Chapter 77: Chapter 76: A Second Glance
Chen Xu made a name for himself in Yunjiang Prefecture.
This time, he truly became famous in Yunjiang, and the nature of it was entirely different from when he became first in the children’s examination at the age of thirteen.
To be first in the children’s examination, in one prefecture, happens every year in every county.
Even if one is a prodigy, it only brings some fame for a short period after the results are announced.
To truly cultivate such reputation, there’s still a long road to tread ahead.
Otherwise, it’s like being a small inconspicuous hillock among the countless peaks of the world. A gust of wind, and it doesn’t even count as dust.
The children’s examination of the Great Li Dynasty was quite different from the children’s examination Chen Xu had heard of in his previous life.
In Great Li, during the county, prefecture, and academy examinations, passing the county examination granted one the status of a scholar.
Unlike in certain dynasties Chen Xu knew of, where one needed to pass the prefecture examination to gain scholar status, and then pass the academy examination for the advanced scholar exam.
Since one could be deemed a scholar just by passing the county exam, scholars were truly "worthless" among the community of literati.
As for the advanced scholar examination, the process of prefecture and academy examinations was continuous and brutal, so no need to mention further.
In any case, this time, Chen Xu truly experienced what it meant to be ’cooking oil over a raging fire, flowers and brocade adorning prosperity.’
Outside the long pavilion, Cui Fu’s kneeling established his image in front of everyone.
Chen Xu’s Three Cyan Smoke Poems, leading everyone out of the Ghost Market, indeed from an ethical standpoint, could be considered a favor to everyone.
But it’s important to know that among those who got out, at least one-third had lost limbs.
While those who came out intact certainly thanked Chen Xu, but what about those who were dismembered?
Could they genuinely and calmly be grateful to Chen Xu?
Even if they could manage it, their families might not be able to do so.
Especially Wei Tang, who lost his foundation and the most basic dignity as a man.
Upon meeting his father Wei Jinfeng, the first thing Wei Tang said was, "Father, I wish I could just die!"
And then there was Feng Xi.
Though Wei Tang was humiliated and brutalized, at least he got out, yet Feng Xi was the only one among everyone present who couldn’t leave the Ghost Market.
Feng Xi’s father was the County Magistrate of Yunjiang, Feng Yuanbai.
Although this Magistrate Feng was merely a county magistrate on the periphery and faced many restrictions in Yunjiang Prefecture City, awkward as his position might be, he was still a magistrate and an official of the Imperial Court, an Advanced Scholar by origin!
Among all those trapped in the Ghost Market, even though many came from noble families,
most of them were from collateral branches of these so-called aristocratic families.
They relied not on the strength of their own families, but on the illustrious status of their clans and the powerful local forces they had.
But when it came to individual family strength, none could surpass Feng Xi.
Being an Advanced Scholar was incredibly difficult.
Throughout the Great Li Dynasty, there were only three to five hundred in three years.
And given the vast territories and the immense population of the Great Li Dynasty, it’s said to be in the hundreds of millions.
Do not underestimate the number represented by ’hundreds of millions,’ but remember this was in an ancient era where overall productivity lagged behind, not the modern society before Chen Xu crossed over.
Hundreds of millions in population was incredibly formidable in an agrarian society.
Of course, an agrarian society with a mythical backdrop was a different matter altogether.
In any case, the value of an Advanced Scholar was high, and with Feng Xi, as the only son of Magistrate Feng, falling into the Ghost Market where one came in unseen and left without a trace, would Magistrate Feng hold others accountable?
Would he even further, blame Chen Xu?
It’s uncertain whether Magistrate Feng would blame Chen Xu, because Cui Fu had already taken the lead in kneeling.
With his kneeling, who else among the survivors could refrain from thanking Chen Xu?
To forgo gratitude would be to become a person of ingratitude, a stigma one would not dare to bear easily.
Amidst the flurry of gratitude, Feng Yuanbai, in casual attire and a cold demeanor, stood to the side.
No one noticed that his hand was actually behind his back, calculating something.
As everyone was eagerly inviting Chen Xu to their homes as a guest, and Chen Xu was politely declining, suddenly, the Broken Plum Blossom Painting that was held by Cui Jingxian moved.
Cui Jingxian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm, letting out an "Ah."
His palm opened, and like an arrow leaving its bowstring, the Broken Plum Blossom Painting shot out and soared into the sky.
Feng Yuanbai stretched out his hand, and the Broken Plum Blossom Painting instantly descended, landing into his palm like a swallow returning to the forest.
In that moment, Wang Ji, who had been quietly hidden among the crowd, suddenly felt as if a needle pricked his back, and leaped up.
Wang Ji’s face changed dramatically, and he muttered in his heart: Damn, my Heart Technique is broken.
He bit his teeth, tore off a ring from his neck, and shouted: "Draw the ground as a prison!"
The ring was released, expanding into a circle of light that instantaneously covered Feng Yuanbai within.
Then a gust of wind swept under Wang Ji’s feet, and he ran.
Feng Yuanbai sneered: "You make a mistake, want to leave without a sound, doesn’t Wang Nephew care at all about the Yunjiang aristocratic family?"
Before he finished speaking, he uttered a single sound: "Order!"
Stepping forward, the circle of light before him shattered into countless irregular spots of light.
The scattered light spots splattered, and a jade ruler appeared in Feng Yuanbai’s hand.
"Heaven’s order is righteous, the five penalties are laid!" The jade ruler spun like a lance, instantly flying out of his hand, transforming into shackles in mid-air, snapping onto Wang Ji’s neck and hands.
Wang Ji finally lost hope, turning back to shout: "Whether you believe it or not, although I exchanged the painting, it was just for a prank.
This Ghost Market wasn’t my doing, I don’t know why it appeared!"
With a wave of Feng Yuanbai’s hand, Wang Ji seemed as if he was pulled by an invisible thread, swooping forward to appear before him.
"You admit it was you who exchanged the painting?" Feng Yuanbai asked.
Wang Ji, stiff-necked: "So what if I did? I only exchanged the painting, sealing merely a wandering ghost, the Ghost Market wasn’t summoned by me.
What I did I admit, what I didn’t... Ah!"
Feng Yuanbai had mounted his steed and galloped away, clamping his legs.
It wasn’t an ordinary horse, but a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Horse with spirit beast lineage.
The spirited horse galloped away several meters in an instant.
Wang Ji seemed as if he was strung with a rope, clumsily hitting the ground, dragged across the plains by the spirited horse.
"Ahhh..." Wang Ji screamed in humiliation, pain, and anger, "Feng, let go of me! You’re just a mere county magistrate, how dare you roam so unchecked?"
Feng Yuanbai ignored him, spurring his horse even faster.
Wang Ji’s screams faded into the distance, leaving only one person from the Wang Family in the pavilion, suddenly realizing something,.
He urgently mounted his horse and pursued, calling out to the Magistrate: "Lord Magistrate, please wait! Do not act rashly, Brother Ji is just a child without malice, there must be something else at play here.
Please, Lord Magistrate, examine carefully, do not act impulsively and bring pain to allies and joy to foes..."
In the blink of an eye, the commotion left.
Leaving the others in the pavilion with varied expressions.
Chen Xu frowned slightly, he had the distinct feeling that before leaving, Magistrate Feng seemed to have looked at him.