Chapter 107: Fight Ten With One Hand
Translator: Ninetales Editor: Fish Creek
Five days later, Qin Mu came to River Tomb County. River Tomb County was much more flourishing than the other counties' cities he had seen on his way here. River Tomb County was a city that was practically built entirely on the river. This river was Gold River and not Surging River, therefore River Tomb was also known as Gold Tomb.
The torrential waters of Gold River were vast and mighty like the sea. Originally River Tomb County was built on an island on the river but as more ships came and went, it flourished and became overpopulated therefore a large scale construction was carried out to build a city.
At that time, appointed as the magistrate of River Tomb County was the Imperial Preceptor today. At that time he was already a strong practitioner brimming with talent. He showed extraordinary abilities and gathered numerous skilled workmen and countless of divine arts practitioners to lay down deep stone pillars into the river. Every stone pillar was three hundred yards long and there was a total of three thousand and eight hundred stone pillars. The top of the stone pillar was a hundred yards above the water level which allowed large ships to sail below and also floods to flow pass.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor used huge stones to pave the road along with the skilled workmen and divine arts practitioners, and used divine arts to stabilize and construct River Tomb County. This was a very large project and it took tens of thousands of divine arts practitioners tiring for ten years to build this new city.
Below the new city was a few impluvia for illumination and when the rain got heavy, the impluvia could be used to carry away the rainwater. There were also some docks that were constructed below the city to facilitate the traffic.
Beside the city were also harbors, big and small, for the ships coming here to load and unload goods.
This place was simply bustling, therefore, it was also called small capital. The scholar-officials at that time criticised the construction of the new city and accused the River Tomb County Magistrate of plotting a rebellion by building a River Tomb City to intercept the dragon's vein of the empire. They petitioned the emperor to execute him.
They also said that the River Tomb Magistrate built a dragon's head on Gold River, having errant intentions.
After Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor accomplished this spectacular feat, he was summoned to the capital and many people thought the emperor was going to execute him. Never would they thought that Crown Prince Yanfeng admired him extremely and after Crown Prince Yanfeng ascended to the throne with his great skills and strategies, he promoted Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor repeatedly and made him into the imperial preceptor not long later.
Qin Mu had also heard these interesting stories from the helmsman and didn't know how much of it was true. However, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's capability and Emperor Yanfeng's wisdom eyes made him admire the two people.
Onboard of the same ship were some scholars from River Tomb County. Some were poor scholars from poor families and there were also scholars from rich families. Qin Mu made some inquiries and found out that most of these people were from elementary school and college. They were all students from the same school.
Qin Mu was astonished and inquired about the elementary school and college in River Tomb County. Only then did he know about the reason for it.
Elementary school and college were set up by Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor and had been extended to the whole country.
Imperial Preceptor told Emperor Yanfeng, "The lives at eight years old, from aristocrats to the common people, will have to enter elementary school, to learn Daoyin, etiquettes, sense of propriety, rites and music, archery, literacy, cultivation to build their foundation. The talents of the students should be observed first, then the students should be taught in accordance with their aptitude. Those students who have awoken their spirit embryos and broken the walls of their divine treasures are going to be chosen to enter college."
Imperial Preceptor then told Emperor Yanfeng, "When they are at age of fifteen, the eldest son and the heirs of the Son of Heaven as well as the heirs of the dukes, high ranking officials, senior officials, imperial scholars will attend college with the talented common people. They will learn divine arts, sword skills, how to rectify one's mind, how to cultivate oneself, how to govern the people. They will be proficient in the knowledge of divine arts at all times. At that time, all of the college's scholars will be the students of Your Majesty and there will be no need to rely on sects. As time goes by, the danger of sects would be got rid of."
Imperial Preceptor also said, "Once one graduate from college, he can enter Imperial College. Imperial College's scholars will learn the paths of being officials and generals, and study the paths and govern the whole world. That way the four seas will attain peace and Your Majesty will be free of worries."
Qin Mu sighed ruefully. With Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's way of scholarship, how can a country not be prosperous?
The living space of the sects in Eternal Peace Empire was squeezed out by the elementary school and college. Without a living space, it's no wonder the sects would rebel.
On the boat, Qin Mu took out the Computational Canons he had bought at River Tomb City. Studying it attentively, he wrote down his calculation methods with a charcoal pencil on the paper.
Suddenly a scholar with a plump physique asked, "Brother Qin is also going to the capital city to take the imperial examinations?"
Qin Mu nodded his head and smiled, "That's right. I plan to go to the capital city to take a gamble for my future. Brother Wei is also going there for the imperial examinations?"
The scholar with a plump physique called Wei Yong nodded his head and smiled, "To pass the entrance exam with scholarly honors and enter Imperial College to study is my long cherished wish!"
Another scholar laughed, "Brother Wei, it's not that easy to enter the empire's Imperial College. Your age is merely just over fourteen and you are still an elementary scholar. You won't be able to enter Imperial College!"
Wei Yong sneered, "Are Imperial College's scholars that amazing? They might not even beat me and Brother Qin!"
Most of the scholars laughed out loudly.
Qin Mu also revealed a smile. Many of the scholars onboard the same ship with them were all going to the capital city to take the imperial examinations. They all wanted to enter the empire's Imperial College.
What the college of River Tomb taught were all basic sword skills and spells which were not widespread. Whereas in Imperial College of the capital city, it had millions of books and had everything they wanted. Almost all the techniques and divine arts of all the sects in Eternal Peace Empire were gathered here. It could be said to be the empire's highest learning institute!
It was extremely difficult to enter Imperial College. The college's scholars from all around the country had all fought fiercely just to enter. As for elementary school's scholars, they mostly planned to enter the capital city to enter the college there. It was even more difficult for an elementary school's scholar to enter Imperial College. Unless they were especially outstanding then would they have a chance to enter. Every year, the number of elementary school's scholars that can pass the entrance exams and enter Imperial College was close to none.
The helmsman steered the ship towards the shore.
Qin Mu noticed that this ship used a strange furnace. There were flames in the furnace and as long as medicinal stones were thrown in, the spirit energy in the medicinal stones would be able to spin the gears on top of the furnace. The gears were then linked to a water wheel which pushed the large ship forward like a water vehicle.
The helmsman only needed to be in charge of the rudder and control the directions.
Qin Mu clicked his tongue in wonder. Where would he be able to see such strange contraptions in Great Ruins?
Not long later, the large ship finally sailed to the bank. Disembarking with the rest of the scholars, Qin Mu followed them and came to the vehicles and horses market after walking a short distance.
Qin Mu looked around and became even more curious. He could see land traveling boats, flying vehicles, cranes and land dragons for rent and sale. There were also some ships that were ready and waiting to set sail. Smokes were billowing out from these ships and there were even flames mixed in with the smoke.
"Brother Qin, over here!"
Wei Yong stood at the bottom of a ship and waved at him. The ship lowered its gangway and there were some scholars going up the ship.
Qin Mu walked over and raised his head to look at the ship, giving off an astonished expression. Wei Yong had been familiar with him from the beginning and smiled, "Land traveling boats are too bumpy, flying vehicles are too expensive, cranes and land dragons have to brave the wind and rain, it's still the most comfortable to take a ship. It's just that the speed is slightly slower. However, it's still quite early before the selections, therefore, let's take a ship to the capital city."
Qin Mu agreed with him and asked, "How much is it?"
Wei Yong took out a jar of wine and smiled, "You're more well dressed than me and you still care about the price? Sister Fox, I bought some wine for you."
Hu Ling'er surprised and delighted. She stood up like a human and thanked him earnestly before taking the wine jar.
Qin Mu came to the boatswain's location and paid the ship's fare. Ten great abundance coins were needed to travel from River Tomb to the capital city. It wasn't considered expensive seeing how Qin Mu was used to being extravagant. He had totally no idea how much a great abundance coin was worth and only knew that he had always given a great abundance coin for all his lodging and food to the other parties, making them grinning from ear to ear.
The two people and one fox boarded the ship and not long later, the ship was already fully occupied. There were apothecaries and their boys starting the furnaces. The medicinal energy was turned into magic power to be supplied to the sculptures of the bronze beasts at the aft of the ship. The huge mouth of the bronze beasts immediately spewed out intense flames and the ship gradually rose into the air. The ship slowly adjusted its direction in midair and unfurled its sails as it drove out of River Tomb, heading towards north.
On the ship, the guests all had their own rooms and food service was also provided on board. They would just have to spend the next few days onboard the ship.
Qin Mu stood on the ship and looked down at the ship got higher and higher up. With its increasing speed, River Tomb City below had become smaller and smaller but he could still see flying vehicles, flying beasts, flying ships and etcetera flying out to other cities from time to time. Meanwhile, ships were bustling on the river.
"Eternal Peace sure is a magical place."
Qin Mu exclaimed in admiration to himself, "Ling Yuxiu said that the skills and divine arts of Eternal Peace were progressing rapidly and now I see it, it really seems to be the case."
He could see that Eternal Peace Empire was incorporating skills and divine arts into every corner of the everyday life. The basic needs of ordinary people were slowly changing and this was very similar to the path of the saint described in Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures.
The path of the saint was for the everyday use of common people. Eternal Peace Empire had done very well.
He suddenly had a weird thought, "Could Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor also be part of my Heavenly Devil Cult?"
There were scholars practicing their martial arts onboard and their cultivations were all remarkable. However what made Qin Mu astonished was that they were all cultivating the same type of martial arts, spells and sword skills.
Qin Mu was puzzled, "Won't it be very easy for the opponent to catch your weakness by cultivating the same types of spells and sword skills?"
From his point of view, martial arts practitioners might be a realm for one to build up their foundation but being erudite was also a foundation. When too many scholars cultivated the same martial art, the same spells, the same sword skills, it would be very easy for others to catch their weakness.
"This kind of martial arts practitioners, I can fight ten with one hand." Qin Mu shook his head silently and continued to study Computational Canons. There was a total of ten books of Computational Canons which Eternal Peace Empire had printed out. He had already finished reading them and sorted out most of the calculation methods on the paper.
When night came, Qin Mu would come to the deck and raised his head to look at the astrological aspect. Using his calculation methods to deduce, he would then record his calculations on the paper.
After flying for four days, the ship was gradually getting closer to the capital city. It was the first time going to the capital city for most of the scholars and it was hard for them to conceal the excitement in their heart. They all leaned out the side of the ship to look outside. Suddenly a violent tremor traveled over and the ship tilted to one side. Some scholars didn't have a stable grip and fell off the ship.
These few people didn't cultivate divine arts that could make them fly so they let off a long and blood-curdling scream which went on for a long time. Because the ship had flown too high up, it would still take a while for them to fall to the ground.
Qin Mu frowned. Both of his legs were like two spears nailed to the ship as he grabbed the drunk Hu Ling'er with one hand and the also drunk Wei Yong with the other in case they fall off as well.
At this moment, a loud laughter came from outside the ship and an unimaginably huge python opened its huge mouth which was laid with barbs, biting down onto the aft of the ship.
Everyone on the ship was startled. The aft of the ship was broken off by that huge python. The scholars who were standing at the aft of the ship fell off from the ship and there were even some scholars swallowed by the huge python!
There was also a person standing on the flat head of the huge python. The person wore a flowery gown and had applied rouge and powder, looking very alluring. However, it was an alluring man who was looking excitedly at all the flustered people on the ship.