Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 705 The First Examination of the Imperial Examination

Shao Hongzhang's fingers traced the mottled doorposts, his fingertips covered in flakes of peeling vermilion paint. In a daze, he seemed to see the magnificent scene of twenty years ago.

Grandpa's warm hand rested on his shoulder. Outside the examination hall, crowds thronged as talented scholars from all over the country stepped into this sacred place that would determine their fate.

The air was filled with the scent of ink and the sweet aroma of osmanthus wine, and even the cries of vendors on Zhuque Street carried a festive air.

"Clap!"

A raindrop struck the lintel, shattering the illusion. All that remained were wild grasses growing rampant among the broken walls and ruins.

The once magnificent plaque now hangs askew, and the characters "Gongyuan" (Imperial Examination Hall) are eroded and fragmented by moss.

He slumped onto the bluestone platform, the stinging nettles making his thighs ache. The pain brought him back to his senses—even a veteran of three dynasties could not escape the cycle of fate.

"You went through all this trouble just to look at this pile of junk?" Xiao Ran's voice came, and light blue spiritual ripples flowed between his fingers as he quickly swept the entire examination hall inside and out, but he couldn't find anything unusual.

Shao Hongzhang looked up and asked, "Is there anything to eat?" His voice was hoarse like sandpaper.

Xiao Ran took out a piece of bread from her spatial storage and handed it to Shao Hongzhang. After taking the bread, Shao Hongzhang immediately ate it in big bites, showing that he was really hungry.

"Huang Chao turned Chang'an into a ghost town," Shao Hongzhang said, wiping his mouth. "The Imperial Seal of the State is like meat hanging from a well."

"You're like a mind reader," Xiao Ran joked. "Do you know Huang Chao?"

"I don't know Huang Chao, I've never even seen him." Shao Hongzhang suddenly straightened his back, his cloudy eyes flashing with a sharp light. "But I've read the 'Purple Mansion Heavenly Book'—the fate of heaven and man is tied to the world. Huang Chao was born to meet this calamity, destined to be the gravedigger of this dynasty!"

“Fate is fickle.” Shao Hongzhang stroked the bluestone platform. “When he completes his mission, he will become a pawn abandoned by Heaven.”

As he spoke, Shao Hongzhang's withered finger suddenly pointed southwest, "Therefore, the Enke examination site is a dead end, and here..."

"This is the solution I came up with to break the deadlock. If Huang Chao comes with evil, we will come with righteousness. We will use righteousness to overcome evil. Even if he sets up a net, we can still find a hole for him."

Xiao Ran roughly understood Shao Hongzhang's intentions, but he could only understand Shao Hongzhang's thoughts; he couldn't figure out exactly what Shao Hongzhang was going to do. After all, the art of geomancy was beyond Xiao Ran's capabilities.

After resting for a while, Shao Hongzhang started working around the ruins of the examination hall. Xiao Ran couldn't really help him. She was good at witchcraft, but she really didn't know anything about geomancy.

Xiao Ran would also take advantage of Shao Hongzhang's rest time to talk about topics related to geomancy, feng shui, and divination.

Shao Hongzhang was very forthcoming with his knowledge and gave Xiao Ran a thorough analysis of the differences between the three.

The latter two are techniques, while the former is the way.

Techniques, though tangible, have their limitations; the Way, though intangible, is boundless.

Feng shui is theoretical knowledge, the most basic of the basics. Amulets and feng shui originated from feng shui and have long been a distinct system over thousands of years. However, if there is an opportunity to supplement the feng shui part in the future, it will surely advance one's own skills and knowledge.

Shao Hongzhang's words deeply moved Xiao Ran, so she simply followed Shao Hongzhang around, watching and learning at the same time.

His mental strength was strong enough that he only needed to hear Shao Hongzhang's words once to understand their meaning. He could then draw inferences and make connections, gaining new insights.

Shao Hongzhang worked tirelessly around the examination hall for a long time, finally finishing everything just before the special imperial examination was about to begin the next day.

Xiao Ran could see it clearly from the side, but she couldn't understand it. Shao Hongzhang had simply dug some holes and buried some stones around the examination hall, or climbed onto the lintel to make some modifications. It was clear that he had some influence from witchcraft and feng shui.

However, it lacked the mystique of both.

Shao Hongzhang didn't explain, he just told Xiao Ran to watch patiently.

Meanwhile, the streets outside were unusually lively.

The main street of Zhuque Avenue was packed with people, all gathered in front of the Gongyuan gate, quietly waiting for the start of this special imperial examination.

"Strange, where is everyone?"

Looking at the dense crowd in front of him from a distance, Gu Xintang scanned the area but couldn't see Xiao Ran, which made him feel strange.

But figuring out that Xiao Ran would definitely not give up, I decided to patiently wait.

Whispers could be heard from the crowd, many of whom were filled with anticipation for Nko.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Three chimes rang out in the morning mist, and the rusted hinges groaned in their death throes. As the vermilion gates of the examination hall slowly swung open, the bronze bells on the eaves twitched without wind, startling a flock of crows from the treetops into flight.

"opened!"

When the gates of the examination hall opened, someone in the crowd shouted and rushed inside.

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Some unfortunate souls, who had only intended to watch the spectacle, found themselves swept up by the crowd and unwittingly rushed into the examination hall.

The moment these people stepped into the examination hall, their figures were enveloped by the white mist inside.

Gu Xintang watched from afar. As a master of profound knowledge, he couldn't see through the intricacies of the examination hall at all. However, his instincts from years of fighting in the martial world made him feel the eerie chill emanating from the examination hall.

It was an indescribable danger, invisible and intangible, yet undeniably real.

Meanwhile, in front of the former examination hall gate, Shao Hongzhang was calculating the time. A stick of incense was inserted into the lintel, its smoke curling and condensing, gathering on the lintel.

As time passes by.

The smoke and clouds piled up on the lintel, and suddenly a glint of light flashed in Shao Hongzhang's eyes: "The time has come!"

As they spoke, Xiao Ran sensed that an aura seemed to be reviving throughout the entire examination hall, making the originally dilapidated hall seem to be shrouded in a hazy atmosphere.

This aura does not belong to any technique, nor to any path, nor is it the power of any evil spirit.

Its aura is gentle, yet it possesses a sacred quality, a testament to the refined talent and artistry left behind by scholars and writers throughout history.

The aura enveloped the examination hall, instantly restoring its former glory from its dilapidated state.

At the same time, the smoke and clouds on the lintel cascaded down like a waterfall, covering the gate of the examination hall with a thin curtain.

"go!"

Seeing this, Shao Hongzhang rushed forward. Although Xiao Ran was behind, she only took one step and overtook Shao Hongzhang. She grabbed him and the huge force carried Shao Hongzhang into the air.

The two walked straight through the thin mist, one after the other.

As soon as Xiao Ran stepped inside, she felt an unusual sensation envelop her entire body; it was the aura of talent from the examination hall enveloping the two of them.

Soon the white mist in front of the two slowly dissipated, and only then did Xiao Ran notice that more and more figures were appearing in front of them.

Interestingly, even though these people were right in front of her, Xiao Ran could feel as if there was a barrier between them and her.

Xiao Ran asked Shao Hongzhang, "Where did these people come from?"

“Them?” Shao Hongzhang looked around and then explained, “Of course they are the people who came to participate in this Enke, but we are not on the same side as them.”

The air inside the examination hall suddenly became as thick as ink, and Xiao Ran felt as if she were stepping into the depths of a swamp with every step. The faces of the examinees so close at hand were all blurred, like reflections shimmering on the water.

They stood motionless or walked briskly with their heads down, their shoulders stiff, their steps unsteady, their robes swaying lifelessly, like paper figures being pulled by invisible threads.

Supported by Xiao Ran's mental power, Shao Hongzhang's toes barely touched the ground, yet his voice was filled with rapid breathing.

“One is hidden, the other is revealed; one is righteous, the other is evil. They are two separate paths. I used the spiritual energy to transport us in. Although we are in the same place, we are not on the same path. In this way, Huang Chao’s methods will not be able to harm us.”

"A clever maneuver, a shift in the seasons." Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran immediately understood Shao Hongzhang's methods. "You anticipated this?"

"Pretty much, after all, no one knows Chang'an better than me."

Shao Hongzhang raised his head, his words tinged with smugness, but he certainly had the right to say such things.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, from the depths of the thick fog, the outline of a magnificent examination hall appeared, with vermilion pillars, golden tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, and soaring eaves.

In front of the examination hall stood a huge lantern.

An eerie, emerald-green light flickered inside the lantern.

After the light shone on everyone, different changes began to occur in each person.

Someone immediately sprouted thick vines all over their body, and then the vines spread all over their body, turning the person into a tree standing in front of the gate in an instant.

Others grew feathers and became half-human, half-bird.

Some people have pig heads and human bodies, while others have tiger bodies and human heads.

Xiao Ran and Shao Hongzhang were no exception; the green light shone on their bodies, and their bodies underwent some changes.

Xiao Ran's body developed some inconspicuous scales, while Shao Hongzhang's body was covered in black spots.

"Warning! You are affected by the rules of the supernatural tales, and all your professional skills are unusable!"

Seeing the warning in front of her, Xiao Ran turned to Shao Hongzhang and asked, "Didn't you say that Huang Chao's methods couldn't do anything to us?"

Shao Hongzhang looked embarrassed, but still said defiantly, "We're still better than them. We have the protection of literary energy, so even if we're affected by evil energy, we can turn danger into safety."

In fact, Shao Hongzhang underestimated Huang Chao's methods. However, the changes in them were indeed much smaller than those of others, and could even be ignored.

As soon as the two stepped into the examination hall, they were immediately struck by what they saw: a vast forest inside.

Those who entered together were all randomly teleported to other corners.

Just then, a sharp, hoarse voice echoed above the woods.

"The first test is to improve your innate abilities. You are all born into poverty and your innate abilities are incomplete, making it difficult for you to achieve great things. Now, I'm giving you a chance to hunt down others and improve your own innate abilities. Those who succeed can proceed to the second test..."

(End of this chapter)