One Dares to Speak, One Dares to Ask

This morning, Chen Xu followed Wu Zhengze to the County School to register.

During this time, he also inquired with Wu Zhengze about Confucian cultivation. Wu Zhengze was a Juren Scholar from the third year of Yonghui. For some unknown reason, he did not continue to pursue Jinshi Scholar status. Instead, he came to Jichuan County at the beginning of last year and became a low-ranking County School Instructor.

Wu Zhengze had a stern and proud demeanor and did not casually interact with students in daily life.

However, he would not refuse Chen Xu when he came to his door with questions.

Wu Zhengze pondered for a moment and said, "Scholars cultivate primarily through Literary Fame and Literary Fortune. The greater the Literary Fame, the faster Qi Cultivation progresses. The stronger the Literary Fortune, the greater the combat power.

However, most scholars do not actually have opportunities to fight. Ordinary demons and ghosts naturally retreat when they see that we hold official titles, so they will not bother us.

As for the common folk, if there are disturbances from demons or ghosts, those are handled by the Three Great Dao Palaces and the Prison Suppressing Department.

Although Jichuan County does not have a Prison Suppressing Department office, Jichuan itself has neither Netherworld Ore nor Famous Mountain Products. It is a barren land, and matters involving demons and ghosts are naturally rare.

If the common people genuinely suffer hardship, they can also seek help from the Daoist temples outside the city.

Qiyun Temple is registered with the Three Great Dao Palaces and has the authority to handle local demon and ghost affairs."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu realized that the same questions, when asked by different people, led to completely different conclusions and directions.

In the world described by Mr. Zhou, even immortals struggled.

When Wang Mochuan spoke of cultivation, he only mentioned Qi Cultivation and official titles.

But when Wu Zhengze spoke of cultivation, he immediately brought up the Three Great Dao Palaces and the Prison Suppressing Department.

As he spoke, his brow furrowed slightly. Although he repeatedly claimed that matters of demons and ghosts had nothing to do with scholars, his subtle expression seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.

Chen Xu asked again, "Master, can only obtaining the title of Juren Scholar allow one to obtain Qi Cultivation methods from the court?"

Wu Zhengze glanced at him. "Otherwise, you could try to become a live-in son-in-law in a Great Clan. Perhaps you could obtain Qi Cultivation methods in advance."

Chen Xu was immediately rendered speechless.

Wu Zhengze, however, seemed to become more interested and instructed him, "Do you know that although the Great Li Dynasty is an Imperial Dynasty, it is actually a dynasty of Great Clans?

The Li Clan of Lie Mountain in the Northern Frontier, the Xie Clan of Kaiyang in the Eastern Region, the Bai Clan of Kunlun in the Western Wasteland, and the Zhongli Clan of the Wu Tribe in Southern Zhao.

In my Qingzhou Prefecture, there are the Cui Clan, Wang Clan, Ning Clan, Ouyang Clan, and many other Great Clans, large and small, deeply entrenched from top to bottom.

If not for the Great Ancestor establishing the nation back then, separating Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and establishing the Temple of Literature to gather the Literary Fortune of the world, the Imperial Examination system would hardly have lasted for hundreds of years.

As for allowing ordinary people to begin their studies, or for families of farmers and merchants to also read, that would be even more impossible."

Chen Xu was slightly surprised. The masters in the academy had always taught only the Sage's Teachings or discussed ancient events, never the current state of the world.

He hadn't expected that Wu Zhengze, this usually unapproachable instructor, would dare to tell Chen Xu anything once he started talking.

As Chen Xu listened, he felt an even grander panorama of the world unfolding before his eyes.

He couldn't help but ask, "Master, then now... do the major Great Clans not wish for the Imperial Examination?"

Good heavens, one dared to speak, and the other dared to ask.

Wu Zhengze raised his eyebrows, then sat up straight. "Young man, you jest. The Temple of Literature has been established, and even the great power of the Great Clans inevitably manifests through the Imperial Examination.

How could we abolish the Imperial Examination? Abolishing it would be like destroying ourselves, wouldn't it?"

Seeing that Chen Xu was about to say more, Wu Zhengze said sternly, "That's enough. Go back and prepare well. Gather at the north city gate at the hour of Chen, five days from now."

Chen Xu felt a sense of regret but could only comply.

Afterward, he followed Wu Zhengze to register at the County School and then went to the market alone in the afternoon to purchase many things.

Upon returning home in the evening, Chen Xu was organizing the various supplies he had bought when he suddenly noticed that the Accumulated Likes on his Cauldron Scripture had surged significantly, as if he had ascended a ladder.

[Accumulated Likes: 1472]

[Free Attribute Point: 51]

[Firework Value: 653]

He had gained over four hundred Accumulated Likes, twenty Free Attribute Points, and the same amount of Firework Value.

Chen Xu was pleasantly surprised and quickly checked the source of the likes.

He discovered that a small portion of the likes came from the Thousand-Layer Pancakes he had sold today, while the majority came from the "[You Cooked a Demon Who Cooks People with Fire]" event.

He surmised that the matter of "making beasts" had further spread among the populace, and such strange tales were clearly more talkative than gourmet food.

Chen Xu estimated that even if he did nothing for a while, relying solely on the talk generated by "[Demon Who Cooks People with Fire]," he would still receive a considerable amount of likes.

The last portion of likes came from Chen Xu's hometown. It was likely that the pancakes Chen Xu had his younger brother Chen An bring back were then given to the villagers by Chen An.

However, Chen An had returned yesterday afternoon, and for some reason, the villagers' likes only arrived today.

Chen Xu pondered this and decided to return to his hometown early the next morning.

At night, Chen Xu organized the various supplies he had recently purchased, put most of the ingredients into the Embers Kitchen, and prepared dinner in the kitchen. He also prepared the ingredients needed for the next morning before returning to his room.

He had recently grown fond of the quiet solitude of the night.

Occasionally, he could hear two Rat Demons chattering in distant crevices. It wasn't noisy, but rather created a peculiar contrast, like "the night is more serene with the sound of rats."

That night, the little rat A Shi suddenly said, "Ninth Master, the scholar always leaves delicious food on the stove every night. Why do I suddenly feel like something is wrong?"

An aged voice sighed and said, "You're only just realizing that?"

The little rats were confused. "What did you find?"

"The scholar is a kind person. Except for the very first night, the food he left every night afterward was clearly left with intention. And he took our return gifts, didn't he?"

"Ah, what we returned... it was just some grass and bark. The scholar is truly kind, so kind..."

Squeak squeak squeak--

Chen Xu listened to the two rats' conversation in the darkness and couldn't help but smile.

He had now entered the Vessel Meridian Realm in his cultivation, and with the Innate Qi circulating ceaselessly within him, his perception of the entire world had gradually become more acute.

In the past, when he listened to the two rats converse, he only felt their voices were erratic. Although it seemed like they were speaking right by his ear, it was as if they were incredibly far away.

It was as if the place where the two rats were wasn't the human world, but another strange realm.

Now that Chen Xu's perception had improved, looking at this world again, especially within ten feet around him, he felt a clarity as if a mist had been cleared away.

He could clearly feel that in the corner on the west side of the kitchen, there was a space that resembled a bubble.

When the myriad energies of heaven and earth flowed through the house, they would also seep into that space, but there was a brief pause between the two.

It was conceivable that it couldn't truly be called "another world"; it was attached to the greater reality.

So, what exactly was it?

Was it the legendary Mote-Sized Grotto-Heaven? The Pot of Sun and Moon? Or something else?

With such curiosity, Chen Xu consumed 100 Firework Value and entered the Embers Kitchen.

Curiosity was one thing, but Chen Xu couldn't just go rummaging through the Rat Demons' nest purely out of curiosity.

Even the Rat Demons understood propriety and restraint, knowing not to pry into others' privacy carelessly. He, a grown man who had read books for decades across two lifetimes, couldn't possibly be worse than two little mice, could he?