They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 105 specifies the time and place.

The two children's voices, though childlike, contained powerful magic. In an instant, they transformed into invisible ripples that spread silently from them to the entire Black Wind Mountain and its surrounding area.

The air in the mountain valley suddenly seemed to freeze.

next moment!
Pfft!Pfft!Pfft!
As if dumplings were being dropped into a pot, a dozen or so "people," some tall and some short, some fat and some thin, dressed in old official robes of various colors, emerged from the ground, the cracks in the rocks, and even from the slightly thicker tree trunks nearby.

They were all pale and trembling. Some had their hats askew, and some had grass roots and dirt stuck to their robes. They had obviously been forcibly taken from underground, from trees, or even from the edge of a latrine in haste.

Among them was a thin old man with a goatee, as thin as a bamboo pole, who was tightly gripping a hoe in his hand. He was clearly a local landowner who had just been dragged from the fields.

Upon their arrival, these mountain gods and local deities, who usually held considerable authority in their respective territories, were terrified out of their wits by the unmistakably clear and imposing decree emanating from the attendant of the Tushita Palace.
Well, although they couldn't tell whether the people were real or fake, the magical artifacts in the hands of the two children put a lot of pressure on them. Just these few artifacts were enough for these minor deities to conclude that the people who came were all important figures.

Without anyone needing to reprimand them, with a "whoosh," all the mountain gods and local deities knelt down in unison towards Jin Lu, Yin Lu, and Chen Guangrui, their foreheads pressed firmly to the ground, not daring to utter a single breath.

The entire mountain valley was deathly silent, save for the howling mountain wind and the faint sounds of a group of "minor officials" swaying like sieves as they bumped against the grass and stones.

Chen Guangrui's gaze calmly swept over the group of silent earth deities, finally landing on the bamboo pole mountain god who was trembling the most.

"Everyone...everyone, stand up and speak." The Golden Furnace Boy tried hard to straighten his little face, mimicking the tone of an important person, but his childish voice sounded forced. He cleared his throat.
"My brother and I have come down to the mortal realm on official business by the decree of the Supreme Dao Ancestor. We have summoned you here to ask you some questions. Just answer truthfully. There is no need to be so alarmed."

This is tantamount to a pardon.

The earth spirits, who had just felt as if they were plunged into an ice cave and were about to face a great calamity, instantly relaxed as if ice and snow were melting. It was as if a huge stone had been removed from their hearts, and smiles of relief appeared on their faces. Their bodies were no longer so stiff, and they even unconsciously straightened their backs a little.

"Ah! I see! This humble god... this humble god is terrified!"

"Since the celestial envoy has inquired, how dare I not speak frankly!"

"Yes, we'll deal with it! We'll tell you everything we know!"

"The celestial envoy has traveled a long way and has had a long and arduous journey. We, your humble servants, have been negligent in our duties!"

The tall, thin mountain god at the head of the group, who looked like a bamboo pole, reacted the fastest. His face was full of flattered wrinkles, and he slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "Look how stupid I am! I almost forgot the rules!"

As he shouted, he hurriedly untied a bulging, tattered bamboo basket from his waist and pulled out several oil paper packets from his sleeve.

The other mountain gods and local deities seemed to have received a signal and quickly followed suit.
"Yes, yes, there's nothing good in the mountains, but a few fresh mountain fruits will do you a good drink, my esteemed envoy!"

A ruddy-faced mountain god magically produced a handful of freshly picked, dew-covered, bright red fruits and eagerly offered them to the mountain god.

"This is roe deer meat that I just hunted last night. It's roasted perfectly and smells wonderful. Would you like to try some, my celestial messenger?"

Another burly mountain god pulled out a large piece of roasted meat wrapped in clean leaves, still steaming hot, and the aroma instantly filled the valley.
"Little Master, we have wild tea brewed with spring water. It has a mild flavor, but it quenches your thirst!"

Another landowner shakily handed over several bamboo cups.

This sudden and enthusiastic "hospitality" left the Golden and Silver Incense Burner attendants completely bewildered.

Just as they were about to ask a question, the presence of fruit, roasted meat, and "fairy tea" instantly transformed the atmosphere into something incredibly...harmonious?
The Golden Furnace Boy's carefully maintained serious expression began to falter. His little brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the smiling, humble, and incredibly cooperative "little officials" before him. The newly established authority he had built up in the law enforcement system suddenly felt a little weak.

Silver Furnace Boy stared longingly at the roasted meat and fruit offered to him, swallowed hard, and the questioning expression on his little face had turned into embarrassment and a little helplessness. Silver Furnace's little chest also unconsciously puffed out less.

"Senior brother," Yinlu secretly tugged at Jinlu's sleeve and whispered.
"They all seem pretty good and honest to me? These lowly officials probably don't really know anything about the secrets we're looking for, right? Besides, the way they're acting... makes me feel embarrassed to ask..."

He felt that these local gods and mountain spirits also had a hard time.

Jin Lu didn't answer his brother, but a hint of hesitant agreement flashed in his eyes. He involuntarily looked at Chen Guangrui. The meaning was clear: they were being so cooperative, so...enthusiastic, did they really need to be so aggressive in their questioning?

Chen Guangrui thought for a moment, "Which of you is the mountain god of Black Wind Mountain?"

A short, stout mountain god emerged from the crowd, looking somewhat bewildered.

Then Chen Guangrui pointed to the bamboo pole mountain god and said to the Golden Furnace Boy, "He also has a problem."

"Is there a problem?" Jinlu Tongzi asked, puzzled, wondering how Chen Guangrui had figured out the problem.

Chen Guangrui didn't explain the reason, but said, "You two take turns asking him questions, whatever you ask, just don't let him rest. After that, when he has something to say, you can tell me. By the way, whether what he says is true or false, just tell me."

"Oh"

The Golden Furnace Boy no longer questioned Chen Guangrui's words; whatever he said, the Golden Furnace Boy would simply do it first. "What about the others? Shall we put them back?"

“If we put it back, they might tell on us, and then all our questions might be for nothing.”

The Golden Furnace Boy nodded again. With a wave of his small hand, the purple-gold gourd he had been holding shone slightly. An invisible binding force instantly spread out, like invisible threads binding every mountain god and land deity who had just relaxed, except for the two people Chen Guangrui had specifically requested to stay and the Black Wind Mountain god who had been detained.

“You,” the Golden Furnace Boy pointed at the group of bewildered, their smiles frozen, and the ordinary land and mountain gods, his tone resolute.

"Not a single one of you is allowed to leave before the questions are finished! All of you stay here!"

He brandished the purple-gold gourd in his hand, "If there's even the slightest disturbance, don't blame this treasure for being blind!"

The relaxed atmosphere instantly froze. The earth spirits who had just managed to force a smile turned ashen-faced again, trembling even more violently than when they arrived. They dared not make the slightest move, and huddled together in silence, watching anxiously.

The two who weren't imprisoned looked even more panicked, because they saw that Chen Guangrui's expression seemed somewhat mocking. One of the mountain gods couldn't help but ask...
"And what about us? What are we supposed to do?"

Chen Guangrui picked up the conversation at just the right moment, giving the two mountain gods, whose expressions had subtly changed, a smile that seemed gentle but was actually quite meaningful:

"As for you two, please stay and have some tea."

Night fell over the mountain valleys surrounding Black Wind Mountain, and the air seemed to freeze. The dozen or so ordinary mountain gods and local deities who had been detained huddled in a corner, trembling with fear under the intimidation of the Golden Furnace Boy's Purple Gold Gourd, barely daring to breathe.

Yuan Shoucheng leaned against a cold, hard rock, his eyelids feeling as heavy as lead. He had just finished his third nap and felt like all the bones in his body were about to fall apart.

He tried hard to stand up straight and be a alert guard, but his laziness always got the better of him. Just then, Chen Guangrui walked over silently and gave him a sharp look.

Yuan Shouchang jolted awake, startled by the meaning in that gaze, his sleepiness vanishing almost entirely. With a pained expression, he reluctantly got up to change shifts, muttering complaints in a low voice.
"Why are you walking so quietly now? How many rounds is this? I've lost count of how many days it's been!"

He pointed to the two mountain gods who looked listless and had unfocused eyes.

"Look at these two unlucky fellows. That fat guy from Black Wind Mountain can barely stand, his eyes look like they're covered in dust. And that bamboo pole over there, his head is bobbing up and down like a chicken pecking at rice! And us..."

He then pointed to a spot not far away, where the Golden Furnace Boy and the Silver Furnace Boy had long lost their previous vigor. The Golden Furnace Boy leaned against a small tree, trying hard to open his heavy eyelids and maintain his serious image as "representing Laozi," but his little head kept nodding, almost bumping into the tree trunk several times.

The Silver Incense Burner Boy simply sat on the ground, holding his beloved mutton-fat jade bottle in his arms, his head nodding off, muttering something indistinctly, as if he were still muttering in his dream.

"Look at what we've done to ourselves! They're the immortal boys who help Laozi refine elixirs, they can usually endure more than anyone else, but now they can't hold on anymore."

Yuan Shoucheng continued to complain, his face full of exhaustion and confusion.
“I think your method of taming eagles is completely ineffective against these mountain gods who are made of stone and wood! After so many days, you haven’t even gotten a single useful question out of them. They have no idea what you want to ask. If you keep taming them, they might just be the ones who are driven mad by their own spirits.”

Chen Guangrui's gaze swept over the withered faces of the two mountain gods and the children who were trying to hold on.
"Immortals have a constitution a hundred times stronger than mortals; a good night's sleep can rejuvenate them. They won't reveal their deepest secrets unless we wear them down to the point of mental collapse. Temporary drowsiness is nothing to them. Only when they reach their limit will their defenses crumble. The time... is almost up."

Yuan Shoucheng pursed his lips, muttering to himself.

"Fine, fine, you're right. You're the top student, so you get to decide."

Just then, the short, stout mountain god of Black Wind Mountain swayed violently, as if the last string supporting his body had snapped. He collapsed forward, almost kneeling on the ground. He shook his head violently, his cloudy eyes looking at Chen Guangrui who was walking towards him, filled with extreme exhaustion and a pleading look of relief.

"M-Master..." His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being scraped.
"You...you can ask, ask anything, just ask...this humble god...this humble god will tell you everything! I would never dare to hide anything! Please...please give me a straight answer!"

The unknown torment of the past few days terrified him more than any torture. He even began to hope that he would be asked something soon, even a huge secret would be better than this silent agony.

The bamboo pole mountain god beside him also struggled to raise his head, his face filled with the same longing, and nodded repeatedly.

Chen Guangrui finally stood before the Black Wind Mountain God. His gaze was calm, but deep within it seemed to contain an invisible pressure.

The Golden Furnace Boy and the Silver Furnace Boy cooperated by leading the bamboo pole mountain god aside.

Chen Guangrui spoke, his voice low and his pace even, yet it was like a silent thunderclap, splitting the stagnant air in the mountain valley:
"I'll ask you a very simple question. If you answer truthfully, I'll let you go."

The Black Wind Mountain God was taken aback. "The simplest question. If I answer it, you'll let me go?"

At this moment, having endured unseen length of time, his consciousness was somewhat hazy. Upon hearing that he was to be released, his eyes were filled with hope as he awaited being questioned.

Chen Guangrui's gaze seemed to pierce through his soul as he spoke, each word striking the mountain god's heart with crystal clarity.

"Over the years, how many passing monks have you helped that old monk at Guanyin Temple to their deaths?"

(End of this chapter)