Fortune Forms a Lake, Fate Rises Like Pillars

"I can't argue with you." The slovenly Daoist, known as Wugou, shook his head, stretched, and looked towards the Examination Hall. "When the candidates enter the hall, the Fortune inside and outside surges like a blanket. It truly hides talents fit for prime ministers, but when mixed together, it's impossible to tell which one is more outstanding."

"Metropolitan Examination, people first try to interpret the classics and the Mohist texts. They either explain their understanding based on the classics or answer questions about the meaning of the commentaries. This only reflects a person's foundation. We, on the other hand, observe a person's aura to see the fluctuations in their current Fortune and their future trends." The old man with a braid in the mist laughed as he spoke.

"Every action a candidate takes in the examination room will affect their future destiny, especially in the essay and policy discussion sections, which are unpredictable. Before they even begin writing on these sections, it's difficult to tell who is better. Just wait a little longer, and their future trajectory will gradually become clear."

"Hehe," the Daoist Wugou chuckled, took another swig of wine, then wiped his mouth. "You're most familiar with these things. I came here this time to get to know a couple of talented individuals, so I can leave an impression and ask them for help in the future."

As the mist gathered and dispersed, the old man with the braided hair turned around and glanced back, then smiled and said, "You, Daoist Wugou, are very knowledgeable. In a moment, you will need to identify a few more people so that I can record them."

"Of course, of course." Daoist Wugou laughed heartily and took another sip.

Time passed, Metropolitan Examination had been going on for more than an hour.

In the examination hall, each candidate answered the questions with a different expression, but Qiu Yan kept his head down for a long time. After Wang He left, the guards Original Edition been patrolling back and forth occasionally stopped paying much attention to Qiu Yan after a few times.

These military inspectors, when conducting examinations and searching, also had their own experience. They could make general judgments from the candidates' performance and demeanor, and they knew what kind of people should be paid attention to.

During this period, the examiners came twice, but each time they only glanced at the exhibits before leaving.

"Call..."

Suddenly, Qiu Yan let out a long breath, raised his head, lifted the exam paper in front of him, and put it aside.

Thus, the interpretations of the classics and the Mohist texts were completed, taking one hour and one quarter of an hour.

"The rest is where I'll have to expend my energy. I'm being suppressed by the immense will of this Examination Hall, and every thought I have drains my mental strength, several times greater than Original Edition. The classics and the Mohist texts are manageable, but the remaining essays and policy discussions require careful word choice and meaningful content to guide the readers' thinking and logic. This undoubtedly demands even more mental effort. Without the aid of my Heart Demon and divine intervention, I can only hold out for a maximum of three more hours!"

The Supreme Sage Confucius, enshrined in the Imperial Examination Hall of the dynasty's capital, has been worshipped by generations of examinees, accumulating their Literary Thought and Votive Thoughts, and has become almost a symbol. The overwhelming force suppressing Qiu Yan now is the immense power drawn by this symbol. No matter how high Qiu Yan's cultivation level is, he is still only one person. It is already quite difficult for him to delay and imprison it by relying on the Sage Spirit and his own understanding. To continue it for too long would undoubtedly be even more difficult.

The Heart Demon Body and the Divine Spirit Body, these two extraordinary powers, might be helpful in ordinary times, but in the Examination Hall, Human Path is paramount. If used, they could easily backfire, so they should be avoided.

As Qiu Yan pondered, he unfolded the essay section, but instead of immediately putting pen to paper, he looked at the sentence on it and began to reflect on it in his mind.

"When grain is cheap, farmers suffer; when it is expensive, merchants suffer. This saying seems reasonable, but there are many things worth exploring in it. However, in this Metropolitan Examination hall, thousands of people gather together, and everyone writes. No matter how much meaning is in a sentence, it will eventually be thoroughly explored. If you want to make a point, you should use this sentence as a starting point to bring out more content..."

The so-called "understanding the examiner's mind" is mainly reflected in essays and policy questions. The questions set by the examiner naturally have their own intentions. The more candidates elaborate on them, the more attention they will receive, and the quality of the essay itself will be secondary.

However, although Qiu Yan had some understanding of the New Law, he also had his own ideas, which differed from those of the Black-faced Chancellor official. Fortunately, most of the candidates this time only had a superficial understanding of the New Law, and the change in the theme of the Metropolitan Examination was unexpected for them. It was unrealistic to expect them to write an article with the same thoughts as Wang Fu; rather, it was more ideal to write something that was somewhat related to it.

As he pondered, he slowly closed his eyes.

At this moment, the various provisions of the New Law came to mind. At the same time, after making contact with the City Intent, the historical atmosphere he sensed also rose to his mind, along with what he had seen and heard while wandering through the streets and alleys over the past few days.

These pieces of information were clearly distinct, each occupying its own place in Qiu Yan's thoughts. But soon, Qiu Yan's knowledge from his previous life converged, and under the control of his consciousness, it slowly formed a framework, like a frame, enclosing all three parts.

Initially, the three parties acted independently, but with the knowledge from their past lives serving as a transition and guide, their contents gradually merged and became a unified whole.

Gradually, the prototype of an article was formed.

"Literature is meant to convey the Way, and this essay is meant to reveal my inner thoughts. Since I have this opportunity, I can't waste it. After all, from now on, I can't just focus on myself; I need to think about how to spread the things I've summarized in my heart, hmm?"

The thought flashed through Qiu Yan's mind, and then the force that was trying to expel him from the Examination Hall actually lessened slightly.

"Oh? The core of Human Path is becoming increasingly clear..."

Shaking his head, Qiu Yan suppressed his newfound insights and began to refine the details of the essay in his mind, straightening out the logic.

After about fifteen minutes, the article finally stabilized.

"If I were to write down this essay in my heart, under normal circumstances, passing the Examination Hall Will, which is actually at odds with the Dynastic Fortune. If my luck is not good, I may fail the exam by some twist of fate. Moreover, someone wants to harm me, so I must strive for excellence and aim for a goal that is unmatched by others. In this way, even if my Fortune is diminished, I will be absolutely certain of success!"

Thinking this, Qiu Yan's mind stirred again, and the Sage Spirit that had been imprisoning his vast will emerged, splitting into tiny characters and seal script, which merged into the article that was taking shape in his mind.

Immediately, the already completed article underwent a series of changes, especially after the two Agricultural School Spirit were incorporated into it, which changed rapidly and even evolved into a transformation of Human Path in Qiu Yan's heart! It was faintly connected with the Myriad People's Heart Fire and the Humanistic Fire Seed, and their breaths resonated with each other!

This took another fifteen minutes. After that, Qiu Yan picked up his pen and wrote a single word on the essay page!

This character contains exceptionally abundant Qi and Blood; the moment it touches the paper, it bursts forth with heat, sweeping across the surrounding area!

The surrounding area, already filled with a faint warmth from the words he had written while answering the questions, was now stirred up by this action, radiating outwards.

Crackling! Crackling!

In the two adjacent cells, charcoal was burning in braziers, occasionally scattering Fire Star that brought heat and raised the temperature of the cells.

It is still early spring, Metropolitan Examination is far off. It is still early in the day and the weather is cold. Scholars who do not exercise much can hardly keep warm with just one or two pieces of clothing, so they need to burn charcoal for warmth.

Now, as the heat radiated from Qiu Yan's writing, the surrounding temperature suddenly soared. In no time, the examinee in the next cell felt unbearably hot, frowned, pulled down his collar a little, and then called for the cell guards to come over and extinguish the charcoal brazier and take it away.

The soldier arrived in a hurry. He hadn't felt anything until he reached Qiu Yan's cell, when a wave of heat immediately hit him. He was puzzled but didn't understand why, so he took the two charcoal braziers away.

However, neither of the two examinees nor the cellmate could see that around them, the ethereal and surging Fortune was constantly pouring out of Qiu Yan's cell, rising and surging upwards like a rising tide!

At this moment, the entire Examination Hall was enveloped by an aura of Literary Thought Fortune.

This Fortune originated from the candidates within the examination hall, who were like individual water sources. The Fortune was the flowing water that gathered in the Examination Hall, forming a pool or lake that expanded continuously as the Metropolitan Examination progressed, foreshadowing their future prospects.

Suddenly, a jet of water gushed out from the surface of the lake!

"Oh? Finally, there's been a change! So this is what you meant when you said that the answers to essays and policy questions determine one's future prospects? Does that mean someone has already taken the lead?" On the artificial hill in the Imperial Palace, the Daoist Wugou looked at the pillar of Fortune and asked with a smile.

"Not bad," the old man with the braided hair, visible through the mist, nodded. "However, the path of Fortune emphasizes gradual accumulation before unleashing one's full potential. If one is too aggressive and eager for success, one often lacks the strength to sustain it. Whether this person can succeed is still uncertain."

"Oh? Is that so?" Daoist Wugou muttered, then chuckled, "By the way, there's a familiar scent in this pillar of Fortune. I already know who it belongs to. Do you want me to tell you?"

"No need for that," the old man with the braid shook his head. "I happen to have seen this person before."

"Hmm?" Daoist Wugou's expression changed slightly.

Just as the two were speaking, the surface of the lake of Fortune above the Examination Hall rippled again, and then another surge of energy emerged!

Meanwhile, in the Southern Border Jiannan Circuit, in Lin Zhong, a person was walking slowly. He was a Daoist priest with a leopard's head and round eyes, and he was carrying a Copper Furnace in his hand.

"You have completely mastered the medicinal properties of that pill. Is it time to leave? It might cause some unforeseen complications!" A deep, muffled voice came from the Copper Furnace. (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thanks to "Kunlun Nine Heavens" and "Old Man V" for the monthly votes!