts are sure to be treacherous. We hope the authorities can recognize the true enemy."

Why had Wang Jiantong and the other two come?

The reason was simple.

The Ming Cult had brought disaster on itself by rebelling, and the Beggar Sect had been caught in the crossfire.

There was no helping it. The Ming Cult's stronghold was too well hidden for the imperial court to find.

But the Beggar Sect's headquarters on Jun Mountain was plain as day.

When the garrison troops couldn't find the Ming Cult bandits and feared being blamed by their superiors, what could they do?

They went after the Beggar Sect instead!

The seeds sown in the past bore fruit today. The Beggar Sect's disciples had once treated the Great Song's laws as meaningless, and though the authorities had been powerless to do anything about them, old grievances had accumulated. Now they erupted all at once.

In truth, Jun Mountain lay in the middle of Dongting Lake, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The garrison troops of the Jinghu South Circuit were weaklings, and the Beggar Sect had nothing to fear from them.

But the Beggar Sect was different from the Ming Cult.

The Beggar Sect, from top to bottom, might disapprove of the court's weakness and willingness to sue for peace, but they had never considered rebelling against it.

No matter how many long-standing ills plagued the Great Song court, it was still stable and peaceful. Once chaos and turmoil erupted, it was the common people who suffered most.

In troubled times, human lives were worth less than weeds.

The Beggar Sect understood this much.

So Wang Jiantong didn't want to fight the authorities head-on, bringing grief to those who cared and joy to their enemies.

But they had no channel through which to negotiate. After learning that the provincial laureate who had blocked the Ming Cult at the Examination Hall that day was Huang Shang, whom they had encountered before, they came to seek him out.

Now the tables had turned. Wang Jiantong took a deep breath and bowed. "I hope Young Master Huang will put the past behind us!"

Wang Jiantong would rather swallow his pride than see civil strife. Huang Shang appreciated that and said, "My rank is low and my voice carries little weight. I'm afraid I can't change the court's mind."

Just as disappointment appeared on the faces of Wang Jiantong and the other two, he changed tack. "But I have two friends with formidable martial skills. They have a way to track down the Ming Cult's demonic followers. The two of you can join forces!"

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