Chapter Seventy-Five: A Challenger Appears

The sudden emergence of an extraordinary phenomenon plunged everyone inside and outside the examination hall into unprecedented shock.

Since the advent of Literary Force, only scholars had ever been able to attain the Grand Path of Literary Power, and the potent Mind Force was a branch that gradually developed later. There was also an unspoken rule: to gain Mind Force, one almost always had to be a scholar who cultivated poetry with Literary Power, and only those of exceptional talent could awaken it through inspiration.

In other words, without systematic study and mastery of Literary Power, it was nearly impossible to generate Mind Force, let alone witness such an extraordinary scene in the examination hall.

This left everyone shaken and bewildered, even more curious to know who could possibly have awakened Mind Force and wielded it so grandly in an instant.

The officials in the northern pavilion were equally perplexed, all agreeing that they must later question Song Mu about how he had come by such Mind Force.

At that moment, another pair of eyes appeared in the northern pavilion, sweeping over the examination grounds for the first time.

Within the usually desolate gaze of Master Fengming, there was now a hint of color.

Meanwhile, in the test cell, Song Mu finally opened his eyes.

The moment his gaze cleared, the boundless vision that surrounded him instantly vanished.

Song Mu felt his mind was incomparably lucid, his thoughts unconsciously expanding throughout the hall. He could sense with perfect clarity what those around him were doing—even the heartbeats of nearby candidates, the rustling of their brushes as they wrote.

Song Mu tried to make these perceptions even sharper, but found that the characters on the examination papers remained indistinct, as if shrouded in a mist that blocked his Mind Force from probing further.

He marveled at this, realizing that the writing materials provided by the examination institute must be extraordinary in their own right, and so he abandoned any further attempt to investigate.

The vortex of Mind Force within his mind was rapidly depleting. After a short while, once he found he could probe anything within about fifty meters, he hastily withdrew his Mind Force.

Afterward, Song Mu turned his attention back to the essay and verses he had written, carefully reviewing them, entirely unaware of the stir he had just caused in the examination hall.

When the blue radiance of the Literary Star had poured into his body, his only thought had been to break through with Mind Force.

To achieve this, he had devoted himself wholly to driving the vortex of Mind Force; though he sensed his poetry might have triggered something else, he couldn’t control it at the time.

Now, opening his eyes to the calm surroundings, he noticed only the soldier stationed before him seemed startled, while everything else was as before.

Since he had also been watched by a soldier the day before, Song Mu paid it no mind and simply began to check his essay with care.

By now the sun was nearing dusk; the second session of the examination would also end at sunset. Having finished his essay, and finding no faults, Song Mu found it unbearable to remain in the test cell any longer and signaled to submit his paper.

Leaving the cell, Song Mu returned to the examination shed, where a fair number of candidates had already gathered, likely because the second day’s time was ample and, having attained their realm, they came here to wait.

All those who had gathered had successfully condensed Literary Power, each now holding the rank of scholar. Those still within must have been making their final efforts.

Song Mu walked through the crowd. Seeing there was nowhere to sit, he stood for a while, but soon felt uncomfortably hot and detected a faint odor on himself. Glancing around, he noticed a shaded corner near the shed, sheltered by trees and shrubs. Not caring much for propriety at the moment, he gathered his robe and sat down there.

Seated on the ground, Song Mu surveyed his surroundings: most of the scholars present were in their twenties or thirties, with the occasional man in his forties. However, he did not spot any fellow students from Shiyang County.

All these faces were lit with joy, their expressions bright with celebration, some even loudly discussing how they would feast tonight.

Were it not for the gravity of the examination’s location and their own sense of dignity, they might even have spoken of more frivolous entertainments.

Even so, the shed was rather boisterous, and the guards had repeatedly tried to quiet them, to little effect.

Letting out a long sigh, Song Mu half reclined under the tree, the warmth of the ground radiating into his back, and gazed through the leaves at the clear blue sky above.

He had been in this world for almost two months now. During that time, he had experienced countless trials, driven ever onward by the hope of passing the scholar’s examination.

Now, with Literary Power surging within him and his Mind Force clear and agile, Song Mu knew he had taken his first true step in this world.

It was as if a weight was lifted from his heart; he felt he had fulfilled a promise to himself. The road ahead suddenly seemed wide and full of opportunity.

The last time he felt like this was when he received his university acceptance letter after the college entrance examination.

This gentle breeze and warm sun brought a sense of peace and contentment; truly, there was a subtle wonder in this world as well.

Song Mu closed his eyes with a smile, doing his best to savor the moment.

Perhaps his reclining posture was deemed improper, for the guards on duty glanced over repeatedly. But as Song Mu was tucked away in a corner and bore the status of a scholar, they hesitated to approach.

A nearby scholar, however, frowned at the sight, his face betraying annoyance. He gestured to two or three companions. When Song Mu first entered the shed, they had noticed this tall, unusually young man.

So young, yet not someone of renown in their minds—they quietly conferred and reached a conclusion:

This youth’s essays must not be very good; perhaps he had only just barely made it into the scholar’s ranks by luck.

But now that he was a scholar, he should act the part, not behave so idly and slovenly, bringing shame to their status.

Exchanging glances, the tall, thin scholar approached Song Mu.

Others in the shed noticed as well, some recognizing Song Mu but opting not to intervene. A few unfamiliar scholars watched with faces full of anticipation, as if awaiting a spectacle.

Song Mu, still immersed in the fullness of his Literary Power, suddenly heard approaching footsteps. Extending his Mind Force, he saw another scholar coming near and opened his eyes.

“Sir, this is an important place for the examinations. You seem in good health; surely you need not sit on the ground like this?”

Startled by the sharp-featured man’s words, Song Mu frowned slightly.

Since when did sitting quietly in a corner warrant such comment?

Sitting upright, Song Mu looked at him, pressed his lips together, and replied gently, “Have you ever heard a certain story?”

“Oh? What story?” the scholar asked, pausing.

“The tale of Mencius seeking to divorce his wife.”

With that, Song Mu lowered his gaze and resumed his reclining posture, ignoring the other man entirely.

At this, the scholar’s face stiffened, annoyance flickering in his eyes.

But just as he was about to retort, he swallowed his words.

Song Mu’s reply was pointed—a reference to a tale of Mencius, who, upon returning home and finding his wife sitting improperly, declared he would divorce her. But Mencius’s mother asked if he had knocked before entering; when he admitted he had not, he realized he had acted improperly first and abandoned the idea.

It was an example of procedural justice: whoever is first to offend has no right to criticize others for the same offense.

Had not all these scholars been noisy and boisterous, lacking the decorum expected of their station?

Thus, the scholar was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yet he was not timid; this time, his face bore a somewhat embarrassed smile, and he stared unblinkingly at Song Mu.

“I say, sir, you are now a scholar; you should mind your bearing, lest the officials see and deem it improper.”

Seeing the other man’s persistence, Song Mu let out a heavy sigh and replied blandly, “Oh.”

“Hmm?” The man was briefly nonplussed, frowning at Song Mu.

Song Mu simply pressed his lips together and shrugged, making no effort to answer.

This left the man feeling challenged, especially as his friends were watching. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “May I know your name? Today Liu Jianyu has learned something from you.”

At that, Song Mu exhaled, stood, and gave a proper bow. “I am Song Mu.”

His voice was not loud, but everyone in the shed heard it. At the name, nearly all were taken aback.

For this name was now well known throughout Jizhou Prefecture.

Song Mu—the very one who had composed two immortal poems in succession!

Even the great scholars sang his praises without end.

All eyes turned to the tall youth sitting on the steps.

Even the noise that the soldiers had failed to suppress died away completely.

Liu Jianyu’s throat tightened.

But at that very moment, all eyes suddenly shifted skyward.

A resplendent rainbow streaked across the heavens.

...

End of section.