Chapter 178: Arrogance

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The palace officials fear a young man?

This was defying common sense. However, if this young man’s surname was Nangong, then it would be understandable to a certain extent because there was a peerless genius produced by the Nangong clan.

A genius that was possibly on par with Chi Guyan.

He was the number one prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty, Nangong Hao.

The young man in front of them would be Nangong Mu, the younger brother of Nangong Hao.

...

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu returned to the inn on their Snow Treading Dragon Stallions. As they secured the reins of these horses, they could feel the obvious increase in foot traffic along the main streets. Most were all in one direction.

That direction was naturally the Imperial Academy.

Today was the release of results of the Theory Examination. The atmosphere in Yan Capital was heavy and tense but it seemed to have no effect on Fang Zhengzhi. He always preferred to go with the natural flow.

Similarly, Yan Xiu did not show any indication of nervousness. He occupied his mind with introspection. From the end of the Theory Examinations till now, he had been reflecting and trying.

On their way back, the two exchanged few words.

As Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu approached the Imperial Academy’s gates side by side, heads looking like black dots stretched as far as their eyes could see. Forget about the Results Tablet, even the guards at the gates were completely blocked.

Any sort of elevation near the Imperial Academy was fully packed with people.

Fang Zhengzhi had a small scare when he saw such a sight. He recalled that there were not so many candidates that participated in the examinations.

So where did all these people come from?

As he was thinking, he subconsciously scanned the crowd surrounding him. After that, he realized that other than the candidates, there were some palace officials wearing their official uniform mixed with the crowds.

There were even some passing merchants that came to see what was going on.

Without a doubt, the Imperial Examinations' release of results was indeed one of the grand occasions in the Great Xia Dynasty. Be it, officials or citizens, everyone was keeping an extremely close watch of the event.

Fang Zhengzhi’s leisurely stroll with an easygoing expression on his face while humming a small tune. His eyes sweeping the crowd in front of him, looking for the limited empty spaces.

However, when people start noticing him and Yan Xiu, the crowd start to bubble with discussions.

This puzzled Fang Zhengzhi. He remembered when he was going to take Theory Examinations, he and Yan Xiu were obscured by the blinding talents of Yan Capital.

However, today…

Seemed a bit special.

Of course, he did not know that in the three days that he was gone, he had become the talk of the capital. From the main streets to the back alleys; small and big residences, everyone knew and talked about him.

He made history. No matter what method he used, whether he wrote nonsense or not, it was an irreversible fact that he broke the rule that no one else could for the past thousand years.

Everyone, simultaneously turned their heads to face one position. Countless pairs of eyes all pointed in unison at Fang Zhengzhi.

"It’s Fang Zhengzhi?!"

He finally came. What do you think his expression would be when he drops out of the roll?"

"Well, I feel that he wouldn’t drop so far off the roll. To be able to become the roll champion in the River of Trust Provincial Examinations, won’t he at least have a shot at getting on the second-class roll?"

"Didn’t you hear about Prime Minister Yu’s analysis?"

"You mean that sentence about quality over quantity?"

"That’s right. If Fang Zhengzhi earnestly attempted the questions in the Imperial Theory Examinations, he might have a chance at the second-class roll. Unfortunately, he finished all six sets of the script. Such low-life that lusts after superficial fame and wealth would naturally not have time for checking and refinement."

"Brother Tang’s eyes sure are sharp. I’m impressed!"

The candidates started to murmur among themselves. They were looking forward to Fang Zhengzhi’s expression when he dropped out of the roll. This intention was probably spurred on by jealousy.

It was like when people are used to wearing clothes out, then suddenly one day, one person did otherwise. Propounding that going out naked could allow one to fully embrace what Mother Nature has to offer.

Then…

This person would be either stoned or drowned in spit.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi’s actions this time did not simply break the mindset that was instilled over a long period of time. He went and crushed the history of the Great Xia Dynasty since its founding under his feet.

He did something that no one had done since the beginning of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Finishing the six sets of questions in the examination script in under four hours.

If such a thing actually happened, then didn’t it meant that he was one level higher than the likes of Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao?

Whether it was the previous round when Chi Guyan became the Double Roll Champion or the round before that when Nangong Hao who got the title of roll champion for the Imperial Examinations, no such thing had happened before.

No one believed that such an achievement was possible.

Furthermore, it was achieved by a mountain villager that had not ever step foot in a Hall of Dao before. The officials did not believe and the noblelites even more so.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at those eyes that shot at him and felt confused. Yet, at this time, a disturbance arose in the crowd.

A young man wearing a white traditional chinese outfit, followed by two female attendants wearing a red and green dress respectively, forced a path through the crowd towards Fang Zhengzhi’s position.

With this, the already packed crowd that blocked the Imperial Academy’s gates barely had any room to maneuver. Some of the slower people were pushed down with the butts hitting the floor.

Hence, among the soft discussions, the disharmonious cursing grew.

"Where're your eyes?!"

"Leg, leg... My leg!"

"Ahh, Lady, you’re sitting on my face!"

"..."

The extremely puzzled Fang Zhengzhi heard the moans of the last guy. His curiously wondered what kind of soreness would that be when someone sat on his face.

Therefore, he started to find out the source of this voice.

However…

Unfortunately, as he was still finding, a figure blocked his line of sight. Furthermore, two more people stood on each side of this figure.

It was Su Donglin and his two female attendants.

The two attendants had delicate and elegant features. It was hard to discern their age. On their backs was a sword slung diagonally. The unique features were their eyes. Sharp and piercing just like the swords sheathed in the scabbard.

"It’s the Sword Attendants," Yan Xiu spoke. His gaze was not on Su Donglin either. Like Fang Zhengzhi, his attention was on the two attendants.

The feeling of being overlooked caused Su Donglin’s face to darken. The once pale and unblemished face immediately dropped in temperature.

"So you are Fang Zhengzhi?" Su Donglin opened his mouth.

"Looking for something?" Fang Zhengzhi heard his question and turned to look at Su Donglin in slight annoyance.

Su Donglin saw the look of annoyance on Fang Zhengzhi’s face. It was like his heart got pierced by something, the chill on his face got even icier.

"Do you know what kind of people I hate the most? It’s those low-lives like you who chase after fame and glory by faking it. I’m different from the likes of you. I relied on my abilities. Soon, my name would be carved on the Roll Tablet. There’s a place where you could no hope to even see!" Su Donglin stared at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes brimming with arrogance.

Rationally speaking, he had no grudges against Fang Zhengzhi but in the three days after the examination, the person everyone was talking about was Fang Zhengzhi.

He originally thought that after the examination, he would be able to enjoy the most triumphant of glories but instead, he was all but forgotten.

The feeling was like after marriage, as he was about the go on a honeymoon but realized that someone was already a step in front of him and enjoy himself.

How could he bear with such a feeling?

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand Su Donglin’s thoughts. He felt that everything was happening too suddenly. Without antagonizing anyone, someone jumped out and proclaimed that his abilities were superior to Fang Zhengzhi’s abilities.

You had the ability…

You came up just because you had the ability?!

"Have you heard of this saying?" Fang Zhengzhi did not reply Su Donglin. Instead, he posed a question to him.

"What saying?"

"Thirty years on the east bank, the next thirty years on the west bank."[1]

"Are you saying that you are young and still have a lot of time ahead of yourself?" Su Donglin underestimated him.

"No, what I meant was, I’m the east bank and you are the west bank. If you want to be at the top, wait another thirty years," Fang Zhengzhi answered in an exceedingly indifferent tone.

"You...arrogant prick!" Su Donglin’s face changed. HIs pupils dilated in rage and his aura exploded. A raging tidal wave of energy poured out from his body.

With his Late Stage Heavenly Reflection State’s capabilities, he had confidence that he could make someone who just reached the Heavenly Reflection State to kneel before him.

However, to his disappointment.

Fang Zhengzhi totally did not sense the pressure from him.

Instead, he looked at Su Donglin innocently. He felt like a boat inside the storm. Bobbing up and down within the storm but never sinking.

"Young master, Master has ordered to refrain from causing trouble!" Right at this moment, the attendant in red suddenly opened her mouth. Although her voice was not loud, it had a mysterious sharpness to it.

"Hmph! I hope there is a fluke and you pass the Theory Examinations!" Su Donglin was held back by the attendant. However, unlike most noble young masters, he did not vilify her for her disrespect but instead, he collected back his aura.

Peace was restored.

Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze once again went past Su Donglin, directing it at the female attendant in red. He could sense that those two were not the common attendants because their power was definitely above average.

Su Donglin once again felt the piercing pain of being overlooked. His eyes flashed but he did not dispute with Fang Zhengzhi any further because the gate of the Imperial Academy had opened.

Two rows of soldiers in shining armors swiftly marched out from within the gates.

The crowd that initially surrounded the gates saw the soldiers and immediately retreated to a distance. They opened a path from the gates of the Imperial Academy to the Roll Tablet.

[1] This Chinese saying "三十年河东,三十年河西" means that the world is ever-changing, nothing will stay the same. For the first thirty years, you might be on the east bank side of the Huang River but in the next thirty years, the flow of the Huang River might change such that you become situated on the west bank instead.

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