Capítulo cento e trinta e quatro: Retorno ao Templo da Nuvem Branca durante o Ano Novo

"Clang! Clang!"

Lu Zheng stayed to the side, serving tea, water, and pastries to the young women. When Xiao Cui tried to help, Lu Zheng pressed her back down, insisting she continue playing.

As noon approached, Xiao Cui went to prepare lunch, and only then did Lu Zheng take a seat at the table.

The group chatted while they played.

"Uncle An and Uncle Qian are both away. I suppose things are quite busy over at the Peach Blossom Shrine?"

Shen Ying nodded. "Both yesterday and today have been crowded. The people are pious; they all wish for a better life in the coming year."

"Congratulations, sister."

"I have your Lu Lang to thank for that poem, 'The Peach Blossoms'. By the way, sister, didn't you ask Master Lu to compose a poem for you?" Shen Ying laughed, casting a side-long glance at Lu Zheng.

Liu Qingquan blushed, but instead of making things difficult for Lu Zheng, she shook her head and said, "Lu Lang has already painted a picture for me."

"Oh—"

Shen Ying feigned sudden realization, smiled, and drew another tile. "One of Bamboo."

...

"I've won again! Pay up, pay up!"

Mahjong without money has no soul, so the group played for small stakes. It was only one or two coins—hardly anything—but it was about the thrill of the game.

Liu Qingquan was the worst at calculating, but she couldn't be stopped by her sheer luck. Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying only had minor wins, while Liu Qingquan seemed to win constantly, having already collected several dozen coins.

*Wait? Three out of four are winning?*

Lu Zheng smacked his lips, fished out another copper coin, and handed it to Liu Qingquan.

She took it with a giggle and happily tucked it into her small pouch. Lu Zheng could see clearly that the pouch was already bulging; it seemed she had won quite a bit on New Year's Eve as well.

It looked like Liu Qingquan wouldn't need to ask Liu Qingyan for money for snacks anymore. But with Lu Zheng around, would she ever really be short of snacks?

"Lunch is ready!"

Xiao Cui's voice interrupted Liu Qingquan’s winning streak.

After finishing the round, the group ate in the front hall before returning to the side chamber to continue their game, clearly not yet satisfied.

The day passed without a single game of chess or a stroll through the woods; all their time was consumed by mahjong. It truly was a formidable time-killer.

By the middle of the Shen hour, it was time for Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan to head back.

"It really is quite fun. I'll have Xiao Cui carve another set from peach wood so you won't have to bring yours next time," Shen Ying said.

Xiao Cui packed away the tiles and returned them to Liu Qingyan, who accepted them without ceremony. They had played a round at home the previous afternoon, and had it not been for her visit to Peach Blossom Terrace today, Lady Liu might not have even been willing to let her take the set out of the house.

Shen Ying saw them to the door, waved as they boarded the carriage, and watched them depart before turning back into the courtyard.

Inside the swaying carriage, the group headed home, resting and snacking, feeling utterly content.

"Lu Lang."

"Hmm?"

Liu Qingyan hesitated before saying, "I plan to go to the Benevolent Heart Hall to see patients tomorrow."

"Don't you want to rest for a couple more days?"

"I'll go see if there are any patients and if Father is busy."

Lu Zheng nodded. "Very well. I happen to be going to White Cloud Temple tomorrow to see my master, to see if I can pick up any new spells."

"By the way, whenever you have time, we can go visit White Cloud Temple together. The scenery at Mount Shaotong is quite lovely."

Liu Qingyan blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Alright."

...

At midnight, Lu Zheng visited the peach forest, where a moved Shen Ying allowed him to enjoy the meticulous service of the Peach Blossom Fairy until dawn.

The next morning, a spirited Lu Zheng headed up Mount Shaotong, carrying the stalactite spring water and Lingzhi wine.

"Last time it was scorpion wine, this time it's Lingzhi wine. You are very thoughtful."

Daoist Mingzhang took a small sip. "The City God of the county seat sent a message of thanks, saying you helped destroy the Night-阑 Mountain of the Underworld?"

Lu Zheng nodded. "The Night-阑 King refined a Nether-Stone Ghost Corpse, and Lady Shen obtained the Nether Heart. The two parties were already locked in a blood feud. Since the Night-阑 King had one of his soul fragments destroyed, I thought it a good opportunity to test my skills."

Daoist Mingzhang shook his head. "You are quite bold. You haven't even been cultivating for a year, and you already dare to follow the City God into the Underworld. Still, it is good to gain experience. By feeling the aura of the Underworld more, you will be able to recognize ghosts at a glance when you encounter them in the mortal realm."

Lu Zheng and Daoist Mingzhang chatted casually while drinking and playing chess.

Mingzhang did not probe Lu Zheng's cultivation progress. Since Lu Zheng had already achieved success in Qi refining, constant probing with True Qi would inevitably seem like prying.

Lu Zheng did not ask for more teachings, either. For one, what he currently knew was sufficient, and for another, he didn't want to seem mercenary by asking for things every time he visited. During the New Year, coming up the mountain to play chess, drink, and chat with his master to build their relationship was perfectly fine.

"I read that poem of yours, 'The Peach Blossoms'. It was truly excellent. Are you really not planning to take the examination for the title of Xiucai this year?"

The imperial examination system of the Great Jing Dynasty was generally similar to that of ancient China, though simpler and more flexible.

The first step was the annual local exam, held in each student's place of registration. It was divided into prefecture and county exams. Passing would grant one the title of Xiucai. With this title, one could study at official government schools or private academies.

The second step occurred every three years in the autumn, when the imperial court held the provincial examinations. These were much harder than the local exams; those who passed were called Juren and were qualified to serve as low-level local officials. For instance, Magistrate Li of Tonglin County was a Juren from Lingbei Province.

As a side note, the Great Jing administration was divided into three levels: Province, Prefecture, and County. For example, Tonglin County belonged to Yi Prefecture, which in turn belonged to Lingbei Province. It was quite similar to modern administrative divisions—political governance truly leads to the same destination by different paths.

*Wait? Thinking about it this way, have I not even left the "novice village" yet?*

In other stories, when people transmigrate, they invent nuclear fusion or build space fortresses, or become powerful enough to defy empires single-handedly. Was he falling behind? Was he dragging down the reputation of transmigrators across the heavens?

*Forget it, forget it.* Before even leaving the novice village, he had already faced bosses like the Night-阑 King and encountered experts like Shen Ying, Daoist Mingzhang, and Xin Zhanting. If he actually left, who knows what would happen?

Better to play it safe. Unless he truly lacked the "Light of Fortune" needed for cultivation, he would stick to falling in love in Tonglin County. He could play with flower arrangement from time to time—wasn't that a good life?

Bringing the conversation back...

The third step was the spring examination held in the central capital the year following the autumn exams. Only Juren who hadn't yet taken office could participate. Those who passed would enter the sight of the imperial court's center, effectively leaping to success, and were titled Jinshi.

Beyond that, the top three selected by the Emperor himself, or the National Academy, were merely supplementary additions to the vast examination system of the Great Jing.

...

"No," Lu Zheng shook his head. "I truly have no interest in being an official. If I ever feel interested, I can take the exam then."

Mingzhang only felt it a pity to waste Lu Zheng's literary talent. However, Lu Zheng not taking the exam actually suited him better. With his cultivation, as long as he didn't commit crimes, he didn't need to fear official interference. With his family's assets providing income, he lacked for nothing. Focusing on cultivation was perfectly fine.

"Very well. Truth be told, given your success in Qi refining, if you truly wished to be an official, the court would likely make an exception to recruit you. But unless your administrative achievements were extraordinary, you would inevitably be ostracized by colleagues who entered through the traditional examinations." Mingzhang gave Lu Zheng a word of warning.

Lu Zheng nodded in understanding.

Others struggled for years through the examinations and had networks of peers. If he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they would naturally be unhappy. Never mind that his cultivation and Qi refining were also hard work—they wouldn't understand, as they were from different systems.

Fortunately, Lu Zheng had no intention of becoming an official anyway.

Jokes aside, the Tonglin County household registration wasn't omnipotent. If he really passed, the court would conduct a background check. Without a real "personal history," he would definitely be exposed. The best-case scenario would be rejection due to an unclear background; the worst-case scenario would be being branded a spy for another nation or power and summarily executed. That would be a disaster.

One shouldn't underestimate the Great Jing court. It was a parallel world similar to ancient China, a unified empire, not a pirate society like the Anglo-Saxons where anything goes.

Therefore, until he had the strength to crush the Great Jing Dynasty with a flick of his finger, Lu Zheng resolved never to enter the core circle of any major power.

If he didn't enter their core, they would have no reason to investigate him deeply.

Once his strength was sufficient and he really wanted to be an official in the Great Jing...

*Damn it, administrative achievements? Wouldn't that be easy to manufacture?*

...

After eating a vegetarian meal at White Cloud Temple and playing another game of chess with Mingzhang in the afternoon, Lu Zheng finally bade farewell.

As he stepped out of the back courtyard, he saw Yuanjing looking pale, clutching his chest, supported by the guest-welcoming Daoist Yuanning.

Lu Zheng hurried forward, supporting Yuanjing on the other side. "Brother Yuanjing, what happened?"

Yuanjing sighed and shook his head. "Alas, I was careless for a moment!"

Lu Zheng, "..."

Yuanning, "..."

Lu Zheng glanced at Yuanning, but saw no surprise on his face.

Seeing Lu Zheng looking at him, Yuanning explained, "Three days ago, a wealthy man named Zhang from Pingtan County begged for help, saying his old house was haunted, so Brother went down the mountain to slay the ghost."

Yuanning looked at Yuanjing's pale face. "Was that evil ghost powerful?"

Yuanjing shook his head, then nodded. "Its cultivation was average, but I didn't expect it to have the ability to curse blood. I was careless and it sucked away two-tenths of my life force. The loss is not small."

"And that evil ghost..."

"Is already dead," Yuanjing said.

Lu Zheng nodded. It seemed that while Yuanjing was often careless, his strength was solid. Even though he had been ambushed, he had successfully completed the task.

"I will go pay my respects to Master first, then I must meditate for five days to fully recover my blood and Qi."

"The scorpion wine that Brother Yuanzheng brought last time is still left. I'll pour you a jug."

"Good!"

And so, just as Lu Zheng had emerged, he turned back around, supporting Yuanjing, and headed toward Mingzhang's meditation room.

After paying respects to his master and reporting the ghost-slaying incident, Mingzhang helplessly poured a catty of the Lingzhi wine Lu Zheng had brought for Yuanjing to drink while he recuperated.

After helping Yuanjing to his bedroom and chatting for a few more moments, Lu Zheng left, used his Divine Travel Technique, and returned to Tonglin County.