"Great news! Congratulations to Mr. Ning Taobo for ranking ninth in the high school Dingzhou Provincial Examination and winning the first prize in the Beijing News!"
Outside the restaurant, the high-pitched voice of the messenger came, beating gongs and drums, with a joyous tone.
Ning Boshang looked sad and happy at the same time. He prepared a reward and sent the people away.
"Congratulations to Brother Ning for high school!"
Other fellow villagers or scholars he knew came forward to congratulate him one after another. Even if they were jealous, they suppressed it.
The provincial examination is extremely difficult. Taking this step is equivalent to half of an official career.
In this era, it represents privilege and class.
Among other things, Taizu Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty decided that every citizen could have 200 acres of tax-free land. In fact, the number of acres and tenant farmers that could be protected was far more than this.
If it reaches the later stage of the dynasty, this power will be even greater.
After all, scholars are the ones who govern the world. What is convenient for others is what is convenient for oneself.
In addition, you can also go to the capital to take the imperial examination. Once you pass the exam, you will be on a direct train to your official career, and you will rise straight to the top.
Even if you fail, you can definitely guarantee a good life and not be bullied when you return to your hometown.
You can even make up for the position directly, although it is a bit lower.
All in all, passing the examination is indeed like jumping over the dragon gate, and it will be completely different from now on.
Ning Bo was so confused that for several days, he went to pay homage to his master along with his peers who had passed the examination, and had several banquets. On this day, he was very drunk. When he returned to the inn, he saw a scholar from his hometown packing his luggage.
, couldn't help but ask: "Wang Xiucai, are you leaving now?"
"I failed the exam and was about to leave. The reason why I stayed for a few days was just because I was invited by a friend to see the Fangxian Dao Kaishan Gate..."
Wang Xiucai had a gloomy expression on his brows: "Now my hometown is being invaded by bandits... My parents don't want me to go back, but as a son of a human being, how can I tolerate this?"
Ning Boshang sighed and stopped talking. Instead, he comforted him with a few words: "I heard that the imperial court has sent His Royal Highness the King of Jin, and he has also brought the heavenly soldiers of the imperial court. The rebellion will be put down soon. Why don't we go to the immortal world together tomorrow?"
Go to the mountain and relax..."
…
The next day.
Climb the fairy mountain.
The mountain gate of Fangxiandao is wide open, and there are a series of towering buildings. Although it is newly built, it has a different charm.
"Autumn is full of vitality and hidden vitality...but there is a sense of Taoism..."
Guests from all directions gathered, and among them was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance. He was dressed in a blue shirt and seemed to have a reputation as a scholar, but he was not very eye-catching.
After all, there are a lot of officials here, and they are just talented people, so they really don’t count.
Middle-aged people are also happy to do this, walking around and watching at will.
This person is none other than Mr. Zhou Zhu, Mr. Zhou Da, a staff member of the King of Jin.
The King of Jin was appointed, and although he was still on the road, it was appropriate to send his confidants to inquire about the situation in Dingzhou.
Zhou Zhu showed his thoughts slightly before he was dispatched.
By coincidence, I caught up with the opening ceremony of Fang Xiandao's mountain gate, so I naturally wouldn't miss it.
'I heard that this side of Immortal Dao has annexed the Baodan Sect, Tongxuan Guan and other Taoist lineages. Sure enough, the foundation has become deeper at once. In the future, there may be hope of becoming the leader of the Taoist sect?'
Zhou Zhu was thinking to himself, and saw another group of scholars passing by. The leader seemed to be a young scholar.
'Huh? This person...'
His eyes were bright and clear, and he practiced the secret method of observing people: 'It seems that you have some energy? Although you are still a scholar, your future is unlimited. Do you want to introduce me to the prince?'
While I was thinking, I heard the morning bells and evening drums buzzing on the top of the mountain.
"The auspicious time has come, open the mountain gate!"
Tonghezi stood in front of the mountain gate, pretending to be a welcome guest, and shouted loudly.
The vibrating sound of bells and drums seems to wash away the hustle and bustle of the world, making people enter a fairyland.
"This is……"
Zhou Zhu rubbed his eyes and looked at the roadside.
I saw a bunch of unknown wild flowers blooming in an instant, and the mountains were filled with autumn colors, turning into spring in an instant.
"The flowers bloom instantly?"
"In the legend, the magical power of the ancient immortals?"
Ningbo picked a wild flower, put it to the tip of his nose and sniffed it. He felt the fragrance coming to his nostrils and was stunned.
This flower was so real that he couldn't help but marvel.
"grown ups……"
On the mountain road, an official couldn't help but look at his Shangguan. He saw Shangguan's expression was gloomy, but he didn't speak. He waved his hand: "Record it truthfully..."
Regardless of whether he is just pretending to be a ghost, or he really has magical powers, as long as his reputation is high and his reputation is high, the government will often not tolerate him.
But this time the target was too tough, and even Zhoucheng couldn't handle it.
Fortunately, Prince Jin is coming soon, so they only need to record everything truthfully and leave it to the prince to make a decision.
Pedestrians kept going up the mountain and finally gathered in the square.
I saw the five qi gathering together and turning into an acre of clear and clear clouds. A person sat cross-legged on the cloud bed and spoke a mysterious voice: "The Tao can be Tao, but it is not Tao, and calamity is calamity, and calamity is extraordinary! Calamity is life and death.
Cause and effect, annihilation..."
"Meet the Immortal!"
When the people saw this scene, they were stunned. Even some wealthy businessmen and scholars knelt down.
Zhou Zhu was mixed in the crowd. When he saw this scene, he felt shocked and almost burst into tears: "It's true! Immortal, true Immortal! Our road to immortality has not been cut off yet!"
He calmed down and listened carefully to Fang Xian's sermon.
But he found that the Taoist master only spoke for a while and then stopped talking, which made him anxious when he heard the subtle points.
"This time, the mountain gate of our road has been opened. Anyone who enters the mountain is a destined person. You can worship at the mountain gate, or go and find some opportunities on your own..."
After Fang Xian said the last sentence, the surroundings were surrounded by clouds and mist, and his figure suddenly disappeared.
"The immortal asked us to wait for our own chance? Could it be that there is some treasure hidden?"
Next to Ning Boshang, a scholar's eyes widened: "Everyone... If you don't look for me now, when will you wait?"
Ning Bo was a step behind when he saw his companions leaving in a hurry, and he also laughed dumbly: "Even if the immortal leaves treasures, he only gives them to those who are destined... How can you force something based on fate?"
With this thought in mind, he strolled around Fangxian Road.
"Although the Taoist temple here is newly built, everything is in order, which is extraordinary... Sigh... Immortal way, immortal way..."
Ning Boshang's eyes were a little dazed.
In fact, he did not have much ambition for an official career.
Especially after seeing the white ape monsters invincible and the immortals performing miracles, a sense of reluctance emerged in my heart.
Do I want to spend my life in such an ordinary way and turn into withered bones, only to see other people become immortals with ease?
no no!
Just as he was unwilling to do so, he suddenly came to a flower garden.
"Huh?"
Ning Bo looked at a big red flower bone and suddenly couldn't move his eyes away.
At this time, during the exchange of energy, the huge flower blossom suddenly bloomed, revealing an elixir in the stamen.
"This is... an opportunity? An opportunity given to me by an immortal?"
Ning Boshang's heart moved. He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention. He quickly collected the elixir and put it into his sleeves.
This elixir is the 'Tribulation Pill' made by Fang Xian. It claims to use the blood of the white ape as medicine, but in fact it is deceived by using the blood of the tiger demon and the hawk demon. Even so, it has endless magical uses.
At the same time, Zhou Zhu's heart was pounding, and he quickly went down the mountain with something hidden in his arms.