Paper Transformed by Completed Prose

"Others don't think highly of Qiu Yan, so my going there now is like sending charcoal in snowy weather, making it easier to leave a good impression on him?"

After leaving the academy, Qi Jiulian took a carriage straight to the city. On the way, he was still recalling his grandfather's instructions, his mind churning with thoughts of surprise and uncertainty.

After much thought, it all boils down to one sentence:

Why does Grandfather think so highly of Qiu Yan?

He was completely baffled by this, but the moment he passed through the city gate, after sensing the slow change in the City Intent, Qi Jiulian was startled.

"Yes, I just saw the City Intent fluctuating in the academy. Could it have originated from the examination Examination Hall? Was it because of Qiu Yan? Grandfather is a learned Celestial Person who can sense gains and losses from afar, which is why he said those words?"

As he pondered this, he shook his head again.

"The City Will is not like human consciousness; it is an aggregate that is not easy to mobilize. Even though the imperial Metropolitan Examination could be an opportunity, it is impossible without the assistance of Human Path Order. Even if Qiu Yan has a reputation, he is still young and probably cannot do this. In addition, he has not been in Prosperity Capital for long, and his understanding of this city is probably the same as that of other candidates: superficial. He only sees its glory and strength but cannot see anything deeper."

But the next moment, he frowned again. "However, Grandpa's insight is beyond my imagination. There must be some reason why he thinks so highly of Qiu Yan that I can't understand."

Thinking of this, he felt a lump in his throat again. "But if Qiu Yan surpasses Wen Zhizhen, how am I supposed to get along with him? Do I really have to be inferior to him?"

With this thought in mind, the carriage arrived at a street not far from the Examination Hall, where it was stopped by patrolling soldiers.

During the Metropolitan Examination, vigilance was never relaxed, and everyone coming and going was checked. Fortunately, Qi Jiulian had some reputation in the Imperial City and carried a token from the Void Academy.

"I'm going to the Examination Hall to wait for a friend." After explaining the situation, the soldier finally let him pass, but still added a word of caution, "Young Master Qi, it's too early now. Usually, candidates don't hand in their papers until noon, and most people will wait until evening to carefully check them before submitting them."

"Thank you for reminding me, it's nothing." Although Qi Jiulian was arrogant, he didn't show it all the time, and he was quite amiable when speaking to the soldiers.

After speaking, he walked forward; the road ahead was no longer accessible by vehicle.

As soon as I stepped off the carriage and onto solid ground, the faint, surging city consciousness beneath the ground became much clearer. The closer I got to the Examination Hall, the more I could feel a faint but oppressive aura.

"The Examination Hall is a place where culture and learning reside. It naturally exudes an air of authority, commanding respect. Now, with the Imperial Examinations underway, it's even more crucial, as it involves the future political landscape of the Great Rui Dynasty. Such an imposing presence isn't surprising. However, I feel there's something different about this place. Could it be...?"

The thought was still swirling in his mind when, in the next moment, Qi Jiulian suddenly felt a void around him, and his State of Mind cleared. The faint oppressive aura quickly dissipated!

At the same time, the City Will, which had been faintly pulsating underground, also vanished without a trace and could no longer be felt.

This feeling was a mysterious and profound realization. If Qi Jiulian hadn't been constantly by his grandfather's side, learning calligraphy and its essence from him, another scholar with no cultivation would never have noticed it.

"What's going on?" Qi Jiulian wondered. Before he could figure it out, a guard came up in front of him.

"Young Master Qi, my young lady requests your presence."

Qi Jiulian recognized the guards as belonging to the Pang family, who were said to be highly skilled. Knowing that they were sent by Pang Qianru, he nodded and followed them.

As Qi Jiulian weaved through the crowd waiting for the exam, he noticed a lingering sense of unease on the guard's face. A thought struck him, but before he could ask, he had already arrived at the teahouse. Before him were four delicate faces, three of which were filled with solemnity.

Seeing the expressions on Pang Qianru's, Song Qian's, and Ji Zheng, Qi Jiulian felt a jolt in his heart. His thoughts raced, and his gaze fell upon the tightly closed gates of the Examination Hall.

"Could the fluctuations in the City Intent just now really be related to the examinees in the Examination Hall? But why did they disperse?"

As he pondered, a sudden realization dawned on him: the entire Examination Hall was covered by a yellow flood, and within that flood, a whirlpool burst forth from the water, pointing straight to the heavens!

In the examination room, Qiu Yan put down his pen, let out a long breath, and then raised his sleeve to wipe his forehead.

There were many beads of sweat on his forehead, which was very rare for a martial artist in the Third Realm of Life Cultivation. Martial artists control their flesh and blood and manipulate their pores, so they can block the sweat and turn it into energy.

The reason Qiu Yan fatigued now is that he is completely focused on writing, so much so that he doesn't even care about the details. He devotes all his energy to organizing his thoughts, comprehending the City Intent, and drawing upon the Sage Spirit, ultimately integrating it into the exam paper.

"To confront the Humanistic Dao represented by the Examination Hall is no easy task. Even with external assistance, it still consumes a great deal of mental energy, and it's difficult to replenish it by mobilizing the Incense Faith."

Incense Faith belong to the Divine Path, while the Examination Hall is a place of great importance to the Human Path. Qiu Yan was already ostracized by the Examination Hall because of his Divine Ability. If he were to involve the Divine Path's incense offerings as well, it would be difficult to predict what would happen in the end. Therefore, his depleted mental and spiritual energy could not be replenished.

As Qiu Yan pondered, her gaze fell upon the exam paper, preparing to read it through. However, upon looking at it, she was surprised.

"Huh? This exam paper..."

He muttered something, stretched out two fingers, pinched the exam paper between them, and gently crumpled it, his brows furrowing.

"The texture of the paper has changed; it feels somewhat similar to..."

Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, making various guesses, but his current condition was not good. The Examination Hall was suppressing the extraordinary, which was already a heavy burden. He was carrying this burden to write and answer the questions, which shattered his own pillar of Fortune. Although he bypassed the Divine Ability and came into contact with the Dragon Qi and the City Will to improve his strategy, he was still affected by the backlash and left hidden dangers. He was already close to his limit.

"The most urgent task is to return as soon as possible to study the scriptures carefully and recuperate for a few days, otherwise it will definitely leave hidden dangers. However, this broken pillar of energy has also allowed me to come into contact with some secrets of Fortune. I will go back and borrow the Book of Fortune and Ginseng Treasure to study it."

Thinking this, he glanced again at the exam paper, which had changed slightly in texture.

"This policy-related exam paper is different in nature and out of step with its surroundings, but it may also be a turning point, so there's no need to worry too much."

As he pondered, he took the other exam papers, read them through, checked for omissions and errors, and after confirming that there were no mistakes, he flicked his fingers, shaking the exam papers to shake off the scattered Literary Thought and mental distractions. Then he got up to pack his things and summoned the patrol officers.

"Young Master Qiu, what brings you here?" The constable was surprisingly kind, and after coming over, he put on a very humble air, with a smile on his face.

Qiu Yan, naturally unpretentious, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help, soldier. I've finished writing this exam paper."

"Huh?" The constable paused for a moment, then hesitated. "Are you handing in your paper?"

"Not bad," Qiu Yan nodded. He had already packed his things and handed over the test paper.

However, the bailiff did not accept it immediately. Instead, he advised Qiu Yan not to rush to hand in his paper and to check it again.

Qiu Yan needs to go back to recuperate. The exam paper already embodies his mental and physical effort; he has done everything he could, so there is no need for him to stay any longer.

Helpless, the constable asked Qiu Yan to wait a moment, "Young master, please wait a moment. We cannot be alone when we collect the exam papers."

This was also a set rule, a means of control. After the bailiff spoke, he summoned a man, who turned out to be Wang He, a soldier. The latter was sensible and did not say much to Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan's departure attracted the attention of those around him.

"Who is this person? Why did they hand in their paper so early?"

Along the way, many candidates looked over. Qiu Yan had become famous among the candidates because of the scene where he stared at Wen Zhizhen in front of the Examination Hall. When people recognized him, their expressions varied.

"This person handed in his paper so early, which means either he had nothing to say or he was very confident. However, he does have some reputation and stories about him, so it should be the latter."

Similar thoughts arose in the minds of the candidates, creating pressure and urging them on.

"I heard that this person challenged Wen Zhizhen to a duel in the imperial Metropolitan Examination. Wen Zhizhen became famous in half a month, while Qiu Yan remained silent. But now that the Metropolitan Examination has arrived, he has begun to show his talent. Could it be that he is trying to take advantage of the situation?"

Everything in this world has two sides.

If Qiu Yan had remained inconspicuous and kept a low profile, Wen Zhizhen's fame in Prosperity Capital would have become a legend, enhancing his reputation as a romantic and talented man.

However, if Qiu Yan Metropolitan Examination to prominence in the imperial examination and surpasses Wen Zhizhen, the story of "the scholar lingering over wine and cups, while the scholar Qiu studies diligently at night" will remain, serving as a warning to future generations not to be complacent and to always be cautious in their conduct.

These are all things for later. The most urgent task for all the candidates is to finish the exam. This thought only lasted for a moment before they all lowered their heads again to answer the questions.

Regardless of the candidates' conduct, the two guards, Wang He and another, after seeing Qiu Yan off, took his exam paper and sent it to have it anonymously copied. These were all measures to prevent cheating, concealing names and removing handwriting.

Upon learning that someone had handed in their paper so early, Zheng Quan, the official in charge of the examination, was also surprised. However, when he received the exam paper, the surprise vanished. His expression changed slightly, and he stretched out his finger and rubbed it on the last exam paper.

"The paper is wrong!"

A thought struck him, and upon closer examination, Zheng Quan became increasingly puzzled.

"If it were cheating, he shouldn't have been so careless!" That's what he thought, but he didn't dare to be negligent. He quickly flipped to that page, took a look, and was immediately stunned. His vision was filled with beautiful words, and his mind was captivated by the article. It took him a few breaths to come back to his senses, and then his expression became serious!

Zheng Quan snapped out of his reverie, took a closer look, and then gasped. The hand holding the exam paper trembled slightly!

"Sage Paper! This... this spendthrift child, using Sage Paper to write policy essays, doesn't he know how precious this paper is? No, no..." (To be continued...)

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