Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 55 Ancient Demonic Script, Heading to Jiangzhou for the Trial!
Niuzhu Palace.

Water Fairy Market.

Jiang Xingzhou was already satisfied with the [Mermaid Silk Moon-Hiding Pouch] treasure he found at the mermaid vendor's stall.

Accompanied by Madam Qingyao, he strolled around the market casually before preparing to take his leave.

"Young master, are you leaving already?"

Lady Qing's eyes flickered, as if she wanted to stay but hesitated.

"I appreciate your kind invitation, Madam!"

Jiang Xingzhou bowed and said, "But I am currently taking the county school exam, and I'm afraid Instructor Zheng of the county school has already sent people to look for me everywhere."

He had been chasing the long-bearded fish monster into Niuzhu Palace for two hours.

Time to go too.

"Since that's the case, I won't stay any longer!"

Madam Qing regrets.

at this time,

Jiang Xingzhou was about to leave when his heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he sensed something.

Following the senses, I saw an ancient tortoise shell lying quietly on an inconspicuous old demon's stall in a corner of the market.

There was a character engraved on the tortoise shell, which turned out to be a strange script with the beginning and end connected.

It is not a human script; it is clearly an ancient demon script.

"What is this?"

Jiang Xingzhou inquired.

"Is the young master interested in ancient demon script?"

The stall owner was a one-eyed old turtle, its armor covered with traces of lightning tribulations.

It grinned, revealing its teeth: "This old man dug this up in the ruins of the Dragon Palace in Taihu Lake. I don't know what's written on it. I only want one hundred water coins!"

It had been setting up its stall for months, and while it had sold many treasures, this one item was the only thing it couldn't sell.

The water sprites did not recognize them.

Jiang Xingzhou picked up the tortoise shell, and the moment his fingertips touched it, he felt a bone-chilling cold rush into his meridians.

His vision suddenly spun around.

In a daze, I saw—an ancient battlefield of great demons, with a blood moon in the sky, twelve great demons using bronze daggers to inscribe sacrificial characters, and an ancient demon seal was born inside a tortoise shell.

"Ah~!"

Jiang Xingzhou's eyes stung.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, a line of bright red characters suddenly appeared on the bronze bamboo slips, prompting him:
【hint:
The fragment of the [Ancient Demonic Seal Script] has been detected. Do you wish to consume 1000 points of cultivation to forcibly decipher and dismantle this character?

caveat:

The foundation of a young scholar's literary skills is shallow, and their ability to withstand risks is insufficient. Forcibly dissecting and interpreting ancient and mysterious characters will trigger unpredictable risks!
Should we continue disassembly?

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly let go, and the terrifying illusion of a blood moon in the sky and a great demon offering sacrifice that had just been in his field of vision vanished in an instant.

"I want this!"

Jiang Xingzhou's expression turned solemn as he suppressed his surging blood and said.

Can this demonic script be deciphered using Taoist cultivation?!
He took it back and studied it slowly.

"These are fragments of characters from the ancient era of witches and demons."

Even a few words couldn't be deciphered, and no one understood their meaning. Let alone Niuzhu Palace, even if the old prime minister of the East Sea Dragon Palace came, he probably wouldn't recognize a single one.

Since you like it, sir, then take it.

Put it on my tab.

Madam Qing nodded.

Although it was a demonic script, the demons of Niuzhu Palace had never learned it. On the contrary, they were much more familiar with human script.

She didn't understand either, so she simply did him a favor.

Jiang Xingzhou placed the treasure chest and the ancient demon seal given to him by Madam Qingyao into the silk moon-hiding pouch, bid farewell to Niuzhu Palace, and rode away on the clouds, his clothes fluttering as his figure gradually blended into the distant mountain scenery.

Lady Qing personally saw him off outside the palace, standing atop the palace gate, watching his departing figure.

Twelve bronze-masked demon generals stood solemnly behind him.

"This Saintly Judgment Scholar is truly a remarkable person!"

Lady Qingyao parted her lips slightly, quite moved, "The moon-hiding pouch made of silk from the South China Sea is a rare item, yet he recognized it at a glance."

What's even more surprising is that, faced with a market full of treasures, he didn't ask about any of them and wasn't greedy for money.

They demanded only one ancient demonic script.

"Young Master Jiang possesses extraordinary bearing and is truly a dragon among men. The Palace Master, on the other hand, has exceptional insight and discerning judgment!"

The crab spirit, the gutless young master, hurriedly bowed and laughed.

Above the vast, misty river, a wisp of cloud swept across the water and in an instant reached the shore.

Jiang Xingzhou returned, his toes landing on the sand. He was still wearing his green robe, but there was no trace of the long-bearded fish monster.

On the banks of the great river, amidst the reeds, a small team of several familiar figures were anxiously searching in all directions.

They had been searching along the river for several hours, but there was still no news.

"Brother Jiang, you're finally back! That fish monster..."

Lu Ming's words came to an abrupt halt.

Seeing that Jiang Xingzhou's hands were empty, he immediately understood and comforted him, patting Jiang Xingzhou's shoulder and saying, "Didn't catch up? It's alright, it's nothing! It's good that you're safe!"

"It's good that Brother Jiang is back. What a scare! I was worried that he might have encountered the demon soldiers in the Yangtze River!"

Gu Zhimian's face was somewhat pale.

Zhang Youyi silently sheathed his sword, his voice hoarse: "We've discovered traces of a demon soldier ten miles downstream, and we're heading there!"

"Thank you all for your concern!"

Looking at his classmates' boots covered in mud, Jiang Xingzhou felt a sudden warmth in his heart and smiled.

As dusk settled, shadowy figures appeared along the riverbank.

Upon receiving the message, Instructor Zheng Shuqian, holding a jade ruler, flew over the reeds and landed on the sand.

Following behind five instructors, the newly recruited students gradually gathered back from various places, their shoes crunching on the ground under the setting sun.

Jiang Xingzhou stood quietly on the riverbank, a luminous pearl in his palm.

He remained calm and didn't say anything else. He only said that he had failed to catch the long-bearded fish monster and had casually fished it out of the riverbed, which he considered his way of passing the Qingming Festival assessment.

Zheng Shuqian felt a slight chill when he heard Jiang Xingzhou holding the luminous pearl in his palm.

They searched for several hours but could not find Jiang Xingzhou on either side of the river.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xingzhou suddenly reappeared.

Based on the clues, Jiang Xingzhou should have disappeared for several hours in the vicinity of Niuzhu Palace!
The palace master of Niuzhu Palace, Lady Qingyao, is a very mysterious demon general.

The Jiangyin County Government, the Confucian Temple, and the County Academy had all given instructions to prevent Jiangyin scholars from approaching the Niuzhu Palace, which is located in the middle of the Yangtze River.

Fortunately, Niuzhu Palace did not provoke trouble, and things remained peaceful!
'Could it be that you've entered Niuzhu Palace? But it's inconvenient to say so openly! This audacity is truly astonishing!'

Instructor Zheng secretly said.

Jiang Xingzhou, being the top candidate in the preliminary examination, will definitely be participating in the Jiangzhou Prefecture examination. It's impossible for him to give the candidates a poor evaluation in the imperial examination.

"Cough~ It's good that you're alright!"

He pondered for a moment, then wrote in the Qingming Examination Record Book: [Jiang Xingzhou, retrieved a luminous pearl from the Yangtze River, evaluation: top-notch.]
As dusk settled, the lamps inside Jiangyin County College began to glow softly.

As the educational commissioner Cai Chao was perusing the classics, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw Zheng Shuqian returning, looking travel-worn and dusty, carrying the scent of the river breeze. He couldn't help but gently pause at the inkstone with his wolf-hair brush.

"Instructor, you have had a tiring journey. How did the newly admitted students from the outer dormitory fare in the Qingming Festival examination?"

"Return to my lord!"

Instructor Zheng Shuqian took out a volume of evaluation records from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, and said: "The new students in the outer dormitory are all of a very high standard! Jiang Xingzhou, search for a luminous pearl at Niuzhu Rock!"

"Oh~?"

Cai Chao's eyebrows twitched.

Niuzhu Palace?

He calmly closed the booklet, stood up and said, "In that case, you should have the students prepare to go to Jiangzhou Prefecture City ahead of time to participate in the prefectural examination in midsummer."

We'll set off tomorrow!

Although he wasn't sure if Niuzhu Palace had any connection to Jiang Xingzhou, he didn't want any unexpected events to occur during the prefectural examination at this crucial juncture.

"The Qingming Festival has just passed, and there are still two months until midsummer. Is it too early to go now?"

Zheng Shuqian looked surprised.

"Confused!
Even wild geese in early spring know to fly ahead, let alone those involved in literary pursuits.
This two-month trip to Jiangzhou will be a good opportunity for the students to get used to the prefecture.

In addition, he visited renowned scholars in Jiangzhou, participated in literary gatherings, studied contemporary essays, and visited the Prefectural Examiner to learn about the essay style of the chief examiner in advance!
The examination questions for the prefectural examination were largely based on the writing style of the chief examiner. This was intended to familiarize everyone with the material as soon as possible!

Cai Chao said in a deep voice.

"Yes, my lord!"

Zheng Shuqian immediately broke out in a cold sweat, as if he had realized what was happening. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will make the arrangements immediately."

He immediately went to each dormitory to inform the students about preparations for their journey to Jiangzhou Prefecture the next day.

(End of this chapter)