Longzang

Chapter 17 Follow the Heart
A figure appeared through the wide-open hall doors. Several disciples from various sects who were serving inside rushed over to stop him, but they were astonished to see the protective array of the Hall of Deliberation open up on its own in front of him.

The man, dressed in scholar's attire, with striking features, was none other than Zhang Sheng. Upon seeing Zhang Sheng's appearance, some among the crowd were astonished, some were disdainful, and others remained impassive.

Zhang Sheng's face was still unusually pale, but as soon as he stood there, all the commentators felt a slight stinging and burning sensation on their skin, and were immediately horrified!

The older cultivator tentatively asked, "Junior Brother Zhang, I had heard that your Dao power had not yet recovered, but I did not expect that you have recovered completely now. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "Only after recovering my Dao power can I come and meet all kinds of demons and monsters."

The old scholar, with a fiery temper, couldn't stand such sarcastic remarks. His eyebrows shot up, and he roared, "Insolence..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Sheng lightly waved his left hand, and then there was a crisp slap. The old scholar was slapped solidly in mid-air, and blood gushed from his mouth and nose!

Everyone was shocked!

"I didn't ask you to speak," Zhang Sheng said calmly.

The middle-aged scholar was furious. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Zhang Sheng, and before he could even open his mouth, he was slapped again!

"I didn't ask you to speak."

An uproar erupted in the deliberation hall. The two scholars were also highly accomplished cultivators from the Four Sages Academy, so how come they couldn't even put up a fight? Enraged, the two scholars unleashed their magical power, and it looked like they were about to make their move!
Zhang Sheng held his slender, snow-white index finger to his brow, and suddenly a wisp of green light appeared from its tip. A light drizzle instantly filled the entire hall. This rain, like mist and silk, carried a lazy warmth, reminiscent of spring rain in Jiangnan. Yet, the judges, standing in the rain, felt as if they were being suppressed by mountains, completely unable to move!
The two scholars' bones cracked and popped, their magical power dissipated, and they slumped back into their chairs, unable to even lift a finger.

At this moment, apart from Daoist Fufeng who could move freely, the other judges in the hall were struggling to withstand the corrosive and suppressive power of the rain, unable to even speak. Only then did everyone realize the terrifying power of Zhang Sheng; he had single-handedly suppressed five judges!

Moreover, their Dao foundations were constantly trembling and groaning, as if they had a great fear of the rain.

Those with extensive knowledge immediately recalled a legendary Dao foundation: the immortal sword 'Green Silk Rain'!
This sword is both extremely soft and extremely hard. Its most powerful ability is to erode one's foundation in the Dao. If one is struck by it multiple times, the grade of one's foundation in the Dao will drop. This is no joke; it could very well lead to the severing of one's Dao path. Therefore, no one dared to let even a single drop of rain fall on them.

Zhang Sheng walked slowly to the center of the hall and said, "Please don't worry, I just want to say a few words in a calm manner."

The commentators were cursing inwardly. How could they be calm when the immortal sword was at their command? However, they only dared to say it in their hearts, and they dared not show any displeasure on their faces, otherwise, if the raindrops turned into sword energy, hundreds of holes would immediately appear on their bodies.

Upon hearing Zhang Sheng's words, the monk quickly replied, "Brother, please speak freely!"

Although the crowd was unable to move, their eyes were all focused on the monk, and they were shocked: This guy can actually talk?
Seeing the gazes of the crowd, the monk realized something was wrong and quickly grabbed a fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hmm? It can still move? A dangerous glint flashed in Zhang Sheng's eyes, and a celestial sword faintly appeared deep within his pupils.

The monk was greatly alarmed, his bald head broke out in a sweat, and he immediately focused his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, his mouth on his mind, and entered a meditative state.

After subduing the entire audience, Zhang Shengfang said, "I know that irregularities have always occurred in the unified examinations, but I never expected that you would dare to act so recklessly, arbitrarily lowering scores on trumped-up grounds! Those two slaps just now were for my disciple. If you two are not satisfied, I will remove my immortal sword later, and you are welcome to come and challenge me to a duel!"

Zhang Sheng looked at the old scholar and said, "If three swords cannot kill you, I will immediately reincarnate and start anew!"

He then looked at the middle-aged scholar and said, "You'll have to go through a bit more trouble; it'll probably take four sword strikes." Liu Sigu's old face flushed crimson, while the middle-aged scholar turned pale and then flushed. Neither of them spoke, nor could they utter a word. Their eyes darted around, but the others either gazed at the sky or closed their eyes inward, avoiding eye contact with them. Everyone in the discussion knew that the grievances had their perpetrators and the debtors their debtors; no one wanted to get involved with the two scholars at this time, especially since they had never received anything from them in the past. Why should they take the blame for them?

Zhang Sheng slowly withdrew his sword aura, glanced at the two scholars, and sneered, "The scores from the first two rounds can't be changed, but this time I'll see how you score! You can do whatever you want, but this immortal sword of mine has a bad temper. If it doesn't like my eyes, it might just cut me down with one strike! Then I'll go back to the Taichu Palace to receive my punishment. As for exchanging my life for yours, ha! You're not worthy!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and only then did they understand Zhang Sheng's determination.

The judges, now free, breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the two scholars. Just moments before, they had been furious, but now that they could fight, they were completely calm and composed, focused on watching the martial arts test and not mentioning a word about what had just happened.

If it weren't for the fact that half of Liu Sigu's face was still red and swollen, and the middle-aged scholar's mouth was bruised, it would have seemed as if those two slaps had never happened.

Zhang Sheng waited for a long time, but the two scholars didn't challenge him to a duel, nor did they utter a single harsh word, leaving his immortal sword hanging in vain, an indescribable awkwardness.

Such composure in the face of insults left even Zhang Sheng in awe.

"He's really good at enduring things!" Zhang Sheng could only sigh.

The two scholars were so engrossed in watching the military survey that they didn't hear anything.

The sword has been drawn, but the opponent has shrank back. It's not really appropriate to just pull out his head and chop it off, is it? Zhang Sheng is not a scholar, after all, and he can't bring himself to do such a thing.

The judges knew perfectly well that even if a genius like Zhang Sheng killed someone on the spot in the council hall, would the Taichu Palace really make him pay with his own life? At most, he would be punished with decades of solitary confinement, then they would discuss some rules with the Four Sages Academy, say some polite words, and pay some celestial silver, and that would be the end of it. Zhang Sheng would be released in a few years, but the dead would truly be dead.

The crowd still had doubts. This unified examination in Fengyuan County was special; it wasn't just those in the evaluation hall who were watching, but also powerful figures from various factions in the heavens. Yet, given Zhang Sheng's actions, why were these powerful figures completely silent? Even the powerful figures from the Four Saints Academy remained unmoved.

The martial arts test has been underway for some time now, and the situation on the field is becoming clearer.

The Qing and Huang teams, each stationed in the north and south respectively, had completed their reconnaissance of the terrain and enemy deployments. Throughout the entire process, neither side suffered any casualties among their scouts, which could be considered a minor miracle.

Li Zhi of the South originally deployed his troops near the eastern mountains, but after the enemy scouts came, he moved them to the western side.

Meanwhile, a beautifully made-up girl stood at the northern central army post. After Li Zhi's scouts had scouted the area, the central army moved forward a hundred zhang and occupied a small hill near the central area.

Li Zhi gazed northwards towards the south, but could only vaguely make out the edge of the central region. To his left stood a girl holding a jade plate, on which hundreds of pills were neatly arranged. All the pills issued to ordinary soldiers were contained in this plate.

Li Zhi said, "The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. I will gather all these pills together, and each of my thirty elite personal guards can receive three pills. In this way, my personal guard can fight from beginning to end!"

The girl looked up at Li Zhi and exclaimed admiringly, "Senior Brother Li is truly a master strategist!"

PS: Updates will be irregular.

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(End of this chapter)