Chapter 61: Making such a joke
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Li Huer had thought of many different possibilities, for example, Fang Zhengzhi sneaking in when the guard wasn’t paying attention, or hiding behind someone else and then stealthily making his way in.
That was the reason why followed behind Fang Zhengzhi so closely.
But…
He had never thought that Fang Zhengzhi would walk in from the front door in such an honourable way without any tricks!
How is this possible? How can he have the examination card?!
"Guard… Lord Guard, I want to make a report! His real name is Fang Zhengzhi, that examination card just now definitely belongs to someone else!" The last possibility Li Huer thought of was that Fang Zhengzhi had stolen someone else’s examination card.
Hence, he decided to prevent this from happening as soon as possible.
Report? That was definitely a rare and interesting occurrence. Stealing someone else’s examination card? That was even more unheard of! Because, that meant that even if you had managed to passed, it was still be counted as another person’s achievement.
Helping others in such a way, who would do that?
When the scholars queuing at the door heard Li Huer’s words, they looked over, their faces filled with doubt. Then, they quickly noticed Fang Zhengzhi who was standing at the door.
"Huh? Isn’t this the idiot who had just betted Meng Yushu wouldn’t make it into the top three?"
"Wait a minute, why do I feel that he looks familiar!"
"I have that feeling too. Aiya! Isn’t he that lecher from the Hundred Flower Gathering?!"
A few scholars whose eyes were sharp very quickly realised Fang Zhengzhi’s "real identity", and instantly began to discuss.
"Seems that this lecher is called Fang Zhengzhi!"
"Betting that Meng Yushu wouldn’t make it into the top three? With his level of intelligence, he actually still dares to participate in the examinations? Let’s just wait for him to fail, ha ha ha…"
The discussion grew louder and louder, but the expression of the guard standing in front of Li Huer grew colder and colder.
"Are you mad? Why are you raising a commotion when there is no problem!" As the guard saw the increasing number of people gazing in his direction, he tightened his grip on his blade and prepared himself to preserve order in the venue.
"Lord guard, he is really called Fang Zhengzhi, that examination card definitely doesn’t belong to him!" Li Huer didn’t understand what the discussion about the lecher was about, but he was very sure that the examination card on Fang Zhengzhi’s hands were fake.
"Open your eyes and stare carefully!" At this instant, the guard didn’t bother talking to Li Huer anymore, instantly fished out the examination card he threw into the wooden box and shoved it in front of Li Huer’s face.
"Fang… Fang Zhengzhi! How… how is this possible?!" Reading the two large words on the card, Li Huer absolutely couldn’t believe it.
On the other hand, a delighted grin instantly appeared on the face of Fang Zhengzhi who was standing right at the door.
"Brother Li Huer, you are indeed brave! You really dared to make such a joke with Lord Guard? Alright, you win, I admit I lost the bet. These three coins belong to you now!"
When Fang Zhengzhi finished his sentence, he fished out three coins from his pocket and quickly passed it over to Li Huer.
Li Huer’s face instantly darkened. What was the meaning of this? Since when did he make such a bet with Fang Zhengzhi? This was a misunderstanding!
Huh? I actually get three coins…
Li Huer instinctively wanted to reach out his hands, but halfway through the motion, he realised that something seemed to be amiss.
Raising his head, he realised that the expression of the guard was even darker than that of his.
"Ching!" An icy glint flashed.
The guard drew out his blade. He was really infuriated! As a grand guard, he was actually played around by this person who was dressed in such an unsophisticated manner, and furthermore, he only betted three coins?
The pride of a grand guard, is only worth three coins? I dare you to lower it even more!
"Either you die, or you get lost!" The guard’s tone turned cold as ice, every single word gave of the feeling of the bursting of an ice bead.
"Lord… Lord guard, it’s not what you think it is! I… I cannot get lost, I still need to participate in the examinations. I have the examination card!" Li Huer was instantly scared dumb, but quickly managed to react. He was filled with hate, Fang Zhengzhi’s move was too damaging!
But, after thinking about his future, he instantly took out his examination card and placed it in the hands of the guard.
"To hell with your examination guard, get lost to another queue, I don’t allow you to enter here!" After all that was said and done, the guard didn’t tear up Li Huer’s examination card. But, he really couldn’t swallow this anger.
"Brother Huer, I can’t help you either, looks like you can only slowly go and queue somewhere else!" Fang Zhengzhi laughed again and quickly kept the three coins back into his pockets, and swaggered into the Qingfeng Academy.
Leaving Li Huer to stare after him blankly, shivering alone in the wind.
…
Li Huer miserably changed his queue to that of another guard. Meng Jiangshan and the rest couldn’t stand by idly and watch, hence accompanied him as well. Li Zhuangshi on the other hand had already passed the county examinations and didn’t need to take it again, hence he simply walked away.
On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi was rather busy.
He had to prepare for his plan of transforming ten silver pieces to a hundred.
Hence, he started to scan the surroundings carefully for Yan Xiu. He had to at least speak to Yan Xiu and determine whether he had the confidence of getting into the top three.
Unfortunately…
After a round of searching, he still couldn’t find Yan Xiu!
What was this all about? He didn’t enter? Or…
Don’t tell me he didn’t participate in the county examinations?!
When Fang Zhengzhi thought of this point, his forehead instantly beaded with sweat, then something that caused him to sweat even more happened.
"Lecher?! Ha ha ha… I actually met you here, die!" After a wave of laughter, Meng Yushu, dressed in a yellow brocade robe appeared in front of Fang Zhengzhi in a flash. The situation between them was a critical point that could explode any moment.
The scholars seated on their seats waiting for the examination to start were instantly shocked.
Don’t tell me they are going to fight?
This was the Qingfeng Academy, the venue of the Law of Dao theory examinations. People actually dared to raise a commotion here?
Grabbing the sword on his hands, an icy glint flashed.
The crowd was shocked and confused. Don’t tell me that they weren’t afraid of having their examination qualification annulled?
Instantly, they hurriedly closed their gaping mouths.
If it was Meng Yushu, then things were completely different. Firstly, Meng Yushu was already a student from the Qingfeng Academy, this was his home ground. Secondly, Meng Yushu wasn’t at all afraid of having his examination qualification annulled, because he was already qualified to directly participate in the capital examinations.
"Meng Yushu?" Fang Zhengzhi instantly noticed Meng Yushu and quickly scanned the sword on his hand. Twitching his mouth, he seemed filled with disdain, and replied, "Wait for me to find Yan Xiu before I entertain you!"
To Fang Zhengzhi, money was the priority. Meaningless fights and scuffles such as this was something he simply despised.
"Yan Xiu?" Meng Yushu was slightly taken aback and suddenly thought of the scene at the Hundred Flower Gathering.
Could it be that this kid is actually acquainted with Yan Xiu? Meng Yushu hesitated slightly. He indeed heard some discussions about this kid and Yan Xiu appearing at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant at the same time after the Hundred Flower Gathering.
That meant that there was some sort of relationship between this kid and Yan Xiu.
If they really were friends...
What to do?
Give up?
Meng Yushu naturally wasn’t satisfied. Having been pushed to the ground in front of everybody, and losing a hundred taels of silver to him, no matter how he looked at the situation, letting the other party off wasn’t a possibility.
Since the other party appeared in this place, there was only one possibility. He was here to participate in the Law of Dao examinations. Since this was the case, what was there to rush?
He can’t deal with the other party during the theory examination, but how about the combat examination?
When that time comes, I will accidentally…
Cause a severe disability? Or even killing him! With his social status and his Dao abilities, he would at most get a warning.
Manslaughter during the Law of Dao examinations, even Yan Xiu wouldn’t be able to confront him about that.
As he thought of this point, a smile instantly broke out on Meng Yushu’s face. His gaze at Fang Zhengzhi at this moment seemed as if he had seen a prey on his hands, like a fish in his net.
An icy glint flashed again, and the sword returned into its scabbard.
"You are finding Yan Xiu? Did I hear you correctly? Yan Xiu didn’t even participate in the theory examination!" Meng Yushu quickly assumed a nobleman’s character.