On the Avenue.

Chapter 308 Natural Born Killers

"My Lord! The time for the martial arts test has passed, so we shouldn't create any more trouble!"

Minister of War Ren Xiong stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Both the civil and military examinations have ended. Please ask the cabinet to decide on the top scholar! The five armies of the Ministry of War, the Divine Machine, and the Divine Pivot are all waiting for you to announce the results of the civil and military examinations!"

Zhang Fuzheng's face darkened slightly. He glanced at him and said calmly, "Master Ren, you have crossed the line. You cannot mobilize the five armies, nor can you mobilize the Shenji Camp and the Shenji Camp, and you cannot threaten the cabinet. The Shenji Camp and the Shenji Camp are under the supervision of Zhang Yintai. Without the Western King's Jade Seal, who can mobilize them?"

Ren Xiong looked at the two brothers Xia Fanghe and Xia Shouying. Xia Fanghe and Xia Shouying were standing among the civil and military officials, motionless.

Ren Xiong was shocked and looked at Ma Weimin, the commander of the Shenjiying Camp.

Ma Weimin smiled slightly and said nothing.

Zhang Fuzheng said calmly, "Master Ren, please don't make a mistake. The Five Military Camps, the Capital Guard Command, the Capital Command, the Guard Command, the Thousand Households Office, the Recruiting Office, all the troops that you, the Minister of War, can control are under the control of the Cabinet. What you can dispatch is to mobilize the border troops through the fifty provincial commanders, but the commanders are also controlled by people from the thirteen major families."

He didn't look at Ren Xiong again, his eyes fell on the young master.

The young master knelt on the ground, expressionless.

He was originally waiting to receive the imperial edict to fulfill his title of No. 1 scholar, but unexpectedly Chen Shi came with 350 successful candidates, accompanied by the righteousness of heaven and earth, which shocked the Western Capital and made him famous throughout the capital, sweeping away all the reputation and fame he had accumulated over the past few days.

If he could not defeat Chen Shi, even if he won the top spot, people would say that he won the top spot without fighting with Chen Shi.

Zhang Fuzheng said: "Sir, what you want is power and fame. Without power and fame, what's the point of having this number one position?"

The young master felt angry and stood up.

Shui Xuanzhi hurriedly shook his head at him, signaling him not to get up.

The young master ignored his gesture, turned around, and his eyes met with Chen Shi's outside the palace. His voice shook: "My lords, Chen Shi and others fell into the underworld during the imperial examination. Now they have returned alive from the underworld. They have no faults and have made great contributions. They should be Jinshi. I think they should also participate in the palace examination. If I can't defeat the heroes of the world in this palace examination, I am not worthy of the title of the top scholar!"

Shui Xuanzhi and others gritted their teeth secretly.

The young master should never agree to it. At this time, he should let the civil and military officials argue and delay time. If it takes ten days or half a month, Chen Shi's prestige will slowly disappear.

The people of Xijing went from admiring Chen Shi to looking at him as an equal, and regarded his righteous act as a topic of conversation after dinner.

At that time, they had all kinds of reasons and means to manipulate Chen Shi, and giving him the second place was considered a favor.

But now that the young master has said this, there are many more variables in this matter!
"it is good!"

Chen Shi said loudly, "Then I'll wait for you outside!"

Zhang Fuzheng looked at the other twelve ministers in the cabinet. The ministers hesitated and acquiesced.

The young master is now in a difficult situation. He needs fame. Now Chen Shi has taken the fame. Even if he becomes the top scholar, people will gossip about him. If he wants to gain fame now, he can only defeat Chen Shi and win the top scholar in a fair and just way.

"A month ago, the imperial examination encountered a dramatic change, and the candidates were in trouble and lost in the underworld. Now Chen Shi led 350 candidates and returned to Xijing. The cabinet decided that Chen Shi and 351 others would be selected for the palace examination.

Zhang Fu was walking out of the Zhongji Hall when his voice boomed over the sky above Xijing. "Young Master Ren Mu is the first in the current palace examination, both civil and military. All officials have witnessed and have no objection. For the sake of fairness, the other 351 candidates should be ranked first, and the number one will be decided together with Young Master Ren Mu."

As soon as he finished speaking, the 350 candidates outside the hall, including Zhang You, Guo Daozi, Yu Lingzi and others, all said, "Chen Shi is first! No need for a duel!"

Zhang Fuzheng said: "In that case, let Chen Shi fight against Master Ren Mu. Ren Mu has defeated 300 people, and Chen Shi has traveled a long distance. Both scholars need to rest..."

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I don't need to rest."

The young master came forward and shook his head, "I don't need to rest either."

Zhang Fuzheng turned around, looked around, and said with a smile: "My Lords, since both Jinshi have said so, then today, let's let the two Jinshi decide the winner outside the Zhongji Hall. What do you think?"

Civil and military officials all nodded.

Zhang Fuzheng said with a smile: "In that case, then please invite the two Jinshi to compete. The scope must not exceed the nine palaces of the True Kings, namely Wenhua, Wuying, Huagai, Zhongji, Wenyuan, Dongge, Zhengyi, Jinshen, and Jianji."

All civil and military officials walked out of the Zhongji Palace and evacuated the Nine Palaces of the True King.

At the Meridian Gate, Eunuch Feng said with a smile, "Master Chen Tang, you are standing at the Meridian Gate, are you waiting for your son to be defeated and beheaded outside the Meridian Gate?"

Chen Tang looked calm and said, "Master Feng, please don't joke around."

Eunuch Feng suppressed his smile and said seriously, "During the imperial examination, you said that your son had little chance of defeating me, but a month later, I'm sure you'll lose. Are you still so sure?"

"Sure." Chen Tang said.

Eunuch Feng breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Then my position as the eunuch holding the seal and the supervisor of the East Factory is secure."

Chen Tang saw the officials walking out of Zhongji Hall, his expression slightly changed, and said: "Lord Feng needs to be prepared. When my son fights with the young master, I am afraid the scene will not be peaceful."

Feng Tianhuan was slightly startled: "What's not peaceful? Chen Tang, Chen Tang! Where are you going?"

He hurriedly turned the wheelchair, only to see Chen Tang walking away quickly.

"This kid, running so fast! Don't you know that my legs were broken by your father? And you're still running..."

Eunuch Feng was surprised and muttered, "Strange, it's just a competition for the top scholar, no one will die, why is the scene so unpeaceful?"

Suddenly, his heart trembled slightly, his face turned pale, and his hands trembled.

Chen Tang hurried to the Chen Mansion.

Chen Shi's wooden cart was still parked outside the mansion gate, quietly nestling in the corner. These days, Chen Tang and Hei Guo went deep into the underworld to search for Chen Shi's whereabouts, but they didn't bring the wooden cart with them, so the wooden cart had been parked here.

However, Chen Shi had made arrangements that every morning and evening, people from Hongshan Hall would come with exotic beast meat to feed Mu Che, so there was no need to worry about Mu Che starving to death.

Chen Tang approached, and suddenly the wooden cart moved alertly. The frame of the cart cracked slightly, revealing a big, eerie mouth with a red light coming out of it.

The canopy on the wooden cart also changed from a closed state to an open state. The brilliant light flowed under the umbrella, and the Youquan Youlong Sword shuttled under the umbrella.

"I'm Chen Shi's father." Chen Tang said cautiously.

Big eyes grew out of the frame of the wooden cart and stared at him. The red light in its mouth dimmed slightly.

Chen Tang approached slowly. He knew that the talismans created by his father were very strange. Many of the things created by the talismans were more like evil spirits, and could not be understood by normal people. Especially after these guys absorbed the moonlight, they could easily lose control and become pure evil spirits, doing evil everywhere.

He walked up to it and was relieved when he saw that the wooden cart didn't move any further.

Chen Tang searched in the wooden cart for a while and found the Jade Seal of the King of the West among a pile of miscellaneous items in a corner.

Chen Tang was stunned. He looked at it again and again, but he didn't recognize the Jade Seal of the King of the West and was not sure if it was this thing.

This item is so precious that the Shenjiying guarded it in previous years, but the Shenjiying did not have the right to use it. Only the eunuchs who hold the seal have the right to use it. But to use the Western King's Jade Seal, even the eunuchs who hold the seal must have something extremely important to be qualified to use this item.

Sometimes, this thing may not be used even once in ten or twenty years.

"My son, you really have the heart to rebel!"

He thought for a moment, put the Western King's Jade Seal back into the wooden cart, and walked into the Chen Mansion.

After a while, he walked out of Chen Mansion carrying a wooden box and went straight to the Meridian Gate in the inner city.

The wooden box in his hand was not big, about two feet long, one foot and three inches wide, and seven inches high.

It looked like ordinary sandalwood, but it was painted with black lacquer to completely cover up the original wood color. Cinnabar and the blood of exotic beasts were used to paint extremely complex textures on the surface of the wooden box, outlining the forms of gods and demons.

The box has no lock, only a handle. If an outsider saw it, he would not know how to open it. But in the eyes of the talisman master who is proficient in the southern style, this thing is an extremely precise lock that requires professional unlocking skills. The talisman master who designed this thing will add an elusive small structure inside. If the unlocker makes any wrong step, the box will eat the unlocker immediately.

As for destroying the box, you will not get the items in the box. Instead, it will anger the box and turn it into an evil spirit that will eat the destroyer.

Even if one is strong enough to smash the box to pieces, he still cannot get the items inside. The box is broken into pieces, and there is nothing inside except a pile of flesh and blood.

The person who made the box only needs to make another identical box. When he opens the box, the items inside will still be there and will not be lost.

This kind of box monster is very popular among southern talisman masters, so there is no need to worry about throwing it away.

Chen Tang felt much more at ease carrying the box.

He passed through the Meridian Gate, walked past the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and headed towards the Ninth Palace.

Minister of Revenue Cui Baihe and Vice Minister of the Left Jiang Mo came towards them, their eyes flashing.

Cui Baihe said with a smile: "Brother Chen Tang, when did you come back? You haven't been to the court or the Ministry of Revenue these days. You are guilty of dereliction of duty."

Jiang Mo stared at the box in his hand and asked alertly: "What's the box in your hand?"

The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, sandwiched him in the middle.

Chen Tang said calmly: "Were the two adults asked to come out to stop me?" Cui Baihe and Jiang Mo were both a little embarrassed.

Jiang Mo said: "Put the box down and open it. We want to see what's inside."

Chen Tang said: "I went outside the Ninth Palace to reason with them. I carried the box to calm them down and reason with them when they were being unreasonable."

Jiang Mo reached out to grab the box: "Let me keep this thing!"

Before he could touch the box, Chen Tang had already drawn his sword with his other hand, with the tip of the sword against his throat.

Jiang Mo smiled and said, "Master Chen, what are you doing..."

"Snapped!"

The sword hit his neck heavily, knocking him to the ground. The sword energy sealed all the acupoints in his body, blocking his sky gate, making it impossible for his soul to leave his body.

The major acupoints in his body were filled with sword energy, which prevented him from merging his two bodies. This great master in the spirit refining realm was suffocated to death!

Chen Tang sheathed his sword and said calmly, "Minister Cui, you don't have to waste your energy. I have been working for you for so many years, and the Ministry of Revenue has been well managed. Even if I have no credit, I have worked hard. If you stop me, I will be unbridled and let you sleep with him."

Cui Baihe hesitated for a moment and said with a smile: "My name is Baihe, so I am naturally friendly. Lord Chen has been hiding his edge for a long time, and it may not be a good thing to show it today. Since you have unsheathed your sword, I can't stop you. Please!"

Chen Tang passed by him with a box in one hand. Cui Baihe's eyes flickered, and he didn't dare to make a move, allowing him to come to the outside of the Ninth Palace.

"Xiao Shi, if you want to be the top scholar and kill the young master, I will naturally support you with all my strength!"

Chen Tang came to Eunuch Feng and said silently in his heart, "The moment you kill the young master, your father will attack together with Eunuch Feng to block anyone who tries to stop you!"

Eunuch Feng looked up at his face and whispered, "Xiaotang, I always feel like you are hiding something from me. Tell me the truth so I can die with my eyes closed. We eunuchs in the palace are always worried about dying in obscurity."

"It's okay, sir, it's okay." Chen Tang comforted.

Eunuch Feng always felt that he would die with regret if he stood by his side.

Outside the Ninth Palace, all civil and military officials each offered their grand spirits, floating in the air, ready to watch the battle.

In the Xijing court, the cultivation level of all officials is very high. Many of them have achieved the Three Corpses, Refining Spirits, and Returning to Void. Their spirits, big and small, are floating in the air, and some of them have the Void Realm hanging behind them, with their spirits hidden in the realm.

There were even a few ancestors of the aristocratic families who had not left yet. They also offered up their primordial spirits at this moment and watched the battle with a smile on their faces.

Their Great Void Realm is so amazing that it often turns into an arc of light floating behind their heads. For those with shallower cultivation, their Great Void Realm is only a few acres in size.

To them, these are just minor fights, and it's fun to watch two little guys fighting each other.

"Chen Tang."

Li Yiran, the great grandfather of the Li family, found Chen Tang, waved and called him over, and said with a smile, "Today is a big event for your son. I am always worried about you, your son, your father, and your Chen Wu. I will feel more at ease if you sit next to me and watch the battle."

Chen Tang said yes, and Yuanshen sat next to Li Yiran carrying a box, looking quite different and out of place.

Li Qianfeng, the great ancestor of the Li family, Ma Jun, the ancestor of the Ma family, and Fei Buyi, the former patriarch of the Fei family, were also sitting nearby.

"This guy really thinks he can overthrow Xijing just by carrying a box."

Minister of Revenue Cui Baihe saw Chen Tang still carrying the box and muttered, "Even his father can't do it."

He was very curious, what was in Chen Tang's box?
Li Yiran smiled and said, "Chen Tang, no one in your family is trustworthy, but your son is a bit arrogant to challenge Young Master Zhu Mu. Young Master is different from you. When his mother was pregnant, he was taught by a master in the palace to practice the Jade Emperor Fetal Breathing Sutra. The Jade Emperor Fetal Breathing Sutra was not practiced for his mother, but for him, to gather the innate energy and make him naturally superior to others. The Jade Emperor Fetal Breathing Sutra is the first kind of immortal method."

Chen Tang said: "He didn't get the innate Dao fetus."

Li Yiran frowned slightly: "I know that the young master did not get the innate Dao fetus, but the Jade Emperor Fetal Breathing Sutra made his foundation no worse than your son's. When he was born, there was a cultivator who had cultivated the Great Void Realm to cleanse his tendons and marrow for him. His breast milk was also fed by a wet nurse who killed the three corpses, and he did not eat a single mouthful of milk with yin energy. At the age of six, he used various elixirs to cleanse his whole body and temper his spirit. At the age of nine, his body was like jade, and then he began to practice the Eight Gates of Reverse Life and Death. At the age of ten, he offered sacrifices to the sky and was blessed by the true god. Look at the difference..."

Chen Tang said: "He didn't get the innate Dao fetus."

Li Yiran laughed in anger: "The Eight Gates Reverse Life and Death Art is also an immortal technique! It is the mysterious skill that the True King practiced in the past! What do you know about immortal techniques?"

"He didn't get the innate Tao fetus." Chen Tang said.

Li Yiran was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, "You know shit!"

Fei Buyi, the former patriarch of the Fei family, smiled and said, "Chen Tang, don't be so good at talking. When the young master visits various aristocratic families, they will teach him the best skills. When he visits various holy places, the masters of the holy places will welcome him and let him read all kinds of books in the holy places. Even some famous masters will give him guidance. Even us old bones will teach him the secrets of cultivation."

Ma Jun, the ancestor of the Ma family, said: "He is not inferior to the descendants of the major families, and is even stronger."

Chen Tang said: "He didn't get the innate Dao fetus."

Several old ancestors were so angry that they laughed: "There's a Dao fetus on the left and a Dao fetus on the right. Don't forget that your son doesn't have an innate Dao fetus either! Your son's innate Dao fetus was taken away by someone!"

Chen Tang said solemnly: "There are thirteen noble families who have taken away my son's innate Dao fetus. Xijing owes my son a number one scholar."

The faces of several old ancestors looked unhappy. They cursed a few words into the void and stopped talking.

In front of the Zhongji Palace, only Chen Shi and the Young Master were left.

Chen Shi took a step forward and observed the nine halls one by one.

The nine great treasures left by the True King to suppress the destiny of Xiniuzhou, some even call them the nine great immortal weapons. With these nine great immortal weapons, Xiniuzhou will not have any unrest.

Surrounded by the Nine Palaces of the True King, Chen Shi and the Young Master can display their abilities to their heart's content and will never damage anything.

Moreover, even if the two of them got angry and tried to kill each other, a group of civil and military ministers could mobilize the power of the Nine Palaces in the shortest possible time to suppress both parties and avoid casualties.

It is absolutely safe to fight among the Nine Palaces!
The young master walked slowly behind him, saying sadly, "Chen Shi, how I envy you. If you hadn't died once, you and I would be about the same age now, but our experiences are so unfair."

Chen Shi said nothing. He came to Wenyuan Pavilion, looked around the pavilion, and waited for the cabinet minister to announce the start of the duel.

The young master said sadly, "I have lived my whole life like a puppet controlled by others. In the Ren family, Ren Xiong and others taught me etiquette, how to talk and behave, how to laugh, how to breathe, how to walk, how to be polite and graceful, and even my clothes, shoes and underwear were strictly regulated!"

He laughed at himself: "I can't have friends, can't express my true feelings, can't have my own ideas. I thought I was in prison, and the Ren family was a cage. Later, they were worried about my safety and sent me to Zheng Wangfu in Yudu. I thought I could fly out of the cage, but it was even worse in Zheng Wangfu."

Even his self-deprecating smile was enough to make girls fall in love with him and even do anything for him.

Chen Shi remained unmoved. He walked around the Wenyuan Pavilion, opened the door and walked in. After reaching the third floor, he pushed open the window, jumped out of the window, and walked towards the Jianji Hall not far away.

"They began to ask me to learn how to win people's hearts, how to manipulate situations, how to expand influence, how to be a flawless gentleman in front of others, and how to be ruthless and merciless behind others' backs!"

The young master followed him and sighed, "I learned hypocrisy, I learned cunning, I learned how to create momentum, I learned how to capture a girl's heart in the shortest time, how to make a person who thinks he is a hero pledge allegiance to me in just a few words! I have the ability to manipulate people's hearts, but I am not happy."

Chen Shi measured the perimeter of Jianji Hall, then summoned his primordial spirit, flew into the Hall and walked around to familiarize himself with its layout.

The young master said, "I am not happy at all. My last name is Zhu, I am the Son of Heaven, the future True King! I want to be myself, I want to win a fair fight, not relying on the schemes of Shui Xuanzhi and others, not relying on the support and rewards of the Thirteen Families!"

His voice was filled with anger, and he shouted: "Shui Xuanzhi and others have been avoiding direct conflict between you and me. Xia Fanghe, Xia Shouying and others have also done their best to weaken your advantage. Ren Xiong also tried to use his power to oppress Chen Tang and force him to make you withdraw from the competition for the top scholar. They also attacked Chen's house at night and tried to injure you severely. These methods are mean and despicable, and I despise them!"

Chen Shi came to the Huagai Palace again to check its layout.

The young master's chest rose and fell violently, and he said to him: "They doubt my ability, doubt my ability, and doubt my hard training over the years! They train me as a true king, but doubt whether I can be the common ruler of the world! Therefore, I must fight this battle, I must do it myself, and I must win beautifully!"

"I don't want to have my whole life arranged clearly without ever having any choice of my own!"

He looked proud: "This time, I get to choose for myself!"

Chen Shi said nothing as he scanned all the nine palaces, recalling the location of every item, and then quietly waited for the cabinet's order.

The young master looked at him, his emotions calmed down, and he slowly activated his martial arts, and his soul emerged behind him.

His soul is six feet tall, with the appearance of an emperor, with a dragon circling around his body, and there are eight gates in the soul's force field.

The exquisiteness and subtlety of his skills are breathtaking!
At this time, the voice of the Acting Minister of Rites came: "Martial Arts Test, begin!"

As the word "Wu" came out of his mouth, Chen Shi's Xiaolang Emperor Chapter power had been raised to the extreme. When the word "Shi" was uttered, his soul emerged behind him, as tall as his physical body.

When the word "open" was uttered, the spirit force field spread out and Chen Shi stepped forward.

When the word "beginning" was uttered, the wind and thunder transformation, mountain and swamp transformation, and water and fire transformation in Chen Shi's soul force field had already been activated. At the same time, Chen Shi's right hand stretched out, grabbed the young master's face, pushed his body, and smashed it on the vermilion wall of the Hall of Justice several feet behind him with a loud bang!
Eunuch Feng stood up from his wheelchair, his eyes wide open, and exclaimed: "He has achieved the state of the primordial spirit!"

The ministers including the Cabinet, the Six Ministries, the Three Dukes, and the Three Orphans were all shocked and stood up.

"No! Help!"

Chen Tang's face looked a little grim, and he reached out to open the box.

——6,000 words super long chapter! OMG, this chapter actually has more than 8,000 words, but I deleted 3,000 words and added another 1,000 words, and finally reached perfection! Please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)