Druid Fairy

Chapter 45 Blood splattered on the spot

When the exam officially began, Li Ping'an dipped his pen in ink and wrote neat and tidy characters.

The question for this exam is "A gentleman is not a vessel."

The simpler the question, the more difficult it is to discuss in depth. This question comes from the Analects, Book 2, Chapter 2. After a moment of deep thought, Li Ping'an broke the question with the statement, "The vessel is what is called the physical form, while the superior man embodies the Way and flows in all directions. Therefore, Confucius specifically revealed its meaning by saying 'not a vessel'."

With this in mind, my thoughts became clear, and I fell into a state of focus, letting the words in my mind flow onto the paper like a spring, completing the whole process in one go.

After completing the essay questions on the Four Books, he then composed a poem for the imperial examination. He wrote "Spring Trees in the Rain, Ten Thousand Homes".

Beginning:

The imperial willows are shrouded in misty green, and the imperial capital is bathed in dewy splendor.

The clouds hang low, darkening the twin towers; rain moistens the nine thoroughfares, making them slant.

……

Li Ping'an spared no effort in showcasing his talent. Regardless of the dynasty, "child prodigies" were highly valued, which was his advantage.

The younger the scholar or the successful candidate in the imperial examination, the more they demonstrate the great fortune of a powerful nation and can be regarded as an auspicious sign of the dynasty's prosperity.

After completing all the exam questions, Li Ping'an confidently put down his pen and paper, handed in his paper early, and intended to leave a deep impression on the examiner.

As the first candidate to hand in his paper, he not only startled the other students but also attracted the attention of the examiners.

"Hmm? Let me take a look."

The examiner read quickly, leaning forward with a slightly serious expression. When he reached a particularly exciting part, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Excellent!"

He couldn't help but read it aloud.

"But the gentleman is different: his inner strength is like the flow of primordial energy, penetrating every crevice; his outward expression is like the changing seasons, not altering their order."

When hidden, it is as silent as thunder; when revealed, it is as moving as clouds and showering rain. This is the unfathomable nature of its essence.

The examiner looked at Li Ping'an with satisfaction; at such a young age, he possessed such discerning insight.

This inner cultivation is like the ever-flowing energy of heaven and earth; in outward actions, it is as orderly as the changing seasons, never violating the natural order; in silence, it is like a deep abyss, silent yet harboring the power of thunder; in prominence, it is like clouds and rain nourishing all living beings, metaphorically representing the widespread implementation of virtuous governance... All these thoughts secretly resonate with the cultivation concepts of immortals, which is truly astonishing.

'This child is a born celestial official!'

As for that poem, it seems rather unremarkable in comparison to this article.

The examiner put down the exam paper and said gently, "Go home and wait for good news."

Li Ping'an felt a great weight lifted from his heart and bowed respectfully to the examiner, saying, "This student understands."

…………

The scenery returns to the village.

Although there was no big red horse, the old ox was adorned with a big red ribbon for a festive touch.

There was no fanfare or fanfare, as that would be too ostentatious; these are extraordinary times indeed.

As soon as Li Ping'an returned home, villagers who heard the news came to congratulate him in an endless stream, bringing eggs and meat. Uncle Li Fang was busy running around, as happy as if his own child had passed the imperial examination.

Seeing her husband and son return, and receiving good news, Qin Shi's worries vanished, and her beautiful face beamed with joy. Li Rongzhou was stunned. "Wife, you've become even more beautiful."

"Go away! On such a peaceful day, instead of being all glib and frivolous, why aren't you going to greet the village elders?"

Although Qin cursed aloud, she felt as sweet as honey inside, secretly admiring her reflection in the water basin and thinking that she was becoming younger and more beautiful.

This change seems to have occurred after practicing martial arts.

I've made up my mind to practice health-preserving exercises more often.

Li Pingcan was also happy; with his father back, he felt more at ease.

……

"A thirteen-year-old scholar, this is truly a stroke of good fortune."

The two villagers on duty at the village entrance were talking enviously and jealously.

Just then, a staggering migrant appeared at the village entrance. "Brother, give me some food!"

"Where did you come from? You're filthy and smelly! Get out of here!"

The people of Peach Blossom Village bluntly stated that people's joys and sorrows are not shared; they only found the refugees noisy. Ever since learning of the plight of Peach Leaf Village, they had been quite wary of these outsiders.

"Brother, please, I'm starving!"

"Never mind, they're quite pitiful." The younger man handed two wedding cakes to the refugees. "Eat them and leave quickly, don't linger!"

"Okay, okay, brother, thank you, brother." The vagrant, hunched over, bowed and scraped as he limped away with the wedding cake in his hand.

Once the villagers could no longer see him, the refugee's body suddenly began to grow rapidly, his bones growing larger and larger, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist.

He looked at Peach Blossom Village, frowning as he sensed something was amiss. "Strange, the people in this village are far too wary. Could there be some kind of treasure here?"

And then there's the Li prodigy we've heard about... His ability to excel in his studies during the Great Yu Dynasty must be due to some kind of destiny.

Perhaps there's treasure buried in their ancestral graves.

This man, named Wang Li, was also a fugitive from the prefecture. He had practiced martial arts since childhood and was incredibly audacious. However, he inadvertently offended a powerful figure, damaging his martial arts foundation and preventing him from making any further progress. Although he did not die, he became obsessed with feng shui.

Wang Li always felt that his bad luck was the reason he encountered misfortune and everything went wrong. He was always thinking about changing his luck and kept searching for information while fleeing.

"Digging up someone's ancestral grave is something I can't do alone. It's best to find a few helpers and plan this carefully."

The wooden gates of Peach Blossom Village could only keep out ordinary refugees, but not a master like him.

However, gathering specific information about other people's homes was not his forte. With that thought in mind, Wang Li nimbly sprang into the depths of the mountains and forests.

…………

The news of Li Ping'an obtaining the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) spread throughout Peach Blossom Mountain.

Li Yuan angrily smashed the wooden stools and chairs in his house.

He wouldn't dare smash any other porcelain ornaments; if he did, his father would kill him.

He roared menacingly at the guards: "You swill-eating pig feeder, I told you to break Li Ping'an's legs, where are they? Are they broken or not? How can you be so unreliable!"
The guard was speechless; how could he know that his brother was so unreliable?

Seeing that the guard remained silent, Li Yuan angrily said, "Give back those forty taels of silver, or I'll tell my father!"

Li Ping'an didn't break his leg, but he did spend his money; he couldn't afford to lose both his money and his life.

The guards panicked. They couldn't let Master Li find out, or they'd skin him alive.
But spitting out what you've just eaten is impossible; it's worse than killing him.

His eyes darted around, and he put on a loyal expression, saying, "Young Master Li, please wait a moment, I'll go ask that bandit for it right away!"

……

Small gang.

Enraged, the guard slapped his brother, yelling, "Is this how you do things?"

The brother was also wronged, saying, "I didn't know these brothers were so unreliable. They couldn't even handle a scholar who didn't know martial arts! I'm sorry, brother, it's all my fault."

He slapped himself twice, looking at the guard hesitantly, "What do we do now?" He was also reluctant to part with the ten taels of silver.

"Heh." The guard sneered, his anger rising. If he didn't need this little gang for something, he would have kicked him twice already.

The guard said, "Listen, I'll lure that young master Li out, and you and your henchmen will give him a good scare so he won't dare ask for money."

"That's a good idea. You're really smart, brother."

The gang leader nodded repeatedly, a greedy glint in his eyes.

He thought to himself, if that kid is timid, he might be able to extort some money from him.

These days, it's rare to see a rich sucker like that!
…………

Li Pingcan, who was constantly monitoring the Li family's household, took a deep breath.

After waiting for so long, Li Yuan and the guard finally went out, which could be considered a complete solution to the venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

He told his father and elder brother about it, and the family discussed it and decided to take advantage of the chaos to accomplish their goal and avoid future troubles.

Anyone who dares to harm any member of the Li family will inevitably face the Li family's most vicious retaliation.

…………

late at night.

The guards secretly led Li Yuan to the gang's headquarters.

"Young Master Li, this is the Black Snake Gang. They're the ones who take the money but don't do the work, they just intercepted the silver!"

The gang leader sneered, "So what if I took it? Come and steal it if you dare!"

Li Yuan was furious: "You don't even know who my father is, or who my father's cousin is, yet you dare to cheat me out of forty taels of silver!"

"Forty taels?"

The gang leader was stunned; the script didn't mention forty taels.

He was immediately enraged, glaring at the guard. "You big-eyed, thick-browed fellow, you actually took thirty taels of silver and are trying to make a fool of me!"
But the die is cast, and there's no turning back now. All we can do is put on this show for now and settle accounts with the guards later.

"Who do you think you are? Brothers, grab your weapons and show this arrogant brat what's what!"

"Wipe, rub, rub, clang, clang."

The sounds of cold weapons being drawn followed one after another, their sharp, cold light reflecting off the torches.

But no one noticed that the vines on the wall had turned into thorns and secretly wrapped around a large knife.

"Huh? Where did my knife go? Bro, do you have a spare? Can I borrow one?"

The thug took the knife, turned around, patted his brother on the shoulder to thank him, and suddenly felt a tingling sensation. A cold wind suddenly blew, blinding his eyes and making the torch flicker. In the dim light, he could only see a human-like silhouette and the tip of a sharp blade.

"what!"

Accompanying the darkness was a piercing scream, which startled the gang leader and Li Yuan.

"What happened?"

Why did you stab me in the back?

"Who stabbed you?! You're the one who slashed me!"

"You son of a bitch, I've had my eye on you for ages!"

Chaos swept across the land like a tidal wave, disorder and panic set the tone for the night, followed by a frenzied melee where everyone's eyes were bloodshot, wielding swords and knives, slashing at those around them.

The gang leader was inexplicably slashed twice, and enraged, he chased after the guards, yelling, "You tricked me! Screw you, give me my money back!"

"Ah!" Seeing that things were not going well, Li Yuan tried to escape in a panic, but he tripped and fell for no reason.

A thug, blinded by rage, quickly gave chase, raised his knife, and slashed down, blood splattering everywhere.

(End of this chapter)