Dream?
At this moment, Prosperity Capital Will merged with Qiu Yan's, flowing between his body and his body.
The fusion of wills was completed in the Anyang Estate. After that, Qiu Yan fell into a peculiar state. He seemed to be the same as before, able to walk and move, but his perception had changed, and everything around him underwent strange changes.
Everywhere in the city, there are eyes and ears who can sense the every move of the residents and gather around in an instant.
This is not easy for ordinary people to bear. Prosperity Capital is huge, with a population that is comparable to Eastern Capital. One person's experience is nothing, but the actions of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people at the same time, when combined, constitute a massive information flood.
Receiving such a massive amount of information is simply too much for an ordinary person's consciousness to handle. Even if they don't collapse on the spot, the content of that information will still permeate their soul, affecting their temperament and eventually causing them to go mad or become manic.
However, Qiu Yan did not have such a problem. He was a cultivator who had condensed his Divine Soul and had experience in dealing with the thoughts of believers with his Divine Spirit Body. After the information came in, he sorted it out and then classified it in a short time.
"Even if an ordinary Confucian scholar could fully comprehend the Prosperity Capital Will, it would be impossible to adapt to it all at once. He would have to sort it out slowly and comprehend it little by little. At the beginning, he wouldn't be able to receive much information. Only as time goes by can he gradually expand his perception and understanding."
During a break from sorting things out, Qiu Yan had some ideas.
The greatest benefit of merging with the Prosperity Capital Will is the ability to constantly perceive the Human Path within the city or explore the city's historical origins. However, for ordinary cultivators, understanding the lives and history of the common people is utterly meaningless. Even if they could circulate their Divine Souls and senses to contact the City Will, they would not do so.
Those who are truly capable of doing this are mostly Confucian scholars and intellectuals who study and pursue Human Path. However, such people, without spiritual cultivation, are physically weak. Even if they have profound knowledge, their bodies will not become strong as a result, and their capacity to process information is limited. Therefore, they must proceed step by step. This process varies from person to person and is equivalent to expanding brain capacity, which often takes a lot of time.
Scholars' lifespans are inherently short, and they are very likely to waste their time as a result.
"This is also because Prosperity Capital has a large population and an overwhelming amount of information. If ordinary small counties or villages also possessed City Will, then scholars could gradually comprehend and experience it step by step, without wasting their lifespan..."
As Qiu Yan pondered, his thoughts drifted to the words that the Household Ancestor Chen had once spoken.
"The Household Ancestor Chen mentioned the Continent Human Path is most prosperous. I wonder where it is, and whether every city has its own will."
The thought settled in Qiu Yan's body, and he had finished sorting out Prosperity Capital's thoughts.
"Although this consciousness has merged, there are still areas it cannot explore. It can only sense ordinary people and merchants, but the residences of many officials in the Inner City are blurry, and the military camps outside the city are also unclear. As for the Imperial City, it is even more difficult to explore. However, this is not surprising. The consciousness of Prosperity Capital is equivalent to a simple Dragon Qi based on Prosperity Capital, with the people as the flesh, the officials as the sinews, the soldiers as the bones, and the imperial family as the root, so it is naturally difficult to explore."
With this thought in mind, Qiu Yan slowly cleared his mind of distractions, focusing entirely on sensing the City Will, and using it as a springboard to elevate his consciousness step by step, heading towards the night sky.
High in the sky, the enormous dragon's body appeared and disappeared...
"Huh?" At the same time, Pang Qianru woke up with a start. Recalling the past, she realized that the banquet had ended and she had returned home.
"However, I feel like I've forgotten something..."
She frowned, trying hard to recall, but with little success.
Finally, Pang Qianru sighed helplessly, feeling her eyelids grow heavy, so she lay down again, closed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Just then, a shadow lurking in her heart slowly expanded, and within that shadow was a plain, at the foot of the mountains, where a group of soldiers in armor were gathered!
The next moment, Pang Qianru, dressed in military uniform, appeared out of thin air. She was surprised at first, but soon got used to it and smiled at her soldiers.
"This is truly a beautiful dream."
Not far away, there was also an army of more than a thousand people, led by a scholar dressed in Confucian robes who looked panicked. However, the scholar's face was blurry and his origins were unknown.
Opposite her, Pang Qianru drew her sword and pointed it forward!
"Kill!"
Leading troops into battle is Pang Qianru's dream, but for some, it's a nightmare.
At that moment, everyone who had "left" the Anyang Estate fell asleep, some with expressions of surprise, others tossing and turning...
For several days, Pang Qianru had the same dream. From initial doubt to current excitement, she gradually became unable to control herself. After discovering that she could not fall asleep during the day, she would go to bed early every day as soon as it got dark, which was very abnormal, but no one dared to ask her about it.
On this day, when Pang Qianru returned to the plain, the army had doubled in size compared to a few days ago!
Looking at the soldiers, Pang Qianru smiled with satisfaction.
"I come from a military family; this dream seems tailor-made for me!"
"I've been incredibly lucky since childhood, and I never imagined I'd be so successful even in my dreams!"
"My reputation is no longer limited to Jiangnan; I have also established a foothold in Prosperity Capital. Once the examination results are released, I will enter the court as an official, and sooner or later I will lead troops. Could this dream be a premonition of this?"
At this moment, those trapped here sighed with emotion, and then led their troops out to battle!
On the other side, Qiu Yan, clad in armor, stood atop the city wall, looking down at the troops surrounding the city, and secretly shook his head.
"Those who entered the Book World have forgotten the cause and effect, and only regard this place as a dream. However, their appearances are now unrecognizable. In recent days, several armies have been fighting each other, and finally someone has set their sights on this city."
This city was formed by Qiu Yan and Prosperity Capital Will's combined will through the visualization of City Intent, modeled after Prosperity Capital. In reality, it is not as large as Prosperity Capital, at most only one-seventh the size, but it is still extremely conspicuous on this plain.
Boom!
Below the city walls, numerous soldiers launched their attack.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
On the city wall, Qiu Yan's soldiers drew their bows and arrows, and a hail of arrows rained down.
A fierce battle broke out.
Looking at the scene before him, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes. "I haven't fully grasped the characteristics of archers yet, and the bows and arrows I've imagined also have many drawbacks. I still need to collect some military books tomorrow, but the method for manufacturing these weapons won't be so easy to find."
murderous intent raged, spreading beneath the city walls. The besieging army stretched endlessly outside the city, like a giant python waiting to molt!
"This Sand Battlefield is the cornerstone of a dynasty's establishment. Several days of fighting have given me a deeper understanding of Dragon Qi. I should be able to reach the Third Step soon. Meanwhile, that Flying Leopard Daoist has already broken through three palaces. I wonder how much longer he can hold out. However, he seems to be deliberately suppressing his power, as if he has his own plans..."
Qiu Yan was unaware of Flying Leopard's plans, but the delay was unexpectedly long.
This wait lasted for nearly twenty days, and it was already past February 20th. The Flying Leopard Daoist had only managed to breach the tenth palace, but he was not far from reaching the Stove Mountain.
However, before that, Qiu Yan also ushered in an important day --
"Brother Qiu, do you think that if I fail this time, I will lose all my ambition and fail the exams again and again?"
In the inn, Zhou Guan was restless and unable to sit or lie still.
It was barely dawn, but all the examinees were up early, and the innkeeper had already prepared breakfast, showing that he had come prepared in advance.
Today is the day the results of the Metropolitan Examination released.
The inn where Zhou Guan is staying now is no longer the Book Hoard Inn, but a small inn in a village outside Xingjing Imperial City. It is simply furnished and some distance from the city gate, but its advantage is that it is cheap.
The Book Hoard Inn was considered inexpensive in Xingjing Imperial City, but it was still quite expensive. The reason for staying there was to make it convenient for the imperial Metropolitan Examination and avoid having to travel a long distance, which would affect their mood and state of mind. However, after the Metropolitan Examination, there was no need to consider these things anymore, so everyone checked out and went to stay outside the city.
Qiu Yan followed them, but Hu Qi, Dai Guo, and the two old Daoist priests did not come along.
Right now, there are quite a few people like Zhou Guan who can't settle down. There are quite a few in the lobby of this inn, and some of them are coming and going with pale faces.
This was still in a remote inn; if it were in the city, many examinees would have servants and maids, making the scene even more chaotic and imposing.
"Alright, Brother Zhou, don't worry. With your talent, you should still have a chance to make the list. I advise you to think about how to keep your composure when you see the list later, so you don't get entangled with some rich merchant." Cao Hanqi joked from the side, but his face was also a little stiff, obviously trying to relieve his nervousness with words.
"What does the release of the results have to do with wealthy businessmen?" Luo Jiayun took a deep breath and then asked.
Hai Ming replied, "I know that. I've heard that wealthy merchants in the Imperial City love to find sons-in-law after the imperial examinations are passed. As soon as someone becomes a Jinshi, several families immediately vie for their services, and the dowry offered by each family is ever more generous than the last..."
"Is that so?" Zhou Guan seemed to perk up as well, leaning forward and nudging Qiu Yan. "Brother Qiu, you're the top scholar in the provincial examination, and passing the imperial examination is practically guaranteed. Why don't you pick a girl from a family then..."
Similar conversations are now common throughout the city.
The entire Prosperity Capital was gripped by a tense atmosphere.
But even in this chaotic moment, there are undercurrents everywhere.
Inner City, Tian Residence.
Tian Youqing is now a favorite of the emperor. His suggestions have been praised several times, and he has the Qi Manifestation of being the second most important figure in the New Party. His door is always bustling with activity.
However, no one will visit at this time.
In the backyard of the mansion, Tian Youqing had gotten up early, but not to wait for the results to be announced. Instead, he asked the two people in the room, "Is everything prepared?"
P. S.: Thanks to "Wan Xia Xia La" and "Wuyueying" for the donations!