Chapter 335: 272: The Kindness of the Strong
Chapter 335: 272: The Kindness of the Strong
Therefore, when this news emerged, especially from the lips of the mansion’s head, Mr. Pei Laozhu, many were stirred into action and eager to challenge this mysterious young man.
Almost on the same day the news went out, several top students of Yunzhong Academy, who were determined to get a spot in the Capital Examination, vowed to give Pei Xuanjing a hard time and make him realize the reality.
Of course, every action has its supporters and its opponents. Mr. Pei Laozhu was a crafty strategist and rarely made a mistake, hence he had a vast following.
The saying goes: ‘If a person stays quiet for three years, he will shake the world when he speaks; if a bird does not fly for three years, it will ascend to heaven once it takes off.’
The terrific emperor of the Great Chu Empire had also been underestimated in his youth. But the brilliance he showed after three years of silence dazzified everyone.
These people believed that there must be something extraordinary about Pei Xuanjing that had caught Mr. Pei Laozhu’s favor. Perhaps he could surprise everyone.
Regardless, from the moment when Pei Xuanjing’s participation in the Autumn Examination was announced, the storm he stirred up couldn’t be stopped by anyone, not even by Mr. Pei Laozhu.
At the center of this storm, Pei Xuanjing, who had already created a huge stir in Yunzhong City and the whole Yunzhong County, still knew nothing about this. As he had for the past twelve years, he sat in the attic gazing at the sky, watching the clouds come and go without the slightest disturbance.
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye a month had passed, and the Autumn Examination which had attracted the attention of the entire Yunzhong County was about to begin.
As the first ray of the morning sun illuminated the earth, the usually quiet Yunzhong Academy started to buzz with activity.
The whole Autumn Examination took place over three days. The first two days were mostly for the juniors who had recently begun their cultivation, providing a stage for testing their progress over the year.
They would test their talents and realms, and spar with others to find shortcomings in their cultivation over the past year, and strengthen their foundations.
But what everyone looked forward to most was the competition on the third day. For many people, the early stages were just the appetizers, and the true meat of the feast was yet to come.
In the past, many unexpected talents had sprung up in the third day competition, surprising everyone and gaining endless glory and brilliance.
This year, due to the news of Pei Xuanjing’s participation, the competition had attracted even wider attention. Not only would some of the key figures from the Pei Mansion attend, but also the County Magistrate’s Mansion and leaders from other major powers.
The competition hadn’t begun yet, but important personalities from various powerful families had already arrived, each taking their place, their eyes all gazing in the same direction, awaiting the arrival of certain individuals.
“Thump, Thump…” Suddenly, the earth trembled as a team of knights rode in.
“Black Cloud Knights! They are the knights serving under the County Magistrate. Is a VIP from the Magistrate’s Mansion coming?” There were surprised expressions on many faces when these knights appeared.
“It’s an honor to have Colonel Guo join us today. Dean Gu has failed to give you a proper reception, I hope you’ll forgive us.”
The head of Yunzhong Academy, Dean Gu Yunshan, welcomed the knights with hearty laughter.
Upon hearing his words, everyone understood the identity of the newcomer.
Guo Yi, the strongest warrior under the County Magistrate’s command, led the Black Cloud Knights to numerous glorious victories.
“Dean Gu, you’re too polite.” Guo Yi dismounted from his horse and responded with a bow. “I hope you won’t mind my uninvited arrival today.”
Dean Gu Yunshan wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a sudden round of exclamations.
“Here they come, they’re here.”
“Mr. Pei Laozhu is here. That boy behind him must be the one!”
“With a handsome face and an elegant demeanor, regardless of anything else, this mysterious man’s extraordinary temperament alone is quite impressive,” someone whispered in the crowd.
He could be all flash and no substance for all we know,” someone retorted, clearly out of jealousy.
“He actually doesn’t appear to have cultivated.”
“Can someone who has never cultivated participate in the Autumn
Examination? This doesn’t make sense, ” someone frowned and added.
In any case, Pei Xuanjing’s arrival with Mr. Pei Laozhu stirred up discussion among many people. The whole academy’s Practice Martial Arts Field was crowded with people who had diverse opinions about him.
“Disciple Guo Yi pays respect to the teacher.” The first war general Guo Yi, seeing Mr. Pei Laozhu’s arrival, quickly walked up, bowed and greeted him.
He had once served under Mr. Pei Laozhu as a soldier, and although he was only a low-ranking official back then, he held Mr. Pei Laozhu in high esteem.
Mr. Pei Laozhu observed Guo Yi, shook his hand with a smile, then shook his head. “There’s no need for all this formality. I really don’t know when you’re going to change your stodgy personality.”
Guo Yi gave a bitter smile and refrained from further conversation, merely stealing a curious glance at Pei Xuanjing who stood behind Mr. Pei Laozhu.
However, Mr. Pei Laozhu did not want to delve into the matter further, turning to Pei Xuanjing he said, “Go wait in the seating area on the east side.” Pei Xuanjing nodded without a word and headed for the seats on the east side. Mr. Pei Laozhu then said to Dean Gu Yunshan, “I’m causing you trouble these days.”
Dean Gu Yunshan smiled, “Mr. Pei Laozhu, how could I refuse when it’s you who’s asking?”
The seats on the east side were for the students participating in the competition, and many of them had already taken their seats.
As they watched Mr. Pei Laozhu slowly walk over, these students had varied expressions towards the sudden intruder.
Some smiled, some watched with indifference, some glared with anger… there were various reactions.
But due to the presence of several experienced instructors and the academy’s strict rules, these students could only utter cold remarks and sarcastic comments.
However, Pei Xuanjing remained unmoved in the face of all this, ignoring all the chatter and finding an empty seat to sit down.
He understood that he was, after all, an outsider and his appearance was likely to have stepped on the toes of these students. No matter what he said, these people wouldn’t accept it.
However, Pei Xuanjing didn’t care about this at all.
Because to him, these things were simply insignificant. Considering his age, he could easily be their senior. Why should he care about their opinions?
Furthermore, once he demonstrated his sufficient strength, he naturally would suppress any disagreements. Once they saw his strength, they would start to think slowly. This was a magnanimity that only the strong possess..