Chapter 60: Sound of the Gong
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Can? You think you can?! Ha ha ha… how is that possible!" Li Huer was slightly taken aback, then immediately after, a wave of laughter erupted.
Li Zhuangshi and Meng Jiangshan were also shaking their head, smiling, at this moment. How could a person without even the necessary registration qualifications enter the examination venue?
I suppose he didn’t even know that the Law of Dao examinations required registration in advance?
He indeed stayed too long in the village and haven’t seen the world, he’s too naive...
"Let’s go, I believe there’s still some time left. Let’s go earn some money first!" Li Zhuangshi didn’t pay any further attention to Fang Zhengzhi and instead, led Li Huer and the rest to a spot crowded with people.
Earn money?
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes lit up and instantly followed.
Very quickly, he saw a huge tree surrounded by people, these people were mostly young masters dressed in flowery clothes. Three rings of people in the inside, three rings on the outside, it indeed seemed very crowded.
"Guess the role, guess the role, the top three First-Class Roll scholars in the theory examinations! Guess correctly and you will earn!" A wave of shouting sounded out from within the crowd.
"Top three First-Class Roll scholars? That’s definitely going to contain me!" When Fang Zhengzhi heard, he instantly believed that this was a great opportunity to turn rich. If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait another two years.
On the other hand, Li Zhuangshi and the rest had already squeezed their way into the crowd, but, very quickly, they came back out.
"Sigh… this Meng Yushu’s rate, isn’t it a little too low?" Li Zhuangshi seemed rather unhappy.
"Uncle Li, I heard that this Meng Yushu had already accessed Dao, logically, he should be able to directly participate in the capital examinations. His purpose of coming to the county examinations is just for leisure and gain the title of Double Roll Champion. It’s normal for him to have such a low rate!" Meng Jiangshan spoke, seeming to have understood.
"True! At least it’s an investment that will definitely pay off!" Li Zhuangshi sighed and prepared to leave.
"You really want to buy Meng Yushu? You will lose!" Fang Zhengzhi felt that he had to remind these people. Their foresight was too poor, don’t tell me they can’t even see this Roll Champion standing right in front of them?"
"Don’t buy Meng Yushu? Don’t tell me we have to buy you? Ha ha ha…" When Li Zhuangshi heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words, he instantly began to laugh, seeming to be extremely confident in the information he had.
"Yes, I think if you buy me, you will win!" Fang Zhengzhi replied confidently.
"Ha ha ha… you can’t even enter the examination venue, buy you?!" Li Zhuangshi once again began to laugh, then paying no further attention to Fang Zhengzhi, swung his arms and squeezed into the crowd.
Fang Zhengzhi also squeezed, but, his method was not exactly the same. Li Zhuangshi used brute force, while Fang Zhengzhi used the indirect technique of stepping on toes.
‘Ouch!"
"Ow… who stepped on my feet!"
Like a gust of wind, Fang Zhengzhi overtook Li Zhuangshi and reached the front of the counter.
Li Zhuangshi was already sweating profusely as he squeezed among the crowd. When he suddenly realised that Fang Zhengzhi had already reached the front of the counter, his eyes instantly widened. "What method did this kid use?"
"Buy Fang Zhengzhi!" When Fang Zhengzhi reached the counter, he instantly put down ten silver pieces.
"He really bought himself?!" Among the crowd, Li Zhuangshi heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words and was filled with disbelief. Isn’t this downright dumb? He can’t even enter the examination venue, yet he still betted on himself?
Li Huer and the rest, who were also squeezing among the crowd, had also heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words, and were similarly shocked. Was Fang Zhengzhi stupid? He definitely wasn’t.
Then why would he spend money to buy himself?
Don’t tell me he really had a way of entering the examination venue? Is this even possible?
When the boy servant who was busy collecting money at the counter suddenly heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words, he was similar stunned.
Almost everybody here bought Meng Yushu, hence, he already held a bunch of paper slips with Meng Yushu written on it, giving out one to almost everybody who came. He just had to write the amount of money they wished to bet on it.
But out of the blue, there was someone buying Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi?
Who is that!
The boy servant didn’t even wish to bother with him, but after seeing the twenty pieces of silver in front of him, he finally gritted his teeth and flipped through the name list on his hand. Then, he realised there wasn’t even such a person.
"Are you sure this Fang Zhengzhi registered?" The boy servant’s tone was rather irritated.
"Oh…" When Fang Zhengzhi heard this, he instantly realised a critical problem. It seemed that he… really didn’t register?
"This… seems, I can’t confirm…"
"Are you crazy? You have to bet on somebody with this ten silver pieces, else I won’t take it!" The boy servant was evidently annoyed. Didn’t this guy see that he was busy? He must be here to cause trouble.
Fang Zhengzhi was a reasonable person, and most importantly, his gambling character was strong. Since he had already took out the money, doing something that lacked character such as keeping it back was something he wasn’t exactly very willing to do.
"Fang Zhengzhi, why not you just follow us and buy Meng Yushu!" Li Zhuangshi had finally made his way over at this moment, looked at the ten pieces of silver on the table and sighed.
"Alright, then I’ll bet that Meng Yushu doesn’t make it to the top three in the theory examinations!"
Fang Zhengzhi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it instantly caused the bustling crowd to quieten down. But not too long later, the silence turned into roars of laughter.
"Ha ha ha… he actually betted that Meng Yushu would not make it into the top three?!"
"Did I hear this correctly? A person who had accessed Dao, not making it into the top three of the theory examinations? How could such a thing even be possible!"
"Exactly, he must be here to give away money!"
Within the crowd, the look on everybody’s faces as they looked at Fang Zhengzhi was as if they had seen a fool.
Even Li Zhuangshi, Li Huer and the rest looked at the ten silver pieces and shook their heads. Who would have known that the famously clever Fang Zhengzhi in the Southern and Northern Mountain Village had become a fool when he entered the county?
Fang Zhengzhi happily walked out from the crowd, holding on to the bill of warrant that the boy servant had written, completely ignoring the crowd’s discussions.
Fool?
You people are the fools!
Fang Zhengzhi didn’t feel that he would lose any money at all. Based on the information he had obtained visiting the county the previous time, he knew very clearly that Meng Yushu was full of respect towards Yan Xiu.
That meant that Yan Xiu’s abilities were definitely stronger than Meng Yushu.
Furthermore, Yan Xiu’s age and his were around the same, hence naturally he would participate in the Law of Dao examinations. After calculation, Yan Xiu would occupy a spot, he would occupy another spot.
The last spot would be simple.
All he needed to do was to do some tampering, write out another copy of his answer, make some minor edits and randomly toss it over to a candidate near him. He would instantly rise meteorically and become the top three in the theory examinations.
A ten times pay-out!
In a blink of an eye, ten silver pieces would become a hundred. It was definitely something to be happy about.
"Boom!"
As Fang Zhengzhi smiled delightedly, a gong sounded from the Qingfeng Academy.
The first gong, entering the venue!
"Ha ha ha… Fang Zhengzhi, the gong has sounded! Let me see how you even enter!" When he heard the gong, Li Huer instantly walked over the Fang Zhengzhi’s side and grinned happily.
Li Zhuangshi, Meng Jiangshan and the rest also began to approach him and followed behind Fang Zhengzhi. Their meaning was clear, let’s see how you enter!
"Oh, look and see!" Fang Zhengzhi smiled, then strode towards the Qingfeng Academy.
Li Huer and the rest glanced at each other, and followed closely behind.
Not too long later, the queue had reached Fang Zhengzhi.
"Examination card!" The guard in charge of inspecting didn’t even bother glancing at Fang Zhengzhi, and shouted out the usual phrase.
Then, Li Huer and the rest of the people following right behind Fang Zhengzhi began to laugh. Ha ha ha, without the examination card, let me see how you enter!
Then…
The smiles on their faces froze.
Because, Fang Zhengzhi very quickly took out a piece of "examination card" and passed it to the guard. The guard was indeed responsible, inspecting the examination card closely, the finally threw it into a wooden box at the side.
"Enter!"
Fang Zhengzhi smiled, thanked him sincerely and stepped in.
When Li Huer, Li Zhuangshi and the rest witnessed this, their eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. They were simply unable to believe what had just happened in front of their eyes.
"He… entered?!"