55: Chen Jieyuan

Wang Zhongshu declared, "My disciple will not be bullied when he is out!"

But Qin Chuan looked at the written accusation he had just thrown in front of him.

Well, the words were fierce, directly attacking the ancestors of eighteen generations!

Although the main target of the attack was Wang Zhongshu, occasionally one or two sentences also brought him into it.

This...

Wang Zhongshu also noticed the direction of Qin Chuan's gaze, and his imposing momentum of swallowing mountains and rivers faltered.

"Uh, these... they help you temper your heart! How can my disciple be a fragile person? I don't ask you to swallow insults; look, who among these people dares to curse me to my face? It's just the wailing of a defeated dog!"

Qin Chuan: "Ah, yes, yes, yes..."

Wang Zhongshu regained his composure, waved his sleeve, and turned around, saying:

"When you go to Chang'an before the metropolitan examination, I will give you a master-disciple ceremony that will awe the entire Great Zhou!"

"Oh."

Just as Qin Chuan responded, he looked up again, and Wang Zhongshu had already left.

Chen Honglin saw his expression and thought he was displeased, saying:

"Alright, don't pretend to be modest after getting a good deal. Do you really think you're extraordinarily talented? Strictly speaking, you're the one who benefited from him."

Cui Residence.

After the verbal agreement of master and disciple with Wang Zhongshu, Qin Chuan's days were never peaceful.

It wasn't that people were cursing him, but rather—receiving gifts!

Perhaps it was the people of Qiao City thanking him, or perhaps it was the sycophants trying to curry favor.

In the past few days, a long line had formed in front of the Cui Residence.

To deal with these people, Old He, the gatekeeper of the Cui Residence, had almost run himself ragged.

Qin Chuan blocked all visitors and gifts at the door.

It wasn't that he had reached the point of regarding money as dirt, but rather that there was no need to tarnish his reputation for it.

—Merit, fame, profit, status.

What scholars pursue seemed to be within his easy reach now.

If he had a wish, he could take it directly, no need to seek it indirectly.

However, he didn't refuse all these gifts.

He only accepted one thing—

Holding the item, Qin Chuan said, "Is this truly sent by the city's people spontaneously, and not exchanged for steamed buns and silver?"

Old He's face was full of smiles, completely devoid of the sternness he had shown when they first met.

He said, "Young Master, how could that be? This is truly sent by everyone with sincere hearts. You are the benefactor of the entire Qiao City!"

—Look, before he was called Scholar Chen, now he's Young Master.

Qin Chuan nodded: "Alright, then I'll accept this. As for the rest... just return them."

"Alright!"

After Old He left, Qin Chuan carefully examined the paper umbrella in his hand.

This was—the Wanmin Umbrella!

Looking at the dense text on it, Qin Chuan for the first time felt the weighty significance of his actions.

Not only that, this thing seemed to be a... special item!

[Wanmin Umbrella]: Condenses the aspirations of all beings in Qiao City. Wherever the umbrella is held, it is considered the land of Qiao City. (Uses: 3/3)

"Hmm, hmm, hmm?"

All in all, it was a useless function.

If it fell into the hands of a wanderer from Qiao City, at best it would be something to evoke homesickness.

But... in Qin Chuan's hands.

"Damn it! A combo skill!"

Did this mean that even if he was anywhere, for example, in the Main World, he could still use 'One thought can be the law of the world'?

This wasn't three times of homesickness; this was clearly three times of invincibility!

Qin Chuan was very satisfied with this gift!

And, not only that.

The third requirement of the Sage Teacher's second phase, which he originally thought would be the most difficult to complete, was surprisingly completed.

Who said he had to be an official!

Shedding autumn leaves, Qiao City's scholarly essence is strong.

The day of the provincial examination results was drawing closer, and the scholars of Qiao City grew increasingly anxious.

This time, Qin Chuan did not wait at home.

Early in the morning, he packed his bags and waited early by the south wall outside the academy.

Accompanying him were the entire Cui Residence family.

Cui Xiaobao: "Cousin! Can I go to Ying Zhou to play with you?"

Qin Chuan rubbed his head: "If your mother doesn't chase after you to beat you, of course you can... Probably not recently, I'll have to go to the capital after I return home for a bit."

Aunt Yun: "Look quickly, the results are here! My Wen Yuan is definitely the Jie Yuan!"

As two yamen runners arrived with the provincial examination list, the attention of the surrounding people shifted.

It wasn't just Aunt Yun who thought this; everyone around who wasn't a candidate's family member had the same thought...

"I wonder if Scholar Wen Yuan can pass the examination and become the Jie Yuan."

"He definitely can! Who is Scholar Wen Yuan? He possesses talent that can manage the heavens and the earth!"

"I even feel that the examiner isn't qualified to judge the Master's essay."

"If not, hehe... the people of Qiao City..."

In reality, the person who graded the papers and announced the results also lacked the courage to do anything against the will of the people.

[Second Place: Liu Yu, courtesy name Yiqian, from Shou County, Yingchuan.]

[First Place (Jie Yuan): Chen Chuan, courtesy name Wen Yuan.]

"Congratulations, Chen Jie Yuan!"

"It truly is Scholar Wen Yuan! The Master's talent cannot be contained by the Jie Yuan title; we await the day he achieves the Triple Crown!"

"Chen Jie Yuan, Chen Jie Yuan, every household praises the sage. If the Jie Yuan arrives one day, we'll sell our old clothes for wine money..."

Qin Chuan looked at the joyful scene before him, always feeling that these people were even happier than he was.

At this moment, some people in the crowd had already recognized him and came forward to congratulate him.

Even those few-year-old rascals, not knowing where they heard the doggerel, gathered around him.

Aunt Yun and Qing Mo had naturally anticipated this, and the candies and copper coins in their hands scattered like snowflakes.

The scene before him, however, made Qin Chuan's thoughts complex.

In his first life, people often said that there was such a thing as a second hometown in this world.

For example, for those who sing about Chengdu, Chengdu is their second hometown.

—What made me shed tears was not just last night...

Qin Chuan pondered for a moment, wondering where his second hometown was after he gained the ability to reincarnate in myriad worlds.

Ying Zhou? Qiao City?

He didn't know, but what was clear was that there would be many, many more such second hometowns in the future...

Turning back, he said to Qing Mo, "Let's go, first back to Ying Zhou, then detour to the capital!"

—The metropolitan examination does not require another year of waiting; it will begin early next year.

Although there was still some time to return, Qin Chuan planned to calm down first and let 'Chen Chuan's' life get on track before anything else.

Only Wang Xuan was temporarily left to his own devices, to be a wandering hero in the jianghu!

Until the day he becomes famous throughout the world in one fell swoop!

He left like dust, and returned shaking Ying Zhou.

Well, although Qin Chuan's departure from home couldn't be described as 'dust'.

But compared to the commotion of his return, it was simply incomparable.

When Qin Chuan and Qing Mo were ten li away from Ying Zhou, he could see familiar figures at the pavilion ahead.

Chen Zhou, Zheng... and behind them, Su Qing and other local officials.

What was all this about?

Qin Chuan quickly went forward with Qing Mo.

"Father, Mother, did something happen at home?"

Chen Zhou sighed: "What could happen? I heard you were coming back. This kind of superficial celebration of the entire city of Ying Zhou is something I originally didn't want to come for, but I couldn't refuse your mother and Governor Su..."

Zheng glared at him: "Who was it yesterday who was bragging to his colleagues that his son, a reincarnation of the God of Literature, was coming back?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

— — — — — —

(PS: My condition is terrible today, so probably only two chapters. There's one more before midnight; as for the missing chapters, I'll keep a record! I'll write a signed document!)