I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 117 Grinding Heart
Xue thanked him and sat down on the small stool in front of the door. The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the rain was pounding on the ground. Soon, the air was filled with the smell of mud.

The sky gradually darkened, and the dark clouds, like the scales of a large fish, crowded together in circles.

Glug, glug, in the center of the dilapidated hut, the porridge in the earthen pot on the coal stove was boiling.

The woman sat beside a wooden bed with broken legs, propped up by bricks, and creaked as she spun a spinning wheel.

On the bed, two little boys were listening intently as a teenage girl read aloud a copy of the Anlu Daily.

The young girl would recite a few lines and then stir the porridge, while the two little boys would steal glances at Xue Xiang. When Xue Xiang looked at them, they would quickly look away.

Xue Xiang smiled faintly, and then, with a snap, another crack appeared in the eggshell of his mind.

At that moment, he forgot his identity as a cultivator and, as an ordinary person, felt the heavy pressure of survival that this family was under.

But amidst this heaviness, he also sensed the family's indescribable resilience—the woman's love for the children, and the children's silent support for each other.

This vitality—the struggle for survival amidst hardship, the mutual support and reliance on one another—was like a small pebble thrown into the gradually fading lake of his heart, stirring up ripples.

"Mother, the porridge is ready."

"Serve a bowl to the guest."

"Oh no, that person is gone."

"Mother, look! There's a money bag over there."

“Spirit stones, there are three spirit stones inside. We’re rich, Mother. That’s enough for ten years’ worth of taxes.”

"Don't talk nonsense. It must have been dropped by that guest. He'll come back for it."

"understood."

……

The sunrise over the river paints the flowers redder than fire.

Xue Xiang straightened up, looked at the sun beyond the mountains and the endless golden wheat fields in the distance, and felt a warmth in his heart.

At this moment, he was dressed in shorts, revealing his iron-like arms and waist. His originally fair skin had turned wheat-colored, and his once cool eyes had become much warmer.

"Brother, would you like some water? I just added honey."

"Young master, come to my room for dinner tonight."

“Kong Guihua, you have to wait in line. It’s Brother Xue, whom I hired first.”

"........."

The four prettiest girls in the village sat side by side on the edge of the field, watching Xue Xiang harvest wheat for almost half an hour.

No one knows when it started, but the news that a stunningly handsome wheat harvester had arrived in Wuqian Village spread like wildfire throughout the entire village.

Young women and married women alike, delivering water and food to the fields, would rather take a longer route than miss this route.

Xue Xiang's business naturally flourished.

"I'll go, I'll go. You all go first, don't keep me from getting to work."

Xue Xiang bent down, wielding his sickle, and cut down fields of wheat.

After leaving the woman's house, he ended his life as a beggar and became a porter.

He worked at the docks, as a salt worker, and on the riverbanks, doing all sorts of jobs along the way.

If he didn't still have reason and memory, he would have forgotten the past and who he was.

With each day of hard work, the ice of pressure on his mind is gradually melting away.

He worked up a sweat, and in no time, he had swept down a large area of ​​wheat field.

“The young prince is so handsome, like someone who has stepped out of a painting. If he were to marry into my household, I would definitely not let him do any work.”

"Niu Xinghua, you've finally revealed your true thoughts. Aren't you ashamed? How many acres of land do you own? I have mulberry fields. Wouldn't it be better for the young master to marry into my household and enjoy a life of luxury?"

"Stop arguing, all of you. Matchmaker Wang approached the young prince last time and said that the village chief's daughter, Fatty Er Ya, has also taken a liking to him, and the young prince hasn't refused yet."

"Waaah... This can't be real."

"..."

The girls' chatter did not disturb Xue Xiang's steps in the slightest; his steps, waist, and hands were already coordinated as if by machine.

Watching the sweat drip into the soil, feeling the pulse of the earth beneath my feet.

For the first time, Xue Xiang truly experienced the simple truth that "you reap what you sow."

This is completely different from cultivation that relies on spiritual energy and comprehends the Dao of Heaven.

He felt a down-to-earth, sweat-filled vitality.

Cultivators pursue immortality and carefree existence.

Ordinary people, through the changing seasons, create and protect the most basic "life" with their own hands.

This pure and solid vitality gave him a strange sense of tranquility and peace, and the ripples in his heart gradually expanded.

Xue Xiang ultimately did not marry Er Ya from the village chief's family.

After leaving Wuqian Village, he continued his migrant worker life. Before he knew it, it was August. His heart was no longer heavy, but his spirits were even more high.

He had no intention of stopping the process, even though the autumn imperial examinations would be held in a month.

That day, he harvested the last crop of wheat in Dahuaishu Village.

The golden sunset cast a beautiful glow on a mountain peak. I asked an old man in the village and learned that it was the Great Bright Snow Mountain, which was 120 miles away.

Xue Xiang had a sudden thought: to climb to the top of the snow-capped mountain and look out over the world.

The thought was swift, and Xue Xiang set off that very evening. After walking for a day and a night, he arrived at a small town at the foot of Mount Da Guangming. After inquiring around, he learned that he had already left Canglan Prefecture.

With the money he earned from odd jobs on the road, he bought a leather jacket, leather pants, leather shoes, two pear wood walking sticks, a tinderbox, strong liquor, and dried meat.

Fully equipped, we spent the night in the town and headed into the mountains early the next morning.

Upon entering the mountains, the air is fresh and everything feels vibrant.

The Great Bright Mountain, three thousand feet high, is surrounded by dense forests two thousand feet below.

With sweet wild fruits, plump pheasants, and tender termite mushrooms, even without breaking the seal, Xue Xiang, in his mortal body, enjoyed a very pleasant time in the mountains and forests for the first time.

Seven days later, he climbed to the boundary between snow-white and lush green.

The pressure of survival and the overwhelming presence of the snow-capped mountains loomed over them.

Xue Xiang had already broken the seal on his cultivation when he was at the top of the thousand-foot peak.

As you ascend further, the wind becomes biting, and without modern equipment, any attempt to challenge the limits of nature is reckless.

He had only climbed a hundred feet when the cold wind was already as sharp as millions of ice needles, seeping into his pores.

Ice crystals quickly condensed on my eyelashes, and each breath felt like swallowing a razor blade.

Every step I took felt like carrying a bull on my back.

He gritted his teeth and kept moving forward, step by step, when suddenly, a faint "crack" sound came from the howling wind.

It wasn't an ice crack! It was the groan of the hundred-foot-tall ice towers beside us, spontaneously contracting due to the extreme cold.

In that instant, he heard the heartbeat of the snow-capped mountain.

The ancient cold is not deathly stillness, but a breath that breathes on a scale beyond human comprehension.

Glacier movement is its lifeblood, avalanches are its yawns, and the groans of the ice towers at this moment are its murmurs in its sleep.

Xue Xiang climbed tirelessly, his whole body stiff except for his heart, which was beating strongly and vividly.

For the last hundred feet, he practically crawled, passing over the frozen corpses of those who had come before him, and finally reached the summit at dawn.

There was no rosy dawn, only a chaotic sea of ​​clouds.

Xue Xiang sat quietly on the summit, like a newly formed rock.

The wind and snow swept through his battered body without hindrance.

The faint breathing within his body resonated in sync with the tremors of the snow-capped mountains.

Suddenly, a golden light burst forth, followed by countless rays of light. Xue Xiang opened his eyes, and the hard shell that had long been riddled with cracks in his heart shattered completely with a snap. The energy emanating from his body gradually transformed from being incomparably sharp to being perfectly harmonious and unified.

His heart was free of any burden, polished to a state of pure clarity like jade.

"gun!"

Xue Xiang softly summoned the words, and the words, spirit, and literary energy resonated in unison. Instantly, a Gatling gun was assembled. The metallic barrel spun, emitting a mechanical click. Xue Xiang fired upwards, and the metallic bullets emitted a sharp whistling sound.

Xue Xiang sniffed lightly and could actually smell the gunpowder.

"The Realm of the True Self!"

Xue Xiang was greatly surprised.

According to the "paper" on the Divine Weapon of Literary Qi submitted by Su Jianmo, this is the attainment of the true self realm of the Divine Weapon of Literary Qi.

In other words, he was holding a real Gatling gun at that moment, and the limited quantity of bullets was the same as the limited quantity of his literary talent.

Xue Xiang clearly remembered that the "thesis" stated very clearly that in order to reach the original state of literary spirit and divine weapon, a cultivator's cultivation level must at least reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xue Xiang guessed that the problem likely lay in his golden literary aura.

Regardless, it's a success.

At this moment, he gazed at the sea of ​​clouds, which shifted and changed, sometimes appearing as an old beggar, sometimes as a family of women in a slum, and sometimes as golden wheat fields and endless snow-capped mountains...

His heart had never felt so peaceful and joyful as it did at this moment.

Sitting quietly atop the snow-capped mountain for an unknown period of time, he parted his lips and softly uttered, "Wind."

A gust of wind rose, carrying him down the snow-capped mountain, and in a moment he arrived at Bright Town at the foot of the mountain.

After finding out the nearest bus station, Xue Xiang immediately headed there.

That evening, he boarded a southbound passenger train, with twelve strong dragon horses pulling eight fully loaded carriages as they sped along the railway.

After four days and three nights, and countless transfers, Xue Xiang arrived in Yong'an City, the capital of Canaan Prefecture, at dusk that day, the location of the examination venue for this prefectural examination.

Xue Xiang, weary from his journey, finally arrived three days before the exam. He found a tea stall to rest.

He was patted on the back, turned around, and immediately smiled, "Brother Mengde, it's been a long time."

The visitor was none other than Meng De, Xue Xiang's close friend from the same year. Meng De was dressed in a brocade robe, which was stretched taut by his round body. "Brother Xue, you are truly like a dragon that appears and disappears without a trace. Where have you been all this time?"

Wait a minute, you look different than before. Your skin is much darker, but your spirit and energy are like a completely different person. Like what was it again? Right, like a precious sword hidden in its sheath. It seems Brother Xue's cultivation has definitely improved; you're bound to excel in this county examination."

"Hey, isn't that Brother Wen Dao?"

Xue Xiang was about to greet him when Meng De stopped him, saying, "Brother Wendao has urgent business to attend to. Let's catch up first. Brother Xue, have you just arrived?"

Xue Xiang nodded.

Mengde laughed and said, "That would be great, Brother Xue, I'll take you to a fun place."

Having said that, he grabbed Xue Xiang's arm and walked away.

Half an incense stick later, Meng De led Xue Xiang into a manor.

After presenting a gold-embossed invitation, Meng De led Xue Xiang inside.

This is a manor covering more than ten acres.

Inside the garden, the lights were dazzling, the beams and pillars were carved and painted, and the winding corridors were filled with water. The servants were all dressed as ladies, and they were very gentle and graceful.

In addition, hundreds of people were divided into dozens of groups, each gathered in one place, chatting and laughing.

Judging from their attire and manner of speaking, they were undoubtedly nobles.

However, what puzzled Xue Xiang was the alarmingly high proportion of beautiful women present.

There were several beautiful women, whose every smile and gesture exuded charm, which broadened his horizons considerably.

"What is this place?"

Xue Xiang was led by Meng to sit down in a private room by the water. The nearest private room was about two zhang away from them, and there was a fence made of flowers and plants to separate them, so the privacy was excellent.

Meng De said, "It's the place where the Peony Gathering is held."

"The Peony Festival?"

"It was established by Xiao Ya, the patriarch of the Seventh Hall of Canaan County, and all the members are noble ladies from prominent families."

"Xiao Ya? Sounds like a middle-aged woman."

"She is a powerful noblewoman. I heard that she is hosting this peony party to entertain a distinguished guest."

"Can women become government officials?"

Xue Xiang finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

After Liu Mei introduced Song Si Zun as a woman, he had always felt something was off.

Although Confucianism here did not develop to the almost distorted degree of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was still a world where men were superior to women.

Meng De said, "Speaking of which, we have to blame the Tongjiang School. The founder of the Tongjiang School, Hong Yi, promoted it when he was in power."

The Tongjiang School of thought emphasizes the theory of spirituality, claiming that everyone can become a saint, treating even peddlers and laborers as equals, so what does it matter if a woman becomes an official?

Fortunately, that senior official Hong did not hold office for more than a few years before resigning voluntarily.

Otherwise, women might all have to participate in scientific expeditions.

Brother Xue, as you know, the imperial system is extremely strict, and almost every candidate must pass an examination.

Even the sons of noble families, apart from becoming hereditary officials, could only enter officialdom through the imperial examinations.

The biggest drawback of being a hereditary official is that the ceiling for advancement is only the fourth rank of Immortal Talisman.

Besides, the advancement of officials through hereditary privilege, like that of officials in the Censorate and the Imperial Academy, was also a gradual, step-by-step climb.

Xue Xiang nodded and said, "So that's how it is. In that case, this Xiao Tangzun is just a hereditary official, a top lady among noble ladies. No wonder she can support the Peony Gathering."

I don't understand, what are we doing here? What, Brother Mengde, have a penchant for other men's wives, and have come here to hunt for them?

Mengde glared and said, "Don't ruin my reputation! I said there were rumors in Yunmeng that I, Mengde, am a womanizer. It turns out it was you who spread them."

"It's already been written down, what's the point of arguing about it?"

"I know, it's 'The Mortal World'. There's a guy in 'The Mortal World' named Cao Mengde. Are you kidding me?"

"This is boring. Can't we still talk? If we don't get down to business, I'm leaving. There are only two days left until the exam, and I can't afford to hang out with you."

Xue Xiang made a move to leave, but Meng De stopped him. "Don't think I'm just being idle. Let me tell you straight, all the people who are coming are noble ladies. With noble ladies, there's no shortage of celebrities, and with celebrities, there's naturally prestige."

In this county examination, reputation is extremely important to winning first place…

At this point, a voluptuous and beautiful woman on the western waterside pavilion waved to Mengde. Mengde quickly waved back and whispered, "That is my aunt, Madam Qian. You can just call her Madam Qian."

When these ladies gathered, jealousy and rivalry were inevitable. Whoever brought the most talented and famous men would gain prestige.

I came to Canaan for study and stayed at my aunt's house. She asked me to find talented men from my class to enhance her literary gathering, and I had no choice but to comply.

Besides, among our classmates, who else but you, Xue Xiang, could compare?

Xue Xiang was stunned by the charade. Suddenly, he remembered when he ran into Meng De, this guy wouldn't let him have any contact with Wei Wendao. He patted Meng De hard on the shoulder and said, "Now I understand. I was wondering why you wouldn't let me see Wei Wendao."

"You must have been trying to fool Wei Wendao, and now you're worried he'll expose you, which is why you're preventing me from meeting him, isn't that right?"

Mengde clasped his hands in apology, "Brother Xue's eyes are like lightning; nothing can be hidden from you."

I have no choice but to ask you to come and sit down; it will save face for my aunt.

Later, I, Meng, will treat you to Tan family cuisine; Brother Xue, you can order whatever you like.

Xue Xiang shook his head, and Meng De glared at him. Just as he was about to raise the price, Xue Xiang said, "Brother Meng De's business is my business. When friends make friends, why haggle over prices? Let's go."

Meng De was so moved that he almost cried. He never expected that Xue Da Guanren would be so understanding.

Little did he know that Xue Xiangchun was simply bored. He was already confident about the exam, and since he had nothing better to do, he figured he might as well do something else.

Such a beautiful day, enjoying the breeze and moon with a group of gorgeous aunties, is far more blissful than discussing poetry and essays with the likes of Wei Wendao.

(End of this chapter)