I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 111 New and old grudges
Zhao Feidu, Hong Tianxia, ​​and Su Suiran rushed out of the barracks at the same time. They saw that many people were also emerging from other barracks. They all looked up at the sky, but there was no sign of the dragon in the dark sky.

"hold head high!"

A dragon's roar resounded once more.

Zhao Feidu frowned and asked, "Where would a dragon come from at this time?"

"Could it be that someone is playing a trick on us?"

Hong Tianxia, ​​being perceptive, asked, "Is it Xiao Xue?"

Su Suiran scoffed, "Xiao Xue is trapped in the dungeon; even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to."

If he can summon a true dragon, I, Su, might as well not live anymore…

At this point, he suddenly froze.

He suddenly realized why he couldn't sleep all night: he had completely overlooked one point.

Xue Xiang possesses a teleportation artifact.

In the battle against the Witch God Cult, if it weren't for the Witch Breath sealing the space, Xue Xiang would have been teleported away long ago.

The dungeon at the military headquarters was hastily dug and only had simple restrictions, so it couldn't possibly control teleportation.

"It's Xue Xiang, it's him..."

Su Suiran lost her composure and shouted.

High above the nine heavens, standing proudly atop the dragon's head, Xue Xiang unleashed his Xuan Ye Pupil, illuminating thousands of feet, and instantly locked onto Su Sui Ran. Upon closer inspection, he saw Zhao Fei Du, Hong Tian Xia, and the other two standing together, and he sneered inwardly, "New and old grudges, I will settle them all at once."

He gently patted the dragon's head, "Foolish child, the three men in front of the third barracks on the left are my sworn enemies from a past life. Kill them for me."

"hold head high."

The Azure Dragon shook its massive tail, raising its head high. Suddenly, a thunderbolt flashed, and the dragon's head slammed down, its blazing dragon breath transforming into streams of fire that shot out without warning.

The dragon's breath shot out, igniting the air directly, faster than a meteor shower.

Zhao Feidu and Hong Tianxia were annoyed by Su Suiran's chatter, never dreaming that a dragon's breath would descend from the sky and come specifically for the three of them.

Of the three, Zhao Feidu, who had the highest cultivation level, was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

At that time, the Nascent Soul expert Zhongli Mei, carrying the Azure Dragon, stood against the powerful Core Formation cultivators.

Qinglong single-handedly caused many Core Formation experts to suffer a humiliating defeat.

At that moment, the dragon's breath from the meteor shot towards them. Zhao Feidu barely managed to create a protective shield, but Hong Tian quickly pulled Su Suiran to stand in front of him.

But when the dragon's breath descended, it was like boiling water poured on snow. Zhao Feidu and the other two were like ice blocks thrown into a coal stove, instantly vaporized.

Then came another dragon's roar, and thunder shone brightly in the heavens.

Under the nine heavens, all
People were dumbfounded.

Wearing an outer robe, Fan Yuanchen looked at the place where the dragon's breath had landed, his heart pounding with fear.

He almost subconsciously thought of Su Suiran's words in the council hall: "If there is even half a lie, may Heaven punish me."

"Is this... is this divine retribution?"

Little did he know that, high above, Xue Xiang's murderous intent towards him vanished in an instant.

After all, Fan Yuanchen's status was too high, and killing him rashly would surely cause a huge uproar.

He gently stroked the dragon's head, and the Azure Dragon understood, turned around, and sped away.

Half an hour later, the man and the dragon returned to the Bohai Sea.

The city of Fengnuan lifted the restrictions, and Xue Xiang returned to his cave. The Azure Dragon plunged into the sea.

With a thought, Xue Xiang returned to the dungeon, climbed onto the bed, and felt refreshed.

Xue Xiang knew that his predicament was not completely resolved.

But eliminating Su Suiran, along with Zhao Feidu and Hong Tianxia, ​​would mean removing a large portion of the trouble.

He planned to deal with the remaining troubles as the situation allowed.

If Fan Yuanchen remains stubborn and insists on tearing flesh from his own body, then he might as well try the summoning spell again.

However, what was summoned was not a divine dragon, but the big shots of Canglan Academy.

Xue Xiang slept soundly all night, not getting up until the sun was high in the sky.

On the contrary, Fan Yuanchen didn't sleep all night, his mind a jumble of thoughts, almost turning into mush.

"My lord, the exact circumstances of the deaths of Zhao Feidu and the other officials must be thoroughly investigated."

The most pressing matter is still the major case of Xue Xiang's collusion with the Witchcraft Cult; this is the overarching issue, and everything else will fall into place once the overarching issue is resolved.

The middle-aged man who spoke had a thin face and three long strands of beard that swayed in the wind. He was none other than Qiu Yue, Fan Yuanchen's trusted strategist.

After Zhao Feidu, Hong Tianxia, ​​and Su Suiran were swallowed by the dragon's breath yesterday, Fan Yuanchen immediately sent someone to invite Qiu Yue.

Qiu Yue considered various possible scenarios, but Fan Yuanchen still couldn't make up his mind.

The deaths of Zhao Feidu and the other two must be a huge problem for him.

However, Xue Xiang also didn't want to give up. The interests behind the military pay case were too great, and it was also the key to proving his ability.

Xue Xiang is now a suspect; if we put in a little more effort, we can completely crush him.

At that time, immense benefits and a resounding reputation will come.

His only concern was Xue Xiang's literary reputation and the Tongjiang School of thought behind him.

"Although Xue Xiang has a literary reputation, he has no foundation or base. His sudden fame will only arouse jealousy. You don't need to worry about that, sir."

Qiu Yue stroked her three long whiskers and said, "The key lies with the Tongjiang School. If they value Xue Xiang and are willing to put in a lot of effort, this matter will be difficult to handle."

If they don't intervene, Xue Xiang is just a worm; they can crush him to death.

Before he finished speaking, a man strode in, his red robe as red as blood, exuding an extraordinary air.

"Uncle Le, what brings you here?"

Fan Yuanchen was taken aback. The red-robed old man who came was his family's head steward, Le Chen, who was in the capital and had suddenly come to visit.

Le Chen said, "The Prince Yong's Mansion has sent a message to the patriarch. The patriarch asked me to deliver the message that regarding Xue Xiang's matter, it is better to let it go than to take it back. Don't get yourself into trouble."

After giving his instructions and exchanging a few more casual words, Le Chen immediately returned.

After seeing Le Chen off, Fan Yuanchen frowned deeply.

Qiu Yue sighed and said, "How did Xue Xiang, a mere nobody, get involved with the Prince Yong's mansion?"

With the death of Prince Yong and his heir not yet inheriting the title, Prince Yong's second wife, Lady Ning, is now in charge of the household. How can Xue Xiang get through to her?
It's highly likely that the Tongjiang School has made its move.

Fan Yuanchen scoffed, "Isn't the Tongjiang School supposed to be upright and honest, disdaining all underhanded dealings? What is this?"

"Does Master Fan perhaps look down on my Tongjiang School of thought?"

A voice rang out, and a phantom image flashed into view.

He was a seven-foot-tall man in white, with a sculpted face, a voice like a crane's cry, and a tall, elegant figure with flowing frost.

"Who are you?"

"This is outrageous! What kind of place is this? Anyone can just sneak in..."

Just as Fan Yuanchen was about to lose his temper, the man in white revealed a token.

Fan Yuanchen's brow twitched, and he cupped his hands in greeting, "Could you perhaps be Lord Song?"

"It is indeed Song."

"My name is Fan Yuanchen. Greetings."

Fan Yuanchen bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

The person he respected was not Director Song, but the Observation Bureau behind Director Song.

The three main government offices at the prefecture, county, and city levels each had thirteen internal government offices.

In the city, there were thirteen courtyards.

In the prefecture, it was the Thirteenth Hall.

In the state, there were thirteen departments.

In addition, there are the Supplementary Institute, the Supplementary Hall, and the Supplementary Department.

The so-called supplements are all non-permanent government offices.

Some positions are created for specific tasks and removed once the task is completed.

The Guanfeng Division was a newly established supplementary division, which was only under the jurisdiction of the State Seal Temple.

As the name suggests, it is a place to observe the customs and laws of the entire prefecture and get a general overview of them.

The permissions are very broad, and the authority is very flexible.

If the Bureau of Observation of the Wind insists on paying attention to a certain matter, it can easily bring it to the attention of the State-level Council.

Fan Yuanchen had considered the position of Director of the Wind Watching Bureau when it was still vacant, but there was no response from above for a long time.

He had only recently heard that the person chosen for the position of Director of the Fengshi Division was a member of the Tongjiang School.

He had only recently learned that Xue Xiang was a member of the Tongjiang School, and he had been worried about alarming the yet-to-be-appointed Director of the Guanfeng Division.

Little did he know that Song Sizun, having just taken office, would come directly to him, his intention to interrogate him clear.

With Princess Yong in the lead and Song Si-zun of the Tongjiang School in the back, Fan Yuan-chen's interest in dealing with Xue Xiang for stealing credit was rapidly waning.

"Director Fan, is Xue Xiang guilty or not?"

Song Sizun's phoenix eyes were slightly closed, and his first words startled Fan Yuanchen.

What kind of person is this? They don't even follow basic official etiquette or subtlety anymore.

"Director Song, what you've said really makes me..."

Fan Yuanchen was trying to sort out his somewhat tangled thoughts when Song Sizun interrupted him, saying, "Guilty is guilt, and innocence is innocence."

You are responsible for your own judgment.

The rest is up to me.

"you you……"

Fan Yuanchen couldn't understand what Song Sizun was up to, but from what he said, it seemed like he was going to make things much bigger.

"In case of doubt, the guilty party is presumed innocent; Xue Xiang is innocent."

Qiu Yue answered quickly, looking directly at Fan Yuanchen.

Fan Yuanchen coughed, "Yes, yes, there is no concrete evidence yet, so of course he is innocent."

"Release them if they are innocent."

Song Sizun said, "Actually, I also have a case here. The whistleblower accused Fan Sizun of sleeping with prostitutes. He has submitted some witnesses and physical evidence."

But the so-called evidence is all one-sided. Since Lord Fan agrees with the principle of presumption of innocence, I have nothing more to say. Farewell.

After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and disappeared without a trace.

"This this……"

Fan Yuanchen was baffled.

Qiu Yue said, "Why did the Tongjiang School send someone like this? She's so beautiful she looks like a woman."

He speaks with a sharp tongue, but with a barbed edge; I didn't see much cunning in him.

"It's best not to confront such a reckless man head-on."

Fan Yuanchen said in a muffled voice, "This guy is threatening me."

Did you hear that? If I continue to detain Xue Xiang with cases that lack concrete evidence, this guy will try to do the same thing.

Where did he get the guts?

Qiu Yue said, "The enemy's situation is unclear, so we cannot act rashly."

Song Sizun is too reckless. Fighting with such a reckless man will not bring you anything even if you win, and you will suffer a great loss if you lose.

"Since Xue Xiang is already being protected, we might as well not take advantage of him."

While Fan Yuanchen and Qiu Yue were having a private discussion, Xie Haiya also met with Song Sizun.

"Senior Uncle, is there any chance that things will take a turn for the better?"

Xie Haiya was unshaven, his face was thinner, and he had many blisters on his lips. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't control his endocrine system.

"A turning point? What turning point?"

A breeze blew across the shores of Suiyang Lake, causing Song Sizun's snow-white robes to billow high in the wind.

"You didn't negotiate with Fan Yuanchen?"

Xie Haiya's voice was trembling with anxiety.

This matter was too important; he endured the wind for most of the night at the Wind Watching Division before finally waking up Director Song.

"Negotiation? Negotiate what? I'm just telling him what to do. If he doesn't do it, I'll deal with him. Why would I need to negotiate with him?"

Song Sizun flicked his robes and strode away.

Xie Haiya had long heard of Song Shibo's reputation for being "reckless," but seeing him in person was truly better than hearing about him.

"He...he agreed?"

"It's not up to him."

Song Sizun waved his hand impatiently, "Why are you making so many fuss? If you're worried, why did you come to me?"
If it weren't for Xue Xiang's talent, I wouldn't have bothered with him.

Besides, I'm not a member of your Tongjiang School. Don't bother me with your Tongjiang School's nonsense. Go find Old Man Kan if you have any issues."

"Master Uncle, please wait? There is another matter I need your help with."

"I told you not to bother me."

"It's about the little girl from the Spirit Clan."

"Ok?"

Song Sizun stopped in his tracks. "Is she that spirit clan girl who was willing to fight to the death for Xue Xiang? She's a woman of strong character. What happened to her?"

On the way here, in order to improve Xue Xiang's image in front of Song Si Zun, Xie Haiya exaggerated the great battle between Xue Xiang and his servant and the Witch God Cult.

He hadn't experienced it firsthand; he was just guessing. But that didn't stop him from being quite eloquent, captivating Song Sizun's attention the whole way.

He could tell that Song Sizun wasn't very interested in Xue Xiang, but he greatly admired Liu Mei.

Xie Haiya said, "She underwent a second mutation, and her spiritual blood could not be restored, so she could never regain her human appearance."

For the little girl, this is probably worse than death.

I placed her in an underground icy pool to temporarily suppress the blood poison..."

"Alright, alright, how much can you do? Take me to see her. I'll take her with me first, and you can pick her up in three to five days."

There are many unfaithful and fickle people in the world; such a good girl should not be disgraced.

With his wide sleeves fluttering, Song Si-zun, amidst the scrolls, Xie Hai-ya, leaped away.

…………

An old proverb says: "One autumn rain brings a chill, and ten autumn rains bring frost."

As early winter approaches, Suiyang Lake is far from desolate, with boats coming and going in droves.

Xue Xiang specifically sought out a secluded spot in Hubei to go boating and fishing.

At the bow of the boat, a red clay stove was set up, ready to be used to cook the fish once caught. Scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and cooking wine were already prepared beside the stove.

Unfortunately, whether it was due to poor fishing skills or the wrong season, I didn't catch a single fish after fishing for more than an hour.

However, the He family, fishermen who happened to be passing by, recognized him and threw a basket of fresh fish onto his boat.

They also saw that he had cooking utensils on his boat, and sent him some vegetables, cornmeal, and a pot of yellow wine.

Xue Xiang could not refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it with a smile.

With everything ready, he stopped focusing on the fishing line and started preparing the food.

Half an hour later, a pot of fresh fish served with potstickers and cornbread was ready.

Red peppers and green garlic, the aroma of fish is irresistible.

As Xue Xiang ate and drank, his heart couldn't help but burn with excitement.

Today marks ten days since Su Suiran's death, and nine days since he regained his freedom.

The military pay case remains unresolved, but he has been temporarily suspended from his post.

He wasn't worried about being suspended from his post.

After all, his achievements are obvious, and the reward will only be a matter of how much, not whether he will receive it at all.

Besides, he wasn't after the reward in the first place, but rather after the goodwill he felt.

They solved the military pay fraud case and killed the Earthly Witch Yama.

The surge of aspirations within his palace was beyond imagination.

Furthermore, during his battles with the Witch God Cult, he recited a series of famous poems, especially the last one, "Prelude to Water Melody," which shone brightly and illuminated thousands of miles.

The widespread circulation of these famous works also caused his literary talent to soar wildly within the literary circle.

It can be said that he has made a fortune by participating in the military pay scandal.

He was only worried about Liu Mei.

Fortunately, Xie Haiya sent back news last night that Liu Mei's problem was basically resolved and she would return today.

Therefore, Xue Xiang waited on Suiyang Lake early in the morning.

After devouring a pot of fresh fish, Xue Xiang simply put away his fishing rod, set up a deck chair, and leisurely watched the drifting clouds drift by, letting the boat go its own way.

"Xue..."

Upon hearing the sound, Xue Xiang sat up and saw a pleasure boat passing by in front of him, heading rapidly eastward.

"wind."

He called out softly, and a sudden gust of wind rose, propelling the boat forward. In just a dozen breaths, he caught up with it.

He spotted Wei Wendao standing on the deck of the cruise ship at a glance.

Besides Wei Wendao, there were many other familiar faces, all of whom were Yunmeng Confucian scholars from the same year as him.

"Brother Xue, it's been a long time. Seeing that you were sleeping soundly, I asked Brother Lu not to disturb you."

Wei Wendao bowed respectfully from a distance.

Xue Xiang summoned a gentle breeze and flew onto the boat.

"Brother Xue, you make me want to die."

"Brother Xue, we all know you've come to Suiyang. Have you forgotten us brothers?"

"........."

The room was filled with seven or eight Confucian scholars who had passed the imperial examination together.

After exchanging warm greetings with a group of classmates, Wei Wendao pulled him aside to talk in a quiet place.

"Did they hear I was suspended and now they're just passing through Suiyang and can't be bothered with me anymore?"

"Brother Xue, this is a terrible injustice! I only just found out about your suspension."

"Tsk tsk, crushing the seal and inscription, causing the literary lineage to decline, utterly destroying the Witch God Cult, and single-handedly annihilating the Earth Witches. These events, discussed in detail, truly make me, Wei, ashamed."

Wei Wendao expressed his sincere admiration.

"No matter how nicely you put it, Brother Wei didn't even greet me when he passed through Suiyang."

"Brother Xue, you misunderstand. I came here with Brother Weimin. None of us have achieved much in our respective positions."

Just when we were bored, Brother Weimin said that his cousin had run into trouble at Suiyang Ferry and hoped that everyone could come and help. So here we are.

It's not that we've forgotten you, Brother Xue, but we know you're having a tough time right now, so I suggest we don't come and cause you any more trouble.

Although Wei Wendao was young, he had the demeanor of a gentleman, and among his classmates, his popularity was second only to Xue Xiang.

Xue Xiang laughed and said, "Alright, I won't get involved in Brother Weimin's troubles. I'll just have a drink and a chat with everyone. That shouldn't be too much trouble for me, right?"

Wei Wendao laughed loudly, "Everyone has a lot of questions to ask. The Earth Witch Yama is no less powerful than a Nascent Soul Old Monster."

Nascent Soul level monster, we probably won't even have the chance to look up to you in this lifetime, yet you have killed us.

Did you know that after you broke the seal, the Zhangyin Temple in Canglan Prefecture held a special meeting?

A heated debate ensued over whether or not to restrict lower-level officials from handling official seals and stamps.

After all, you set a shining example for us, and I'm afraid that others might try to imitate you.

As a result, the literary atmosphere in various places is in disarray, which may lead to major chaos.

I heard that several meetings have been held, but no conclusion has been reached.

After chatting for a while, the two met with the others. The group of classmates naturally got along well and chatted enthusiastically about the war between the Earth Witches.

As the boat entered the Xiang River, Lu Weimin met Wang Ren and briefly introduced everyone, only saying that they were his classmates who had come to support him.

Wang Ren was very grateful and had no way to express his thanks.

After all, a group of city dwellers are no small matter.

Before long, more people boarded the boat.

Lu Weimin excused himself and accompanied his cousin Wang Ren to greet the new crew.

By now, Xue Xiang had understood.

Lu Weimin's cousin, Wang Ren, opened the Liansheng Inn in Suiyang Ferry. Because of its good location and large scale, the inn always had one of the highest number of guests.

This aroused the jealousy of his peers.

The owner of the neighboring Tongfu Inn then got into a dispute with Wang Ren.

The argument escalated, and more and more people joined in.

Left with no other choice, Wang Ren turned to Lu Weimin, a newly promoted student in the city, for help. Only then did Lu Weimin invite Wei Wendao and his group to come and provide support.

At this moment, the group that Lu Weimin went to pick up was a wealthy guest whom Wang Ren had entrusted to him. It was said that they were very influential in Yong'an City, the county seat.

After Xue Xiang finished recounting his battle with the Earth Witch, he was about to chat with Wei Wendao and the others about the county examination when Lu Weimin led the group over.

Lu Weimin pointed to the red-robed, bearded man in front of him and said, "Fellow brothers, this is Fellow Daoist Feng Xing Lie Feng, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of the Wei Wu Escort Agency in Yong'an City."

For my younger brother's sake, Chief Escort Feng has gone to great lengths, traveling a long distance; it has truly been a difficult journey for him.

Wei Wendao and the others clasped their hands in greeting, showing respect to Feng Xinglie as friends of Lu Weimin.

Feng Xinglie nodded arrogantly, "You are all bookworms, you don't understand the ways of the martial world."

Feng is a rough man who believes in making many friends and building good relationships.

Xiao Wang's matter isn't big, but it's very complicated.

Suiyang Ferry, this precious land, is now a melting pot of all sorts of people. Even Foundation Establishment experts would struggle to maintain their composure.

However, you need not worry, I, Feng, am well-established in Suiyang.

I asked someone to find a local big shot, and the mere Tongfu Inn was emptied out today.

After everything is finished, I, Feng, will treat you all to a pot of wine if you'd like.

"How could I let you treat me? You're insulting me."

Wang Ren became anxious.

Feng Xinglie patted Wang Ren on the shoulder, "I've already said, people in the martial world make friends, what matters is friendship. Why say so much?"

Feng Xinglie acted like a great hero in the martial arts world, and soon he had all the power to speak, talking at length about his martial arts circle and the interesting stories of his years of escorting goods.

This man had a loud voice and excellent eloquence, which amazed Xue Xiang.

Half an hour later, the cruise ship and a magnificent painted boat were connected.

Xue Xiang and his party boarded the painted boat and went straight to the top deck.

On the deck, there is a wide nanmu wooden table with several chairs on both sides.

Two chairs on the west side were already occupied, occupied by a pale-faced middle-aged man with an effeminate air.

"Brother Wang Ren, you've really set up a big business this time, with quite a few people coming, but it's a pity it's all for naught."

The pale-faced middle-aged man speaking was You Fu, the owner of Tongfu Inn.

(End of this chapter)