Heaven's Formula

"The Big Bowl Grain Shop is my store." Wei Wushuang replied.

"Pfft," Xia Fan almost choked. Isn't this the grain store with the best business in Fenghua County?Moreover, the store will occasionally distribute some porridge for relief, and Master often goes to take advantage of it.Those who can open a grain store in Qiguo, even if they are not from aristocratic families, are not ordinary merchants and hawkers.

"Brother, have you met?"

It's strange if you haven't seen it, but it's the most central location in the county.Xia Fan rolled his eyes at him, and in his heart he had classified him as an enemy of the bourgeoisie, "Well, it is."

"Hey, when the doctoral examination is over, I will definitely treat Brother Xia to have a good meal in Fenghua County."

"No, this one meal is enough." Xia Fan stood up and cupped his hands at him, "Thank you."

"...Wait, wait," Wei Wushuang didn't react for a moment, "You don't want to be with me—"

"Cooperate?" He shook his head, "Actually, you are right in one point. The advantages of those sects and aristocratic disciples are far greater than those of retail investors. Even if they can pass the scholar's examination, their rankings will not be too high. Therefore, for you, the best A good choice is to fail intentionally—whether you enter the Privy Council will have little effect on you, and because you failed the assessment, your father should have nothing to say. When you return to Fenghua County, you are still the second young master of your family, and you will live and eat for the rest of your life. Worry-free, at least it is much better than being assigned to a certain town and eventually dying of a certain evil."

"So hurry up and go home—" Xia Fan waved his hands at this point, "Isn't it good to be a rich second generation with a dull life?"

He could see that Wei Wushuang didn't have the determination to pass the scholar's examination.

The latter's face flushed visibly.

For a moment, he thought that the other party would become angry and yell at him, but in the end Wei Wushuang endured it.

This is not common, Xia Fan secretly praised - boys from the age of fifteen to adulthood value face the most, and they can lose everything, but face cannot be lost.However, while the other party was not convinced, he faced up to his own heart.

After a while, Wei Wushuang said, "What about you? It's as difficult for you to get a good ranking as me. Aren't you afraid?"

"Who said that, I care about my own life."

"Then why..."

"Because of ignorance." Xia Fan sighed softly.

"Ignorance?" Wei Wushuang was full of surprise, he really couldn't connect the person in front of him with ignorance.

Because I don't know anything about this new world, I want to learn more about it.Xia Fan knew that the sense of disobedience in his heart came from the opposition between reality and common sense, and from the feedback from the unfamiliar environment.It would be fine if he was just an ordinary person in his life, but he happened to be talented, and paying off the debt for the cheap master was just an introduction. Even if such a thing didn't happen, he would take this step sooner or later.As the Privy Council that manages all visions, it is undoubtedly an ideal platform.

What's more, for him who has received systematic education, seeking knowledge and solving doubts has become an instinct carved into his soul.

But even if these things are said, people in this world probably won't be able to understand them.

He waved his hand, turned and walked outside.

Chapter 3 考核内容

However, Xia Fan did not leave the teahouse directly, but stopped at the corner of the stairs, and waited until the waiter in the shop brought a new order of braised beef before calling him over and putting the beef into his pocket.

Facing the guest officer's weird request, Xiao Er didn't have much doubts, after all, he sat at the same table with Wei Wushuang before, and the latter was still sitting in his seat.

After "packing" the beef, Xia Fan left the teahouse unhurriedly - in this way, even lunch was saved.

Anyway, the fellow villagers said that you are welcome, order what you want to eat, and he also believed that Wei Wushuang would not mind this plate of stewed beef that disappeared out of thin air.

To be honest, he did not have a bad opinion of this young boy, and his temperament was not bad. It is rare to be able to face himself in the face of embarrassment, not to mention that his family is quite wealthy. Life must be much better.It's a pity that what he said was all the truth. Since he took the scholar's exam because of his family's coercion, there was no need to take that risk at all.

Master had repeatedly told him that dealing with evil spirits was a serious matter, and if he had not made up his mind and made complete preparations, he should never get involved in it lightly.

Judging from Master Cheap's usual style of dealing with little ghosts and ghosts, and avoiding alchemists from the Privy Council, he probably didn't lie to himself.

In the afternoon, the invigilator finally called everyone to the center of the town and informed them of the content of the assessment.

The theme is unexpectedly simple, as long as a bottle of spiritual fire source is filled within a limited time.

The so-called spiritual fire is what is generally called "wild fire" among the people. After drying and grinding its source, it can be used as a release medicinal material for several alchemy techniques, which is relatively easy to obtain.

Of course, Xia Fan would not stand up and say that this phenomenon should be called phosphorus fire. What is burned is phosphine, which is produced from decayed human bones-because those powders can indeed trigger some magical phenomena, and they are repeatable.And the latter happens to be one of the most important tenets of scientific experimentation.

His common sense didn't work here, or rather, it was working in another form that he didn't know.

Precisely because spiritual fire is not rare, and it is very easy to collect, just take a shovel and dig down, so when the content of the main examination was released, there was a commotion in the crowd.

It is no wonder that the examinees were surprised, even ordinary people, as long as they are brave enough, can easily do this.

The invigilator ignored everyone's comments at all, and took off the red silk around him, revealing a notice board and a long table underneath.

There are a lot of porcelain vases on the table, which are obviously the containers used for the examination.

The ink on the notice board is a further explanation of the assessment rules, but overall it is very concise, with only three items.

"One, the examination period is seven days, and you are not allowed to leave Qingshan Town during this period."

"Second, it is forbidden to interfere with the daily life of the villagers."

"Third, do not murder candidates in the same period."

"Candidates who violate any of the above rules will be directly judged as unqualified!" The invigilator said loudly, "Then, the tenth phase of the Daqi State Scholars' Examination begins here. I wish you all the best in the exam!" Explain to everyone what it means.

"Wait, seven days?" Everyone was in an uproar.

"What can be done in a day, why take so long?"

"Wouldn't it be possible for everyone to pass!"

"Whatever, just take the bottle first."

This sentence seemed to remind everyone, the scene became extremely chaotic for a while, those in the front couldn't get out after getting the bottles, and those in the back couldn't squeeze in.Even in the process of pushing, several porcelain vases slipped from the edge of the table and fell to pieces.Candidates who haven't got it are afraid that they will lose their qualifications because they don't have a bottle, so they push harder, and some people accidentally fall down, which is about to turn into a stampede.

"Stop me all!"

Suddenly, a crisp voice resounded through the audience.

A woman jumped onto the long table, pulled out the wooden sword at her waist, and made a posture about to chop down, "Whoever moves one more step, I will smash all these bottles!"

The commotion stopped immediately.

No one even questioned it - because they did find out that there was no rule against destroying containers.Once she really did that, whether it would cause public anger is another matter, but it was a certainty that they would not be able to complete the assessment.

"Junior Sister, what are you doing?"

Instead, a young man wearing the same costume as the woman stood up and said anxiously.

"Of course it is to maintain order." The woman showed a nice smile, and then pointed her sword at the crowd, "Over there, please help the fallen person! And you, and you, please help people!"

"Why should I listen to you?" Someone said angrily.

"Huh?" The girl lowered the sword in her hand a little.

The pressure was instantly transferred to the protesters. Under the scorching gaze of everyone, the candidates who were called obediently extended their hands to the fallen.

"Very good! Others, one by one, come to me to get the bottle! Don't worry, there are still several boxes of bottles behind this table, and the quantity is definitely enough. Brothers and brothers, don't just stand there, come and help me."

With a few simple words, a possible stampede was eliminated without a trace.

Xia Fan, who was squeezed into the crowd and couldn't move, was finally able to breathe. He followed the crowd and looked at the woman curiously - she didn't look tall, she was fifteen or sixteen years old at most, and her face She hasn't shed her childishness yet, but she already has the foundation of a beauty.In particular, a pair of big eyes are particularly agile, like a handful of clear springs.

And the brocade robe she was wearing was equally eye-catching.The light blue fabric is obviously valuable at first glance, and a pair of feather ornaments are embroidered on each shoulder, and the patterns are fully visible, as if it is real.Looking at the examinees who were wearing the same clothes as her, one knew that this group of people were the "disciples of aristocratic families" that Wei Wushuang said.

"They are... from the Luo family in Youzhou?"

"Suzaku Twin Feathers, you can't be wrong."

Hearing the people around him whispering, Xia Fan couldn't help interjecting, "Hey, brother, is the Luo family famous?"

"Haven't you even heard of the Luo family?" The man gave him a suspicious look. "They are a big family in the examination, and it doesn't matter to them to have a passer every time. The top three will basically have a place in the Luo family."

"By the way, I heard before that there are quite a lot of talented disciples in the Luo family, and one of the girls is even more talented. Could it be her?" another person answered.

"No way... This move is too reckless, it doesn't look like a genius. Didn't you see that her senior brother was also extremely dissatisfied with this move?"

"Indeed, if she's not from the Luo family, this exam will be over."

"Oh, offended so many people, even if she is a disciple of the family, she may not be safe and sound in the next few days."

Xia Fan didn't take this statement seriously. The reason why the other party was able to control the scene in an instant had nothing to do with her identity.The key lies in the fact that she grasped the fate of the examinees, so that she could frighten everyone into immobilization with just a few words.

Even an ordinary person can do this as long as he notices the key points.

With people maintaining order, the flow in the arena became faster. After a while, Xia Fan, who was in the back row, got his own porcelain bottle.

At this time, the girl had already got off the table and was called aside by her senior brother.

Judging from the expressions of the two, it seems that there is some dispute, but the man's face is not angry, but worried.

When they passed by them, Xia Fan heard a few conversations, obviously the two did not deliberately lower their voices.

"...You should be clear that our family is not the only one taking the bachelor's exam..."

"The Fei family and the Fang family are watching us, as well as the people in the palace..."

"Brother, I know."

"Then why are you still doing this?"

"We will all enter the Privy Council...and the biggest duty of the Privy Council is to maintain the order of the world, and there is nothing wrong with getting used to it in advance. What's more—" When she said this, she turned her head, as if she knew Xia Fan As if he could hear these words, he smiled at him, "We were in the center of the vortex at that time, if we just stood by and watched, maybe we would be affected by the chaos."

It seems that the girl's five senses are also very sensitive.

Xia Fan added another one after her insightful evaluation.

Since you don't lower your volume, then I'm not eavesdropping - after returning a confident smile, he turned his attention back to the exam content.

The porcelain bottle in his hand is pure white, with the seal of the Privy Council on the bottom, it should be specially prepared for the imperial examination, its size is about the size of a mineral water bottle, and it needs a lot of bone meal to fill it up—no, Spirit Fire source of.Considering that the number of people who participated in this examination was about [-], the total amount of sources of spiritual fire was a bit surprising, and it would be difficult to handle without a large cemetery.

The problem is that Qingshan Town is only so big, even if all the residents are buried, it probably won't be able to make up the number needed for the examination.

Of course, since it is an exam, it is normal for some of them to be eliminated.It seems that the first test of the assessment should be the candidate's information gathering ability.

Xia Fan also noticed that while most of the test takers were still questioning the content of the exam, a small group of people had quietly left the central area.I'm afraid these people have already realized that whoever can find the spiritual fire place in Qingshan Town first will be able to seize the opportunity - and asking the locals, or asking them to lead the way, is a good choice.

But after thinking for a while, he finally chose to go to the hotel first.

If the doctoral examination was only for one day, then he must have gone with this small group of people, but the invigilator gave seven days.In other words, they will most likely have to deal with the board and lodging by themselves, and the small hotel is not enough for everyone to live in, and it is considered good if it can accommodate a hundred people.It can be seen that guest rooms must be a scarce resource, and most candidates probably have to live in those broken houses outside.

As a "comer" with rich experience in homelessness, Xia Fan knows the difference between a comfortable house and a house that can only shelter from wind and rain.If the harassment of mosquitoes is just to make people sleepless, then all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes are real threats.What's more, they are now on the mountainside, surrounded by forests, and the temperature and humidity of day and night may be completely different due to a heavy rain.In case of catching a cold, let alone insisting on completing the scholar's examination, it will be difficult to go back alive.

So he decided to rent a house to live in first.

Chapter 4 狐

Facts have proved that Xia Fan's choice is correct.

When he mentioned this matter to the shopkeeper, he found that there were only a handful of vacant rooms, most of which had been reserved by the children of the aristocratic families, and the rest were either upper-class wing rooms with high asking prices, or lower-level rooms with poor ventilation and lighting. house.

In addition, even for the smallest single-bed room, the charge is as high as one or two silver per day.

Xia Fan now finally understood why the invigilator had to write "not to interfere with the daily life of the villagers" into the examination rules.If this kind of "black shop" was moved outside, they would be smashed to pieces within a few days.

According to this line of thinking, the three meals a day provided by the shop are probably all "scenic spot prices". If the ten taels of silver brought in are not calculated carefully, it is estimated that they will not last until the end of the exam.

The disciples of the big sect are not short of money, but under the restrictions of the rules, silver has become an important resource.

Whether to use it to maintain their own good condition, or to exchange information, must be judged by the candidates themselves.

Xia Fan found that he seemed to have figured out the thinking of the test organizer.

Compared with the scientific examination where you ask me to answer, and the military examination where you take up a weapon and take it, the scholar's examination obviously places more emphasis on the comprehensive ability of candidates.

It is more free, but there are more things to consider, and the answer is not only the only solution, as long as it does not violate the rules, it can be done in any way.

For people of this era, this kind of testing method may be very strange, but for Xia Fan, it is not surprising—he prefers this method that depends entirely on individual performance than simply testing the ability of spells .

He took out three and a half taels of money, and directly booked a three-day house, plus dinner tonight.

Rushing from Fenghua County to Qingshan Town can be described as a long and busy journey.Since there is plenty of time, it is better to have a good night's rest to restore the state to perfection.

Back in the room, Xia Fan couldn't help curling his lips.

As expected, everyone picked out the remaining houses. I don’t know if the size is Wuping or not. A narrow bed and a wooden table are all the furniture.The floor is slightly higher, about three meters above the ground, and the windows are also opened so high that it is impossible to reach without stepping on the table. It is impossible to enjoy the scenery outside while practicing.

However, the room as a whole is very clean. There are no cobwebs in the corners of the beams, and there is no dust at the foot of the bed. It is undoubtedly much better than those unattended thatched houses. It seems that the Privy Council's money is not wasted.Another advantage is that it is located at the end of the corridor on the first floor, at the corner of the entire hotel. It is the quietest place in the hotel, very suitable for cultivation.

Thinking of this, Xia Fan simply put down the package, climbed onto the bed and meditated.

Ever since he was adopted by the cheap master, this kind of practice has never stopped, no matter the cold, summer, rain or snow, it has been 15 years.

This is also the way to get started with all kinds of dharmas in the world—introducing Qi into the body.

It sounds old-fashioned, but the ancestors believed that the universe was first opened, the chaos turned into two, the heavy ones became "accumulation", and the sinking and gathering became dead things.The light one is "qi", which floats up and spreads all over the universe, and condenses into living beings.Although living things are born of qi, they also lose the activity of qi. Therefore, if they want to strengthen themselves, they must re-master the method of absorbing qi, so that they can constantly cleanse themselves, so as to re-establish the connection with qi.

This set of theories is somewhat similar to the rhetoric that Tao produces one, one produces two, two produces three, and three produces all things. It seems extremely idealistic, but the problem is that qi does exist.

In fact, being able to perceive Qi is the prerequisite for entering the alchemist threshold.

Xia Fan still remembers the night when he "saw" Qi under the guidance of his master - under the sky full of stars, something more striking than stars suddenly appeared. They were not like clouds and mist, but more like another kind of stars: The light spots flicker with each other, fluttering with the wind, densely packed, innumerable.Only in the distance of the field of vision, they will be connected together to form a state of Qi.

That was the day when his original common sense was shattered.

A series of questions flooded into his mind, like an erupting volcano, and he almost tried his best not to blurt out these questions that obviously exceeded the age range.