I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 103 Going against the grain
Suddenly, a blinding light pierced everyone's eyes, causing them to instinctively close them.

In that instant, Xue Xiang's Serpent Sword was already resting on Tong Wei's shoulder.

"I lost."

Tong Wei looked dejected.

Xue Xiang sheathed his sword, cupped his hands to Tong Wei, and said, "I only won by luck. If we really fought, I would be no match for Brother Tong."

Tong Wei shook his head. "A loss is a loss. There's no room for luck. I am inferior in skill, so I will strive to improve. Farewell."

Tong Wei bowed respectfully and led his men away.

Xue Xiang seemed a little embarrassed, but Xie Haiya said, "Anyone would feel bad in your shoes. I came here to show off, but you've ruined my reputation."

But you won honorably, and these brutes aren't petty either.

Xue Xiang said, "I knew the writing was sharp, but I never expected it to be so effective."

Xie Haiya said, "The sages created a new world by aligning their literary tradition with the Way of Heaven, leaving a legacy for us descendants. Naturally, our literary talent is extraordinary."

However, don't be arrogant. You haven't reached the second level of the Word Realm, so you might not be able to defeat Tong Wei.

"So, can I fight against a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment now?"

Xue Xiang's eyes shone brightly.

Xie Haiya laughed, "What are you thinking about?"

No matter how sharp your writing skills are, do you still want to fight across major realms?
Unless you can cultivate to the third level of the Word Realm, or obtain the Earth Spirit, and solidify a divine weapon imbued with literary energy.

"Wait, please speak slowly, let me sort this out first. What are the requirements for advancing to the third level of the Word Realm?"
"My talent and ambition within the literary palace are currently abundant, but after entering the middle stage of the word realm, I feel my progress has almost stagnated."

"This is normal."

Although literary energy and spiritual energy are independent systems, spiritual energy is ultimately fundamental. Literary energy cultivation is influenced and limited by spiritual energy. To reach the third level of the Word Realm, you must at least reach the eighth level of Qi Refining; otherwise, spiritual energy cannot support the expression of literary energy.

"I see. What about the Soil Spirit and the Divine Weapon of Literary Qi? Senior Brother, that's not right. You didn't mention these things in the cultivation notes you gave me."

“You’re trying to turn the tables on me, but I can’t cram every little detail into my notes. If you’re asking about the Soil Spirit, as the name suggests, it’s related to the Soil of Words. Ordinary Soil of Words only serves the purpose of refining words and doesn’t have a Soil Spirit. Once you obtain a Soil Spirit, the Soil of Words can be refined into a divine weapon under the influence of the gathering of literary energy.”

Seeing Xue Xiang's eyes growing brighter and brighter, Xie Haiya waved his hand and said, "You kid, don't get any funny ideas. Soil Spirits are extremely rare, and even sects don't have them."

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

Xue Xiang had no hope for the Tongjiang School.

After all, the sect had already been quite kind to him.

I am not the center of the world. Even if Xie Haiya favors me, the Tongjiang School cannot endlessly pile resources on me.

Although he couldn't rely on the sect, he now had a new idea.

Xie Haiya said, "But then again, you always manage to surprise me."

"It hasn't been long, and you've already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining and even the mid-stage of the Word Realm. Tell me, how many secrets are you hiding?"

"I'm from another world. Behind me is a civilized world with thousands of years of Confucian classics, Tang poetry, Song lyrics, Yuan drama, Ming and Qing novels, and even a Qidian Orphanage. In this world, I have the Enlightenment Jade Realm and the Literary Ruins Blessed Land, but can I tell you all this..."

Xue Xiang cried out inwardly, his face showing grievance, "This little secret, and my senior brother saw it all."

"If you don't tell me, I'm too lazy to ask. It's like you're making it seem like everyone has secrets."

Xie Haiya said with a smile, "With your ability, I have no worries about the cultivation test for the county examination."

I've calculated the timeline, and by May of next year at the latest, all of you new employees will be laid off, and I'll let you prepare for the autumn imperial examinations.

Your time in Suiyang is limited, so make the most of it.

Xue Xiang asked, "Then what about my rank?"
"Now that the county exams are over, they can't expect me to start from the position of section chief again."

"You're overthinking it. After the county exams, we'll see what the academy decides. They might even drag you out and draw blood."

Xie Haiya laughed and said, "You're a born official, you're just suited for this job. I wouldn't be surprised if you became a prefect one day."

"Are you swearing? I transmigrated and all I got was to become a prefect?"

Xue Xiang thought to himself that he would not disappoint his senior brother.

Returning to Suiyang Town from Yunmeng City, Xue Xiang suddenly found himself much busier than before.

People from all walks of life came looking for him, and various forces came to negotiate.

Even more outrageous is that some things that clearly shouldn't be his responsibility can't be accomplished if external forces say he won't come.

For example, the Lingtian area under Yan Guangming's jurisdiction had its upstream Lingquan spring water cut off by Dongguo Town in Anlu City, which is next door.

Yan Guangming stepped in to negotiate, and Cao Hu, the magistrate of Dongguo Town, specifically named Xue Xianglai.

They said that if Xue Xiang didn't come, there was no point in discussing the matter.

Xue Xiang had no choice but to go there. Cao Hu's request was not exaggerated; he hoped that the two families could work together to build a road leading to Dongguo Town, so that it would be easier for the people on both sides to travel and communicate.

Although Cao Hu spoke subtly, Xue Xiang understood his meaning: he saw that Suiyang's popularity was soaring and wanted to capitalize on Suiyang's popularity.

The construction of the imperial road was a good thing in itself, so Xue Xiang naturally had no objections.

Furthermore, there are currently too many commercial taxes sitting in the public accounts of Suiyang Town.

The road repairs will provide the people of Suiyang with another way to earn extra income during their off-season.

After Xue Xiang made the decision, Cao Hu was overjoyed and immediately promised to handle the landslide properly and restore the Lingquan Spring to its normal flow within three days.

Just as he had resolved the problems with Yan Guangming, various industry associations that had sprung up like mushrooms after rain on Suiyang Ferry came to him to give speeches and attend meetings.

The leaders of these industry associations are all influential figures; if they don't step forward, they risk offending others.

For the past two weeks, he has barely had time to sleep, working non-stop.

There's no way around it; having enjoyed the magic of power, one must naturally bear its backlash.

Xue Xiang also deeply realized the importance of the Zhangyin Temple meeting; it was practically a super weather vane.

After the meeting ended, everyone in Suiyang Town seemed to tacitly agree that he had seized the highest authority in Suiyang Town.

Even Su Suiran deliberately concealed his presence, barely making a sound.

Xue Xiang didn't take advantage of Su Suiran's kindness. When people came to him with matters that Su Suiran was responsible for, he still pushed them back to Su Suiran.

It's not that he's overly compassionate; to make a living in the government, one must follow the rules of the system. One can create a temple within the snail shell of the rules, but one cannot transcend the rules themselves.

Once you surpass someone, you become an outcast, and outcasts are not recognized by the system or the collective.

Xue Xiang still planned to climb the ranks in the government office step by step, so naturally he wouldn't cut himself off from the system.

In the blink of an eye, another month has passed.

The prosperity of Suiyang Ferry grew day by day.

With cloud-based messaging acting as an information amplifier, it attracted an unimaginable amount of traffic.

The first phase of centralized land auctions for the 8,000 mu of wasteland controlled by the United Commercial Group has concluded.

The first batch of 500 acres of wasteland was auctioned off in three batches, with the average price reaching an astonishing level.

When Xue Xiang purchased the 8,000 mu of wasteland, he paid a pittance.

Currently, the average price of an acre of spiritual land is equivalent to the price of gold.

Although he couldn't keep this enormous fortune all at once, and although he had to share a significant portion of it, Xue Xiang truly became rich overnight.

He not only paid off the loan he had taken out from Sihai Money House when he mortgaged his shares in Yunjian Message, but also received a huge sum of money.

Xue Xiang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that throughout history, real estate has always been the fastest way to make money.

Despite becoming rich overnight, Xue Xiang's life didn't change much.

Reading, practicing meditation, working, and teasing beautiful older women.

That day, in the refining room.

Driven by the Nebula Overlord Body Technique, he refined the spiritual power of another spirit stone in the Nebula Box into his body.

Suddenly, Xue Xiang let out a phoenix cry, a warm current surged from his dantian, and a beam of light moved around his navel, officially lighting up the sixth spot of light.

"He has reached the sixth level of Qi Refining."

Xue Xiang clenched his fist.

Although he was mentally prepared, this advancement still brought him great joy.

With the blessing of the Nebula Overlord Body Technique, the speed increases by leaps and bounds. What's even more remarkable is that from the fourth to the sixth level, which are all considered to be in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, there are no realm barriers. As long as there are enough spirit stones, the speed can be greatly accelerated.

Just as Xue Xiang was about to continue cultivating his literary energy, a foul stench assaulted his senses.

He then noticed that his entire body was covered with a light, fine layer of plaster.

These are all impurities that overflow from the pores during cultivation.

The Nebula Overlord Body Technique is not simply a method for drawing spiritual energy into the body; its body-tempering effects are also extremely powerful.

As cultivation continues, the physical body will continuously expel impurities.

At the same time, Xue Xiang's strength and physical defense capabilities were also rapidly increasing.

If he were to clash with Tong Wei's swords again now, he was confident that he would not be at a disadvantage.

After washing up, Xue Xiang was preparing to continue refining his literary skills when there was a knock on the door of the refining room.

The only one who could knock on the door is Liu Mei, and it must be something important.

Xue Xiang opened the door, and Liu Mei's face was solemn. "Two hours ago, Brother Xun came to report that the main office was spreading a rumor that Su Ziming had died in battle, and Magistrate Su was heartbroken."

Is the information accurate?

Xue Xiang suddenly felt a toothache.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Su Suiran, but rather that the current situation at Suiyang Ferry was just right, and he really didn't want any trouble to arise out of nowhere.

Liu Mei said, "I asked Brother Xun to spend a lot of money to find the local underworld ghosts and ask them. They have a lot of information."

An hour ago, Brother Xun sent back a message saying that the East Fourth Camp, where Su Zimo had been exiled, was attacked by the army of otherworldly demons the day before yesterday, and the entire camp was wiped out, with no one surviving.

Ever since my husband was made difficult by Su Suiran, I have been deliberately collecting information about the Su family.

Su Suiran had no children, and his wife lived in Cuiyun Nunnery for many years. Su Suiran did not take any concubines.

His widowed sister-in-law, who is also Su Zimo's mother, has been widowed for many years, and the two families have never separated.

There have been rumors that Su Suiran and Su Zimo's mother were childhood sweethearts, and that Su Zimo is Su Suiran's son.

Considering that Su Suiran received news of Su Zimo's death today and vomited blood in the public room, this rumor may not be unbelievable.

It's foreseeable that he'll hold the blame against the young master, and trouble is bound to erupt in Suiyang Town.

"there is always a solution to a problem."

Xue Xiang said, "Su Zimo has brought this upon himself. If Su Suiran wants to cause trouble, I'll take her on."

Besides, Suiyang today is no longer a place he can simply stir up trouble for.

"My lord, please do not be careless."

Liu Mei whispered, "If you were Su Suiran, what would you do to exact revenge?"

Xue Xiang's thoughts raced, and suddenly, his eyes shone brightly.

Liu Mei handed Xue Xiang a charcoal pencil, "Why don't my husband and I write on our palms at the same time?"

After a few breaths, the two finished writing and simultaneously opened their palms.

The two authors wrote almost identical articles: "Military Funds Case".

Liu Mei said, "It's obvious. There's still no news of the military pay case being solved. According to the information from the special investigation headquarters, the case will be closed in a day or two."

Although Su Suiran was not performing his duties at the Special Office, it was reasonable for him to submit a document to his superiors requesting that Suiyang Town conduct supplementary investigations.

Then, the lightning will strike the young master.

If even the young master cannot solve the case, even if there is no severe punishment, it will likely be recorded in his family history, and it might even affect his eligibility for the county examination.

Xue Xiang remained silent.

Liu Mei thought he was worried about not being able to break the deadlock, so she comforted him, "Young master, you just need to inform Magistrate Wei and Master Xie in advance, and they can mediate between you, and you will be safe."

Xue Xiang shook his head.

"What, does my lord have a better idea?"

"No, I'm somewhat interested in taking this risk."

"what!"

Her eyebrows were thin and her big, watery eyes were wide open.

Xue Xiang said, "Even if I can't solve the case, I have ways to avoid trouble. Su Suiran can't harm me."

The military pay scandal was a case that even a joint investigation by the state, county, and city levels failed to solve.

It's easy to imagine the huge sensation and attention this caused.

"Does the young master want to show off?"

Liu Mei frowned, "But at this critical juncture..."

"I don't mind showing off, but there's absolutely no need to do so in a way that offends people. If I were to swagger around and solve cases that even the big shots in the headquarters couldn't, it would definitely arouse jealousy."

But I don't care about people's jealousy, what I care about is..."

"May you be valiant!"

Liu Mei's eyes lit up. "Yes, such a major case has attracted so much attention. Once it is solved, the rewards will surely be extraordinary."

As long as you can avoid the risks, I'd be happy for you to take on this case. I want to see if my ability to make random connections can come in handy.

"Of course."

Xue Xiang said, "Next, we'll see how Su Suiran performs."

………………

At three quarters past noon, Xue Xiang finally settled down in the office, and Yan Guangming, Chu Zhao, Chen Tong, and Jin Guang all rushed over.

"Chief Xue, look at this! What kind of mess is this? Magistrate Su is really outrageous. We didn't even go, but he went and got involved himself. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the one in charge of Suiyang Town."

Jin Guang was indignant.

His only redeeming quality is that, having been a fence-sitter for so long, his ability to bend over backwards is astonishing.

When someone leans towards another, they will inevitably look beautiful and have a graceful posture.

Ever since the rebellion at the Zhangyin Temple meeting, he has transformed into Xue Xiang's number one henchman, practically reporting to him morning and night, treating Xue Xiang as his superior.

“What Magistrate Su did was indeed inappropriate; he should at least have informed us.”

Chu Zhao also made his stance clear.

After making his stance clear at the meeting at Zhangyin Temple, his reserve prevented him from deliberately getting too close to Xue Xiang.

But he believed that he had made a meritorious contribution by turning against his own side at the last Zhangyin Temple meeting, and that he was rightfully at the forefront to receive the credit and benefits he deserved.

"Now that things have come to this, we can only wait. I believe that Magistrate Su will give everyone an explanation."

Chen Tong is in a difficult position.

If it hadn't been Su Suiran who came, he wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.

He had a very good impression of Xue Xiang; he was capable, resourceful, and, most importantly, magnanimous.

Even after achieving a great victory at the Zhangyin Temple meeting, Xue Xiang did not act arrogantly or consider himself superior.

We never arbitrarily overstep our bounds or exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction, ensuring that everyone receives the benefits they are entitled to.

With a leader like this, what more could you ask for?

To sum it up, when we all serve as officials in the same government office, isn't it all for fame and fortune?

Having gained both fame and fortune, what is there left to fight for?
"Gentlemen, you're all speaking in half-finished sentences, I can't understand you either."

Xue Xiang spread his hands.

Yan Guangming said in a deep voice, "The Special Office has been withdrawn today. Fan Yuanchen, the First Director of Canglan Prefecture, has come in person to settle accounts. Accompanying him are the First Hall Master of Canaan County, the First Academy Master of Yunmeng City, and some other officials whose names I don't know. It's a very grand procession."

We should have all gone to greet them.

As a result, Su Zhenling went first.

We don't have the nerve to go with them again.

Yan Guangming felt that in the entire Suiyang Town, only he and Xue Xiang were his own people, and everyone else was a fence-sitter, whom he didn't care about.

"Report!"

Wu Kui rushed in.

Xue Xiang assigned him to the military pay case office, and Wu Kui was happy to do the job of welcoming and seeing off guests.

"explain."

"Tell me quickly, is there any result regarding the military pay case?"

"Why are you panting? How is Magistrate Su?"

"........."

"No rush, hold it in and tell me slowly."

Xue handed him a cup of tea.

Wu Kui downed his drink in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "The Special Office has been disbanded, but the military pay case is still unsolved."

The magistrate from Canglan Prefecture flew into a rage, severely reprimanded the officials in charge of the affairs of the imperial court, and arrested two of the officials on the spot.

The others were also severely punished.

Originally, it should have ended here.

Suddenly, Su Zhenling spoke up, saying that Chief Xue was known as a divine being and had solved many strange cases in the town.

He took over the military pay case on behalf of the 11th Office of Suiyang Town.

He also threatened that if the case could not be solved within a month, he would be willing to accept punishment along with Chief Xue.

Lord Si was already in a bad mood, and Su Zhenling's words made him explode on the spot, and the others also glared angrily.

The joint task force at all three levels had failed to solve the case, so when Magistrate Su suddenly said this, it was like slapping everyone in the face.

Lord Si slammed his fist on the table and ordered Commander Su to sign a pledge.

Unexpectedly, Commander Su actually made a solemn pledge. I heard this outside the headquarters and rushed over to report it.

Everyone was stunned.

"What, what are you doing? Are you courting death?"

Jin Guang said sternly, "He can just ask for his own death, why drag Chief Xue into this? It's too vicious."

"I know about Su Ziming's situation. He tried to harm others but ended up getting himself killed. Who can he blame?"

Chu Zhao said coldly, "Old Su is a terrible person. After the meeting at the Temple of Seals, Director Xue did not usurp his authority and gave him face in every way. What is he trying to do? To drag Director Xue down with him?"

Yan Guangming said, "It's not just Director Xue. If we can't solve the case, our entire Zhangyin Temple in Suiyang Town will be implicated. I really don't understand, has he gone mad?"

"I'll go find him!"

Chen Tong was also annoyed.

With such a favorable situation, it's clear that as long as Suiyangdu secures its position, it only needs to leave everything to time to have a bright future.

At this critical juncture, Su Suiran's sudden actions are tantamount to harming the interests of everyone.

Chen Tong returned shortly after leaving, followed by Su Suiran.

However, after only two days apart, his once black hair had turned gray, and he wore a neurotic smile. "Everyone's here, looks like they know."

Since that's the case, I'll just say it directly.

Director Xue, I'll take the credit for you.

I wrote it clearly in the pledge.

If the case cannot be solved within a month, I, Su, will resign voluntarily and offer my neck for execution.

"As for you, Chief Xue, you have had all your writings destroyed since your birth, and your future in the imperial examinations is ruined."

"You old thief, you're going too far!"

Yan Guangming was furious. "No human being could do something like this! I'm going to appeal to Yunmeng City and make sure you're finished right now!"

Su Suiran sneered, "Don't get so angry. I'm currently on assignment to investigate the military pay fraud case, which is the state's number one case. Before the deadline for my military order expires, no one can touch me..."

"Lord Su, regarding Su Ziming's matter, do you really not understand who is right and who is wrong?"

Chen Tong sighed, "Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; human life is in the hands of fate. Why do you have to do this?"

Su Suiran chuckled and said, "The Mortal World is a good book. There's a line in it that perfectly reflects my current state of mind: 'My days are numbered and my journey is long, so I'm going against the grain and doing things in reverse,' haha..."

…………

The moonlight is like water, and the courtyard is deep and secluded.

"Destroy all his writings since his birth! How could this be? Does that mean whatever he wrote on his military pledge is the truth?"

Liu Mei was so angry that she trembled all over.

Xue Xiangdao said, "This is the brilliance of the old bureaucrat, and it's also a copy of the Golden Sword Plan."

Su Suiran asked the Chief Inspector to sign a military pledge. The Chief Inspector wouldn't scrutinize the conflict between Su Suiran and me. From his perspective, he would only think that Su Suiran and I wanted to steal the credit for solving the military pay case.

Given the collective failure of the special task force, wouldn't trying to claim credit for this make the Grand Master look incompetent in managing his subordinates and that he has a bunch of good-for-nothings under his command?
The enraged Lord Si Zun wouldn't bother to investigate who Su Sui Ran or Xue Xiang were.

What he wanted was to fulfill this pledge, a pledge he could use to vent his anger in the future.

I was caught in the crossfire and suffered collateral damage, yet I was powerless to speak out.

Su Suiran is using himself as bait to set up this deadly trap.

"What did Magistrate Xie say?"

Liu Meijun's brows furrowed slightly.

"They sent messengers with the same message: they asked me to resign."

Then, they might try to change things up, and perhaps they won't erase my family history, but all my efforts at Suiyang Ferry will have been in vain.

Within two years, I probably shouldn't even hope to take the county exam. Therefore, I declined.

"My lord, it's all my fault. I didn't expect Su Suiran to be so ruthless."

Her eyebrows were red.

Xue Xiang waved his hand, "Don't say there's still a month left, I might still be able to solve the case."

Even if it's truly unbreakable, Su Suiran is no match for me.

I have my own ideas, so don't take them to heart.

Let's focus our efforts on the case files. Xun Sizhou is cooperating by transferring the supplementary case files here; they should be arriving soon.

Two hours later, Xue Xiang received the files, which filled eight large nanmu wood boxes.

He quickly eliminated unnecessary testimonies, reviewed the main case details, and combined them with the statements of the main parties involved. He soon clarified the general facts of the case, which are as follows:

On April 23, at 1:15 AM, when the ships carrying military supplies for the garrison reached the vicinity of Suiyang Ferry, a thick fog suddenly rose on the river.

After the fog cleared, the military pay disappeared. The more than ten men from the Ninth Company who were in charge of escorting the supplies all claimed that their five senses were clouded by the fog, and they could neither see nor hear anything.

It is worth mentioning that the military pay consisted of over 13,000 catties of spirit ore.

The reason why military pay is spirit ore, not spirit stones.

It's because spirit ore is used as the raw material, and after some mixing, it yields 20% profit.

Due to the free combination properties of spirit stones, these spirit ores have excellent ductility and binding properties.

To facilitate loading and unloading, this batch of spirit ore was shaped into a sphere nearly three feet in diameter.

A huge sphere weighing over 10,000 kilograms and nearly one meter in diameter simply vanished from the ship.

It must be pointed out that this world is not without storage treasures, nor is the garrison foolish enough to not know how to use storage treasures to transport military supplies.

In earlier years, military pay was also used for transporting storage treasures such as storage rings.

On the contrary, because storage rings and the like are so portable, cases of embezzlement and absconding have become increasingly common.

As a last resort, all public funds were transported using conventional means.

Furthermore, to prevent public funds such as military pay from being moved into storage space.

The authorities even developed a drug called "Void Water," which, once sprayed, would quickly penetrate the skin and take a month to dissipate.

The direct result is that items sprayed with "void water" cannot be perceived by thought.

Almost all spatial treasures require the use of thought to move items.

This also prevents the possibility of the spirit ore sphere being taken away by a spatial treasure.

In addition, the core facts of the case are as follows:
The case involving military pay came to light at 1:15 AM.

At 2:45 AM, within five miles of the crime scene, people in the southeast, northwest, and west directions almost simultaneously saw a sphere identical to the spirit ore rapidly moving on the water's surface.

On the morning of the incident, Suiyang Town and Yunmeng City organized seven fishing teams to search almost the entire lake area where the incident occurred, but found absolutely no valuable clues.

The methods used by the special agents to investigate the incident were undeniably professional; all sorts of evidence from the scene of the incident were collected.

The vessel involved in the case had already been brought ashore and thoroughly searched inch by inch.

Thousands of kilograms of mud and sand were also removed from the area where the crime occurred.

At the time of the incident, the Suiyang ferry crossing was bustling with activity, and river merchants were also busy on the Xiang River not far away.

It can be said that there were so many people who witnessed the incident that more than two hundred eyewitness statements were taken.

As for the internal records of the garrison, they filled two large boxes.

(End of this chapter)