Prefecture Examination (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Prefectural Examination (Please Keep Reading)

Four Brightness Mountain was one of the eighteen rebel strongholds.

It was ruled by three Great Kings.

Xu Xing had tricked Earth King into becoming sworn brothers not because he enjoyed taking brothers. It was because he had seen through Four Brightness Mountain's internal power structure at a glance.

If he did not become sworn brothers with the three Great Kings and join their ranks as one of them—

Then... the best outcome he could hope for was becoming someone like Zhang Liang or Xiao He.

Zhang Liang and Xiao He had rendered immense merit, yet under Liu Bang, they had been no more than marquises. But what about Lu Wan, who had sworn to be born in the same year, month, and day as Liu Bang? In terms of merit, he had practically been a hanger-on within the Han faction, with no great accomplishments to his name. Yet when Liu Bang divided the realm among his vassals, Lu Wan was made King of Yan.

Unless one became a sworn brother of the Three Kings, one simply could not enter Four Brightness Mountain's ruling inner circle.

That was plain as day.

To become sworn brothers was to become partners, no longer subordinates!

Xu Xing saw this very clearly.

However—

Swearing brotherhood with Earth King did not bring him nothing but benefits; it also carried risks.

The current Four Brightness Mountain was merely a makeshift outfit, not some prized morsel. With the imperial army encircling and suppressing it, who knew when it might collapse?

Few people would stake everything and pour heavy capital into Four Brightness Mountain...

Xu Xing's move was simply because he did not want to work for nothing.

Besides, he was already a disgraced official and a rebel official. The road of accepting imperial amnesty had long been cut off to him.

With no way back—

He could only brace himself and rebel for the rest of his life.

Earth King was no fool.

If the "benefits" Xu Xing gained from this brotherhood outweighed his own, why would he so readily swear brotherhood with Xu Xing?

As for being his sworn brother, there was no imperial throne to inherit within Four Brightness Mountain anyway. A rebel king's glory was only temporary. By the time they truly had the power to storm Divine Capital...

Who could say what the future held?

Next—

Earth King and Xu Xing each lit incense and performed the eight bows, completing the final rite. Together, they declared, "We swear to live and die together, and to support one another through hardship."

"Fourth Brother!"

"Third Brother!"

"Fourth Brother!"

"Third Brother!"

They called to each other several times, clasping hands as their voices caught in their throats.

"We pay respects... to the Fourth King."

Ghost Hand, Lu Little Monkey, and the others also bowed to Xu Xing, affirming his identity.

A brother's brother was also a brother.

Even if Mourning Heaven King Yao Dang was dissatisfied that Earth King and Xu Xing had become sworn brothers, once Earth King and the others returned to Four Brightness Mountain, for the sake of preventing the stronghold from splitting apart—and for Four Brightness Mountain's future—no matter what, Mourning Heaven King would have to pinch his nose and acknowledge Xu Xing as his fourth brother...

"The three of us brothers all have titles known beyond the mountain."

"My surname is Chang, my given name Kun, hence Earth King."

"Eldest Brother's surname is Yao and his given name is Dang. But because he hates the imperial court and mourns the family and friends who died on Great Snow Mountain, he calls himself Mourning Heaven King. Second Brother is called Might King because he earned himself a nickname of tiger-like might in the martial world."

"Fourth Brother, you can also choose a title for others to call you by outside."

After the group took their seats again, Earth King made the suggestion to Xu Xing.

To keep disaster from reaching their families, these outlaw heroes who roamed the martial world all used titles to address themselves and conceal their real names.

Previously, Xu Xing had merely joined Four Brightness Mountain. The stronghold would not announce his name to the outside world, so taking a title would have been of little use. But now that Xu Xing had effectively become Four Brightness Mountain's Fourth King... he needed a new title, so that the underlings could spread the fame of the Four Great Kings beyond the mountain...

"As for a title..."

Xu Xing hesitated briefly. "This little brother has only just arrived and should not be too ostentatious. I cannot think of any fitting title at the moment. Once we reach Four Brightness Mountain, how about asking Eldest Brother to bestow one upon me..."

Having secured tangible benefits, Xu Xing chose to take a step back.

Having Mourning Heaven King bestow him a title would, first, confirm that he truly was Mourning Heaven King's sworn brother, preserving his status and position within the stronghold. Second... it was a gesture of yielding to Mourning Heaven King, establishing the distinction between "ruler and subject" between them.

And third, honoring Mourning Heaven King from afar would also earn him Earth King's goodwill.

"Fourth Brother is right."

"It would be more suitable for Eldest Brother to bestow your title."

Earth King revealed a faint smile at this.

He had not thought as much as Xu Xing had earlier, but after hearing these words, realization dawned on him, and he felt Xu Xing's reasoning made a great deal of sense. This show of respect for his elder brother, Mourning Heaven King, left him highly satisfied with Xu Xing.

Dungeon World.

In the blink of an eye, time had reached April of the twenty-fourth year of the Guangxu era.

April fifteenth was precisely the day of Jingzhao Prefecture's prefectural examination.

"Brother Xu..."

"These are mint leaves to refresh your mind. Take them with you—you must keep your spirits up in the examination hall."

Before dawn, just as the rooster crowed.

Candlelight came on in Room Three of the Earth Wing at Far Embrace Inn. Chen Jian'an and Li Mingda, who shared the room with Xu Xing, walked up to him as he dressed and handed him a small brocade sachet.

Xu Xing opened it and saw that it contained nothing but mint leaves. He nodded and casually put it away.

The prefectural examination was unlike the county examination; the searches were far more stringent.

He had to nip every possibility in the bud and ensure that not even the slightest problem arose.

Though he was more adept at handling people than most his age... who knew whether his two roommates harbored some hidden resentment toward him and might deliberately frame him...

One must not harbor the intent to harm others, but one must guard against being harmed by others.

"Brother Mingda..."

"If you are unwell, there is no harm in trying again next year. There is no need to force yourself too hard."

Xu Xing finished packing his examination basket and saw that Li Mingda's face was pale, that he coughed from time to time. Out of the fellowship of sharing a room, he offered a few words of concern.

Before Xu Xing enrolled at Taste Classics Academy, Chen Jian'an and Li Mingda had shared the same dormitory room.

Li Mingda was the man Zheng Zhaifu had mentioned, the one who had returned home to mourn.

A month before the examination, Li Mingda returned to Taste Classics Academy. Like Chen Jian'an, Li Mingda had passed the county examination in his registered home county and successfully qualified for Jingzhao Prefecture's prefectural examination.

Thus, half a month in advance, the three of them rented a room together at Far Embrace Inn in Jingzhao Prefecture.

"It's nothing..."

"I can still endure it. I cannot let all this time go to waste for nothing."

Li Mingda shook his head, refusing Xu Xing's well-meant suggestion.

Xu Xing nodded and said no more.

The prefectural examination lasted an entire day. For someone seriously ill, under such pressure, both body and mind would be exhausted, and they could very well collapse like a mountain struck by sickness. With his foundation in martial arts, he could tell that Li Mingda's condition was far from optimistic.

With proper rest and recuperation, he might recover, but if he insisted on taking the examination, should anything go wrong, it would be hard to say.

But the prefectural examination was too important, and he and Li Mingda were not close friends. One reminder was enough; if he said too much, Li Mingda might instead grow sick of him...

He would end up a man on neither side.

After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, the three of them each picked up their examination baskets and descended the inn stairs.

"Red lanterns hang high! This humble one wishes the three masters fortune at your crowns and success upon the golden list."

Before they had even stepped outside, the inn attendant clasped his hands and offered them congratulations.

"Same to you."

Xu Xing and the other two replied casually. Then, with a glance, they saw several red lanterns piled near the inn entrance. They were octagonal palace lanterns, stamped with auspicious designs of carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.