Heaven's Formula

Perhaps as he thought before——

His common sense was working in a way he didn't know.

To solve this answer, he had to go to the Privy Council.

Chapter 34 Results

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible, can you still go?"

Xia Fan returned to Luo Qingqing and asked.

The blow just now almost used up all his energy, what he wanted to do most at this moment was to lie down and take a good rest for a while.However, Xia Fan also knew that the battle was not over yet. The roof beams on both sides of the city wall had been ignited, and the place would soon be engulfed by fire. He had to evacuate from the breach before then.

Luo gently tried a few times but failed to stand up. Judging from her pain-bearing expression, the hit by the black rope should have caused serious injuries.

"I'll lend you a hand." Xia Fan stretched out his hand to the other party. If it was before, he would have bent down to carry Luo Qingqing a long time ago. "Don't worry, no one here will see."

Luo was stunned for a moment, as if he wanted to laugh, but the corner of his mouth was pulled to the sore spot as soon as he raised his mouth, biting his mouth and taking a breath, "Do you think I'm a fool who doesn't know how to adapt? Compared with this, the last half of the sentence Words are more likely to lead people to misunderstand! It’s just helping each other and fighting side by side, so what if you see it?”

After finishing speaking, she grabbed Xia Fan's hand and pulled herself up.

"Uh..." Xia Fan didn't know what to answer for a moment, he felt as if he hadn't said the right thing in front of the other party.

"Let's go, didn't you say you have to leave here as soon as possible." Luo gently urged.

"Pay attention to your feet." He shook his head helplessly, and helped him walk carefully towards the ruins.

Compared with the huge speed gap when climbing, both of them are at the same level this time.

The only thing that has improved is probably that there is a raging fire behind them, at least Meimu can't attack them.

When he was halfway up the climb, Xia Fan suddenly realized that the shouts and spells above his head had stopped, and the town seemed to be shrouded in silence.

His heart sank suddenly.

It's too late to act on your own, the other candidates probably didn't survive until the moment when the devil fell down.

If the line of defense has been defeated, their situation is extremely dangerous.With the current state of the two of them, a random evil spirit could put them to death.

Luo Weiwei also noticed this, but her expression didn't change, she stopped and listened for a while, and then said in a low voice, "No...you listen again."

Xia Fan concentrated and listened for a while, and couldn't help showing a surprised expression - gradually there was movement from the direction of the city wall, but it was not the sound of fighting or running for life, but like someone cheering.

This is by no means an illusion, because the voices quickly rose and fell, expanding to all directions.More and more people joined in the cheers, and Shaye's oppressive feeling seemed to disappear.

It was still early in the morning, what happened up there?

The two looked at each other, and accelerated their steps in unison.

When Xia Fan and Luo Qingqing climbed onto the city wall with great difficulty, an astonishing scene suddenly appeared in front of them——

The dense black mist in the distance has completely faded away, and the stars reappeared in the night, but more dazzling than the stars are the "spiritual fire" swaying on the ground.They ebb and flow, like some kind of soft plant, sometimes green, sometimes lavender, spreading from the town to the end of the field of vision.

Compared with the usual erratic and unpredictable, the scene at this moment has a sense of peace and tranquility.Under the reflection of the spiritual fire, the earth seemed to be a sea of ​​light glowing with microwaves.

That was exactly the relic left by Mei, and it was also the proof of passing the examination.

The candidates who remained on the wall raised their arms and shouted, or congratulated each other—at least at this moment, they regarded the people around them as partners who could fight side by side.

The wild night is over.

……

A day later, all reference participants gathered in the center of Qingshan Town again.

Probably because of staying up all night in the last battle, the Privy Council gave ample rest time.During this long-lost free time, the atmosphere in the small town was extremely harmonious. From relationship building to brotherhood, everyone seemed to have completely forgotten that they were still suspicious and plotting against each other a few days ago, and even fought over a bottle of spiritual fire.

Xia Fan also learned a lot of news during the conversation—for example, the residents of Qingshan Town were all played by members of the Privy Council; another example was that there were official invigilators hidden among the examinees; Under the control of the Privy Council, the wounded were also treated immediately. Except for a very few unlucky ones, the loss of candidates was not as great as imagined.

This confirmed Xia Fan's guess to some extent.

The purpose of the doctoral examination is to select talents for Qiguo, not a death game. Of course there are risks, but the overall situation is basically within the controllable range.

Of course, what everyone talked about most enthusiastically was the Demon Slaying Thunder last night.Due to the lack of witnesses, the speculation mainly focused on the heads of the three families - after all, only the best of the three families were able to get out the lightning strike wood and were willing to use it in the examination.

Among them, Fang Xiandao's supporters are the most. Considering the perspective of conforming to the candidates, Fei Nian was first rescued by Luo Qingqing, and Fang Xiandao helped Luo Qingqing. This result is not surprising.

And Xia Fan didn't intend to be in the limelight, and basically mentioned this topic in one sentence. Even if someone remembered that he had fallen off the city wall, he was fooled by the reason that the scene was too chaotic and he didn't pay attention.

After everyone gathered, the invigilator who had appeared on the first day finally showed up.

Along with him this time, there is also a huge wooden board covered with red silk cloth.

Obviously, that is the "red list" used to publicize the names of those who passed the test, which corresponds to the gold list in the scientific examination.

This also made the uproarious crowd instantly quiet down.

"First of all, I have to congratulate you all here." The invigilator walked up to the long table, and his tone was much more enthusiastic than when he read out the rules, "After seven days of tempering, everyone can still stand here and successfully complete the exam goals. You have already proved your qualifications to join the Privy Council!"

"I announce the results of the Qingshan Town Scholars Examination as follows: 180 applicants, 150 qualified candidates. Among the eliminated candidates, 29 people violated the first article, 31 people violated the second article, and [-] people violated the third article. [-] candidates. The process and results are in line with the regulations of the Privy Council Examination, and this exam is valid!"

There was a burst of applause from the crowd.

The first and second items are not controversial, basically those who left the field early and set their goals three years later.The key lies in the third article - the Privy Council obviously classified those candidates who fled without fighting into the category of murdering candidates at the same time, which means that even if they get the source of the spiritual fire, they will not be able to pass the exam.

Those candidates who stayed on the city wall were naturally happy to see such a result, and they all praised the Privy Council's clear rewards and punishments, only Xia Fan was a little unconcerned.In his opinion, the defense line could collapse at any time at that time, and the fighting will of most candidates was only half a catty.

Chapter 35 Secrets I Don't Want to Know

"In addition, according to your performance in the exam, the final score is divided into eight grades. This ranking is determined by the invigilator team and has been unanimously approved by the prosecutor. For the specific ranking, you can refer to the red list for yourself." The invigilator paused After a pause, "However, no matter what ranking you get, you are already members of the mansion, and your future promotion will not be restricted by a single ranking. From today onwards, we will be regarded as colleagues who work together. Relax and make your due contribution to the Privy Council!"

After he finished speaking, he pulled open the list covered by the silk cloth.

The one in the upper left corner, and the one everyone saw first, was the first-class candidate of the bachelor's examination.There are three people in the first place, Fang Xiandao from the Fang family, Luo Qingqing from the Luo family, and Fei Nian from the Fei family.

"Hmph, I knew it was like this," Fang Xiandao said proudly, "The hexagram has already foreshadowed the result!"

The Fei family did not respond too much. As the family with the largest number of references, it would be a miscalculation not to overwhelm the other two. It is not uncommon for the Fei family to be among the best.

Only Luo slightly revealed a look of surprise.

However, for most candidates, this ranking is a matter of course. Whether it is the battle for the right to collect spirit fire in the first half or the battle to defend Qingshan Town in the second half, the performances of the three great families are impeccable, especially in the face of the Great Desolate Night No one retreated, and assumed the responsibility of leading each group, which can be regarded as the main force against evil spirits.

It took Xia Fan a while to find his name.

He was assigned to the tail of the Ding class, and his ranking was about forty, which was equivalent to the mid-level among the candidates.

When Xia Fan saw the ranking for the first time, he also felt a little unexpected, but soon he was relieved - after all, it would be too hard for the Privy Council's eyeliner to follow him and Luo Qingqing to deal with Mo point.If this paragraph is not included in the scoring range, his performance is indeed not so eye-catching.For himself, the purpose of joining the Privy Council is to further understand the mysteries of the world, but where he goes is not very important.If the disputes in Gyeonggi are as constant as Li said, it might not be a bad thing to rank lower.

"My lord proctor, the order of this list...may be wrong with the facts," but at this moment, Luo gently stood up, "Xia Fan's ranking should not be just Ding!"

"Oh?" The proctor glanced at her, "Do you have any questions?"

"Yes," Luo Qingqing said seriously, "Although the Luo family commanded the last night, Xia Fan was the one who proposed the plan. Also, when facing the devil, it was his key blow that sealed the victory. If the Privy Council Not on the record, I can provide detailed—”

"That's not necessary." The proctor interrupted her, "I repeat, the list was comprehensively determined by nearly ten officials of the proctoring team, and passed the review of the prosecutor, there is no omission or miscalculation .As for the scoring criteria, the Privy Council has its own rules, and you have no right to comment. Or...the Luo family thinks the judge's judgment is unfair?"

"I dare not, but—"

"Luo Qingqing, keep your mouth shut! Do you want to drag the entire Luo family into trouble?" Luo Fengqing said anxiously.

Even Luo You'er tugged on her sleeve.

"Why don't we ask the client's opinion?" The invigilator looked at Xia Fan meaningfully, "Do you think there is something wrong with the rankings set by the prosecutor?"

Xia Fan vaguely felt something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong specifically.It stands to reason that the invigilator has the right to be in charge of all matters of the exam, but why did he drag his boss out over and over again to silence everyone?It's almost like shirking responsibility...

There is only one thing he can be sure of, that is, the Privy Council does not intend to listen to the opinions of the candidates, whether it is for reasons of laziness and convenience, or for the purpose of maintaining authority, this list is a foregone conclusion, blindly questioning will easily offend those people above .

He shook his head.

There was a little confusion and disappointment in Luo's lightly cast eyes.

But more people are surprised.They didn't understand why the geniuses of the Luo family would stand up to help Yijie Sanmen fight against injustices. What was even more unbelievable was the "key blow" in Luo Qingqing's words-doesn't this mean that the person who performed the shock technique at that time was Xia Fan?

The problem is that this person can't even gather the ten taels of silver for reference, so how can he come up with such expensive materials as lightning strike wood?

Due to the presence of the invigilator, no one questioned it openly, but such an unreasonable argument made many candidates look at Luo Qingqing strangely.

"In that case, I declare that this examination is over!" The invigilator completely ignored this scene, and bowed his hands to everyone, "The next return journey is up to you, and the official appointment and dismissal documents will be sent within half a month. The official government where you are located will not be later than the beginning of next month, and please grasp the time of your travel. Here, I wish you a bright future and success!"

……

After the candidates left one after another, Shen Chun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, he didn't want to do such an offending thing, but he had to follow orders from above.

When he made the preliminary selection list, and the short man moved Xia Fan from No.1 to No. 41 with a swipe of a pen, Shen Chun didn't feel the slightest surprise, but had a feeling of "it's finally here".

It was as if the other party had been waiting for this moment.

From the very beginning, the purpose of the short man was not to inspect, but to pick people.

This matter has undoubtedly been tacitly approved by Ba Xingtian, even if he thinks it is inappropriate, he can only do it.

It is not uncommon for high-ranking people to recruit potential alchemists in advance. Shen Chun has heard about it for a long time, but most people's approach is to try their best to get a good ranking for the other party, and then disclose the news in exchange for the other party's knowledge. Well, this is the first time he has seen someone lowering his ranking like this.

It is true that lower rankings are easier to tamper with in subsequent transfers than the first grades that everyone pays attention to, but it is also easy to bury hidden dangers.If you let the other party know that the low ranking was deliberately done by someone, there may be a gap between them, let alone soliciting, it is not surprising that they will turn against each other.

And for the short man, keeping Xia Fan somewhere seemed more important than gaining the other party's gratitude.

At the same time, lowering the ranking means that the former's sphere of influence is not in Shangyuan.

These two points seem to be contradictory. They are not in the center of power, but they have the energy to let the guards of the Privy Council come forward. Shen Chun couldn't think of a corresponding candidate for a while.

Fortunately, the person involved was not as strong-tempered and irritable as Mr. Ba said, and made a big fuss in the examination room when he disagreed with him. Except for the unexpected reaction of the genius of the Luo family, the whole announcement process was smooth.

Next, if we secretly investigate Xia Fan's movements and see where he will be assigned to take up the post, perhaps we can narrow down the scope of the short man's identity.

However, Shen Chun has made up his mind not to explore this matter any more.

That young Privy Council official was by no means easy to get along with, this can be seen from Ba Xingtian's attitude towards him.

Compared with curiosity, one's own life is obviously more important.

He knew that some secrets were better buried in his heart forever.

Volume [-] The Devil's Lie

Chapter 36 Homecoming

The two carriages moved slowly on the official road, and the surrounding scenery gradually changed from unfamiliar to familiar. When the dense forest was replaced by patches of fields, it meant that Fenghua County was not far from here.

"It's still half a day's journey at most, don't worry," the coachman said in a strong local accent, "as long as it doesn't rain suddenly, I promise to send you to the house before evening."

"Thank you." Wei Wushuang cupped his hands and got back into the carriage.This is the fourth time he has asked the same question in a day: how long will it take to reach Fenghua County.

"I've been walking for five or six days, so why rush for half a day." Xia Fan rubbed his forehead, and said weakly, "Since you don't get motion sickness, why don't you use this little effort to draw your breath and practice."

Although he called two carriages, he basically crowded with his fellow countrymen when he was on his way during the day—not because he didn't want to go with the fox demon, but because he was worried that Wei Wushuang might run into holes when he was bored and came to chat with him.

Traveling long distances in this era is definitely a time-consuming and labor-intensive chore. Even if there is a horse-drawn carriage, the experience is still not much better-the only buffer between the carriage and the potholes is the passenger's buttocks, and a slightly faster horse-drawn carriage can do it Shaking like it's about to fall apart.If it weren't for the alchemist's excellent physical fitness, he probably vomited several times.

"Brother Xia laughed, I'm just a little nervous." Wei Wushuang rubbed his hands.

"Why are you nervous?" Xia Fan straightened his waist and changed his posture to make him more comfortable. "You are already an alchemist officially registered in the Privy Council's Eight Classics, and the lowest is an eighth-rank official. Your father must be very happy."

"Brother Xia doesn't know something," Wei Wushuang smiled wryly, "I have a group of friends...no, I should say a group of people I know, the kind...that I often meet when doing business."

"I understand, Fenghua County's business circle." Xia Fan immediately understood that anyone who can play with Wei Wushuang must be of the same age, and which merchant doesn't have a few sons.

"Business circle? It's really interesting. No, that's not the point." Wei Wushuang shook his head, "In the eyes of ordinary people, my father's grain store may be a big business, but to them, it's just ordinary. Pass."

Xia Fan nodded silently, which probably means that this man looks ordinary.

"In addition, my talent is limited, I am more than successful, and I am not good enough. Compared with their achievements, they usually make fun of me. As for this time, they all agreed that it was impossible for me to take the exam. pass……"

"But you passed." Xia Fan said strangely, "Wouldn't this be a good way to break their prestige?"

"This is the problem." Wei Wushuang rubbed his head in annoyance, "We were only registered by the Privy Council, and there is nothing that can be used as evidence. The official appointment and removal order will not come down in half a month. If I say They will not believe that I was selected. I have been thinking about how to convince those people. If I don’t explain well, will I be ridiculed even more..." He raised his head when he said this, "Xia Brother... If they set up a banquet, can you go with me and prove it for me?"

Xia Fan rolled his eyes in his heart, "So what you are nervous about is that you want to show off, but you are afraid that no one will believe you?"

"Ahem, brother Xia, you are too straightforward."

"I'm not going." He said resolutely, "You are in the circle anyway, what about me? Why should they believe what a person with unknown origin said?"

Wei Wushuang's expression suddenly became more depressed.

"And I suggest that you don't have to think about how to explain it." Xia Fan continued, "You can even say the result, and don't answer the rest. Let them guess."

"Wouldn't I be their laughing stock..."

"The laughing stock spreads quickly. Only when they want to make you a laughing stock, they will try their best to spread the news. I think it will take only a week, and the whole Fenghua County will know the news." Xia Fan sneered, "But they also Laugh for half a month at most. How loud the ridicule is, the backlash will be huge. As long as you can bear it and handle it properly, they will never even think about raising their heads in front of you for the rest of their lives."

Wei Wushuang was stunned, "Are you sure?"

"Very sure." Xia Fan hugged his chest and said, "I have experience with this."